| Zero VS Meta Knight
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|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode 4 | |
Vital statistics
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| Air date | July 4, 2015 |
| Written by | Chesknight |
| Directed by | Chesknight |
Episode guide
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| Previous | Next |
| Eren Jaeger VS Kirito | Leonardo VS Greninja |
Zero VS Meta Knight is a What-if Episode of Death Battle.
Description[]
Kirby VS Mega Man! Two mysterious warrior swordsmen clash blades to discover he reigns supreme! Will Zero send the masked warrior mentor of Kirby back to the stars, or will he really just be a zero? Who will win? Who will die?
Interlude[]
Knight: Today, we will be pitting two of video games' greatest swordsmen against each other to who is the better mysterious warrior of the blade.
Blaze: They also just so happen to be pretty damn badass. Zero, Doctor Wily's final creation.
Knight: And Meta Knight, the masked Star Warrior. I'm Knight and he's Blaze and it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills to find out who would win, a Death Battle.
Zero[]
Knight: Dr. Albert Wily was on the ropes. His arch-nemesis, Mega Man had defeated a countless number of times. Finally, he had had enough. After some experimentations and further research with a new powerful element-
Blaze: Yes it's called Bassnium...
Knight: -Wily had finally created his ultimate war machine, which would finally bring an end to the beloved Blue Bomber. Its name, was Zero.
Blaze: AND BOY WAS HE ONE CRAZY FUCKER! I mean, LOOK AT THIS!
(*Shows clips of Zero fighting Sigma*)
Knight: It's true. Zero was far too violent for Wily to control and was eventually put into stasis for the doctor's own safety.
Blaze: One of the world's greatest scientists everyone. He creates a super powerful and violent death machine from scratch, but didn't think of how he'd control it. Gooood idea there, Albert.
Knight: Actually, it was really a virus in Zero's system that caused him gone so violent, not how Wily programmed him. Anyways, almost a century later, Zero's pod was discovered by a group of Maverick Hunters and, surprise surprise, he murders all of them. That is, until their leader Sigma shows up to fight Zero and NARROWLY survives the encounter.
Blaze: But then there was a... slight issue... Remember that glitch that Zero had that made batshit insane? Yeah he was brought back to the Maverick Hunter base and cured of it... Meanwhile Sigma had been infected with the virus from their fight, giving birth to the Maverick Virus.
Knight: As a newly repaired robot, Zero joins the Maverick Hunters and quickly climbed to the top of their ranks, ironically becoming best friends with X, the successor of Mega Man.
Blaze: You know, the robot who Zero's entire purpose was to kill? That one. Anyways, back to the red robot, Zero's primary weapon is his lightsab-
Knight: - Z-Saber. It's called a Z-Saber.
Blaze: Sword, lasers, the blade forms from the hilt, it's a lightsaber. But fine, "Z-Saber"...
Knight: Anyways, the Z-Saber is a solar-energy based sword around three-feet in length, and its lightweight material allows Zero to use it one-handed and makes for quick close-combat combos. In addition, it does not seem to cut using heat, as there are no burn or heat marks upon making contact with a target.
Blaze: It's also got a couple element abilities. It can catch on fire, catch on lightning and catch on ice, as well as shoot powerful shockwaves of energy at foes.
Knight: It's capable of extending to three times its normal length, making it about 9-feet long, though Zero only seems capable of basic combos with it. And the Z-Saber's cutting ability is pretty top-notch, slicing through energy projectiles and... Really? "Titanium-X"? Goddammit...
Blaze: For guys who come with completely awesome characters, fictional writers should really learn some how to name alloys aside from "here's a word, let's add '-nium' to the end of it and BOOM! Instant metal!". But Zero isn't all close-quarters either. While he definitely prefers his Z-Saber, and I mean c'mon how could you not, he also has the Z-Buster, a powerful arm cannon transformed from Zero's arm.
Knight: The Z-Buster uses the same solar-based energy as the Z-Saber, and can either fire three small bullets in quick succession, but it can be charged up to the three stages, the third one either sending off a massive blast of red-energy or firing two less powerful shots in quick succession, but followed immediately after by a shockwave from the Z-Saber.
Blaze: He also has a couple Giga Attacks, both mine and what seems to be his personal favourite being the... Uh... Re... Rek... Rekko...
Knight: Rekkoha.
Blaze: I could've gotten it myself, thank you. Anyways, the... What Knight said, is a move where Zero punches the ground and can be used to either make lasers rain down from the sky side-by-side and is nearly impossible to avoid, or can be concentrated into a single spot for a blast that's easier to avoid, but makes all the more stuff blow up.
Knight: He can also use the Sougenmu to create a short-lasting clone of himself that cannot be attacked, the Dark Hold to stop time, though it does run on weapon energy that can be broken up need be, and Sub-Tanks, which while he normally only carries two they may completely regenerate his health.
Blaze: As a Reploid, Zero is able to leap high in the air naturally, as well as is able to effortlessly grip and kick off horizontal surfaces giving him a quick wall jump to reach safe distances. He also has a double jump and some jet-boosters built into his boots to dash along the ground.
Knight: Zero is made out of... *Sigh* You're kidding me right?
Blaze: Just say it and get it over with.
Knight: Alright... Zero is made out of Titanium-Z alloy, which is most likely a lightweight yet surprisingly flexible titanium alloy, making it incredibly useful for a combat reploid of Zero's design. And after defeating Shield Sheldon, Zero learned the Guard Shell technique, which let's him summon a small energy shield before him that reflects most energy projectiles back at his attacker, while still allowing Zero to use his Z-Saber and Z-Buster. But this isn't the end of him.
Blaze: Finally, Zero has access to his Hyper Mode, Black Zero. This increases Zero's attack power by 100%, his speed by 50%, gaining weapon energy over time, and allows him to only take 75% damage from fire-based attacks, although it doesn't affect his other defenses. In addition, while in this form, Zero has full access to his Z-Saber and Z-Buster, and all his special abilities and sword techniques he would be able to use normally.
Knight: Zero never hesitates in combat and seems to enjoy it a lot, and is tough to get a read on. While he may seem distant and cold at first, Zero is in fact extremely loyal to his friends, and would do anything to protect.
Blaze: Yep. He's after dying a few times now trying to save some lives. Yet he's still around, kicking ass and being a badass the whole way through it. Believe me when I say that this guy isn't gonna give you a easy fight.
Zero: No, this isn't happening! There's no reason for me to go on! What... WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOOOOOOR?!
Meta Knight[]
Knight: 1000 years ago, the war of the universe took place, with the heroic Star Warriors doing battle with the evil Nightmare and his army. In the end, the good were victorious, but many, many heroes were lost to battle. It's not exactly known what happened to those who survived, yet one found his way to the planet Popstar, where he remained for many, many years until the so-to-speak “chosen one” Kirby crash landed on the planet, destined to finish what started a millennium. The surviving Star Warrior decided that he would become Kirby’s mentor in order to prepare him for the future battle. That Star Warrior’s name, is Meta Knight.
Blaze: Damn. What are the odds that “the chosen one” would crash land on like the only planet with a Star Warrior on it? Probably not too high.
Knight: Meta Knight's relationship with the pink puffball is very on-again, off-again. Sometimes they're friends, sometimes they're rivals, sometimes Meta Knight's a mentor, sometimes he'll try to make Kirby's journeys harder by ordering the crew of his personal battleship, the Halberd, to attack him. But whichever side he is, he certainly seems to enjoy keeping to himself.
Blaze: Meta Knight's main weapon is his sword, Galaxia, an indestructible blade that was forged by Pholtron, ruler of the fire people.
Knight: And what do you know, Galaxia also has a "Chosen One" thing happening, as it can only be wielded by "the worthy", such as Meta Knight and Kirby. It can fire lasers when Meta Knight's at full health, and he can swing faster than sound and it appears that there's only quick red/yellow slash.
Blaze: He's also got the Dimensional Cape for which he wrap himself up and teleport with. By spinning... And somehow it can turn into wings for Meta Knight to fly with, however the fuck that happens!
Knight: He can create up to five clones of himself at once, as shown in the Strato Patrol EOS sub-game in Kirby Mass Attack, and can both increase his speed and heal himself with special tools.
Blaze: But his most iconic ability is the Mach Tornado, where he spins fast enough to create a Tornado around himself!
Knight: Now there aren't exactly any anime or cutscenes for us to get a good read on this move's power, so instead we'll compare it to real-life tornados, which have six different types. We go from the weakest type, an E/F0 can break large trees and destroy small buildings, to the strongest type, an E/F5 which, to put things simply, erase everything on it's path, total destruction, and there's everything in between. Juuuust as a comparison for all of you.
Blaze: Oh yeah, and then there's the super-powered up version of the Mach Tornado which can easily overkill bosses, and it only takes a second to charge! Hot damn.
Knight: He's also captain of the Halberd, a humongous flying battleship with all sorts of lasers, solidiers-
Blaze: And a giant robotic lobster! Wish it was real though, that thing would make an awesome dinner...
Knight: Meta Knight's done all sorts of impressive things. He's survived atmospheric re-entry, flown from planet to planet in seconds, lived for over 1000 believed to be the only surviving Star Warrior, and when granted a wish by the comet, Nova, Meta Knight wished, AND I QUOTE, to fight the greatest warrior of the galaxy! And then did what else but win.
Blaze: Meta Knight is one powerful puffball, but he's one of those "I don't wanna fight you unless it's a fair fight" kind of guys. Whenever Kirby shows up to take him on, Meta Knight always gives him a sword before starting. He also looks ridiculous without his mask on.
Knight: He dislikes being helped in a fight, luckily for him that's against Death Battle rules. And he often seems to hold back and not use his full potential in a fight, which could potential make him lose fights he easily could've won.
Blaze: But push him to kick it into high gear and look out! You're in for one tough battle.
Meta Knight: Comes back when you can put up a fight.
DEATH BATTLE![]
Knight: Alright, the combatants are set. Let's end this debate, once and for all!
Blaze: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLE!!!
Chesknight[]
Dreamland
Sunset
It had been quite a pleasant day in the kingdom of Dreamland. It had been cloudless the whole day, the birds were singing, the flowers were blooming, and all residents of the kingdom were simply enjoying themselves.
Far above the clouds however, flew the mighty Halberd. Its destination? Unknown. Its purpose? Unknown. For today, it was merely flying around the kingdom.
Suddenly, a red beam of light which appeared to be a laser shot down from the sky, and landed on the Halberd's deck. Upon landing on the ground, the light began to materialize and take shape. From it came a robot sporting a red, white and black colour scheme, with reinforced square shoulder plates, arm guards and legs joints. Yet its face resembled that of a human male's, and if one didn't know any better they might very well think this individual was human. The robot also wore a red and white helmet, and from the back of it sprouted a large blonde ponytail. The famous Maverick Hunter Zero had made it to the Halberd.
A multitude of enemies soon started coming towards Zero, whom he soon began to fight off. Doctor Wily's final creation quickly got to work taking them all down, slashing at Trident Knights and Javelin Knights with the Z-Saber, and blasting away Axe Knights and Mace Knights with his Z-Buster. He managed to take them down expertly and without a single hit, yet more seemed to be on their way. Zero grinned at them and quickly dashed over to his new hoard of challengers. Little did he know that someone was watching over him at that moment...
Up in the Halberd's command deck, the captain of the flying death machine had been looking down on this robotic fighter. The pilot was a small, round, dark-blue creature, yet it wore a silver mask that covered practically all of what would be its face, however it did have a small opening for it to see, revealing its yellow eyes. It also wore a dark blue cape, which it was currently wrapping around itself. This being was the Star Warrior, Meta Knight.
Meta Knight continued watching this mysterious robot, and was impressed by how quickly it was dispatching of his troops. Perhaps... He had finally found one...
A worthy challenger...
Back down on the front of the Halberd, Zero had just finished off the newest batch of minions without breaking a sweat. And not just because he's a robot. Soon however, he would be receiving a far greater challenge.
As Zero began walking down the front of the ship, a dark blue twirl had appeared in front of him. It eventually stopped, and from it came Meta Knight, wielding the blade Galaxia. The Star Warrior pointed it at Zero and uttered two simple words to the Maverick Hunter.
Meta Knight: Fight me.
Zero stared at Meta Knight for a moment with wide eyes (this thing was challenging him to a fight?), but soon pulled back into a combat pose. This thing was gonna regret picking a battle with him.
The stage was set. Two of the most powerful warriors in their respective universes. One a robot, one an alien, but both masters of the blade.
