Catch Part 1 Here: http://deadliestwarriorshowdown.blogspot.com/2011/05/dw-quickie-match-toon-link-vs-sora.html
Catch Part 3 Here: http://deadliestwarriorshowdown.blogspot.com/2011/05/sora-vs-toon-link-part-3-sora-warrior.html
Warrior Profile: Toon Link
Toon Link- The Hero of Winds
Theme Song: The Great Sea Orchestrated
I chose this song for Link because it is easily the most memorable track in Wind Waker. This orchestra version really captures the raw, epic feel of the theme, and of Link's desire for new adventures.
Link's Biography: Several hundred years after the events of Ocarina of Time, the residents of the kingdom of Hyrule were disturbed yet again by the menacing Gerudo king Ganon, and this time there was no legendary hero to save them. Not wishing to see the world fall into darkness, the Hylians asked the gods to seal their world with floodwaters and so the history of fair Hyrule came to an end.
Our hero, the current incarnation of Link, began his adventure as he turned twelve on the rural village of Outset Island. After seeing his sister get kidnapped, Link enlisted the aid of a motley band of pirates and of a mysterious talking boat known as the King of Red Lions to pass the tests of the gods and become worthy of the Master Sword. Along the way, Link learns the truth about ancient Hyrule, uncovers the true identity of Princess Zelda and saves his sister from a powerful bird known as the Helmaroc King. After this, Link sets out across the seas to revive the powers of the Master Sword by installing new sages at the Earth and Wind Temples. Finally, he discovers and reassembles the Triforce of Courage and is chosen by the gods to be the Hero of Winds, destined to send Ganon back to his eternal prison. At this time, Zelda is kidnapped and Link tracks her to Ganon's Tower.
The final struggle with Ganon takes place in his tower at the Forsaken Fortress, and Ganon taunts Link in saying that he can't possibly win, and that he can have a painless death if he surrenders. At this notion, Zelda grabs Link's bow and starts to shoot Light Arrows at the fiend. As the tower submerges around them, Link and Zelda finish off Ganon together while the Hylian king wishes only for a bright future for Link, Zelda, and their future children. With that, the King of Red Lions vanishes into history along with the kingdom he fought so bravely to defend.
Toon Link is the successor to the famed Hero of Time, who saved Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf several hundred years prior to the events of Wind Waker.
The final struggle with Ganon takes place in his tower at the Forsaken Fortress, and Ganon taunts Link in saying that he can't possibly win, and that he can have a painless death if he surrenders. At this notion, Zelda grabs Link's bow and starts to shoot Light Arrows at the fiend. As the tower submerges around them, Link and Zelda finish off Ganon together while the Hylian king wishes only for a bright future for Link, Zelda, and their future children. With that, the King of Red Lions vanishes into history along with the kingdom he fought so bravely to defend.
Young Toon Link must grow up quickly in order to confront the tides of evil rapidly approaching the Great Sea.
After his initial quest, Link sets out to continue his adventures in The Minish Cap and Phantom Hourglass. His goals are simple, but Link's courage is unwavering and he will do whatever it takes to protect those he loves, including his pirate friend Tetra, his grandmother, and his sister. He is impetuous at times, but he always means well and counts on a variety of spells and equipment to fight evil. Toon Link was a radical departure from the realistic, older Link popular at the time, but the quality of the game and of the plot showed that Toon Link is a central and legitimate part of the Zelda universe.
Toon Link Alternate Theme: City Outskirts Act 4
For fun, I looked at music from other video games to see what theme would suit each character the most. I came up with this track, from the mod Sonic Megamix. I think it suits the freewheeling, adventuresome Link very well, and this would be a great theme for some fast-paced ocean travel. Take a listen!
Link's Weapons and Skills
Toon Link's Spin Attack is a continuation of a long tradition of fancy swordsmanship in the Zelda series.
Toon Link takes a balanced approach to combat, meaning that in a sense he is a jack of all trades but a master of none. He prefers to do battle up close and personal, with the Master Sword and Hero's Shield giving the edge over most opponents he has faced in the games. He is proficient with combos, but he also can do parries and counterattacks when the situation calls for it. His sword, while long in comparison to his body size, isn't particularly far-reaching especially when compared to a two-handed weapon or a Moblin Spear.
Speaking of which, Toon Link has the ability to pick up weapons from enemies that he finds laying around, although the Master Sword is better for most situations. Compared to his opponent, it can be said that Toon Link has a slightly shorter weapon and less power but a slightly faster attack speed with less recovery.
On the whole, Link plays a more defensive game in combat, meaning that he typically evades attacks and blocks with the shield until he sees a weakness in the enemy's pattern. Then, he can retaliate with a lightning-quick sword combo or use an ingenious technique known as the "A-Evade." This means that Link can sense if an enemy is winding up for an attack, and then dodge it and counter at the same time. This technique is extremely effective against slow opponents such as Moblins, Bokoblins, and Darknuts.
Link isn't entirely reliant on his sword; in fact, I'd estimate that swordplay only makes up about 60% of his strategy. He has a variety of other attack equipment to rely on, and much of it is useful for several purposes and ranges. Weapons such as the Hookshot and Grappling Hook are primarily used to pester opponents, while the Bow and Bombs on the other hand are decidedly lethal killing tools. Link carries all of his equipment close at hand, and through practice he has learned to effortlessly switch to whatever device he needs at the given moment, much like a Wild West gunslinger.
Link also has a variety of magic powers that he learns over the course of his journey, but he also has a magic meter that limits the spells he can cast at a given time. Abilities such as the Fire Arrows and Tornado Spin Attack consume magic, and without replenishing his meter with Green Potions he will be unable to use these techniques. He also knows Nayru's love, a shield technique, and most importantly Toon Link is able to control the winds with his Wind Waker. He can theoretically use the winds in conjunction with his Deku Leaf to gain temporary flight.
The mainstays of Toon Link's arsenal are his sword and shield, but he employs a variety of other equipment as well.
Overall, Toon Link is a balanced Warrior who brings many solutions to a variety of different problems. Probably his greatest strength is his versatility, but this could also harm him since he doesn't specialize in any given area. Still, he has a great ranged game and a shield, and many of his techniques don't need magic to be effective. Link can be reckless when trying to defend someone he loves, but overall he takes a more conservative approach to fighting than his opponent, for better or for worse.
Close Range: Master Sword and Mirror Shield, Triforce Slash, Spin Attack
Master Sword
What would Link be without the Master Sword in his hand? A dead boy and not a hero, that's for sure.....
The Master Sword is the signature weapon of every incarnation of Link, and it is the one weapon that is capable of defeating his archnemesis, Ganon. A legendary blade forged by the ancient Hylian knights to fight evil, it draws its power from a group of Sages whose prayers imbue the sword with the power to fight the powers of darkness. The Master Sword has always been a treasure in the Zelda series, and this is no different in Wind Waker.
In this title, Link must first prove his worthiness to the gods by acquiring three elemental pearls from the far corners of the Great Sea. Once he puts them into place, the energy of the pearls causes a massive tower to rise from the sea. This Tower of the Gods serves as the proving ground for potential heroes, and Link found his Bow here. Once the boss of the Tower, the golem Gohdan, was defeated a portal formed that took Link to the frozen remains of Hyrule Castle. Link eventually finds the Master Sword in the frozen ruins of the Castle's Royal Sanctuary. It was in a weakened state, so Link set off to restore the blade to its shining glory by reinstalling the Earth and Wind Sages to their rightful temples. By installing the bird girl Medil and the forest spirit Makar as Sages, Link enabled the Master Sword to glow with a powerful light once more.
It is only through many trials that Toon Link earns the right to use the legendary Master Sword.
At full power the Master Sword is an awesome weapon, with plenty of range, but it's also quick enough to be used in combos as well. Based on the video below, it's fair to surmise that Link is capable of some fancy swordsmanship. Even without the power of the full Triforce (he does possess the Triforce of Courage, for what it's worth), Link does have the important ability to beat his opponents to the punch by using quick attacks. He was trained by the old blade master Orca, after all, so Link should be perfectly competent with the usage of his weapon. Link's sword combos can range from two to five hits, and he is also blessed by a short recovery time in between combos as well.
There is one issue with Link's sword, though, and this flaw is somewhat shared by his current opponent as well: I don't believe that the Master Sword has ever been used to slay a person of pure heart, so it may be a concern as to if it will be at full power against Sora. Unlike the Keyblade, I don't think the sword directly chooses its master and it probably wouldn't just vanish if a crime is committed, but seeing how the Master Sword IS a sacred blade to the Hylian gods, the powers that be may not be happy if they found out their legendary hero had committed foul murder with a holy weapon...
Mirror Shield
The bright, shining Mirror Shield is capable of deflecting light beams as well as magic energy.
The Mirror Shield will be covered in Link's Defense category, so stay tuned!
Triforce Slash
As the picture caption above indicates, the Triforce Slash isn't an ability that appears in Wind Waker, so why is it included with Link's other close range weapons? The answer lies with the fact that since this matchup has two famous and elite combatants, they both need to be able to utilize every ability that they theoretically could in combat. Therefore, even though this potent technique isn't accessible in Wind Waker proper it can be used by Toon Link in Smash Bros. Brawl; in that game Toon Link appears as he does in Wind Waker and all of his other moves are the same, so I believe it's reasonable to say that he would have also been able to utilize the Triforce Slash at his highest level of capability as of Wind Waker.
With that clarification out of the way, now it's time to explain what the Triforce Slash actually is; in layman's terms, the move is a high-powered magical combo and thus it's Toon Link's answer to Sora's Ars Arcanum ability. Unlike Sora's move, Link uses an external power source (the Triforce of Courage) combined with some of his own magic power to execute a four-second long rapid chain of sword strikes ending with a coup de grace slash. Although it's more visually impressive than Ars Arcanum, I'd estimate that the Triforce Slash is just slightly more damaging than the former move and it comes at a marginally higher magic cost to Toon Link. Since the two moves are so similar I'll focus here on only the differences between the two. First of all, while Arcanum has Sora advance on the opponent while using it, the Triforce Slash must be activated like a normal sword hit and then the enemy is locked in for the duration of the move- obviously this can benefit Link since if he can land the Slash he will always get the most bang for his magical buck. Fortunately for him, though, Link does a speed warp immediately prior to this first hit so he can activate the Triforce Slash and then surprise his enemy with that movement. Secondly, the Triforce Salsh can be activated in the air as well as on the ground; Link doesn't nearly have the airborne abilities of Sora, but if he does find himself in this position he will have a strong attack to rely on. Third, when the attack is finishing up the final strike will knock the opponent back a fair deal, Dragonball Z style! If Link can knock his adversary into a wall or rock, then it could be curtains for the aforementioned opponent. By the way, Link may have a better chance of his combo piercing Sora's defenses than vice versa because the latter does not have the use of a shield (but then again maybe neither of them can negate these powerful moves).
Toon Link is also able to use the Triforce Slash when airborne.
The Triforce Slash shares many of the drawbacks of Ars Arcanum as well, but to different degrees. Summoning the Triforce to aid Link's swordsmanship skills will come at an enormous magical cost to him; although he uses magical power for less applications than his present enemy, he also has a lower capacity magic meter so he had better be sure his attack will land before he mortgages the farm on the Triforce Slash. Like Arcanum, once this move starts it can't stop although Link is protected to an extent by the Triforce's aura while the attack is in progress. This isn't to say, though, that Link would be invincible when the effect wears off; to the contrary, if Sora can avoid the initial slice, he would have plenty of time to recover, summon help, try to flank Link, or any other option he could think of. The main point here is that Toon Link's uber-combo is an even bigger gamble for him than his opponent's.
Poor Squirtle didn't deserve this kind of treatment.....
To summarize, the Triforce Slash is Link's ultimate attack for use when his back is against the wall or to ensure that his opponent is defeated; it's not something that he could or can use casually, and even Toon Link's philosophy torwards fighting doesn't necessarily lend itself to the all-out aggressive moves characteristic of Sora's methods. It's an important distinction between the two Warriors that manifests itself here; Ars Arcanum for Sora is for frequent (yet cautionary) use, while Link's Triforce Smash is a very similar technique but it has a far smaller place in his attack set. All of this being said, however, the warping and hard-hitting properties of this move virtually guarantee that it'll be on Link's mind when the dice of fate are being cast.
The Triforce Slash shares many of the drawbacks of Ars Arcanum as well, but to different degrees. Summoning the Triforce to aid Link's swordsmanship skills will come at an enormous magical cost to him; although he uses magical power for less applications than his present enemy, he also has a lower capacity magic meter so he had better be sure his attack will land before he mortgages the farm on the Triforce Slash. Like Arcanum, once this move starts it can't stop although Link is protected to an extent by the Triforce's aura while the attack is in progress. This isn't to say, though, that Link would be invincible when the effect wears off; to the contrary, if Sora can avoid the initial slice, he would have plenty of time to recover, summon help, try to flank Link, or any other option he could think of. The main point here is that Toon Link's uber-combo is an even bigger gamble for him than his opponent's.
To summarize, the Triforce Slash is Link's ultimate attack for use when his back is against the wall or to ensure that his opponent is defeated; it's not something that he could or can use casually, and even Toon Link's philosophy torwards fighting doesn't necessarily lend itself to the all-out aggressive moves characteristic of Sora's methods. It's an important distinction between the two Warriors that manifests itself here; Ars Arcanum for Sora is for frequent (yet cautionary) use, while Link's Triforce Smash is a very similar technique but it has a far smaller place in his attack set. All of this being said, however, the warping and hard-hitting properties of this move virtually guarantee that it'll be on Link's mind when the dice of fate are being cast.
Toon Link vs. the Fallen Prince, Marth
I think that he looks like an Asian girl, too.....
Since this movie has nothing to with Wind Waker, the video description will be rather brief. Prince Marth is a character from the Japanese strategy game series Fire Emblem, and he's also a wickedly good dueler in the Smash Bros. Series. He has better sword attacks than Link or Toon Link, but he also lacks their projectiles and versatility. Still though, Marth places higher on many tiers than either of those two, and he was one of the dominant characters in Melee. Apparently Marth had his kingdom taken away from him and then he lead a revolt or something, it would be interesting to research for a future match but frankly it's beyond the scope of this one.
Link sends Marth to his Final Destination
What matters is that Marth serves as a punching bag for Toon Link's Triforce Slash. In this game, the move is obtained by breaking open a Smash Ball but in the fight Toon Link will be able to activate it whenever he want given he has the magic power to do so (a lot of magic power.....). It's apparent here that the warp Link does as he prepares the move makes the Triforce Slash incredibly hard to avoid for his enemy, but it's not impossible. Besides the move, these Smash videos are useful for showing Toon Link's movement and combat styles in a heated duel- look for more of them in the near future.
Spin Attack
Unlike many of Link's weapons, the Spin Attack is both integral to his sword style and totally unique to him; there is no other Warrior, real or fictional, who fights enemies by charging up their sword and then spinning around! While such a tactic may seem absurd on paper, the Spin Attack is actually Link's oldest sword move as well as one of his most valuable. The reason that the Spin Attack has been Link's choice move throughout his adventures is simple: by spinning with the sword, he covers every every possible angle around him so no opponent can hit his flank. In games such as Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker, Link also benefits by being able to project a damaging magical field of energy around him as he rotates. As Link has always been a formidable Warrior face-to-face, the Spin Attack fills a major niche in his attack strategy by allowing him to quickly deal with enemies who refuse to engage him head-on.
In Wind Waker, the Spin Attack can be upgraded by Link several times in order to increase its area of effect and power. In the beginning of his journey across the seas, Toon Link can only spin around in much the same way as anybody else with a sword could. However, an early visit to a Great Fairy allows him to charge up the spin and create a shockwave around him that increases the Spin Attack's reach twofold. The final upgrade to the move comes from a completely different source- when Link manages to present ten Knight's Crests (items dropped by Darknuts) to his sensei Orca, the village elder will show him the secret of the Hurricane Spin Attack! This iteration allows Link to charge up his sword to the point where he can literally spin around like a top for several seconds as he cuts down anything in his path.
