Intro[]
Wiz: Swordsmen come in all sorts of sizes and age, but few are able to wield the blade with just one arm.
Boom: Like Dunban, Shulk’s role model and the Hero Homs of Colony 9.
Wiz: And Shanks, Luffy’s role model and Pirate Warrior of the seas.
Boom: He’s Wiz and I’m Boomstick.
Wiz: And it’s our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win… A Death Battle.
(WARNING: THIS ANALYSIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE GAME "XENOBLADE CHRONICLES". IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED THROUGH TO THE END OR WATCHED A PLAYTHROUGH I HIGHLY RECCOMEND YOU DO SO BEFORE READING THIS)
Dunban[]
Wiz: Long, long, ago, the world was a boundless ocean and an endless sky.
Boom: Until two giant gods came into existence, the Bionis and Mechonis. Basically, a giant hippy god and a giant robot god.
Wiz: On these two colossal titans, life formed and the gods and their lifeforms lived in harmony for some time…
Boom: Until a certain… sword and a certain someone possessed the kind giant Arglas. With a new vessel, this someone waged war against the Mechonis. I guess this someone just really hated machines. I don’t blame him, with how often Wiz’s arm malfunctions…
- SMACK*
Boom: AGH, DAMN IT!
Wiz: Sorry, working on it. Anyway, the Bionis and Mechonis waged war against one another, until the two gods landed fatal blows on each other. With both weak and near death, the two went to sleep, biding their time for the war to continue. Thousands of years went by, and the inhabitants of Bionis and Mechonis had finally put aside their differences and regained peace.
(Cue Anger, Darkness of the Heart)
Boom: Except they didn’t, because apparently no one in fiction ever thinks about talking things out. In reality, the Mechon leader Egil was still pissed about the Bionis backslashing him, so he constantly threw his robot minions at the Homs.
Wiz: The Homs fought back though. One such battle was the Battle of Sword Valley, quite possibly one of the most definitive victories against the Mechon.
Boom: Thanks to the power of the Monado, the hero Dunban defeated the Mechon army almost single handedly. Almost, because he had a little help from his two good, trustworthy, pure friends for life, Dickson and Mumkhar.
Wiz: However, the battle was not without its losses. Because Dunban was not the chosen heir to the Monado, the blade rejected him and claimed the use of his right arm. Dunban was sent home and suffered great injury to his body and his pride. For a year, Dunban waited in his house for his arm to return to him, but it never did.
Boom: Oh, but let’s not forget that when the Mechon attacked Colony 9, Dunban got right back up and used that Monado once again.
Wiz: Which worked for a little, but once again he could not wield the blade without losing his arm again. Bad for him, but it ended up working out in his favor when it was discovered that Shulk could use the Monado instead.
Boom: Now you may be wondering, after being straight up rejected by a legendary sword TWICE, how could anyone ever lift a sword again knowing how not-chosen they are? Oh that’s right, Dunban got right back up AGAIN and this time used his LEFT arm to use swords, and joined Shulk on his quest to kill all those damn malfunctioning robots.
Wiz: It’s true; Dunban is incredibly strong-willed and always gives it his all in battle. Even with one arm, Dunban’s skill and combat prowess did not change at all.
Boom: But Wiz, what sword could possibly replace something like the Monado?
Wiz: It is indeed hard to say what sword Dunban actually used, since, like most RPGs, the player chooses what weapons the character uses. However, we DO know for a fact that Dunban received the Anti-Mechon Glaive from Dickson in order to slay Mechon without the need of a Monado.
Boom: Though the Anti-Mechon Glaive is the weakest of Dunban’s anti-robot weapons, it is likely that he upgraded them as the story progressed, since the Anti-Mechon glaive is eventually outclassed in it’s function by the Anti-Mechon Striker and then the Machina Blade I, II, and finally III. And the Machina Blade III is a sweet blue lightsaber!
Wiz: Though the blades functions all remain the same, the Machina Blade III features a laser blade and boasts more than 500 more damage than the original Anti-Mechon Glaive.
Boom: That’s cool and all, but there’s much more to Dunban than just his sword. Like every other Xenoblade character, Dunban has a number of Arts to use in battle. These Arts range from striking foes hard enough to make them topple to SHOOTING A BURST OF ELECTRICITY FROM HIS BACK? I mean, what the actual hell?
Wiz: Many of Dunban’s more absurd abilities are thanks to his usage of Ether, which is basically the life force of the Xenoblade world. Turns out it can be channeled into attacks too. He also gradually builds up a meter, and when it’s filled he can use the Blossom Dance, a fierce multi-hit combo that can fell even the most deadly foes.
Wiz: Dunban’s Arts compliment his fighting style perfectly, helping him increase his agility and reviving him just before incapacitation.
Boom: Dunban is a speedy swordsman, relying on his agility to avoid hits rather than tank them. He’s basically the ultimate glass cannon, hitting swiftly and hard. And really, when you’re as agile as Dunban, you don’t really need to worry about defenses anyway.
Wiz: True, but he’s not untouchable. Sometimes a stray hit can still hit him, and aside from Jaws of Death, he has no other way of healing himself, meaning that even normal hits will take their toll on him more than they would on most other people. And his armor doesn’t help much either, since it’s basically just a nice uniform.
Boom: Hey, don’t talk bad about that armor. It may not do much, but damn it’s classy!
Wiz: It’s so useless that Dunban is actually BETTER without his clothes. Er, at least in terms of agility.
Boom: Still, Dunban has done some impressive things. (HUGE SPOILER WARNING) He’s completely humiliated that traitor Mumkhar in a one-on-one battle, and even sliced the arm of off Metal Face’s body before he could even react!
Wiz: This is actually much more impressive than it seems. Metal Face is constantly seen moving at speeds that break the sound barrier, as proved by the cone that forms behind his propulsors in flight. We know that Metal Face was able to dodge lasers and anti-air artillery from both Colony 9 and the High Entia defense systems, so we know that Metal Face can traverse areas well while going at speeds faster than sound. The fact that Dunban was able to slice off Metal Face’s arm before he could react means that Dunban had to have moved faster than 768 miles per hour to catch him off guard.
Boom: Oh, that’s not all. Remember how Dunban was rejected by the Monado… twice? Well, he also had to deal with losing his sister and realizing that his two best comrades were actually scumbag traitors that wanted to kill him all along! If that wasn’t bad enough, he had to fight the GOD of the Xenoblade universe, Zanza.
Wiz: While he was accompanied by Shulk, Fiora, Reyn, Riki, Melia, and Sharla, he still had to have helped somewhat. We know that Zanza was literally recreating the WORLD during the final battle, multiple times. However, this isn’t necessarily just a durability feat. As seen with Shulk and Fiora, their victory against Zanza was almost completely because of their sheer will to survive, not their durability. Since Dunban survived the battle, he likely also had enough willpower to not be erased from existence.
