This is a matchup between Judge Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Judge Holden from Blood Meridian. Created by Ctpeyton. A Man vs A Demon(?)! Will the Devil be silenced and tossed into the fiery pit by the Minister of Justice, or will Frollo be forced to dance for an eternity with his sins?
Introduction[]
Wiz: Judge Claude Frollo–The self-proclaimed "Minister of Justice" of Notre Dame.
Boomstick: And Judge Holden–The… really terrifying Judge of whatever he sees from Blood Meridian.
Wiz: They are inhuman. They are monsters. They are the very forces in this world that we hate. Yet, we cannot stop watching these complex, brilliantly written and thought-provoking figures commit their horrible acts. Whose reign of terror will be stopped, and who will continue to use their charisma and quote-on-quote “judgment” to manipulate others to their whims?
Boomstick: He’s Wiz and I’m Boomstick!
Wiz: it’s our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills to find out who would win a DEATH BATTLE!
Judge Claude Frollo shall smite the wicked in DEATH BATTLE[]
Wiz: Île de la Cité of Paris houses the Catholic cathedral, Notre Dame. Full name: Notre-Dame de Paris, French for “Our Lady of Paris", it was dedicated to the virgin Mary–the mother of Jesus Christ and is described as one of the finest creations of French Gothic architecture.
Boomstick: Too bad it’s closed for restoration since 2019.
BUT before that, the institute was open to Catholics or ANYONE looking for any comfort in the arms of God. Citizens prayed in ignorance, not knowing that this holy ground was harboring a “monster”.
Wiz: The Hunchback of Notre Dame dubbed “Quasimodo” was taken in by France’s Minister of Justice, Judge Claude Frollo.
Background
- Aliases: Monseigneur Claude Frollo, Dom Claude Frollo, Master, Your Honor, Minister Frollo
- Age: 66
- Occupation: Judge/Minister of Justice, Archdeacon (in the novel)
- Caretaker of Quasimodo
- Likes: Esmeralda, God, Authority, Esmeralda
- Dislikes: Gypsies, Sin, Phoebus, the Mad Hatter
- Has a younger brother named Jehan in the novel
Boomstick: Before becoming a foster father, Frollo had already dedicated 20 years of his life to wiping out the most heinous and sinful group of all villains France has ever seen: the Romani people, A.K.A Gypsies. I could say it's to prevent them from rioting with SCARY WITCHCRAFT POWERS! But they actually seem like peaceful people who are treated different for their origins.
Wiz: One night, Frollo and his soldiers ambush a group of Romani people trying to sneak into Paris. While the rest are arrested, one of them, a mother holding her child, escapes Frollo all the way to the stairs of Notre Dame. There, he kicks her down the steps of the cathedral, killing her.
Upon looking at the baby's deformed face, Frollo would've drowned the "demon" if the archdeacon hadn't stopped him.
Boomstick: Frollo's murder was committed on holy grounds. Fearing divine punishment for this sin, he decided to atone by taking in the child and raising him, albeit locking him up in the bell tower. I would like to note that Frollo's behavior is WAY different from the source material.
Wiz: Wait! You read that whole book by yourself?!
Boomstick: What? Hell no. I did research on the guy.
Wiz: Well yes. In the original Victor Hugo novel, Frollo is a much more compassionate man. After growing up as an orphan after the loss of his parents to the Plague, he devoted himself to a highly religious life as an archdeacon and continued to care for his alcoholic, younger brother. Frollo originally took in the abandoned infant Quasimodo out of sympathy. There was no murder involved. The name "Quasimodo" was based on the Notre Dame holiday Quasimodo Sunday, while in the movie version, he named him after his deformity; it literally means "half-formed".
Boomstick: Back to the movie, Frollo would manipulate Quasimodo, telling him that the cruel world of outside would never except someone as ugly as him. He had even told a blatant lie that his mother abandoned him. Now the reason Book Frollo kept Quasimodo hidden was because of genuine concern of how the Parisians would react to his appearance. The man even taught him sign-language when the boy went deaf from ringing the bells. Here, he would judge him for even ATTEMPTING to make friends with stone gargoyles, the few things that surround him.
Wiz: At the Festival of Fools, Frollo would meet and be entranced by the beautiful Romani dancer Esmeralda, who he would become romantically obsessed with. Very creepy...
