Description[]
Shovel Knight vs Azure Striker Gunvolt. Indie Games have become a major contender in video gaming as of late, and these two have hit the big time for this group of little guys in their respective nations. But in this battle of West vs East, will Shovel Knight give the Azure Striker a shock he'll never forget, or will Gunvolt send the Blue Burrower to an early grave?
Interlude[]
(Cue Wiz and Boomstick)
Wiz: Indie Games. While they've always been around, they've become incredibly popular in recent years. And in their respective countries, these characters encapsulate that popularity.
Boomstick: The fact that they're both blue, fight several bosses with quirky personalities and have saving their lady friend as their main motive also help.
Wiz: Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games' Blue Burrower,
Boomsitck: And Gunvolt, INTI CREATES' Azure Striker. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick!
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills to see who would win a Death Battle.
Shovel Knight digs back into DEATH BATTLE![]
(Cue One Fateful Knight)
Wiz: Long ago, the lands were untamed and roamed by legendary adventurers. Two of such adventurers were Shovel Knight and Shield Knight. Together, they seemed unstoppable, until one day they went to the dreaded Tower of Fate. There, a cursed amulet used terrible magic, knocking out the former. When Shovel Knight awoke, Shield Knight had disappeared.
Boomstick: Needless to say, he was pretty messed up by the whole thing. So he decided to go farm for a while.
Wiz: But then, Shovel Knight was called out of his retirement by the appearance the Enchantress and The Order of No Quarter. So, Shovel Knight went to do what he did best, and hopefully find his love along the way.
Boomstick: And then he went on to directly appear in no less than TWENTY games! Seriously, you can't walk five steps in an indie game without seeing this guy! He even fought Gunvolt in one! Why are we even doing this matchup?!
Wiz: See, crossovers are typically non-canon. The Shovel Knight that appeared in Gunvolt 2 is a non-canon Shovel Knight, just like how Kratos and the Battletoads are non-canon versions of themselves when they appear in Shovel Knight.
Boomstick: Well, that makes sense I guess.
(Cue Strike the Earth!)
Wiz: Shovel Knight wields the Shovel Blade, a shovel that's designed in the vein of a sword. This lets Shovel Knight effectively combine them into one all purpose tool which can dig up dirt as well as it can slay his foes. It lets Shovel Knight use moves like the Dig Slash, Shovel Drop or even the Charge Slash; a slash that Shovel Knight can charge first. But, the Shovel Blade isn't Shovel Knight's only weapon.
Boomstick: He also uses the relics, magic things he got from a weird dude in a chest.
Wiz: The Flare Wand shoots a fireball, the Phase Locket lets Shovel Knight phase through attacks, the Dust Knuckles let him punch through solid dirt and even stone with ease.
Boomstick: The War Horn is a horn that can make a big sound wave to damage everyone around him, the Propeller Dagger combines a helicopter rotor with a sword and the Chaos Sphere: a green bouncy energy ball of death and destruction.
Wiz: Even without his relics, Shovel Knight is still incredibly tough. Even his basic armor is enough to let him survive hits form the Enchantress, who's death resulted in the collapse of the tower of fate.
Note: While the Ultimate Potion is responsible for this in Plague of Shadows, several contradictions with Shovel of Hope as well as the mode being called an alternate quest mean that Plague of Shadows is likely non-canon to Shovel of Hope
Boomstick: Even aside from the mastermind herself, Shovel Knight's beaten all sorts of knights. Flying ones, swimming ones, ghost ones and even one who just blows shit up with stuff he casually drinks. Like me!
Boomstick grabs a bottle of beer and lights a lighter, before being sprayed with a fire extinguisher from Wiz.
Boomstick: You never let me have any fun.
Wiz: You've blown up almost everything else. It's not in the budget for you to send the recording studio to kingdom come. Shovel Knight isn't without weaknesses, however. His relics rely on a limited supply of mana that he can only restore with Ichors from the Tropple King, which are also limited. Not to mention, these are also the only way he can heal himself without finding food on the ground. Despite this, no matter the odds, Shovel Knight will fight for peace, for hope, and for Shovelry.
"King Knight: An interloper is in our midst! Begone from our throne room, knave!
Shovel Knight: I'm no more an intruder than you! You aren't even a real king!
King Knight: Oh, but you're mistaken. The Enchantress saw me for my fabulously regal self, and now all bow before me!
Shovel Knight: You're naught but a decadent dandy! Prepare to taste justice! Shovel justice!"