Meta Knight: I have longed for a worthy challenger to battle with me. Might you finally be the one?
Zero: Is that so? Then stop talking and show me what you got!
This was gonna be a match to remember.
FIGHT!
Meta Knight flew over to Zero in an instant, slashing at the Maverick Hunter as Zero pulled out his Z-Saber and blocked the attack. The two were stalemated for a brief couple of seconds, before they both jumped back and charged at each other at the same time.
Zero swung his blade down at Meta Knight, who leapt above and behind him at the last second, then quickly landed back on the ground and began rapidly slashing at the red robot's back, before Zero jumped forward, quickly turning around and then sending a shockwave from his Z-Saber at Meta Knight. A direct hit.
Meta Knight was pushed back by the attack, yet managed to recover from it in time to see Zero shoot a large red blast of energy at him. The masked swordsman grabbed hold of his cape, wrapping it around himself and suddenly vanishing into thin air, leaving Zero to wonder where he went.
He received his answer quickly, as Meta Knight reappeared directly in front of Zero, and before the Maverick Hunter could react, Meta Knight slashed at him twice before hitting him into the air.
Meta Knight's cape quickly turned into a pair of bat-like wings, as he followed his combo up into the air, slashing at his opponent multiple times again before moving back a bit and charging at him while spinning with his sword in front of him like a drill. Meta Knight hit Zero directly in his chest, and proceed to bring him further up into the sky, before breaking out of the Drill Rush attack, moving back a bit and letting the two of them fall to the ground.
Zero hit the floor first and miraculously managed to land on his feet in a crouched position, and as Meta Knight landed and made an attempt to rush at the Reploid and continue his assault, Zero managed to strike his adversary with an electrical attack from his Z-Saber, stopping Meta Knight's attack briefly.
Zero didn't waste anytime, following up this attack with a three-slash combo with his Z-Saber, before igniting the blade in flames, jumping and slashing upwards at his foe with a direct hit. At the peak of the jump, Zero then turned around and pointed the blade downwards at the Star Warrior, as it then changed to ice. Once back on the ground, Zero's blade once again became fire as he struck upwards and Meta Knight away with it.
The blue puffball flew a fair distance away, but managed to flip back and land on his feet, sliding to a halt. This invader was certainly proving himself. Time to bust out the big guns. Literally.
Zero waited for Meta Knight to make his next move, but instead of going after Zero, Meta Knight's Dimensional Cape once again turned into a pair of wings and the Star Warrior flew to the top of the Halberd, on top of the command room. Zero prepared himself for what was to come; whatever it was could not be good.
Meta Knight arrived on the roof of command room, turning his wings back into a cape and landing on top of it. He turned around, and looked back at Zero, who the Star Warrior could see was being very cautious and serious of what was to come.
Meta Knight brought his free hand back, and then put it out in a pushing motion. All of a sudden, every canon and laser on deck turned to face Zero. The Maverick Hunter's face said it all.
Crud...
The weapons began their fire on the red robot, who began leaping, ducking and dashing around most of them, attempting to close in on Meta Knight but seemed to be taking two steps back for every one step forward.
Zero was beginning to get worn out, yet after being pushed right to the edge of the Halberd, Zero received his chance. It was a small opening, but he made it. A small red energy field appeared in front of Zero, and everything that the Halberd had just thrown at him was deflected right off the shield.
Meta Knight's eyes widened at this. Impressive, to say he least. Zero took this as an opportunity, and restored his health with one of his Sub-Tanks. Time to give 'em some hell.
Zero dashed down the centre of the Halberd. Lasers and canons were shot at him, but all were reflected right back at the senders, destroying the machines and making trails of fire. Zero eventually made it to the wall leading up to the top of the battleship, and began jumping up it quickly to reach his adversary.
Upon reaching the top, one could see that Zero had turned his left arm into a Z-Buster, and had been charging up a shot the whole climb. The Maverick Hunter didn't waste a second, shooting it at Meta Knight who had been caught a little off-guard by this. The red blast hit Meta Knight, knocking him back, which Zero followed up on by dashing over to the blue puffball and striking him three times with the Z-Saber, which knocked Meta Knight into the air some more and off the structure.
Meta Knight began falling, but quickly once again turned his cape into wings and flew up towards Zero. Meta Knight didn't wish to do what he was going to do next, but this challenger was proving quite difficult, and Zero was thinking the same thing.
Meta Knight began spinning in the air, and at the same time, the tip of Zero's Z-Buster began to glow. A violent, large red tornado began to surround Meta Knight as at the same time, Zero punched the ground with his arm cannon, causing a massive blast from the sky to shoot down on him.
The two attacks collided, creating a massive explosion and completely destroying the top of the structure, as well as severely damaged the inside of the command room. The blast knocked Zero off the structure and Meta Knight out of the air. Upon landing on the ground below, Zero noticed something. Something bad.
The control room getting destroyed was making the Halberd begin to go down. And it was going down fast. And when it hit the sea below them, it surely would not be good.
Mega Knight noticed this too, as well as his crew. The soldiers were in quite a hurried mess, each one trying to get to an escape pod to avoid the impending doom that was fast approaching. Meta Knight however, had other thoughts on his mind.
Where did that red robot go?
But it seemed to be too late. Meta Knight once again took to the skies with his wings, flying away as the ship he spent so much time as the captain of, continued falling to the ocean.
After a couple minutes of flying, Meta Knight found and landed on a grassy cliff which overlooked the sea. He landed there, and stared out as the Halberd finally crashed, and began to sink.
Meta Knight turned around to walk away from the destruction of his vessel, but as he did so, he was met with a surprise.
Another beam of light shot down from the sky in front of Meta Knight, and materialized once again into his opponent.
Zero stood in front of the Star Warrior once more, this time however, the Maverick Hunter's appearances had changed. His Hyper Mode was after being activated, and Black Zero had taken the stage.
Once again, the two swordsmen stared each other down. This was it. The final showdown.
Both Zero and Meta Knight darted across the clearing to each other at speeds invincible to the human eye, meeting in the middle and clashing blades, their blows equally matched. Zero broke apart and hit Meta Knight with an attack, Meta Knight struck back with his own. Soon the two were rapidly going around the field, slashing at each other, taking hits, giving hits backs. It repeated over and over.
Eventually Meta Knight flew back from an attack from Zero. The Star Warrior raised his sword and soon five darker coloured clones of the masked fighter appeared beside and in front of him. Each one raised their blades, charging up their swords beams. They finished, and shot at Zero, who didn't make any attempt to dodge the attacks.
Instead, the black robot turned away from the attacks, and at the last second before they hit Zero, they stopped. Everything did actually, as Zero had activated the Dark Hold, freezing time briefly and inverting everything's colours except for his own. He turned back around, and shot multiple blasts from his Z-Buster, destroying the projectiles, the copies, and as time returned, Zero leapt into the air before falling down slashing at Meta Knight.
Unfortunately however, with time unfrozen, Meta Knight managed to use his Dimensional Cape to vanish out of the attacks way right before Zero struck him. Meta Knight teleported into the air above the cliff's edge as Zero jumped back from where he originally was. He looked up in the sky at his adversary, who was also looking down at him. They made eye contact, and both knew that the next attack would decide the match.
Zero dashed towards his opponent as Meta Knight flew down at ground-level. Both Z-Saber and Galaxia poised to strike, the two met and slashed at each other, then continued past.
They stopped. The match had been decided.
The lower half of Meta Knight's mask fell off, leaving his mouth and bottom bit of his eyes exposed. Yet he stood.
Zero however, did not. His grip on the Z-Saber was lost, as the laser was retracted and the hilt hit the ground. Soon after, the top part of Zero's body slid backwards off the bottom of his body as his armour turned red again. Zero's top half hit the ground with a thud, as Zero's eyes became half shut. He had been defeated.
Meta Knight walked over to the top part of his opponent. And with his mask now off, one could see. He was smiling.
Meta Knight: You fought well. You certainly were a worthy challenger.
Zero gave the old warrior a smile back.
Zero: You were... Pretty good... Yourself back there...
Zero lent out his right hand, asking for a handshake. Meta Knight was surprised by this action, but nonetheless took it, shaking the dying Reploid's hand.
Zero: Thank...you...
Those were Zero's final words, before his eyes finally closed. Meta Knight turned away from the fallen warrior, walking over to the edge of cliff, staring out at the setting sun. He turned back at Zero once more, before grabbing his cape and wrapping himself in it, vanishing from the scene.
Perhaps they could meet again, in another life. Perhaps again, as allies.
K.O.!
Results[]
Blaze: UUUUGGGGHHHH. MY FEELS.
Knight: Oh you'll get over it. Zero was certainly capable of taking on Meta Knight, but he only truly had him beat in durability and weapons variety. Meta Knight far exceeds Zero in speed, having flown from planet to planet in seconds, and destructive capability with his Mach Tornado.
Blaze: Meta's also got an easy experience advantage, having lived for over 1000 years, as well as mobility with his flight and teleportation, giving him a better control over the battle field.
Knight: And while Zero's weapons, such as the Dark Hold and Guard Shell, could certainly help him out, they have a limited weapon usage, preventing them from being used to any true grand scale.
Blaze: And Meta Knight had just enough of his own power-ups to increase his own abilities. In the end, Zero just couldn't make the cut.
Knight: The winner is Meta Knight.
| Blades That Border Between Good And Evil | |
|---|---|
| Season | 4 |
| Season Episode | 1 |
| Air date | April 30, 2022 |
| Written by | Professor Mewtwo |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous SMG4 vs DevilArtemis Cell |
Next SMG4 Waluigi vs Peanut Butter Remastered |
Zero vs Meta Knight is a What-If? Death Battle created by Professor Mewtwo. It features Zero from the video game series Mega Man pitted against Meta Knight from the video game series Kirby.
Description[]
Mega Man vs Kirby! Two anti-hero swordsmen of the 90s face off in an epic duel to the death. Their power may be unrivaled, but when the final blow is struck will it be the Maverick Hunter or the Star Warrior who is left standing?
Poll[]
Got any roots or bets? Make sure to vote in the discussion poll!
Interlude[]
Wiz: Zero, the foil turned Maverick hunting ally of Mega Man X.
Boomstick: Meta Knight, the masked Star Warrior and rival to Kirby.
Wiz: When it comes to mysterious and edgy video game swordsmen, no characters better fit the description these two warriors of justice with sketchy pasts.
Boomstick: Hahaa! A clash of blades this intense is the perfect way to start off the season! He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And its our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
Zero zeros in on Death Battle![]
Wiz: In the unspecified year of the 22nd century, the world was forever changed upon the discovery of a capsule containing Mega Man X, the last and greatest invention of the genious inventor Dr. Light. This android possessed the ability to think and choose just like a human, and scientists replicated this technology to create the Reploids and start a revolutionary era of robotics.
Boomstick: And then another capsule with a highly advanced robot built by a genius inventor was found. Though if the people who found it actually read their history books, they would have kept this one closed tight.
Wiz: Let’s look back 100 years ago. While Light took the spotlight with his brilliant innovations, his former colleague Dr. Albert W. Wily grew jealous, which eventually grew into a desire to conquer the world to prove his superiority.
Boomstick: You know, one of the classic evil scientist tropes, along with getting your a$$ kicked… a lot. Yet if Mr. Evil Einstein is anything, it’s determined. One way or another, Wily was going to build something that would tear down the peaceful society Dr. Light worked so hard to build.
Wiz: And by pure coincidence, Wily’s most successful creation ended up being a robot that could also think and choose just like a human, but without the restraint of morality, and Wily chose to name this killing machine: Zero.
Popup: Fun fact, Mega Man co-designer Keiji Inafune originally intended for Zero to be the protagonist of the X Series, but the idea was rejected.
Boomstick: Zero is everything X isn’t. Violent, out-of-control, and with zero calories or sugar he’s the recommended brand of robot for all world destroying occasions. The only downside was that Zero was more of a monster than Wily anticipated and couldn’t be controlled. His only option was to seal Zero away, die from unknown causes, then hope some schmuck opens the capsule and triggers the apocalypse. Seems like a waste to put all that effort into Zero and never get to see him work.
Wiz: Fortunately for Wily, his plan did come to fruition. Zero’s capsule was opened and he began a rampage by killing all Reploids and with him he brought the Maverick Virus, another ultimate weapon of Dr. Wily that could rewrite a Reploid programming and turn them into psychotic Mavericks.