Boomstick: Frollo's fears were becoming reality: he was driven to the sin of lust. Instead of at least admitting to his own faults, he claims that his attraction to this "witch" was a demonic spell cast upon him. Frollo would either have Esmeralda to himself or she will burn. He would venture onto a ruthless manhunt for the Gypsy girl; He tries to interrogate and bribe the Romani people with silver in revealing Esmeralda's location and is willing to burn down a family's home just because he suspected them of sheltering Esmeralda. Hell, he would even burn the whole city if he had to! And remember, Esmeralda is 16 years old!
Wiz: Well, in the novel. In the movie, she's most likely in her 20's. But still creepy considering Claude Frollo is 66 years old.
Personal Arsenal & Abilities
- Authority and Influence
- Manipulation
- Academic Studies
- Peak-Human Condition
- Sword
- Dagger
- Cape
- Snowball
Wiz: He is a rather respected but feared individual, holding authority over the Parisian guard, through which he practically rules Paris itself. As a justice minister, Frollo can freely accuse, imprison and sentence anyone he wishes, be they criminal or innocent.
Boomstick: The only place his authority doesn't count is inside the church of Notre Dame, where he must submit to the order of the Archdeacon. But even by himself, Frollo is an intelligent and cunning individual. And half that legion of "soldiers" at his beck and call are actually thugs he hired!
Wiz: He even tricked Quasimodo into revealing the location of the Court of Miracles-home of the Romani people; after lying to him that he has found the Court of Miracles and is ready to attack at dawn, the misled Quasimodo accompanies Phoebus to the Court with Frollo and his soldiers following behind them.
Boomstick: It is important that Book Frollo's intelligence is broader since in the book, Frollo is a gifted prodigy in several languages and studied law, medicine, science, theology and even alchemy, the type of witchy magic that he should be against.
Wiz: Correction: Witchcraft and alchemy are two different things; Alchemy was meant to be an ancient search for disease-curing remedies which eventually developed into chemistry. Alchemists are often portrayed and misinterpreted as chemist-wizard hybrids who can produce a wide range of supernatural effects by mixing together the right substances combined with the proper rituals and/or the addition of magic power.
Boomstick: Soo Skyrim?
Wiz: Sure.
Boomstick: But if Judge Claude Frollo IS an enforcer of the law, then he needs to be armed, himself. He has his sword, a hidden dagger, his cape to blind and trip his opponents, and his trusted stallion: the ironically named "Snowball".
Wiz: Snowball is a Friesian horse, a breed of horse known for their strong bone structure and graceful agility. He has a muscular build yet is very fast and nimble, his breed being able to run AT LEAST 30 miles per hour depending on their age and condition.
Speaking of which, Frollo has an unexpected advantage in his physical strength for his age.
Feats
- Became the most powerful lawman in Paris
- Smashed Quasimodo's mother's head in after kicking her down stairs
- Can struggle against Quasimodo
- Survived being nearly crushed by a support beam
- Can cut through stone gargoyles with his sword
- Survived falling from atop Notre Dame in KH: Dream Drop Distance
- Has joined forces with other Disney villains
Boomstick: He's able to grapple with Quasi, who is strong enough to snap dozens of chains in half and destroy a stone column in the process. Frollo was even able to cut through stone gargoyles with his sword, quickly recover from being thrown off his horse, and endured being nearly crushed by a large support beam. Still, we don't see him doing much fighting on his own; he mostly lets his lackies to the job for him.
Wiz: Until it was time for him to slay the gypsy girl and the "monster" he raised. Yet, he would fall to his death into the molten copper below while holding onto a living gargoyle statue. Whether the gargoyle was Frollo hallucinating in his final moments, the gargoyle coming to life by itself like the comic-reliefs of the movie or even full-blown divine intervention is up to you. But this was a symbolism of the true demon being sent to Hell for his sins.
Boomstick: But that's not all from the Minister of Injustice!
Wiz: What do you mean? WAIT, are we really-
Expanded Army
- Green Army Men
- Nightmare Dream Eaters
- Wargoyle
Boomstick: We’re not going over the full list of live action and animated adaptations Frollo has appeared in because WOO BOY...
But Frollo has appeared in more Disney related things like House of Mouse, Kingdom Hearts and he has joined other Disney villains in either killing Mickey during the Fantasia fireworks show or trying to take over Disney Parks in Kingdom Keepers. So, wait, he joined forces with a witch, a wizard, a queen who uses witchcraft, and the devil. He’s still against witchcraft, right?
Wiz: You’re the one who wanted to bring this up. But yes, to humor Boomstick’s point, Frollo has commanded the Green Army Men from Toy Story. Unlike in Toy Story, where they're...toys, they are apparently human men. Therefore, they have the strength of a human, which allowed them to try and drown a kid, and the discipline of real-life soldiers: obedient, highly trained, and work wonders as a team.
