DEATH BATTLE

Episode 25: Edge Master vs Shirou Emiya (Season 3 Premiere)

Boomstick: He's got a ton of weapons, for sure! Shame he can't copy Ezio's, though... Anyway, what seems to be his go-to is the longsword, but we never see him wielding it in the actual games. But as compensation, he can copy Mitsurugi's samurai sword, and his devastating fighting style!

Wiz: He also wields the longsword and shortsword combo of the dread pirate Cervantes de Leon, perfect for both devastating the enemy in close combat or picking the enemy apart in long range with a gun concealed within one of the swords.

Boomstick: For long reach, he wields Xiba's halberd and Hilde's shortsword and spear combo; if he wants to fight up close, he pummels the sh*t out of you with Maxi's nunchuks or the swords of Patroklos, Pyrrha, and Leixia; he can also get...all bendy with Voldo's katars; he can ninja you with Natsu's-no, not the fire Natsu, the ninja Natsu from SCV-shortsword and ninja skills; and will even wield Raphael's rapier when he wants to get all fancy!

Wiz: If he wants to devastate an opponent with slow, hard-hitting attacks, he opts to switch into either Siegfried or Nightmare's zweihanders, or Astaroth's axe. And if he wishes to add versatility and unpredictability to the mix, he wields Ivy's snake sword or Tira's ringblade.

Boomstick: He also wields Viola's...crystal ball, and Z.W.E.I.'s...wait, is that a-HOLYSH*TISTHATASTAND?!?!? Well, in that case... ORAORAORAORA-

Wiz: Boomstick, what are you doing? We're discussing a Soulcalibur character! This is no time for a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure reference!

Boomstick: But there's always time for a JoJo's reference!!

Wiz: Come on, Boomstick! Not everything is a JoJo's reference!

Boomstick: Yeah it is! *bends back in DIO's WRYYY pose* ZWEIIIIIII!!!

Wiz: *sighs in defeat* Anyway, with the fighting styles of Viola and Z.W.E.I., Edge Master can shift between close combat and striking the foe from afar with a crystal ball or a copy of Z.W.E.I.'s companion respectively, adding in a mix of versatility.

Boomstick: I refuse to not call that thing a Stand, though.

Wiz: I guess that's fair enough... To distinguish them from the originals, all of Edge Master's copies share a draconic motif and are all called "The Master". Fitting, because he's mastered all of them...eh? Eh?

*crickets and a lone, distant 'WOO! Yeah...' are heard in the distance*

Boomstick: Wiz...just...please, stick to being the boring science nerd.

Wiz: Aww...

Boomstick: Anyway, we did say that he hasn't done a ton of impressive stuff, but it would be plain unfair if we didn't credit the things he did do! He's curbstomped Seong Mi-na in close combat; trained Kilik twice; has most likely fought in countless battles due to his age; and if we take the Soulcalibur Manga Comic into consideration, Edge here was apparently one of the first people to wield Soul Calibur! He once said that when he was young, he was able to take down a wielder of Soul Edge with it!

Wiz: But unfortunately, those are among the only noteworthy feats Edge Master has had under his belt. And like any other character in the Soul series, he is not perfect. His weapons don't exactly pack the power of the originals, and it certainly doesn't help that Edge Master gains the crippling weaknesses of whatever fighting styles he's copying, such as Maxi's lack of a ranged game or Siegfried's tendency to get punished by fast opponents.

Boomstick: You might have figured this one already, but Edge Master can't use two fighting styles at the same time! But his weaknesses and lack of abundant feats don't stop him from being an effective warrior; hell, he's probably one of the strongest characters of Soulcalibur, given the fact that he's mastered, like, all the fighting styles! Except for the guest characters, for some reason or the other...