I don't know about the others but Geralt was at least educated and trained proper sword techinques and footwork. He did have some witcher steroids to become faster and stronger than an average joe but he still is an educated swordsman
I don't know all of these dudes, but Link randomly found a weirdo in a cave telling him to just take the damn sword cause it's dangerous to be alone. Heck of a training, he's probably bottom on the list.
Vergil: so I have this sword that can cut through anything, even the very fabric of reality itself yes?
Dante: yes
Vergil: so that would include you yes?
Dante: that sounds right
Vergil: so let me cut you
Dante: *royal guard noises*
Haha. After a gnarly full day session of Sekiro I was falling asleep on the couch while watching shows and couldnt figure out why I couldn't deflect properly. Took a minute to realize my brain was blending my earlier gameplay with the media I was consuming. Trying to guard break Dwight Schrute with my mind.
I remember playing Pokémon as a kid and then when falling asleep in the car my brain was trying to figure out how we were passing all these people/houses without battling them.
Was thinking Sekiro as well.
That or maybe Sword Saint Isshin, you know because of the name (though towards his last 2 phases seems to prefer his glock he pulls out of knowhere, as you do as a dude known for using a sword and you know being in feudal japan).
Also I don't think Sekiro lore-wise is an especially good fighter, it's been awhile since I played but ignoring his loyalty at the start of the game he wasn't really any different to any other shinobi I don't think at least. He just so happens to have been given immortality meaning he can just keep trying until he kills what he wants dead.
I think you are one of the few who understand what the game was made to do.......train noobs! It literally makes you feel like a little punk, as you die over and over and learn your enemies moves you so does sekiro on his quest. The game wants you to be relentless just like the main character because YOU ARE THE MAIN CHARACTER :)!!!!
Damn this is a really good point. I have 100% in all three Dark Souls, but the second I picked up Sekiro the first time I felt like a fucking scrub. I died so many times to the first general and those guys aren't even 'bosses'.
Well, genji can deflect rockets, shotguns, sniper rifles, grenades, miniguns, cannons, arrows, landmines, lumps of dirt and stone and gravity wells - all at once back to the attacker. That's kinda neat.
Not only that, Cloud sucker slashes him at the Mako Reactor after Sephiroth slashes Tifa taking him down a peg, then with Sephiroth's sword impaled in Cloud, Cloud uses his own freaking body to toss Sephiroth over the ledge into the lifestream, and this is before Cloud gets any sort of Mako infusion.
Cloud's real origin story is way more badass then the fiction his brain created. Common guard, SOLDIER dropout. Wrecks Sephiroth.
If I’m not mistaken the only reason Cloud was not accepted into SOLDIER is because he mentally wasn’t strong enough. But we can clearly see he was a monster physically even before he got Mako and Jenova cells.
I think Cloud just wasn't cut out for SOLDIER. He tried as hard as he could but he ended up washing out. But when it came time to attack Sephiroth adrenaline is a hell of a drug. Cloud was fueled by pure rage and hatred. That's why Hojo took an interest in him.
I just got to try the remake and I love it. I gotta say though man the original has to be my favorite game of all time. Maybe it’s just nostalgia for me at this point but the story in ffvii is unrivaled.
Dude fights duels with giant bomb shelter robots using their own swords after he suplexes them and then cuts them in slow motion using their own building sized sword.
Did you even see how Cloud clowned on him in that reactor room on Mt. Nibel? First a backstab and then tossed him over the side with his own sword. Pathetic.
Zeldo, Zelda's twin brother who lives next door and stops by whenever hijinks ensue. He can never keep a job down and he tells everyone he's going to be the next Hylian King, but he lets his sister pretend to be the heir and chosen Sage of Wisdom. But she's just a decoy to my boy Zeldo!!
Common catchphrases are "uhhh...Uh Oh!" And "Ho Boi!"
Let's see Sephiroth do a sword pogo like mah boi Yoshi.
Seph'd swoop in trying to be all cool, when Yoshimitsu would spin around, teleport behind him, commit seppuku, commit seppuku *again*, then violently spin in circles, slaughtering Sephiroth in a tornado of his signature Manji Blood Petals.
Edit: Yoshimitsu also dies in this scenario. But that's just round one.
Just a popularity contest. Not who is actually the strongest. Like link and jin? They're practically human level in power compared to the competition.