Boomstick: They also have real GUNS!
Wiz: With a heart of darkness, Frollo was able to command his own army of Dream Eaters, including the Wargoyle.
Boomstick: In the Kingdom Hearts canon, Dream Eaters are beings that exist in Realm of Darkness; they can regenerate from injuries, create forcefields, and even if destroyed, they can come back in a matter of seconds thanks to the "Darkness". Their intangible bodies made from pure darkness allow them to phase past attacks. They can use elemental attacks and magic spells in combat such as fire, ice, time stop, light and darkness, and more. The boss Dream Eater, the Wargoyle, can fly and fight in the air with its wings, surround itself with fire, shoot lasers from its guns, which it can detach, and make it rain fireballs that home in on a target.
Wiz: Yet again, chaotic Judgment was performed by not a righteous man, but a self-absorbed demon.
Boomstick: Thankfully, all of Paris is much happier now that another scum on Earth has been judged for his sins.
Judge Holden dances with war in DEATH BATTLE[]
Wiz: The Wild West era of the 19th century United States was a time of racism, extreme and unnecessary violence towards animals, women, and children, and most importantly war.
Boomstick: The most evil parts of humanity are in full force at this time. Among the examples is a group of mercenary scalp-hunters called the Glanton Gang. Along the Mexican-American border, they would meet a man of unknown origins: the mysterious Judge Holden.
Background
- Full name: Holden (first name unknown)
- Alias: The Judge, The Devil
- Height: 7ft
- Weight: 150 kg
- Has knowledge of numerous fields of studies
- Draws specimens in his notebook
- Crimes: Mass murder, Mass corruption, Genocide, Serial rape, War crimes, Pedophilia, Mutilation, Animal cruelty, Incrimination, Inhuman/degrading treatment
Boomstick: Standing 7 feet tall, pale-skinned, and hairless, Holden met the Glanton Gang in a wide-open desert, sitting on a boulder as if he was waiting for them. They followed the man to the top of a volcano, fleeing from a group of Natives. The Gang didn’t have gunpowder to protect themselves, so on the way to the top, Holden collected coal, sulfur, and other types of minerals.
Wiz: At the top of the volcano, Holden used these minerals–and his and the Gang’s own piss–to manufacture gunpowder. When the Natives finally caught up to them, Holden just surrenders…
(Both laugh)
Boomstick: Nah, he was faking. Holden and his Gang blew all them Indians to smithereens!
Wiz: And so, this random man who led the Gang to a volcano and saved the Gang’s life was welcomed into their criminal organization.
After making a partnership with the Gang’s leader, Joel John Glanton, Judge Holden became involved in the Glanton Gang’s raids of native villages, resulting in the man-slaughtering of defenseless citizens including babies…
Boomstick: But that’s not the worst the Judge is capable of; He would pay for two puppies just to throw them off a bridge, made a man only dubbed “the Idiot” his pet, 
and murdered, scalped and… *gulp* r-worded children. BUT he occasionally does relax by studying and sketching various forms of life in his notebook. 
Wiz: The Judge is a man of brutality, yet of many studies as well: multilingualism, dancing, music, diplomacy, philosophy, paleontology, geology, botany, history, chemistry, archaeology and very much many others through his years of travel.
Boomstick: And turns out, Holden actually is a judge somehow. He has the ability to negotiate for the pardoning of criminals, cover up evidence of his own atrocities and he has the charisma to manipulate and corrupt others to his bidding. An example would be when at the beginning of the novel, Holden started a riot in a revival by accusing a priest of pedophilia and zoophilia. When asked about how he knew about the priest, Holden reveals that he never even met or saw him in his life, which right off the bat tells you the Judge just wants to see people get killed for no reason.
Arsenal & Abilities
- Colt Dragoon Revolvers
- Rifle
- Mountain Howitzer
- Genius-level Intelligence
- Influencing/Corruption
- Self-Sustenance
- Fire Resistance
- Brute Strength
- Quick Reflexes
- Stealth
- Excellent Hearing
-Said to have "ears like a fox"
- Possible Immortality
Wiz: Indeed, a cold and calculated tactician. As a scientist, I must admit on Holden’s intellect. But he is also a marksman. He wields dual Colt Model Dragoon revolvers, which fire .44 caliber bullets that reach 80 to 100 meters. 