The potential benefits of the Spin Attack have already been covered, but here's a refresher: First of all, by utilizing the move Toon Link can sweep a radius of eight feet around him with the Master Sword, and anything in that range will be hit with quite a potent attack. With the Hurricane Spin Attack, Link can even pursue his adversary whilst remaining practically invincible to all melee and most projectile strikes! The fast rotations mean that his enemy won't be able to catch Link in between moves as would be the case with a conventional combo. While the Spin Attack does consume some magic energy, it's quite affordable to him in comparison to similar attacks that his opponent uses and to the other magical options he has.
Those are quite a few benefits, but the Spin Attack does have some noticeable weaknesses. The most major one of these has to do with startup and recovery time- while both are quick, they aren't nonexistent so Link needs to be able to time the Spin Attack so he won't be caught winding up or down (Link needs extra time to recover from the Hurricane Spin). Secondly, while the Spin Attack is very potent it is also the most predictable sword technique Link has- while the enemy may be surprised to see it the first time, they can quickly adapt to its pattern and exploit it. Third, the Spin Attack does cost some magical energy so Link must use it in moderation.
The reasons that Link has been repping the Spin Attack since the Eighties should be apparent enough- the move works extremely well for him, and it's able to mow down hordes of enemies such as Bokoblins and Stalchildren without any trouble. The range of the move allows it to be used flexibly, and the Hurricane variant is perfect for Toon Link to pull out as a fast and damaging wild card. Link must use a predictable move like this sparingly against an opponent worth his salt, but when combined with his other attacks the Spin is fully capable of living up to its proud history.
Link Masters the Hurricane Spin
Link owes all of his sword training to the elder of his village, Orca.
Orca is an old man who is said to be the only person left on Outset Island that knows anything about combat, since the area has been peaceful for as long as anyone can remember. He may be related to Link somehow, but there is never any indication either way on that matter. Regardless, Orca is the person who gives Link his first sword and teaches him how to use it practically. Before Aryll's kidnapping, there is no record of Link being anything but an ordinary boy, (it is hinted though that he is a descendant of the Hero of Time) but after that event everything changes for the young hero. He realizes that to defeat anyone he needs some help, and Orca is the person to provide it.
Link proves his accomplishments as a Warrior
After Link has distinguished himself on his journey, Orca tells him that he once had the desire to gather items called Knight's Crests, marks of a valiant warrior earned through single combat. After seeing Link's collection of them, Orca happily teaches him the secret of the Hurricane Spin Attack. As the video shows, Link can cover a lot of ground with this devastating move but he is rendered dizzy for a few moments afterwards.
Mid Range: Grappling Hook, Skull Hammer
Grappling Hook:
The Grappling Hook has a variety of uses for Link; not all of them are offensive.
When one thinks of a grappling hook, the first thing that comes to mind is it being used by a ninja or an Indiana Jones- type in order to break into a house or scale an ancient stone cliff. Or, perhaps a fan of Deadliest Warrior would imagine the hilariously absurd notion of a giant hook being used as a weapon by the Somali Pirates. In real life, grappling hooks are used to scale mountains and get past obstacles, among other benign uses. However, as with other weapons in the Zelda series, the Grappling Hook Link uses is implemented as an offensive tool with special abilities as well.
As the first piece of special equipment Link comes across in his adventure, the Grappling Hook sees steady, if not frequent use through the game.It is the treasure of Dragon Roost Cavern, the dungeon inside of Dragon Roost Island, home of the sky dragon god Valoo and his servants, the bird people Ritos. When Valoo starts to become enraged and throws boulders everywhere, it is up to Link and his friend the bird-girl Medil (who is Valoo's attendant) to find the cause of the disruption and calm him down. Unfortunately for them, Medil gets caught by a guard troop of Bokoblins and Moblins and is thrown in a prison cell. When Link finally scales the top of the mountain and finds Medil, he fights off the guards and then Medil awards him with the Grappling Hook. Using the ewfound treasure, Link then enters the chamber under Valoo to find Gohma, a lava scorpion who is irritating the dragon above. After Link uses the hook to defeat the creature, peace is restored to Dragon Roost Island and he is rewarded with Din's Pearl, one of the elemental pearls he needs to find in order to prove himself to the gods as a hero.
Link's ability to swing with the Grappling Hook was one of his new abilities for Wind Waker.
The question remains: what does a seemingly benign implement like the Grappling Hook have to offer in a single confrontation against an extremely fast and powerful opponent like Sora? The answer lies in an assessment of the weapon's non-lethal properties as opposed to simply measuring how amny kills the Hook gets on its own. While the hook end of the weapon is sharp and the rope could theoretically be used to trap weapons or even subdue and strangle enemies, it's not the Hook's goal to be strictly a killing tool. In Wind Waker the weapon can be used to dispatch small enemies like Keese (bats), but beyond that the hook will only stun opponents. In addition to stunning them, the Hook can also be used to steal their items, such as recovery hearts, bombs, arrows, and rupees from a distance! It could be that Link puts this ability to good use against Sora or one of his allies, but then again they may be too quick for that. Speaking of distance, the Grappling Hook excels here thanks to its twenty-five foot long rope.
The Grappling Hook proves itself to be essential for Link to slay the lava scorpion Gohma.
For these benefits, there are several drawbacks to the Grappling Hook that keep it from being the killer app of Toon Link's arsenal. For starters, it is not lethal enough to be a true killing tool. That doesn't mean that it's exclusively non-lethal, as it has been mentioned how the Hook can kill enemies. Also, the stunning ability of the Hook can expose the opponent to a more dangerous implement (such as the sword.) This doesn't offset the fact that Link has far more dangerous pieces of equipment at his disposal, and one doesn't get too many chances against a fast and lethal opponent such as Sora. Also, I'd assume that as a treasure of the Ritos the Grappling Hook would be made of strong fiber, but this doesn't preclude the possibility that the rope part of the weapon could be cut at some point. At the end of the day, it's still just a sharp metal claw attatched to a rope.
Gohma, the menacing lava scorpion
As the first boss of Wind Waker, Gohma isn't that tough to beat but neither should it be underestimated.
As mentioned previously, Gohma is the boss of Dragon Roost Cavern and it is the thing that's pissing off Lord Valoo so much. At this stage of the game and at only three hearts of health, Link is easy pickings for this scorpion and so he must rely on his newfound Grappling Hook to ensure that he lives to see further adventures.
The aforementioned hook is the only way to draw the bug close enough to Link to be hit with the sword, and with the range of the Hook it performs admirably in this regard. Link also uses the Hook to swing from Valoo's tail and avoid damage.
By swinging on the dragon Valoo's tail Link can loosen boulders to fall on Gohma, stunning the creature.
Skull Hammer
Link faces fear head-on with the massive Skull Hammer.
What goes POUND in the night? The Skull Hammer, of course! Link acquires this awesome weapon on his second trip to the Forsaken Fortress, when he launches his successful attempt to rescue his sister. More specifically, he acquires it in a chest as a reward for defeating the Great King of Evil's minion, Phantom Ganon. When the dreaded Helmaroc King later attacks Link, this is the only one of his weapons that is effective against the Raptor of Doom. This is because the bird is protected by a hark mask that only the heavy hammer can crack through. The Skull Hammer is the spiritual successor of Ocarina of Time's Megaton Hammer, but this version is even better!
The superiority of the new Skull Hammer over its predecessor is due thanks to its three-and-a-half foot length. While the old Megaton was a cumbersome weapon due to its limited range (Link was often hindered by the slow recovery as well), the extra length behind the Skull Hammer allows Toon Link to reach out and touch his opponents while being less vulnerable to counterattacks than with the old hammer. Despite the added range of the weapon, it's still as powerful as ever, and Link uses to pound down pegs that stand like gates in his way. The Skull Hammer is so powerful that it can also be used to break rocks as well. While it is not nearly as deft as the Master Sword, the Hammer can kill pretty much any normal enemy in Wind Waker with just one strong blow from its hefty skull edge. What's good for Link's enemies is that the weapon takes some decent timing to use properly, so if he doesn't attack in the right situation then the enemy can get a free hit. However, when he does acquire the Skull Hammer, Toon Link has a means to overcome any opponent he faces, which it a huge asset in itself.
To teach your big-ass bird a lesson, you first need a big-ass hammer......
As Toon Link's heaviest weapon, the Skull Hammer is best
saved for those moments when he can take advantage of an opponent's mistake. This most often happens either when the enemy is worn down by a barrage of arrows and bombs, or else when it has already been victimized by a few cuts from the Master Sword. As such, the Skull hammer is more of a niche weapon, but by no means should it be underestimated by anyone. For starters, like stated earlier pretty much any enemy will be damaged by a full-on hit by the Skull Hammer, and for anyone but oversized opponents being flattened by the Hammer is a death sentence. The weapon's sheer power should be more than adequate to penetrate shielding that other weapons may not (Aeroga), but against a quick and skilled opponent there will have to be some setup beforehand prior to the Skull Hammer being employed. Something that slightly offsets this is that if Toon Link pounds the hammer in the enemy's vicinity but the hit does not connect, the enemy will be stunned for a short time, allowing Link to wind up for another shot.
The Skull Hammer's weaknesses should be obvious, but in order to humor the ignorant they will be described here. First off, when Link pulls out the Hammer his intentions become clear as day to any opponent with half of a mind. The Skull Hammer is made to smash enemies and nothing else, so Link instantly loses his greatest strength, unpredictability, when resorting to this weapon. Secondly, while it's not as slow as one may think the Skull Hammer is still Link's most cumbersome means of attack. As stated earlier, this limits the potential situations that the hammer may be used in by a great deal, and if Link doesn't time the attack just right then he opens himself up to serious punishment. These are some major flaws, but the Skull Hammer does have an important place in Toon Link's arsenal, and if used shrewdly it can be quite a useful piece of equipment.
The superiority of the new Skull Hammer over its predecessor is due thanks to its three-and-a-half foot length. While the old Megaton was a cumbersome weapon due to its limited range (Link was often hindered by the slow recovery as well), the extra length behind the Skull Hammer allows Toon Link to reach out and touch his opponents while being less vulnerable to counterattacks than with the old hammer. Despite the added range of the weapon, it's still as powerful as ever, and Link uses to pound down pegs that stand like gates in his way. The Skull Hammer is so powerful that it can also be used to break rocks as well. While it is not nearly as deft as the Master Sword, the Hammer can kill pretty much any normal enemy in Wind Waker with just one strong blow from its hefty skull edge. What's good for Link's enemies is that the weapon takes some decent timing to use properly, so if he doesn't attack in the right situation then the enemy can get a free hit. However, when he does acquire the Skull Hammer, Toon Link has a means to overcome any opponent he faces, which it a huge asset in itself.
As Toon Link's heaviest weapon, the Skull Hammer is best
saved for those moments when he can take advantage of an opponent's mistake. This most often happens either when the enemy is worn down by a barrage of arrows and bombs, or else when it has already been victimized by a few cuts from the Master Sword. As such, the Skull hammer is more of a niche weapon, but by no means should it be underestimated by anyone. For starters, like stated earlier pretty much any enemy will be damaged by a full-on hit by the Skull Hammer, and for anyone but oversized opponents being flattened by the Hammer is a death sentence. The weapon's sheer power should be more than adequate to penetrate shielding that other weapons may not (Aeroga), but against a quick and skilled opponent there will have to be some setup beforehand prior to the Skull Hammer being employed. Something that slightly offsets this is that if Toon Link pounds the hammer in the enemy's vicinity but the hit does not connect, the enemy will be stunned for a short time, allowing Link to wind up for another shot.
The Skull Hammer's weaknesses should be obvious, but in order to humor the ignorant they will be described here. First off, when Link pulls out the Hammer his intentions become clear as day to any opponent with half of a mind. The Skull Hammer is made to smash enemies and nothing else, so Link instantly loses his greatest strength, unpredictability, when resorting to this weapon. Secondly, while it's not as slow as one may think the Skull Hammer is still Link's most cumbersome means of attack. As stated earlier, this limits the potential situations that the hammer may be used in by a great deal, and if Link doesn't time the attack just right then he opens himself up to serious punishment. These are some major flaws, but the Skull Hammer does have an important place in Toon Link's arsenal, and if used shrewdly it can be quite a useful piece of equipment.
The Second Raid on the Forsaken Fortress
This video details Link's second raid on the Forsaken Fortress, and shows him battling Phantom Ganon for the right to obtain the Skull Hammer. When Link wins, his next goal is to eliminate the guards from each of the searchlight towers. Finding a video on the Skull Hammer was difficult, and this is the only one that I found of the weapon being used in combat. Frankly, it's not used well, and in my mind that is due to the skill of the player. This video does showcase some of Toon Link's other equipment, however, most notably the gliding abilities of the Deku Leaf. If anything, this video should demonstrate well that the Skull Hammer is only effective in the right situations and in the right hands. I personally would have lured the miniblins into a group in front of Link rather than letting them surround him and inflict damage.
Long Range: Hookshot, Boomerang
Hookshot
The Hookshot is a major benefit to Link in terms of just transportation alone.
Another tool that's seemingly the exclusive domain of secret agents and ninjas, the Hookshot follows the same general purpose as the Grappling Hook; the difference between them is that the Hookshot is significantly more advanced than its rope predecessor. This mysterious contraption has been a staple of nearly every Zelda game, and it's usually acquired late in Link's quest so that he can access the final areas of the overworld. Basically, the Hookshot is like Batman's Grappling Gun but on steroids and more rugged in its construction in that instead of a synthetic cord like on the latter a metal chain is what connects the hook part of the implement to its launcher. As expected, Link can use the Hookshot to grapple onto pieces of wood or other things that the hook will stick to, but the main purpose of including this device is to measure its effectiveness as a weapon.
Here is a high-resolution view of the Hookshot and some other things.
Before it is explained exactly how Link uses the Hookshot in combat, an introduction to its appearance in Wind Waker is in order. After installing the bird girl Medil as the sage of the Earth Temple, Link is shocked to be visited by Fado, a Kokiri spirit and the former sage of the Wind Temple. Fado goes on to say that he was killed by Ganondorf and that the temple is now infested with evil monsters, which Link needs to dispose of in order to complete the restoration of the Master Sword. In addition to clearing out the Wind Temple, he must also find somebody to serve as a replacement sage and thus power up the mythical blade so it can smite the Great King of Evil. Link eventually finds the sage in question in Makar, the forest spirit whom he rescued earlier from the Forbidden Woods. Together the two enter the Wind Temple, where Link eventually finds the dungeon's treasure, the Hookshot.
With that out of the way, it's now time to find out how Link can use the Hookshot for more than just gettin' around town. Not surprisingly, the more technically advanced Hookshot makes a better weapon than its cousin, the Grappling Hook, because of the fact that it shoots a spike straight ahead instead of it relying on being thrown by its user. Although it's never stated as to how the Hookshot works, I can assume that it uses a spring mechanism not unlike that of a normal measuring tape. Attatched to the launching mechanism is a chain about thirty feet in length, and at the end of that chain is the business end of the Hookshot, a large metal spike that somehow hooks onto many types of objects as well as opponents. Like the Grappling Hook, the reaction of opponents to a Hookshot attack vary depending upon their size- small opponents like Keese are obliterated upon a hit, medium enemies such as Bokoblins are pulled torwards Link, and larger ones such as Moblins are stunned by a direct hit. There are several advantages that the Hookshot has over the Grappling Hook in offensive attack- first of all, it hits with more force due the mechanical nature of the weapon. Secondly, the speed of the Hookshot is also greater in terms of the projectile. Third, it can be aimed with more precision at distant targets. Finally, it should not be discounted that the Hookshot can provide a means of quick getaway when Link fires it at a compatible surface.