Boomstick: That’s when Sigma, a Reploid who looks like glow up Lex Luthor for no particular reason, stepped in to smack some sense into Zero, infecting them both with the virus.
Wiz: Now Wily may be a genius, but even he cannot avoid miscalculation. Apparently the Maverick Virus was incomplete and when it infected Zero, it erased his memories and turned him good. It wasn’t long afterwards that the Maverick Virus spread throughout the world, creating armies of Mavericks to wreak havoc. Despite not remembering his involvement, Zero made it his mission to bring down the Maverick threat, joining the task force known as the Maverick Hunters and partnering with X in order to do so.
Boomstick: Aww, Wily must really hate that. He’s probably frowning upon Zero all the way up in Evil Heaven. On the bright side, Sigma turned evil and is now leading the Maverick Army so… hooray for replacement sons, I guess?
Popup: During the Elf Wars, Zero transferred his consciousness into a different body which he uses in Mega Man Zero. Though these bodies have somewhat different functions, for this fight a composite will be used containing both shared and exclusive abilities of each body.
Wiz: I wouldn’t side with Sigma, not when Zero is the more impressive machine. As a natural-born weapon of destruction, Zero is a combat prodigy equipped with some of the most advanced weaponry ever seen.
Boomstick: True to the franchise’s cliches, he’s got an arm cannon called the Z-Buster. It fires unlimited energy shots that can be charged up for extra power, but he later switched it out for the Buster Shot, a handgun that is the biggest downgrade that is secretly an upgrade. This beauty of a blaster has all the kinks of the Z-Buster along with lasers that bounce off walls, the paralyzing Time Stopper, and a Tractor Shot that eats other projectiles to grow in power.
Wiz: But unlike his blue-armored buddy, Zero prefers to take things up close and personal with giant hammers, energy fans, energy spears, energy kunais, and his iconic Z-Saber. With this energy blade, Zero can cut through most metals and deflect projectiles with ease.
Boomstick: Sounds like an anime lightsaber to me.
Wiz: It’s more than a lightsaber. Thanks to the engineer Cerveau, Zero can modify the blade’s shape to form new weapons. The Chain Rod is a long-ranged whip that doubles as a grappling hook, the Shield Boomerang is a projectile-reflecting disc that always returns when thrown, and the Recoil Rod is a pair of tonfas that can push away objects.
Popup: The Z-Saber is also equipped with anti-virus software meant for countering many variants of the Maverick Virus.
Boomstick: The Z-Saber can also concentrate its energy for ranged attacks that include fireballs, missiles, homing bullets, and spinning wheels of doom. Even if he somehow loses that super sword, he can bust out the Zero Knuckle granting him the power of Street Fighter moves and letting him use the weapons of defeated enemies as his own.
Wiz: Rather curious that Zero would resort to stealing physical weapons when he possesses something far greater. After defeating high-level Mavericks, Zero can absorb their data and use them as his own. This copy ability gives Zero access to countless techniques, further enhancing his already impressive fighting ability.
Boomstick: That sounds awesome! Please tell me that you made something to replicate that!
Wiz: Actually I did, this bracelet here allows the user to copy the unique qualities of anyone they attack.
Boomstick: Gimme, gimme, gimme!
Boomstick yanks the bracelet out of Wiz’s hands and puts it on his wrist.
Boomstick: DUMMI! Get in here!
DUMMI floats into the room and Boomstick punches him into the ground. Lights start going into Boomstick similar to how Mega Man gets his powers.
Wiz: So what kind of power did you obtain from that?
Boomstick: (*slightly moans this*) Depression… and a lack of self worth knowing I’m expendable… all I have in this world is a single beer to drown my sorrows…
Boomstick chugs down a beer and DUMMI gets up to watch.
DUMMI: 3, 2, 1.
Boomstick: F*ck yeah! Nothing like a good beer to get rid of the bad thoughts! Now where were we?
Wiz: Well to start Zero is equipped with three Element Chips that infuse his weapons with fire, ice, and electricity which he incorporates into various techniques such as creating lightning tornados with the Raijinshou or tackling foes with ice through the F-Splasher.
Boomstick: His Rakukojin is a metal sword that explodes into a bouncing anchor, the Twin Dream and Wind Shredder create holographic clones to fight for him, Guard Shell is a mobile barrier that constantly deflects projectiles, Yammar Option summons energy shooting dragonflies to aid him, and the Bakuenjin lets him punch the ground so hard that it kills everything in a huge fiery explosion.
Wiz: And those aren’t even his deadliest techniques. His Rekkoha makes it rain destructive beams of light from the sky, Tenshouha sends that same type of light upwards, and the Dark Hold lets Zero freeze time in its entirety.
Boomstick: Seems like Zero got the power of DIO. Hey, that rhymes.
Wiz: The only thing that restrains these insane powers is that some of Zero weaponry runs on limited ammunition. While he does possess reserve tanks to refuel energy and weaponry, if he doesn’t play it carefully he could lose his key weaponry when he needs it most.
Boomstick: So what? Zero still has one last trick up his sleeve in the form of… well… multiple forms. He’s gots tons of armor that enhances strength, speed, and all that good stuff. Of course when the Absolute Zero is brought out, death is inevitable. His strength is increased drastically, boosted by a menacing pair of wings to swoop in on unsuspecting prey.
Wiz: Then there’s Black Zero. Stronger, faster, tougher, and with attacks that power through other projectiles it’s the strongest form that Zero can utilize without risk that is…
Boomstick: That doesn’t sound good…
Wiz: Zero is a good person at heart, but the psychopathic programming Wily designed him with still lies within. Should something active that lost data, then the nightmare that is Awakened Zero will be unleashed once again. In this state, Zero becomes a complete monster, pushing his abilities to their absolute limit along with adding new abilities like levitation, homing energy discs and the Genmu Zero, a pair of giant energy slashs that are nigh impossible to avoid.
Popup: Awakened Zero was only achieved when Zero was infected by the Sigma Virus during non-canonical events. However, this state is considered Zero’s “true form” and thus will be considered part of his standard arsenal.
Boomstick: Thank God that form only came out in an alternate timeline. Still it must be hard for Zero. He’s dedicated his whole life to bringing down the Maverick threat, not knowing that he’s the cause of it all. Plus he constantly has to fight Sigma who wants to turn him Maverick again AND his inner demons that try to do the same.
Wiz: That might be the most insightful thing I’ve ever heard you say, Boomstick.
Boomstick: Also why does he have a ponytail made of real hair? That is stupid!
Wiz: Never mind.
Boomstick: Anyways, Zero’s track record of busting Mavericks is impressive. He turned dozens of them into scrap metal including the master martial-artist Magma Dragoon and Infinity Mijinion who thinks as fast as several supercomputers combined. The dude got enough willpower to fight robot armies in the desert FOR A YEAR and has the agility to dodge beams of light fired by a mechanical sunflower man. D*mn, they really ran out of ideas for Mavericks down the line, didn’t they.
Wiz: It gets more impressive when considering that Zero was designed to surpass robots of the old generation like Mega Man who in turn has surpassed other extremely powerful machines. One of them in particular, Sunstar could generate enough energy to destroy a massive space station which based on its size would require over 7 Exatons of TNT. It’s also possible that Mega Man, and by extension Zero, can keep up with Duo, who flew from Saturn to Earth in under a minute.
Popup: While Mega Man stated that Duo held back in their fight, it is possible he scales to him as the former has defeated the Wily Machine 8, a mech that overpowered Duo.
Boomstick: Considering the time it took, Duo had to have been moving around 114 times the speed of light. If you’re still not convinced that Zero can surpass the classic characters, X is the 2.0 version of the original Mega Man, and Zero is practically equal to that guy who has the potential to blast a country off the face of the Earth.
Wiz: Not really too farfetched when both X and Zero have damaged General, a gigantic Reploid that stopped a massive laser from destroying the Earth. This would require an incredible amount of power to pull off, but as strong as Zero is, his tenacity is even greater.
Boomstick: The guys were caught inside an exploding building, rammed his spaceship into a space colony with enough force to cause an extinction-level event, and also got torn in half and impaled by a laser, yet Zero will keep on fighting like it never happened.
Wiz: Either that’s some impressive resolve or purley insane stubbornness. Regardless, this drive of his tends to be his greatest weakness. Zero will push himself to any lengths to fight for what he believes in, and it’s lead to his “temporary deaths” on multiple occasions. Granted it was this same drive that helped him defeat Sigma time and time again before finally confronting his malicious past, using the data inside of him to create the Mother Elf, an anti-virus that could overwrite corrupted Reploid data on a global scale and effectively bring Mavericks to extinction.
Popup: Zero can access the Mother Elf’s “children” known as the Cyber-elves to grant additional abilities reducing enemy stamina, slowing down time, and transforming them into weaker Mets.
Boomstick: Finally able to rest, Zero hung up the laser sword and sealed himself away to ensure he wouldn’t cause another worldwide crisis, only to be woken up so he could bring down an evil government founded by X. See Wily, Zero isn’t a disappointment, he’s out there destroying everything Light and his creations worked so hard to build. Sure it’s because an immortal Man Karen corrupted that government and sh*t all over X’s beliefs, but who cares.
Wiz: Truly Zero could never stay out of the fight for good, but it never was because he was the one who started it rather because he was the one who could end it. No matter what threat he faced, Zero always rose to the occasion and after one final sacrifice he was able to pave the way to a peaceful world free from the terror his creator instilled upon it many centuries ago.
Boomstick: Only one kind of man could leave behind that kind of legacy, a Mega Man. Oh, did we mention Zero is technically a Mega Man? At least that’s what the game titles say.
Zero: I won’t stop! When an enemy appears… I’ll terminate it…
Zero pulls out his Z-Saber and starts tearing through hordes of Pantheons.
Death Battle is Meta Knight's destiny![]
Wiz: Who is the mysterious Meta Knight? where did this mysterious warrior come from? and what lies behind that silver mask?
Boomstick: Duh, it’s an emo Kirby behind that mask. Haven’t you ever played the games?
Wiz: Ok technically yes, although there is more to it. The citizens of Dream Land may not know it, but the legend of Meta Knight extends to beyond the stars. Many millennia ago, Meta Knight was a member of the Star Warriors, an elite band of heroes with a mission to protect the universe from the vile wizard Nightmare and his army of monsters.
Popup: While the lore of the anime differs from that of the games, the abilities and portrayal of the characters is still consistent, meaning that information from the anime is applicable for this analysis.
Boomstick: Their war was so intense that it ravaged the cosmos and resulted in a lot of deaths, some of which were those of Meta Knight’s closest allies. Can’t say I blame him for dressing edgy after that, the trauma of war would definitely leave some serious emotional scars.
Wiz: Believing he was the only survivor in an unwinnable war, Meta Knight retreated to a secluded part of the galaxy where he could bide his time for a counterattack. This would lead him to settling on planet Popstar, and its peaceful and laid back country: Dream Land.
Boomstick: So peaceful in fact that Meta Knight got bored with it all and decided to conquer the planet with his “I’m totally not compensating” battleship the Halberd. When it takes to the sky, abandon all hope because this wonder of a war machine is equipped with cannons of all shapes and sizes, the world’s largest claw machine, and for the guests on board: lobster is always on the menu.
Popup: In the anime, the Halberd has been shown capable of powering through an asteroid field and once flew at over 350 million times the speed of light to reach Nightmare Enterprises in under 2 minutes.
Wiz: The only one who could stop this Star Warrior gone mad was ironically another Star Warrior who crash landed on Pop Star: Kirby, who promptly destroyed the ship bit by bit and sunk it into the ocean.
Boomstick: Ensuring that Meta Knight would never do anything evil again… except for the few times he got brainwashed, but who cares.
Wiz: Though these two initially seemed to be enemies, the relationship between Meta Knight and Kirby is actually enigmatic at best. On some occasions, Meta Knight acts as an ally, helping Kirby in fending off threats to the galaxy, but on other occasions he wants nothing more than to destroy Kirby and prove he’s stronger.
Boomstick: Like one of those mean girls who says she’s your friend, but talk sh*t about when you the second you stop looking. Yet whether he’s friend or foe, Meta Knight is a force to be reckoned with. His years of experience and skill with a blade are unrivaled and if that doesn’t impress you, HE’S ALSO A FREAKIN VAMPIRE!!!
Wiz: He’s not a vampire.
Boomstick: Then where those bat wings came from.
Wiz: From the Dimensional Cape of course, a possibly magic cloak that transforms itself into a pair of wings that lets Meta Knight soar through the air with ease. It can also be used to teleport away from enemy attacks and trap foes in its dark composition leaving them defenseless as Meta Knight deals a fatal blow.