Boomstick: He also has his rifle, which is described to be mounted in German silver and is given the name "Et in Arcadia ego", referencing the Latin phrase stating that even in happy utopia, death still exists.
Wiz: But throughout the story, the Judge is revealed to be extraordinarily strong, almost to an abnormal degree. He is able to lift an anvil over his head, crush a horse’s head with a single blow of a 100-pound rock, and crush a human man’s head until he starts bleeding from his ears.
Boomstick: Holden is even capable of carrying an 1841 mountain howitzer, which weighs 100kg and fires 12-pound shells that can reach up to 900 meters.
Wiz: Despite the Judge's large size, he is stealthy enough to make him seemingly capable of disappearing and reappearing at will. The Judge is capable of traversing large sections of desert without food or water and was somehow unaffected from walking through fire. Hmmm...
Boomstick: What? This foreshadowing something?
Wiz: You'll see.
Feats
- Kills a horse with a single blow with a 100-pound boulder
- Singlehandedly took over a town after weeks of being left in charge
- Can easily break bones
- Caused a riot after falsely accusing a priest
- Can lift an anvil above his head while jumping 11 feet
- Corrupted most of the already evil Glanton Gang
- Responsible for the deaths of Toadvine, David Brown, Tobin (presumably) and the Kid (presumably, or corrupted by Holden)
Boomstick: Holden's speed and/or reflexes are apparently very quick as in one part of the novel, he is described as moving "like a cat" while dodging a soldier's knife-swing and grab and break his arm before he could react. Man, this dude has done some major lifting!
Wiz: Throughout their travels, the Judge has had his hold on the Glanton Gang, corrupting the already immoral sinners with his nihilism and socially Darwinist philosophy. That includes his famous speech on war when he says that war was always born since humanity were born to play games of life and it will always endure throughout time so long as young men love it and old men love it in them. To Holden, war is the ultimate game for it contains the highest stakes as war is a battle of human wills within the will of the universe, war forces existence into a unity. War is the true God.
"Men are born for games. Nothing else. Every child knows that play is nobler than work. He knows too that the worth or merit of a game is not inherent in the game itself but rather in the value of that which is put at hazard. Games of chance require a wager to have meaning at all. Games of sport involve the skill and strength of the opponents and the humiliation of defeat and the pride of victory are in themselves sufficient stake because they inhere in the worth of the principals and define them. But the trial of chance or trial of worth all games aspire to the condition of war for here that which is wagered swallows up game, player, all. War is the ultimate game because war is at last a forcing of the unity of existence. War is god."
Boomstick: Deep. Having enough of Holden's craziness, two members of the Glanton Gang (Tobin and the Kid) escape and go into hiding while Holden had already testified against Toadvine and David Brown, resulting in both men being hanged in Los Angeles. Decades later, Tobin has gone missing, but the Kid was now "the Man". He had been doing well for himself since leaving the criminal life behind. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave his past completely behind, since he meets the Judge inside a saloon, seemingly not have aged at all since last time they met.
Wiz: In the end, the Man would meet his fate in an outhouse, where the Judge had been waiting for him naked...
Boomstick: AND that's enough detail we need to know. Terrifying way to go against a 7 feet tall, infant-like man in his birthday suit. Anyway, what's Holden's deal anyway? Stop hiding stuff, Wiz.
Wiz: OK. Now hear me out before you judge.
Boomstick: Mhm.
Wiz: Holden is the Devil.
(Boomstick stays silent as he studies Wiz)
Wiz: Let's start with looking at his appearance: he's large, hairless, has squinting eyes and pale, kind of like a serpent.
Boomstick: That's offensive. The lack of hair is clearly a result of alopecia universalis and his skin condition is a result of albinism. It's proven that Holden's exposure to direct sunlight is painful to him. Though there are the other weird features like his face is childlike and his hands and feet being small in proportion to the rest of his body.
Wiz: Holden leading the Glanton Gang up the mountain and making gun powder to kill the Apache is a direct reference to Paradise Lost, where Satan and his followers hide in caves and made gun powder to fight against the armies of heaven. Then there's how he met the Glanton Gang in the beginning: He just sat on a rock in the middle of nowhere as if he knew they would be there.
Boomstick: Could be coincidences...?
Wiz: There's that part in the novel where Holden comments on his reason for visually documenting specimens in his notebook is because whatever lives without him knowing about it basically shouldn't be living at all in his opinion.
"Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent."
Wiz: Add that with his comments on the birds in the sky: the birds are apparently an insult to him, being able to fly freely in the sky while he's stuck on the ground. This sort of makes Holden feel like a jealous angel who has fallen from grace all because he wanted to rule over everything like a God.