Boom: How does that even work? Oh, you killed me but I don’t wanna die so I don’t? What is this, the playground in elementary school?
Wiz: Well, kind of. Either way, Dunban is a truly astounding hero and role model. Even after all the shit he’s gone through, he’s still hanging tough and chivalrous as always.
Mumkhar: Dunban… you’ll never win! Get on your knees and worship me!
Dunban: Never. I will strike you down and all that you have become, you wretched fool. The Monado will stop you, and then you will know the shame of all that you have done, traitor!
Shanks[]
(Cue Pirate Warriors 2 Main Theme)
Boom: Ah, pirates, the seafaring, gold-hunting, scurvy-ridden buckaneers of the old world. They take what they want when they want it, and live however they like. Well unless Disney is involved.
Wiz: One such pirate was once a mere cabin boy in the West Blue, under the pirate Gol. D. Rogers. Here, the boy Shanks met Buggy. The two often argued over their conflicting morals, and even swore to meet again one day as enemies.
Boom: Damn, that’s some childhood drama right there. I can’t say I blame Buggy though, I mean if there was a treasure chest you bet your ass I’m gonna go get it. Stupid morals.
Wiz: Those ‘stupid morals’ got Shanks very far in the pirate totem pole. He eventually joined Whitebeard’s crew, and battled with the ferocious Blackbeard, from which he carries three permanent reminders.
(Cue Pirate Warriors Buggy’s Theme)
Boom: Eventually, Shanks formed his own crew, and found a village with a strange boy named Luffy. He decided to make the village their base for a year, because messing with a little kid and crushing his dreams on a daily basis is definitely the best way to have fun.
Wiz: Though his constant teasing angered Luffy, it actually motivated the boy more and more to eventually join Shank’s crew one day, though Shanks insisted that even then he might not be able to join.
Boom: Everything changed for Luffy AND Shanks when a group of bandits found the village and demanded a bunch of beer. Too bad those bandits are never named, cause that’s one group I’d like to join.
Wiz: The bandits humiliated Luffy’s pride by completely disrespecting Shanks’ kindness. Eventually Luffy’s mouth got the better of him and the bandits kidnapped him, forcing Shanks and his crew to finally take action.
Boom: This time Shanks wasn’t going to let them get aw- AW DAMN IT, HE STILL HASN’T KICKED ANYONE’S ASS.
Wiz: Because his crew was more than capable of destroying the bandits themselves. In a last ditch effort, the bandit leader took Luffy to the sea while trying to escape…
Boom: But he failed that too, cause Moby Dick decided to stop by and eat him! He was gonna eat Luffy for dessert too, but Shanks wasn’t having none of that. He got in there and made Moby Dick step off, saving the day.
Wiz: But, like almost every other victory in fiction, there were consequences. Shanks had lost his left arm while trying to evade the monster, and would be forced to use his right from then on.
Boom: What’s with all these badasses losing their arms? Can’t they just be badass and not have to be crippled?
Wiz: Maybe, but Shanks was hardly affected at all. He shrugged off the fact that he lost his dominant arm and simply adjusted to his right.
Boom: Now that’s badass!
Wiz: Shanks’ reputation didn’t suffer at all from this; in fact, Shanks went on to confront even Whitebeard and Blackbeard, some of the most feared pirates in the One Piece universe. He also ended a war just by showing up.
Boom: Holy shit!
(Cue Pirate Warriors Gear Second)
Wiz: Shanks often uses a simple saber in battle nowadays, which he combines with his Haki to defeat even whole armies.
Boom: He uses a Lightsaber and the Force?
Wiz: No, a saber is just a heavy cavalry sword with a curved blade and a single cutting edge. And his Haki isn’t really like the Force at all. Haki is a power found within everyone…
Boom: Like the Force?
Wiz: No! There are usually two types of Haki available for people to tap into, but there does exist a third Haki that select few can use too. They are the Kenbunshoku, Busoshoku, and Haoshoku. The Kenbunshoku allows the user to sense spiritual energy and gives the wielder a sort of precognitive ability, the Busoshoku uses life force as armor to defend or to boost their attacks, and the Haoshoku allows the user to overpower enemies through sheer willpower.
Boom: Haoshoku also happens to be the rarest Haki, found only in one out of a million people. Shanks happens to be one of them, which is how he was able to tell off that overgrown fish.
Wiz: Shanks can use at least two of the three Haki. His other Haki is the Busoshoku, which was shown to split the sky when he clashed blades with Whitebeard, and also when he used the Busoshoku to defend from a Logia attack.
Boom: Pretty impressive, since Logia users are strong enough to destroy ISLANDS.
Wiz: Shanks also has the ability to channel lighting through his sword when using his techniques, Strike for the New World and To the Heights of Piracy.
Boom: Is it just a rule now for all badasses to lose their arms AND use electricity? I mean, that’s not even Shanks’ most absurd ability. Turns out Shanks actually can use the Kenbunshoku Haki, which lets him slow the flow of time. Because y’know, why the hell not?
Wiz: Shanks is actually a very reserved fighter, often trying to avoid confrontation whenever possible. Because of this, much of Shanks’ potential isn’t known outside of the Pirate Warriors series. There, Shanks is more than capable of taking down entire ARMIES.
Boom: He even dodged a giant water bucket thing after Whitebeard got salty! He’s so fast, he appears as a blur! And he wasn’t even standing!
Wiz: To appear as a blur, Shanks likely moved at supersonic speeds, and this is because he wasn’t even standing either. However, Shanks isn’t perfect. He doesn’t practice battling very often thanks to his laid-back, carefree attitude. And he is known for being close to the bottle, rather than the sword.
Boom: Hey, if Shanks is that good with a sword, who even cares if he has a drink now and then? I know I don’t!
Shanks: Listen up… You can pour drinks on me, you can throw food at me… You can even spit on me. I’ll just laugh that stuff off. But… Good reason or not… Nobody hurts a friend of mine.
Interlude[]
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. Let’s end this debate once and for all.
Boom: It’s time for a one-armed DEATH BATTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pre-Fight[]
Colony 9 was a quiet place. On Bionis, there weren’t usually many new people to meet. On this particular day, a group of pirates found their way to Colony 9 after a ferocious, unexpected thunderstorm. As the pirates pulled into Colony 9, the residents noticed how strange and old the ship looked. In fact, they had never even seen a ship like that before. Dunban wasn’t a drinker. But, after everything had been settled, he needed one. After all, he had helped defeat a God. Right now, though, he was thinking about the men he had once shared drinks with in the very same place. Dickson… Mumkhar… these people had betrayed his trust. He had gone through a roller coaster of emotions recently, and while he was happy for Shulk, Reyn, Riki, Sharla… he still needed some alone time. And he had it, until a group of pirates settled in.
