Description[]
Persona VS Earthbound! Which of these two teenage team leader of JRPGs would win in a Death Battle?
Introduction[]
Wiz: Usually heroes are hardened adults that are experienced in dealing with world-saving scenarios. But sometimes the younger generation can prove to be just as powerful.
Boomstick: Like Ren Amamiya, the Joker of Tokyo and dangerous Phantom Thief.
Wiz: And Ness, the Psionic boy of Onett, and Giygas’ worst nightmare.
Boomstick: He’s Wiz and I’m Boomstick!
Wiz: And it’s our job to analyse their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win a Death Battle!
Rules[]
- Any official sources can be used for information, including non-canon ones like Super Smash Bros. However, no fanfictions will be taken into account.
- No, I do not believe that Ness is Sans. So there will be no mention whatsoever of Sans in this battle.
- Ness will have access to every single one of his abilities during the fight. However, due to the sheer number of available Personas in Persona 5, Ren will only have access to his main two: Arsene, and Satanael.
Ren Amamiya[]
(cue: “Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)” - Persona 5)
Wiz: In the year 20XX, Tokyo was filled with corrupt and evil adults, only trying to satisfy their own selfish needs. That’s when a mysterious group of teenage vigilantes began to fight back. And their leader was none other than Ren Amamiya, codenamed Joker.
Boomstick: One night, Ren found a drunk man trying to harass one of his female subordinates. Ren protected the girl and beat the drunkard up, but the man pressed charges, and so Ren was forced to move to Tokyo for a year on probation.
Wiz: Nevertheless, being sent to Tokyo still had it’s benefits. Along with other outcast kids, Ren established the Phantom Thieves, a group who stole the hearts of corrupt adults…
Boomstick: Wait, what the hell? They STEAL hearts? Like, they rip ‘em out people’s bodies or something?
Wiz: Nope. To put it simply, they ventured into the hearts of their adversaries, and stole the source of the person’s evil desires. They would be purified, but their crimes would still remain. Guilt would consume them, and they’d deliberately turn themselves into the authorities.
Boomstick: But Ren couldn’t perform his heists without a solid arsenal. He wields a knife, a grappling hook, and a gun in combat. Though in actual fact, the weapons are actually toys, but they look so realistic that his opponents think that they are real. And somehow that gives him the ability to actually use them in combat.
Wiz: However, Ren's real power is in his ability to use Personas. A Persona is a righteous manifestation of one’s thoughts which can be used in combat. Personas can cast powerful spells, or attack with devastating physical blows. Ren has an ability called the Wild Card, which allows him to use many different Personas. However, in this battle, we are limiting him to only two.
Boomstick: His main Persona is Arsene, named after the gentleman-thief from the French writer Maurice LeBlanc’s stories. It possesses many moves that could cause trouble for any opponent. Like Eiha, which deals Curse damage, and as seen in Smash, slowly chips away at an adversary’s health.
Wiz: Cleave is a simple Physical skill. He can also use Dream Needle, which deals more Physical damage and can put an opponent to sleep.
Boomstick: And Sukunda decreases an enemy’s Agility. Arsene can also use Tetrakarn and Makarekarn, two counters that can reflect Physical and Magic attacks, respectively.
Wiz: The best moves that Arsene can utilise are Brave Blade and Eigaon, which deal heavy Physical and Curse damage respectively.
Boomstick: But when Ren's true power is awakened, Arsene gets a sweet upgrade, transforming him into the devil itself!
Shows the final battle of Persona 5, where Ren summons Satanael.
Ren Amamiya: Pillage him! Satanael!
Wiz: This is Satanael, said to be the form of Satan before he was cast down from Heaven by God.
Boomstick: Now we’re talkin’! Satanael has access to some of the strongest moves in the game, like Maeigaon, Megidolaon, Riot Gun, and Cosmic Flare.
Wiz: His passive abilities are no joke either. Survival Trick allows him to survive one instant-kill move, and Unshaken Will makes him completely invulnerable to mental effects like Brainwash of Despair.
Boomstick: And Victory Cry allows him to fully restore all HP and SP after a battle. Almost like one last ‘screw you’ to his opponent, reducing all their efforts to nothing.
Wiz: But even these all pale in comparison to his ultimate attack: Sinful Shell.
Boomstick: What?! What could be more powerful than all this stuff?!!
Wiz: Sinful Shell is Satanael’s final attack. With this move, Ren can harness the power of the Seven Deadly Sins, namely Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, Sloth, Envy, and Pride, into a bullet that is said to be able to even ‘pierce a god’.
Boomstick: Well, with all these powers, it’s no surprise that Ren's pulled of some pretty incredible feats. He’s survived being burned, frozen, electrocuted and more while on all his adventures. And alongside the other Phantom Thieves, Ren has defeated many Shadows and stolen the hearts of countless villains, including Suguru Kamoshida, Ichiryusai Madarame, Junya Kaneshiro, Kunikazu Okumura, and Masayoshi Shido.
