Mario vs. Link

## Description

*The legendary protagonists of Nintendo's biggest franchises square off in a battle for the ages.*

## Interlude

Hiro: Video games probably would not be where they are today without one certain company: Nintendo.

**MBStarscream: This company has spawned all kinds of extraordinary heroes, but none stand out in their pantheon of champions more than these two.**

Hiro: Mario, the superstar savior of the Mushroom Kingdom.

**MBStarscream: And Link, the legendary swordsman of Hyrule.**

Hiro: I'm Hiro Hamada.

**MBStarscream: I'm MBStarscream.**

Hiro: And it's our job to examine both warriors' strength, abilities, weapons, and weaknesses to see who would win in a fight.

## Mario

Hiro: In the far-off world full of fantastical creatures and varied landscapes called the Mushroom Kingdom, its ruler Princess Peach governs her subjects with a gentle heart and presides over the land with much respect and adoration directed towards her. However, not all share this disposition towards her as Bowser, the King of the Koopas, can attest to.

**MBStarscream: Since time immemorial, the ill-tempered despot has tried to kidnap Peach in many a hair-brained scheme to take over the Mushroom Kingdom and in certain other cases, the universe itself. However, his plans have been foiled repeatedly by the Princess’ resident knight in shining armor: a humble handyman clad in red named Mario, one of the seven destined Star Children long been considered to be one of the greatest heroes the Kingdom has ever seen.**

Hiro: But before he was the Mushroom Kingdom's mighty hero, Mario grew up alongside his younger brother Luigi in the Metro Kingdom's sprawling New Donk City, making a living cleaning the city's sewers of vermin and protecting its populace from rampant gorilla attacks. This life may seem an unassuming and humble one by anyone's standards, but Mario's legacy would truly be cemented in history when Bowser got his claws on Peach, leading her remaining Toad subjects to seek Mario's help in saving them from annihilation; alongside Luigi, the brothers ventured to the Mushroom Kingdom to do battle with Bowser's forces, sparking the first in a long line of conflicts against the Koopa king.

**MBStarscream: No matter how many times Mario puts him in his place, Bowser has always returned with newer machinations that would see Mario traveling around the Mushroom Kingdom and more exotic locales alike, thwarting Bowser's schemes every step of the way. Over the years of battling evil, Mario has accumulated a tremendous arsenal and abilities.**

Hiro: On his own, Mario can react to sharp turns while transformed into lightning, singlehandedly lifts objects weighing hundreds of tons, and survive explosions with yields equivalent to several megatons. These skills alone would make him a formidable foe for most anyone to face, but when his journeys see him needing an extra boost, Mario relies on a lengthy series of objects that grant him fantastic abilities. The Fire Flower, for one such example, bestows upon Mario the ability to throw several small yet mobile fireballs; for a time, this was his chief method of controlling fire, but after a journey to the distant Beanbean Kingdom introduced him to the Fire God, Mario has since developed pyrokinetic abilities of his own.

**MBStarscream: The assortment of power-ups Mario has collected is of such a length that it would take all century to recount it in its entirety; but as a small sampling of the immense collection of power-ups he has to his name, it's noted that Mario has a similar Ice Flower to throw iceballs, a Gold Flower to transmute anything its fireballs touch into gold, a Stopwatch that enables him to freeze time, the Double Cherry that creates an identical clone of Mario with every instance, the Lucky Bell to don a more agile cat suit, the Frog Suit which amplifies his swimming to tremendous levels, the Cape Feather, Wing Cap, and Tanooki Suit, all of which let Mario soar into the air given enough momentum, and the time-honored Starman, which temporarily render Mario into an invincible epileptic juggernaut upon use.**

Hiro: Combining all of these myriad tools with a handful of other weapons and equipment, such as an Ultra Hammer to demolish what few things Mario's strength alone fails to handle, and Bottomless Gloves for an infinite supply of power-ups guarantees that the Mushroom Kingdom's hero is well-prepared for virtually any situation. Countless travels to new and mysterious lands and his encounters with the native creatures have proven Mario is no stranger to adventure, nor the means to survive it.

**MBStarscream: His origins as a Star Child, though only a brief detail of his history, have blessed him tremendously, be it in the fields of strength, speed, or durability. The Star Driver, a massive star that soars across the atmosphere, can be effortlessly piloted by Mario, highlighting his spectacular reflexes. The New Donker can lift a golden Chain Chomp weighing nearly 6000 tons, which, while an impressive feat, pales in comparison to Mario's assorted acts of destruction committed on Bowser's castles, in particular, those from his would-be vacation to Dinosaur World.**

Hiro: As a reference point, each of the aforementioned castles is assumed to have a limestone composition and thus weigh over 61 million tons; Mario survived being in the blast radius of one such castle, while another he effortlessly uprooted from its foundations and punted with a force of over three megatons. To match these kinds of sheer strength and reflexes, he also has the necessary toughness to tank the brunt of similar explosions with force that match his own power; various other feats highlight Mario's durability, as several characters from across the Mushroom Kingdom have survived outlandish injuries.