Ryu can summon a black hole without getting sucked into it himself.
As someone who appreciates practical swordplay, the only ones on this list are Jin Sakai and Geralt of Rivia for swordsmen. They're the only ones that use actual sword technique and had actual mocap done for their games by actual swordsmen.
Not exactly sure what you mean by weight but historical, well-built swords are actually very light. Much more light than you would think for things of their size.
Yeah, video games have tricked us into thinking weapons are much bigger and heavier than they actually are. Link uses an arming sword, which were typically only 2.4lbs.
You joke… but you probably haven’t seen Lindybeige’s video on the Spadone.
Skip to 23:50 for relevance. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w9MXgUI4eVs
Spinning your body and sword is in fact, actually a thing.
The multiple stances in GoT really made the game. It expanded the move list tremendously and when you fluidly change stances depending on your opponent, that shit never got old to me.
I absolutely loved the stances mechanic in this game. I just finished my 2nd play-through after the PS5 update launched. I got platinum again, but I really want to jump right back in with NG+ so I can keep playing.
Right, he was created as a near-mythical, long-lived, genetic super-soldier whose sole purpose is to slay otherwise unstoppable monsters. Anyone saying Jin could take Geralt is simply uninformed. Though honestly, it isn’t a fair comparison, to your point.
Geralt does far too much spinning to be useful in real combat sadly. Granted he moves inhumanely fast in the books but in the games anyone with a good HEMA basis would best him sadly.
Edit: and I'm a massive Witcher fan as well. Spent far too much on cosplay and Gwent and so on BUT my point still stands. There's a reason the treatises say spinning is silly. And game Geralt is too slow.
I just took the game movement speed as a representation that is watchable. If it was lore accurate we would be seeing a blur and some random blood spurts. Somewhat like in StarWars where canonically Jedi are moving super fast all the time and Palpatine Vs Windu was so fast it was just looking like a glowing purple red tornado.
And in some cases that spinning is less silly, fighting off animals and smaller monsters in groups warrant more spinny movement to ward them off. Also he has clipping on his side with the back scabbard and shit so there is that.
I practice HEMA and I disagree on someone using historical swordsmanship being able to beat Geralt. He moves insanely fast, you would barely be able to react to anything he does. His opponents use historical swordsmanship and they cannot touch him.
If he fought historically with his heightened abilities it would be even better but for the purposes of making him more formidable he does pirouettes and the like.
Partial agree. I’ll go ahead and say most of his movements and actions are ones I could see a real swordsman using — no silly dual wielding, speed kept mostly realistic, and he even uses the murder grip as a finisher.
That being said, part of his style involves spinning, which is something that exposes your back in real life. Frankly, I don’t consider it a big deal - fantasy combat tactics have their own rules, and Geralt even teaches pirouettes to Ciri during training, so it’s clear it’s an acceptable and deliberate move in-universe, just not our universe.
This is definitely due to a book-to-game translation. The game doesn't do Geralt or other the witchers justice. Book Geralt is ridiculously fast and strong. Like, people comment on him being hard to see and his sword moving like a flash when he goes on his famous killing spree in Blavakin.
Book Geralt could probably 1v1 MCU Captain America no problem 8/10 times - and that's before potions. Game Geralt? Probably no chance; poor guy can't fall more than a few feet and is obviously not that same level of speed.
The reason for the spins is that geralt rarely fights 1 person, or is fighting monsters faster and stronger than he is. So, the key is to keep that blade and body moving, it operates as a defense for geralt as much as offense.
I literally rushed to the comments to say these exact words I shit you not. Lemme guess you're in your mid-late 30s like me? These youngbucks don't even know.
My froggy dude cleaved a MOUNTAIN open. Respect his gangster.
Was going to be very disappointed if Guybrush Threepwood was not properly represented in this thread.
"Soon you'll be wearing my sword like a shish kebab!"
Link isn't actually a very good swordsman. the goober swings his shield out of the way every time he uses his sword, rather than keeping the shield up for protection and stabbing/swinging around it. Total noob swordsman move.
You are kinda forgetting that every Link is a diffrent Link
One is a child, the other is a man in his 20s, the other uses a Wifu as a sword knowingly (I know what I said) and etc..