Wiz: Ren also defeated Goro Akechi, who was responsible for the mental shutdowns in Tokyo. And in the climactic battle for the world, Ren defeated God’s four angels, and finally defeated the malicious god Yaldabaoth with a single Sinful Shell.
Boomstick: Okay…does he have any weaknesses? Any at all?
Wiz: Of course. And they are EXTREMELY noticeable. In order to use his Persona abilities, Ren has to either use some of his health or SP, both of which are limited. Furthermore, Ren has very little solo battle experience, which puts him at a disadvantage in the one-on-one scenario of a Death Battle. And finally, keep in mind that he is still just a normal kid. He can certainly take the pain, but he can eventually be overpowered.
Boomstick: Still, if you ever see a corrupt figure in power, you can always count on Ren Amamiya to take their heart!
Shows the Phantom Thieves challenging Masayoshi Shido on a live broadcast in Persona 5.
Ryuji Sakamoto: We’re not gonna sit back and watch some crook wreck this country just ‘cause of his goddamn ego! Ain’t that right, Leader?
Ren Amamiya: Yes. Before that happens, we will take this country!
Ness[]
(cue: “Bein’ Friends” - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)
Wiz: In the year 20XX-
Boomstick: Erm, you’ve already read that, Wiz.
Wiz: No, Earthbound takes place in the year 20XX as well. Anyway, in the year 20XX, the world was attacked by an alien race led by Giygas.
Boomstick: Giygas wreaked havoc on the planet, transforming whatever he wanted into deadly monsters.
Wiz: Luckily, there was a hero. A chosen one who would save the world from destruction. A warrior with powerful psychic abilities.
Boomstick: A fat, thirteen-year-old kid from Eagleland!
Wiz: This boy was Ness. After teaming up with three other kids named Paula, Jeff, and Poo, Ness went on a quest to stop the evil Giygas, eventually confronting him after travelling back in time.
Boomstick: But of course, no ordinary kid could take down an intergalactic warlord! Ness obviously has some nifty tricks up his almost nonexistent sleeves. These magical abilities are known as PSI or PK moves.
Wiz: PSI Flash generates a large green flash that can send opponents flying and cause them to cry or go unconscious.
Boomstick: PK Fire conjures up a multi-hitting column of flame which is useful for trapping opponents. And causing rage quits in Smash Bros.
Wiz: PK Thunder creates a bolt of electricity that can break through psychic barriers, or transform him into a high-voltage human missile. PSI Rockin’ generates a devastating psychokinetic blast which can down even the toughest foes.
Boomstick: Hypnosis is able to put enemies to sleep, and Paralysis can num opponents.
Wiz: PSI Magnet can absorb projectiles and absorb the energy to heal, and PSI Shield can form a psychic shield. He can also use Heal to, well, heal, and teleport by using Teleport.
Boomstick: And if all that fails, he can just use a baseball bat or a yo-yo to clobber his opponents.
Wiz: And finally, Ness’ strongest move: PK Starstorm.
Boomstick: Again, it’s pretty self-explanatory. He causes a storm that makes stars rain from the sky.
Wiz: With the correct calculations, you can work out that it takes around 4.457× 10^32 joules of energy to pull the Earth out of orbit from the Sun. And stars orbit the centre of the galaxy that they’re in. Bear in mind that larger objects have a strongest gravitational field. Pulling the Earth out of orbit seems like nothing when you compare it to pulling a star out of orbit. Therefore, Ness is able to generate well over 4.457× 10^32 joules of energy.
- The number that I obtained here is from this: https://www.quora.com/How-much-energy-would-it-take-to-shift-the-Earth-from-its-orbit-around-the-Sun-and-propel-it-out-of-the-solar-system-and-are-there-any-processes-natural-or-otherwise-that-could-achieve-this.
- I did not come up with this calculation on my own, and I am not claiming it as my own either.
Boomstick: Holy hell! And he’s pulling not just one, but multiple stars out of orbit!
Wiz: With all these mind-blowing abilities, it’s no surprise that Ness has proven himself to be one of Nintendo’s strongest fighters. He’s erased Giygas from existence entirely, and defeated Porky and the Pig King Statue.
Boomstick: He also ventured through Subspace alongside Luigi and King Dedede to save many Nintendo fighters, like Mario and Link.
Wiz: But Ness isn’t perfect. He can randomly suffer from homesickness, which can render him extremely vulnerable. The only ways to cue it are to phone his mom, or visit Dr. Saturn, but let’s face it, he can’t do that in the heat of combat.
Boomstick: His psionic attacks also require PP, which means that he has to carefully plan his attacks, otherwise he’ll be left with few means of attack.
