Pyrrha Nikos vs Esdeath is a Death Battle by Peep4Life.
| Pyrrha Nikos vs Esdeath | |
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| Season 2, Episode 3 | |
Vital statistics
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| Air date | March 20, 2019 |
| Written by | Peep4Life |
| Directed by | Peep4Life |
Episode guide
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| Previous | Next |
| Akame vs Tyrian | Rochelle vs Ellie |
Description[]
Season 2 Episode 3! RWBY vs Akame ga Kill! They fell in love with... not the greatest fighters. So, when the contrast of blue and red collide, who walks away victorious?
Interlude[]
Wiz: One sided romance - a struggle that even mighty warriors struggle to bear with. Today, two girls who fell for someone with their hearts set on someone else collide in the field.
Boomstick: Pyrrha Nikos, Beacon Academy's star pupil.
Wiz: And Esdeath - the cryokinetic general.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyse their weapons, armour and skill to find out who would win a Death Battle.
Pyrrha Nikos[]
Wiz: A lot of the students of the academies in Remnant had to deal with pressure. The pressure of being their world's heroes of the future, the pressure of family namesake and some people had the weight of being a world renowned fighter.
Boomstick: At first glance, being the best at everything might seem like a cakewalk but that was not the experience Pyrrha wanted at school. After graduating from Sanctum Academy - at the top of her class of course - Pyrrha came to Vale and studied at Beacon.
Wiz: Trying to subdue her reputation for a short while, Pyrrha grew fond of Jaune Arc, whose kindness and personality made up for his lack of skill as a huntsman. Pyrrha became utterly fascinated by Jaune, falling in love with him over the course of their time as members of Team JNPR. But Jaune never saw the obvious signs of affection - treating her as a teacher rather than love interest.
Boomstick: And so, Jaune chased Weiss' heart for years, to no avail, while Pyrrha was there to pick up the pieces. Man, she left Atlas for this?
Wiz: Apparently. Pyrrha continued her development as a huntress, becoming the lorded invincible girl of the academy, and had been handpicked by Ozpin to inherit the powers of the Fall Maiden. Pyrrha was taken back by the knowledge of the reality of what had once been considered myths, but vowed to take on the burden of being the next Fall Maiden.
Boomstick: That would have to wait, however, as the Vytal Festival was in progress, and Pyrrha - of course - was in the finals. And she became a pivotal part of Salem's schemes, being turned into a scapegoat after she inadvertently killed Penny Polendina.
Wiz: The broadcast saw Pyrrha savagely tear her apart, as opposed to the reality that Pyrrha was under the influence of illusions at the hands of Emerald Sustrai. This was soon followed by a security breach as hordes of Grimm stampeded into the Kingdom of Vale and began to attack Beacon Academy.
Boomstick: With her bearings back, eventually anyway, she joined Jaune, Ren, Ruby, Sun and several other students in taking on hacked Atlesian guards and Grimm. And then... destiny called.
Wiz: Ozpin needed to rush the transfer of the Fall Maiden's powers to Pyrrha as Salem's faction had already stolen half. He hooked Pyrrha to the pods, but was too late, and Cinder stole the last of the power.
Boomstick: Leading to a fateful decision. Pyrrha knew she may be the only student of the academy who could even hope to defeat Cinder. So she climbed the tower, and engaged the Fall Maiden. And you all know what happened next - Rooster Teeth have shoehorned reminders into the three volumes since.
Wiz: Despite her best efforts, Pyrrha could not hang with Cinder's powers, and eventually succumbed to the Fall Maiden. Being disintegrated in front of Ruby Rose's eyes. Jaune would use the remnants of Pyrrha's gear to enhance his armour and would constantly train to videos she left him.
Boomstick: So, what made Pyrrha Nikos such an important part of Ozpin's plan?
(This Will Be The Day Instrumental)
Wiz: Pyrrha wielded Milo and Akouo, a spear and shield combination which served multiple functions. The spear, Milo, resembled three weapons: primarily the javelin - no, not the rocket launcher from Call of Duty - which Pyrrha could throw with expert technique and marksmanship. She managed to nail a throw from across a large portion of forest, connecting directly into Jaune's hoody and pinning him to the bark.
