Ike vs. Cloud Strife is a What-If? episode of Death Battle.
| Ike vs. Cloud Strife | |
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| Season 1, Episode 3 | |
Vital statistics
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| Air date | February 16th, 2015 |
| Written by | Shadow7615 |
| Directed by | Shadow7615 |
Episode guide
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| Previous | Next |
| Kenpachi Zaraki vs. Augus | Marth vs. Warrior of Light |
Description
Fire Emblem VS Final Fantasy! A legendary SOLIDER makes his return to DEATH BATTLE! To challenge a new fighter with immense sword skills and strength! Which of these two will illustrate the strength of using a sword?
Interlude
Wiz: In a previous episode of Death Battle, we pitted Cloud Strife against Link.
Boomstick: And Unfortunately, Cloud was beaten by a damn Fairy...
Wiz: HE'S NOT A FAIRY! Ahem, anyway, we are bringing Cloud back and pitting him against another well-known sword fighter, who fights for his friends.
Boomstick: Ike, The Radiant Hero! 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.
Ike
Wiz: Born in the continent of Tellius to the leader of the ragtag team the "Greil Mercenaries", unlike most Fire Emblem protagonists, Ike was not born a noble birth, instead was a normal child.
Boomstick: However, he still carries the tradition of being a blue-haired swordsman.
Wiz: Well, he wasn't a swordsman right away, when he joined the Greil Mercenaries at 17 years old, he was looked down upon as a rookie, constantly being mocked for his inexperience, however, his father, Greil gave Ike a chance, and Ike's skills as a Ranger would slowly be realised.
Boomstick: However, Ike did not have it easy, After a few successful missions, Ike suffered heavily as he watched his father be mortally wounded by the Black Knight, or as I like to call him, the Armoured Titan.
Wiz: Without a mother or father, Ike and his younger sister Mist were left on their own, forcing Ike to step up and take leadership of the Greil Mercenaries, taking them around the continent of Tellius in order to exact revenge against the Black Knight and win the war that had erupted between Daein & Crimean forces.
Boomstick: During his time as a Ranger, Ike was solely a swordfighter and was exactly that for a long time during the Mad King's War, until Ike achieved the Lord class, allowing him to tap into his hidden potential.
Wiz: Once achieving the Lord Class, Ike's strength was realised, especially with his divine blade, Ragnell, which Ike kept safe after the death of Greil, Solid Snake was once surprised to discover that Ike wields Ragnell with only one hand when it was designed to be a two-handed sword, much like the Black Knight in that regard.
Boomstick: Ragnell possess many abilities, there's Eruption, which envelops Ragnell in orange or blue flames, the longer Ike charges Eruption the more powerful the attack will be, If Ike charges the attack all the way, An actual eruption of the sword's fire will lash from out of the ground, however, Ike will take recoil damage from the attack.
Wiz: Ragnell is also a sword that can use the iconic Counter, Ike can enter a pose and triggers his counter to activate upon enemy contact, depending on how powerful the opponent's attack is, Ike can return just as much damage.
Boomstick: Another skill and perhaps Ike's trademark is Aether, in which he tosses Ragnell into the air and dashes up to catch the blade before slashing down with it, Ike's concentration in Aether prevents him from flinching from enemy attacks, he can also use the distance covering Quickdraw in order to push himself forward, even if he's in the air.
Wiz: If Ike wants to tip the scales into his favour, Ike can unleash his most powerful attack, Great Aether, swinging Ragnell with one hand, anyone who is caught in the initial swing, will be locked into the attack as Ike will follow up with a deadly barrage of attacks, before bringing his opponent down with him ending in a eruption of flames, launching all who fell into Great Aether.
Boomstick: However, Ragnell is not Ike's only weapon, Ike also wields Greil's Urvan, a giant axe that is known to be the most powerful axe in all of Tellius, Urvan was the last weapon Greil used before his death at the hands of the Black Knight.
Wiz: Combined with his strength and his desire to fight for his friends, Ike has made some fantastic accomplishments, Ike's sword arm is the only one of it's kind in the entire Fire Emblem series, He is the only one to have successfully disarmed the Ancient Minister's Subspace Bombs, something that Marth and even the Star Warrior Meta Knight failed to do, and he finally avenged his father in a decisive final battle against the Black Knight.
Boomstick: And in one instance, stood alongside Abraham Lincoln and other Fire Emblem characters in an alien invasion, yes, we're not even kidding, go look up "Code Name: S.T.E.A.M." I'm not lying.