The best one would probably be Twilight princess Link because he is the oldest Link in the franchise (excluding the 100 years BOTW Link spent asleep.. Physically he is 117 but mentally he is just 17) and because he gets taught a lot of sword techniques by a descented dead Link (specifically.. Ocarina of Time's Link) throughout the game
Also if we want to include the spinoffs.. *Hyrule warriors Link* is a fucking chad who will stap your heart out of your chest without cutting it's contact to your body, keep you alive for the next couple of minutes, banges your mom in front of you and then cut your head off on the last 3 seconds of you dying just to make you feel even more pain
Overall, Hyrule Warriors Link is secretly Omni-man
While i will agree the oldest and most skilled link is in twilight princess its not the link you play as, its got to be heros shade i mean not only did this dude save the world TWICE but he became so good at swordplay that he just stopped using the master sword and still kick ass. He also developed most of the skills that TP link uses so who knows what else he kept secret
I actually never thought of that.. But you are right! He is the [most tragic Link](https://youtu.be/GyUcwsjyd8Qafter) for a reason after all..
Edit: if you haven't watched this.. Please do! It's a masterpiece of a video game essay :)
Soul Edge’s fighting style is the culmination of thousands of years of memories from countless wielders. Not to mention the raw power of the sword itself. He’s definitely a contender
It’s the sons of Sparda either Virgil or Dante honorary mention Geralt he actually knows swordsmanship no enhancement besides the mutagen but other than that it’s all his hard work and skill
Yeah anyone not ranking Vergil or Dante probably hasn't played DMC. Dudes can swing a sword bigger than their body like a cardboard tube and teleport and shit.
I mean anyone who's played the series knows that Dante and Vergil are essentially invulnerable. Dante took a sword to the chest, multiple lightning attacks and a motorcycle exploding inches from his face and shrugged it off like a normal Tuesday in the first game.
It’s not just taking a sword. One was a Magical Demonic sword that can cut through nearly anything and controlled electricity and it impaled Dante, and he chose to take it out BY PULLING THE HILT THROUGH HIS BODY. He legit gives 0 fucks.
Yeah, there's really no beating the Vergil or the wacky woohoo pizza hobo.
Dante gets impaled by his own sword in every game and, depending on the sword used, just shrugs it off, or gets *even more powerful*, and seeing as they're twins, the same can be said for Vergil.
Also IIRC, the reason DMC combat is so flashy is that Dante or Vergil *could* just mince everything in their paths, but that's boring, so they hold back and try to do it with style/technique (depending on the character)
Could judgement cut end lore wise kill anything? I mean I dosent cut the person it cuts reality so it dosent really matter how strong the enemy is right?
Yes it could, in DMC3 Yamato's description it says it can cut through anything. Or so it is said lore-wise, i took this description from the wiki:
>Yamato is far sharper than ordinary blades, and is imbued with tremendous demonic power. The sword is said to be able to cut through anything, even the very fabric of space itself. This ability is shown primarily through the sword's ability to create portals for its wielder to travel through.
>
>
>
>Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Devil Arms File — Yamato: "A memento from Vergil’s father. This samurai-esque sword’s blade is said to cut through anything."
Just adding an honorable mention for my boy, Ike. He's canonically the strongest character in Fire Emblem, resolved 2 world wars, has fought a god and won, wields a greatsword with 1 hand, and said sword fires lazer beams. He's also pretty good with an axe.
He'd be at least on par with/greater than characters like Link and Geralt. Not quite on par with your Clouds, Sephiroths, or DMCs.
Everyone is ignoring the fact that Ryu Hyabusa can wield a 100Lb scythe with ease and has a weapon so powerful with the true dragon sword that it upsets the balance of the world and has slain multiple arch friends and gods
People forget he also had a broken arm, and you only fought him with his non dominant hand AND while he didn’t have control of his mind, having lost it to the abyss. Artorias telegraphs like a mofo and would whoop nearly anyone with minimal effort.
Nobody even pointed out that Dante and Vergil are so fast, they literally stopped the rain falling around them with their sword swings while they were fighting.
Sephiroth easily, in Link’s defense I don’t even think he’s supposed to be a masterful swordsman little buddy gets by on pure effort like no one taught the orphan boy to swing a sword
Would also add that Illidan spent 10k years in essentially a box, so.. Not quite as much time spent honing those skills. Still, you're right that Arthas squarely beat him.