Boomstick: So he’s lived for thousands of years, acts dark and edgy, has a magic cape that turns into bat wings, and he’s somehow not a vampire? Are you sure you checked your facts, Wiz?
Wiz: Yes, he doesn’t burn alive in the sun.
Boomstick raises his hand and is about to say something.
Wiz: Nor glissen in it.
Boomstick puts his hand down.
Boomstick: Never mind then.
Wiz: Moving back onto the Star Warrior, no knight is complete without his weapon and Meta Knight is always armed with his iconic sword: Galaxia. Forged by a race of fire people, Galaxia was designed to be one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. Its power is so intense that it will harm any weak-willed individual who would dare try to wield it. Only someone who is deemed worthy of Galaxia’s power can possibly wield it.
Boomstick: It’s basically Space Excalibur, and it even has a life of its own allowing it to communicate with its wielder, sort of like another legendary sword that we will hopefully never have to mention. And there is a good reason why Meta Knight was deemed worthy of wielding Galaxia. His swordsmanship backed by his incredible power makes him the ideal wielder of the blade, and he’s got the moves to prove it like his signature Knight Beam. By charging up energy into Galaxia, Meta Knight can fire energy slashes that tear apart the ground and whoever was dumb enough to stand in the way.
Wiz: Meta Knight can strike in quick succession with the Meta Multithrust, ram through foes using the Drill Rush, deliver a powerful upper using the Shuttle Loop, and dodge any attack before striking back through the deadly Galactic Counter. It’s an impressive skillset to be sure, but Meta Knight can always boost Galaxia’s abilities by absorbing natural elements including ice, wind, and water making his blade far more fearsome.
Boomstick: Not that he needs to because when you have Space Excalibur in your hands anything is possible. Galaxia has so many abilities sealed within it that it is mind blowing and when Meta Knight finds a worthy foe, he’ll tap into them to up his game. These powers range from launching fireballs, generating electricity, sending shockwaves through the earth, and deflecting projectiles using the flat side of the blade.
Popup: In the Meta Knightmare games, Meta Knight requires Meta Points to utilize these abilities. However, this is most likely a game mechanic meant to induce challenge. Meta Knight has not shown any reliance on this in other games and Galaxia itself is stated to have “unlimited power”.
Wiz: And that’s just scratching the surface of Meta Knight’s power. Galaxia has the ability to summon meteors, telekinetically lift objects, and split its wielder into four separate clones.
Boomstick: So he’ll never be alone on a Saturday night. Better stock up on beer while you can, my masked amigo.
Wiz: By using the Meta Quick, Meta Knight becomes faster than ever, the Heal ability restores all wounds, and the Knight Call summons allies out of thin air. Specifically, these allies are an elite group of soldiers who have sworn their lives to aid Meta Knight, and they are called… the Meta-Knights, with a hyphen. Because that’s not going to cause any confusion whatsoever.
Boomstick: On their own, the Meta-Knights are some decent fighters, but put them together and they can tackle any challenge with their unique weapons. Sword Knight and Blade Knight can cut enemies down to size, Axe Knight has boomerang axes, Mace Knight has a massive spike ball, Javelin Knight fires flaming javelins, and Trident Knight is the deadliest of them all, shish kabobing everyone in sight while flying around on a jetpack.
Wiz: It’s always good to have allies when you need them, and Meta Knight has made a lot of them during his time on planet Popstar. Despite not agreeing with the cute and cuddly atmosphere, Meta Knight developed an appreciation for Dream Land, earning the trust of its citizens and becoming a trustworthy friend to Kirby, even if he still challenges him on occasion.
Boomstick: And for that reason, he will do whatever it takes to defend his new home from evil. When that happens, Meta Knight will bust out his strongest moves such as Galaxia Darkness, a massive slash that one-shots nearly anything, the all-out blade blitz known as Darkness Illusion, and his personal favorite Mach Tornado.
Wiz: Perhaps the strongest technique Galaxia possesses, the Mach Tornado is a superpowered twister that's near impossible to escape and near impossible to survive. In its weakest version, it’s a short-ranged spin that sweeps enemies upwards, though at its peak it’s not one, but two massive tornados that practically guarantee victory.
Boomstick: Similar to a Florida hurricane, there are no survivors so it’s no surprise Meta Knight has easily taken down a plethora of foes. He’s beaten a giant gorilla, a four-headed dragon, a robot-version of him based on the upgraded cyborg-version of him, and also helped bring down an omnipotent god of despair. And because that somehow wasn’t satisfying enough, Meta Knight went after the strongest guy in all existence, Galacta Knight and brought him back to life just to kick his a$$.
Wiz: Galacta Knight is no joke. He was sealed away since his power was deemed too strong and according to the supercomputer Star Dream, unleashing him meant any nearby planets would likely become collateral damage. The fact that Meta Knight survived is a miracle of a feat on its own.
Boomstick: Another miracle to consider is that nobody bothered to seal up the guy who was stronger than the guy who was too strong, probably because they don’t want to take any chances. Even if they did try, I doubt they would be able to catch someone as fast as Meta Knight. After that win against Galacta Knight, Meta Knight took a victory flight all the way back to Popstar in seconds, starting from where Galactic Nova was, a wish-granting clock thing said to lie at the end of the galaxy.
Wiz: He’s able to keep up with other beings just as fast like King Dedede who dodged a piece of the Jamba Heart which scattered across the galaxy in no time at all. And most notably of all, Meta Knight has been one of the most persistent rivals to Kirby, pushing the pink puffball to his limits on every occasion, so it’s reasonable to say that Meta Knight can match Kirby’s feats as well.
Boomstick: This 8-inch pink puffball doesn’t seem all that strong, but don’t let that fool you. Kirby is destruction-incarnate, capable of pulverizing a planet in a single punch, and Meta Knight can keep up and match that kind of strength.
Popup: It is implied that Meta Knight has developed a special technique to resist Kirby’s inhale despite not being too big nor too heavy.
Wiz: That’s nothing. Using a mere baseball bat, Kirby redirected a meteor that threatened the world, sending it 9,999 light years in roughly 20 seconds. Based on the size of the meteor compared to Kirby, the amount of force needed to pull this off is over 550 Ninatons of TNT. In comparison, that’s almost 2 million times the amount of energy our Sun produces in a year.
Boomstick: D*mn, how does something that adorable get deadlier and deadlier? Still if Meta Knight is in that same ballpark, then he really is living up to the Star Warrior legacy. Thanks to him, the universe can rest easy knowing that this knight will vanquish any threat to it.
Wiz: Granted, Meta Knight suffers from an extreme sense of pride that sometimes interferes with his moral compass. This is especially the case when facing Kirby, who he seems to be fixated with surpassing.
Boomstick: He got so obsessed with beating Kirby that he tried teaming up with the greedy Dedede and dawned a power-boosting mask of evil, and somehow still lost. You think Meta Knight would catch a lucky break at some point, yet I can’t think of anything that would make this guy smile.
Popup: The Waxing Crescent Mask was an item provided by King Dedede and was later destroyed by the Buddy Star Blaster, meaning it is not a natural part of Meta Knight’s arsenal. It is also stated that Meta Knight was already a worthy opponent for Kirby without it, so it is unlikely that the mask enhances or draws out Meta Knight’s full potential.
Wiz: He’s persistent at least, persistent enough to survive a black hole created by an alien wizard and finish the war against Nightmare he couldn’t win so many years ago. Thanks to the aid of Dream Land, albeit mostly Kirby’s aid, Meta Knight was able to lead one final assault that brought down the galactic tyrant once and for all.
Boomstick: There’s your lucky break, Meta Knight, good for you. And it wouldn’t be the last time Meta Knight would give it his all to ensure the safety of the universe. No matter what evil wizard, alien, god, or whatever threatens the peace, they all better be prepared to face the golden blade of the dark knight.
Meta Knight: Kirby, my king has commanded me to challenge you to a duel. Prepare for battle, and prepare to be defeated!
Death Battle![]
Alia: An unidentified flying object has entered the atmosphere of Point 1993! We need all available Maverick Hunters to report immediately!
The alarms in Hunter Base were all going off, causing the Reploids inside to scurry as they prepared for battle. One particular Reploid was rushing to the Base’s center to get a debriefing on the situation. That Reploid’s name is Zero.
Zero: Reporting for duty! Alia, have you identified the attacker? Another Maverick perhaps?
Alia: I’m not sure yet. We’re still trying to identify it. Perhaps you should see it for yourself.
The Operator typed away at her keyboard, affecting a nearby monitor causing the display to change and reveal what was outside. Zero looked at the monitor in shock, witnessing something he couldn’t possibly imagine. It was a huge battleship soaring above the city with bat-like wings and a giant mask serving as its bow.
Zero: What is that?
Alia: It appears to be some sort of airship, and it’s heavily armed. Problem is we don’t know where it came from. There’s even a possibility it’s not from this planet.
Zero: Well whatever it is, we can’t let it run rampant in the city. Where are X and Axl? I’ll need their help to stop that thing.
Alia: I’m afraid they aren’t available. X and Axl were dispatched a few hours ago to investigate a report of a possible Maverick Outbreak. I can still send other Maverick Hunters for assistance.
Zero: No need! I’ll sink that airship right out of the sky myself!
Alia: Very well then. I’ll prepare the transporter immediately.
As the Maverick Hunter prepared for battle, the squadron inside the battleship, better known as the Halberd, were dealing with their own issues. Most of the crew was getting a look at the ground below, seeing a world far more advanced than their own Popstar, but in the cockpit, the Meta-Knights, the higher-ranking members of the crew were contemplating how they got there alongside their captain: Meta Knight.
Captain Vul: Blasted sky-hole! We must be light-years away from Popstar!
Sailor Waddle Dee: I don’t know why, but this place makes me feel uncomfortable.
Mace Knight: We can’t stay out in the open for long. We’ll attract unwanted attention.
Axe Knight: Lord Meta Knight, what do we do?
Meta Knight: Hmm… we don’t know who sent us here, but they must be near. Stay the course and scout the area! Make sure to stay on high alert as well!
Sailor Waddle Dee: Aye Aye, Sir!
Captain Vul: Roger that! Whatever this world has to offer, it can’t stand to my mighty Halberd, much less board it!
Vul was expecting smooth sailing, but didn’t realize he jinxed it. Suddenly a light fell down from the sky and landed on the Halberd’s deck. It materialized into Zero who looked at the huge tower in the airship’s center and identified it as his target.
Zero: Whoever’s operating this thing must be in there. Better go tell the captain his flying days are over.
Captain Vul: WHAAAT!? Did that guy just TELEPORT onto the deck!?
Mace Knight: Our defenses are useless!
Axe Knight: That intruder doesn’t look friendly…
Meta Knight: I can tell he is not the one who brought us here, but he may still be a problem. Attention all crew, head to the deck for battle, and eliminate the intruder!
At their Lord’s cue, the many crewmates gathered to the deck where their enemy awaited. It was one against many, but Zero was not daunted. He welcomed the challenge and pulled out his Z-Saber, activating the laser blade, and pointed it forward to instantiate the war.
Zero: Hmph. Should have known there would be a welcoming party. Let’s make this quick.
And quick he did make it. Zero tore through the descriptionless ensemble of enemies in a bloodbath that the writer was too lazy to put into detail. At the cockpit, the Meta-Knights watched in horror as their comrades were sliced to pieces with almost no effort.
Mace Knight: We can’t slow him down!
Captain Vul: Not to worry. He hasn’t seen our full power yet! Ready the twin cannon! We’ll blast him out of the sky!
As Zero inched closer to where his target lied, he heard the sound of a cannon charging up and noticed that there was a dual headed cannon pointing right at him. The lower head was open and an ominous blue glow emitted from it. Zero knew what it was and jumped into the air right before it fired a giant beam of plasma, barely missing the Reploid.
The cannon had not finished attacking yet as the upper head took aim at Zero and fired a barrage of cannonballs. Unfortunately, Zero would not be taken out so easily and proved it by slicing each cannonball with ease using his Z-Saber before going for a spinning slash right on top of the cannon. Striking like a buzzsaw, Zero rapidly slashed at the cannon until it could take no more and exploded into a million pieces.
The explosion was so intense that it covered the entire deck, tearing it apart and leaving it uninhabitable. There didn’t seem to be any survivors left, except for one figure who walked out of the explosion unscathed, the one who started it all.
