Thug Finals

**Thug Finals** is an ultimate battle between a CPU champion and another high-powered challenger. Most CPUCS episodes feature a Thug Finals, coming after the brackets champion emerges victorious as one final test of strength.

Season 1 Thug Finals pitted the tournament champion against Vincent, but in later seasons Thug Finals featured different competitors against one another. Thug Finals disappeared in the latter half of Season 2 before returning for Season 3, often featuring fights with greater importance in the lore.

## Season 1 Thug Finals

In Season 1, all bracket champions had to fight Vincent.

### **Dark Samus**

In his debut, Vincent caught champion Dark Samus off guard, first knocking her out with a Forward Smash before stealing another stock with an unexpected footstool, finally letting Dark Samus fall off the stage for the final stock, losing only one stock through all of it. The first Thug Finals was Vincent's tournament debut, demonstrating his power on the competitive scene.

### **Incineroar**

When Incineroar won the second episode of Season 1, he participated in Thug Finals against Vincent. At full stocks, Incineroar used both of his recovery moves away from the stage, self-destructing for his first stock. Not learning from his mistake, he flew off the stage with his Up Special. This time, to shove it in his face, Vincent footstooled Incineroar when he attempted to return to the stage, taking yet another stock. Incineroar finally took a stock from Vincent with a lucky Side Special, landing a heavy blow and knocking Vincent to the blast zone. Vincent lost another stock as Incineroar footstooled him near the ledge, giving him a taste of his own medicine and evening the stock total, but with Incineroar at 130.4% and Vincent at 0%. Incineroar was finally taken out when Vincent did a Down Air on him, sending him off the stage at an awkward angle. Two more failed recovery moves later Incineroar was defeated, keeping Vincent undefeated.

### **Zelda**

After winning her tournament, the please sub to me and alax please....??????, Zelda took on Vincent in Thug Finals. After a tournament where Zelda was noted for her brutal playstyle, she became the first CPU to defeat Vincent in competitive play.

### **Link**

After making his tournament brackets debut in VINCENT'S REVENGE and being eliminated in Round 2, Vincent returned to challenge Link in Thug Finals. The results were close, but Link pulled the win over Vincent, fully dethroning him from his position as Thug Finals champion.

## Season 2 Thug Finals

Thug Finals went through some changes for Season 2. With Vincent as a regular part of the roster, different competitors were featured as the challenger in Thug Finals: Skillshare Kirby, the first season's grand champion and the new Thug Finals Champion; Blue Incineroar, taking on his cousin; and Piranha Plant, after whom the PLANTATIONAL tournament was named. Season 2 featured a break from tradition, with an eliminated fighter taking on the Thug Finals challenger in the INCIN'S BIG WIN tournament: Panda Global Incineroar, around whom the tournament was centered, was the Thug Finals defender rather than Vincent, who won the tournament. Thug Finals was dropped for the last minor tournament of Season 2, PRISON BREAK, and Thug Finals did not return until Season 3.

### **Falco**

After defeating Lucario for the title of champion in BRACKET NAME, Falco was put up against Skillshare Kirby, the grand champion of Season 1. Kirby had been eliminated in Round 1 of BRACKET NAME with the new, more "casual" ruleset, but Thug Finals used a three-stock, no items, Final Destination ruleset that was familiar to the Season 1 champ. After back-and-forth fighting in which Kirby hit Falco with a double Up-Smash before swallowing him and copying his laser, the two took it offstage, where Kirby secured the first stock and a star KO with a Stone Change on the helpless Falco. However, Falco came back with a charged Up-Smash with a mere 18.1% on him. Then Kirby went on the attack, dealing a massive 163.4% and taking only 23.6% in return, KOing Falco mid-stage with a dash attack. He kept the heat on Falco, and both players took a substantial amount of damage before Kirby sent Falco offstage with a Back-Air and spiking him to his doom with the last hit of Down-Air, securing his victory. This was the first time Kirby would challenge a tournament champion to prove he was still the best, and would not be the last.