Boomstick: Impressively not taking the guy's head off as well. Good throw.
Wiz: Milo was offered a sword function, helping Pyrrha in close range melee confrontations. Switching between the jabs of a spear and the cleaves of a sword was a technique that not one member of Team CRDL was able to adapt to in time.
Boomstick: Without the weapons in hand, she was able to display her familiarity with blade work when she was able to subdue Team RWBY in most of the food fight. And sure, baguette sticks are not the most reliable weapon, but Pyrrha made them work. The point of this comparison is her technique and ability to use any blade to subdue a foe.
Wiz: On top of this, Pyrrha's Milo can also be used as a rifle. It seems to resemble the M1 Garand from World War 2. The function of each incarnation helped to boost efficiency. The most common being the rifle would fire in order to give the spear extra momentum in flight.
Boomstick: Sadly, Milo was not unbreakable. And in the fight against Cinder, Pyrrha found out Milo's melting point. That said, Pyrrha doesn't solely rely on the spear; she has Akouo - a shield which she can toss similarly to Captain America.
Wiz: Obviously it can defend against attacks - as she has shown against the likes of Cinder and Team BRNZ, but Pyrrha commonly uses the shield as a battering ram, leaping into it and using her body weight to overpower her enemy. She attempted this against Cinder as an initial attack, and was able to parry off creatures of Grimm with it.
Boomstick: But, like most huntsmen and huntresses, Pyrrha is heavily aided by her semblance: Polarity.
Wiz: Using polarity, Pyrrha can recall her weapons or throw them with additional force. But more efficiently, Pyrrha can call on the magnetic surroundings and manipulate them. Such as the giant metal gears-
Boomstick: Sweet! A RWBY and Metal Gear crossover?
Wiz: No, the gears in the Beacon Tower. They were metallic and came into play as Pyrrha fought to subdue the Fall Maiden. She also used Polarity to manipulate Jaune's movements to resemble anything near competence as he overcame an Ursa in the woods.
Boomstick: And she used it to send back Penny's swords, dicing her in the middle of the arena too. Brutal.
Wiz: Pyrrha, however, is not as all out as you'd expect someone with her semblance to be, however. In their brief sparring bout, Mercury was able to deduce that Pyrrha - while able to manipulate his prosthetic legs - only did so ever so slightly. Ultimately, her modesty in her usage of Polarity put her opponents at a disadvantage as she never truly was as all out as the ability seemed. Take the match with Mercury, where she slightly shifted his legs off course as opposed to rag dolling him - which she'd surely be able to do.
Boomstick: Though, in extreme cases, she was able to force an elevator to work when she magnetically grabbed it and pulled it up the shaft.
Wiz: And finally, she has her aura.
Boomstick: Again? Right, guess Peep's in no rush to stop using RWBY characters so we'll explain it...
Wiz and Boomstick: Again!
Wiz: Aura is the manifestation of the soul, and can be used as a personal defence mechanism similar to a forcefield.
Boomstick: While at it's strongest, aura can make the character resistant to attacks that should cause much more harm. It wears off over time, but more skilled applicants of aura seem to maintain it for longer.
Wiz: It can be used on the attack, but this has only been displayed by two people: Ren and Fox. And Once aura is depleted, the character is just as vulnerable as a regular person, as seen for Pyrrha when her own shield recoiled into her face and depleted her aura. She was then vulnerable to Cinder's arrow, which took out her heel.
Boomstick: Aura users begin to show crackling colours over their bodies to indicate their aura is about to expire. So, it essentially serves as a massive bullseye. Such a dick move for it to turn on you like that.
Wiz: Pyrrha only ever showed her aura to be broken once, and that was to a Fall Maiden to be fair. It is not hard to see why Ozpin wanted her as the next Fall Maiden; her potential far exceeded that of the rest of his students.
Boomstick: But hey, at least Cinder is using that power in ways she "never could have imagined".
Cinder gets frozen over by Raven and falls into the depths of Haven Academy.