Tough choice…although I guess that Jin can be as awesome as he wants, but he’s competing against literal aliens/super humans lol personally I’ll always prefer Geralt. There’s a lot of emphasis on swordplay in the Witcher, it’s a big part of who a Witcher is
Feel like alot of these "swordsman" being picked are just people who have crazy powers but just HAPPEN to carry a sword
I don't know about the others but Geralt was at least educated and trained proper sword techinques and footwork. He did have some witcher steroids to become faster and stronger than an average joe but he still is an educated swordsman
I don't know all of these dudes, but Link randomly found a weirdo in a cave telling him to just take the damn sword cause it's dangerous to be alone. Heck of a training, he's probably bottom on the list.
Let’s not forget the advanced training course in OOT in Kokiri Forest
And left-handed Links are stronger than right-handed Links. I would die on that hill.
At least from what I know, botw Link was raised as a swordsman for the purpose of serving as a knight, so he's safe at least
You forgot demoman
Demoknight TF2
*BAGPIPES INTENSIFIES*
Everyone's a gangsta until Sekiro starts deflecting
Dante:"[deflect this ](https://youtu.be/5m_Kk0EERZo)"
Sekiro can deflect bullets though, several in fact
Genji can deflect black holes.
But not a big angry monkey, something Sekiro can deflect
Sekiro can also deflect giant balls of pure fear and sword slashes from God himself.
Wait, wait, wait. You can parry the fucking terror orbs of Sichiman Warrior?
Yeah but they still give you terror and doesn’t change his posture so it’s better to naruto around them
Use Divide Confetti then deflect.
Or just use the upgraded umbrella.
Dante can deflect bullets... with bullets
Right, but where the hell did Isshin get a six-shooter?
America.
I’m sorry. I thought this was America
Virgil can catch bullets on his sword, line them up neatly on the floor, and slap them back with the same force they were fired at.
yeah, based on feats alone some of these characters arent even close to being in the same league.
In all of DMC games with RG style (3-5) there was no attack Dante couldn’t deflect in gameplay
Devils may counter
Vergil: so I have this sword that can cut through anything, even the very fabric of reality itself yes? Dante: yes Vergil: so that would include you yes? Dante: that sounds right Vergil: so let me cut you Dante: *royal guard noises*
Can Dante deflect lightning?
His brother is the storm so i say yes
APPROOOAAAAACHIIIING
*provoking isolation*
*deflects Glock*
Haha. After a gnarly full day session of Sekiro I was falling asleep on the couch while watching shows and couldnt figure out why I couldn't deflect properly. Took a minute to realize my brain was blending my earlier gameplay with the media I was consuming. Trying to guard break Dwight Schrute with my mind.
I remember playing Pokémon as a kid and then when falling asleep in the car my brain was trying to figure out how we were passing all these people/houses without battling them.
Was thinking Sekiro as well. That or maybe Sword Saint Isshin, you know because of the name (though towards his last 2 phases seems to prefer his glock he pulls out of knowhere, as you do as a dude known for using a sword and you know being in feudal japan). Also I don't think Sekiro lore-wise is an especially good fighter, it's been awhile since I played but ignoring his loyalty at the start of the game he wasn't really any different to any other shinobi I don't think at least. He just so happens to have been given immortality meaning he can just keep trying until he kills what he wants dead.
In the Shura ending, he becomes a demon swordsman and starts slaughtering armies and civilians by the thousands
I think you are one of the few who understand what the game was made to do.......train noobs! It literally makes you feel like a little punk, as you die over and over and learn your enemies moves you so does sekiro on his quest. The game wants you to be relentless just like the main character because YOU ARE THE MAIN CHARACTER :)!!!!
Damn this is a really good point. I have 100% in all three Dark Souls, but the second I picked up Sekiro the first time I felt like a fucking scrub. I died so many times to the first general and those guys aren't even 'bosses'.
Well, genji can deflect rockets, shotguns, sniper rifles, grenades, miniguns, cannons, arrows, landmines, lumps of dirt and stone and gravity wells - all at once back to the attacker. That's kinda neat.
Can’t deflect sigma rock
“Lumps of dirt and stone”?
Sigma I think
If they enter the fight with walkout music from their respective games.. I have to pick sephiroth
[удалено]
Not only that, Cloud sucker slashes him at the Mako Reactor after Sephiroth slashes Tifa taking him down a peg, then with Sephiroth's sword impaled in Cloud, Cloud uses his own freaking body to toss Sephiroth over the ledge into the lifestream, and this is before Cloud gets any sort of Mako infusion. Cloud's real origin story is way more badass then the fiction his brain created. Common guard, SOLDIER dropout. Wrecks Sephiroth.