Boomstick: Hm... ok. I bite. Then we have to bring in his inhuman strength, him not aging, and him claiming and proving he never sleeps or eats, and he will never die as he continues to dance and play the fiddle amongst humanity's eternal hell for many years to come.
Interlude[]
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. Let's end this debate once and for all.
Boomstick: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!!!
Before Fight[]
It is nighttime in the city of Notre Dame. The poster of a missing little girl is pinned to the wall of a house. At the center of town, an execution was taking place in front of Notre Dame. The knot of a noose was wrapped around the neck of a gypsy man. The crowd watches as Judge Claude Frollo stands on the gallows before them. He reads the guilty man’s crimes from a piece of paper.
Frollo: Prisoner Rubis, for the past weeks, you have stolen from food stands and have been known to pass out the stolen goods to children. And this morning, a little girl has tragically gone missing. This can only be traced back to you. The sentence: DEATH!
A man in the crowd coughs, gaining the attention of everybody else, including Frollo. They all step aside to make way for Judge Holden, who towers over everyone as he walks forward. He was smoking a cigar and had his rifle strapped around his torso. He removes the cigar from his mouth and points at Frollo.
Holden: Ladies and gentlemen, I feel like it is my responsibility to inform you that this man standing in front us is a sinner.
The crowd starts mumbling and whispering amongst each other. Frollo is taken aback by this accusation, knowing that it was somehow true.
Holden: He had set lustful gazes on the very rat he swore to wipe out from your graceful community: a gypsy.
The crowd gasps.
Holden: The “righteous” man you have all put your trust in and have cowered before has had intentions of burning this town to ash in hopes of finding this gypsy, whom he intends to force into sexual relations.
The crowd’s second gasp is louder. Frollo furiously shouts at the Judge.
Frollo: HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS RUBBISH!
Holden smiles.
Holden: So what I’m saying is true?
A man shouts as he points at Frollo.
Man: This hypocrite should be the one to hang!
Holden backs away as all the citizens angrily walk towards the gallows towards Frollo. Anything in the citizens’ hands they threw at Frollo as they curse at him. Frollo blocks the onslaught with his hands.
Frollo: Guards!
3 Parisian guards run into the scene holding spears, which they point at the angry mob to make everyone back away.
FIGHT![]
After the citizens clear out of the area, Frollo shouts an order to the Parisian guards stationed at the top of the towers of Notre Dame.
Frollo: Marksmen! Fire at the pale man!
The guards draw their arrows. Holden silently chuckles as he swiftly withdraws his rifle, aims it upward, and fires the first shot towards a guard. The bullet flies through the guard's heart before he could release the arrow and collapses. Holden steps to the side and avoids the arrow. The other guards stare in shock at their dead comrade as he bleeds from his chest.
Frollo: Fools! I said FIRE!
Holden swiftly lets go of his rifle and withdraws both of his revolvers from their pouches. As the guards fired their arrows, Holden fires at the legs of all 3 of the Parisian guards holding shields. He quickly grabs the guards all at once and lifts them up by their punctured legs. Their bodies are used to block the incoming arrows. Still defending himself, Holden makes his way towards Frollo. He drops the arrow-filled corpses of the guards and grabs the old man by his neck, choking him. From his sleeve, Frollo drops a potion bottle, which shatters on the wooden floor. The liquid releases some sort of mist that blinds both Frollo and Holden, who throws Frollo aside to tend to his eyes. He takes out a water canteen from his coat, takes off the lid and pours the contents onto his eyes. With bloodshot eyes, Frollo shouts.
Frollo: Somebody kill him!
A guard wielding a sword sneaks up on Holden from behind. Still wetting his eyes, Holden hears the wooden floor of the gallows creak. He turns and punches the guard in the stomach. The guard bleeds from his mouth and collapses to the ground. More guards holding halberds rush towards Holden, who is now holding the guard's sword. The guards halt.
Holden: Gentlemen?