Boomstick: Oh yeah... But, she is still showing her worthiness of it; toying with bandits and... Neopolitan. Alright, let's move on.
Pyrrha Nikos: I'll do it. If you believe this will help humanity, then I will become your Fall Maiden.
Esdeath[]
Wiz: Put yourself in a position of power. You have a cunning band of assassins who undermine you and help fuel the fires of rebellion across your land. How do you hope to survive?
Boomstick: If your answer is not "badass ice general" then this might not be the analysis for you.
Wiz: Esdeath was the finest general in her army, often single handed in winning battles and wars for her unit. Raised on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, she was taught from a young age by her father to adopt the mentality of survival of the strongest.
Boomstick: Not bad advice to pass on considering the world happened to be inhabited by pretty ferocious creatures and warriors.
Wiz: Esdeath assumed the position of general amid the ranks of the Empire and was charged with quelling uprisings all over the region. But one day, the general would seek a new experience; falling in love.
Boomstick: Obviously, the charms of freezing over the weak was not cutting it any more, so she wanted herself a young lover. No, not quite in the sick way, but unsettling if you're the fella she has eyes for.
Wiz: Poor Tatsumi... His mannerism and smile was enough to send the general head over heels, melting her heart of ice probably for the first time in her life.
Boomstick: Oh, will you stop with the sappy crap?
Wiz: That's literally the story! Tatsumi was exactly what Esdeath wanted. And she was going to make sure she kept him. Well... until he managed to escape through the river.
Boomstick: Kinda like my first love...
In the mean time, Esdeath would rally several other skilled warriors to aid her in her charge of eliminating Night Raid: The Jaegers.
Boomstick: Starring all your favourites: Kurome, Wave, Bols, Seryu, Run and that fucking irritating doctor guy. What was his name, Stylish?
Wiz: She would ensure that these soldiers were up to any task, punishing failure harshly and setting lofty expectations for fitness and skill.
Boomstick: Like when she welcomed Kurome back into the fold by trying to spark her out.
Wiz: Esdeath would spend her spare moments hoping to encounter Tatsumi again, meeting him several times but never winning him over. She opened up to him about her stance on joining Night Raid, and that was the end of the negotiations. Esdeath would soon learn of Tatsumi's connection to Night Raid, imprisoning him. She would soon be charged with executing him. Tatsumi was freed, but Esdeath was engaged in fierce battle with several members of Night Raid.
Boomstick: And then, when shit really hit the fan, Tatsumi gave his life to protect the people of the capital. Much to Esdeath's disgust.
Wiz: And yet, she still mourned him. Before beginning her bout with Akame. She held the upper hand for the majority of the battle, before being cut down - blinded by her own blood lust.
Boomstick: That's not to say Esdeath was bad. By any stretch. Esdeath was regarded as the very best fighter in her time. And it's hard to dispute that; she soloed armies and froze over entire villages of people.
Wiz: A gifted cryokinetic, Esdeath was bestowed with the teigu - Demon's Extract. Thus made it so she was able to use ice in a handful of creative ways. In some instances she would create giant pillars of ice, blocking off foes and knocking them about if they weren't alert. She could elevate these to great heights as well, and the platforms were large enough to easily keep her and Tatsumi aboard.
Boomstick: Or she could rain death on some fools with a blizzard of icy shards. And you thought you hated it when there was a hail storm?
Wiz: She would pelt her opponents with projectiles, sharp enough to cut the flesh, and could do all this while still attacking with swordplay. Oh, and as a duellist, she happened to be the best at that as well. She was able to fight on par with Akame for extended amounts of time, only losing when she allowed her thirst for Night Raid blood to overwhelm her.
Boomstick: Her fencing saw her able to overcome Susanoo, a highly skilled humanoid Teigu. As well as this, she had sheer intimidation on her side. Her reputation could win a battle before a single action had been made. And in fairness, that's easy to see why.
Wiz: Well, yeah. It'd be daunting to be told you'd be fighting the toughest general in the existence of the Empire. Especially when the tales outline how she squashed so many squads of people.