By being similar to the Grappling Hook in design, the Hookshot also shares some of the weakness of its cousin as well. First of all, while it is faster than the Hook and it can be stopped mid-flight, the Hookshot has a fair bit of recovery time involved if its attack misses. Therefore, the closer to the enemy Link is when using it the better, although using the Hookshot in close range presents its own set of issues. Secondly, while it does hit harder than the Grappling Hook it is still not quite as potent as some of Link's other weapons such as his Skull Hammer and his Master Sword. Luckily, because it uses a metal chain the Hookshot is very resistant to being cut while unwound. It doesn't have the item-stealing properties of its cousin weapon, but it more than compensates for this by its transportation capabilities.
Link's Hookshot is a useful piece of equipment for him because of its versatility, but not necessarily because of its potency as a weapon. It's a better attacking option than the Grappling Hook to be sure, but I'm not sure if it is better than the Hero's Bow from a purely offensive standpoint. Perhaps it would pack more of a punch than the latter (that spike sure does look intimidating), but the Bow has both a greater projectile speed and a faster rate of fire. Like the case with its cousin though, it would be a disrespect to the Hookshot to not observe its other abilities as well. In this area, the Hookshot's ability to get Link where he needs to go quickly could be quite the advantage for him in single combat, where so much rides on the speed of the duelists. Like the Grappling Hook, though, only the future will tell how this will actually play out.
Link In the Wind Temple
The Wind Temple is a surreal place; it's a lighthearted but cursed stone forest!
Because the Hookshot has two distinct functions (weapon and transport), I have decided to showcase each function in its own video. Here, Link is in the Wind Temple looking for a way to free Makar, who has been imprisoned at the top of the main chamber. The first three quarters of this video are of Link just getting through the dungeon, but there is some good footage of combat with the Boomerang, Elemental Arrows, Deku Leaf, Master Sword, Bombs, and Mirror Shield all making appearances.
Toon Link vs. Molgera, the Sand Ray Monster
Yeah, Molgera is what the Sarlacc has nightmares about.....
The second video covering the Hookshot showcases the boss of the Wind Temple, a flying Manta Ray called Molgera. This thing reminds me of the Sarlacc from Star Wars in that it burrows under the sand to suck opponents into its whirlpool. Molgera, though, has a few more tricks up its sleeve- it also spawns minions to distract Link as well as flying around to wreak general havok on the arena.
As always with Zelda bosses, Molgera is only weak against the treasure of its dungeon, in this case the Hookshot. Watch along to see how Link utilizes it to defeat the monster, drawing its tongue into sword range and also using to dispose of its progeny. This displays well how the Hookshot has different effects depending on the size of the target. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how this would affect Sora- a stun hit or a Scorpion-style pull could both be possible.
In any case, after Molgera is defeated Link and Makar escape the Wind Temple and the latter is inagurated as its sage, promising to power up the Master Sword using the temple as a prayer vessel. As for Fado, the Kokiri ghost appears one last time and thanks Link for freeing him from spiritual limbo. Link sails on pursuing a new quest-this tome to reassemble the Triforce of Courage, broken into many pieces hundreds of years prior....
Boomerang
No, I don't recognize the dog to the right.....
Like the Hookshot, the Boomerang has been a staple of Link's arsenal ever since the SNES days. I'm sure that you all know what a boomerang is, but if anyone has been living under a rock for all this time I'll enlighten you as to the mysterious nature of this weapon. A boomerang is a type of throwing club that is shaped like a wing in order for it to fly in a straight course through the air. In real life, the Aborigines of Australia were the boomerang's most famous users, but they were far from the only ones. In fact, nearly every culture in the world has used the throwing club at some point, much as you probably tried to throw a stick at that annoying squirrel in your back yard when you were little (yes, I tried it too, and fortunately for the furry rodent my stick missed every time.)
Toon Link's boomerang somewhat resembles our modern idea of such a weapon, but his version is superior by a degree of at least ten. There are multiple reasons for this, so I'll begin with the most obvious: It's magical! That's right, kids, Link's world isn't hindered by the laws of nature and rationality like our own so his boomerang nearly has a life of its own. This simple fact gives his boomerang capabilities that would be impossible given our current level of technology (at least under the price of a million bucks...) The most important of these magical abilities is that no matter where Toon Link throws it, his trusty boomerang will return to him every time, like a dog playing fetch. Even if he is stupid enough to lose it somewhere, the damn thing will magically return to Link's inventory! This quality means that even if Link runs out of arrows (highly unlikely in itself) or bombs he will always have a reliable ranged weapon at his beck and call.
The second most important magical property of Toon Link's Boomerang is that it can seek and assign targets, like a guided missile! This feature is especially important when Link needs to hit a series of switches from a distance, and it could also theoretically be used to trick an opponent into not seeing the projectile coming until it's too late to block or avoid it. All Link needs to do to assign a target is look at it, and the Boomerang will automatically chase the targets in the order he selected them. A major advantage of Link's magical Boomerang in this regard is that it will chase evasive opponents until it connects or it's deflected. That's right, there is no running away from Toon Link's Boomerang!
The third most important property of the Boomerang is that it is honed with a magical edge that can serrate into soft tissue. Instead of just hitting and causing a bruise, Link's version can be used to inflict cutting damage on enemies. In Wind Waker, this seems to be a useful feature especially against herbal opponents such as the boss of the Forbidden Woods, Kalle Demos.
Link knows that he can easily defeat this ChuChu with his new toy, the Boomerang.
For all of its usefulness, though, Toon Link's Boomerang is not without its drawbacks. First off, when Link throws the weapon he is incapable of attacking with anything else until the Boomerang returns. In an emergency, he can call it back right away but this point is still worth mentioning. Secondly, while the Boomerang does great against smaller opponents and plants it is not usually a death blow to anything larger than a Giant Rat. It works great at stunning larger enemies, but I doubt that Link seriously uses the Boomerang as a killing tool versus, say, a Darknut. It may or may not give Link's current opponent problems, but what the Boomerang gains in ease of use it loses in terms of power. Finally, while it flies through the air fairly quickly the Boomerang could still theoretically be blocked by an enemy proficient in such techniques.
In brief, the Boomerang is a great benefit for Toon Link's weapon set because with its homing abilities it can score easy hits and set up the enemy for a killing strike from something more powerful, such as the Master Sword or Skull Hammer. That doesn't take away from its problems, but as with all of Toon Link's equipment it is intended for use in specific situations.
Boomerang in the Forbidden Woods
This video shows Link in the Forbidden Woods dungeon, which was one of my favorites in the game. He uses a variety of his weapons to get through as always, but late in the video he does battle with a scary Winged Mothula, and gets the Boomerang as a reward! A bit later, Toon Link demonstrates the weapon's targeting abilities and also uses it in combat. It's obvious that when utilized properly the Boomerang can make short work of a group of enemies!
Super Long Range: Hero's Bow with fire, ice, and light arrows
"Archery, as it's broadly defined, is the practice of using a device known as a "bow" to launch pointy sticks known as "arrows" at an enemy far away as a means of eliminating threats to one's security and valuables instead of having to resort to melee combat."
Seriously, though, the reason I started this weapon profile with such a definition is that Toon Link's bow just about stretches the average person's conception of archery as far as it will go. In reality, though, the Bow needs no introduction- it was humanity's principal means of shooting projectiles for about ten thousand years, and Link's magical example of this ancient tool is a natural progression from out conception of a bow to something more than that- a quick to fire, highly mobile, and extremely precise magical killing tool.
Before he acquires the bow in every Zelda game known to mankind, Link doesn't really have a serviceable option if he wants to engage an opponent at a distance- instead, his main attack pattern boils down to "block with shield, stun with boomerang, slice and dice, and repeat." The fact that by acquiring one weapon Link can change this simplistic thinking is the best explanation that I can give as to the value of the bow. In Wind Waker, Link does not acquire the bow until relatively later in his journey, in the Tower of the Gods. As this is the designated treasure of the dungeon, the Bow helps Link to progress to the top of the tower by enabling him to activate switches at a distance. Also, it makes fighting certain enemies such as Armos statues easier because the distance involved with archery means that Link can attack quickly and accurately without the risk of taking return damage. Once he finally reaches the keep of the Tower of the Gods, Link faces off against a giant golem by the name of Gohdan, who is the gods' final test for would-be heroes. As is demonstrated below, the accuracy and range of the Hero's Bow make it indispensable for this fight. Later, by the powers of the Great Fairy Link learns the ability to shoot elementally charged arrows of fire and ice from his bow, and these are more damaging than normal arrows but slower to fire and needful of magic energy. Finally, from Zelda herself Link learns perhaps his mightiest ability of all- the Light Arrow, which in Wind Waker is capable of defeating any dark opponent in a single hit, and even of stunning the Great King of Evil himself, Ganondorf. I don't think it's an understatement to say that once the Hero's Bow is acquired, no battle is approached the same way as before by Link.
A detailed look at the Hero's Bow itself.
That's enough gushing for now about the Hero's bow, so what are its uses in combat? To put it simply, the Bow is Toon Link's primary means of ranged attack. To be sure, the Boomerang, Hookshot, and Grappling Hook have their specific uses, but of all of Link's ranged attacks only the Bow has the ability to defeat substantial opponents without putting Link in range of a reprisal. As such, the Bow is almost equal to the Master Sword as Link's weapon of choice. The Hero's Bow itself looks rather unimpressive- it's a short yellow bow, almost resembling a toy to the casual observer. This initial impression belies the weapon's strengths in battle- namely, that it's super-accurate, it has a high rate of fire (1 arrow every 2 seconds), and that it has a high ammo capacity (100 arrows with the upgraded quiver). With these properties, Link can hit an opponent continuously and almost at will unless the opponent has a means of blocking the arrows or countering while the Bow is drawn. Even in this case, Link still has the option of leaping out of the way of such an attack, only to begin the arrow barrage anew.
A nifty shot of Toon Link in Brawl releasing a Bow.
Usually I stick to just one paragraph to explain the benefits of a weapon, but I'm going to make an exception here in order to put some deserved focus on elemental arrows. As explained earlier, at certain points Link acquires the knowledge of magical arrows that do extra damage through magic. Fire arrows set opponents aflame, Ice arrows can temporarily freeze enemies (depending upon the magical resistance of the target), and Light Arrows just plain kick some ass when Link REALLY needs to win.... As expected, these arrows cost some magical energy from Link's meter to use, and their firing process is about half as fast as that of a normal bow shot. Still, Toon Link has no better option for ranged damage than these elemental arrows. Also, there are certain enemies in Wind Waker, such as fire and ice ChuChus, which can only be defeated by this course of action.
All attacks have a weakness that can be exploited, and Link's bow is no different in this regard. Although the Hero's bow is probably Toon Link's best bet outside of sword range, there are ways that this mighty weapon can be defended against and even countered. As such, the primary weakness of the Bow for Link is that while he is aiming for a shot he is vulnerable to any quick rushing attack that can nail him between shots before the arrow has been readied to fire. This is a fundamental weakness of archery in general, but seeing that the Hero's Bow is used most within distances of ten yards or less this could be a more specific problem to Link's fighting style. As mentioned, the bow's rate of fire is very high but this still leaves some time gaps to exploit for any shrewd opponent. Elemental arrows take more time to fire and thus make this even more of an issue if they are used. Secondly, while the arrows fired from the bow are relatively powerful given the bow's size, they can still be deflected by the high-quality armor worn by opponents such as Darknuts, so until this armor is removed by another means Link would just be wasting his time with the Hero's Bow. Sora's Aeroga spell has the ability to deflect energy hits, so while the powerful elemental arrows may still be able to pierce this shielding their power would be greatly reduced. Finally, the Hero's Bow is used best as a surprise or hit-and-run weapon to throw the enemy off-balance; as with all of Toon Link's equipment, it serves a specific function that can be countered if its user becomes predictable in any way.
A split-second later, another nifty shot!
Overall, the Hero's Bow is a game changer when it comes to Link's fighting strategy because it gives him the one weapon he needs that can kill quickly and reliably at range. Indeed, I would even venture to say that the Bow is the best weapon for its job that either warrior brings to this contest. That doesn't necessarily mean that it cannot be countered, because it certainly can be, or that it will even get the edge in its category, because it is a tool made for a specific purpose and more goes into a weapon's assessment than just its pure killing potential. It does mean, though, that when the duel shifts to ranged combat one weapon will be considered first for use by Toon Link- his reliable Hero's Bow.
Link vs. the Stone Golem, Gohdan!
As was previously mentioned, Gohdan is the Hylian gods' final test for aspiring heroes, and he resides in the ancient Tower of the Gods under the Great Sea. Gohdan was one of my favorite bosses in Wind Waker because he has several different forms and he also requires two different weapons to defeat him. First, Link must avoid the Golem's pounding hands and then use his Hero's Bow to shoot out the eyes that are in the palms of each hand. After this, the music becomes more interesting and Gohdan's head starts to shoot lava blasts in Link's path. Once again, the green hero's job is to shoot out Gohdan's eyes with his bow while avoiding this attack. Finally, with his eyes shot out the statue will be vulnerable to a truly damaging hit, i.e. a bomb in his mouth as per Zelda tradition.
Gohdan was one of my favorite all-time Zelda bosses.
The reason I decided to showcase this video for the Bow is that Link uses it here much in the same way he would use it in any other duel- that is to say, in close range and in short flurries of arrows. The Bow's goal is not to be a sniper weapon- though it is accurate, its rate of fire lends it more to be used in such a fashion as shown here. Enjoy this entertaining boss fight!
Special Weapon: Bombs
They are Bombs, and they blow up. What else is there to say?
For such a technologically infant civilization such as Hyrule, I'm frankly always surprised that Link gets to use a gunpowder weapon in every Zelda game, but if there is magic in a given universe, which patently defies reason in itself, then I guess that anything is possible. As with Link's other weapons, the Bombs have a somewhat similar though more realistic counterpart in our own boring world. I think that you know where you can find demonstrations of the primitive Grenade, but for convenience I will tell you where to find them. Unfortunately, due to Spike's doucheness I can't post the videos here, but feel free to watch them in action on the Pirate vs. Knight and Ming vs. Musketeer episodes. In real life, Grenades (the equivalents to Link's Bombs) were heavy iron spheres filled with gunpowder and shrapnel that were ignited by a wick fuse and thrown at the enemy. They were used by a special type of soldier called the Grenadier from the 17th to 18th centuries, and though the history of the Grenadier is beyond the scope of this match you can find a great history on them here:
http://www.royalscotsgrenadiers.com/grenadier.html
British Grenadiers, the real-life inspiration for Link's bomb throwing.
Anyway, in comparison to the other weapons the story of Link's Bombs is much shorter and simpler in the fact that he had to fight no enemy to earn the right to use them. An abridged version goes like this: in order to get the third elemental pearl, the Pirates and Link must find a way to breach the rock slab that's sealing the Water Fish Jabun inside of his grotto in the cliffs of Outset Island. Unfortunately, there is a problem, and it is that the only person selling Bombs at the moment is a merchant named Cannon on Windfall Island that's charging very high prices for them. As you may guess, the PIRATES don't take kindly to this and tie up Cannon in order to raid his Bomb Shop. Once the raiding is complete, the pirates and Link spend some time on their ship of the island's coast where Toon Link plays a game with his friend and superior pirate mate Niko in order to win some Bombs for his personal use. After he wins, Link then sets off to Jabun's Grotto at Outset Island in order to continue his quest. In every Zelda game, once Link gets to the point where he acquires the use of a weapon like Bombs or Arrows he can then find and buy replacements at will.
Link and Niko play a game on the Pirate Ship.......
