VG Weapon Countdown: Claw Wielders

Ryan: Welcome DA, Wolf-Prince-Leon here, with a few friends.

Regulus:  Reggie here.

Ethan: Ethan, or ethmul, here for the first time.

Ryan: This is the first of a countdown series, the Weapon Series,  countdowns showing who we believe are the best VG characters wielding certain weapons. And starting us with a rather underrated weapons. The Claws.

Ethan: What type of claws?

Ryan: Battle Claws, these weapons were made to imitate the natural claws of animals, since Claws can cut through flesh. Video Games usually went for weapons like swords, spears, guns, bows, and even hammers. But Claw wielders DO exist, and there are several good ones.

Reggie:  Exactly.  And that’s why we decided to count down the top ten greatest claw users of all time.  Please note that this is just our opinions and your mileage may vary.

Ethan: Also, I'm not sure if we're going to talk about backstory, but if we do, expect spoilers.

Ryan: and with that said-

All: Let’s Do This!

Number ten

Ryan: This is a Ninja?

“Tora from Mini-Ninjas.”

Ryan: Tora is a tiger themed Ninja, and that’s all he has going for him. His backstory is boring and due to the fact that most of us haven’t played mini-ninjas, save for the person that put him on the list, and that’s why he’s only number 10.

Number 09

Reggie:  So who’s next, Leon.  Peco?

Ryan: Nope, this is a list of Claw Wielders, SO!

“Voldo from Soul Calibur”

Ethan: Of course, it's the only Soul Calibur character that I don't know a lot about, but he's my favorite character to play as. Irony at its finest.

Reggie:  Awesome.  I love using him as my fighter in the Soul Calibur series.  Besides my Create a Fighter.

Ryan: Voldo is the right hand man of the Vercci, the merchant of death,  due to his business with the Spanish Armada. Vercci wanted Soul Edge, and Voldo went to find it. But in SC4, Soul Edge pretends to be Vercci, making him serve its evil way, making it a bad guys.

Reggie:  I have that game.  I need to go back and play it.  It’s probably my favorite of the Soul Calibur games.

Ethan: Plus, it has STAR WARS in it...I thought I should mention that…

Reggie:  I mean the Star Wars Characters are nice, but we’re here to talk about Voldo.  Anyway, his fighting style is very weird.  He can walk backwards, walk bent over, I think he does something very close to the worm as well.

Ryan: But the reason he’s only nine, is because his weapon is technically Katars, and he wields cat claws as a variation, but still, he’s a good at it.

Number 8

???: Sorry to keep you waiting!

“Pit from Kid Icarus Uprising”

Ethan: YEEEEEEES!!!

Reggie:  *I start cleaning out my ears.*  We need to work on your volume control, Ethan.  Anyway, Pit is a classic nintendo character from way back.  He first made his appearance on the NES and had a Game Boy adventure before, nothing.  His franchise was put on hiatus for a long time.

Ryan: Then, 25 years later, Kid Icarus Uprising marks his return to the gaming world.

Reggie:  Technically, he came back in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a playable character.

Ryan: I mean his OWN game, in Uprising, Pit not only wields Bows, but a wide assortment of weapons as well. Blades, Cannons, Arms, Palms, Clubs, Orbitars, Staffs, and, as the topic of this countdown, Claws. Tiger Claws, Beam Claw, Bear Claws, Wolf Claws, and others.

Reggie:  The claws are fast weapons that Pit uses to deal serious melee damage when he’s close to his enemies.  They are a little weaker at range but have rapid fire capabilities.  When I played it, my Pit always had Claws equipped.

Ethan: Same here, although the range for them is actually decent to me. But when I want to use long range, I got the staffs out.

Matty: I enjoyed using claws as Pit, also. It was really fun to rapid-fire at everyone.

Ethan: Ladies and gentlemen, we have a newcomer! Kit-the-Wolfy!

Ryan: OH! Hi, Matty!

Reggie:  Hey dude.

Matty: Hey. I needed something to do since my teacher hasn’t uploaded my Spring Break assignment, sooooo I’m here.