Gunvolt strikes into DEATH BATTLE![]
(Cue Beginning of a Long Night)
Wiz: Sumeragi. A group involving themselves with the supernatural since the Heian period. When the seventh level of Lifewave, the force that connects all living things. Not to be confused with THE force, from Star Wars. Different things.
Boomstick: Long story short, they saw a way to use people in this seventh level, or Adepts, as an alternate energy source. Definitive proof rich people will do literally anything but solar energy.
Wiz: They decided to go a step farther and implant humans without septima with the first septima ever discovered, the Azure Striker. One of the test subjects was Gunvolt.
(Cue Released Thunder)
Boomstick: Wait, is his actual name Gunvolt? That's badass! I should've named my kid that!
Wiz: You didn't even know you had a kid until she was six. Anyways, technically he has an actual name, just he doesn't know it and most people who did know it are currently dead. Gunvolt is the name of the project that gave him his Septima, and he just kept the name. Anyways, he was saved from Sumeragi by a resistance group called QUILL.
Boomstick: QUILL? Like the bird?
Wiz: Like the feather pen.
(Beat)
Boomstick: Eh. Sometimes you get badass names, sometimes you get shitty names. As is life.
Wiz: Gunvolt quickly rose through the ranks of QUILL, becoming one of their top agents despite also being one of their youngest. That was, until he met the Muse. Sent to destroy it so that Sumeragi couldn't use it to locate Adepts for their purposes, he learned it wasn't a program, but a young girl named Joule. Instead of killing her, he rescued her from Sumeragi, leaving QUILL for good.
Boomstick: You're making this seem more dramatic than it is. He became a freelancer and basically only worked for them. It's like quitting your job as a Pizza Delivery man and then working for UberEats, and only delivering food from the Pizza place you worked at before.
(Cue Infiltration)
Wiz: Gunvolt can manipulate electricity in battle. Be it creating a field of it around him to block some projectiles, firing bolts of it and creating giant swords with it to deal damage, or even turning himself into electrons temporarily with his Prevasion to dodge attacks.
Boomstick: But, his name isn't just Volt. It's GUNvolt. And he does, in fact, have a gun. The Dart Leader fires darts that have some of his hair attached to them, which attracts his own electricity because Sci-Fi logic. This lets him tag his enemies with his darts to fire homing bolts of lightning at them.
Note: While the bolts themselves do very little damage, this can be negated with the Dullahan Bolts or the Lucifer Clip, at the cost of Gunvolt being unable to tag enemies with them.
Boomstick: I would hate to be this guy's barber. On an unrelated note, Wiz, catch!
Boomstick throws a handful of blonde hair at Wiz.
Wiz: Wait what's thi-
Wiz is cut off due to being electrocuted by bolts flying into the hair, making him fall on the floor as a result. He gets up charred, readjusting his glasses.
Boomstick: Hey, I didn't blow up the studio!
Wiz looks at Boomstick for a moment before punching him in the face.
Boomstick: I deserved that. Totally worth it, though.
Wiz: Where did you even get that? Anyways, with skills Gunvolt can also heal himself, boost his stats, and-
Boomstick: Tons of other boring stuff I wouldn't be caught dead using in a Pokémon game.
Wiz: However, Gunvolt's strongest ability by far is Voltaic Chains, where he summons chains and then pumps them with electricity. Still, these abilities do come at a price. Gunvolt's basic electric attacks drain his Electro Psycho energy, while his stronger attacks consume SP. Running out of EP will cause Gunvolt to overheat, meaning he can't use any electric abilities for a few seconds. However, both recharge over time, and the former can even be recharged to full in under a second with just a little bit of concentration if he's not overheating. With all this, it's not hard to see why Gunvolt is considered one of the strongest Adepts.
"Gunvolt: You just keep on gloating, don't you? Think I'm too slow? You're all flash, nothing more. Keeping up with you is a breeze!
Jota: Shut your trap, traitor! By my blade of light, I will cut you down!
Gunvolt: My lightning will bust right through it!
Jota: Die... Light-less one!
Gunvolt: Oversurge! Azure Striker! Your light is no match for my lightning! I'm gonna shoot right through you!"
Pre-Battle[]
(Note: This battle and the results of it contain spoilers for both series)
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set, and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLE!
(Cue Jubilife City (Night) Remastered)
It was a soothing night in the city. Gunvolt was leaving a building.