Wiz: But when the world is under threat from demonic aliens, who’re you gonna call?
Boomstick: GhOsTbUsTeRs??
Wiz: … *sigh* I got nothing. I don’t even know how to respond to that.
Shows Ness saving Lucas by destroying the Pig King Statue in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Ness: PK THUNDER!
Interlude[]
Wiz: All right, the combatants are set. We’ve done the research, but the fight could still go either way!
Boomstick: It’s time for a Death Battle!
Death Battle![]
Prism Tower, 5:56 P.M. A figure sits atop the tower, glaring down at the masses. He speaks into a small microphone inside his Phantom Thief outfit.
Ren Amamiya: Target spotted.
Futaba Sakura: Yup, that’s Jeff alright.
Ren Amamiya: Jeff. Why does he have a bunch of fireworks on him?
Just then, a boy wielding a baseball bat appears behind Ren.
Ness: How do you know about him? Where is he?
Ren stands up, and looks Ness in the eyes.
Ren Amamiya': This doesn’t concern you. Begone.
Ness: Jeff’s my friend! I won’t rest until I’ve found him again!
Ness grabs Ren by the throat, but Ren trips him up. Both of them fall off Prism Tower and land hard on the ground, where a crowd of onlookers forms a ring around the two.
Ness: Last chance. Tell me where he is!
Ren Amamiya': You beat me, I’ll tell you all you need to know.
Ness: Oh, it’s on now.
(cue: “Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise” - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)
They get into fighting stances, Ren twirling his knife and his gun, and Ness clutching his baseball bat and yo-yo.
FIGHT!
The two trade blows with their weapons, hitting each other in time with the music. Ness winds up his arm, and delivers a heavy blow to Akira’s head. He then attempts to follow up with a yo-yo strike, but Ren kicks him in the groin and cuts the string of the yo-yo with his knife.
Ness: Oh, come on!
Ness desperately swings his baseball bat again, but Ren pulls out a grappling hook and uses it to grab onto the bat.
Ren Amamiya': You’re mine!
Ren yanks the hook back, dragging Ness along the floor.
Ren Amamiya': Had enough yet?
Grimacing angrily, Ness gets back up.
Ness: Just gettin’ started!
Purple energy radiates from the palms of Ness’ hands as he assumes a Doctor Strange-style position.
Ren Amamiya': Oh, you wanna play that game, huh? Very well. Come! ARSENE!
(cue: 0:43 “Rivers in the Desert” - Persona 5)
As Ren tears his mask of his face, blue flames erupt from his body. When the fire disappears, his Persona, Arsene, stands behind him.
Ren Amamiya': Eiha!
Akira snaps his fingers, and a bolt of underworldly energy streaks towards Ness.
Ness: PK Thunder!
Ness retaliates by launching a ball of electricity at Akira. It tears through the Eiha, and blasts Ren in the face.
Ren Amamiya': Nngh…
The electric ball heads back towards its user. It goes around Ness and hits him the back, causing him to fly forwards towards Ren.
Ness: Here I come!
Ness barrels into Ren, sending the Japanese high schooler flying. He follows him, leaping into the air whilst grinning.
Ness: PK Fire!
A jet of flame heads towards Ren.
Ren Amamiya': Makarekarn!
A magical blue wall appears around Ren, causing the flame to bounce straight back, trapping Ness in his own move. Akira dives downwards feet-first, slamming Ness into the ground and creating a large crack in the ground.
Ness: You’re really starting to get on my nerves, you bespectacled freak!
Ren Amamiya': Ravage him!
Arsene swipes his hands to use Cleave, but Ness is too fast.
Ness: Hypnosis!
Suddenly, Ren's eyelids begin to feel heavy.
Ren Amamiya': Tch…it’s not time to sleep yet, Morgana…
He crumples to the floor, asleep.
Ness: You’re done for now! PK FIRE! PK FIRE! PK FIRE!
Ren is hit multiple times by the flames. He groans in pain, but remains asleep.
Ness: PK Rockin’!
Ness emits a powerful psychokinetic blast from his hands. Ren is thrown backwards, and many nearby buildings are reduced to rubble. The onlookers run away screaming, shocked at how a simple street brawl between to kids turned into a full-scale duel. The force of the attack wakes Ren up, and he looks dazedly at a figure moving towards him.
Ness: One last chance, buddy. Where. Is. Jeff?
Ren Amamiya:' Shut up. For the sake of the Phantom Thieves, I cannot lose!
Just then, Arsene appears to writhe in pain. The black chains surrounding him break, and he begins to get bigger and bigger. Ness stumbles backwards in horror.
(cue: “Our Beginning” - Persona 5)
Arsene was no longer there. Instead, an enormous horned figure stood behind Ren, laughing menacingly.