Boomstick: She was also a fantastic strategist, being wise enough to use Kurome during the mission in the valleys as she knew that thanks to the use of Kurome's puppets, she'd be best suited to deal with the potential ambush. It'd be like playing XCOM, but after resetting the battle after each turn so you know exactly where everything is.
Wiz: In... a manner of speaking. Esdeath was indeed smart, and knowledgeable of her opponent's tactics. Though that is to be expected through years of experience. Esdeath could also create her own weapons on the fly, being able to create spare swords if she so needed them and changing up her style to suit the needs of her current situation. Her ice was solid enough to contain dozens of people, and was large enough to pass as city walls, as seen when she blocked off Akame from the rest of the Revolutionary Army.
Boomstick: Hey, if you're setting up for the hottest 1v1 of all time, one that'd shame matches on Shipment and Rust, you don't want any jump ins.
Wiz: Esdeath could not only cope in any environment, but rather she could create the kind of environment she wanted. With the constant use of her cryokinetic powers, she could create platforms to slow down the rhythms of faster foes as well as create spiky ice attacks to force them to keep moving on. Akame had very little time to think or act in her battle with Esdeath because of the general's constant usage of ice - forcing Akame to move, or drawing out an unnecessary block from the Night Raid assassin.
Boomstick: Esdeath also wielded a Trump Card - kind of like a semblance. However, Esdeath hardly ever called on it. Yep. She was that good that she only ever used it a handful of times before her demise. And once was in that battle with Akame.
Wiz: The Trump Card for Demon's Extract was Mahapadma. An ability not too different to one Chaos Control. It froze time and space - without the use of a Chaos Emerald, so she may have one up on them there. This was extremely taxing on her though, resorting the amount of times she could use it. Initially, it imprisoned Tatsumi when he tried to escape (even if Incursio found a way to resist it).
Boomstick: Oh, and she also has a second Trump Card for it - in which she can summon an army of Ice Centaur soldiers. This went by the name of Ice Calvary. And if fighting Esdeath was already the fight of your life, this made it an absolute massacre.
Wiz: As impressive as she may have been, Akame was more than capable of keeping up with, and tagging her. Esdeath had to resort to slicing off her own arm to prevent the effects of the Murasame from overwhelming her. And while she fought on, had she not been so twisted, she was already a dead woman.
Boomstick: Yeah, but she's still a badass. And she fought through the pain - curses be damned. If I were forced to pick a side, I'd choose the winning one.
Wiz: ?
Boomstick: It means I'd pick hers, dammit.
Esdeath: The weak are destined to lie beneath the boots of the strong. If that angers you, overcome your deficits.
Intermission[]
Wiz: Alright the combatants are set. Let's end this debate once and for all.
Boomstick: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!
Fight[]
Location: Arena (Akame ga Kill)
Pyrrha trudged out of the entrance, shielding her eyes from the sunlight beaming down on her. This was a big chance for her - and one she could not squander. "Come child, step closer." Esdeath ordered from the centrer of the arena. Her sword remained on her hilt and she stood motionless. "Remember our deal?" Pyrrha asked, double checking she was not walking into a trap. But the general stood and smiled. "If you somehow win - the Empire will surrender. If you lose... well... Let's just say your friends' presence in the audience will be brought to light."
Pyrrha gasped, as Jaune, Ren and Nora were quickly alluded to by a glance of the general. "My team will be in no danger, general. Now: I officially challenge the Empire's rule!" Pyrrha said, as she used Polarity to bring her weapons to hand. Esdeath sneered, as she brought up her weapon. "Then, let's begin." she remarked.
FIGHT!
It was indeed Pyrrha who attacked first, throwing Milo at Esdeath, who blocked the attack with ease. Pyrrha then jumped at the general, placing all her body weight behind her shield before being thrusted back by Esdeath's strength. The general came forwards with deliberate stabs at Pyrrha's chest, but she was able to pull her spear in the way, deflecting the attempt and backing up. Esdeath continued her onslaught though, hammering at Pyrrha's guard. The huntress placed her shield in the way, blocking off the sword, before using Polarity to niggle at Esdeath's strike. Her sword swayed off to a side, and allowed Pyrrha to spring up. Only into a boot by the general, who sent her careening into the wall.
