So, I've been seeing some hate for Bendy vs Cuphead for some reason around the community, mostly on Death Battle Matchups. So, I decided I'm going to go through this MU, all of the core points a matchup/episode should have, and determine once and for all that it isn't, actually, that bad of a fight.
CONNECTIONS
Now, people only bring up the indie toon aesthetic...but is that really all there is? No.
In total, there are 3 major connections that make this work.
Faces of Smash hit indie games themed around 80s cartoons, that's obvious
Impish goofballs who love to play pranks, yet usually have to luck their way out of the situations they get themselves into.
In-Universe, the stars of their own incredible cartoon shows revolving around the misadventures they get themselves into, yet aren't afraid to delve into more dark topics in their own goofy way.
There's even a good few contrasts that only serve to heighten the matchup, like hero vs villain, ranged vs melee (Yes this does help to heighten this specific fight), and even success vs failiure
DEBATE
Now, this one is in Cuphead's favor, admittedly, but Bendy actually has his own interesting points of the debate to talk about! Like how he can keep regenerating to the point even bullets in his world can't help, meaning Cuphead has to get a massive hit on Bendy to take him down for good. Plus, with the ink's soul absorption abilities, Cuphead COULD get overtaken if he's not careful.
In other words, way less of a stomp than, say, GioJoker, which most everyone is fine with.
COMPOSITING?
Next is compositing, which....well, I see no reason NOT to composite Toon Bendy and Ink Bendy's abilities. After all, Ink Bendy was based on Toon Bendy, and is even shown to be far deadlier than his cartoon counterpart in-lore. Besides, part of the ending of Dark Revival is that the Ink Demon is now the Little Devil Darling he was always meant to be, meaning that 'Oh, he's a failed clone' doesn't even work because he was perfected.
Plus, it would match using the Cuphead Show, Comics, and Game for Cuphead by doing the same for Bendy's Cartoons, Comics, and Games.
BANTER
As for this...there's not really anything bad here. Ink Demon being this tall imposing force with directly intimidating quotes would work well against Cuphead's own snarky and rebellious nature, esspecially if you have Cuphead actually be intimidated or even scared, but fighting on anyways.
You could even have them both be sick of eachother by the end of it, like the Demon being annoyed or even enraged by how Cuphead acts, and Cuphead getting tired of the Demon waxing poetic. Plus, there's obvious quotes that could be used, like the demon's insults and threats, and Cuphead doubling down and stuff.
MUSIC
Is this even much of a contest? A mix of Cuphead's jazzy tunes and the horror strings and genuinely well composed music of Bendy would make for an AMAZING score, likely by Therewolf Media. Inkdulgence is already a good example of how well it could work, but a full episode would be even GRANDER.
AESTHETIC
Honestly, despite what people think, this matchup's specific aesthetic is pretty neat, going from Looney and cartoony to a more tense and serious cat and mouse fight. All wrapped up by the overarching aesthetic of cartoons and both games as a whole. There's a whole heaping you could even DO with this aesthetic, like have the characters knocking each other off their reels, have ink splatter the screen when Cuphead gets hit, using classic cartoon openers and outros around the fight, and even using the effect that plays when Bendy is killed by The End in his games.
ANIMATION POTENTIAL
Now this...this is where things get GOOD.
For a fight like this, it has to start as Toon Bendy v Cuphead in the Inkwell Isles. Maybe in Island 3, with the city, or Island 2 with the carnival. There's plenty to work with, both with their more crazy cartoon skills like Cuphead's ingenuity and Charms against Bendy's improvised weaponry from Nightmare Run and Hot Air Balloon from the Comics to fight Cuphead's aeroplane. You could even have them both use their temporary tridents from the Show and Comic respectively.
And of course, there's the practically mandatory transition from Inkwell to Joey Drew Studios for a more tense fight against the Ink Demon.
Now, people say that the Ink Demon could never work against Cuphead, all it would be is a chase between Ink Bendy and Cuphead, potentially with a searcher and Lost One army.
Hmm.....now in which series do you constantly have to avoid a physically superior foe and rely on your ability to deal long range damage, potentially having to deal with their minions before they become a problem?
Oh right, CUPHEAD!
And in which game do you have to run from a dangerous threat who always chases you, and even manages to out-maneuver you despite being faster? Oh right, Bendy!
This dynamic literally works in both of their favors!
Plus this is the perfect time to have Cuphead and Bendy use their game-centric abilities to compliment this dynamic, with Cuphead using his different Shots in creative ways and the Ink Demon's regeneration and ink-teleporting providing for some great choreography and even a little gag every now and then.
Heck, you can even use the soul grabbing stuff for some choreography, having Cuphead use his Level 3 Super Art and clashing physically with Beast Bendy, only to end with his physical body actually setting up for a blow with enough force to completely blast away the Ink Demon.
All in all, this is a fight that I feel doesn't deserve the recent hate it's getting. I may like others, but this has a legacy for a REASON.