All the guards rush towards Holden, their halberds' tips pointed forward. Holden steps to the side to avoid the first guard's tip and uses the sword to slice the stick the head of the halberd was attached to. Holden twirls aside to avoid the second guard's halberd, which provided an opening for Holden to shove the stick headfirst into the guard's helmet, therefore, shoving the tip through the guard's head. He grabs the other guard, making him drop the severed stick. He pulls in the screaming guard and stabs him with the sword. Holden then slices horizontally across the "guard's" abdomen and the blade slices through the next guard's thorax. Both bisected bodies of the guards fall to the ground. Holden ceases when he hears mighty *NEIGH* of a warring horse. He turns. Frollo's pet horse Snowball is rushing toward him at full sprint. Riding on the midnight Atlas's back was Frollo raising his sword. Holden only stands in place. When the horse gets close enough, he swiftly ducks to grab a halberd then shoves it through Snowball's nose from underneath his chin. He grabs the crying horse by its neck with both arms, and they were both struggling against each other, causing Frollo to fall off Snowball's back. The horse's cries eventually stop before Frollo recovers from off the ground. He looks in horror at his trusty steed laying on the ground, lifeless.
Frollo: ...Y-You're not a man...
Holden smiles as he wipes his hands with a handkerchief.
Holden: Are you sure about that? I have traveled a lot. And I will say it is crucial to have perfect health. Including brawn with your brains...
Holden drops the handkerchief and walks towards Frollo. He throws his cape towards Holden, but he shoots through the fabric with his revolver. The bullet hits Frollo's eye. He yells in pain as he covers the injury with his hand. Blood drips from his fingers. Holden would've grabbed the judge if a bullet hadn't shot him in the shoulder. He turns around and sees the strange humanoid that shot at him: a soldier that was completely colored green was holding a sniper rifle and hiding behind the doors of Notre Dame. While Holden was perplexed at the sight, Frollo runs pass him towards the cathedral.
Frollo: Keep shooting!
Holden aims his rifle at Frollo's back, but he was prevented from shooting due to the green army man's bullet barely missing Holden's neck. Frollo makes his way inside the cathedral. The green army man dodges a bullet from Holden as he retreats inside, as well. Both Frollo and the green army man push the cathedral doors shut. Holden fills his rifle with gunpowder. The sound of a truck approaching distracts him. He turns around and sees a green army truck. More armed green army men depart from the vehicle. All of them had grenades strapped to their belts. While the green army men aim their rifles at Holden, he clenches both his fists above his revolvers.
Sargeant: Avoid close combat!
Holden swiftly grabs both his revolvers. At the same time, the Green Army Men all open fire. A massive explosion could be heard from inside Notre Dame while Frollo was in a room covering his eye with an ice bag before wrapping the side of his face with a bandage wrap. The Green Army Man that followed him was sharpening his sword on a grinding wheel.
Green Army Man: Sir! Your sword is sharpened!
He hands Frollo his sword. Frollo places his hand on his forehead in stress.
Frollo: Who is that man? Or thing? Have the gypsies drawn more power from the Devil? The others must have told him about my search for the gypsy girl. My reputation is ruined because of hi-
As Frollo talks, the Green Army Man grows a terrified look on his face. He was blasted by a cannonball and was blown through the wall, leaving a hole the same shape as a human. Stunned, Frollo turns around and sees Holden holding a green mountain howitzer under his arm and a lighted cigar over the touch hole. He smiles.
Holden: There. No more distractions.
Frollo stares Holden down as he points the sword towards the large man. Darkness emits from Frollo. Holden looks to his left and reaches for a second green mountain howitzer leaning against the wall before his hands were frozen on the weapon. Confused, Holden turns and sees Frollo's huge "shadow". But most importantly, some sort of demonic penguin was the thing that shot at him. Its breath was cold.
Holden: Well...
Frollo: Surprised? When it comes to ridding God's earth of you scum, I must conjure sorcery of my own. Including familiars.
Another Dream Eater emerges from the Darkness: an Electricorn. The Iceguin Ace freezes Holden's feet in place with its frozen breath. Frollo rushes towards Holden, sword raised to the air. Meanwhile, this strange horse shoots electricity from its horn. Holden stomps on the bottom of Frollo's leg, dislocating the foot. Frollo screams in agony, but the thunderbolt manages to hit Holden, electrocuting him. An Ursa Circus emerges from the Darkness, too. It rushes towards Holden, grabs him and jumps through the roof. Frollo grits his teeth in anguish.
Frollo: Judgement. Will. Be Mine.
A Peepsta Hoo grabs Frollo's collar with its talons and flies out of the hole. Frollo was now on the roof of Notre Dame. Darkness continues to emerge from the hole. The Peepsta Hoo prepares the healing spell Curaga, but Frollo swats the owl-like Dream Eater. Kneeling, Frollo looks around the area but couldn't see Holden anywhere. Yet, he smiles. A Juggle Pup crawls out of the Darkness and uses the spell Balloonga, summoning a huge balloon to Frollo's left. Holden comes out of nowhere from Frollo's right and tackles him through the balloon, popping it and releasing 6 smaller balloons. A Flowbermeow inflicts Stop on Holden, freezing him in place. The balloons float towards Holden, popping on contact and seemingly hurting Holden. Frollo lifts the frozen enormous man that is Holden off of him. Holden's hat flies off.