Ryan: So, the reason Pit is only rank eight, is due to the fact that Pit wields 8 other types of weapons. Despite this, Pit is a great claw wielder.

Palutena: Oh I know, you’re like a penguin! Fun loving and flightless.

Matty: Uh… any reason for randomly splicing in a backhanded quote to Pit from Palutena?

Ryan: Comedy.

Matty: Bad comedy.

Number 7

Reggie:  So who’s next again, Ryan?  Peco?

Ryan: This is a list of Claw Wielders, remember? Anyway-

“Zhang He from Dynasty Warriors”

Matty: ...wait. Zhang He? Like Zheng He, the Chinese explorer?

Ryan: NOPE! Zhang He is a fighter in Dynasty Warriors- which, may I add, is NOT a button masher (Happy now joshscorcher?”)

Ethan: Well, I wouldn't know who this is, so all I know is that he/she WILL leave dead people in his/her wake.

Ryan: Zhang He was a powerful warrior, a general who first began his military career under Han Fu. After his liege was conquered, he served Yuan Shao until slander and distrust forced his defection to Cao Cao. His masterful tactics and rapid adaptability within the field were historically feared by Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. a general who first began his military career under Han Fu. After his liege was conquered, he served Yuan Shao until slander and distrust forced his defection to Cao Cao. His masterful tactics and rapid adaptability within the field were historically feared by Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. But... he has quite a quirk.

Reggie:  Which is?

Ryan: He is a MAJOR weirdo. Zhang He is an eccentric man who is obsessed with dancing and beauty. He is a TOTAL NARCISSIST!

Ethan: At least he's relatable to...oh, this is PG, not R. I almost said the wrong thing.

Reggie:  Don’t worry.  There is at least someone else on this list we can compare him to, I think.  

Ryan: Maybe

Number 6

Ryan: We look at at Final Fantasy 4 for this awesome disciplined warrior.

“Yang from Final Fantasy 4”

Matty: Does he/she have a sibling named Yin? #lamejokes

Ryan:... Anyway, Yang is a monk who joins Cecil’s team to stop Golbez after he steals the Wind Crystal from Fabul. As a monk, one would think Yang would only fight with his fists, right?

Reggie:  *I hold my hand up before taking it down.*  WRONG!

Ryan: That’s right, while he does use abilities like Kick and focus, he wields claws, and deals MAJOR damage. BUT! one things keeps Yang at number 6.

Matty: Would that be his shining personality? Or perhaps bad B.O.?

Ryan: More along the lines of the fact that he’s a temporary member. After sacrificing himself to stop a cannon, though ending up in the Sylph Cave alive, needing to be awoken from a coma by... his wife’s frying pan. But you don’t get to keep one of the BEST warriors in the game!

Ethan: Wait, let me get this straight. He's revived by a frying pan...5 STARS BEST STORY EVER!!!

Ryan: ...okayyyy..?

Number 5

Ethan: I'm gonna have to end here, as I need to do some homework.

Ryan: Okay, see you. ANYWAY!

Reggie:  Who’s next?

???: Soko Made!

Matty: ...huh?

???: Ichi: Do unto others. Ni: Home is where the heart is. San:-

Ryan: NOT THE TIME Momoe! Save it for another time!

Momoe: The rest will come later! Wonder-Eyes White!

Ryan: AWESOME! We've been waiting for you, master of ninjutsu! The Wonderful One from the Shinshu, Japan Field Office! Momoe Byakkoin...aka...

“Wonder White from the Wonderful 101”

Reggie:  Who is this guy?  I thought ninjas wore all black and tried their hardest to not draw attention to them.

Matty: That’s the thing. This isn’t a ninja… he’s a Western-style Superhero!

Reggie:  Ooooh!  Well that explains a lot.

Ryan: Whether he’s a Ninja or Superhero, Wonder-White is a master of combat. Though he can be a little long-winded, he’s skills with claws are more than worth it. Then there’s his unite morph, called-

Wonder White: Unite CLAW!

Reggie:  *I jump back a bit.*  Whoa, now that is one sweet claw.