Before I start to describe how Link's Bombs work, there is something important that needs to be made clear: In the game Wind Waker, the Bombs that are used are often oversized, and Link needs both hands to carry them over his head. Frankly, the way Toon Link uses the bombs in Smash Bros. Brawl (with one hand, see the picture at top) makes way more sense than in Wind Waker, so as was the case for Sora's Ragnarok attack there will be a small change for the Bomb's use from the actual game this Link is from. Again, it's more of a practical detail than anything, and even I cannot believe that if given the choice Toon Link would use such cumbersome heavy bombs against a nimble opponent. The way the Bombs are used in Brawl makes so much more sense realistically that the bombs used in this match will be wielded like those in Brawl instead of Wind Waker, and I believe that this is a reasonably small adjustment.
Though their sizes are different, the ways the Bombs are used in Wind Waker and Brawl are identical in every other way: When Link decides to use a Bomb, he first pulls it out of his Bomb Bag and it spontaneously lights itself (they are magical, after all...) The fuse lasts about four seconds, after which the explosive will, well, explode in a fiery plume of cartoon smoke. It's up to Link to get rid of his Bomb before it goes off, or else the only one hurt will be himself! In Wind Waker, the bombs don't explode until the fuse goes off, but in Brawl Link can get them to explode upon contact with the ground or an enemy. As for this match, Link will be able to decide what he wants the Bomb to do at the given moment according to the situation. With all of that stated, this is the part where the high points of Toon Link's Special Weapon are described. As you would expect from a thrown explosive, they certainly make a lot of noise and the explosion covers a decent radius (about twelve feet). As fire weapons, they also inflict elemental damage of that type to susceptible opponents. Actually, Link's Bombs are damaging weapons in general because of their explosive nature, and indeed they are capable of injuring enemies that are immune to Link's other means of attack (such as ReDeads). Link doesn't even have to worry about his inventory, since somehow he is capable of storing 99 Bombs at once (try singing a song to that!) Finally, they can be readied quickly and if Link is using the one-handed variants he can block with the shield while preparing his throw (although other weapons are off limits to him).
Predictably, this is what happens when a Bomb goes off!
As always, since no weapons system is perfect there are some flaws in Toon Link's explosive battle plan. First of all, while the Bombs can be readied and thrown quickly they are still iron spheres and thus there is a limit as to how far the prepubescent Link can hurl them. I estimate that the maximum distance for a Bomb throw is fifteen feet, and even this may be slightly generous. They are lighter than shot puts, but not by much and they certainly could not be thrown like baseballs. Furthermore, the heavy weight and large size of the Bombs makes them easily recognizable to anyone who sees Link pulling one out. As with the Skull Hammer, he's not going to fool anyone as to his intentions while he has a Bomb readied. Furthermore, their travel speed is rather slow and it's certainly possible that a quick enemy could either avoid the Bomb altogether or, god forbid, catch it in midflight and use it against Link (this is possible in Brawl.) Though the concussive force and fire damage of the Bombs are impressive, I can't entirely rule out their effects being diminished by shielding such as Aeroga. One final weakness of Link's Bombs is that they are volatile when lit and a well-placed attack could cause them to explode in Link's hands! (also a Brawl occurrence.) If this happened to Toon Link it would not be fatal, although having a Bomb blow up in his hands would not be very comfortable to him.
From the preceding information it becomes obvious that the Bombs are a high-risk, high-reward weapon option for Toonk Link. As with using a real Grenade in combat, there are three possible outcomes when one is deployed: 1) The Grenade finds its mark and the enemy blows up, 2) The Grenade misses or fails to detonate and nobody blows up, and 3) The Grenade goes off in your hands or gets tossed back, and YOU blow up! Such is the nature of explosive weapons, and they are not to be taken lightly either by Link or yourself, dear Reader. If Link uses the Bombs well and they match well against his opponent's fighting style, they could be a game changer. However, if Sora's strengths lie with the Bombs' weaknesses then they could be useless or even cost Toon Link his life! With the Bombs, there is no middle ground and that's just how explosives work.
Toon Link's Bombs in Brawl
Since the Bombs in Wind Waker and Brawl are slightly different, I have decided to showcase videos of both in use. Toon Link in Brawl is the same as himself in Wind Waker, with the same attacks, so I have concluded that it is valid to use videos from both games to showcase his fighting abilities. This specific video is great because it shows the specifics of how to use Link's Bombs in Brawl, (I don't have a Wii, unfortunately, so I haven't played this yet) even stating how long and hot far the attack can go. These measurements seem accurate for Wind Waker as well, so these will be the official details of the Bomb attack used for this match. Some of these techniques are specific to Brawl, but many of them could concievably be used by Toon Link here.
Toon Link and the Bomb Plants!
Magic Power: The Wind Waker
Wind Waker
I have to be honest here, back in 2002 when I heard that Link in the new Zelda game would not only be a cartoon, but also use a baton instead of an actual musical instrument I was quite floored to say the least. The whole concept of using a prissy baton seemed to be contradictory to the concept of Link, but thankfully my concerns were unfounded. It doesn't take Einstein to figure out that batons are used to conduct musicians, but Link's Wind Waker is special as it allows him to control the forces of wind. He obtains it from the King of Red Lions when the boat first rescues Link from drowning at the Foraken Fortress, and over the course of the game he learns new songs that help him to control the winds in different ways. Eventually, the wind gods (frogs who fly around on clouds, suffice it to say) declare him to be the Hero of Winds and lend Link their full support. It is at this point that Link can freely use the Wind Waker for any purpose he wishes. The Wind Waker's two most important songs are the Wind's Requiem, which allows him to change the wind's direction for sailing, and the Ballad of Gales, which allows him to summon whirlwinds to carry his boat to many quadrants of the Great Sea.
As this is an assessment of the Wind Waker's offensive capabilities, I will focus on the Ballad of Gales for the purpose of this match. Using this song, Link can literally use the winds to carry him around in the air with the Deku Leaf, positioning him for a better angle of attack. It's never displayed in Wind Waker, but it's theoretically possible that Link could summon winds to at least buffet and maybe physically hurt his opponents. The winds could be used to slam enemies against walls or trip them up, for example, or blow away dangerous spells to avoid damage. Link is known as the "Hero of Winds" for a reason, and it's because his ability to control the wind defines him as much as do the abilities of other incarnations of Link.
The Wind Waker is thus indeed a formidable weapon, but it like all others is not without its flaws. First off, Link is vulnerable when using the Waker to conduct the winds as he needs both hands in order to perform the needed gestures properly. This limits the times that Link can use the Wind Waker to those occasions when his opponents are not offensively moving against him. In addition to this, Link doesn't have carte blanche with his control of the wind either; he can't just summon a hurricane to tear his enemies apart, but he can create strong gusts for the purposes mentioned earlier. Sora also has some control of the winds as well with his Aeroga spell, so Link is not the only one with some ability to use this natural force and it will also cost him magic energy to use. Link will only be able to use the Wind Waker at the gods' discretion as well, and though it is unlikely to be an issue it must remain that he is only borrowing their power.
Since the title of Toon Link's story is "The Wind Waker", it should be no surprise that the magical baton is perhaps his mightiest asset. Unlike his other equipment, this implement can be used as a versatile offensive and defensive weapon in many unpredictable ways. From blowing items out of his enemies' hands to harnessing gusts to go airborne, the Wind Waker is Link's answer to enemies who use their unpredictability as an aggressive tactic. Link may be outnumbered in this battle for the ages, but with the Wind Waker at his disposal he is by no means outgunned.
Link Learns the Ballad of Gales
For half of his adventure, Link must sail to everywhere he wants to go, and although he can change the direction of the winds it is still time consuming for him to get from Point A to Point B. This finally changes when Link hears from a seaman that one of the wind gods will challenge anyone who dares it to a little bout with his cyclones. Eager to get some help from Cyclos, Link sails torwards the forg's whirlwinds and the wind god issues the challenge.
Link vs. the wind god Cyclos
Cyclos dares Link to hit him with his bow while the frog sits on top of his cyclone, and if the young hero can't manage it he will be swallowed up by the whirlpool. Fortunately for him, Link manages to achieve this and Cyclos is quite impressed with the achievement teaching him the Ballad of Gales. This song allows Link to summon cyclones in order to transport himself around the Great Sea quickly. None of this is to say that in this battle Link will be able to summon a comparable tornado against Sora, but the Waker does give Link some control over the winds and he will be able to use the baton accordingly.
Link uses the Ballad of Gales
Defense: Mirror Shield, A- Counterattacks, Magic Armor, Potions
Mirror Shield
Link comes across the Mirror Shield during his visit to the spooky Earth Temple.
The Mirror Shield has been a staple of Zelda games since A Link to the Past, and predictably Toon Link in Wind Waker gets to use it as well. In every Zelda game to date, the Mirror Shield is not only the best shield that Link can get but it's also the treasure of a late-game dungeon. In Wind Waker, Link acquires the Mirror Shield in the depths of the Earth Temple, the first of two which he needs to clear of enemies in order to restore the power of the Master Sword. He is accompanied on this trek by Medil, the Rito bird girl that he met in an earlier quest on Dragon Roost Island. In order to get her to come with him, Link plays a special melody and this music causes Medil to awaken to her new duties as a Sage. Unfortunately for them, the Earth Temple is crawling with Keese, Redeads, Poes, Stalfoses, and other nasty undead creatures. When Link gets the Mirror Shield, though, he can use its gleaming surface to reflect rays of light in any direction that he chooses, which is necessary to solve the assorted puzzles of the dungeon. After using the Mirror Shield to defeat the Poe leader Jalhalla and instating Medil as a sage, Link takes the treasure with him and it replaces his older Hero's Shield in his arsenal.
The way Link defends with his Mirror Shield should be common sense, but a brief description will follow. Link can raise the shield at any point when he is locked onto an enemy, and should the opponent try to hit his legs Link can also crouch and be fully protected at his front. The shield is made of sturdy metal and it can block almost any reasonable melee attack that comes its way (it can't block heavy, oversized weapons or charged strikes, however). Its reflective surface can also turn away magical projectiles such as fireballs and energy bolts, again within reason. A general rule to the Mirror Shield's defensive capabilities against energy is that if the projectile is the size of the shield or smaller he can block it. When an enemy hits Link's shield, their weapon will often bounce off violently, allowing Link a split-second to respond with an attack of his own. In this way, Toon Link often has the luxury of being able to strike when he's ready to rather than trying to aggressively force the issue with his opponent.
There is a good reason that shields were used by virtually every civilization on earth until the advent of firearms- they work exceptionally well. It can be fairly said that offense wins battles, but a little defense goes a long way to ensure that one survives long enough for the attacks to connect and this is where the Mirror Shield comes in. Used correctly, the Mirror Shield allows Toon Link to negate most of Sora's melee attacks and many of his projectiles (such as Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga) with the shield and any attack the enemy makes that doesn't connect not only tires him out but it also discourages him mentally. This psychological aspect to the battle is increased when the attacker's own spells are deflected right back at him!
For all of these deserved highlights of the Mirror Shield, it is not without negatives. The most prominent negative aspect of the Mirror shield is that it only protects one side of Link at once. This could be a problem considering that many of Sora's spells such as Gravaga and Blizzaga have a wide radius which the shield may not cover completely. To win against the shield, the enemy only needs to maneuver properly in order to outflank it. In this regard, Sora shines because he has the help of Donald and Goofy to distract Link with their antics. Finally, the jury is still out on whether the Mirror Shield could stop Sora's Melee Combo Abilities; Strike Raid could probably be negated, but the other two could perhaps make it through Link's guard. On this note, the Keyblade seems to have a hooked shape which could allow it to pry open Link's defenses as well.
It's been proven time and time again by those such as Thrand that a sword and shield style of combat is superior to a two-handed weapon in most situations unless the two-hander has very good armor. This alone is enough to rate Link's Mirror Shield as a very good defensive implement. Unfortunately, this epic battle will be much more complicated than reality and with allies and powerful magic thrown into the mix Toon Link can't afford to rely on his tired-and-true waiting games against Sora- the Mirror Shield alone will not be enough for him to win this time.
The Snickering Sorceress Sisters, Twinrova (Ocarina of Time)
This battle isn't from Wind Waker, but the Mirror Shield is used in the same way.
As this boss fight wasn't a part of the plot of Wind Waker, this video description will be comparatively brief. Basically, in Ocarina of Time the Sorceress Sisters known collectively as Twinrova were the boss of the Spirit Temple and they were hilarious, cackling minions of Ganondorf. Before the battle, there is some interesting combat against an Iron Knuckle showcasing Link's evasion abilities, but the main point of this video is to show how the Mirror Shield can deflect magical attacks. This video is from Ocarina of Time, but it's the best video I can find detailing this ability. In terms of the shield's blocking ability, plenty of other videos here detail how that works.
Fighting Video: The Savage Labyrinth, Floors 1-10
For the rest of both Warrior's categories, I will be posting one video each of just pure combat because I feel that for you to formulate your own judgements on these two Warriors it is best to see them in action. In this ideal, here is the first such video. Here's a little background on the Savage Labyrinth: it is a challenge for one of the pieces of the Triforce of Courage that appears on Outset Island, and it is sixty floors of progressively tougher enemies. Link puts all of his combat skills to use here, so you can really see how one attack flows into another. This is floors 1-10 and the other floors will appear in the further profiles.
A-Counterattacks
One of the main reasons that the earlier Zelda games were more challenging is that Link had few options to counter enemy attacks. In Ocarina of Time, for example, in order to avoid damage his only options were to either flip out of the way or block the enemy's move with his shield. It is for this reason that Toon Link's new counterattack system was such a profound change for Wind Waker. No longer did the green-clad hero need to fear what his opponent would do next; instead he could now use his intuition to both avoid the incoming attack but use the opportunity to strike back on his own! For the purposes of this matchup I will call this ability the "A-Counterattack" for the sake of convenience, but I'm sure that it goes by other names as well.
The main goal of the A-Counterattack is to even the playing field with enemies who are larger and stronger than Link. He can use the ability on almost any enemy, but it's most useful against mighty foes such as Moblins, Darknuts, and Stalfoses. Here is how the ability works: when Link percieves that his enemy is winding up for an attack, the A-indicator will flash and if he can react in time Link will both dodge the move and inflict damage. The moves he uses for the technique vary, but he can roll to the back of an enemy, leap over its head, or jump to the side in order to inflict a blow. The counter blow is fatal to weaker enemies such as ChuChus and Lava Centipedes, but it will only inflict minor damage against Darknuts and Stalfoses.
The A-Counterattack allows Link to dodge and counter the moves of his opponents at the same time.
It can be said that the A-Counterattack gives Link just as many defensive options as the shield because if he reacts in time Link can avoid almost any of his enemy's attacks and strike a blow against the opponent. The acrobatic moves Link uses to get in position are a step above anything from Sora's dueling style, and unlike his opponent he can deliver a counterattack without the risk of deflecting weapons or letting an adversary's blade through his guard. Using the A-Counterattack, Link can avoid hits from any size weapon provided he can perceive its use first. The many types of evasions that he uses also show that he can use a variety of jumps and rolls in order to throw off his enemies.
Link is always studying his foes in order to figure out how he can best counter their attack patterns.
This does not necessarily mean, however, that Link can ride the coattails of this move to victory because like all defensive implements there are ways of defeating the A-Counterattack. The primary weakness of the technique lies in the fact that in order to properly counter the attack coming his way Link must be able to see it coming first. This isn't a problem against dumb and slow enemies such as Moblins, but against faster opponents Link will need to either have the reflexes of a Shaolin Monk or be able to deduce an attack pattern for his opponent in order to use the A-Counterattack. Therefore, this move's usage essentially boils down to a battle of wits between Link and his enemy; if Link can see his opponent's intentions ahead of time then he will be able to use the awesome potential of the A-Counterattack, and if not he could be exposing himself to punishment if he guesses wrong on how he tries to dodge the enemy's move. One more thing; if Link spends too much of his time trying to land the A-Counterattack, then he could be vulnerable to a fast attack magic spell or another projectile.