“Hey buddy, mind moving over?,” one of the pirates pushed. Dunban turned slightly, but said nothing. “Yasopp, leave him be. There’s plenty of room over here.”, a red-haired man calmly commanded. Dunban studied the group from afar, and noticed how strange they looked compared to other Homs. He wasn’t usually one to judge, but the word they threw around… Pirate. That word didn’t sit well with him. Suddenly, something caught Dunban’s eye: a Wanted: Dead or Alive post sticking out of one of the pirate’s pocket. The bounty? $94,000,000.
(Cue Confrontation With the Enemy)
At that point, Dunban wasn’t even concerned with the reward. Someone with a $94,000,000 bounty had to be taken down as soon as possible. “You there! Pirate! Your carelessness betrays you. A $94 million bounty, and you act as though you can share this place with other innocent Homs??”, Dunban roared. From the side, a red-haired pirate responded, “Hey buddy, that’s my crew mate Rockstar you’re yelling at. If you wanna get to him, you’ll have to get through me first.” “So be it,” Dunban murmured. He drew his blade, and prepared himself for battle. Similarly, Shanks gripped his saber and revealed it’s glory. By now, all the pirates and Homs had fled, for even a young Nopon could tell the two would level the very building in their clash.
FIGHT[]
Dunban and Shanks threw their blades at each other, creating an echoing, metallic CLANG. The two swordsmen continued to weave and slash against the other, neither landing a hit on the other.
“GALE SLASH!”
Dunban stabbed like a blur, speeding past Shanks. At first, Shanks hadn’t realized that Dunban had sliced his side open, but he soon felt the blood seeping out. Such a strike would cause intense bleeding, but he would live… at least long enough to take out Dunban. Like clockwork, Dunban turned quickly and used his Electric Gutbuster attack on the stunned Shanks; like a brick hurdling through one’s stomach, then electrifying said stomach. That was the pain Shanks endured. That wasn’t the end of it, though. To finish his combo, he used Steel Strike, hurling the red-haired pirate through a table and knocking him flat on his rear-end. Dunban raised his blade to end the pirate, but luckily for the pirate, he had his Haoshoku ability to hold off Dunban just long enough to recover from the floor and regain his stance.
(Cue Pirate Warriors 2 Even if I’m Reckless)
“STRIKE FOR THE NEW WORLD!”
Shanks raised his blade, then struck it into the floor, launching an uncontrollable burst of lightning everywhere. Dunban managed to dodge a couple, but was caught by a stray bolt. Taking advantage of Dunban’s pain, Shanks got a solid swipe on Dunban in, tearing off some of his General’s outfit and drawing blood.
“Guhh…” Dunban grunted. He had gotten sloppy… But he could easily fix that. He evaded Shanks following attacks… a horizontal swipe, and diagonal cut, and a forward jab. He steadied himself, then muttered, “Stay calm… stay focused…” Shanks took this as an opportunity to use To the Heights of Piracy, but to his shock, Dunban completely dodged the attack this time, and retaliated with a Worldly Slash. First, one powerful falling strike, then a horizontal slam. It’s times like this Shanks wished he had actual armor to wear.
Shanks decided it was time to end the battle, and embued his saber with the Busoshoku. He ferociously swung his blade with enough force to split the sky… again. Dunban met the blade with his own, but was thrown off balance by the strike. And he wasn’t the only one, either. Shanks’ strike had split the whole building in half. Before Dunban could recover, Shanks used the Kenbunshoku, and lept towards Dunban with his blade prepared to remove limbs.
Dunban wasn’t entirely defenseless, though. He was still seeing everything, and knew that even though Shanks was faster, he could still try to keep up. He ran with all his might, which was equivalent to a drunkard hurling themselves at someone in speed. Shanks was caught off-guard by this, since most people would be moving as though they were in molasses after the Kenbunshoku. Shanks shook it off, and maneuvered around Dunban. He was fast, but Shanks was definitely faster now. He grabbed Dunban from behind, gripped his right arm, then placed his saber in his mouth and jabbed straight down into Dunbans’ arm, sawing it off like a wedge splitting a piece of wood in half. Time returned to normal, and Dunban nearly roared in pain. He couldn’t use that arm, but he still felt it. The blood rushed out of the socket like an overflown dam unleashing it’s storage of water. Though it was brief, in that moment Shanks almost considered himself blood-o-phobic.
Dunban was still willing to fight, though. He had accepted the loss of his arm long ago, and wasn’t about to let a useless limb bring him down. He punched Shanks with his sword-grasping fist, then lept into the air and used Tempest Kick, whirling Shanks around the building rubble like a doll caught in a wind storm. Each piece of broken wood, or bit of concrete that struck Shanks reminded him that he probably should’ve just let Rockstar get turned in. That would have been the least painful method, at least. Maybe he would still be having a drink if that had happened.
But it hadn’t, so Shanks had to deal with his choice. His blade met Dunban once more, and the two looked one another in the eyes; for a moment, there was a certain amount of respect being given from one swordsman to another. They both realized the man they were facing was more than a worthy opponent for them, so they decided to give it every single bit of energy they had left. Shanks ran up the wall, then flipped back, dropping his blade into a lightning strike. Dunban was too tired to dodge, so he prepared for the long run by activating Jaws of Death. He took the full blow of Shanks’ strike; the blade pierced him straight through the gut, and sent electricity throughout his body. He would have died, too, if it wasn’t for his revival Art. Like a zombie rising from the dead, Dunban stood once more, and this time in better condition than when he had been struck down. Shanks sighed, and focused himself. Dunban, too, readied himself, for they both knew their next move.
The bystanders all agreed afterward; what happened next was but a blur to them. In multiple areas, all that could be seen were two human-like forms clashing blades from one spot to another, moving so fast it may as well have been instantaneous. Eventually, someone had to give in; that someone was Shanks. Dunban had caught him in a swipe. Shanks tried one more final Strike for the New World, but Dunban avoided it even better than before. Dunban approached Shanks, and readied his blade.
“BORN IN A WORLD OF STRIFE!”
Shanks blocked the blow, imbued by Busoshoku. With such an impact, however, he still felt his insides gush and more blood from his wounds spilt out.
“AGAINST THE ODDS!”
Shanks barely deflected the blade, but had been caught by it a bit. The blade had caught a finger and claimed it.
“WE CHOOSE TO FIGHT!”
The pirate blocked one blow, then countered the second with his own final sky-splitting strike. This time, indeed, the sky was sliced.
“BLOSSOM DANCE!!!”
The red-haired pirate blocked one last time; and under the will of Dunban, the saber snapped. At that moment, time seemed to slow, as Shanks watched the blade shatter in half, and the Machina Blade swung down upon the great pirate.