Wiz: However, for his impressive strength, Ike is really slow, despite being only 20 years old, his armour and Ragnell are a heavy combination that makes Ike a slow runner in comparison, and his immense strength does not guarantee him a victory.
Boomstick: However, being slow isn't going to stop Ike from cutting you down to size.
Ike: My swordfighting skills were given to me by my father. If I stay true to them, I cannot lose!
Cloud Strife
Wiz: Cloud Strife is a powerful and renowned swordsman, and is a cut above many others.
Boomstick: Cloud certainly isn't a push over, after living up in Nibelheim and hearing the stories of the SOLIDER organisation, he joined SOLIDER as an infantryman, Cloud swore to defend the planet, however, things got a lot more personal once he met his best friend, Zack Fair.
Wiz: Zack Fair was a SOLDIER First Class and wielded the iconic Buster Sword, Cloud and Zack would quickly become friends before both were being pursued by the Shinra Army, after the events that took place in Nibelheim.
Boomstick: And after escaping back to Midgar for his Last Stand, Zack was gunned down, but not before passing the Buster Sword onto Cloud, asking him to be his Living Legacy, this changed Cloud forever...
Wiz: The shock of Zack's Death plus his Mako Poisoning caused him to create his own false identity, where he is First Class, believing himself to be a member of SOLIDER.
Boomstick: But, Cloud didn't carry that out for too long, ultimately, after Cloud and his friends had defeated the godhood ascended Sephiroth, Cloud returned the Buster Sword to Zack's grave, and went on as Cloud Strife, trying to manage himself, Physically and Mentally.
Wiz: 2 years later, Cloud reemerges, ready to defend the planet again, this time, as the Cloud Strife he knew.
Boomstick: After returning the Buster Sword to Zack, Cloud's weapon is his own unique sword, called "First Tsurugi", which has a standby mode and an attack mode, I could use that tech for my car, maybe I won't lose it next time.
Wiz: First Tsurugi is a weapon inspired by the Buster Sword, but there's more to it than that, Cloud's First Tsurugi is just it's base form.
Boomstick: So it can transform, like all awesome swords do?
Wiz: No, First Tsurugi is the base for the Fusion Sword, which is what Cloud wields when he combines the 5 smaller blades onto First Tsurugi, creating the Fusion Sword, which is a direct replication of the Buster Sword's shape, only much heavier.
Boomstick: The Fusion Sword while it may take a while to assemble, can actually do some serious damage when combined, Cloud can use any Limit Break he has used with the Buster Sword, including the all-powerful Omnislash!
Wiz: With the exception of Materia, Cloud can use any previous ability he had with the Buster Sword, but with the Fusion Sword, Cloud can use an exclusive Limit Break, Omnislash Version 6, in which Cloud traps his opponent before attacking them with thirteen slashes, using all of the individual blades before striking downward with Tsurugi.
Boomstick: It's Cloud most unique move, and extremely lethal for the killing blow as it was enough to defeat a newly-resurrected Sephiroth.
Wiz: While he doesn't wear his most powerful Ziedrich Armour, Cloud's clothing design was made with fighting in mind, and while it isn't visible, Cloud wears a pink ribbon around his left arm in remembrance of Aerith, which grants immunity to status ailments including burn, ice, poison, etc.
Boomstick: Cloud's abilities as well as his very aggressive combat style on overpowering opponents makes him key to winning any battle, Besting the likes of Bahamut SIN, Sephiroth on multiple occasions and being able to overpower the Remnants of Sephiroth whilst riding a motorcycle in a tunnel.
Wiz: Cloud doesn't actually have any distinct weaknesses, but Cloud's overconfidence can put him in unfavourable situations.
Boomstick: And Cloud's overpowering combat style might work in the favour of his opponents, like Sephiroth for example, who was able to impale him just by thrusting his sword at Cloud whilst he was jumping, but it's hard to keep with with someone who can keep you on the defensive.
Cloud: My name is Cloud, SOLIDER... First Class.
DEATH BATTLE!
It is night and sounds of trains running through Midgar can be heard, Ike is walking minding his own business, Ike then comes across a poster nailed to the wall reading "Wanted: Cloud Strife EX-SOLDIER". Ike then seeks out Cloud, Cloud is leaving a building that has a banner reading "Chocobo Races Tonight", Cloud then separates himself from the busy crowd and heads down Midgar's empty train station, and looks bored, Ike lands in front of Cloud with his poster in his hand.