Besides inflicting damage, Link can also use the A-counterattack to cut the armor off his opponents.
With the addition of the A-Counterattack, Link's combat skills took a huge leap from previous games since he could now counter his opponent regardless of the enemy's size or skill, and all that mattered was the speed of his own reflexes. In terms of this match Link will have his hands full trying to counter the enormous movesets of Sora and his allies, but if he plays his cards right Link could also use the predictable aspects of his enemies' combos against them. For Link to win with the A-Counterattack, he will first need to win the contest of nerve with his enemy Sora, which is easier said than done.
Link vs. Ganondorf's Minions, Two Mighty Darknuts
After Link finally restores the sages to the Earth and Wind Temples to power up the Master Sword, he returns to the bottom of the sea at Hyrule Castle to meet up with Zelda and formulate a plan as to how they will defeat Ganondorf. What the boy hero doesn't know, though, is that Ganon as gotten to the Santuary first and there he has laid a trap for Toon Link. Suddenly, a circle of fire erupts and Link is forced to confront two of Ganondorf's strongest minions, Mighty Darknuts. these enemies are slow but they have the best weapons, armor, and training the Great King of evil can afford and they are formidable opponents in close. To beat them, Link needs to skillfully implement his A-Counterattacks in oder to strip them of their armor.
After this is accomplished, Link can then use his superior quickness to whittle down the Darknuts' life bars with rapid sword attacks. Notice that Link only takes damage when he is slashed by the enemy that hasn't been targeted; this could be a potential weakness against Sora's allies if Donald and Goofy manage to gang up on Link. Other than that flaw, the A-Counterattack does its job remarkably well here; watch to see the various moves Link uses for his counters. This ability is also displayed in many of the other videos in Toon Link's profile.
Fighting Video: The Savage Labyrinth, Floors 11-20
Here is the continuation of Link's quest through the cave system known as the Savage Labyrinth. He faces enemies from the forest on these floors, and the enemy sets get progressively tougher. He uses all of the skills he has learned in order to defeat these waves of enemies.
Magic Armor
Believe it or not, this is the only picture of Link in his Magic Armor on the entire internet!
Besides the ability to shoot fireballs, probably the most overused ability in fantasy is the personal energy shield. Always cryptic in composition, the forcefield is often portrayed as a shimmering coat or bubble of magical energy that either negates entirely or at least reduces the effects of incoming attacks. Without the forcefield, fantasy heroes wouldn't be able to have the miraculous staying power they display in their fights because one well-placed hit could send them to the grave. This is the basic concept of the personal energy shield- since it entirely covers the user, it has no weak points unlike conventional armor. Thus, when used in conjunction with said protection shields like the Magic Armor used by Link give their Warriors a major edge against their lesser-equipped foes.
Quite simply, the Magic Armor is Link's version of this aforementioned energy shield in that it is a magic item that when energized by the magic power of its user projects a layer of purple energy that disperses the energy from enemy attacks. As one would expect from such a useful item, the Magic Armor is only obtainable by Link after he completes a long and arduous quest to obtain it. However, once he does gain the use of the Magic Armor it ensures that Link can rely on a very effective shield technique for the rest of his quest. The Magic Armor is a purple crystal that is a family treasure of Zunari, a recent immigrant to Windfall Island who arrived from the frozen north and sold Link a sail for the King of Red Lions. Zunari operates a small kiosk selling decorations, and he asks Link to seek out the Goron Merchants on the various islands in order to acquire new merchandise. When Link completes this trading quest, Zunari awards him with the Magic Armor.
This is a snazzy photo of the Magic Armor crystal.
As was already explained, Link can channel his own magic power through the Magic Armor crystal to gain a defensive forcefield that protects him from enemy attacks. However, unlike Sora's competing spell Aeroga, the Magic Armor protects Link completely! That's right, as long as he has the magic power to feed the Magic Armor, Toon Link can become nearly invincible to damage. That is pretty much all that there is to say about the Magic Armor, because that is all it does (not that Link is complaining, of course!)
While the Magic Armor may seem to be the perfect defense on paper (and in some respects it is), even this awesome technique has some major weaknesses. It can be easily guessed, but the most significant drawback to the Magic Armor is that it constantly drains Link's Magic Meter and to make things worse it does so quite rapidly. Of course, Link can refill his magic power by drinking potions or finding Magic Vials in his environment (he can do this in the game so it will be allowed here), but the problem lies in the fact that Link doesn't quite have the huge magic capacity that Sora does. While this is tempered by the fact that Link doesn't rely as much on his magic as does Sora, it still presents the issue of opportunity cost for Link. For those of you who haven't had economics, opportunity cost is what is given up when a resource is spent on something else. In Link's case, this means that if he powers up his Magic Armor he will have less magic energy to use for his other attacks like the Triforce Slash and Elemental Arrows. If he uses these attacks instead, though, Link will need to be more careful and use his shield well to avoid damage. One final note: while the Magic Armor increases Toon Link's defenses significantly he won't be totally invincible when using it against Sora; I could see a few of his most powerful attacks like Ars Arcanum still making it through the barrier.
With all of this considered, how then does the Magic Armor factor in with Link's other defenses as he faces probably his toughest opponent ever? It seems that the Magic Armor will be one of Link's staple techniques in this fight and I believe that it may help him to even the odds against Sora's superior magical attacks and allies. This doesn't mean that the Magic Armor can win the day by itself- Link needs to use his precious time with the Magic Armor activated well and try to land as many attacks as possible within that timeframe. If he entirely drains out his magic without winning the fight, Link will then need to buy time and distract Sora's gang with with his other attacks and defenses while he replenishes his Magic Meter and prepares for another shot at the Keyblade Master. This doesn't sound easy, and it will be interesting to see if this course of action works or if Sora will be able to overwhelm Link when his Magic Armor is down.
As was already explained, Link can channel his own magic power through the Magic Armor crystal to gain a defensive forcefield that protects him from enemy attacks. However, unlike Sora's competing spell Aeroga, the Magic Armor protects Link completely! That's right, as long as he has the magic power to feed the Magic Armor, Toon Link can become nearly invincible to damage. That is pretty much all that there is to say about the Magic Armor, because that is all it does (not that Link is complaining, of course!)
While the Magic Armor may seem to be the perfect defense on paper (and in some respects it is), even this awesome technique has some major weaknesses. It can be easily guessed, but the most significant drawback to the Magic Armor is that it constantly drains Link's Magic Meter and to make things worse it does so quite rapidly. Of course, Link can refill his magic power by drinking potions or finding Magic Vials in his environment (he can do this in the game so it will be allowed here), but the problem lies in the fact that Link doesn't quite have the huge magic capacity that Sora does. While this is tempered by the fact that Link doesn't rely as much on his magic as does Sora, it still presents the issue of opportunity cost for Link. For those of you who haven't had economics, opportunity cost is what is given up when a resource is spent on something else. In Link's case, this means that if he powers up his Magic Armor he will have less magic energy to use for his other attacks like the Triforce Slash and Elemental Arrows. If he uses these attacks instead, though, Link will need to be more careful and use his shield well to avoid damage. One final note: while the Magic Armor increases Toon Link's defenses significantly he won't be totally invincible when using it against Sora; I could see a few of his most powerful attacks like Ars Arcanum still making it through the barrier.
The Magic Armor is a gift from the mysterious traveling merchant called Zunari.
With all of this considered, how then does the Magic Armor factor in with Link's other defenses as he faces probably his toughest opponent ever? It seems that the Magic Armor will be one of Link's staple techniques in this fight and I believe that it may help him to even the odds against Sora's superior magical attacks and allies. This doesn't mean that the Magic Armor can win the day by itself- Link needs to use his precious time with the Magic Armor activated well and try to land as many attacks as possible within that timeframe. If he entirely drains out his magic without winning the fight, Link will then need to buy time and distract Sora's gang with with his other attacks and defenses while he replenishes his Magic Meter and prepares for another shot at the Keyblade Master. This doesn't sound easy, and it will be interesting to see if this course of action works or if Sora will be able to overwhelm Link when his Magic Armor is down.
Link Obtains the Magic Armor
The backstory of Link's Magic Armor was described above, so the description here will be short. In order to obtain the Magic Armor, Link needs to trade items with a series of Goron Merchants who dot the islands of the Great Sea. When he completes a transaction with each merchant, Link completes an agreement known as a Merchant's Oath that means the merchant will sell items to Zunari's shop. When the shop is fully stocked, the Eskimo awards Link with the Magic Armor.
The Island Trading Quest
Most of this video just describes the process of getting the magic crystal, but at the end Link powers up the Magic Armor and blows himself up with a Bomb, emerging unscathed! Notice though how fast his Magic Meter depletes when using the crystal.
Fighting Video: The Savage Labyrinth, Floors 21-30
Link's hack-and-slash journey through the Savage Labyrinth continues as he explores the third set of floors. This time Link encounters enemies from the Tower of the Gods such as Wizzrobes, Electric ChuChus, Darknuts, and Armos Statues. There are a few notes on Link's combat style here: first of all, he starts to use his shield a fair bit as the enemy sets start to get more challenging. Secondly, he seems to have some trouble against small and quick enemies such as the Flaming Skulls (though he does not use his Bow on them here). Third, the hearts in the pots at the end of the rounds get fewer in number so Toon Link will have to fight more carefully than before if he wishes to survive.
Potions (Blue Potions, Elixir Soup)
Both of our combatants hail from role-playing games, and probably the single most used item in such games is the simple Potion. Fantasy heroes are always sure to bring plenty of such items with them on their travels since there's no telling when a literal or fugurative orc may ambush them in the middle of nowhere. The idea of Potions is an old one, stemming from ancient pagan beliefs that suggested that ingesting certain herbs or minerals (or even your opponent's body parts!) could give one magical powers. We think of potions today more in the terms of medicine, but there is one major difference between them: Potions rely on magic to work, and they take effect instantly unlike their real counterparts, which rely on science for their effects. As both Link and Sora use Potions to replenish their health and magic, we will compare the items that both of them possess.
Toon Link enters the battle carrying two types of his strongest potions: Blue Potions, which fully restore his health and Magic Meters, and Elixir Soup, which is something specially prepared for him by his Grandmother. The Blue Potions originate in the Forest Haven, where one of the Koroks there is experimenting with the alchemical properties of ingredients found in the Forbidden Woods. Once Link brings him enough Boko Baba seeds, the enterprising Korok can then synthesize the Blue Potions for Link free of charge. Link can then buy Blue Potions from the Potion Shop on Windfall Island as well.
The Elixir Soup is far more familiar to Link because it has been the hero's favorite food for all of his life. Link's Grandmother prepares this special soup for him, and he can get a bottle of it free of charge once he heals her when she falls ill. The Elixir Soup is carried in one of Link's four bottles, and it's so nutritious that two doses of it can be carried in the same container. Unfortunately, Link can only have one bottle of the Elixir Soup at once so for this battle three of his bottles will contain Blue Potions and the fourth will have Elixir Soup. In addition to completely restoring Link's health and magic, a dose of the Elixir Soup rejuvenates him to the point where he can do double damage with his sword until he takes a hit! Also, it warrants mentioning that if Link manages to steal a potion from the enemy he will be entitled to use it as well.
Link has a few downfalls to his Potions, and not all of them have to do with the items themselves. The most significant of these is that Link doesn't have an instant-healing spell like his opponent Sora, so he must rely only on these potions in addition to whatever recovery hearts he may find in his environment. This is tempered somewhat by Link's greater overall health and defensive abilities, but he will need to really watch his item usage if he is going to last the entire battle. The other major weakness of Link's Potions is that it will take him a second or two to drink one; Sora suffers from this too, but it deserves to be mentioned.
Although it may seem like I have written a lot about such a basic item like Potions, I feel that their proper usage will be a very important part of Link's strategy and he will have to rely on them to keep up with his enemies who have superior healing abilities.
Link Gets The Elixir Soup!!!
Pretty much every single video so far in Link's profile has featured him cutting up something or kicking ass in general, but I want to take a break from that for a moment to show one of the more touching scenes from Wind Waker. Link has just arrived back to Outset from Windfall Island, and the King of Red Lions suggests that he visit his family members. Link arrives at his Grandmother's house to find her sick and worried about her progeny.
Link helps out his dear old Grandmother
Link, though, is there to help her out with a fairy (which he will not have access to for this battle), and she thanks him by giving him a bottle of his favorite soup. The Elixir Soup was covered earlier, but here is the story of how Link obtains it. Tender scenes like this remind us that these two characters are more than just droids who kill everything around- they are people who have close relationships with others. Therefore, it's sad in a way that either Link or Sora won't survive to be able to care for their loved ones, but unfortunately that's just the way it has to be.
Fighting Video: The Savage Labyrinth, Floors 31-40
As Link gets ever closer to the end of the Savage Labyrinth, the enemies start to get ever more varied and difficult for him to beat. Among the enemies this time are ReDeads, Flaming Skulls, Shadow ChuChus, and Moblins. We also get to see some rare footage with the Hookshot, Mirror Shield, and Skull Hammer. The highlight of this one, however, is the Stalfos battle. These never-before-seen enemies are some of the meanest Link has to fight in the game, and it's the rare situation that he has to use his shield blocking abilities and patience to win the battle. They actually give him some trouble, probably because he is being too aggressive and letting his guard down.
Mobility: Dodge Rolls, Z-Targeting, Deku Leaf, Hookshot
Dodge Rolls and Z-Targeting
When Ocarina of Time, the first 3D Zelda game, came out in 1998 it introduced so many innovations that even today many still call it the most influential game ever created. A major reason for this praise is that prior to OOT, 3D exploration was still in its infancy and no game up until that point had been able to capture the intuitiveness of combat and translate it into three dimensions. Ocarina of Time changed all this with its then-radical targeting system. Although it has been mimicked by virtually every game since then (including the Kingdom Hearts series), the Z-Targeting system enabled Link to keep a specific enemy in his sights so he could focus on evasion, blocking, and the timing of his attacks. While locked onto an enemy, Link had the ability to quickly sidestep, backflip, or leap towards an enemy to avoid attacks or launch his own. As the successor to the Hero of Time, Toon Link has these same abilities and he can use them with equal effectiveness. The system is quite simple, but it's useful to the point that even a novice can use it to make Link dance around like a Shaolin Monk while taking out whole groups of opponents with ease. By the way, Link also can Dodge Roll; for more information on that, see Sora's mobility profile.
By using his nimbleness to his advantage, Toon Link can successfully counter enemies (such as Marth shown here) who may have advantages over him on paper.
In terms of this fight, Link's targeting system is one of his major trump cards versus his Keyblade-wielding adversary because it opens up so many timing and evasion opportunities that it's almost unfair. While locked on to Sora or one of his allies, Link could theoretically just leap out of the way of the incoming swipe and then leap back to deliver his own sword blow. The benefits don't stop there, however; Link can use his Z-Targeting maneuvers with any weapon, even the Bow and the Skull Hammer. Therefore, it could work very well if Link ever needs to get out of danger quickly if Sora advances on him and Link still has his Bow drawn. Also, the speed of Link's sidesteps and leaps are very quick so he could use that to his advantage against Sora's slower attack recovery times. For what Link loses in terms of aerial mobility, he gains it right back here in close combat.
The Z-Targeting system has been honed and perfected by the Zelda games, but even this tactic still has its flaws. The most major flaw of Z-Targeting is that when he is using it, Link is boxed into focusing on one enemy at a time. The leaps are made in reference to the targeted opponent, so a leap away from one enemy may expose him to the attacks of another. This situation could come into play here as Sora has Donald and Goofy on his side to help and corral Link into bad situations. While Link can change targets with ease, the fact remains that only one enemy can be targeted at a time. Also, the fact remains that Link is woefully outclassed in terms of long-range mobility by Sora's High Jump and Superglide- while Z-Targeting can allow Link to dodge attacks, Sora will be able to cover large portions of ground much more quickly.