Gunvolt: You know, Xiao, It's been a long time since I've gotten a mission that easy. I didn't even need to fight anyone. (Thinking) Things really haven't been the same since I took down Eden. The only allies I really have left are Quinn and Xiao. Freelancing jobs are pretty common now, though. Sumeragi's experiments getting exposed, not to mention attacks from Eden, means it doesn't have nearly as much power as it did. And with Eden gone, there's a bit of a power vacuum.
Xiao: I wish we could've seen the look on their faces. The moment you walked in, everyone started running. I guess you've gotten a bit of a reputation, huh GV?
Gunvolt: For better or for worse. Still, something felt off by the whole thing. That big purple mirror they were carrying wasn't like anything I've ever seen. And why was everyone in full knight's armor?
(Music cut)
Suddenly, the sound of metal boots walking came from the building.
Gunvolt: Hold on. I think I missed one. Signing out for now.
Xiao: Be careful, GV.
Gunvolt turned off his commlink and walked back into the building. In it, he saw a knight wearing full blue plate armor and a helmet with horns. In his hands, he was holding a...
Gunvolt: Is that a Shovel?
The knight suddenly became alert, turning around. The knight in question was Shovel Knight.
Shovel Knight: This is a Shovel Blade. This weapon has gotten me out of many a bad situation. By the way, I am Shovel Knight!
Gunvolt: ...
Shovel Knight: What is it?
Gunvolt: That's the dumbest weapon I've ever seen. And this is coming from the same guy who's darts use their hair.
Shovel Knight recoiled back in both shock and disgust.
Shovel Knight: How dare you insult the weapon of a knight!
Gunvolt: Just saying. Wouldn't it be better to use a sword? You can't block anything with that, since the handle would just snap if a sword hit it the right way. Not to mention it doesn't provide any real advantage in offense.
Shovel Knight: I refuse to take this insult for any longer! What is your name?
Gunvolt: I'm Gunvolt.
Shovel Knight: I see then. Gunvolt, for your insults to my weapon and knight's honor, I challenge you to a duel! Steel thy will!
Gunvolt: Hold on! Don't you think that's a little bit extreme? Look, I'm sorry for insulting your wea-
Gunvolt looked around and didn't see the knight anywhere.
Gunvolt: Huh? Where did he...
Gunvolt noticed a shadow on him. He jumped backwards out of the way just before the knight landed where he used to be standing.
Gunvolt: You're really serious about this, aren't you? Alright then, let's go.
Gunvolt got into a combat position.
Shovel Knight: En Garde, Azure Striker! For Shovelry!
FIGHT![]
(Cue Genos Sound)
Gunvolt fired three bolts from his Dart Leader. Shovel Knight jumped over all three of them before attempting to slam his weapon onto Gunvolt. However, Gunvolt simply pervaded, the shovel blade phasing through him as if he was a ghost. Gunvolt then fired a bolt at Shovel Knight, causing the knight to jump back before another bolt could be fired. Gunvolt then surrounded himself in electricity, a bolt homing in on Shovel Knight.
Gunvolt: Is that shovel really all you have?
Suddenly, Gunvolt was hit by a golden fist. The Dust Knuckles. He was hit several times before Shovel Knight jumped and bounced on the Azure Striker twice, then finishing with a charge slash. He then tried to hit Gunvolt once more with the Throwing Anchor, but Gunvolt recovered and prevaded. Shovel Knight pulled out the Phase Locket.
Shovel Knight: It is not. In fact, thou art not the only one that can ignore attacks.
He then proceeded to use the locket to dodge some bolts from GV before running at him.
Gunvolt: Dodge all you want...
Shovel Knight attempts to slash Gunvolt, only for him to pervade the attack without flinching.
Gunvolt: ...I'm better. Oversurge, Azure Striker!
Gunvolt creates an explosion of electricity around him, accompanied by three orbs.
Gunvolt: Astrasphere!
Shovel Knight was hit full on by the attack, sending him flying into a massive purple mirror. The knight got up slowly, dazed. Suddenly, eyes appeared on the mirror. Before either one could react, two purple chains appeared in it, capturing the two combatants in purple spheres before pulling them into itself.
(Cut Music)
The two of them woke up in a strange area, in an 8-bit art style. Shovel Knight knew it all too well. The Tower of Fate. Shovel Knight quickly drank an Ichor of
(Cue RushJet1 - Mega Man 3 Wily Castle Boss)
Suddenly, the knight was hit by a bolt from the Azure Striker. Shovel Knight quickly jumped up just as Gunvolt used his flashfield. The electricity began hitting the knight, but just as Shovel Knight was about to land a hit on the Azure Striker...
Gunvolt: Not this time. Crashbolt!