Ike: Prepare yourself...
Ike raises Ragnell to Cloud.
Cloud: There's no way out of this...
Cloud pulls out his First Tsurugi and switches it to Attack Mode.
FIGHT!
Cloud dashes to Ike and jumps at him about to swing his sword, Ike swings his sword into the air and jumps into the air to catch his sword.
Ike: Aether!
Cloud lands slashing his sword at the air, Cloud then looks left and right before realising Ike is above him, Ike slashes down with Aether, Cloud quickly jumps out of the as Ike lands with Ragnell in hand, Cloud grips his sword tightly and clashes swords with Ike, Cloud pressures his sword against Ike's, Ike rallies himself forward, pushing Cloud away from him.
Cloud: Not Interested...
Ike runs at Cloud and swings his sword forward, Cloud jumps over Ike and lands behind him, Ike turns around and once again raises Ragnell, Cloud jumps into the air and slashes his sword towards Ike, Ike raises Ragnell above him, clashing the swords, Cloud puts all of his weight onto his sword, causing Ike to break off the clash and stand back.
Ike: You're tougher than I thought.
Ike tucks his sword to himself and maintains his posture, Cloud dashes at Ike and grips his sword tightly, Ike uses Quickdraw and swings Ragnell with hand, causing Cloud to loosen his grip of his sword, Cloud jumps backward to regain control.
(Cloud thinks to himself)
Cloud: I can't combat him with just the base, I need the other pieces, but how?
(Cloud hears a train in the distance)
Cloud: The Train! It'll take me where I need to go!
Cloud and Ike's sword clash once again, and Cloud maintains the clash for a short while, Cloud sees the light of the train coming in the distance, Cloud's sword pushes against Ike's and jumps onto the top of the train, Ike runs to the train and jumps onto it, grabbing a bar, slowing pulling himself up onto the train, several carriages behind Cloud.
Cloud: They're here somewhere.
Cloud searches for his motorcycle, which contains the pieces of his sword, He hears Ike's footsteps and turns around to him.
Ike: You'll get no sympathy from me...
Cloud runs at Ike again and swings his sword with his strength.
*ching*
Ike triggers his counter to activate.
Cloud's heavy swing his against Ragnell, Ike anticipated the attack.
Ike: You're open!
Ike swings Ragnell at Cloud directly, breaking his defence and slashing him directly, drawing blood from Cloud's arm.
Cloud: Ugh... Can't stay up here for too long...
Cloud waits Ike out for his attack, Ike swings Ragnell at Cloud, Cloud avoids all of his swings whilst keep an eye open for his motorcycle, Ike focuses on the attack and applies pressure to Cloud's sword, causing him to break off concentration, and heighten his guard, the train turns direction, causing Cloud and Ike to lose their balance, Cloud looks and sees his motorcycle, Cloud runs past Ike and jumps off the train and lands near his motorcycle, Ike runs with all of my might, jumping high into the air, Ike performs Aether once again to maintain his drop.
Ike: Aether!
Cloud opens up his motorcycle's extensions where he collects all 5 of his blade pieces, Ike's Aether then lands, splitting his motorcycle into two separate pieces, Cloud evades the attacks with his blade pieces, Ike stands up and steps away from the wrecked motorcycle, Cloud quickly assembles the pieces, creating the Fusion Sword, Ragnell and the Fusion Sword meet.
Cloud: This ends here!
Cloud activates Omnislash Ver. 6, locking Ike into the attack, Ike is raised in the air as the sword pieces are gathered around him, Cloud then grabs the first piece, slashing at Ike's right arm, Cloud takes the second, then slashes at Ike's left arm, Cloud grabs the third and slashes at Ike's left leg, then grabs the fourth blade and slashes at Ike's right leg upwards before grabbing the blade above Ike, Ike looks up to see Cloud slash down at him directly with the base, Cloud lands on the ground, as Ike crashes into the ground, dropping Ragnell and heavily bleeding.
Cloud: There's nothing more you can do...
All the pieces land individually on the ground near Cloud.
Ike stands up slowly and grabs Ragnell.
Ike: As long as I can still stand, I will fight!
Ike dashes at Cloud and swings with his might, and swings Ragnell once more, disarming Cloud, Ike then impales Cloud in the chest and ignites Ragnell in blue flames, Cloud struggles to resist the flames.
Ike: With these skills, I cannot lose.
Ike pulls Ragnell out of Cloud, then swings a burning Ragnell with one hand, sending Cloud into the air with it, Ike jumps high and grabs his sword.