**MBStarscream: A small array of such go from his alternate self withstanding a cannon blasting him to the moon, to Wario pulling through a continent-spanning explosion, to Bowser himself falling into both an active and the singularity of a black hole and emerging unscathed. As Mario has been in conflict with and against these figures, it is a fair assumption that he can be compared to their own accomplishments.**

Hiro: Mario has little in the way of very obvious exploitable weaknesses, owing to his very well-rounded powerset. However, he isn’t exactly invincible. Most of his powers are tied into his pickups, which all run on certain limitations, like being discarded if he were to take damage or otherwise running on time limits. Mario has also been need of rescue several times, mostly by his brother, and has himself been kidnapped on a few occasions by the likes of Donkey Kong, Bowser and King Boo.

**MBStarscream: But you can always count on this Goomba-crushin' plumber to save the day when evil arises.**

*Mario: Here we go!*

## Link

Hiro: Long ago, there was a goddess who created the Earth. Using her power, she created the all-powerful Triforce, an object of immeasurable power formed by three triangles.

**MBStarscream: You sure it's not the Illuminati?**

Hiro: And it was a certain elf boy in green who would possess the spirit of Courage. This hero's name... was Link.

**MBStarscream: Unfortunately, the spirit of Power went into the reincarnated evil pig demon known as Ganondorf, so Link had to kick his ass multiple times, but he just kept coming back with a second health bar. Not even kidding, he just won't stay dead.**

Hiro: To even temporarily put an end to Ganondorf's reign of terror, Link has a wide variety of weapons to aid him in his quest. One of his best weapons is the Master Sword, crafted by the goddess Hylia. This sword is built to not only be indestructible, but as a weapon to repel evil.

**MBStarscream: The sword can also fire beams and deflect light magic. But Link can do other things with his sword, like the Upward Thrust to damage enemies while jumping, and the Downward Thrust to impale enemies below him. I bet he can do other kinds of thrusting, heh heh, know what I mean?**

Hiro: Of course, Link has many other weapons in his arsenal, from boomerangs to bombs that he can either throw at enemies or attach to arrows and fire. Speaking of the bow, Link carries his Hero's Bow, a mighty bow with a variety of arrows, such as Fire, Ice and Light Arrows, of which Fire burns, Ice freezes, and Light stuns, sort of like a flashbang without noise.

**MBStarscream: But Link isn't without his spells, such as the Shield, which allows him to take half the normal amount of damage he takes, Jump for jumping higher than normal, and Life for healing him. Thunder acts as an instant-kill for Link to eliminate a large number of enemies around him, and Nayru's Love forms a magical crystalline barrier around him for a brief period of time.**

Hiro: Link can slow down his perception of time, such as when he perform a Perfect Dodge or Perfect Guard, in which he dodges or blocks an attack perfectly. He can then rush in with his weapon and unleash a massive amount of blows with his Flurry Rush. His ability to slow down time is also very useful when it comes to archery; by slowing time to a crawl, Link can fire multiple arrows in rapid succession.

**MBStarscream: Link was also trained by Sheikah to be stealthy like a ninja. He can sneak up on monsters, then deliver a devastating Sneakstrike to kill enemies in one hit. But when Link says "Screw caution!", he can use a Charge Attack, where he delivers a series of powerful blows in rapid succession.**

Hiro: Link can also use the Champion's signature abilities. Daruk's Protection shields Link from damage, Urbosa's Fury electrocutes enemies with lightning, Revali's Gale allows Link to take to the skies, and Mipha's Grace resurrects and heals him.

**MBStarscream: Link has accomplished some crazy stuff. He's defeated god-like beings, survived an explosion worth around 2 kilotons of TNT, taken down a small army of monsters without a scratch, and dodged lasers. Judging by in-game manuals deliberately calling them lasers, they should be moving at light speed.**

Hiro: Impressive, but Link isn't perfect. His weapons break rather easily and most of his powers come from his tools. Without them, Link is much less of a threat.

**MBStarscream: He also has a limit on the things he can carry in his bag, and can sometimes rush into things if it's for the good of his kingdom or Zelda. But his accomplishments just prove that Link is Hyrule's champion and deserves it.**

*Link: Haaah!*

## Fatal Fiction

*Mario flips a coin.*

Hiro: Well, Mario takes a point in territory, but which of these legendary heroes has what it takes to win a Fatal Fiction?

**MBStarscream: Never thought we'd have a plumber fight a fairy on this show, Hiro.**

Hiro: Link's not a fair-- oh, whatever.