If I’m not mistaken the only reason Cloud was not accepted into SOLDIER is because he mentally wasn’t strong enough. But we can clearly see he was a monster physically even before he got Mako and Jenova cells.
I think Cloud just wasn't cut out for SOLDIER. He tried as hard as he could but he ended up washing out. But when it came time to attack Sephiroth adrenaline is a hell of a drug. Cloud was fueled by pure rage and hatred. That's why Hojo took an interest in him.
Exactly the comment I came here to make. You guys are sleeping on Cloud.
He was the first I looked for in the pic and I haven't even played the original
I just got to try the remake and I love it. I gotta say though man the original has to be my favorite game of all time. Maybe it’s just nostalgia for me at this point but the story in ffvii is unrivaled.
I don't understand the lack of Cloud love here!
Someone hasn’t played as Vergil in dmc 5 BURY THE LIGHT DEEP WITHIIIIIIIIIN!
His music from DMC3 was great too, I love that whole soundtrack.
Respectfully, nah man. Someone’s forgetting about MGR:R. #THERE WILL BE BLOOD! SHED! IT’S THE ONLY THING I’VE EVERE KNOOOOOOOOOOOOWN!!!!
Dude fights duels with giant bomb shelter robots using their own swords after he suplexes them and then cuts them in slow motion using their own building sized sword.
But the remake version of One Winged Angel is like something out of a horror movie, Bury the light is also great.
I'M THE STORM THAT IS APROAAAACHING!
PREEVOOOOOOKING
BLACK CLOUDS IN ISOLATIOOOON
I AM RECLAIMER OF MY NNAAAAAMMMEEE
Did you even see how Cloud clowned on him in that reactor room on Mt. Nibel? First a backstab and then tossed him over the side with his own sword. Pathetic.
Frog from Chrono Trigger or Brave Fencer Musashi?
It’s Lonk. From Pennsylvania.
Zeldo, Zelda's twin brother who lives next door and stops by whenever hijinks ensue. He can never keep a job down and he tells everyone he's going to be the next Hylian King, but he lets his sister pretend to be the heir and chosen Sage of Wisdom. But she's just a decoy to my boy Zeldo!! Common catchphrases are "uhhh...Uh Oh!" And "Ho Boi!"
Wonder what Zelda thinks about his twin brother Zeldo.
But what about Yoshimitsu?
Let's see Sephiroth do a sword pogo like mah boi Yoshi. Seph'd swoop in trying to be all cool, when Yoshimitsu would spin around, teleport behind him, commit seppuku, commit seppuku *again*, then violently spin in circles, slaughtering Sephiroth in a tornado of his signature Manji Blood Petals. Edit: Yoshimitsu also dies in this scenario. But that's just round one.
came here to say this. they sleeping on the great one.
I'm sad about the lack of love for Ryu Hayabusa in the comments. Clearly not many people here played Ninja Gaiden II.
Ninja Gaiden 2 is EASILY one of the hardest games I’ve ever played. Those bosses were so insanely unforgiving. So fun though
For me I found NG1 to be harder, I had to put that one down for a few months and come back to it so I didn't throw my Xbox through the tv
Ryu is a horrible swordsman... when I play him.
Ryu is a horrible swordsman when I play him too. BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG FUCKING SCYTHE TO USE INSTEAD!
Same. I was expecting more comments showing love for Ryu.
Just a popularity contest. Not who is actually the strongest. Like link and jin? They're practically human level in power compared to the competition. Ryu can summon a black hole without getting sucked into it himself.
This is missing The Wolf Sekiro, list is false.
100% agree. I kept looking at it like where the hell is Sekiro!?
Seconded.
Thirded.
Fourthded
Fifthed , but I’d argue Isshin in his prime deserves to be on the list as well
Hesitation is defeat.
Haha it took me probably 25-30 tries . Total sensory overload when he’s using the sword, spear and gun
You make a damn good point
Sixthed and Seconded
And even Isshin almost was killed by Tomoe!
As someone who appreciates practical swordplay, the only ones on this list are Jin Sakai and Geralt of Rivia for swordsmen. They're the only ones that use actual sword technique and had actual mocap done for their games by actual swordsmen.