When dancing around the opponent doesn't work, Link can always just run away!
So, it should be apparent enough that Link's Z-Targeting and evasive abilities are a perfect complement to his quick Master Sword and his shield. These evasive tactics are what allow a young, scrawny boy such as Link to defeat opponents twice his size, and he will need to rely on them if he hopes to counter Sora's advantages in weapon reach and aerial ability.
So, it should be apparent enough that Link's Z-Targeting and evasive abilities are a perfect complement to his quick Master Sword and his shield. These evasive tactics are what allow a young, scrawny boy such as Link to defeat opponents twice his size, and he will need to rely on them if he hopes to counter Sora's advantages in weapon reach and aerial ability.
Link Conquers the Savage Labyrinth!
The final rounds of the Savage Labyrinth see Link waging a one-man war against increasingly numerous hordes of enemies.
The action gets in the Savage Labyrinth gets even more intense for Link as he is now almost done with this terrible maze! Link now has to deal with whole swarms of enemies as packs of Miniblins and ChuChus are on the rampage! The Skull Hammer really shines against the latter, showing its stunning capabilities as Link makes short work of the puddles of slime. The Hurricane Spin and Bombs also make their debuts in this video against the Bokoblins and Stalfoses, respectively. Overall, some very entertaining stuff!
The Savage Labyrinth, Floors 41-50 Part 1
This is it, the final five floors of the Savage Labyrinth. If you have been watching diligently, you'll notice that Link's player has not opted to use any potions; thus, Link is down to just a fraction of his full health as he prepares to take on the most serious challenge he has faced thus far. The final five floors see him do battle with Wizzrobes, Darknuts, Stalfoses, and lastly FOUR Mighty Darknuts at once!
It All Comes Down to This....
Alas, the challenge is too much for poor Link to handle, so he must rely on a fairy to revive him in order to triumph in the end. Link uses all of his evasive moves to try to win with dwindling health, and the strengths and weaknesses of Z-Targeting are on full display here. notice the full implementation of blocking, leaping, and dodge rolls also- Sora just doesn't have this kind of close-range mobility, and if he isn't careful Link may dispatch him like the four Darknuts who thought they had the Hylian outnumbered as well.
Deku Leaf and Hookshot
Throughout the Zelda series, Link has been a ground-oriented combatant- that is to say that he doesn't have jumping abilities or flight capabilities that would distinguish him from an aerial combat perspective. While Link is indeed able to jump in the Smash Bros. games, I don't feel that this one instance should override the precedent set by ten other games. Therefore, unlike Sora Toon Link won't have the ability to jump or glide around the combat environment. However, not all news is bad news for Link in the aerial mobility department- new for Wind Waker, the Deku Leaf gives Link the ability to ride the winds and float gently to the ground. Unlike before, Link can now move through the air, although as it is to be explained fighting while airborne remains difficult for him.
Link recieves the Deku Leaf as a present from the Great Deku Tree, whose abode is located in the Forest Haven Island. When a Korok named Makar goes missing, it's up to Link to make the dangerous trek to the Forbidden Woods to rescue the curious forest spirit. To aid Link with this task, the Deku Tree gives him the use of one of his magical leaves. The Deku Leaf never goes dead and it has the ability to expand and contract like a parachute of sorts. Then Link finds a suitable wind gust, he can use his leaf to ride the air current wherever it takes him. Link has some control of his course when doing this, but he is quite sluggish and vulnerable while floating in this way. Still though, the Deku Leaf is his only means of flight and so it is better than nothing. For the purposes of this match Link will be able to summon wind gusts with his magical baton to take him where he wants to go, and using this power Link may be able to fly up and out of the reach of Sora's melee attacks. In addition to the floating ability, Link also can blow strong gusts of wind with the Leaf in order to distract enemies or solve puzzles.
The Deku Leaf enables Link to fly around like he has never been able to do before, but there are plenty of drawbacks to this course of action. First and foremost, Link needs both hands in order to hold onto the Deku Leaf and thus he has no means of attacking his enemies while floating in the air. The slow-moving Link is also an easy target for projectile attacks, and though he can summon gusts to propel him faster than usual he is still at the mercy of his opponent unless he uses Magic Armor. Speaking of which, using the Deku Leaf costs valuable magic power that Link may find to be more useful in other areras.
The Deku Leaf can lift Link up and out of the reack of most of Sora's attacks and therefore buy the green-clad hero some needed time, but in my opinion the Leaf's limitations will preclude it from being used any more often than on a few occasions in the fight. Link has made his combat reputation on the ground, and for him to win this time he can't afford to put himself in situations where he may have a disadvantage.
The Hookshot is grouped with the Deku Leaf, and though it has been covered earlier as an offensive weapon it does deserve another mention for its mobility uses. With the Hookshot, Link can cover long distances in a hurry (he can travel faster even than Sora's Superglide) and he can also cover vertical distance (as in pulling himself up onto ledges). Allthough the Hookshot can only be used to latch onto suitable targets, its superior offensive functions and speed make it at least as important to Link's large-scale mobility game as the Deku Leaf.
Link Flies to the Forbidden Woods
Once Link acquires the Deku Leaf, he must then make his way over to the Forbidden Woods in order to rescue Makar the Korok. In order to get there, though, Link must first use the wind currents to propel him towards the island the Woods are on. He accomplishes this task by changing the direction of the wind, which enables him to quickly glide with the Leaf to a swirling air current. From there, he can ride on over to the Forbidden Woods. For the sake of this match it will be assumed that Link can summon gusts to cary him vertically with the Leaf, although it should be apparent just from this video how vulnerable Link really is when using this mode of transportation.
Link takes Deku Leaf Flight 101
Link's Intangibles: Tactics, Experience, Past Opponents, Psychological Aspects, Motivations, and Defining Moment
He may just be a boy with a sword who is too daring for his own good, but Link has seen plenty of intense, life-or-death combat that belies his young age- and he has the accomplishments to show for it!!!
Link's Tactics: sword combat up close, emphasis on equipment options, long range capabilities, defense oriented
Toon Link from The Minish Cap is actually not the same person as Link from The Wind Waker, as the Zelda universe is very complicated and there are multiple incarnations of Link. Wind Waker Link (who is used for this match) was the great-great grandfather of the Link of the Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.
As was hinted at in his Waepons and Skills introduction, Toon Link is somewhat more reserved in combat than his Keyblade-wielding opponent. Much of this has to do with the boy hero's smaller size and stature (Link just turned twelve at the beginning of Wind Waker; in this match, he will be thirteen years old and not an adult yet), but it is also due to the vast array of attack equipment that the Hylian has access to. Link doesn't need to bull-rush his enemy with the sword every time he fights (although this is often the case)- instead, the key word to Link's Tactics is Options. With the Master Sword, of course, Link can certainly overwhelm his adversaries with quick combo attacks, but he can also do other things with it in conjunction with his other tools.
Don't let his innocent appearance fool you- Toon Link can fight as savagely as the monsters he dispatches on a regular basis.
For instance, when facing a band of ChuChus, Link can stun them with his Skull Hammer and finish them off with the Master Sword. If he happens to face a pack of Moblins, he can use his Mirror Shield to deflect their clumsy spear attacks and then rush in for the kill. Against Darknuts, Link can use his evasion to strip off their armor and then retreat to nail them with arrows. I could go on and on with these scenarios, but the point here is that Link has multiple options for every combat situation he may find himself in. Most of these attack plans end with the Master Sword, of course, but Link's equipment is instrumental for the purposes of setting the opponent up for the evil-smiting blade. In this way, Link can and does overcome enemies who are far larger and stronger than he is.
Link would want to sneak behind and cut off the armor of this Darknut, but he has several options for doing so.
It wouldn't do the Hero of Winds justice, though to only focus on his melee capabilities. To the contrary, Link's long-range game is one of the best around and he has multiple options for attacking at this distance as well. The Bombs are the heavy hitters, but they are reserved for special occasions while the Boomerang by contrast is used mainly as a harassment tool by the Hylian hero. The Hero's Bow is rightfully Link's left hand in combat, as it is so quick to fire and connect that even swift or airborne enemies are not safe from it- the Bow plays a critical role in combating enemies that like to use hit-and-run tactics.
The Master Sword is Link's primary means of dispensing justice.
Link isn't nearly as mobile as his current enemy due to all the equipment that he carries, but with the tandem of his Hookshot and Grappling Hook he still has good transportation options at his disposal. Still, despite these tools and the Deku Leaf, Link's large-scale mobility hinders him to the point where he prefers to hold the ground he has with defense rather than trying to out-race the enemy (though to be fair, most of his foes are slower than him). To succeed at this type of strategy, Link relies on his Shield and Magic Armor to keep him safe as well as his quick and proven evasion techniques. One more important point- Link has little ability to fight in the air, so besides the Deku Leaf he is strictly a ground combatant. However, the Bow and Boomerang give him excellent capabilities against flying enemies.
Link prefers to engage airborne enemies with his array of specialized projectiles.
If Toon Link's Tactics can be summarized in a sentence, then it's here: Hit hard and fast with the sword, pester at range with projectiles, don't retreat unless in an emergency, and defend while looking for any weaknesses to exploit in the opponent. Every enemy that Link encounters has a different way to defeat it, and not all of them will fall to just melee attacks. This is a major difference between Link and his current adversary- although he sometimes gives up the attack initiative, Link's greater versatility allows him to fabricate a custom plan on the spot for dealing with almost any opponent. It remains to be seen whether this cautious approach will pay off against a far more aggressive foe than any that Link has faced previously.
Toon Link versus the Hyrule Castle Garrison!
Unfortunately, the Hero of Time was dead when Ganondorf returned to the castle with his minions. It's up to the Hero of Winds to finish his ancestor's job.
The caption above pretty much describes this one: After Toon Link completes the arduous task of collecting the Elemental Pearls and proving himself to the gods, he is finally allowed into the depths of the Great Sea where Hyrule Castle lays frozen in time. It's quite an eerie sight- Ganondorf's minions have the run of the place, and nobody is around to stop them. Evil has triumphed at last, and the House of Hyrule has ended..... but then all has been frozen.
The most common enemies that Link faces in the castle are Moblins such as this one. The Hylian relies on his deftness and ranged attacks to deal with these bullying pigs.
When the gods flooded Hyrule to block Ganondorf's wrath, they also sealed its castle in time until the next Hero could retrieve the Master Sword and stop the Great King of Evil for good. When Link enters the castle, it is black and white and totally lifeless. It is only after he retrieves the legendary blade that things return to normal, or something close to normal.
Link fights his way out of the castle!
The catch to Link obtaining the Master Sword is that now Ganondorf's powers have been fully restored- the blade was the key to the time seal of the gods, and now that the lock is gone the Gerudo King knows of the identities of Link and Zelda. To make things even worse, all of the frozen Moblins and Darknuts in the castle have returned to life! Link must now hack and slash his way out of Hyrule Castle if he ever hopes to defeat Ganondorf. As always, observe the video to see how Link uses his different weapons and tactics to defeat these enemies.
Experience: Trained by Orca and Self-Taught, Five Dungeons, Exploration, Sea Combat
As a trained swordsman and skilled adventurer, Link relies on all of his skills to clear the dungeons he enters. However, brute force does have a place in his strategies as well.
Link starts off his epic journey like any other kid his age does- his life is normal for the most part, and Link's family ekes out a quiet living on the fishing village of Outset Island. His parents are nowhere to be found in the story (it's assumed that something happened to them), so Link's only confirmed relatives are his caring old Grandmother and his sister Aryll. (As such a small and closely knit community, it's possible that everyone on the island is related but it's impossible to know for sure). Once his sister is kidnapped, though, Link sets out to do something about it and rescue her. He proceeds to train in swordsmanship with the village elder Orca, and his quest begins from there. Although Link is a descendant of the Hero of Time (the Hero's Shield is a family heirloom), Link has little knowledge or skill with the blade until he trains with Orca.
The boy learns quickly, and soon he gains Orca's respect as well as a new sword to call his own, the Hero's Sword. From this point out, Link's training takes place in the field- whenever he encounters a new item, he experiments with it in order to best map out its function. At times Link has teachers for specific abilities (such as the Elemental Arrows), but mostly he is self-taught. However, this isn't to say that Link is inexperienced with his equipment; it's quite the contrary, as the boy hero has cleared about five dungeons, many hidden caves, and tackled the Savage Labyrinth by the time he is done with his first adventure.
Link explores over fifty different islands during his travels. Shown here is the most urbanized one, Windfall Island.
The dungeons are all filled with different puzzles and enemies, but they all deal with a specific theme, be it a volcano, a haunted fortress, or a sinister forest among others. In each one, Link must use his thinking skills to solve puzzles so he can progress to the boss's chamber. At this point, he must use the skill that he found earlier in the dungeon to outwit and destroy the boss enemy. Compared to Sora's travels, Link's are less varied in scope but they require him to outwit enemies instead of simply hacking them all to death. As a side note, Link also has some stealth experience since on his first visit to the Forsaken Fortress he had to sneak past several bands of Moblin guards.
Besides the Dungeons, Link has plenty of experience in exploration as well. The Great Sea is a massive overworld, and it contains about fifty or so islands, each with its own unique secrets. Link must use his navigational abilities and control of the winds to get where he needs to go, and along the way he runs into plenty of sea monsters, enemy submarines, rogue islands, and other tests of his mettle. Most of Link's sea combat involves the use of the Bow and Bombs (for which he has a cannon), but as this fight will take place shortly after the events of Wind Waker, Link will not have his trusty ship, The King of Red Lions, at his disposal. He may, however, have access to another sailing craft depending upon how the story unfolds.
Except for the help of a few friends such as Makar, Tetra, and Medil, Toon Link's quest is largely a solitary one. It's pretty much him and his talking boat against the Great King of Evil, but Link proves himself pretty well nonetheless. He may have slightly less pure combat experience than his current foe, but Link has additional knowledge in problem-solving and exploration that may narrow this deficit for him. Only one thing is for sure: during the course of Wind Waker, Link grows up as a Warrior by constantly learning new ways to defeat his opponents.
Link grows up from boy to Warrior!
Since it is elaborated in Sora's video how his training came about for him, Link gets the same treatment. It's tough to guess that the lazy boy shown above would become one of the deadliest fictional Warriors imaginable, but Link gets started on this path thanks to the village elder, Orca. Orca is an old man who may be related to Link, but more importantly he is the only one left on Outset who knows anything about combat.
The day that Link becomes a Warrior is a special one for him- It's his twelfth birthday, and as his Grandmother explains this was the time in the days of old that boys were considered to be grown up and ready to learn the arts of war. As a celebration of this Bar Mitzvah of sorts, Link wears the outfit of the legendary Hero of Time for a day to recall that bygone era (he ends up wearing them for the rest of the adventure!) When Link's sister gets kidnapped shortly thereafter, Link goes to Orca for help and the old fighter trains him well in sword tactics as well as his trademark evasion moves. After the training is over, Link receives the Hero's Sword for his effort- it's hinted that this could be the same blade that the Hero of Time used as a child!
The day that Link becomes a Warrior is a special one for him- It's his twelfth birthday, and as his Grandmother explains this was the time in the days of old that boys were considered to be grown up and ready to learn the arts of war. As a celebration of this Bar Mitzvah of sorts, Link wears the outfit of the legendary Hero of Time for a day to recall that bygone era (he ends up wearing them for the rest of the adventure!) When Link's sister gets kidnapped shortly thereafter, Link goes to Orca for help and the old fighter trains him well in sword tactics as well as his trademark evasion moves. After the training is over, Link receives the Hero's Sword for his effort- it's hinted that this could be the same blade that the Hero of Time used as a child!
