Link Vs. Ryu
A Deadliest Warrior match!
By Misterebony
 
Read! Vote! Make your own!!!!
 
 
This is the first of a series of hypothetical battles between fictional characters. I thought I would start in the gaming world, with two of the best: Link the hero of Hyrule, and Ryu Hyabusa of Ninja Gaiden. Each will have four weapons based on their games, and my own persoanl vote who is best. For this write up, I ask any comments include reasons why you think one or the other would win.
 
So, here we go!
 
 
BACKGROUNDS
 
LINK: Hero of Hyrule, adult in this match up. He is noted for wearing green for the most part and having a mark on the back of his left hand, bearing the symbol of the triforce. He weilds the Master Sword, a magical short sword sometimes able to shoot beams, but always able to perform the cyclone manuver. He also carries a shield, boomerang, magical bow and arrows, and bombs for this battle.
 
RYU: A legendary ninjutsu master and star of many games, Ryu is recently known for his XBOX endevours and his DS adventure, though he was a hero long before on the NES and Game Boy. He wears light blue to black ninja garb and carries no armor, his whole garb allowing him to move quickly and quietly like the best of ninjas. His trademark weapon is the Dragon Sword, a katana able to cut through bone and slice open spiritual vials with equal ease. He also brings the Windmill Throwing Star, Ninjutsu of the Fire Wheel, and Dragon Fang nunchucks to the fight.
 
 
ROUND 1: Long Range weapons (Bow and Arrow Vs. Fire Wheel)
 
WINNER..... RYU. Link may be able to fuel his arrows with mighty forms of magic, once they fly they are unable to be controlled, and the user has to be veyr accurate. Link may be such, even on horseback, but eventualy he WILL run out of arrows.
 
Ryu, on the other hand, is able to recharge his energy through spiritual power. Plus, based on observations in the NES and XBOX games, the ninjutsu strikes in a wider area, allowing for a greater area of carnage. Even Link would have a hard time dodging the onslaught, while Ryu would not find it hard to evade the arrows.
 
 
ROUND 2: Medium Range Weapons (Boomerang vs. Throwing Star)
 
Winner...... LINK. Ryu should have left this weapon at home. True it can deal slightly more damage than the boomerang, but Link's shield easily can block them, plus Ryu will run out before any serious damage is dealt. The boomerang, even when it connects, returns to the user, allowing for an endless barrage with the weapon. Moreover, the boomerang is magical, and later verisons even home onto targets, making it hard for Ryu to doge. When he is hit it WILL hurt. Link takes this round easily.
 
ROUND 3: Special Weapons (dragon fang nunchucks vs. bombs)
 
Winner...... LINK. Ryu has many weapons he could use for combat. but almost all rank the same as his best one: the dragon fang. These super nunchucks are able to deal massive damage quickly, and even can disarm an opponent based on RL nunchucks. But the bomb is much more powerful. While not being accurate, the bomb has distance and blast range, allowing for massive destructive power. Ryu may be able to dodge it... but if he doesn't he is finished!
 
ROUND 4: Primary Weapons (Link's Sword and Shield combo vs. the dragon sword)
 
WINNER.... RYU. Link is able to block more blows with that shield but it slows him down. Plus his sword is slightly shorter ranged than Ryu's katana. His spin cut manuver is useless on the ninja, while Ryu's combat style makes him a superior fighter. Link will have to hope he fights at a distance or he will be cut apart by the ninja master.
 
 
FINAL RESULTS
 
WINNER>....... RYU!
 
 
This is a hard one to decide, but Ryu has the edge in my opinion. The reason is simple: his dragon sword. As agile as he is, he can close the distance to render the weapons Link has less than effective and even dangerous in the case of the bombs. If he can't close the distance, Ryu has his ninjutsu skills to strike from afar, many able to strike from a distance. Ryu would take the match because of this ability to dominate from afar or up close, though it would be a close match. Ryu likely would have a few bruises from the boomerang and would be cut by that sword. But it would be Link who would lose his life in the end.