Like a hot knife through butter, Dunban’s blade sliced through Shanks, splitting him into two halves; the top and bottom. For a moment, the two halves seemed to float in mid air as the strike sent them flying in opposite directions. He placed his sword back in its sheath, and hung his head in silence. Shanks was an honorable foe, but had defended a killer. For that, the deed had to be done. The outlaw had fled, and yet, he was at least glad that Shanks hadn’t died for nothing. Dunban limped away from the rubble to return to his home and rest; surely Shulk and Fiora would want to know what had happened that day. And well, the authorities too.
Conclusion[]
Boom: Ahhh, there goes all the loot and gold I bet on Shanks.
Wiz: Shanks did have more experience than Dunban, having been trained as a pirate since he was a child. And his Haki kept Dunban at bay and helped Shanks match Dunban. But that’s about all it did.
Boom: Yeah, Shanks is capable of taking out armies single-handidly, but he hardly ever trains himself for battles like this. In fact, most of the armies he can take are completely insignificant forces made up entirely of grunts, instead of actual army formations with strategy and different units. He basically just hacks and slashes a bunch of people that are just standing there anyway.
Wiz: And while he could hold Dunban at bay with his Busoshoku, he would have to withstand the force of a blade that can outclass anti-air artillery multiple times. True, that doesn’t equal an island-level strike, but the island level strike is assumption anyway, since the Logia he blocked wasn’t the same one that destroyed an island.
Boom: In fact, the island was destroyed by TWO Logia, not one. Add with the fact that Shanks’ Busoshoku can’t increase his own durability, only block attacks, and there’s no reason why Dunban’s strikes wouldn’t eventually shatter Shanks’ sword and kill Shanks himself too, especially since he would have to block Dunban’s strikes perfectly EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Wiz: Dunban also has more versatility than Shanks. His Arts helped Dunban perfectly by lowering Shanks’ strength, increasing his own agility, and reviving him and even healing him when necessary.
Wiz: Basically, all of Shanks’ chances at winning were countered by Dunban. His hits would either miss Dunban completely, or Dunban could heal himself before incapacitation. Even Shanks’ time slow wasn’t a game changer since Dunban is faster than sound. Overall… Shanks’ downfall was his lack of combat showings and abilities. Because he hardly ever fights, his feats and abilities are used very little. And as a secondary result, it also means we don’t know the limits of his abilities either, just like the Busoshoku.
Boom: In the end, Shanks just wasn’t sharp enough. He should’ve stayed on-point, but not everyone is cut out for these kinds of duels.
Wiz: ……The winner is Dunban.
Next time[]
Intro[]
Boomstick: We've all had 'em. Teachers, stopping you from leaving at the bell, and testing things they said they wouldn't.
Wiz: But these two masters of the blade are some of the best inspirations one could hope for.
Boomstick: Especially if you need counseling for missing a limb. I know I did...
Wiz: Er, right. Dunban, the Hero of the Homs.
Boomstick: And Shanks, the Captain of the Red Hair Pirates. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
Dunban[]
Wiz: Long, long ago, two gods fought each other endlessly. Standing alone in a lifeless void, their duel would eventually cease when the being known as Bionis severed the hand of the Mechonis.
Boomstick: Turns out they were pretty worn out by fighting for ALL ETERNITY, so they kinda just called it there and went into hibernation. Sorta every night with my ex-wife.
Wiz: The Bionis and Mechonis’ vacant corpses would eventually spawn life, including sentient organisms known as Homs and Mechon.
Boomstick: The Homs and Mechon got along about as well as the giant gods that made them, which is to say they spent plenty of quality time blowing each other to bloody, uh, oil-y pieces.
Wiz: One such soldier serving in the endless Homs-Mechon war was none other than Dunban.
Boomstick: Dunban is a bonafide-badass, and not just because of that wicked mane. He was the first Homs to ever use the Monado in battle. Why is that important, you may be asking? Because the thing LITERALLY kills you if you aren’t a very specific person.
Wiz: With the power of the Monado, Dunban was able to successfully defeat the waging Mechon army, earning him the title “Hero of the Homs”. Though with it came a price: his right arm.
Boomstick: Yeah, the fact that he could even use the thing at all is impressive, but this total chad just went and learned how to fight with his left hand instead!
Wiz: Technically, Dunban’s right arm isn’t severed or anything, and he can slightly move it when relaxed, but it’s all but useless in combat.
Boomstick: Which is perfectly fine, seeing what he can do with his left. While everyone else needs two hands and giant shields or swords or magic or guns or whatever, all Dunban needs is ONE arm and a katana to fight these GIGANTIC monsters. Look at the size of that thing! Holy shit!
Wiz: It’s true. Whether a colossal mech or a straight up dinosaur, Dunban is easily capable of fighting and defeating all manner of opponents.
Boomstick: Some of these fights can even last entire DAYS, and Dunban just keeps going! Makes sense, since he’s the best soldier the Homs have ever had.
Wiz: Which is exactly how he came to influence the young and emotional Shulk. Through his relationship with his sister, Fiora, Dunban served as a sort of older brother role model to the heir to the Monado, even despite Dunban’s close friend, Dickson, being the closest thing to Shulk’s father figure.
Boomstick: Aw man, I wish I had as half as cool a family as Shulk.
Wiz: The Monado functions by manipulating ether, basically life matter, and magnifying that on a planetary scale. However, even skilled Homs like Dunban are capable of utilizing ether for special attacks, albeit clearly not on the same level as the Monado.
Boomstick: Like Tempest Kick and Thunder, which give the one-armed army some ranged options, but he’s definitely a close-range fighter.
Wiz: With Gale Slash, Dunban can open up multiple different combos, like Electric Gutbuster, followed by Steel Strike.
Boomstick: He can set up all these special moves to strategically break down his opponents’ defenses, leaving them staggered or even completely helpless while he unleashes his ultimate move: Blossom Dance!
Wiz: Even still, Dunban has a few useful abilities like Jaws of Death, which revives Dunban from death and Serene Heart, which boosts his evasion and accuracy.
Boomstick: Speaking of which, as if he weren’t manly enough, Dunban actually fights BETTER when he’s shirtless! No joke, the stats don’t lie!
Wiz: Well, they make him faster, which plays into his fighting style. See, Dunban is all about drawing enemy aggression head-on and maintaining that attention through his incredible evasion. It just so happens that, er, removing his clothes understandably reduces the weight he carries.
Boomstick: Maybe I should try fighting shirtless too!
(Boomstick rips his shirt off)
Boomstick: Put ‘em up, Wiz! You’re not landing a single shot on me now!
Wiz: You can’t possibly be serious.
Boomstick: Of course I’m serious! That shirt cos-
(Wiz sucker punches Boomstick in the face, knocking him to the floor)
Boomstick: OWW!!!!