A sinister plot unfolds, and Link trains under Orca
Armed with his new weapon, Link climbs the summit of Outser Island and enters the Forest of Fairies. There, he gets his first battle experience as Link must confront some nasty Bokoblins! After the enemies are vanquished, the Pirate girl Tetra runs off and Link follows them back to the bridge. There, his sister Aryll runs to greet him but the bird that tried to make off with Tetra has other plans- it swoops out of the air to kidnap the little girl, and Link almost falls to his death chasing after the bird!
Link fights off his first opponents, and things get even worse!
After being rescued by Tetra, Link asks her if he can follow them in their pursuit of the Helmaroc King. Tetra refuses at first, but a passing Rito postman named Quill interjects and convinces the obstinate pirate girl otherwise. Link then goes to retrieve his family heirloom the Hero's Shield, but in a touching scene his Grandmother gives it to him instead with her blessing. With that, Link sets off on the pirate ship for the journey of a lifetime!
Link sets out on his big journey!
Past Opponents: Ganondorf's Minions, Temple Bosses, Phantom Ganon, Ganondorf, Savage Labyrinth. Overall Quality: Very High
Over the course of Link's quest, his number one enemies are Ganondorf and his minions. Although Link does not get to fight the Great King of Evil himself often (he gets defeated miserably the first time he tries), it's assumed that all of the monsters attacking the fair people of the Great Sea and infesting the dungeons arise at least indirectly as a result of Ganon's evil influence. As for the types of minions that Ganon has at his disposal, there are many types and I'll only describe a few of them here: Bokoblins are goblin-like enemies and are the foot-soldiers of his army, ChuChus are puddles of slime that leap and attack the Hylian wherever he goes, Wizzrobes are teleporting spellcasters who launch fireballs, Moblins are Ganondorf's main infantry units who look like mean pigs with spears, and Darknuts are evil knights equipped with armor and shields.
There are many more types of normal enemies that Link faces, and combat with them is shown in the many videos of his profile. They can be stationary or mobile, plant or animal or ghost, grounded or aerial, and pretty much the only thing that unifies them is that they all hate Link and owe at least indirect loyalty to Ganon. Link finds himself constantly outnumbered against these opponents, so he must rely on tactics and his various combat abilities to ensure that he remains in one piece.
While they look intimidating, the Bokoblins are the runts of Ganondorf's army and their clumsiness makes them easy pickings for Link.
Besides the normal enemies, Link also faces several boss foes during his adventures. These special enemies are all quite large and they attack with specific patterns that Link must avoid and counter with his own equipment. They range from a lava scorpion to an old statue to a monstrous bird, and some of them are also covered in the weapon profile videos. None of them are very difficult to defeat in pure combat, but the problem for Link is found in trying to decipher their weaknesses (which are usually tied to the treasures of each dungeon). Once he can figure out how to inflict harm on these bosses, Link can win over them and finish the dungeon he is currently in.
Those are pretty much the two types of enemies that Link faces in his quests, but they are frankly nothing in comparison to his real enemy, Ganondorf aka the Great King of Evil! Link's struggles with this awesome foe are covered in their own section below.
With the various opponents that Link fights against described, then, all that is left is to measure how they as a whole stack up in Overall Quality. What's important to remember in this regard is that even though Link's enemies are not as skilled or powerful as the Heartless Sora defeats in his adventures, they often totally outnumber Link and thus the Hylian is always fighting from a deficit in that regard. He has no help, and so Link must rely totally on his own weapons and skills to come out triumphant at the end of each struggle. In addition, the bosses he defeats take at least some amount of strategy to defeat, so this element must also be taken into account to determine the Overall Quality rating of Link's opponents.
These points being considered, I feel that it is in order to give Link's Past Opponents a rating of Very High for overall quality. While the Heartless could probably kick the butts of Ganon's monsters and Link's bosses are comparatively easy against the Disney villains, due to the factors already mentioned the deficit in opponent quality isn't quite as large as it could be. However, if Link ever did need to fight the Heartless for any reason he would probably be very surprised by their power and ferocity and thus he would need to change some of his strategies in turn.
Link versus Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil!!!
Just like Sora's final battles, the game-ending series of duels that Link faces against Ganondorf and his last minions come one right after another, so I'll let the videos do most of the talking.
So, then, where did we leave off?
After recharging the Master Sword to its full potential, he must now reassemble the Triforce of Courage that used to belong to the Hero of Time several centuries before. The legend had it that when the Hero died, the Triforce was split into shards in order to keep its power from falling into the wrong hands. Fast-forward a few hundred years, and after many trials (including the Savage Labyrinth), Link has finally completed it again! He quickly sets off for Hyrule Castle, where he can rendezvous with Zelda and finalize their plan to defeat Ganondorf.....
The Triforce is complete, the path to destiny revealed!
But the Great King of Evil has gotten to her first! We have already seen the battle that ensues, but after the flames die down Link must now traverse Hyrule to access Ganon's Tower (which is actually more like a cave). Once he's there, Link must navigate a gauntlet of puzzles and bosses that tests the upper limits of his fighting abilities. The videos come one after the other, and they start now:
Ganon's Tower, Part 1
As the first video demonstrates, Link must navigate rooms themed after the major dungeons that he's already cleared, and at the end of each labyrinth he faces a monochrome rematch with that dungeon's boss! Nothing is different about the fights other than the color, so catch these to see the Kalle Demos and Jalhalla fights if you are curious about them.
Ganon's Tower, Part 2
Ganon's Tower, Part 3
After clearing the four dungeon gauntlets, Link comes across his next puzzle- Phantom Ganon attacks again, and this time he has some new moves! However, Link cannot progress unless he recognizes the pattern to each room and chooses the right door every time.
Ganon's Tower, Part 4
Once he completes the puzzle, Link must duel Phantom Ganon again- but this time, he gets a reward for defeating the apparition- the Light Arrow! There's a reason Link gets this ability so late- one hit with a Light Arrow is enough to vanquish any opponent in the game! Phantom Ganon is no exception, and after he is gone Link can finally escape the maze.
When Link finds the princess Zelda, she's sleeping and Ganondorf is speaking softly to her. The Great King of Evil has some choice words to say to Link, and then the fight is on! Puppet Ganon is probably the toughest boss that Link has yet faced, which isn't saying much but still it's an interesting opponent.
Link versus the infernal machine, Puppet Ganon!
The battle is too complex to describe well, but know that it has multiple phases and the keys to Link's victory are the Boomerang and the Light Arrows, as well as his evasion skills. Watch it to see Link actually take on a half-decent opponent for once.
After a hard-fought struggle, Link is finally confronted by Ganon himself. None other than the man who has faced Link since time immemorial proclaims him as the Hero of Time reborn, and he says that the young Hylian will have to now face Ganondorf in the ultimate test of his courage.
The fiend proceeds to give some reasons as to why he wants what he does, and he basically says that he wants to rule Hyrule because his own past was so difficult. Ganondorf proceeds to kick the asses of Link and Zelda, and then he summons the Triforce to gain ultimate power.....
But he is stopped by the Hylian King, who gets to it first and requests that the gods destroy Hyrule once and for all! As the seas cave in on Ganon's Tower, Link reawakens and the battle for the future of humanity is on!
Link and Zelda against Ganondorf, for the Destiny of Hyrule!!!
Ganondorf is predictably the most dangerous adversary in the game, and it's clearly shown that Link isn't a match for him on his own. If not for his Items, Link probably would have fallen as yet another victim of Ganon's twin swords. However, with Zelda's help our hero can defeat the fiend and reclaim the fate of the Great Sea- his determination and Zelda's help combined are enough to slay the Great King of Evil once more!
Link and Friends: To New Adventures!!!
The ending is shown after the fight, and it's continued in the last video. It's a happy ending as always, but it's also typical of a Zelda ending in that it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. However, what we do know is this: After Ganondorf's defeat, Link and Tetra embark to search for a new land to call their own and they are joined by all of the friends that they have met over the course of Wind Waker. During these travels, another quest takes place in the sequel called Phantom Hourglass, and after these events this Link's future is as uncertain as that of all his ancestors and descendants.
Link and Tetra presumably have children together at some point in their lives, since the hero of Spirit Tracks (taking place about a century later) is almost a carbon copy of his great-great grandfather and the story of that game is linked to Wind Waker. Although Link lives with Tetra happily ever after and then most likely dies peacefully, in truth according to Zelda canon each Link is the reincarnation of the one previous- this means that even though the Links are different people to an extent, they are in fact the same legendary Hero who is reborn whenever evil threatens the peace of Hyrule. Such is the fate of Link, and as long as trouble stalks the land and there is money to be made off of Zelda, Link will keep being reincarnated!
Taking place around a century after the events of Wind Waker, the Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks stars Link's descendant (who looks just like him!), and the cast of characters is totally different. However, one of Tetra's pirates of old is still alive- Niko (pictured at right). This time, the new Link rides a train instead of sailing, and he doesn't even have to fight Ganondorf! I guess that kids always have it easier than their parents did......
Link's Psychology:
Strengths: high motivation, self-sufficient, good relations with allies, resourcefulness, strategic thinking, protective instincts, cool-headedness for the most part
Weaknesses: impulsive at times, distant relationships with allies, immaturity, hesitation, some bad decision making, sometimes gets into bad situations without help
Although he normally fights alone, Toon Link does have several allies who have bailed him out before. Prince Komali and his father are pictured here.
Link's psychology is curious in that even though he isn't even a teenager yet he is more mature in many areas of his personality than most real-life teenagers. As with any other incarnation of Link, this one starts off as a weak and afraid kid but as the story progresses he becomes a very powerful and responsible Warrior. Link doesn't quite become an adult in temperament by the end of the quest, but it's readily apparent that Link has grown up quite a bit and that he is fully capable of handling the mental stress of being the Hero of Winds.
Link most often prefers to do his questing alone, but at some points he does get some help from his many allies at just the right occasions. They won't be featured in this match as true weapons since they can't all be counted on to show up in every battle, but Medil, Prince Komali, Makar, Tetra/Zelda, and her pirate crew have all fought by Link's side at points in his journeys. Link maintains good relations with all of these individuals, and he also has the ability to communicate telepathically with Tetra via special stone pendants that they share.
Link poses for a shot with all of his allies. Of them, Medil, Makar, and Tetra have fought by his side in addition to Komali, who isn't pictured.
However, as mentioned previously these allies won't be able to do the heavy lifting for Link; probably the only true Warrior among them is Tetra, and even she is far from an all-powerful asset for Team Hyrule. Thus, Link has developed the mental capacity to think and fight alone; he can't count on others for help, so he is an expert at combating groups of opponents and picking them off one at a time. Also, in every dungeon he faces Link must solve puzzles to progress and this means that he thinks about things from a more intellectual point of view. Though Link can be impetuous at times (such as when he tries to take on Ganondorf alone), for the most part the nature of the dungeons requires that he not leap into challenges without thinking things through; thus, he has a relatively cool-headed demeanor when compared to most other people his age. One additional point: Link is very protective of his friends and in particular his sister and Tetra; besides his Grandmother, these two are Link's closest motivators.
Despite the fact that Link matures a great deal in his adventures, it would be naive to assume that he has no flaws in his psychology; the reality is far from this assertion. It must be remembered that Link is only twelve years old at the start of Wind Waker; by the time this match will take place he will be a year older, but the fact remains that Link is probably not as mentally and emotionally mature as his Keyblade-wielding adversary. To be frank, Link has not experienced the love or loss in his life that Sora has, and it remains to be seen how he would react to a truly negative situation, such as the death of one of his friends. Perhaps the Hylian boy would just keep fighting as he did when Ganondorf kidnapped Zelda, but we can't know for sure.
As was already mentioned, Link's allies help him at particularly trying moments, but unlike Donald and Goofy they don't fight at his side enough to be included as real weapons. Again, I must stress the point that Link could only summon Tetra and her pirates, and there's no guarantee that they would even get to his location in time to help him out. This distant relationship with his allies will cost Link since he will have to do most of the fighting from a numerical disadvantage against Sora's team.
Link is a very protective individual; his sister's kidnapping starts him out on his quest.
Link gets into some bad situations at times because he doesn't think things though properly before choosing his course of action; although he takes the opposite approach on the battlefield, in his grand strategic choices he leaves much to be desired. Link gets bailed out by others for his bad decisions at several points, most notably when he almost falls to his death when chasing the bird that took his sister. Where Link falters in his Psychology is his ability to formulate large-scale strategies; when Link fails to take into account an exit plan several times over his quest, it become noticeable as a mental weakness. It's due to this deficiency that Link sometimes hesitates when he is forced to make important decisions (such as wavering on whether to join the Pirates in pursuit of the Helmaroc King).
This picture defines Link's Psychology in a nutshell; he's a tactical genius in combat, but Link is also just a kid on the inside.
All things considered, Link's Psychology is a curious mix of his competence gained by adventuring and the immaturity that remains as a fact of his young age. Link can efficiently strategize on a small scale in terms of combat, but he suffers in terms of his judgement and decision-making abilities. It's an interesting combination that contrasts sharply with Sora's extremes in his own mindset.
Motivations: Protecting loved ones (Aryll), Adventure, New experiences, Saving Hyrule (again), Rescuing Princess Zelda (again), Friendships (Medil, Makar)
As anyone who has played a Zelda game should know, Link's journeys through Hyrule are usually built around the same plot: Link starts off as a young boy in a quiet town, and through a change of events he is compelled to journey throughout Hyrule in order to complete an immediate quest. Once this is completed, however, the game's real villain (usually Ganon) shows up and starts causing trouble for Link and Zelda. Faced with this new threat, Link then retrieves the Master Sword and is then declared a true Hero by the Hylian gods. Ganon then proceeds to kidnap Zelda in order to set into motion his plan for shrouding the world in darkness, so it's up to Link to defeat the fiend and save Hyrule.
That was pretty much the plot for all of the Zelda games before Wind Waker (excepting spinoffs such as Link's Awakening and Majora's Mask), but in Toon Link's quest things have changed a bit in terms of story. The most telling difference in plot for Wind Waker is that for the first time in the series Link has actual family members who are named and who play important roles in the plot of the whole game. (Contrast this to earlier installments, where the most involved family member was Link's uncle in A Link to the Past, who had a minor part.) Overall, this quest is much more personal for Link then it ever has been before.
I'll give a warning now, If you don't want me to spoil the plot of Wind Waker, then STOP READING HERE. I feel that I must do it in order to explain adequately Link's reasons for being a Warrior.
Anyway, Link's reasons for fighting stem from the fact that on his twelfth birthday his sister Aryll is kidnapped by a mysterious dark bird known as the Helmaroc King. As Link's only sibling, Aryll idolizes her Big Brother and she relies on him to be there for her in tough situations. Needless to say, Link is more than a little distraught when his sister is kidnapped, and he almost drowns while chasing the elusive bird that kidnapped her. He is only saved by a band of pirates led by the young girl Tetra, who explains that the Helmaroc King kidnapped Aryll mistaking her for herself. At this notion, Link agrees to travel with the pirates to the evil bird's nest at the Forsaken Fortress.
In order to save his sister, Link must leave his home of Outset Island and journey across the unknown Great Sea. To do this though, he first needs to become proficient in the use of a sword. This is unusual for the series in that in every previous Zelda Link has already become adept at swordplay. However, Toon Link must go to the old man of the villiage, Orca, and learn how to defend himself. Once he does this, Link then decides to take his family heirloom, the Hero's Shield, and venture out to rescue Aryll. His Grandmother catches him, though, and through some explaining and a tearful goodbye Link vows to do everything necessary to defend his family members from evil. As Link finally leaves the only island he's ever known, he is more than a little saddened, but he knows that he must proceed to the Forsaken Fortress.
Once he finally arrives at the Dark Tower, Link proceeds to sneak past the Moblin guards to the top, where he encounters Aryll locked in a cage. Before he can save her, however, Link is stopped in his tracks by the dark Gerudo King Ganon, who flings him away effortlessly into the cold, unforgiving ocean...