A strike of lightning hit Shovel Knight. However, it also hit the floor, beginning to destroy it, causing both to begin falling. Gunvolt looked down, seeing that all the way down, the only floor there was lava. Gunvolt began trying to move his way to the wall, but Shovel Knight began attacking him. While Gunvolt tried to dodge, this isn't an easy thing to do in midair. Eventually, Gunvolt felt a strange heat wash over him, and was directly hit by a shovel slash. Gunvolt was overheating. Shovel Knight saw this opportunity and began punching Gunvolt with the dust knuckles. However, Gunvolt wasn't going to take this laying down.
Gunvolt: Dragonsphere!
A sphere of blue lightning hit Shovel Knight, knocking the knight away.
Gunvolt: Alright GV. Focus...
Gunvolt tried to focus, but was hit by a fireball from the flare wand. Gunvolt removed the clip from his gun and replaced it with a new one. In particular, the Lucifer Clip. The two fired bolts and fireballs at one another, cancelling each other out. Shovel Knight then used the war horn, damaging Gunvolt. Then, Shovel Knight pulled out the propeller dagger and flew at Gunvolt. However, he prevaded, finally exiting overheat.
Gunvolt: Fully charged!
Gunvolt sent Shovel Knight flying away with a crashbolt. He noticed the lava was getting closer, it would only be a few seconds before they hit it. Then, suddenly, the purple mirror appeared, firing purple energy.
Gunvolt: Oversurge, Azure Striker! Break through this mirror of lies and this delusional Knight! Voltaic Chains!
Chains began appearing from all around. Shovel Knight attempted to block one of the chains with his Shovel Blade. However, the chain broke the hilt in two, and Shovel Knight pulled out the Phase Locket to dodge a chain. However, nothing happened, and the Blue Burrower was impaled by the chain. Shovel Knight had run out of mana. Meanwhile the chains hit the mirror in several spots. Then the chains are pumped with electricity, the screen fading to white.
(Cut Music)
Gunvolt reappears in the warehouse, still bruised and bloodied from the fight, but victorious. The purple mirror is shattered behind him.
K.O.!
Results[]
(Cue Credits (Copen))
Gunvolt heals his wounds with Galvanic Renewal, while the two halves of the Shovel Blade and one of the horns of Shovel Knight's helmet are seen sinking into the lava.
Boomstick: God. Getting impaled by a chain has got to hurt. Really, the chains hitting you vertically and horizontally over and over again, just damn...
Wiz: While Shovel Knight's strength was nothing to scoff at, Gunvolt was still up there. Gunvolt fought Tenjian, who froze over an entire city. Judging by the thickness of the ice, that would be equivalent to over 150 tons of TNT.
Boomstick: Wait, that doesn't make sense. Shovel Knight defeated the Reminant of Fate, who's death caused the collapse of the Tower of fate. The sheer force of it's collapse created an earthquake that could be felt by a nearby town, Judging by how much shaking was happening, the earthquake could have been as much as Magnitude 6. Creating an earthquake like that would mean you'd need to exert 15 kilotons of TNT worth of force!
Wiz: When did you learn so much about Earthquakes?
Boomstick: Uhh, no reason. Definitely not to destroy that son of a bitch Carl's house.
Wiz: *Sigh*. While it is true Shovel Knight is much stronger than Tenjian's feat, Gunvolt eventually became stronger during his fight with Zonda, who stated her power had increased a hundred fold after absorbing the Muse. Due to what is essentially the power of friendship and Jpop, Gunvolt matched this power increase. As such, that 150 ton feat goes up to over 15 kilotons. Not to mention, Gunvolt is far higher in speed. Shovel Knight was able to dodge cannonballs from Propeller Knight's airship, which go at about 146 meters a second. Meanwhile, Gunvolt is able to react to Jota's light speed attacks. As if this isn't enough, Gunvolt's skills recharge over time while Shovel Knight only has two recharges, and that's it. And that's assuming he doesn't have an Ichor of Boldness or Fortune instead of Renewal. While they both can dodge attacks by going intangible, Gunvolt does it automatically while Shovel Knight needs to activate the Phase Locket. All in all, Gunvolt has advantages in basically every category.
Boomstick: I guess Shovel Knight went through an unfortunate CHAIN of events.
Wiz: The winner is Gunvolt.
Next time on DEATH BATTLE![]
(Cue Origin of Mind (2018))
"The mark of my divinity shall scar thy DNA."
VS
"From a broken cocoon, the butterfly dances away."
Gill vs Orochi