Wiz: Now is a great time to explain that just getting shirtless wouldn’t be viable for Dunban if he wasn’t already incredibly fast. Which you’d have known if you had just waited five seconds.
Boomstick: (Whining)
Wiz: (sighs) Anyway, Dunban’s speed and abilities would be nothing without his sword, his preferred weapon for any engagement.
Boomstick: Dunban can use a TON of swords, like any JRPG character, but he seems to prefer using the Anti-Mechon Glaive, which are specifically designed to rip Mechon apart.
Wiz: Which makes sense, given Dunban's occupation as a soldier in the war against Mechonis. Following the Anti-Mechon line of weaponry, it seems pretty likely Dunban would wield the Machina Sword III, the most powerful of its’ kind.
Boomstick: This time with LIGHTSABER powers!
Wiz: With all his weapons, skills, and armor… or lack thereof, Dunban has achieved some truly incredible feats.
Boomstick: He was able to fight Metal Face constantly, even when he upgraded his Wolverine claws to use a special poison that was fatal against Homs.
Wiz: Actually, Dunban didn’t just fight Metal Face, he dominated the Homs-turned Mechon in both hand-to-hand combat and, in their final battle, Dunban severed Metal Face’s arm in a speed-blitz faster than anyone could react to.
Boomstick: And Metal Face was tough enough to tank anti-air artillery fire, and the Monado! You know, the Monado that’s specifically designed to kill Mechon?
Wiz: Metal Face also regularly flies and fights while moving at supersonic speeds, so in order for Dunban to speedblitz him, he must be moving faster than Mach 5.
Boomstick: Damn! No wonder he can dance around all of Metal Face’s attacks. Hell, he can dodge just about anything thrown at him!
Wiz: That’s not all though. Dunban was able to match both Shulk and Disciple Dickson’s full-strength. Consider the context: Shulk had to have been using his full strength to prevent Dunban from killing Mumkhar, and against Dickson, the Disciple was determined to kill them all so as to allow Zanza to rewrite the world.
Boomstick: So neither of them should’ve been holding back against Dunban, and these guys are INSANE!
Wiz: Remember the Bionis and Mechonis? The Bionis was actually using the Monado, and by scaling the size of the giants and applying some measurements assuming the composition of the organic Bionis, the Monado was capable of swinging with the force of 1.014 Yottatons of TNT.
Boomstick: That’s strong enough to bust a friggin’ planet! But wait, Shulk wasn’t hitting that hard, was he?
Wiz: Correct! But we’re not quite done yet. See, the Bionis is actually controlled by Zanza, who wields a Monado of his own. Fiora, with Meyneth’s protection, could trade blows with Zanza, who is directly responsible for everything the Bionis did up to that point.
Boomstick: Later on, Dickson in his Disciple form was able to nearly defeat Fiora until she and Shulk received another amp from their Monados. But the fact that Dunban could hold off any Monado at all, or trade blows with someone like Dickson, who is easily Zanza’s top subordinate, says a lot about what he’s capable of. And that’s all with ONE ARM!
Wiz: Dunban also survived a fall from the Mechonis’ sword, a fall that would come out at around 14,498 feet, or nearly 3 miles.
Boomstick: Please, that’s nothing. Dunban fought goddamn ZANZA! The dude who could throw around black holes and oh you know, LITERALLY RECREATED THE WORLD IN THEIR FIGHT!
Wiz: Well, sort of. Dunban was certainly present and helped as best he could, but Shulk (and to a lesser extent, Fiora) were clearly the primary force fighting and responsible for defeating Zanza. Still, the fact that Dunban can dodge Zanza’s Black Holes at all is frankly absurd.
Boomstick: Without moving faster than light, there’s no way he’d even be able to react to those things, which he has to do since no one can survive them otherwise.
Wiz: We can assume the Black Holes Zanza creates are indeed legitimate, considering Zanza was able to not just recreate the world, but the entire universe.
Boomstick: I guess that’s just what happens when you’re in a JRPG. Y’know, the usual… level up, get some hard-earned equipment, fight reality-collapsing gods. Standard stuff, really.
Wiz: That being said, Dunban clearly has some limits. He may be able to survive the likes of Zanza, but he moreso served as moral support for Shulk and Fiora in helping them form their True Monado, and Dunban might have been able to match blades with Shulk and Dickson, but he still ultimately wasn’t the one to defeat either of them.
Boomstick: Yeah, and while Dunban’s fighting style is usually foolproof, especially with how insanely fast he is, he isn’t exactly a physical tank like Reyn.
Wiz: And while he has perfectly adapted to fighting with just one arm, it does make his remaining arm that much more vulnerable. Should he sustain anymore grave injuries to it, he’d be unable to fight at all.
Boomstick: Like that’ll happen! Dunban’s fought in war, killed giant monsters, mechs, and survived a fight against a god.
Wiz: And after all was said and done, Dunban could finally live in a world with no gods, in perfect harmony with the Machina he’d fought alongside Shulk to free from Zanza’s terror. A fitting conclusion for the Hero of the Homs.
Shanks[]
Wiz: Pirates, for as long as history as recorded, have always held a unique code amongst their own. Loyalty, respect, perhaps a bit of degeneracy, but also above all else: camaraderie.
Boomstick: Meet Shanks, the badass red-haired Emperor of the One Piece world. A guy so insanely powerful, he literally just needs to stand there to stop a war.
Wiz: But before he was one of the most powerful beings in the world, Shanks was nothing more than a boy. At nine years old, Shanks served as an apprentice on Gol D. Roger’s crew alongside Buggy.
Boomstick: Shanks’s life was pretty good! He’d spent his days hanging out with Buggy and fightin’ other pirate crews.
Wiz: That is, until Roger’s own death, dissolving the crew and leaving the now experienced and adolescent Shanks to wander and hone his skills.
Boomstick: Shanks tried putting together a crew, but it didn’t go so well at first. He got shot down by his buddy Buggy, who had his own ideas of what a Pirate should be, and even got a nasty scar from Blackbeard.
Wiz: Though the years are dubious between this and the present, what we do know is that Shanks quickly became incredibly skilled. By the time he arrived on Dawn Island and met a certain young lad, Shanks already had a sizable crew and a huge, commanding reputation.
Boomstick: Shanks was like the cool uncle at your family reunion, and he inspired Luffy to become a pirate too! Except he was WAY too young and Shanks actually has some morals despite, y’know, being a pirate.
Wiz: Despite that, Shanks grew fond of Luffy, and so it was without hesitation that the Straw Hat pirate would risk his life for the boy. After consuming the Gomu Gomu no Mi, Luffy found himself kidnapped and hurled into the ocean.
Boomstick: Which wouldn’t be a problem, except eating those things makes you unable to swim. Ha! I don’t even need to eat some weird looking fruit to do that! Take that, Luffy!