Matty: What the *Big Fat Censor!*!? Did that guy just turn into a claw!?

Ryan: More like his 99 allies form his new claws. With them, he can tear enemies apart, pry open hatches, climb walls, and freeze enemies solid, letting you just go to town with your best Unite Morphs.

Matty: That sounds really fun! But wait, how does he freeze enemies? Are they like… ice claws?

Ryan: Yep, and @thequartrguy put wonder white in his top ten cryokinetics. The only complaint I have is that we don’t learn much about him. Despite that, you can always rely on Wonder White.

Wonder White: The way of the ninja is the way of victory.

Matty: Ehh, Wonder White-san, suimasen deshita, but your time’s up, so you need to leave the studio, OK? Arigato gozaimasu for coming and all that.

Number 4

Ryan: Street Fighter has many great character-, Chun Lee, Ibuki, Zangief, Ryu, Ken…. but at the same time we have idiots like Rufus and Dan Hibiki, but only one uses claws.

Reggie:  I have a feeling I know who you’re talking about.  It must be Vega.

“Vega from Street Fighter.”

Ryan: Yep, give us the details on Vega.

Reggie: It’s been a while since I’ve played any street fighter game, but I’ll give it my best shot.  Vega is a bit of an claw wielding maniac who you fight in the second to last round in the second game. He is also never seen without that mask he wears.  Ryan?

Ryan: Good start. Vega is totally crazy, obsessed with beauty. He is arrogant and convinced of his own abilities and invulnerability, almost to the point of megalomania, though this is perhaps justified, as he is shown to be a highly skilled fighter. He can be incredibly sadistic - sometimes to the point of being a bloodthirsty monster - and takes great pleasure in seeing the ugly murdered through his own doing. He often has a stone-cold demeanor and appears to be mysterious with his emotions.

Matty: He sounds like me. A bit crazier though.

Ryan: Yeah.

Number 3

Ryan: you guys are NOT gonna see this one coming.

Reggie:  How so?

Matty: Why not?

Ryan: Allow me to show you.

“Taokaka from Blazblue.”

Matty: A Vivi ripoff with Stereotypical Little German Girl Braids and kawaii desu cat ears? You’ve gotta be kidding me.

Reggie:  I don’t think he’s joking.  Personally, I prefer Hakumen.

Ryan: Taokaka is a Vigilante of the Kaka Tribe, a cat like people descendant from genetically engineered living weapons, she’s the guardian of the tribe, meaning she’s the strongest.

Reggie:  What else?

Matty: She probably likes laser pointers.

Ryan: Well, she’s a bit on the silly side. She has a severe case of ADHD. While she hunts bounties intent on improving her skills and earning money for her family, she often forgets her mission at the worst of times, even befriending her would-be targets. Over to Regulus for her claw skills, after an opinion from Matty.

Matty: She sounds nice… though I still think she’d like laser pointers.

Reggie:  Her gameplay in Blazblue revolves around speed…. eh, be right back.

Ryan: Okay. Taokaka is the fastest of the Blazblue cast, darting around the arena with deadly combos, Distortion Drive, and her deadly instant killing Astral Heat. However, she is also the weakest stamina-wise, with few defensive options.

Matty: A Glass Cannon, huh? But if you wanna kick her butt, you gotta catch her.

Ryan: This has been proven too.

Matty: Has it, now?

Ryan: In a ScrewAttack Death Battle between Her and Felicia, Taokaka cut her so fast, Felicia was split in HALF!

Matty: ...Jesus Christ, what kind of videos do you WATCH!? D:

Ryan: Random stuff, but mostly Top Tens and stuff.

Number 2

Ryan: Hey... Matty?

Matty: Eh?

Ryan: ....Slash Man…

Matty: ...do you have to do the ellipsis?

Number 2: Slash Man, from Mega Man 7

Ryan: Slash Man is a is a Robot Master from the Mega Man series created by Dr. Wily to clear forests for the construction of his secret bases. His design was based on Pluto from Mega Man V- due to this similarity in design, it is likely that Slash Man boasts similar movement speed and agility.