### **Panda Global Incineroar**

Panda Global Incineroar versus Blue Incineroar was the first Thug Finals where neither competitor had a win streak going, as both competitors fell out in Round 2 of INCIN'S BIG WIN. Instead, this was a grudge match between the two fighters, as Blue Incineroar tried to prove his mettle against his older brother. Blue started off strong with a brutal offstage neutral-air edgeguard that took PG Incineroar's first stock while he himself only had 55.2%. However, the advantage was lost as PG Incineroar abused his respawn invincibility and hit Blue Incineroar off the ledge with Up-Special, taking him out and evening out the game. An even clash followed, with both competitors taking over 100% before PG Incineroar edgeguarded Blue Incineroar with a neutral air, the same play that had taken PG Incineroar's first stock. It was at this point that Blue Incineroar, being a rookie with little experience against a battle-hardened foe, lost his composure, and PG Incineroar was able to land a swift and decisive string of attacks that culminated in a Down Smash at the ledge that finished Blue Incineroar off. PG Incineroar took only 8.8% in the process and proved to his brother who the best Incineroar was.

### **Cloud**

Being the PLANTATIONAL tournament, Thug Finals saw Piranha Plant going against the championship winner Cloud. The first few minutes of the match were pretty even, but after Cloud charging his Limit and then missing an attack, the plant attacked with a Down-Air and an Up-B to destroy his first stock. It seemed like Piranha Plant rapidly got the hang of the competitive ruleset used and was there to really fight, but unfortunately, a good limit attack from Cloud got through its shield and took Piranha Plant's first stock. The match was intense, with both fighters trying to use risky attacks even when off-stage, most notably Plant using its poison cloud. And after Plant got Cloud to 103% and launched him off-stage, there was nothing he could do, even with his Limit almost fully charged. With that, Piranha Plant won the Thug Finals for the PLANTATIONAL, showing that it could fight for real when it was needed.

## Season 3 Thug Finals

Thug Finals in Season 3 began a trend of having plot-important battles in Thug Finals. Unlike the humorous one-shot battles of the previous seasons, Season 3 Thug Finals battles held more weight and had major effects on the fighters, such as Audible Link's corruption.

### **Audible Link**

NO FUN ALLOWED saw the arrival of Dark Vince into the Light Realm from the Fallen Timeline, where ToyConvict won during PRISON BREAK. In his first appearance, Dark Vince surprised tournament champion Audible Link, who had previously defeated his servant Dark Ken, in Thug Finals. Turning his remote bombs against him, Dark Vincent defeated Link and corrupted him into his servant Dark Audible Dark Link. This defeat also served to temporarily merge the Dark and Light Timelines.

Dark Vincent, having heard of Vincent's plan to find a new fighter to lead the attack on the Dark Realm, sent the brainwashed Dark Audible Dark Link to attack Blue Incineroar after he won the TRAINING CAMP tournament. Blue Incineroar successfully fended him off and defeated him, reverting Link to his heroic self to help lead the Light Realm in ENDGAME.

### **Punished Convict**

Punished Convict first appeared in the tournaments after he heard of the appearance of Dark Vincent to attack the Light Timeline, arriving along with his student Major Duncan to defeat Dark Vince. However, when Dark Realm forces won the WORLDS COLLIDE tournament, Punished Convict took Major back to their own timeline. Thug Finals was a training match between the two as they travelled back on the Umbra Clock Tower, the passage between realms. Major defeated Punished Convict, wondering if the Dark Realm was truly stronger than his master.

### **Blue Incineroar**

After winning the TRAINING CAMP tournament and saving Dark Audible Dark Link, Blue Incineroar quickly won a second tournament in the same season, making him the first fighter ever to do so. However, this success made him grow arrogant and prideful, threatening to turn him to the Dark Realm. In order to prevent this, his brother, Panda Global Incineroar, returned in Thug Finals to knock some sense into him. Blue Incineroar was defeated, saving him from the Dark Realm.

## Season 4 Thug Finals

Continuing a practice from Season 3, Season 4 Thug Finals also had many lore-important battles, but varied more widely rather than focusing on a central arc like Season 3 did, developing different characters. Season 4 also featured non-traditional Thug Finals matches, such as substitutions in the middle of battles, Major Duncan's match against all four Heroes, and the two back-to-back Thug Finals matches in THE TOSTINO'S INVITATIONAL.