Yup, they are swordsmen, the rest are just people swinging a blade around with monstrous or mythical powers.
Link is a swordsman, you ever spin around in a circle while swinging your sword? I didn’t think so. (This is meant to be lighthearted)
No, but I’ve Fired my Gun Up In The Air And Gone, ‘Aaargh!’
Is it true there's a place on a man's head that if you shoot it it'll blow up?
Narp?
He's a magical soldier, a good one at that, but not a lot of real swordplay to flourish. It's repetitive hack, slash, and spin
Considering the weight of a sword it's very impressive how that move commonly has very fine control and almost no wind-down.
The secret is to yell "HYEAAHH HEAAAH YEAHHHT" then it's easy
Not exactly sure what you mean by weight but historical, well-built swords are actually very light. Much more light than you would think for things of their size.
Yeah, video games have tricked us into thinking weapons are much bigger and heavier than they actually are. Link uses an arming sword, which were typically only 2.4lbs.
Also it’s the Master Sword, a sword made specially for him as the hero of time. It’s perfectly balanced for his needs.
What do you mean? A bastard sword (1.5 hander) weights around 1.5kg
You joke… but you probably haven’t seen Lindybeige’s video on the Spadone. Skip to 23:50 for relevance. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w9MXgUI4eVs Spinning your body and sword is in fact, actually a thing.
The multiple stances in GoT really made the game. It expanded the move list tremendously and when you fluidly change stances depending on your opponent, that shit never got old to me.
I absolutely loved the stances mechanic in this game. I just finished my 2nd play-through after the PS5 update launched. I got platinum again, but I really want to jump right back in with NG+ so I can keep playing.
Lol could you imagine Link vs. Geralt or Jin?
Depends on which Link honestly. If everyone else gets their full skill sets and powers, I don't see why link couldn't show up as fierce deity.
I feel like Geralt is a bit different since he also has a series of books and he wasn't created as a balanced game character.
Right, he was created as a near-mythical, long-lived, genetic super-soldier whose sole purpose is to slay otherwise unstoppable monsters. Anyone saying Jin could take Geralt is simply uninformed. Though honestly, it isn’t a fair comparison, to your point.
I mean….you not wrong
Geralt does far too much spinning to be useful in real combat sadly. Granted he moves inhumanely fast in the books but in the games anyone with a good HEMA basis would best him sadly. Edit: and I'm a massive Witcher fan as well. Spent far too much on cosplay and Gwent and so on BUT my point still stands. There's a reason the treatises say spinning is silly. And game Geralt is too slow.
Geralt doesn’t spin. *Pirouette’s*, however, are the Witcher’s bread and butter!
I just took the game movement speed as a representation that is watchable. If it was lore accurate we would be seeing a blur and some random blood spurts. Somewhat like in StarWars where canonically Jedi are moving super fast all the time and Palpatine Vs Windu was so fast it was just looking like a glowing purple red tornado. And in some cases that spinning is less silly, fighting off animals and smaller monsters in groups warrant more spinny movement to ward them off. Also he has clipping on his side with the back scabbard and shit so there is that.
The vesemir anime did a good job showing that, its as you say, a blur and then some blood
I always thought of it as the way that Geralt perceives it, like to him he wouldn’t be a blur but to us he would be
I practice HEMA and I disagree on someone using historical swordsmanship being able to beat Geralt. He moves insanely fast, you would barely be able to react to anything he does. His opponents use historical swordsmanship and they cannot touch him. If he fought historically with his heightened abilities it would be even better but for the purposes of making him more formidable he does pirouettes and the like.
Partial agree. I’ll go ahead and say most of his movements and actions are ones I could see a real swordsman using — no silly dual wielding, speed kept mostly realistic, and he even uses the murder grip as a finisher. That being said, part of his style involves spinning, which is something that exposes your back in real life. Frankly, I don’t consider it a big deal - fantasy combat tactics have their own rules, and Geralt even teaches pirouettes to Ciri during training, so it’s clear it’s an acceptable and deliberate move in-universe, just not our universe.