Pyrrha got back up, shaking off the cobwebs quickly, and throwing her shield, forcing Esdeath to dodge to a side. Pyrrha then got to her feet, and rushed beneath Esdeath's attempt at a decapitation. She grabbed on to her spear and used Polarity again, this time guiding it as a missile towards Esdeath. The general sneered as she called on her Imperial Arms for the first time of the battle, creating a pillar of ice which appeared directly between herself and Milo. The spear was caught in the summon, leaving Pyrrha relatively defenseless. Bad timing as well, as Esdeath was on the move, and closing in quick. Pyrrha rolled through the first attack, but took the second to the chest, which was immediately followed on by a blast of ice. Pyrrha skidded across the floor, but managed to catch a break when she recalled her shield, slamming it on the back of Esdeath's head on the way.
Now with her weapons all back together, Pyrrha attempted to press an offensive attack. Her spear clashed with the blade of the general, but Esdeath didn't even look fazed by the momentum the huntress was picking up. "Your skill is admirable. But ultimately not enough." she said coldly, summoning a swarm of icy shards that rained down on Pyrrha. She raised her shield, protecting herself, but then leaving herself open to a cut across the stomach. Pyrrha quickly shifted to readjust, shifting herself just out of range from Esdeath's assault.
The general swept forwards, using her cryokinesis to summon a barrier of ice behind the backing off Pyrrha. As the huntress was surprised by the contact of cold on her back, Esdeath took advantage with a swift kick to the chin of her adversary. Pyrrha skidded across the floor, and looked around for something to use. She opted to throw her shield again, which Esdeath froze in midair, but that had been a feign for Pyrrha's real move. The huntress ripped the metal door behind Esdeath off its hinges and slammed it into the back of the general. Pyrrha now sensed an opening, kicking Esdeath on the face and then slashing her several times across the back. She then slammed her back to the floor, and used her Polarity to slam the door into Esdeath's face, pinning her. But then, as Pyrrha grabbed the shield from inside the ice, Esdeath sent a massive pillar directed at Pyrrha's chest. The huntress instinctively brought her shield to her face to protect herself, but that was a mistake.
The impact stunned Pyrrha slightly, certainly enough for Esdeath to invite herself back into the match. Her face had grown a frown - though not in frustration. It was, however, pure rage at the thought that Pyrrha was actually trying to undo the general here. Esdeath darted forwards, her blade work being presented for all to see as she attempted to slice and cut away at Pyrrha's right arm. Pyrrha understood why; her shield was being a valuable weapon. Esdeath went for a large kick again, but this time the shield was able to spring her backwards, forcing Esdeath into a somersault style movement. She landed on her knee, and Pyrrha swiftly slid in, and raised a kick into the side of Esdeath's face. The general hobbled back to her feet, and glared. "Such passion - and yet, it'll come to nothing." she commented, as she created a ring of ice spikes around Pyrrha. The huntress dragged her shield across them, dulling the spikes, but Esdeath was closing the ring in. Which Pyrrha saw at the last moment. She sprang up, only for Esdeath to drag a pillar of ice across, blasting her in the spine and dropping her to the floor.
(Red Like Roses Part 2 Instrumental 0:18)
But Pyrrha was adamant that she was not going to go down. She pulled herself up, using Polarity to drag metal off the supports in the arena, forcing them down on Esdeath, who was forced to expend her ice in multiple directions. Pyrrha slashed at the general's knees, which made her back step, and forced an engagement of blades again. Esdeath snarled, before dragging her sword down Milo, flicking the sparks into Pyrrha's face. The huntress cried out, but as Esdeath looked to stab her, she reached out with her semblance, and twisted the sword into oblivion. Pyrrha then smelled the advantage, and rammed her shield into Esdeath's chest, slamming her into a pillar of ice that she previously summoned. Pyrrha flipped herself backwards, and tried to launch her weapons again, only for a blizzard of ice to shield Esdeath. "No.." she realized. The storm headed her way, and she dragged the metal around herself to protect her body. Though the ice was held off, Esdeath had little trouble kicking her way through the door.