Ren Amamiya': Pillage him! Satanael!
Ness: I see. So you won’t give me information no matter what, hm? Very well. I’LL JUST KILL YOU INSTEAD! PK FLASH!
A green burst of light streaks towards Ren. But he simply laughs and waves his hand.
Akira Kurusu: Cosmic Flare!
Ness screams as he is caught in a small nuclear explosion. More buildings are brought crashing to the ground. Ren casts Maeigaon and Riot Gun, and Ness is launched into the air. Grinning maliciously, Ren follows up by repeatedly stabbing Ness in the chest with his knife, causing the boy from Onett to crumple to the floor.
Ren Amamiya': It’s done.
He turns his back on Ness and begins walking away. Just then, Ness gets up, wiping the blood off his face.
Ness: All that for a drop of blood…
Ren looks back in surprise, only to see Ness raise his hands.
Ness: PK…STARSTORM!!!
All the onlookers and Ren look up to see stars raining down from the sky. Many shrieking civilians are hit by the stars, turning them into dust upon contact. Ren dashes left and right, dodging many of them.
Ness: Stand still, coward! Paralysis!
Ren, however, is completely unaffected by it.
Ren Amamiya': My mind is clear.
He sprints towards Ness and kicks him twice, then shoots him in the face.
Ren Amamiya': Megidolaon!
Godly energy engulfs Ness, finally knocking his hat off his head. Ness lands on the ground, bruised and battered from the ordeal. He gets up, only to see Ren pointing his gun straight at his heart. Satanael had also produced a giant gun, and was pointing it at Ness as well.
Ren Amamiya': Begone!
Blood spurts out of Ness’s body as he staggers backwards in pain. Ren lowers his gun, knowing that it is over this time. He walks away, calling Satanael to return to him.
Ren Amamiya': See ya.
Akira adjusts his red gloves, just as Ness explodes in a shower of blood.
(music stops)
Ren Amamiya': Hey, Futaba? I’m coming to stay in Leblanc for a couple of days. Contact the others.
Ren sprints off into the distance, all the wounds from the battle having completely disappeared.
K.O!
Ren sits inside Leblanc, telling the other Phantom Thieves about the fight. Haru finds it strangely satisfying.
Ness is seen with a prisoner’s jumpsuit inside a cell with iron bars and velvet walls. A long-nosed man tells him that he will spend eternity there, repenting for his actions.
Results[]
Boomstick: Holy. Shit. That was awesome!
Wiz: Both Ren and Ness have potent magical skills, as well as insane durability and strength. Akira can blast a hole in a deity’s head, Ness can move stars. But ultimately, Akira won out due to his overall fighting style.
Boomstick: Ness is more or less your average, run-of-the-mill magic user. Sure, he’s powerful, but his strategy is just whaling on opponents until they go down.
Wiz: On the other hand, Ren has proven time and time again that he is one of the smartest and most strategic fighters of all time. He can create elaborate plans on the fly to counter any opponent.
Boomstick: Aw Wiz, but why didn’t PK Starstorm just kill Ren instantly? You went on and on about Ness could generate ridiculous amounts of energy to move stars out of orbit!
Wiz: The only time Ness is seen doing PK Starstorm by himself in in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In that game, it isn’t hard for some of the slower fighters like Ganondorf to dodge it completely. And Ren is leagues faster than Ganondorf, so he’d have no trouble whatsoever avoiding the stars. Even if the attack connected, bear in mind that, with Satanael, Ren could tank Yaldabaoth’s instant-kill Rays of Control. It’s safe to say that Ren at his peak can tank almost anything. In fact, Ness can’t even use PK Starstorm in Earthbound; it’s Poo who uses it.
Boomstick: Don’t forget that Ness’ is pretty pathetic without his magical powers. I mean, come on. How is a yo-yo supposed to compete with a gun?
Wiz: While you can argue that Ness could go toe-to-toe with Arsene, it was all over for him once Satanael came into play. Bear in mind that Ren was severely handicapped in the battle due to the lack of his Wild Card skill. Had it been implemented, this fight would’ve been over far faster, as Ness just wouldn’t be able to keep up with the rapid change in powerful Personas like Titania or Yoshitsune.
Boomstick: Welp, looks like this really was Ness’ last surprise.
Wiz: The winner is Ren Amamiya!
A note from KageScourge: ‘Sup, everyone! Thanks for reading what I believe to be my best Fanon Death Battle yet! However, I would like to point out a few things. I am aware that practically everyone was rooting for Ness, but I didn’t make Ren win purely to troll everyone. I did my research. This was the Death Battle that I spent the most time researching, so I don’t want any hate-slinging in the comments purely because the fighter that everyone was rooting for lost. If you want to give constructive criticism or your own opinion, that’s fine. Just keep it civil. Thanks.