The Worst And Best Soulcalibur Guest Characters Of All Time
"Soulcalibur" is a fantasy weapons-based fighting game from Bandai Namco Entertainment. First debuting in arcades in late 1995, it quickly grew into a franchise with seven main games and various spin-offs in other media. "Soulcalibur" has a wild cast of characters all on its own, each of them involved somehow with the ancient blade known as the Soul Calibur, as well as a similar mythical sword, Soul Edge. With iconic characters like Ivy featured in the main roster, it may be difficult to believe that one-off guest characters would have a chance to stand out. However, "Soulcalibur" has had a variety of guests over the years, from console-specific characters like Kratos to fantasy crossovers like Geralt from "The Witcher."
Every character that a player controls can have a different weapon, fighting style, and more. This is what makes the series so unique, not to mention the original game is considered to be almost perfect on the Sega Dreamcast, according to Metacritic. But what guest characters should fans be aware of? Throughout the franchise, there's one character players should try to seek out, and one to stay away from.
The Worst
All of the guest characters in "Soulcalibur" haven't exactly made sense. Video game icons like Link from "The Legend of Zelda" and Geralt from "The Witcher" mesh perfectly with the medieval-esque setting. Characters from other media, however, often leave players frustrated. One of the worst ended up being Yoda from "Star Wars," who was a guest in "Soulcalibur 4." VG247 pointed out that the character "was ludicrously hard to hit thanks to an apparently elasticated hitbox, and he could zip all over the stage on a whim," which made him a pain to play against. On top of that, he was the only guest character who couldn't be grabbed, due to his small size and penchant for backflips.
Another frequent complaint was that Yoda was rather weak. Slow movements and an inability to sidestep and dash didn't make for a useful fighter. He was also vulnerable to most vertical attacks, and if players are quick enough, he can be defeated in hardly any time at all. IGN also pointed out that his dodging ability is more likely to throw him out of the ring than protect him from attack.
The Best
Interestingly, the best "Soulcalibur" guest character is none other than Link, the spry Kokiri. Appearing in "Soulcalibur 2," adding Link "was so impactful that it dragged Nintendo players towards a relatively unknown franchise," according to Medium. One gamer commented that they began playing "Soulcalibur" for Link specifically, but stuck with the series because they genuinely enjoyed it.
As the game is based around sword fighting, he was perfect, with his Master Sword skills at the ready. Some of the movesets from his home series came with him to "Soulcalibur 2," including a spin attack and downward stab. Not only that, Link also came with a bow and arrow, boomerang, and bombs, which allowed him to be a rather versatile fighter with ranged attacks. The animation for Link was specifically constructed to reflect the lore of the "Zelda" series, and, as one gamer pointed out, his Ultimate Weapon is the Great Fairy's Sword from "Majora's Mask." By keeping Link true to his own series and simultaneously updating him for "Soulcalibur," he became a fan favorite.