Zero: Is that all you got?
Axe Knight: T-the twin cannon…
Mace Knight: It’s been destroyed, and the Halberd has suffered significant damage too!
And with the cannon destroyed, Zero made his way inside the tower to take down the Meta-Knights, causing further panic amongst the crew.
Captain Vul: I can keep the ship afloat, but we must do something about that darn lubber!
Sailor Waddle Dee: Lord Meta Knight! What are we going to do!?
Contrary to his loyal subjects, Meta Knight was not afraid of the intruder, but rather intrigued. He displayed the skill of a great warrior, one who had fought many battles, and it was backed up by the incredible blade he held. This warrior was a prime example of what the strange world had to offer, a model of its strongest and boldest, and perhaps even a worthy opponent. Without hesitation, Meta Knight took his leave and left the cockpit.
Sailor Waddle Dee: Lord Meta Knight?
Meta Knight: Remain calm and keep the Halberd stable. I’ll take care of this myself.
Zero continued his way through the Halberd’s interior. He could tell the enemy was close and gripped his saber tightly in anticipation, but that focus was broken when a silver sword flew at him forcing the reploid to jump back in time for it to lodge itself in the ground. The Maverick Hunter looked up and found the attacker standing on a ledge with his back turned and cloak covering his body.
Zero: So you’re the one in charge of all this. Aren’t you a bit short to be a terrorist?
Meta Knight: Judging me by my size is a terrible mistake, and the only terrorist here is you. We have shown no hostility towards your people, yet you assault my troops and ravage my ship.
Zero: “No hostility”? The weapons aboard your ship say otherwise! Say whatever you want, but you're a threat to this city and I’m here to cut you down to size!
Meta Knight: Hmph. If that’s how it’s going to be then I’ll show you my power! Prepare to die!
Meta Knight grabbed his cloak and threw it off as he turned around. Now locking eyes with the intruder, Meta Knight pulled out his sword, Galaxia, and pointed at Zero. The reploid responded by taking his Z-Saber and slicing apart the silver sword in front of him (unknowingly pi$$ing off Meta Knight in the process) showing that he was ready for battle.
The Star Warrior made the first move and lunged towards Zero to deliver a powerful thrust, and the latter matched it with a powerful laser sword swing. Sparks flew as the blades clashed and thus began an intense battle of the blades.
FIGHT!
The two continued to swing their blades rapidly, colliding with equal ferocity. Despite how small Meta Knight was, he managed to compensate (hee-hee) by jumping around agility and striking from unexpected angles. Well not quite unexpected, Zero was still able to fend off the attacks.
Granted, Meta Knight hadn’t gotten serious yet and proved it when he made a quick dash for Zero. The Maverick Hunter thought his opponent was wide open and tried to go for a big slash, but it was a trap. Meta Knight narrowly avoided the swing and got right behind Zero before kicking him in the back.
The blow sent Zero flying and Meta Knight kept up the pace by firing three Knight Beams at him. Zero was sent flying further by the first two Knight Beams, but he quickly recovered in time to land on his feet and slice the third Knight Beam in half.
Meta Knight: I thought you would put up more of a fight.
Zero: Don’t get cocky. I’m still warming up!
Zero swung his blade so hard that the entire thing became enveloped in fire. He then dashed towards Meta Knight so fast that it caught the latter off guard, leaving him vulnerable for a flaming upper that launched the knight skywards. The Maverick Hunter continued his barrage of elements by converting the blade to electricity and delivering lightning-fast strikes and ending it by surrounding himself in ice and tackling Meta Knight to the ground.
That combo was not enough for Zero, who swung his sword again, creating missiles that head towards Meta Knight. However, the Star Warrior had plenty of distance this time and grabbed hold of his Dimensional Cape, pulling it over his body and allowing him to teleport away before the missiles landed.
Zero was shocked to see his opponent disappear, but remained diligent nonetheless. He heard something coming towards him from above and spun around in time to block an incoming downward thrust from Meta Knight.
Meta Knight: So you are more capable than you appear.
Zero: Can’t say the same for you.
Meta Knight didn’t let the insult get to him and jumped back to strike again with a spinning Drill Rush. Zero blocked that attack as well and countered with a flurry of slashes, sending the Star Flying with the final blow. Zero ignited his sword and attempted to impale his opponent with it only for Meta Knight to spin around so fast that he became a tornado that blew away Zero’s flames and propelled him into the ceiling.
The tornado then homed in on Zero, hitting him with sharp gusts of wind over and over. Zero was soon knocked into a wall where he got a good glimpse of the spinning Meta Knight heading coming straight for him. Deciding to fight fire with fire, he jumped off the wall and spun around fast enough to make a tornado filled with electricity. The two tornados spun against each other like Beyblades before dissipating, leaving Zero and Meta Knight on their own as they landed back onto the ground.
Zero decided to change tactics and swapped out his Saber for a giant hammer. He jumped into the air to deliver a powerful smash, but Meta Knight leaped into the air to avoid the attack then retaliated with several powerful slashes followed by a Meta Multithrust that knocked Zero through a wall.
The Reploid slowly got up, suffering quite a bit of damage, though Zero soon realized that he didn’t have that luxury to recover as Meta Knight was using his bat wings to zoom right at him. Acting quickly, Zero got into a fighting stance and focused, waiting for the right moment to strike. The second Meta Knight was in range, Zero swung his hammer with all his might and hit the Star Warrior right in his mask. Meta Knight was sent flying far into a dark part of the room and Zero wasted not a moment chasing after him. He looked for where his target was hiding, and while couldn’t see anything at first, he soon saw a flicker of light and assumed it to be his opponent.
Zero: I’ve got you now!
Zero leaped high into the air and aimed for where the light was. Unleashing the most powerful swing he could muster, Zero attempted to deal a finishing blow with his hammer, but when it made contact, the Maverick Hunter didn’t hear the sound of an edgy blueberry getting squashed, but rather a metallic cling of a big machine getting scratched. The light gleamed once again, revealing its source to be two big green eyes attached to a giant golden lobster, the Heavy Lobster to be precise, the mechanized guard robot of the Halberd.
Zero: That is one big Maverick…
Meanwhile at the cockpit…
Captain Vul: Wahahahahahaha! Get him, Heavy Lobster!
Sailor Waddle Dee: You sure it was a good idea to deploy Heavy Lobster?
Captain Vul: Of course I’m sure! Now Lord Meta Knight doesn’t have to get his hands dirty taking care of that intruder. Once Heavy Lobster finishes the job, I’m sure he’ll praise me.
Mace Knight: Somehow I doubt that…
Back to the action…
Heavy Lobster took out one of its claws and pointed it at Zero. It charged up energy causing the Reploid’s eyes to narrow. A laser was fired from the claw, blasting Zero away. He tried to get up only to witness Heavy Lobster pounce into the air and stomp him so hard that it smashed him through several floors. This made a huge hole that Meta Knight walked up to. He stared down the hole, thinking about the unauthorized lobster unleashing and how his personal fight had been interrupted. His expression was angry (though you probably couldn’t tell because of the mask) and he gripped his sword tightly to express it.
Meta Knight: I am going to have a serious talk with Vul after this.
Despite this, Meta Knight knew an opponent of such caliber would never lose to Heavy Lobster so he jumped down the hole to pursue them.
In the halls of the lower decks, Zero tried to get some distance between him and Heavy Lobster who was right on his tail. Heavy Lobster opened its claws again to launch a series of fireballs at its target. Zero takes notice and pulls out his Buster Shot, preparing its Tractor Shot and firing it in retaliation. The Tractor Shot hit the fireballs, absorbing them one by one allowing it to grow bigger in size before colliding into Heavy Lobster and sending it flying with a massive explosion.
The Maverick Hunter continued running down the halls, knowing that the blast wouldn’t hold down the lobster for long, but stopped once he approached an unexpected wall. He looked around and saw that there were no exits he could take, he had reached the end of the line.
Zero: Crap! It’s a dead end!
Matters got even worse when he heard an engine revving behind him and turned around to see that Heavy Lobster was coming at him at full speed. Zero barley had enough time to jump over the mechanical monstrosity and watch it crash into a wall. Heavy Lobster immediately recovered and turned around to once again face Zero who had gotten tired of running from it.
Zero: Stubborn piece of scrap metal! Let’s see you handle this! Rekkoha!
Zero curled his hand into a fist and punched the ground hard. Heavy Lobster slowly walked towards his prey, unaware of what was going on, but soon got the idea as a beam of light punctured a hole in the Halberd and struck it right in the back. Before the mecha could realize it, several more beams of light rained down from the sky and bombarded it until Heavy Lobster was blasted to smithereens. The lights also wrecked the Halberd causing visible damage to its left side and making the ship tilt.
Axe Knight: The left wing is down!
Sailor Waddle Dee: We’re not going to make it!
Captain Vul: Calm down, you lubbers! The Halberd won’t sink while I’m around! Lower power to the right wing! Make sure this ship is balanced!
As the Halberd adjusted itself to avoid spiraling, and Zero, who almost lost balance, managed to regain footing.
Zero: That was close. Guess this ship isn’t as tough as I thought.
Zero had a second to calm down from the excitement which was short-lived when Meta Knight swooped in on his wings and used a mighty slash to knock Zero into a wall.
Meta Knight: I won’t let you get away with this!
Zero: Big talk from such a small fry.
Meta Knight flew in for another slash, but Zero dashed under him to avoid it. The Maverick Hunter knew a head-on fight would drag out too long so he decided to try a different tactic instead.
Zero: Try and keep up.
Zero made a mad dash for the other end of the Halberd, hoping that his opponent would follow, and sure enough he did.
Meta Knight: He thinks he can outrun me? How foolish.
Meta Knight made a huge flap with his wings and propelled himself in Zero’s direction. He closed the distance rather quickly and began launching fireballs to pin his opponent down. Zero figured he would try something like this and fired blasts of ice from his gun to extinguish the projectiles.
Zero: If that lobster couldn’t roast me, what hope do you have?
The Star Warrior chose not to respond and sped up to thrust his sword into Zero. Yet this was another thing Zero had anticipated. He jumped into the air to avoid Meta Knight’s attack and tried to counter with the Rakukojin, turning his sword to metal and thrusting it into the ground. Meta Knight barely got out of the way of the attack as it landed, but was left vulnerable to the anchor that came out and whacked him in the face. Stunned by the sudden blow, Meta Knight was left even more vulnerable to Zero who used another ice-encased tackle to knock him back.
Meta Knight used his wings to slow himself down and retaliated through a flurry of Knight Beams. Zero attempted to slice away the projectiles only to realize there was more than he could handle. The Knight Beams broke through the Zero’s offense and started pummeling him, even chipping away pieces of his metallic body in the process. The Maverick Hunter needed to find a way out and noticed that the anchor he threw earlier was still bouncing around and heading towards him. Enduring the Knight Beams, Zero waited for the anchor to get close and launched it with his sword, sending it flying right into Meta Knight’s face again.
Once more, Meta Knight was stunned, causing the Knight Beams to stop and giving Zero the opportunity to jump up and land a combo of slashes that smacked the Star Warrior into the ground. Meta Knight shrugged off the pain and saw Zero land right behind him. He rushed in to deliver a slash which Zero blocked with his Z-Saber although the Reploid struggled to hold it back. It seemed that Meta Knight was about to overpower Zero when out of nowhere, the bouncing anchor came along and hit the former on the back of the head. This brief interruption was all Zero needed to push Meta Knight back and deliver a slash that chipped the latter’s mask and sent him flying back.
Zero pressed his luck with the anchor one more time by striking it with his sword, sending it bouncing all over the halls. With its speed and unpredictable angles, it seemed impossible to tell where the anchor would strike from next, but Meta Knight made sure to keep track of the anchor this time. He watched as it ricocheted from wall to wall and right as it was going to hit him, Meta Knight caught the anchor and threw it to the ground so hard that it shattered.
Meta Knight: No more cheap tricks! We’ll settle this head-on in a proper duel!
Zero: Fine by me.
The two continued running down the halls, occasionally closing in on each other to trade blows only to reach a stalemate and push each other back. Zero attempted to break that stalemate by pulling out his gun and firing some lasers. Meta Knight maneuvered through the shots with ease and seized the opening Zero made by charging into the Reploid’s chest with his sword. The Star Warrior kept pushing, bringing Zero into the air and ramming him into the ceiling.