*A field in the Mushroom Kingdom*

A young boy in a green tunic with elf-like ears rushed through the field in a hurry as the sun shone and the clouds drifted by. The boy in question was known as **Link**, and he was looking for any sign of the princess he had sworn to protect. A few Goombas and Koopas had gotten in his way, but they ultimately fell short to the hero of Hyrule.

Link suddenly stopped in his tracks as a green pipe of some sort emerged from the ground in front of him. Out of the pipe jumped a man in a red shirt and blue overalls, landing before the Hylian. This man was known by all as the Mushroom Kingdom's whimsical protector, **Mario**.

Face to face with an inevitable opponent, Mario readied himself for battle with a cry of "Let's a-go!" as Link drew the Master Sword and equipped his Hero's Shield.

**FIGHT!**

Mario rushed at Link and jumped in the air, gravity pulling him down towards the swordsman, only for his attack to be blocked by Link's shield. Mario jumped off the shield and landed behind Link, turning his body to throw a punch at Link's face, but again the Hero's Shield parried the Star Child's blow. Link used his shield to bash Mario in the head, then sprung and performed a spinning slash that knocked him back. Link then reached behind him, pulled out a bomb, and tossed it at Mario; the plumber countered by throwing a fireball, causing the bomb to explode. Mario threw more fireballs at Link, who blocked the fiery projectiles with his shield before rushing his opponent and attempting to slash at him. Mario, however, jumped back before performing a powerful uppercut that sent Link flying back.

Link raised his blade in the air, briefly charged energy from above, then swung his blade to create an energy disc. Mario leaped right over the attack and landed right in front of Link, punching the elf multiple times before pushing him back with a strike of his hammer. As Link held his stomach, Mario rushed at him to attack with his hammer again, but Link brought up his shield as Mario swung. Link thrust his shield forward, stunning Mario and allowing him to roll around the hero. Link then sprung up to slash Mario's exposed back, knocking him on his face. Link jumped up and pointed his sword down at Mario as he descended, but Mario rolled away as the Downward Thrust hit solid ground. Link then took out the Hero's Bow and shot arrows Mario's way; the nemesis of King Bowser effortlessly dodged every arrow aimed at him, then tossed a fireball at Link, who barely brought up his shield to block in time.

As Mario charged at him, the Hero of Legend spun like a tornado with his sword extended, inflicting multiple hits on the plumber. Sliding back, Mario pulled out a Super Leaf and underwent a transformation as his usual clothing was replaced with a tanooki suit, complete with a tail. Link pulled out a boomerang and lobbed it at Mario, who knocked it away with his tail. The reincarnated elf hero then charged at Mario, who jumped above him as an attempted slash only hit air, and suddenly turned to a stone statue in mid-air; the Hero's Shield was able to hold back the petrified Star Child from crushing Link's head. Link pushed Mario back as the plumber returned to his Tanooki form. Mario ducked as Link swung his sword and swiped at the Hylian's legs with his tail, knocking him down. After rolling out of the way of a Ground Pound from his Italian adversary, Link forced Mario back with a slash of his sword. Mario stomped on Link's head three times, then sprung off, landing behind him; a swing of his tail knocked the swordsman away. Mario's gloved hands then pulled out a Super Bell as Link recovered.

Upon transforming into Cat Mario, the plumber swiped his newly acquired claws at Link, causing him visible pain. Mario then grabbed Link by the feet, spun him around in several circles, then let go, sending Link flying forward. Link got up to see Mario coming down toward him in a pounce, and jumped away as Mario instead slammed into the floor. Mario then reeled his head to the right as the Master Sword missed his skull by inches, only to be struck in the chest by Link's shield. Link swung his sword down at Mario's head, but Mario caught the sword with both hands as Link bore down on him, trying to force his fellow Nintendo mascot to his knees. One of Mario's hands suddenly swiped at Link's chest, the young warrior shouting in pain as claws cut through his skin. Mario followed up by clawing at Link several times, with one more strike knocking the elf boy back.

With a growl of annoyance, Link put his left hand forward as the Triforce of Courage shone brightly. Mario was ensnared in a beam of light before Link crossed the distance, then the light turned into a giant Triforce-shaped energy binding. Link then proceeded to unleash a volley of slashes, finishing with a stab that broke the binding and sent Mario flying backward. Landing on his front, Mario looked up as Link nocked an arrow tipped with a glowing-blue head, aiming it at his opponent as Mario's eyes widened. Link fired the arrow, creating an explosion of ancient magic upon impact.

When the magic cleared, Link was presented with Mario's visage, but that wasn't the first thing he noticed. The plumber's body glowing a constantly-shifting rainbow of colors had caught his eye. With the fabled Starman's power, Mario had achieved invincibility as that iconic music could be heard playing. Smirking at Link, Mario got into a stance, ready to continue the confrontation as Link too prepared himself.

The two champions of heroism charged at each other.