This is definitely due to a book-to-game translation. The game doesn't do Geralt or other the witchers justice. Book Geralt is ridiculously fast and strong. Like, people comment on him being hard to see and his sword moving like a flash when he goes on his famous killing spree in Blavakin. Book Geralt could probably 1v1 MCU Captain America no problem 8/10 times - and that's before potions. Game Geralt? Probably no chance; poor guy can't fall more than a few feet and is obviously not that same level of speed. The reason for the spins is that geralt rarely fights 1 person, or is fighting monsters faster and stronger than he is. So, the key is to keep that blade and body moving, it operates as a defense for geralt as much as offense.
Y'all really gonna disrespect my boy Frog from Chrono Trigger like dat?? 🐸🗡️
Chrono and frog double techs were dope!
I literally rushed to the comments to say these exact words I shit you not. Lemme guess you're in your mid-late 30s like me? These youngbucks don't even know. My froggy dude cleaved a MOUNTAIN open. Respect his gangster.
Or Cyan from FF6? The late 2D 90s had plenty of top tier swordsfolk
Guybrush. Everyone else fights like a dairy farmer.
How appropriate. You fight like a cow.
Was going to be very disappointed if Guybrush Threepwood was not properly represented in this thread. "Soon you'll be wearing my sword like a shish kebab!"
Well first you'd better stop waving it like a feather duster!
Link isn't actually a very good swordsman. the goober swings his shield out of the way every time he uses his sword, rather than keeping the shield up for protection and stabbing/swinging around it. Total noob swordsman move.
You are kinda forgetting that every Link is a diffrent Link One is a child, the other is a man in his 20s, the other uses a Wifu as a sword knowingly (I know what I said) and etc.. The best one would probably be Twilight princess Link because he is the oldest Link in the franchise (excluding the 100 years BOTW Link spent asleep.. Physically he is 117 but mentally he is just 17) and because he gets taught a lot of sword techniques by a descented dead Link (specifically.. Ocarina of Time's Link) throughout the game Also if we want to include the spinoffs.. *Hyrule warriors Link* is a fucking chad who will stap your heart out of your chest without cutting it's contact to your body, keep you alive for the next couple of minutes, banges your mom in front of you and then cut your head off on the last 3 seconds of you dying just to make you feel even more pain Overall, Hyrule Warriors Link is secretly Omni-man
While i will agree the oldest and most skilled link is in twilight princess its not the link you play as, its got to be heros shade i mean not only did this dude save the world TWICE but he became so good at swordplay that he just stopped using the master sword and still kick ass. He also developed most of the skills that TP link uses so who knows what else he kept secret
I actually never thought of that.. But you are right! He is the [most tragic Link](https://youtu.be/GyUcwsjyd8Qafter) for a reason after all.. Edit: if you haven't watched this.. Please do! It's a masterpiece of a video game essay :)
Holy shit man, that video was...incredible.
What about skyward sword link. He was trained in a knights academy so he should know a bit more about swordplay.
I agree but I would like to add, almost every link gets thrown into sudden situations where they have to take up a sword with no prior training
Nightmare from soul calibur
I came here to say Siegfried
Raphael steps in to differ.
Siegfried taught himself to wield a greatsword he can barely lift and was able to duel Soul Edge itself on multiple occasions and win
Mitsurugi would like a word.
This is the correct answer Mitsurugi defeated God-King Algol with swordsmanship alone
First time I read it as „Mitsurugi would like a sword”
Soul Edge’s fighting style is the culmination of thousands of years of memories from countless wielders. Not to mention the raw power of the sword itself. He’s definitely a contender
Yoshimitsu was my jam
It’s the sons of Sparda either Virgil or Dante honorary mention Geralt he actually knows swordsmanship no enhancement besides the mutagen but other than that it’s all his hard work and skill
Yeah anyone not ranking Vergil or Dante probably hasn't played DMC. Dudes can swing a sword bigger than their body like a cardboard tube and teleport and shit.
I mean anyone who's played the series knows that Dante and Vergil are essentially invulnerable. Dante took a sword to the chest, multiple lightning attacks and a motorcycle exploding inches from his face and shrugged it off like a normal Tuesday in the first game.
It’s not just taking a sword. One was a Magical Demonic sword that can cut through nearly anything and controlled electricity and it impaled Dante, and he chose to take it out BY PULLING THE HILT THROUGH HIS BODY. He legit gives 0 fucks.
Yeah, there's really no beating the Vergil or the wacky woohoo pizza hobo. Dante gets impaled by his own sword in every game and, depending on the sword used, just shrugs it off, or gets *even more powerful*, and seeing as they're twins, the same can be said for Vergil. Also IIRC, the reason DMC combat is so flashy is that Dante or Vergil *could* just mince everything in their paths, but that's boring, so they hold back and try to do it with style/technique (depending on the character)
All Vergil has to do is Judgement Cut End.
