Serious discussion time...

[B!squick]

Just how full of bologna is this video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAAZsWnFve0

 

[pitfall356]

Christ. It was gunning on Ganon's side the entire time. We all knew it would go this way but Bowser just kinda got walked over.

I wouldn't have been too bothered by it since I knew Ganon would win, but when Bowser in giant form punched Ganon, the fact he just caught the fist and stopped it bothered me. They said it themselves - Bowser was much stronger, and he was shown to lift things at stupid incredible weights. To have Ganon in human form (even if he was going to transform) block the punch was just garbage.

Other than that, outcome not surprising. Made Ganon super powerful, Bowser doesn't have a holy weapon so there wasn't any way he could win. Fair matchup all around.

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

We lost, so oh well. Somewhat in support of pitfall356 , I want to mention something that people may not understand since they don't look too deeply into how the games present the lore around Ganon and the various diety/demon villains.

Spoiler

A misconception is that holy weapons are needed to kill a Triforce wielder or diety/demon. This is not consistent with the game's presentation. The rest is spoilers, but basically anyone in the Zelda universe can be destroyed with sufficient mundane damage. It's just that Link/Zelda (and a certain fat dragon) are not personally capable of inflicting that much mundane damage with their weapons/magic (or besting enemy magic without enhancement), so Link needs things like the Master Sword, empty bottles (lol), and Light Arrows. The Triforce of Courage/Wisdom is more of a seal of approval than anything that helps defeat evil (which is awesome). Ganon can still suffocate and all that jazz. That's why he's not just sharking it in Wind Waker or soaring through space with his magic. Demise is a full blown demi-god. He broke through the seal placed on him and was still in a Godzilla state. There was no obvious way to finish him. What finished him off? An island dropping on him. Yeah, that's Kinoko Nasu-levels of Holy Grail-kun trolling right there, but it happened. Consider the whole "you need holy weapons" thing bogus but necessary for the hero's legend. Between that, and the fact that Bowser can command/punch meteors and fling castles almost as large as that island, pitfall has the right of it. Ganon has no business being in the way of harm, especially in human form. We've seen that he'd rather teleport or fly away than be within harm's reach (unless it's salty TP Ganon or depressed big-body WW Ganon).

 

[BarSoapSoup]

If you go on Screw Attack's website there are a few Death Battle addicts just slamming the video for being totally inaccurate, sayi Bowser was robbed of the victory. Even all but one of the Official Death Battle Research Team said Bowser would win and he still lost.

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

BarSoapSoup I looked around since your comment piqued my interest. That statement is a rumor, and there is no confirmation within the thread or around their main site of its validity.

EDIT: Major herp derp. I checked TVTropes and found out that the "Official Death Battle Fan Blog," despite its name, is the actual Death Battle research team posting their thoughts and conclusions so that Screwattack can craft the Death Battle. You can find the full analysis made by the research team here: http://odbfb.blogspot.ie/2016/04/death-battle-predictions-bowser-vs.html?m=1

Overall, it was a very engaging read, with a bunch of factoids that are rare and normally glossed over due to age (such as from old interviews with Miyamoto and the like mentioned in the guest verdicts). This was a pleasure, since I'm old and am in their shoes regarding knowing those factoids. The verdicts themselves are also really nice in that, despite most all of them being pro Bowser, they obviously love Zelda and do their best to explain the nuances of the lore (THANK YOU).

My apologies, BarSoapSoup. You were completely right.

 

[BarSoapSoup]

I do try to be well-informed before I accuse somebody of slipping up lol

 

[constable lemon]

I was never going to watch this video and now I was tricked into clicking it. I didn't watch it, nor will I, but if Bowser has the Star Rod it's no contest.

 

[B!squick]

Ganon: some dude with powerful magic.
Bowser: some giant dragon turtle thing with powerful magic.
Conclusion: some dude wins.
What?

Also, Bowser is almost always beaten by the environment. The axe at the end of the bridge. Freakin' bombs around the platform. Etc.

Also, also, Bowser can use power ups, so all he has to do is grab a star and it's gg. And if Ganon can have his staff of BS, I think Bowser should be able to have a star.

EDIT: Also, also, ALSO, we all know Bowser would

Spoiler

find Buddha and bob-bomb himself before letting someone other than Mario take him.

Or at least, I do, because I watched There Will Be Brawl.

 

[BarSoapSoup]

Ganon: some dude with powerful magic.
Bowser: some giant dragon turtle thing with powerful magic.
Conclusion: some dude wins.
What?

Bowser may be on par or surpass Ganon in terms of magic level but don't assume that being in a different form makes Ganon weaker. Take the Thing vs the Hulk for example. I could say that both were incredibly strong, but wording it differently could make one appear weaker. For example

Hulk: Some green dude who's super strong
Thing: Big rock monster who's super strong

OR I could say

Hulk: Gamma-irradiated monster with incredible strength
Thing: Normal guy made of rock with incredible strength

Even though Hulk is exceedingly stronger than Thing, by labeling him as 'some green dude' I might make the Hulk seem weaker.

 

[Arrei]

Indeed, if you wanted to properly describe both without showing favoritism Ganon would be something more along the lines of "Ancient warlock king with powerful magic" against Bowser's "Giant dragon turtle with powerful magic". And let's not forget, in every story ever where there's a hero versus a great beast, it's the "some dude" who wins.

However, has there been even a single one of these Death Battles that haven't had glaring omissions or leaps in logic on either side, regardless of if the outcome is seen as "fair" or not? I daresay people take them much too seriously despite being aware they're just for fun.

 

[B!squick]

You don't know me very well if you think the topic title isn't a joke. That said, in regards to Hulk verse Thing it's even more one sided. Thing is strong, but he's just rocks. The Hulk is rage personified and he only gets stronger as he gets madder. Hulk wins. Always.

And a warlock is short hand for "some dude with magic". The difference I was touching on was that one is human and the other is... well, look at him.

The thing that makes any comparison kinda screwy is deciding which version of either character to use, but in the end, I think Bowser takes it no matter which version you use. Remember that simply touching Bowser is instant death. Ganon would probably take a couple, might even take ten, but Bowser's cuisine still reigns supreme.

Plus, Bowser ate a giant carrot that one time and Ganondorf isn't nearly as big as that carrot was.

 

[Arrei]

Wasn't referring to your title or conduct, just the fact that, despite apparently being fully aware that it's all just for fun, people REALLY like to over-analyze and get bent out of shape over these things, time and again.

 

[BarSoapSoup]

The difference I was touching on was that one is human and the other is... well, look at him.

Batman deals with Clayface, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc and Mister Freeze and he is also just a man. Granted, like Mario with Bowser, Batman's fights with those four is hardly ever won with brute force alone.

 

[CreamyFatone]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd0Zi_IgO9I