Link furiously slashed at Mario, but the invulnerable Star Child, arms raised to block the Master Sword, only slightly registered the Hylian's efforts. Mario started punching Link repeatedly, ultimately tossing his green-clad foe into the sky. In mid-air, Link sent an energy projectile down at Mario with a charged swing of his sword, but Mario dodged the attack and charged as Link landed, a powerful blow from the hero knocking his opponent back. As Link got up, Mario jumped up to stomp on his head, but Link dived away as Mario's feet landed on the ground. Link grabbed Mario and bashed him in the face with his shield before doing a downward slash with his sword that knocked Mario away. Mario's rainbow form then disappeared as the Starman fully exhausted its time limit, giving Link the opening he needed to press his assault.

With an upward slash of his sword, Link knocked Mario into the air and threw several bombs up at him. The airborne plumber had only enough time to say "Mamma mia!" before he was obscured by numerous explosions coming from all around him. As he started falling, Link, charging up his Master Sword, swung at Mario with enough power to knock him away about ten feet away. His opponent lying on the ground, Link walked towards the plumber with his sword at the ready. As Link approached, Mario looked through his pockets and managed to find a large, yellow mushroom with red spots.

As he was about to deal a finishing blow, Link stopped and stared in shock as the plumber in front of him started growing to an immense size. Mega Mario raised a foot and brought it slamming down on Link, who somersaulted away from the giant plumber's foot as it smashed the ground. Link started shooting arrows at his gigantic foe while backing away, but Mario was hardly fazed by the puny weapons. Seeing that his arrows were useless, Link resorted to throwing bombs at Mario, which somewhat worked in his favor as the ensuing explosions managed to stagger the giant Star Child. Link jumped at Mario and started slashing at his stomach in mid-air until he landed on one of Mario's feet, at which point he drove his sword right through the shoe.

Link jumped off of Mario's foot as the hero in red hopped back, howling in pain. Mario growled angrily and jumped in the air before coming down with a Ground Pound. Dust came up as his rear end smashed into the ground, but had Mario looked behind him, he would have seen the elf he had attempted to squash aiming his Hookshot at his back. Shooting a spearhead attached to a chain at Mario's overalls, Link ziplined himself to the back of Mario's neck and wasted no time slashing away as Mario felt a itching sensation. Grabbing Link between two fingers, Mario took a glance at him before throwing him a good distance away, the Hylian crashing to the ground. Pushing himself to his feet, Link narrowed his eyes as Mario shrank down to his normal size.

Letting loose a mighty battle cry, Link charged forward and leaped towards Mario, sword at the ready. But Mario was ready for him; charging his hands with a powerful flaming energy, Mario launched it at Link, sending twin blasts of fire that pushed Link back. Link fell to the ground on his knee, his tunic covered with black burn marks. Seeing his chance, Mario sprinted at Link, made a spectacular leap into the air and Ground Pounded Link's head, causing him to scream in pain as his skull cracked. Mario jumped again and Ground Pounded him again, this time causing his head to disappear under his shoulders. With one more jump, Mario came down with a Homing Ground Pound, splitting Link in half and causing his two halves to fall onto the ground with Mario standing between them.

"Yeah! Hahaha!" Mario laughed as he jumped skyward in celebration, knowing that this duel had come to a decisive end.

**FATALITY!**

## Results

**MBStarscream: I'm never gonna look at that Ground Pound the same way again.**

Hiro: Both of these warriors were tough and almost equal in some areas, but Mario ultimately held more of an advantage over Link in many ways. Comparing their feats of strength, it was clear that Link was outclassed by Mario punting castles and dragging around solid gold Chain Chomps.

**MBStarscream: Link may be able to dodge lasers, but so can Mario, and the plumber would be more than capable of keeping up with Link with other speed feats like outrunning cannon fire, dodging lightning and keeping up with Bowser's Clown Copter, which can fly to the sun in a very short time frame. Mario has also shown far superior durability, enduring an explosion that consumed a Mushroom Kingdom tennis stadium, surviving in space, and getting hit to another continent.**

Hiro: Mario and Link both had large arsenals in the fight, but Mario's access to various Power-Ups meant that he came with a much larger assortment of weapons and objects. Mario was also more experienced than Link and has fought almost any type of enemy while Link's enemies have pretty much the same tactics.

**MBStarscream: The things Mario has battled also far outclass anything Link's encountered. I'm talking Dreamy Bowser and such that put even the goddesses to shame.**

Hiro: Link was able to fight commendably, but he could only keep up with Mario's superior physicality, versatility and experience before he took a brutal loss.

**MBStarscream: Link just took a pounding.**

Hiro: Mario wins.

## Advantages

### Mario (Winner)

* Stronger
* Faster
* More durable
* More versatile via Power-Ups
* Has fought stronger foes
* More experienced