Frollo: Wait. The pale skin... Albinism!
An Aura Lion conjures Faith, which summons pillars of light. Due to the loss of his hat, the bright light harms Holden. The Stop spell wears off, allowing Holden to move again to cover his face with his hands. The Aura Lion continues to summon light to keep Holden at bay. This gives Frollo the chance to rush jump on Holden and stab his dagger deep into his side. Frollo smiles an evil grin as he does this. He removes the dagger and raises his sword with both hands until the lights stop appearing. Frollo is frightened by the sight of the Darkness imbuing from Holden, but still attempts to swing at him. But Holden turns and grabs both Frollo's arms, effortlessly snapping them and making him drop the sword. Frollo screams in anguish before he is kicked away. Holden removes his long coat and unbuttons his linen shirt. A Drak Quack emerges from the Darkness and breathes fire on the currently bleeding stab wound.
Frollo: You... possess this power, as well??
Multiple colored eyes shine from within the darkness. With his wound sealed, Holden picks up his notebook and a pen from within his long coat. He observes the many possible Dream Eaters that lurked within the Darkness and started to sketch in his notebook.
Holden: Pity thing. It seems your will is too weak to even control monsters as you do with your people.
Frollo shakily picks up his sword.
Frollo: H-How-How dare you. I am a virtuous man. A judge who-
Holden: Tells of false loyalty to your god. Truth be told I didn't know of you, this town, or your love for a gypsy.
Frollo: I-I do no-
Holden: Lies. Violation of the ninth commandment. I can tell by your reaction: You aggressively deny then immediately aimed your guards towards me and the people you "protect", which was enforced with no hesitation. Didn't even attempt to arrest me first compared to that Rubis fellow you accuse of a child gone missing. An excuse to violate the sixth commandment. Also, my claim seemed to be true when I heard you downstairs: "The others must have told him about my search for the gypsy girl". You display yourself as a sinner of lust and definitely hubris since you see yourself as a high authority in your service to the Great Lord. Oh! Two commandments broken: second and third.
Frollo: NO! MARI- SILENCE!
The right tower crumbles as a winged, multi-colored beast emerges. Frollo grows a wicked smile. The Wargoyle soars into the air before creating a giant fireball, which it then launches into the air.
Frollo: He shall smite the wicked...
The fireball separates into smaller ones, and they fly towards Holden.
Frollo: ...AND SEND HIM INTO THE ETERNAL FLAMES!
The fireballs explode on impact. Kneeling due to his broken leg and dangling his useless, crooked arms, Frollo laughs hysterically to the heavens, thinking he has won.
Frollo: JUDGEMENT IS MINE!!!
But as the smoke clears, Frollo's smile grows to that of fear. A huge, shadowy figure made up of the Darkness surrounding a meditating Holden shielded him from the projectiles. The Darkness and its Dream Eaters are absorbed into the giant Nightmare's mass. Frollo looks on in tears, afraid and in awe at the sight of his powerful enemy. He sobs out loud.
Frollo: It's Him! This is Him! The Devil!
The Wargoyle shoots its lasers at the Nightmare, but it blocks the attacks with a forcefield. From within the Darkness that surrounds him, Holden, with his eyes closed, picks up the sword Frollo dropped. The Wargoyle shoots its gun arms towards the Nightmare, but the shadowy beast catches them with its arm, wrapping them around the spiritual limb. The Nightmare yanks at the chain, pulling in the resisting Wargoyle, which surrounds itself in fire. The Nightmare engulfs itself in flames, as well. Finally having the Wargoyle in its grasp, the Nightmare slams down into the floor, causing them both to plunge into the Notre Dame cathedral. Fire engulfs from within. Flames and smoke emit from the hole both monsters have made. But climbing from out of the hole was the Judge, Holden. His body emits Darkness, and he held the sword in his hand. Frollo attempts to crawl away with the use of his elbows, but his body suddenly freezes in place. Hopping from behind Holden was a Tama Sheep, who had cast the Stop spell on Frollo. Smiling, Holden slowly approaches Frollo. Frollo screams as the screenshot moves up to show smoke still releasing into the night sky that was being illuminated by stars.