"It's time for your fall, child." Esdeath said, unamused. She grabbed Pyrrha by the hair and dragged her out of the cover, but the huntress used her nimbleness to free herself, parting ways with Milo again. This time, Esdeath caught the spear, and froze over it as she created a Broad Sword esque weapon. Pyrrha sent a trail of metal based projectiles at Esdeath, who swatted them aside, but then in came Pyrrha, ready to slam her shield into Esdeath's head, when...
"Mahapadma!" Esdeath called on calmly. Pyrrha didn't move - she couldn't move. And Esdeath knew this. "Thank you for the contest, huntress. But this is the Empire's land and people." she then slashed Pyrrha across the chest. "And it will stay that way so long as the Empire is the only one possessing strength." she concluded, delivering rapid slashes across the defenseless huntress' body. Pyrrha's body crackled as her aura failed. Now was her chance. Esdeath cut through Pyrrha's arm, as time came back to normal.
Pyrrha's eyes grew in shock, seeing her arm drop to the side, blood - her blood splashing back across her face. She then looked back forwards, as two pillars of ice converged, sandwiching her in a bloody, gushy impact.
The rest of Team JNPR were then flooded by guards, quickly slipping through the exit. But... what now? Pyrrha was gone and along with her, so was the best chance of liberating the Capital. For now.
KO!
Conclusion[]
Boomstick: So much for the invincible girl…
Wiz: It was pretty comfortable in the end for Esdeath, largely down to her vast experience over Pyrrha. While Pyrrha was a capable huntress and a worthy Fall Maiden candidate, she simply was not ready to take on a foe like Esdeath, who had been a military general for years, and single handedly won many battles. Especially when you consider how young Esdeath was in the flashback explaining her habit of killing. Pyrrha on the other hand never truly graduated Beacon Academy.
Boomstick: Sure, Pyrrha soloing Team CRDL was fairly impressive, but they were unrefined, unpolished fighters with hardly a fraction of the talent that the Revolutionary Army had at their disposal.
Wiz: Esdeath also held the edge when it came to physical and striking strength in this engagement as well; she had the strength in her legs to crunch a man’s skull with just a single kick, resulting in a bloodied explosion – after humiliating him and relegating a proud warrior to a sham of a man.
Boomstick: Pyrrha, by contrast, shows her best feats of strength through her application of Polarity. There was just one problem: aside from Esdeath’s original blade, there was nothing really Pyrrha could use against Esdeath.
Wiz: Even if there was, there was little to suggest Esdeath could not use her Imperial Arms to offset Pyrrha’s movements and attacks. Her use of giant columns would break Pyrrha’s focus and she could generate enough force behind her blizzard based attacks to deprive Pyrrha of her defenses.
Boomstick: Pyrrha’s sole advantage was potentially her aura, but that defense was negated by Esdeath’s overwhelmingly superior attack. And while Pyrrha’s skill was true, there’s nothing in that arsenal that Esdeath could not adapt to.
Wiz: Both combatants were able to manipulate environments around them, but only Esdeath could keep this up indiscriminately. Her cryokinesis was able to create platforms and blizzards out of nowhere, whereas Pyrrha would always be looking for a metal to manipulate. Her manipulation of ice could be considered comparable to Cinder Fall’s use of glass. A technique Pyrrha struggled to adapt to and, ultimately, could not match.
Boomstick: Even if Pyrrha managed to relieve the general of her weapons somehow, Esdeath could fall back on her Trump Cards to offer her a hand. Her icy centaur soldiers would be a tough obstacle for Pyrrha to overcome – or if Esdeath wanted to be just as brutal, she could manipulate time and space, something Pyrrha could never hope to adapt to. Assuming she'd need to, I mean. It was very rare for Esdeath to deem a foe worthy of these extremes.
Wiz: Ultimately experience, skill, strength, versatility and superior fall backs were more than enough to hand Esdeath the definitive victory.
Boomstick: That damned Trump Card – it proved a real Maha-dampner on Pyrrha’s spirits.
Wiz: The winner is Esdeath!