Zero fell to the ground and once again made a run for it to keep Meta Knight out of range. Naturally, Meta Knight pursued him so Zero activated his Yammar Option, summoning three dragonflies that orbited around him. Said dragonflies launched balls of energy at Meta Knight who couldn’t dodge them and got blasted back by the attack.
Zero: That should hold him back.
Meta Knight got up and realized that he needed a boost in order to get past those dragonflies, so he raised his sword and activated the Meta Quick. His body started sparkling and upon moving forward, his body became so fast that it was producing small afterimages. It didn’t take long for the Star Warrior to catch up to Zero and his dragonflies which made another attempt to stop him with their barrage of energy balls. However, Meta Knight’s added speed made him too quick to kill, allowing him to slash apart the dragonflies one by one before they could land a hit. With the bugs out of the way, Meta Knight appeared right in front of Zero who’s shocked reaction came in a bit too late as Meta Knight slashed him from many different sides, appearing as a blur while he blitzed the Maverick Hunter. Ending it with a Drill Rush to the back, Meta Knight launched Zero a considerable distance away, sending him all the way to the other end of the Halberd.
Sailor Waddle Dee: They’re approaching the right wing.
Mace Knight: It’s getting too risky to let this go on. Should we go help Lord Meta Knight?
Axe Knight: Not yet. Let’s have faith that our Lord will end this soon.
Zero got up from the previous attack, albeit he was breathing heavily. The new skill his opponent displayed was unexpected and he needed to find a way to counter it. Unfortunately, Meta Knight was approaching rapidly, giving Zero little time to figure it out, but not so little that he couldn’t figure out a solution. He took his Z-Saber and converted it into the Shield Boomerang then used it to block an incoming attack from the Star Warrior. Zero pushed Meta Knight away and the latter landed on his feet right as the Meta Quick wore off and returned him to normal speed.
That didn’t stop Meta Knight from being relentless. He thrust his sword into the ground and unleashed several shockwaves that homed in on Zero. In response, Zero threw the Shield Boomerang to destroy the shockwaves. The weapon then went towards Meta Knight who easily dodged it before seizing the opportunity to strike down his unarmed opponent. That was not the case as Zero pulled out his Buster Shot and blasted away, yet couldn’t land a hit on his agile target. When that failed, Zero simply started dodging Meta Knight’s oncoming swings.
The Maverick Hunter’s only way out was to reclaim his Shield Boomerang which he glanced around the room to find. Luck seemed to be in his favor as the weapon was making its return trip to him, but Meta Knight noticed Zero’s eyes glancing around and figured out his intentions. The Star Warrior broke out into a Mach Tornado that propelled Zero away as well as the Shield Boomerang that was moments away from its owner’s hands. Now even further away from his main weapon, Zero was getting desperate and tried firing his Buster Shot some more only for Meta Knight to swat them away with his sword as he walked towards the Reploid.
Meta Knight: Your chances of victory are growing slim. Surrender while you still can.
Zero: Do you really think I’ll give up that easily? Don’t be so cocky!
Zero curled up his fist and dashed towards Meta Knight, giving the impression that he would throw a punch. Meta Knight anticipated that and prepared to bisect him when he got close, but Zero turned things around with a surprise Wind Shredder. Suddenly, a pure red clone of Zero popped out of the original and swung its sword at Meta Knight. The Star Warrior’s instincts kicked in and he destroyed the clone with a single blow from Galaxia, though that made him unprepared for the real Zero delivering an uppercut to his face.
Meta Knight was sent airbound, but not for very long. Zero ran over to the corner to pick up his Shield Boomerang and turned it into the Chain Rod then swung it skywards, wrapping it around Meta Knight and yanking him to the ground. Zero kept swinging the Chain Rod, slamming his opponent into wall after wall. The Star Warrior struggled to find an escape with the constant concussions he was suffering, yet his spirit would not waver. He took out his wings and flew back to resist Zero’s pull. This stopped Zero’s attack and helped Meta Knight stay still long enough to counterattack by charging up a Knight Beam that struck Zero in the face and forced him to lose his grip on Meta Knight.
Now that he had gotten free, Meta Knight charged at Zero with a Drill Rush. The Maverick Hunter dodged it so Meta Knight changed direction in mid-attack to strike again. Zero dodged it again, though Meta Knight was determined to land that Drill Rush and redirected it again. On the other hand, Zero was getting tired of the consistent assault and switched from dodging it to attacking it.
Zero: Enough!
Zero punched Meta Knight directly in the face, but not with a normal punch, but with the Rakukojin. A huge fiery explosion enveloped the area, and the Halberd could not contain it resulting in said explosion creating a massive hole on the right side of the Halberd and the flames spreading to the right wing to burn most of it off.
Axe Knight: The right wing is badly damaged!
Captain Vul: We’ve regained balance at least…
Sailor Waddle Dee: Yeah, but what about Lord Meta Knight?
Zero was wondering that same question as he approached the giant hole he created. He looked around and saw nothing but open blue sky.
Zero: Did that do it?
The Maverick Hunter had his question answered when something came from below and slashed him in the chest. He looked up to get a glimpse of his attacker and saw Meta Knight with his wings outstretched and staring right at him.
Meta Knight: Not even close.
Meta Knight continued the fight with more Knight Beams, swinging them so fast they appeared like a blizzard of crescent-shaped cutters. The Maverick Hunter tried to get out of the way, but got bombarded anyway. He didn’t let the pain get to him and took aim with his Buster Shot. The shots fired, but with Meta Knight so far away they had no chance of hitting, and Zero couldn’t get close with the hundred foot drop in front of him.
Meta Knight: You are a skilled warrior, but only I can conquer the air. Victory is mine!
The Star Warrior let out a slash which released three fireballs that flew towards Zero and blasted him hard with a huge explosion. Meta Knight was hoping that blow would make victory his like he claimed, though what he didn’t expect was a black figure jumping out of the smoke and tackling him away. That black figure was Zero, and his new appearance had two mighty wings and frightening claws. This new form was known as Absolute Zero.
Zero: What was that about being the only one who can conquer the air?
Meta Knight: So many abilities, all full of surprises. You remind me of a close friend.
Zero didn’t care for what Meta Knight said and used his claws to go in for some slashes with his claws. Meta Knight dodged with no difficulty thanks to his superior air experience and retorted with a strong thrust that pushed Zero back. The Star Warrior tried to follow it up with another slash, but Zero caught his blade with one hand and used the other to punch him upwards. Though Meta Knight recovered immediately he immediately had to deflect an incoming slash from Zero and the two then engaged in a serious dog fight, both flying from every angle trying to get a drop on the other.
The close ranged brawl proved to be futile on both ends, so Meta Knight raised his sword and called meteors from the sky to assault his enemy. Zero was too focused on Meta Knight to notice the attack and was hit directly by every single one of them. The combination of surprise and concussion caused Zero to stop flying and plummet into the clouds.
Meta Knight dived into the clouds to give chase, though upon entering them all he could see was the white puff blocking surrounding the area. A small shadow dashed from behind the Star Warrior causing him to turn around. The knight saw nothing, but then the shadow performed the same movement multiple times to make Meta Knight look all over the place. Frustrated by the sounds with no visible source, Meta Knight did a Mach Tornado to blow away the clouds. While the view had been cleared, there was still nothing to be found. At least that’s what Meta Knight thought. From down below, the shadow, a.k.a Zero, swooped up and dealt a Shoryuken slash to his foe that dragged him all the way to the airspace above the Halberd.
The Star Warrior didn’t let this last long and kicked Zero away to end his attack. Zero flew in for another slash to which Meta Knight replied by doing the same. Their attacks clashed perfectly, letting them rush past each other without dealing damage. They continued to do this, matching each other's power and moving upwards with each equal blow. Eventually, their clash brought them to the edge of the stratosphere. The stars were all visible and the drop below would be gruesome to whoever fell, but to these dauntless warriors, this was nothing.
Zero and Meta Knight assaulted each other one more time, but now the result had them pressing against each other. It looked like Zero had the upper hand until Meta Knight’s eyes gleamed and he overpowered the Maverick Hunter by swinging his blade hard enough to launch him back and make him almost lose balance in his wings. The Reploid noticed that the blow had also knocked something out of his possession: his Buster Shot. Zero reclaimed it quickly, then saw Meta Knight about to unleash a devastating slash. He knew there wasn’t enough time to dodge it, so instead he aimed his Buster Shot and fired a Time Stopper. The attack hit Meta Knight and froze him in place, leaving him defenseless to Zero who gave a cocky smile.
Zero: That was a close call. Now to take care of you for good!
Zero went in for a dive bomb, catching Meta Knight with his claw and pulling him down to Earth. Sadly for the Maverick Hunter, his Time Stopper’s effect was short lived and Meta Knight soon regained his senses, taking notice of the sudden change of events and realizing he had to act fast.
Meta Knight: A bold move, but your efforts are in vain!
Meta Knight took Galaxia and stabbed Zero in the arm with it. The Reploid jolted back in pain, almost losing his grip on his enemy, though Zero’s sheer willpower let him persist with his plan to make this the decisive blow.
Zero: Oh no you don’t!
The Maverick Hunter changed out of his Absolute form and back to base. Pulling out his sword with his free hand, Zero charged it with enough electricity to make a mini thunderstorm and thrusted at Meta Knight’s face, sending the two plummeting down further. The increased speed caused the two to catch fire and they soon arrived at their destination, the back of the Halberd, which they violently crashed into and made a huge explosion of fire and electricity so intense the ship could barely endure it and nearly fell out of the sky.
Captain Vul: Waaaah! The ship’s going down!
Sailor Waddle Dee: Don’t worry captain! I’ve got your back!
Captain Vul: Don’t just say that! DO SOMETHING!
Sailor Waddle Dee: Aye aye!
The Waddle Dee got to the controls and helped Vul adjust the Halberd’s power and flight angle, allowing the ship to stabilize itself and resume flight.
Sailor Waddle Dee: Phew. That was close.
Captain Vul: We can’t afford another hit like that. Axe! Mace! Check the wings to see if they’re still functional!
Sailor Waddle Dee: Yeah… about that…
Back at the back of the Halberd, the smoke had cleared and Meta Knight lay face down on the floor, heavily injured by the blow. A less injured Zero walked up and kicked the Star Warrior away to see if there was any energy left, though it was clear Meta Knight would not be able to get up in time.
Zero: Seems the little guy is all tuckered out. Let’s put you to sleep.
Zero took out his Z-Saber and prepared for a fatal attack, but before he could even make a move, a flaming javelin flew in and knocked the sword right out of his hands.
Zero: What!?
That wouldn’t be the only attack that caught Zero by surprise as he soon got greeted by a giant mace ball to the face. It stunned him long enough for Trident Knight to come out of nowhere and skewer Zero and push him away from his target. The Maverick Hunter punched Trident Knight off of him and saw his attacker regroup with his other attackers Trident Knight and Mace Knight. They were joined by Axe Knight, Blade Knight, and Sword Knight, all of whom had come to the aid of their lord.
Meta Knight: What are you doing? You are dishonoring our battle!
Mace Knight: Sorry Lord Meta Knight, but we can’t sit back and watch while you’re in danger.
Axe Knight: If he’s planning to destroy the Halberd, then he’ll have to get through all of us!
Meta Knight paused for a moment. He was enraged that his crew interrupted his fight again, yet he was also touched by their loyalty and dedication. Deciding to let his crew do as they pleased, Meta Knight gave them their order.
Meta Knight: Very well, give him everything you got!
Axe Knight: You heard him, men! Trident Knight! Javelin Knight! Ready?
Axe Knight raised his axe signaling Trident Knight and Javelin Knight to line up next to their fellow Meta-Knight and prepare their pointy projectiles.
Axe Knight: Aim!
The two knights pulled their weapons back, and Zero realized what was about to happen. Without his sword, it looked like the end for the Maverick Hunter until he remembered two weapons that could get him out of this jam.
Axe Knight: Fire!
Axe Knight swung down his axe and the other Meta-Knights fired a storm of javelins and tridents. They were about to turn Zero into a pincushion when the Reploid punched the ground and summoned his Guard Shell. A barrier appeared in front of Zero and deflected the projectiles, returning them to their owners and stabbing them instead. The attack of Javelin Knight and Trident Knight backfired so badly that Axe Knight facepalmed himself in disappointment of his allies.
That facepalm blinded him from the real threat that was Zero, who took out his Zero Knuckle and uppercutted Axe Knight in the face, launching him overboard and causing his weapon to fly out of his hands. Zero grabbed the axe, claiming it as his own then narrowly dodged an incoming mace that flew at him. The mace returned to the Meta-Knight who owned it and he was looking furious.