When Morning arrived, the Judge walks out from the blown doors of the burnt cathedral, shirtless and wearing Frollo's hat. Citizens in awe were standing outside. They make way for the Judge as walks forward. The archdeacon hurries inside the once breath-taking monument. He stops in his tracks as he stares at something horrifying.
Archdeacon: Good god almighty...
K.O.
Results[]
Wiz: Uhm...
Boomstick: Best not to ponder on what he saw there...
Wiz: We won't sugarcoat it: we may have felt bad for Frollo, and that's saying something. In abilities, such as physical strength, Judge Holden outmatches Frollo. In his youth, Frollo managed to smash a woman's head in after kicking her down Notre Dame's stairs while Holden can squeeze a man's skull in with his bare hands. As an old man, Frollo could decapitate a statue of solid stone with his sword, which is steel, and Holden could crush a horse's skull in with a 100-pound rock. Holden can also lift an anvil over his head while Frollo could struggle against Quasimodo, but it's important to note that Quasi was grieving over Esmeralda at this moment and didn't want anyone else to die. So, he didn't use his full strength and rage on him.
Boomstick: For the most part, Frollo relies on his available soldiers which Holden is strong and quick enough to defend against the likes of them. And then there's both men's intelligence: both men are geniuses, but Holden holds more knowledge because of his desires to learn all there is and travels to other countries. If we could sell this further, among Holden's studies are anatomy of humans and animals, and combat.
Wiz: Frollo was restricted to manipulate people and perform in alchemy which, in the Victor Hugo novel, the work he focused this trait on was trying to turn gold into clay. Holden and Frollo work with what is around them, but Holden definitely holds more talents due to Frollo most likely staying in France to learn fewer studies. Also, Holden is a careful and calculated tactician in combat while Frollo is more prone to anger caused by impatience and his overall delusions clouding his mind.
But we'll give Frollo credit that he was able to actually harm Holden, which doesn't seem possible in the novel.
Boomstick: In terms of weaponry, Frollo had his personal sword, dagger and cape, but Holden could easily have just finished Frollo off with his superior firepower from his Dragoon Pistols, rifle and the howitzer. But there were Frollo's Dream Eaters that gave Frollo more capabilities to fend off against Holden. But... uh...
Wiz: Just admit it. Holden is the Devil.
Boomstick: No. I'm NOT- I CAN'T take that into face value. Despite Frollo's cruelty and creepiness, he was still a man who feared God's judgement towards him. He at least THOUGHT he was doing some sort of good which makes his heart not likely completely darkened. Holden, on the other hand, he's just pure evil with no fear or care of judgement. Those poor kids and puppies...
Wiz: We'll argue later. Holden arguably has the darker heart to take control of the Darkness and its Dream Eaters for himself, hence the use of meditation.
Boomstick: Judge Claude Frollo has reached his judgement day.
Wiz: That's it?
Boomstick: Well both of these guys are judges and Judgment Day is about the day that Jesus would return and judge humanity. I try man!
Wiz: The winner is Judge Holden. The Devil, himself.
Comparisons[]
- Judge Claude Frollo
+ Dream Eaters provided more benefits against Holden
+ Boldness and Insanity allowed him to harm Holden...
- ...but was less strategic because of it
- Weaker
- Mostly relied on his forces instead of fighting himself
- Judge Holden
+ Stronger and Faster
+ More Intelligent
+ More fighting experience and strategic thinking
+ Superior weaponry with firearms
- Was shortly harmed by the Dream Eaters' use of magic
Next Time[]
https://youtu.be/2n8AlzTirw8?si=D_8zv0bgwKN3XXZ5 - made by Vs Debate Family on Youtube
Trivia[]
Connections: Old, intelligent and evil antagonists of literary works (The Hunchback of Notre Dame/Blood Meridian) set in past historical periods (15th Century France/Wild West). In spite of having the title of Judge, they themselves are vile and heinous, seeing themselves as above everyone else and being a significant source of pain and torment to the protagonist and the rest of the cast. All of this evil being symptoms of their dogmatic ideologies (Frollo sees himself as a man carrying out the will of God/Holden acts out what he believes to be innate human nature). Because of this, both find no fault within themselves but, instead, justification for their abhorrent actions, especially against a certain group of people (Gypsies/Native Americans). Both lust after a certain character in their story (Esmeralda/The Kid).
Contrasts: Frollo is still a man who fears sin and the punishment of God while Holden doesn’t really seem to have any fears and embraces sin. Holden is even implied to be something supernatural, or the Devil.
The battle track name would be "The Devil's Judgement"