Matty: It says in his CD from Mega Man and Bass that he likes vegetables and is an efficient worker, but he’s also a kleptomaniac and hates nail clippers.

Ryan: interesting... Slash Man's Special Weapon, the Slash Claw, is a portable version of a wave-like cutting device used to destroy asteroids, released in the form of a pair of razor-sharp claws on his forearms. He can also bind enemies with a red adhesive, holding them in place as he prepares to attack. This, combined with his speed and attack power, makes him a deadly opponent at close range. He is vulnerable to drastic changes in temperature, tending to hibernate in cold winters and dehydrate in hot environments. Thus, his weaknesses are to the Freeze Cracker and the Scorch Wheel.

Matty: He really didn’t like it when I hit him with Dive Missile in The Power Fighters, either.

Ryan: But as cool as Slash Man is, number one is much better. But first, RECAP!

Number 10: Tiger Ninja Tora

Number 9: Deadly Weirdo Voldo

Number 8: Angel Hero Pit

Number 7: Narcissistic Weirdo Zhang He

Number 6: Temporary Hero Yang

Number 5: Winter Ninja Wonder White

Number 4:  Masked Assassin Vega

Number 3: From left field, It’s Taokaka

Number 2: Robot Master Slash Man

Number 1

Reggie:  Is there going to be a lot of fanfare for this one, Ryan?  

Ryan: Possibly. Okay, Megaman X5 was home to some great bosses. Axle the Red, Dark Dizzy, and my personal favorite Reploid, The Skiver.

Reggie:  Mine happens to be Zero, the Maverick Hunter. I mean, a robot with an energy sword is pretty awesome.  But what makes Skiver so special?

Matty: Ryan has a thing for pegasi, Reg.

Ryan: But for Number One, we head to a Secret warehouse in north russia, None other than...

Number One: Grizzly Slash from Megaman X5.

Reggie:  I’m guessing this guy isn’t one of those cute and cuddly teddy bears.

Matty: Hell no. Who would be when they’re named after a member of Guns ‘n Freakin’ Roses?

Reggie:  He sounds like he could rock out on the guitar.

Matty: With them claws, probably not. Care to elaborate on Grizzly a bit, Ryebread?

Ryan: Good thing I did my research and pre-prepared the details on his fighting ability. *clears throat.* He attacks by throwing three small crescent shots from his clawed hand and jumping. When a third of his energy is depleted he will burrow, appearing at times to attack: using his hand as a drill when appearing from the floor, slashing when appearing from the walls, or dropping down onto the player from the ceiling. After two-thirds of his energy is gone he will stop burrowing and use giant crescent attacks. Some walkthroughs recommend defeating him first as he can be easily dealt with using default weapons. His weakness is Spike Ball if playing as X or Twin Dream if playing as Zero.

Reggie:  What about Axl?  *It then hits me.*  Oh wait, Axl doesn’t appear until the seventh one if I remember correctly.

Matty: And nobody really liked the seventh one. Burn it to the ground.

Ryan: NO FLAME HYENARD! Matty, Slash’s personality PLEASE!

Matty: Well, I haven’t played X5 in a while, but Grizz is sort of a noble type. He wanted Zero to fight him before he succumbed to the… Sigma Virus, right?

Ryan: Apparently Zero did something to him, making him hold a grudge, but his fight was great, his personality was great, and his design was great... I felt bad for killing him and the other Reploids.

Matty: Ouch.

Reggie:  Oh wow. And it doesn’t help that a space station is about to crash into the earth as well and he has one of the parts you need for either the cannon or the spaceship.

Ryan: Skiver, Slash, Glow, Adler, Duff, Axle, Dizzy, Mattrex... I regret offing all of them.

Matty: Gaaah, stop making us have internal crises over a video game...

Ryan: Right. I’m Wolf-Prince-Leon

Reggie: I’m Regulus58.

Matty: And I’m Kit-The-Wolfy.

Ryan: And Matty, you have something to say about SSB4?

Matty: ...Mega Man’s Final Smash is badass. That’s all you guys have to know.