Wiz: Shanks rescued Luffy, warding off a sea beast but sacrificing his left arm in the process.
Boomstick: You’d think he’d be in pain, but Shanks didn’t even flinch! What a boss.
Wiz: Shanks would go on to become a Yonko, one of the Kings of the Sea, an Emperor in status and renown. Among the Yonko rank the likes of Whitebeard, Blackbeard, and even Luffy himself.
Boomstick: But get this. Out of all the Yonko, Shanks is the only one that didn’t get super powers from a Devil Fruit. All natural, baby!
Wiz: It’s true. Shanks stands toe-to-toe with the most powerful in the One Piece universe, although he certainly has some tricks up his sleeves to do so.
Boomstick: Shanks is a master swordsman, marksman, and even has some stealth experience, but his ace – no, not that one – is his mind-powers!
Wiz: Haki is essentially the manipulation of ones’ own spirit, which can manifest in various different abilities. Remarkably, Shanks is one of the handful of people alive who can utilize all three forms of Haki.
Boomstick: There’s Ken-bun… kenbunshock…
Wiz: Kenbunshoku, Busoshoku and Haoshoku.
Boomstick: Kenbunshoku is basically a Spider-Sense, making anyone who has it super tough to hit.
Wiz: Specifically, it grants the user limited precognitive abilities, and some users, like Luffy, have even been able to see into the future.
Boomstick: Then there’s Busoshoku, which uses all the user’s spirit energy to make into a shield, or to amp their own attacks.
Wiz: Users of Busoshoku can apply the energy anywhere on their body, and even extend it to a weapon, like Shanks did against Akainu.
Boomstick: And then there’s my favorite, the Haoshoku Haki, which is basically the power to tell anyone to screw off, and they have to do it!
Wiz: Er, not exactly. Haoshoku actually works by overpowering the will of others. Luffy, who is still not on Shanks's level, was once able to knock out 50,000 people with this Haki, and according to One Piece author Oda, the Red-Haired pirate could have easily doubled that.
Boomstick: Damn! Imagine having that kinda power when you’re waiting in line to use the ‘ol flush and slush. You’d never have to wait in line again!
Wiz: Luckily for the seven seas, Shanks has a bit more self-control than you.
Boomstick: Oh come on, you’d totally abuse that power too if you had it.
Wiz: Perhaps, but only so I could stop you from interfering with my projects. Speaking of which, you still haven’t returned the Mecha Goose.
Boomstick: (Robotic goose honking behind his back)
Boomstick: …I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Wiz: Ugh. Anyway, Shanks typically carries his personal weapon Gryphon, though it doesn’t seem to be particularly special besides the Haki he applies to it.
Boomstick: He’s been through a hell of a lot, with over two decades of battle experience. I mean, it makes sense. Dude was training to be a pirate before he even turned 10, and he’s almost 40 years old now and hasn’t skipped a beat.
Wiz: Although there is a bit of a unique hurdle when it comes to Shanks. See, most of the top tier pirates like Whitebeard and Luffy have pretty clear, definable feats of strength, speed, and so on. However, Shanks… doesn’t quite.
Boomstick: Yeah, it’s real cool to be able to just walk in and end a war, but it doesn’t say much about your combat power.
Wiz: Luckily, because we’ve seen just enough of Shanks’s abilities, we can reasonably scale Shanks to those whom he is equal to, like Whitebeard. In fact, in their brief fight, Shanks and Whitebeard even split the sky, a phenomenon that would require 1.21 Megatons of TNT.
Boomstick: Whitebeard is no joke. He was able to create a tsunami that toppled an entire freakin’ island!
Wiz: Considering the speed and scope of the area, this would require at least 8.5 teratons of TNT, much greater than the cloud splitting, but it would make sense given that neither Whitebeard nor Shanks were going all out at the time.
Boomstick: Yeah, there’s no doubt Shanks could hang with Whitebeard at his best.
Wiz: That’s not all. Shanks is easily above the likes of Zoro, who could slice Pica in half for an output of 11.5 megatons of TNT.
Boomstick: And with his Haki, he could nullify Akainu’s magma attack, and Akainu could actually stop the earthquakes made by Whitebeard!
Wiz: Against Whitebeard, we even see Shanks move faster than eyesight, although considering much lesser people have dodged lightning in the One Piece universe, Shanks should also be capable of such feats. But that’s not even the fastest Shanks could possibly clock in at.
Boomstick: Yeah, because of Admiral Kizaru, who could move at lightspeed! Like, pretty explicitly, too. Kizaru is an admiral, who are almost on the same level as the Yonko.
Wiz: So, it may be reasonable to assume the Yonko – including Shanks – could keep up with such an opponent.
Boomstick: When all is said and done, Shanks is insanely impressive despite not actually doing a whole lot on-screen.
Wiz: Indeed. Honestly, it’s pretty hard to even point out a flaw considering how little Shanks has actually shown, but we do know he’s not perfect.
Boomstick: Yeah, after all, he isn’t the world’s greatest swordsman, as great as he is. Even if he could rival Mihawk, the actual top dog swordsman, Shanks can’t even get back to that level. Mihawk even called him a “has-been”. Ouch.
Wiz: And Shanks clearly did not defeat Blackbeard in their past encounter, either, if his scars are anything to go by. Still, just because he’s below two of the world’s best doesn’t make him any weaker.
Boomstick: Shanks is one of the very best, and you should be glad he rarely ever has to show why.
Interlude[]
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set, and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!!! Remastered!
Fight[]
Dunban is walking down a road when he hears some commotion. He turns to his right and sees a gang of huge, colorful pirates scaring off some people.
He turns his head down and sighs, and starts to keep walking until he notices something drop by his foot. It’s a wanted poster, which the fleeing party had on-hand. The ragged paper crumples as he picks it up with his left hand. Dunban notices the man on the poster matching the group of pirates. It’s unmistakably the unsightly shade-wearing pirate, mass great enough to fit fifty Nopon inside.
Dunban: You there! What business does an outlaw have in Colony 9?
The crowd slowly quiets down, still huddled together. A red-haired man, towering above Dunban, walks out, his crew standing behind him obediently.
Shanks: We’re not here to cause you any harm. Just passing through, is all. The name’s Shanks, red-hair, you might’ve heard. I’m keeping them in check, so you don’t need to worry-
Dunban tosses the paper aside, and moves his left hand toward his sheathe.
Dunban: I’m afraid he’s coming with me. Wanted criminals can’t just wander freely among civilians!
Dunban dashes forward, unsheathing his blade and swinging horizontally. The blade is stopped inches away from the accused pirate’s face by another sword.
Shanks: Don’t go thinking you can mess with my friends, buddy.
Shanks deflects Dunban’s sword away. The band of pirates collectively grip their weapons, leaning in for an attack. However, Shanks nods to his crew, and they reluctantly disperse. Dunban gets annoyed, but focuses on his new opponent.