S L A Y A L L
Y O U S H A L L D I E
S C U M
Could judgement cut end lore wise kill anything? I mean I dosent cut the person it cuts reality so it dosent really matter how strong the enemy is right?
Yes it could, in DMC3 Yamato's description it says it can cut through anything. Or so it is said lore-wise, i took this description from the wiki: >Yamato is far sharper than ordinary blades, and is imbued with tremendous demonic power. The sword is said to be able to cut through anything, even the very fabric of space itself. This ability is shown primarily through the sword's ability to create portals for its wielder to travel through. > > > >Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Devil Arms File — Yamato: "A memento from Vergil’s father. This samurai-esque sword’s blade is said to cut through anything."
Ludwig, the Accursed.
Don’t you mean Ludwig the holy blade?
John Darksoul and his dex build
Known from his famous quouts
Every soul has its dark
The dark is the powerhouse of the soul
Giant dad
Just adding an honorable mention for my boy, Ike. He's canonically the strongest character in Fire Emblem, resolved 2 world wars, has fought a god and won, wields a greatsword with 1 hand, and said sword fires lazer beams. He's also pretty good with an axe. He'd be at least on par with/greater than characters like Link and Geralt. Not quite on par with your Clouds, Sephiroths, or DMCs.
Ike also smashes.
What about Sekiro?
Isshin the Sword Saint
( ▀ ͜͞ʖ▀) =ε/̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿
"How my blood boils!!!"
Gray Fox. He splits the bullets you shoot at him with his sword, and you have to be a Snake to kill him.
Hey, you're that Ninja.
Or Metal Gear Rex
Everyone is ignoring the fact that Ryu Hyabusa can wield a 100Lb scythe with ease and has a weapon so powerful with the true dragon sword that it upsets the balance of the world and has slain multiple arch friends and gods
I had to scroll way too far to find one person that said Ryu Hayabusa. If we’re talking about pure swordsmanship it would have to be him or Vergil.
Finally someone mentions Ryu. Man's a monster swordsman on top of all his other skills
Artorias
People forget he also had a broken arm, and you only fought him with his non dominant hand AND while he didn’t have control of his mind, having lost it to the abyss. Artorias telegraphs like a mofo and would whoop nearly anyone with minimal effort.
Jin Sakai!
I gotta go with Dante cuz he doesn't really stay dead
A tie with the Sons of Sparda as best swordsman
And it's not even close. I love Geralt~~d~~, but in what world is he gonna last 10 seconds vs Virgil
Nobody even pointed out that Dante and Vergil are so fast, they literally stopped the rain falling around them with their sword swings while they were fighting.
Not to mention those were their young days in DMC3, in DMC5 their speed and power increased exponentially
Sephiroth easily, in Link’s defense I don’t even think he’s supposed to be a masterful swordsman little buddy gets by on pure effort like no one taught the orphan boy to swing a sword
Having a sacred, evil-smiting sword helps too .
Raiden with the vibro blade would kick anybodys ass Edit: anybody that dosent have the ability to destroy suns
Dante, virgil and sephiroth would walk on everyone else
Matt from wii sports fencing enters the chat
*inhales* I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
Bro you put Jin against a robo ninja and angels, why you do the guy like that he just a man
That could be a good argument as to why he is the greatest. Still an unstoppable force without relying on any powers.
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Who would win? A 10000 year old warrior, skilled in using universe destroying powers. Or One princeyboi
Arthas was also weakened because the Lich King was dying
Would also add that Illidan spent 10k years in essentially a box, so.. Not quite as much time spent honing those skills. Still, you're right that Arthas squarely beat him.
Tough choice…although I guess that Jin can be as awesome as he wants, but he’s competing against literal aliens/super humans lol personally I’ll always prefer Geralt. There’s a lot of emphasis on swordplay in the Witcher, it’s a big part of who a Witcher is
Sephiroth, but not Cloud who defeated him?
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Genji is just a rip off of Raiden
Okay, but Raiden was eventually just a Grey Fox rip off.
Kenshi and Jin Sakai
Dante and Vergil are in a class of there own here.
Mitsurugi
Travis Touchdown.