Where he eventually finds himself in a cove on Windfall Island, being protected by a talking boat called the King of Red Lions. the Boat says that it was foolhardy of Link to try his might against Ganon, but that he knows of a weapon that can slay the fiend and free Link's sister. Over the ensuing months, Link proceeds to gain recognition by the Hylian gods as a worthy hero and is allowed to enter a portal that leads deep under the sea.... into the frozen world of Hyrule Castle. Link then proceeds to draw the Master Sword from its mysterious pedestal and fight his way back to Ganon's Dark Tower.
There, the stage is set for a final showdown with the Helmaroc King, which is detailed below. After the battle, Link finally frees his sister and then tries to slay Ganon, but is outmatched and almost killed himself until his Alito friends Komali and Quill swoop in to save him and Tetra from being decapitated by the Gerudo King's katana. With the two heroes being narrowly spared from death and Ganon now knowing their true identities, the King of Red Lions has no choice but to tell Link and Tetra the full story.
Link's sister Aryll, the main motivation for Link in the first half of the story.
The King of Red Lions begins by stating that he regrets that these two innocent children had to become involved with Ganon's plot to conquer Hyrule, but he explains that they are in mortal danger until the fiend is imprisioned again. He then proceeds to reveal his true form, as Daphnes Johansen Hyrule, the last ruler of the mysterious kingdom that was until recently frozen in time. He states that when Ganon returned hundreds of years previous, there was no hero there to save Hyrule from his evil designs. In desperation, the Hylians asked their gods to flood the land and magically seal it from the Gerudo King's minions, which the gods did. The survivors of the flood built new lives on the peaks spared by the waters, and their descendents made up the population of the Great Sea. As such, both Link and Tetra are descendants of the heroes that previously saved the land from evil, and now Ganon is looking for them in order to kill their lineage and conquer the world. With this in mind, the King explains to Link that it is up to him to reclaim the Triforce of Courage and recharge the Master Sword to defeat Ganon.
The Pirate Girl Tetra, also known as Princess Zelda and Link's closest companion.
After installing as new Sages his friends the Alito girl Medil and the forest spirit Makar, Link then enlists the help of his ally Tingle to locate and reclaim the missing pieces of the Triforce of Courage. Once this is finally complete, Link returns to Hyrule Castle only to find that...
DUM DUM DUM!!!! Princess Zelda is kidnapped again! As such, the stage is set for the final showdown as Link must once again rescue Zelda and defeat Ganon at the same time!
Link and Princess Zelda, the two heroes of Wind Waker.
Therefore, the plot of Wind Waker still follows that of most Zelda games but this time Link has a more personal reason to begin his quest to save Hyrule. He makes some great friends as he explores the Great Sea and encounters and helps new people, from the Alito Prince Komali who ends up looking to Link as an inspiration to Medil, who is Link's first major quest helper, to Makar, the Forest Spirit who is rescued by him from the Forbidden Woods, to most importantly Tetra, who looks at Link as sort of a little brother but finally gives her admiration from her realization that Link is dedicated above all else to helping others.
Besides the goal of defending those who matter to him, Link's most important motivation is fighting evil and injustice wherever it may appear. Over the course of his journey, besides fighting Ganon and his minions Toon Link meets many average people and helps them in their own personal issues, from finding love to reclaiming lost possessions to simply finding a purpose in life. Link's goal in every Zelda game, it seems, is to right the wrongs that befall Hyrule and its residents.
Link and the King of Red Lions exploring the Great Sea.
Defining Moment: The Final Showdown with the Helmaroc King!!!
Link settles his score with the Helmaroc King!!!
The Helmaroc King was the monstrous bird under Ganon's command that originally kidnapped Link's sister. Eventually, with the help of his pirate friends Link is able to break into the Forsaken Fortress and rescue his sister. After the pirates leave with Aryll, Link stays behind to make sure that the Helmaroc King can't do any more harm as Ganon's minion. As such, he faces the bird alone as the prison tower floods and he narrowly avoids death by the stabbing beak.
I chose this fight as I believe that it was the game's best, and I also think that facing the bird alone really testifies as to how Link has grown as a Warrior since he first left Outset. The fact that he relies on his friends to help him rescue his sister also speaks to his humbleness and devotion to others. Besides, a fight with a big black bird on a rooftop is too cool to ignore!
Closing Statement: Toon Link
Toon Link was the successor to probably the most popular video came hero ever (Link has won the Gamefaqs Character Battle twice as many years as everyone else combined) from Ocarina of Time, so many Zelda fans were predictably nervous when the newer, cartoon-shaded Link was finally revealed for Wind Waker. Their expectations were defied, though, because in Wind Waker Link returned a more skilled, personal, and interesting Warrior than ever before. His new skills in navigation and combat helped him to save the Great Sea where all others had failed, and the efforts of Link and Tetra after their first quest found an entirely new land for the Hylian civilization to start anew. Though he is a silent protagonist, Link's personal impact is felt by all of those around him, from the various people he helps to the King of Hyrule himself who entrusts the futures of his daughter and his people to his protection. What's amazing about these accomplishments is that Link is still but a child when he achieves them, which makes Link an excellent example of being mature beyond his years in terms of video game heroes.
Link is an accomplished combatant, having gotten this praise by overcoming whole armies of Ganondorf's minions and even besting the Great King of Evil himself in combat. His well-balanced and strategic approach to warfare means that Link can adapt his strategies to fit the needs of the moment; he is never boxed into a single potential routine. His allies are close to him but Link only requests their help occasionally- as such, he fits into the classic archetype of the lone adventurer that dates back to stories thousands of years old. It's easy to see why Link is adored by so many fans worldwide; he represents a freedom to be able to make a tangible difference in the world, a chance to be recognized by destiny as a true hero, and as a symbol of the universal concept of becoming more capable through training and personal growth.
It's because of these points that Link earns the title of Warrior, but by no means is he perfect in any regard. Link has lost battles before, and several times in his adventures he was luckily spared from death by others. He is still just a kid, and even though he is quite lethal as a combatant Link finds out often that there's more to being a Warrior than just knowing how to fight well- though he grows in maturity all the time, he'll need to be more confident in himself than ever before if he wants to survive the fight of a lifetime against the Keyblade Master, Sora. To be able to win, Link will need to take the fight to Sora, distracting the more experienced fighter from his own strategies by constant harassment. That's a tall order considering how quick and skilled Link's current opponent is, but with a clear mind and a sound defense Link may just pull off the victory in his Ultimate Showdown!!!
Toon Link is obviously a mighty combatant, but will he be a match for Sora, who saved his entire universe from unspeakable destruction? Let's find out, as his profile is next!
Here is the link to Sora's Warrior Profile:
http://deadliestwarriorshowdown.blogspot.com/2011/05/sora-vs-toon-link-part-3-sora-warrior.html
Here is the link to Sora's Warrior Profile:
http://deadliestwarriorshowdown.blogspot.com/2011/05/sora-vs-toon-link-part-3-sora-warrior.html
Dude this alreadyy look superb and I really cant see as to where you go with this!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure but doesnt Sora also have the ability to change forms?
ReplyDeleteThanks for following my progress, and yes, Sora has the ability to change forms. However, this match is about nogistalgia for me and I want to keep the warriors focused on KH1 and Wind Waker, two games I loved as a teenager. I honestly have not played KH2 much, but giving Sora powers he acquires later would mean allowing the same for Link. I think the match is already perfectly balanced as it is, and let's just say I'm having a hard time deciding who will win at the end!
ReplyDeleteThis is already an impressive match so far :D I'm eager for more ;)
ReplyDeleteI can easily see why you love Link so much, just from reading this I'm already growing closer to the lad.
great job and keep it up :D
Question: Other then in appearence how would Toon Link be different from the regular?
ReplyDelete@monopolyman: Through the Legend of Zelda series, a different Link has been used every few games, so "regular" Link does not exist as a person. What most people think of when they think of normal Link is Link from OoT, but this was actually the first appearance of Mature Link in the whole series.
ReplyDeleteAs a specific incarnation of Link, Toon Link is known as the "Hero of Winds". This means that he has the power to control the winds through the use of his Wind Waker. Toon Link is also older than Young Link from OoT, but younger than Link from Twilight Princess or grown Link from OoT. Every Link has his own abilities, for example TP Link can change into a wolf, WW Link can control the winds and has the Deku Leaf, and OoT Link has Din's Fire and Faroe's Wind.
As I explained earlier, I chose Toon Link because in my view he is a perfect match for KH1 Sora, and because their games came out within a year of each other.
Your bow descriptions is one of the most detailed i've ever seen, and it may be a decider. Also I think I am going to go back to my old style of updating one warrior, finishing, then updating another. I kind of lose focus on one warrior or the other if I switch back and forth. Anyway what do you think of Sarah and Anakin so far, any improvements that I should make?
ReplyDeleteYour blog looks extremely impressive so far, for more about the bow check out the response I made to Ares on Sora's profile. My only suggestions would be:
ReplyDeleteA: Make the colored text bolded so it's easier to read, and also increase the size of every header.
B: Your use of pictures is impressive, but they would be even better if you enlargened them to be more visible! I'm in the process of adding captions to each of my pictures.
C: I love your idea of comparing the armies and their commanders separately, and I think that adding a new Vehicular category such as the AT-AT or Tie Fighter (I know those are not their real names at this point) for the Clones would be a swell move. I'm still wondering, though, how the armies will impact who wins, especially since both warriors have proven themselves to be capable of taking out large armies and even planets singlehandedly?
One last thing, for fun: How is the Clone trooper armor blaster resistant when they seem to drop like flies in the movies? LOLZ
Anyway, great work and these are my humble suggestions.
For A I have already done what you asked for Sarah's profile, and I will do B as time permits tommorow.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunatly for I cannot really do C, as whatever I add for one side I must do for the other. Adding Tie Fighters and AT-AT will mean I have to add Ultralisks and Mutalisks for Zerg, and its going to quickly turn into a army vs. army battle. This I do not want as I would be handicapping one or the other, as the Zerg swarm, well swarmed their prey wil superior numbers and if included an equal amount it would take away the main tactic of the Zerg.
As you noted both characters are Army destroyers, so I will strive to make this a squad battle, as both Kerrigan and Anakin were known to lead squads into battle. They will probably just exist as cannon fodder for one of the two's pwers but here and there they will manage to take down one of the big guys (particularly the baneling and clone sniper).
I was just going off the wikia site.
and thanks for your suggestions!
Hey I love the grappling hook bio man, and I am impressed that you took into account more then just the lethality of the weapon, as you are right in that their are other factors to consider as well. For the reasons that you mention I do question its effectiveness against Sora though
ReplyDeletewow. At first I was questioning the effectiveness of the hook shot, but your preview has me sold . Link is defiantly bringing a lot of options to this table, and this matchup just seems to become closer and closer as your writing goes on. I am quite pleased that you are done with conventional weapons (well except the Triforce) , as I really want to see this guys various X-factors and support!
ReplyDeleteAlso make sure to check out Rikun, and Master of the Boot's brand new fight, Punisher vs. Batman!
I'm not quite done with the conventional weapons yet- There are still profiles to be made of the Deku Leaf, Spin Attack, and Wind Waker, and if there is anything I missed for either Warrior I'll include it as well- there can't be any questions as to the strength of the two Warriors.
ReplyDeleteFor Sora, I still need to make profiles on Strike Raid and Firaga, plus Curaga and other recovery options. For Sora's Partners, I'm still debating as to what extent they should be included. Also, I'll update some of the leaner profiles such as the Keyblade and the Summons when time allows.
Still though, I'm glad that these profiles are finally nearing completion- it feels like it's been forever, and I do want to get around to doing an ancient matchup sometime. When these profiles are done I'll create a post asking readers to debate the edges before they are assigned.
I took a look at Rikun and added him to my TOC- his work looks promising, but let's see how it turns out. I skinned through Master's latest match, but honestly it was so long that I was forced to choose between reading his match or working on my own. I'm still impressed that he had the guts to choose Sub-Zero.
By the way, I got halfway through episode 1 of Shaka Zulu before I went to sleep, seems like a very entertaining show. Also, do you know anything about Marek's blog? He seems to have vanished entirely......
By conventional I meant weapons that could kill, as I am quite looking forward to how you will incorporate the support category.
ReplyDeleteYou could make it a duel, like the battle with Sephiroth. What allies are you considering giving him? Riku, Donald, Goofy, The king?
I look forward to the day you post edges, as this battle has been exciting me for a while. Any considerations for the ancient matchup?
You must be referring to Ares's latest work, Master of the Boot's updater doesn't work for some reason, and his Back for Blood is highly unique. Ares's was quite good as well.
Marek has done this in the past. he posts 1-2 matchups then disappears for a couple of months. And I haven't finished the show yet, but I will before I finish Shaka's bio
Also yuor TOC was epic, and you should consider some of my options in the comment box below that post
ReplyDeleteHey looks great man, and this looks like a devastating peice of Link's arsenal, one that will probably give him the edge in that category. I loved Brawl, and seeing that video makes me sad that I don't have it anymore :(.
ReplyDeleteAlso check out Scare Crow's new blog and add it to your listing http://scarecrowsdeadliestbattles.blogspot.com/
good to see that the weapons are finally done...now we can move onto the fun x-factors. The spin attack was certainly impressive, and I remember spamming it when I played Super Smash brothers brawl.Link has the definitive close range edge in my mind, though I havn't really begun comparing the others yet. Also I am still trying to guess what are your next two warriors, and what you are going to do for gangsta thug when you get back to him.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I had to shuffle the categores so there was one more weapon profile to create. The good news is that Sora's Special Weapon will now be his partners Donald and Goofy! I carefully considered it and decided that it was fair to put them in- read that profile and see for yourself.
ReplyDeletegood to see that, like me, you are using this heat wave to get as much done as possible . It was great to see Link's signature magic and the title of his games, and two complete warrior seems to be forming in my head, and I can't wait to see these two do battle (and then see the alt endings for both).
ReplyDeleteYep , I had a lot of time on my hands due to the heat so I went all out that day. As for the Wind Waker, I tried my best to give a balanced version of the weapon that isn't overpowered.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your other questions, I'm going to streamline the second match somewhat since most of the Redneck's stuff is finished. There's no guarantee that the result will be the same this time, either, due to the new factors being assessed.
As far as Match 3 goes, I can give you one more hint: it'll be a three-on-3 matchup, but both teams will have allies at their command as well.
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger?
ReplyDeleteThis is a epic man, simply an epic. I like how you detail every possible strength, weakness, and use for even something as mundane as counter attack
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments, I do it so that once the edges are given and the simulation run there will be a reason for every result. As for your guess, I can't say if you are right or not but it was a creative guess. You'll find out if you are right after this match. I'm going over plot points and music selections now, it's pretty much going to be two lead-up fights (one per Warrior)and then the main battle with the best fight music from Wind Waker and Kingdom Hearts (though more KH tracks since I think it's more epic)
ReplyDeleteAhh its good to see these progressing. The Leaf is an interesting mobility choice on the part of Link, and I can see some tactical advantages to it as well. If Link becomes wary of the close range, then I think he could use the leaf to take him to a place a bit out of Sora's reach, and rain arrows down upon the keymaster.
ReplyDeleteThe armor sections looks great! and Link's magic armor is certainly the best among the two so far. I can see this edge being Link, but ill get more detailed about it when it comes time to post the edges.
And that will be sooner rather than later, because I am going to keep the intangible profiles short and sweet. Oh, and the video for the Deku Leaf is now posted- I forgot it before. In terms of its abilities, I think Link will have to be careful using the Leaf if he doesn't want to be roasted by Sora's fire magic.
ReplyDeleteOverall I great bio. I think Link would win due to his martial skill and his raw fighting attacks, but I wouldn't be surprise if Sora won.
ReplyDeleteHey man this looks really great! And you only have one more section to do! I promise I will do edges as soon as you are done. Also check out my comments on my profile if you haven't done it already
ReplyDelete