The swordsmen push and pull their blades, the distinct scream of steel ringing out in the street winding in toward Colony 9.
Shanks and Dunban charge toward each other, their blades meeting once more in a flurry of rapid strikes. The pirate and Homs maneuver each strike carefully. Dunban swipes vertically, then horizontally and finally diagonally, though Shanks manages to avoid each swing. Shanks retaliates with a commanding strike, channeling red lightning. Dunban narrowly parries the blow, but the lightning strike ruptures the ground.
Shanks continues to push his advantage, jabbing forward in succession, forcing Dunban to bend his arm inward to block each strike with the side of his thin blade.
Shanks: It’s not too late to back down!
Dunban responds with a backflip, resetting the space between the swordsmen. The two stand still for a split second, before shifting from a standing position straight into a barrage of invisible strikes, the impact of their swords leaving aftershocks in the air as they blitz each other with sheer speed.
Dunban lands on a knee, propping himself up with the opposing leg. He sustains multiple cuts and bleeding wounds, but the camera pans out to show Shanks also has some battle scars. Shanks turns around and charges another red lightning strike. Shanks’ eyes suddenly widen, but he has already leapt into the air. Without turning around, Dunban fires off a lightning bolt from his back. Catching Shanks in a vulnerable position mid-air swing, and he’s sent flying back.
Dunban: Amateurish.
The red-haired captain lifts himself up, as Dunban turns around.
Dunban turns around and swings his blade once more, but Shanks blocks it. Suddenly, the Anti-Mechon Glaive shatters into pieces, shocking Dunban. Shanks smirks, and shoulder-bashes Dunban, who crashes into a fence and topples down a hill. Shanks leaps after him, sliding down the slope with his sword arched forward. Dunban rolls to his feet, preparing himself for his opponent.
Dunban: Tempest Kick!
Dunban tosses himself up, his boot landing above Shanks’s blade and lodging itself in the pirate’s face. Shanks topples, his lower body first, followed by his head. Dunban takes the opportunity to pull out a second blade, the Machina Sword III. Removed from its hilt, the handle suddenly erupts with light flowing forth as an energy blade emerges.
Shanks: That’s quite the kick you pack! But let’s see how you can handle this!
Shanks tosses his blade into the air, whipping out a rifle. Dunban instinctively arches forward, and manages to deflect and slice the bullets in half as they approach in slow motion. However, Shanks’s sword has returned, and, grabbing it in exchange for his firearm, spins with the momentum of the descending blade and smashes down in a burst of electricity.
Dunban: Not bad. Not bad at all. But not good enough either!
Dunban suddenly appears behind Shanks, glowing with a refreshing, brisk energy. Shanks grits his teeth, and turns around to meet the Machina Sword III in mid-swing. Yet, as Shanks swings, Dunban appears to evade faster than the Gryphon can cut forward.
Dunban: Steel Strike!
The Homs lands a solid crack in Shanks’s jaw, blasting him into a nearby building. As Shanks smashes into the wall and rebounds forward, Dunban appears in a flash and delivers a standing gut-busting kick, pushing Shanks through the wall and crashing into a table. Shanks looks around and takes in the tavern, noticing the shocked civilians, and devises a plan. Dunban presses the assault, his blade now inches away from Shanks’s throat, blocked only by Gryphon’s barrier of steel raised by Shanks’s remaining arm.
Shanks: You’re… pretty skilled! How about you join up with me and my crew, eh?
Dunban presses his blade down further, the heat of the energy blade forcing sweat onto the pirate’s forehead.
Dunban: For an honorless pirate, you seem to know a thing or two. But this fight is over!
Suddenly, a rush of energy blasts forth from Shanks, hurtling through the Colony like the wind blast of a bomb. Almost instantly, everyone in the Colony collapses, catching Dunban’s attention. For just a second, his pressure releases, and Shanks immediately parries the Machina Sword II.
Shanks: Honor isn’t worth my life!
Shanks stops, and anticipates his opponents’ next move. Surprised that he is even still standing, Shanks readies his blade with electricity once more. Dunban raises his blade, swiping horizontally and vertically, but the Captain’s lightning-powered blade strikes the ground once more, levelling the roof of the building and causing a structural collapse.
Dunban and Shanks both maneuver their way safely out of the falling debris, only for Shanks to anticipate Dunban’s landing atop the rubble and deals a blow to the Soldier’s head with a giant bowl, seemingly concocted out of thin air.
Dunban is toppled, and falls out onto the street. All around him lie unconscious people. Shanks appears, and Dunban regains his footing. The two stare intently from their positions, one atop rubble and one among the fallen. The Hero of the Homs swipes his blade from below, an underhanded swing rising upward. Shanks counters with a downward swing, and the two quickly escalate into another flurry of nearly-invisible rapid-strikes, made only visible by the clanging and impact of their blades colliding over and over again. The two cease, followed by a splash of blood rocketing out of cuts on both swordsmen.
Shanks: Impressive! You’ve really got some spine.
Shanks slings his blade’s grip around his knuckles, using his only arm to clutch his opposing shoulder. The pirate pants through gritted teeth.
Dunban: You’re no pushover either. We seem to move at the same pace.
Dunban slings his blade over his shoulder, his defunct right arm dropping blood rapidly.
Without any indication, Dunban and Shanks dash forward, cutting horizontally. Both upchuck a gush of blood, followed by their capes disintegrating into finely diced pieces. Shanks rings his arm out, pushing the shoulder-overlapping remains of his cape to the ground. Dunban similarly shoves the cover off his paralyzed arm.
Shanks slams his blade into the ground, his crimson lightning throwing chunks of rock into the air. As quickly as the rubble is flung in the air, the Pirate jabs each stone forward, launching a spotted wall of projectiles. In response, Dunban rips off his shirt, evading each rock in the blink of an eye. Shanks, too, maneuvers through his own attack, and the swordsmen have ended up in opposite positions.
Dunban: Final… Flicker!
A blue aura overtakes Dunban, as he groans in pain. Shanks bolts forward, but Dunban is prepared. As their blades prepare for their final meeting, the men let loose. Between each strike, Dunban roars:
Dunban: BORN IN A WORLD OF STRIFE! AGAINST THE ODDS! WE CHOOSE TO FIGHT!
Shanks: SHUT UP AND SHOW ME WHAT YOU’VE GOT!
The Machina Sword and Gryphon utter out four more cries before the swordsmen pause in exhaustion. Shanks’s eyes enlarge, his instincts blaring. A vision…!
(BLOSSOM… DANCE!!!!!)
(Dunban slashes skyward, ripping Shanks’s flesh off his chest and tearing out a slew of organs.)
A span of half-seconds pass. The battle cry rings out:
Dunban: BLOSSOM… DANCE!!!!