Mace Knight: You’ll pay for that!
Mace Knight threw his mace once more, but this time Zero used his new axe to cleave the weapon in two and disarm his opponent.
Mace Knight: Uh-oh.
Mace Knight tried to make a run for it, though he was not fast enough to outrun Zero and his kick that punted him into the cockpit caught the crewmembers in there by surprise.
Captain Vul: Holy s-
Before the Kirby series lost its E-rating over a sailor mouth, the scene cut back to Zero and two more opponents that jumped at him from behind: Sword Knight and Blade Knight. The Maverick Hunter was aware of them and swung the axe behind his back to block the twin sword swing coming at him. He pushed the duo and they landed on opposite ends. They charged at Zero again, unleashing multiple slashes, but Zero used his agility to dodge and block the swings. Eventually, he got an opening on Sword Knight and kicked him away, then followed up by hurling his axe which sliced the knight in two and sent his sword flying at Zero.
Blade Knight became determined to avenge his partner and rushed towards Zero, only for the Maverick Hunter to catch Sword Knight’s sword and deflect his attack. The Meta-Knight planted his feet firmly and used the friction to stop himself, thus giving him the opportunity to strike again. Zero and Blade Knight engaged in a clash of blades, swinging their steel against each other so fast that the only thing visible was the sparks they created. Blade Knight held out for as long as he could, but in the end Zero bested him and dashed across him with a huge slash. To finish the job, Zero let out another flurry of quick slashes and watched as his target split apart into millions of tiny pieces.
Now that the underlings had been taken care of, Zero turned back to Meta Knight who had appeared to have made a full recovery.
Zero: Are you done hiding behind those weaklings?
Meta Knight: Do not mock my crew! They made this sacrifice on their own free will! Putting the matter aside, I believe we have a duel to continue.
Meta Knight pulled out the Z-Saber, which he had grabbed while Zero was fighting the Meta-Knights, and tossed it to Zero, seeing no honor in fighting an opponent who wasn’t armed. Zero grabbed his weapon, threw aside the substitute sword, and turned on the laser blade.
Zero: That’s more like it.
Meta Knight: Rest easy, my comrades. I shall avenge you!
The Star Warrior attacked first dashing in for an aggressive strike that forced Zero to block with his sword. Meta Knight amped up the pressure with more powerful slashes, keeping Zero on guard until the Maverick Hunter parried an attack and turned the tides. Zero tried to retaliate with a thrust, but Meta Knight used his cape to teleport away from the attack and reappear from behind to hit Zero with the Galactic Counter. He then used the Shuttle Loop to slash Zero into the air and brought him back down using the Drill Rush.
The Star Warrior jumped back and attempted to throw in some Knight Beams only for Zero to recover and deflect them with the Guard Shell. Meta Knight dodged his redirected attack, though failed to dodge a fireball brought out by Zero’s Buster Shot. Zero then started dashing around Meta Knight firing countless shots from his gun, putting Meta Knight on the defensive as he sliced the projectiles coming at many different angles. The Maverick Hunter knew he needed to slow his opponent down so he fired an ice-powered shot to freeze him in place. Unfortunately, Meta Knight saw through the attack and stabbed the projectile causing an unexpected alteration. His blade absorbed the energy and took an ice-blue appearance. Meta Knight had stolen the ice powers and gained the ability to use them as his own.
The knight demonstrated his new abilities by thrusting his sword into the ground and creating icicles that scattered everywhere. Zero had no choice but to jump out of the way, yet it left him unable to avoid Meta Knight as he flew towards him with his ice sword. Thinking quickly, Zero coated his blade with flames and used it to counter Meta Knight’s ice and send the latter flying back. The Reploid landed on his feet and charged at Meta Knight who enveloped himself in a pink and yellow aura before doing the same. Both swordsmen pressed their blades against each other, and it looked to be another even match, but that changed when three orbs spawned from Meta Knight’s aura.
The first of these orbs manifested itself into another Meta Knight and ran in to deliver a kick to Zero’s face, thus knocking him away from the original Meta Knight. This was followed up by the second orb going behind Zero and turning into a Meta Knight so it could launch the Maverick Hunter into the air with an upwards slash and the third orb soon joined in by doing the same transformation and performing an upwards thrust to send Zero further skywards. After getting their opponent into position, the four Meta Knights joined together to blitz Zero with a bunch of aerial slashes before finally gathering together above their target for a down thrust quartet that bashed Zero through the ground and into the engine room. The Meta Knights tried to keep their opponent pinned down, but the Reploid’s stubbornness would soon prove too much for them.
Zero: GET OFF!
Zero activated his Tenshouha, making a massive pillar of light erupt from his body and blast the Meta Knights away. They crashed the exact same spot, one by one and unintentionally fused back into a single Meta Knight. The Maverick Hunter noticed that there was something peculiar about what his enemy had crashed into. Looking up he saw a bright crystal floating up a podium and surrounding it were living tires called Wheelies, moving back and forth in a container to provide it energy. He could tell it was brimming with energy and that could only mean one thing.
Zero: That must be the ship’s power source. Looks like I stumbled into the place I need to be.
The Maverick Hunter gripped his saber tightly and lunged towards the Reactor. Meta Knight saw this and knew he couldn’t take any risks so he flew into the air to intercept the attack.
Meta Knight: I will not allow this!
Meta swatted Zero away with his sword which made the latter mad as he switched to his Buster Shot.
Zero: Out of my way!
The shots came out rapidly, yet Meta Knight had no trouble destroying them with mere swings of his blade. What Meta Knight failed to realize was that not every shot was aimed directly at him. Some of the blasts completely missed only to bounce off the walls and hit the Star Warrior in the back. This stunned Meta Knight long enough for Zero to run up and bounce off his head so that he could get a clear shot of the reactor.
Zero: It’s over!
Zero gave the strongest slash he could possibly muster and tried to tear the Reactor in two, but surprisingly his attack bounced off the crystal without so much as a scratch on it.
Zero: What!?
Meta Knight: Hmph. The Reactor cannot be destroyed by such primitive means. Only something of incredible power could ever hope to-
Suddenly a flash of purple and gold breached the Halberd and crashed into the Reactor, completely destroying it like it was made of glass before leaving.
Meta Knight: …What was that?
Zero: …I don’t know.
The two just stood there in awkward silence for a while, but were snapped back into reality when the engine room started falling apart. Various parts of the Halberd started exploding, and the Wheelies used to help keep it in air started breaking out of their cells and making a break for it.
Zero: Crap! Everything is falling apart! I need to-
The Engine Room then reached critical, causing a massive explosion to engulf the area. It reached the walls out the Halberd and broke through them, damaging it further. But even worse was that without a steady supply of power, the Halberd began descending to the ground uncontrollably.
Sailor Waddle Dee: The reactor has been taken out! All engines are losing power!
Captain Vul: Waaah! The ship is going down!
Sailor Waddle Dee: What are we going to do?
Captain Vul: Hmm… We have no choice. We’re going to have to abandon ship.
Sailor Waddle Dee: But what about Lord Meta Knight?
Captain Vul: He’ll be fine! Our Lord can’t be taken out so easily.
Vul may be a coward, but he certainly wasn’t wrong. Meta Knight emerged from the wreckage still in fighting condition despite the explosion taking the ice off his blade and took a look around the engine room. Everything was in ruins: holes in the walls, sparks flying out of the Wheelie generators, and fires that needed to be extinguished. He also felt the rapid descent of the ship and figured out that the worst had happened. On the bright side, his opponent Zero was in front of him kneeling and breathing heavily. By the looks of it, the Maverick Hunter was at his limit and all it would take to finish it was a single blow from Meta Knight.
Meta Knight: You were an valiant opponent. I will remember you well.
Meta Knight pulled his sword back for a decapitation, but before he could unleash the swing he heard laughter from his opponent. The laughter grew louder and more psychotic causing the Star Warrior to step back a bit in fear, an emotion he did not expect to feel, but would soon understand why he felt it.
Zero: Ha ha ha… Hahahahaha! What an incredible feeling! I’ve never felt this happy to fight, this happy to kill!
Zero looked up with a malicious gaze and a bloody red aura surrounded him. He let out a shockwave that pushed Meta Knight back and the latter looked up to see Zero floating in the air posing like a villain. Apparently that explosion hit Zero harder in the head than anyone could have thought because it awakened something buried deep within his data, something that should have stayed buried there, and that something was the data for Awakened Zero. This new Zero floated down to the ground and readied his sword, thinking of nothing except how he would dissect his opponent.
Zero: DIE!
Zero made a couple swings and out came two giant wheels of energy. Meta Knight took to the skies to avoid them, but the wheels homed in on him forcing the Star Warrior to block them with his sword. It was an easy work around for the Maverick who punched the ground in order to make blasts of energy come out of it and ram into Meta Knight’s butt (no homo). The Star Warrior jolted into the air from the pain and Zero seized the opportunity to jump up and strike with a flurry of savage slashes before kicking him down to the Earth. Zero landed some more hits by firing energy waves from his sword then attempted to end it with a diving thrust. However, Meta Knight used his Dimensional Cape to teleport away at the last second and reappear in front of Zero.
Meta Knight: I sense no honor in you anymore. You have begun fighting like a monster. Are you even the same person I fought before?
Zero: I am, but “this” is the true form of me!
The Maverick charged in once again swinging his blade violently. With his opponent acting so viciously, all Meta Knight could do was dodge with the occasional deflection swing to avoid being caught in the frenzy. He couldn’t defend himself for long, as Zero’s offense became harder and harder to avoid until it eventually broke through, slashing Meta Knight across the face and leaving him heavily dazed. Zero threw in a combo by curling up a fist and punching Meta Knight so hard he went through several walls and landed in another section of the Halberd.
Meta Knight got up quickly, expecting his opponent to go after him, and sure enough he was right. Zero repeated the same assault from earlier, but this time Meta Knight was prepared and activated his Meta Quick followed by a Drill Rush. Thanks to the added speed, the Drill Rush was moving like an anti-air missile, which was fast enough to pierce Zero in the chest before he could swing his blade. The Star Warrior made his attack count and pushed Zero to the ceiling, smashing through floor after floor hoping to exhaust him before his vile assault could begin again.
They eventually reached the surface and Meta Knight broke the Drill Rush so the two could land on the ground. Meta Knight felt his Meta Quick wear off and knew that if his opponent was still standing, he would be in big trouble. Much to his dismay, Zero got up smiling wickedly as if he was aware of Meta Knight’s own predicament.
Meta Knight: (*thinks*) He’s too resilient. I have no choice, but to use my full power!
Meta Knight held his blade high and upside down and focused as hard as he could. The Maverick could tell his opponent was setting up for a powerful attack and prepared to stop it.
Zero: Trying to stop me with some special technique? Hahahaha! Useless!
Zero concentrated all his energy into his blade and swung his Genmu Zero, creating two gargantuan energy slashes that flew towards Meta Knight. Meta Knight looked like he was going to take the full force of Zero’s greatest attack, but then his chargeup completed and he thrust his sword into the ground to create a massive tornado that headed towards Zero, the true Mach Tornado to be precise.
The two attacks collided pushing against each other with equal force. There was no telling which one would dissipate first, but it didn’t matter. The sheer magnitude of their power caused the ground beneath the Halberd to break apart and before Zero and Meta Knight could make a proper reaction, a huge gust of wind emerged from their attacks, concussing and launching them both before splitting the Halberd in two. The once mighty ship plummeted two the ground, exploding in a blaze of glory and reducing a huge chunk of the city into a smoldering crater. Any available witnesses would easily assume there were no survivors in this tragedy, but they would also be wrong.
In the center of that crater Zero lied collapsed on the ground beaten, but not quite dead. He got up slowly and painfully. The Reploid felt that his systems were exhausted, yet he had no memory why. Apparently that last explosion hit him hard enough to knock the Awakened Zero personality away and bring him back to his old self.
Zero: …What happened? Last thing I remember was that the ship was falling apart… but by the looks of it, that’s already happened.
Meta Knight: You're quite perceptive, though I am surprised that you have no memory of what transpired.
That familiar voice put Zero on alert. He was expecting a surprise attack, only to see Meta Knight standing on the pile of rubble formerly known as the Halberd. The Star Warrior appeared to be in just as bad of a condition as him, though he didn’t show any signs of hostility, only wanting to observe his opponent.
Zero: No memory? Tell me, what exactly did I do?