### **Rosalina**

In the very first Thug Finals of Season 4 at the end of TIMESKIP, Rosalina, the reigning champion, was attacked by Blood Falcon, who had followed the Agent to the Light Realm. Fighting the bounty hunter over the graves of King Dedede, Vincent, and Captain Falcon, Rosalina was defeated and presumed dead, throwing the other fighters into a panic.

However, Rosalina later reappeared to challenge tournament champion Ike after PIZZA TIME, revealing that Blood Falcon's killing powers don't work in the Light Realm. Instead of dying at Blood Falcon's hands, Rosalina had been sent to the Dark Realm. While Rosalina, now going by Punished Rosalina, had escaped, she had been injured in the process, and so was defeated by Ike, who sent her to the hospital to recover.

### **Tony**

Tony was revealed to be ToyConvict in MAJOR IS HERE, and in Thug Finals he battled unmasked against tournament champion Bowser and lost.

Later, after winning the Season 4 finale THE TOSTINO'S INVITATIONAL, Naomi Winters was confronted by Blood Falcon, who saw her rapid rise to success as a threat. Blood Falcon assaulted her and dominated the battle before a new challenger stepped in to save Naomi: Tony, who was desperate not to see his friend killed by her implacable opponent. Tony did his best to defend himself, but Blood Falcon overcame him and struck him down, sending him to the Dark Realm.

But Tony wasn't finished. As Tony fell to the Dark Realm, he received a vision: within a desolate void, the spirits of his old rival Vincent and the fallen hero Captain Falcon appeared to bring him courage and strength. Blood Falcon had tried to send him to the Dark Realm- but Tony refused. Taking up the mantle of Captain Falcon, Tony returned to battle with brand new force and power, calling on Naomi to aid him. Blood Falcon was caught off guard and summoned Dark Vince to take on the Light Realm challengers. But Dark Vince was taken down quickly, and with determination and the memory of the fallen Vincent and Captain Falcon by their side, Tony and Naomi put Blood Falcon out of the game.

### **The Commissioner**

The Commissioner debuted in TOP TEXT, where he made a rare appearance to battle Robin. Despite losing all of his stocks to her, the Commissioner still won the match, manipulating the record of the results to avoid defeat.

In ; the way home, the Commissioner sent Blood Falcon to attack King Dede, the cousin of Blood Falcon's victim King Dedede, after he won the tournament. The commentators, fearing the death of another member of the Dedede family, sent in one of their own, JoSniffy, to fight Blood Falcon in King Dede's place. Blood Falcon killed Jo, his sacrifice allowing Dede to escape to safety.

### **Major Duncan**

After Naomi Winters won her first tournament, HEIR TO THE THRONE, Major Duncan came to challenge her, bitter that she had won a tournament before him. His jealousy got the better of him, and he was defeated.

Later, Major was ambushed by all four Dragon Quest Heroes at once, bitter at their defeat in brackets after he defeated them to win his own tournament, and was brutally beaten down at their hands. This defeat led him to briefly end his tournament career, retiring to focus on commentating.

### **Skillshare Kirby**

After generally average showings throughout Season 4, Skillshare Kirby, having been eliminated by his longtime rival Zelda in semifinals, wanted to prove that he was still the best of the best. To that end he challenged Naomi Winters just as he had done to Falco in Season 2. Naomi, having won her second tournament, had won the same amount of tournaments as Kirby. Taking her to the Fountain of Dreams, Kirby defeated her, proving that he still had his skill.

## Trivia

* Major is the first fighter to face more than one character in Thug Finals at once, when he took on all four of the Heroes in "I NEED A HERO" from the film, Shrek 2.
	+ Tony and Naomi Winters would later engage Blood Falcon and Dark Vincent in a 2v2 Thug Finals match, in THE TOSTINO'S INVITATIONAL.
* Only two fighters have ever taken the place of another fighter in Thug Finals after the match began- JoSniffy, replacing King Dede against Blood Falcon in ; the way home, and Tony, replacing Naomi Winters against the same challenger in THE TOSTINO'S INVITATIONAL.