The skyward sword never lands. Shanks’s Grypon is lodged into Dunban’s chest before the Homs can even react to the blade exiting his back. Dunban coughs up blood while the camera shows Shanks from behind.
Shanks slices his blade forward, a streak of blood following the slash. He then strikes back, a bolt of red lightning destroying the ground beneath Dunban and launching him into the air, where Shanks jumps up. He backflips, his blade spinning outward and slicing Dunban open twice, before Shanks regains an upright position and repositions his blade to face down. Defenseless, Dunban is impaled by Gryphon and is carried down. Upon landing, the swordsmen leave a crater, and the earth shakes briefly.
When the dust and debris clears, Dunban’s corpse is seen in a bloody pool. Suddenly, Shanks’s gaze shifts to another vision. The corpse springing forth back to life, impaling Shanks narrowly from behind.
Dunban: HRRAHH!!!
Saved from the jaws of death, Dunban launches his desperate last resort, blitzing forward and slicing down. However, Shanks veers to the right, causing the Machina Sword to whiff the space where once Shanks’s left arm resided. Shanks counters with a sideways swipe, catching Dunban’s sword. Gryphon begins to glow once more, outshining even the illumination of the Machina Sword.
With one final push, Gryphon phases through the energy blade, slicing at the Homs before it is raised back up, a vertical cut. Dunban’s head is split open from below, rupturing his skull in two. Above the fatally skewered soldier, the clouds mirror the fissure created by Shanks's precise strike.
Shanks sheathes his sword and turns away. Dunban’s mangled head topples, lifeless, before his body follows suit.
Shanks: You could have trained for ten more years and still lost to me.
The pirate walks away, tearing down a wanted poster of one of his crew members.
Results[]
Boomstick: Damn! That was AWESOME! Quick, find another cripple we can make fight!
Wiz: This was a surprisingly close and unsurprisingly complicated fight to conclude. The two were pretty evenly matched in many areas.
Boomstick: Like how Dunban could dodge black holes, but Shanks could scale to Kizaru, who is light speed as well.
Popup: Dunban dodging black holes in and of itself is dubious, given its occurrence during gameplay. While it is well within Zanza’s ability to create legitimate event horizons, the attacks he uses hardly behave like them, making this feat far less concrete than Shanks’s scaling to others on his level.
Wiz: But unfortunately for the Hero of the Homs, Shanks held some key advantages that handed him the win. For starters, while Dunban was present against Zanza, and demonstrated the willpower to resist being written out of reality, he did not contribute the actual physical blows needed to defeat Zanza.
Boomstick: It’s pretty clear Shulk was the one doing all the work, and yeah, Dunban was crucial so Shulk could even make the True Monado in the first place, but other than that, Dunban doesn’t actually do much else that can be confirmed without a doubt.
Wiz: On the other hand, we know Shanks and Whitebeard were able to stalemate each other, so Shanks must be able to contend with Whitebeard’s island-shaking feat. Even splitting the clouds apart is well above Dunban severing Metal Face’s arm, who only previously tanked anti-aircraft artillery.
Popup: Dunban did stalemate Shulk and Dickson in a trade of sword swings, but Shulk and Dickson’s actual strength are uncertain at best. Shulk with the Monado II fought Egil, who controlled the Mechonis, but this control was less direct control and moreso akin to piloting, which makes it very unlikely Shulk defeated someone as powerful as the actual Mechonis. Shulk also damaged Face Nemesis, but she was actively trying to avoid a fight and wasn't at her full power. Even when Meyneth eventually did fight Zanza, she was clearly overpowered and died taking one of his attacks, so it's suspect whether or not Shulk actually scales to them.
Boomstick: Shanks’s Haki was also way better than Dunban’s Arts and Skills. Small boosts to stats are cool and all, but they couldn't top seeing the FUTURE. Heck, Dunban was no stranger to future sight, given how often he fought alongside Shulk, but he never had to actually work around it.
Wiz: The Kenbunshoku gives Shanks an invaluable edge, considering he’s also shown far more experience and proficiency with the blade.
Boomstick: We know that Shanks has been fighting since he was 9, and he’s almost 10 years older than Dunban, and hasn’t done anything but keep on fighting and leading his crew.
Wiz: On the other hand, we don’t really know anything about Dunban’s training or experience outside of his military service against the Mechon. Which is surely impressive, but Shanks’s added years, added with Dunban’s year-long gap of injury and subsequent retirement after Zanza’s defeat gave Shanks the combat skill advantage, made even wider by the Kenbunshoku.
Popup: Dunban’s Arts are far more limited in use than Shanks’s Haki, which can even be used passively. While Dunban would be able to resist the Haoshoku, he wouldn’t be able to counter future sight. When Dunban used the Monado, he did not gain the ability to see the future like Shulk, and he never had to fight against Shulk utilizing future sight either.
Boomstick: And Dunban falling nearly 3 miles off the Mechonis doesn’t even come close to Shanks stopping Admiral Akainu dead in his tracks, who was also on the same level as Whitebeard.
Wiz: One could argue that resisting universal reality warping would easily give Dunban many magnitudes greater durability than Shanks, but there are a couple of problems with that idea.
Boomstick: For one, we already saw Alvis, the Monado… computer thing, perfectly recreate Dunban and all of Shulks friends for a quick motivation session for Shulk. And Alvis is the thing that lets Shulk recreate universes in the first place, so clearly Dunban isn't on that level.
Wiz: It's far more likely that Dunban’s willpower simply added onto Shulks, which we know was how the True Monado was created. It seems more reasonable to assume Dunban was just shielded by Shulk, or even recreated by him when Shulk remade the world without gods.
Boomstick: Plus, if Dunban was THAT insanely tough, why would he even have to dodge attacks in the first place?
Wiz: JRPGs can be… tricky to determine in terms of feats, but considering the context, Dunban very likely doesn’t compare to Shanks’s own proven durability.
Boomstick: Dunban still put up a good fight, though, and even Shanks has nothing on that hair.
Wiz: Alas, Shanks’s superior strength, Haki, durability and skill were enough to topple the Hero of the Homs.
Boomstick: It’s a shame no one was around to give Dunban a hand, but if I had to go out on a limb, I guess he just wasn’t armed enough for this fight.
Wiz: The winner is Shanks.
Bonus[]
- Both Dunban and Shanks are mentors to their respective main characters, Shulk and Luffy, albeit neither is terribly proactive in their role. Dunban mostly observes Shulks' growth, and Shanks showed Luffy what to aspire to be.
- Dunban and Shanks both lost an arm in some way. Shanks literally had his bitten off, while Dunban's was permanently crippled due to the power of the Monado.
- Both Dunban and Shanks are regarded as some of the most powerful people in their worlds to start, until the main character catches up to them and the greater villains are revealed.