Meta Knight: It may be in both our best interests if I don’t say, but I am glad to see you are back to your old self. However, you have still caused far too much trouble for me and there is only one way to settle the matter.
Meta Knight took out Galaxia and held it high. The sword gave off a glow that surrounded the Star Warrior’s body and healed the wound, restoring the knight to how he was when the fight began.
Meta Knight: Let us finish this duel once and for all!
Zero saw the determination in Meta Knight’s eyes, the resolve to win no matter what. Even he couldn’t help, but admire it, albeit it didn’t stop the Maverick Hunter from showing that same resolve as he took out his Z-Saber to engage his opponent one last time.
Zero: Heh. You’re definitely a lot more honorable than most of the guys I fight. You want to finish this duel? So be it!
The Maverick Hunter focused on his internal system and activated a Sub-Tank buried deep within. Thanks to its restorative properties, Zero’s wounds were healed, bringing him back to 100% fighting condition. Shortly after the repairs, Zero’s body began to glow revealing that he had one more thing he wanted to activate. His body turned from its natural red color to a pitch black. It was more than just a palette swap, it was Black Zero, the strongest armor in the Maverick Hunter’s arsenal.
Zero: But don’t expect me to hold back this time!
Zero lunged at his foe, going for a strong vertical slash, only Meta Knight to dodge and try to strike from behind. It was a predictable move to Zero who blocked and turned around for a counter slash. Meta Knight blocked it and the force of the weapon pushed him back, although that gave him plenty of distance to fire a couple Knight Beams, catching the Reploid off guard and damaging his armor with each hit.
Enraged, Zero pulled out his Buster Shot and blasted an assortment of fire, ice, and electric attacks. The Star Warrior attempted to fly through them, but got caught in the barrage. For a second, it seemed he was being overwhelmed by the projectiles, that is until he formed a Mach Tornado around himself and used it to spin himself through the projectiles causing them to dissipate. After dealing with the elemental shots, Meta Knight got in close to Zero then stretched out his wings to cancel the tornado and create a huge gust of air. This stunned Zero long enough for Meta Knight to slash the Buster Shot in two and put it out of commission.
The Maverick Hunter didn’t let the loss of his weapon break his concentration, after all he still had his sword. And he used that sword to retaliate by striking his enemy with a fiery upwards slash followed by an icy downward thrust. It nearly impaled Meta Knight, but fortunately his mask was barely able to save him. Using Galaxia to deflect Zero’s blade, Meta Knight was able to break free and assaulted Zero with a series of quick, yet powerful sword swings. He didn’t want to give Zero the chance to recover, so he made every swing count, looking for an immediate opening and exploiting it with everything he had.
Zero couldn’t find a way out of Meta Knight’s relentless assault and was getting pushed back with each calculated swing. Eventually he felt his back bump into something and turned around to see he was backed into a wall, or rather a giant piece of the sunken Halberd. His sudden realization only distracted him, giving Meta Knight the chance to go in for a killer thrust. The Maverick Hunter was impaled by Galaxia and sparks flew from his chest. He grabbed Meta Knight’s blade with his hand to prevent further damage, but he could only do so much as the blade slowly sank further into him.
Meta Knight: I’m afraid this is the end for you!
Zero: That’s… my line!
Enduring the pain, Zero closed his eyes and concentrated really hard. He reopened them with a fierce gaze and a sudden flash emerged from him and enveloped the world in black and white. Everything trapped in the monochrome world came to a halt, including Meta Knight himself. All this was the result of Zero’s Dark Hold which contained the power to freeze time, and the only one who could move in it was Zero.
Zero took the blade in his chest and pulled it out, then he jumped behind Meta Knight. He only had a few seconds before the Dark Hold wore off, so the Zero decided to make this one count. The Maverick Hunter took his Z-Saber and poured as much energy into it as possible, increasing the size and power. Using the enlarged blade, Zero made several huge slashes on Meta Knight. They may not have been as fast as they once were, but the added power more than made up for it. Once Zero was certain he had dealt enough damage, he lowered his sword and waited for his Dark Hold to wear off.
Zero: Sayonara!
The Dark Hold reached its limit causing time and color to be restored to the world. Meta Knight took the toll of the assault and felt every slash cut into his body at once. He was launched through the rubble and sent to the end of the crater, creating a hundred foot blast of dust upon crashing there. Zero waited to make sure that his opponent did not come back, and after several seconds of silence, he was certain that the last attack had successfully killed the masked blueberry. He walked away from the battlefield and activated his communicator to make his report.
Zero: Alia, can you read me? This is Zero. Target has been destroyed. Mission-
Zero almost called “Mission Complete” when he heard the sound of a large chunk of metal being cleaved in two. As if his robot body somehow achieved adrenaline, time started to slow down for Zero as he turned around in shock to see what made the noise. Much to his surprise, the rubble he and Meta Knight fought close to was now cleaved in two and right next to it was Meta Knight. The Star Warrior was covered in slash marks on both body and mask, but he looked full of energy, holding his sword outward and utilizing his bat wings to charge towards Zero at high speeds.
The Maverick Hunter regained his senses, and held his blade tightly. Knowing it was do or die he charged in as well to intercept his opponent’s attack.
Zero: Still haven’t given up yet? Then I’ll make you give up!
Both Zero and Meta Knight dashed towards each other, intending to settle things with a single blow. But in an unexpected turn of events, Meta Knight grabbed his cape and flung it over him, albeit Zero managed to get in close at that very moment to stop his plan. In the midst of this climactic final clash, the world around the two turned dark leaving only the anticipation of who would strike first. And that first strike was made clear when a linear blue flash, followed by the high-pitched sound of a laser sword emerged from the darkness.
Zero: Gotcha!
It was Zero who made the first move after such an intense attack, the darkness faded away. Unfortunately for the Maverick Hunter, the light revealed that there was no target in front of him and his sword ultimately hit nothing.
Zero: What!?
Of course, he wouldn’t be kept in the dark about his opponent’s location for long as two yellow eyes gleamed right behind him. Though Zero couldn’t see it, his body froze up, knowing that there was nothing more he could do.
Meta Knight: Behold my power!
Meta Knight concentrated his energy into his blade and let out a massive slash. Its power launched Zero into the air and made him drop his Z-Saber. The Star Warrior wasn’t going to let his attack end there. He kept on letting out those mighty slashes, keeping Zero airbound and heavily damaging his body with every hit. The blows built up until The Reploids robotic body could no longer take it. With the next strike of Galaxia, Zero’s arm was torn right off and Meta Knight amped up the damage with another slash that took away his legs.
The Star Warrior flew back and took aim at Zero, who was about to fall to the ground with his nearly incapacitated body, not that Meta Knight would allow that. He swooped in to deal a finishing thrust backed by high-speeds, but Zero, still conscious, refused to go down alone.
Zero: I’m not done just yet! I’m taking you with me!
Zero used his last remaining limb, and converted it into an arm cannon, a.k.a his original weapon: the Z-Buster. He charged up energy into it and pointed his arm at Meta Knight, waiting for just the right moment to strike. The Star Warrior managed to get in range for his last attack, and that was when Zero decided to let loose, betting everything on using a gun in a sword fight.
A split second after this moment, a massive explosion erupted from where the two swordsmen were standing. It was big enough for the entire city to witness it, though from that distance nobody could tell what happened. From up close, the aftermath could be seen with two iconic objects lying in the dust filled crater. One was a red and white helmet, half buried in the dirt with the blue crystal in the center completely missing. The other was a simple silver mask that had been broken in half.
Both objects indicated no survivors, but from a fallen wing of the Halberd stood the sole survivor. A small figure in a dark cloak and yellow eyes that could not be forgotten: Meta Knight. His Kirby-like face took a look at the damage caused in the battle, the lives lost in combat, the remains of (or rather lack of) what was once his opponent. He turned his back on it all, knowing he had to move on, and made one final comment to his deceased foe.
Meta Knight: You were a worthy opponent. Goodbye.
And with that, Meta Knight used his Dimensional Cape one last time and teleported away from the scene.
K.O!
Results[]
Boomstick: You know, I would be mad too if someone trashed my ride, but might be taking it a bit far.
Wiz: At first glance, Zero did appear to be a difficult opponent for Meta Knight. His much larger arsenal gave him plenty of angles to strike from that the Star Warrior couldn’t such as superior range options or freezing time.
Boomstick: But Meta Knight could match a fair share of those skills like manipulating the elements and healing wounds. Plus that pint-sized emo is no stranger to versatile opponents so he would eventually adapt to anything Zero threw at him.
Wiz: His millennia-worth of combat and tactical experience proves just that. Granted, skill can only go far and Zero is a well-seasoned warrior in his own right so we had to determine who was stronger, faster, and tougher. And unfortunately, for the red-clad Maverick Hunter, Meta Knight simply dominated in these fields.
Boomstick: Let’s start with power. We know that Zero outpaces the classic Mega Man cast including Sunstar who made that 7 Exaton explosion. It’s impressive to be sure, though nothing compared to Kirby sending that meteor 9,999 light years away which came out to over 550 Ninatons of TNT. Meta Knight regularly competes with Kirby and while he’s never one, he’s put up such good fights that there’s no doubt he could hit just as hard as the pink puffball.
Popup: In order to strike the meteor as hard as he did, Kirby’s attack speed must be over 15 billion times the speed of light, which Meta Knight is more than capable of keeping up with.
Wiz: Comparing the scalings side by side, Meta Knight is 78 billion times stronger, far exceeding what Zero is capable of even when considering that he could severely injure General who blocked a planet-destroying laser, albeit he didn’t technically survive it.
Boomstick: Don’t forget, Meta Knight regularly takes hits from Kirby and survived other insane things like being sucked into a black hole. That Z-Saber really doesn’t compete in terms of lethality, assuming it could land a hit to begin with.
Wiz: Perhaps the biggest difference between these two was speed. Both were many times faster than light, and while Zero is superior to someone who’s traveled between planets, Meta Knight has causally traversed the galaxy by flying from Galactic Nova to Popstar.
Popup: Characters from the Mega Man X and Mega Man Zero series are far superior to those from the classic Mega Man games, but there is little to suggest that this would significantly close the gap between Zero’s and Meta Knight’s physical abilities. Even if vague and/or skeptical feats like Lumine’s potential star-destoying attack were considered, the same would be done for Meta Knight who has fought Void Termina, a being that threatened the multiverse.
Boomstick: On paper the speed difference seems obvious, but to back up that research we’ll look at those numbers. However, the problem with doing this is that we don’t have a confirmed distance that Meta Knight flew to make that trip. We know Galactic Nova lies at the edge of the galaxy, but what about Popstar? That giant star could be virtually anywhere.
Wiz: True, but we can approximate its location through the galactic habitable zone, the theoretical section of a galaxy where all habitable planets, like Popstar, can form. We’ll use our own Milky Way Galaxy as a basis to determine the distance with its galactic habitable zone reaching out to 33,000 light years from the center and the edge lying even further at 52,850 light years. That gives us a total distance of 19,850 light years. Even when lowballing this voyage with the longest possible travel time, Meta Knight’s flight speed comes out to at least 26 billion times the speed of light.
Popup: Galaxies and their galactic habitable zones do have varying lengths, but in virtually every case Meta Knight traveled a greater distance in a shorter timespan when compared to Duo.
Boomstick: No need to check the math there, that’s faster than what Duo accomplished. All things considered, Meta Knight’s far greater speed and power meant he could take out Zero with almost no problem. The best Zero could do was use those vast weapons to keep the Star Warrior guessing on what would come next, but that would only delay the inevitable.
Popup: In theory, Zero could beat Meta Knight by turning him into a Met via Cyber-elf. However, stronger enemies have been unaffected by this and Meta Knight’s wisdom and speed would help him anticipate a potentially decisive move and counterattack before Zero could utilize the option.
Wiz: Zero is one of the most impressive fighting machines we’ve ever witnessed, and he certainly put up a good fight, but against the experience, physical superiority, and mighty blade of Meta Knight, the Maverick turned Maverick Hunter ended up meeting the same fate as all of Dr. Wily’s creations.
Boomstick: Zero thought nobody could beat him in the ring, until he “Meta” Knight that left him seeing “Star Warriors”.
Wiz: The winner is Meta Knight.
Soundtrack Cover[]
Special Thanks to Joshbry23 for the Soundtrack Cover
Next Time[]
It's time to go back to where it all began!
The Rejected Revenger!
The Perfect Pokémon!
Next Time: SMG4 Waluigi vs Peanut Butter REMASTERED!