Ike: GREAT! AETHER!!
Ike performs a series of kicks and slashes before performing the standard Aether flip-slashes. After, Ike drives Ragnell into Cloud into the ground, creating an explosion, Ike lands and Cloud hits the ground hard, bleeding and without his sword, Cloud grabs a piece of his blade, and attacks Ike with it, Ike slashes back and destroys that piece, Cloud grabs a large piece and hits with his full strength, disarming Ike of Ragnell, Ike kicks Cloud back, Ike pulls Urvan from his back, and dashes at Cloud and swings Urvan at Cloud, Cloud retrieves First Tsurugi and switches it to Attack Mode, Axe and Sword clash.
(Ike flashes back to when Greil used Urvan against the Black Knight)
Ike: I'm just like father... I can't go down now!
Ike pushes against First Tsurugi, breaking Cloud's guard, Ike then charges in and swings Urvan with one hand, sending the axe into Cloud's chest, firmly in place, Cloud attempts to pull the axe out, however, Ragnell suddenly cuts through Cloud's body once again, Cloud drops to the ground as blood escapes his body, Ike pulls out Ragnell and Urvan as Cloud bleeds out.
K.O.!
Conclusion
Boomstick: AWWWW (BEEP)ING HELL, WHY ON EARTH DOES CLOUD LOSE TWO BATTLES IN A ROW, THIS ISN'T FAIR!!!
Wiz: Hear me out Boomstick, Ike and Cloud are nearly identical when it comes to their abilities and strengths, Cloud's Mako Poisoning and SOLIDER Training are evenly matched with Ike's training with his mercenary father.
Boomstick: However, where these two differ is their weapons, Cloud's switch to the First Tsurugi gives it a much needed weight reduction as opposed to the Buster Sword, allowing Cloud quicker navigation than Ike, however, storing your blade pieces in a motorcycle? Yeah, that's not what i'd do with my blades pieces.
Wiz: Cloud's First Tsurugi pieces are vital to attaining the Fusion Sword, which is where the majority of Cloud's strength and weight come from, It can be difficult to maintain them without keeping them somewhere Cloud can access quickly, additionally, Cloud's Fusion Sword will always disassemble itself after using Omnislash Ver. 6.
Boomstick: "Oh but Boomstick, Omnislash Ver. 6 was used to defeat Sephiroth, surely it could've defeated Ike" right? Well, there's only one problem, Sephiroth does not use armour, as opposed to Ike, who uses Lord class armour and shoulder armour strong enough to withstand brutal attacks.
Wiz: That's just the beginning, Ragnell is a divine blade that was designed to be a heavy-hitting blade and have immunity to breaking, unlike Cloud's swords, which are vulnerable to breaking, also, Ike's abilities with Ragnell exceed Cloud's with the Fusion Sword, Omnislash Ver. 6 is the only unique ability the Fusion Sword possesses, Ragnell on the other hand has Counter, Quickdraw, Aether and Eruption, all of which are capable of dealing damage, giving Ike more options in battle, especially Counter, which can injure Cloud as a result of his own attacks against Ike, whether they were soft or smashing attacks.
Boomstick: Also, remember that Ike's strength allows him to use Ragnell with one hand, Cloud often uses both of his hands when using the Fusion Sword, and Ragnell's nature as a Divine Blade makes it exceed Cloud's Fusion Sword, leaving him outclassed, additionally, Ike attained the power of Ragnell at a much younger age of 17, whereas Cloud didn't start using the Buster Sword until he was just a little bit older.
Wiz: Additionally, Ike also uses his father's axe, Urvan, which is the continent's most powerful Axe, and it's strength has been demonstrated to be on par with Ragnell, ala Greil vs. The Black Knight, Since Ike can use both of these to the same level of strength as Cloud with his swords, it gives Ike the 1Up over Cloud, additionally, Ike is simply far more battle hardened than Cloud, Ike lead the Greil Mercenaries in the midst of a war when he was 17 years old, battling fierce opposition and being tested every single day.
Boomstick: Cloud simply does not have that same experience to match Ike, however, Cloud is immune to the flames of Ragnell thanks to Aerith's Ribbon, however, he can only resist the blade impaling him for so long, and yes, he can withstand impalement, but he cannot survive severe blood loss, and when Cloud started struggling, that's when Ike knew his window of opportunity was open, Ike's victory was just Great!
Wiz: The Winner is Ike!