| “ | Blood! Darkness! I shall drown the world in both!
— Nightmare
|
” |
Nightmare the main antagonost of the Soulcalibur series of fighting games. Bathed in the blood of thousands, the demon Inferno trapped within Soul Edge corrupted the powerful blade to possess whoever proved strong enough to wield the blade. Once the wielder became corrupted, Soul Edge corrupted and twisted the soul of the user, turning them into the destructive and vile Azure Knight Nightmare. There have been several who've been corrupted by Nightmare's evil grip, such as the pirate Cervantes de Leon, who killed an entire Spanish town after he'd taken Soul Edge for himself.
Cervantes, despite his bloodthirsty behavior, was not strong enough to serve as a proper host for Nightmare. Nightmare then allowed himself to be killed, until he could find a new and stronger host. This would come in the form of Siegfried, an ignoble knight. Intrigued, Siegfried struck a deal with the demon of Soul Edge - Siegfried would collect the souls needed to completely restore the sword and Inferno would resurrect Siegfried's father Frederick.
Siegfried picked up Soul Edge, which ate away at his soul and sanity until he became Nightmare. The Azure Knight gathered several allies and souls, beginning a long reign of terror over Europe, until he was defeated when the nobleman Raphael Sorel wielded the sword Soul Calibur while Siegfried defeated Inferno on the astral plane.
For a short time, all was well - until Inferno reanimated Siegfried's discarded armor and allowed Nightmare to manifest on his own. He continued his reign of terror for several years, while hunting Siegfried down for revenge.
Battle vs. Gerald Tarrant (by Leolab)[]
Nightmare is walking in a forest, and notices that the trees seem to be herding him somewhere. He walks into a clearing, and looks around. Gerald Tarrant swoops in, shifting out of his bird form and back into his normal human form. He wordlessly points his sword at Nightmare, who drops Soul Edge, the fleshy eye in the middle of the blade glaring at Tarrant, and readies the Iron Paddle.
Tarrant closes, taking the demon by surprise with his aggression. The two swords clash, Nightmare’s massive zweihander batting Tarrant’s sword aside. The sorcerer ducks and rolls under Nightmare’s swipes, the Coldfire in his blade flickering along its length and casting darkness around it. Tarrant Works Coldfire onto Nightmare’s sword, freezing it and forcing him to drop it. Nightmare retreats to Soul Edge, while Tarrant shifts into one of the many vile beasts found in his domain. He pursues Nightmare and lunges at him, but his teeth meet steel as Nightmare blocks with Soul Edge. He springs back, and morphs back to his natural form. He takes out his blade again, and strikes. Tarrant’s speed drives Nightmare back, and in an act of desperation Soul Edge becomes its more powerful form. Tarrant is now the one retreating, his blade being beaten back by his foe’s powerful strikes.
Tarrant works Coldfire, and the unnatural blaze freezes Nightmare solid, flesh and armor alike. The Neocount then pulls out his pistol, needing to be sure that his foe is dead and deeming him dangerous enough to use his last resort. The bullet flies through the frozen demon, shattering it.
Expert's Opinion[]
Tarrant is much more skilled than Nightmare, as he has had millenia to practice and hone his fighting skills.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Shao Kahn (Alternate) (by JWarrior89)[]
At the top of the Tower of Remembrance, Shao Kahn stands triumphantly, Wrath Hammer slung over his shoulder. His defeated opponent drops to his knees, Soul Calibur clanging to the floor. Bruised and bloody, Siegfried looks up at Shao Kahn, a look of despair on his face.
"What... are you?" he asks.
"I am Shao Kahn, Konqueror of Worlds!" Kahn says, raising his hammer, "Your time has passed. Now is the dawn of my rule!"
With that, Kahn brings his hammer down, crushing Siefried's head, killing him instantly. As Siegfried's lifeless body slumps to the ground, Kahn turns around and walks to the edge of the Tower. Looking out across the landscape, he grins as he sees countless Tarkatans, Centaurs, and other Outworld forces as far as the eye could see. He was amused to see some warriors still fighting desperately against them: Mitsurugi decapitates a Tarkatan warrior with his katana, and turns to block a sneak attack from Baraka. Mileena bares her sharp teeth as she avoids a whip strike from Ivy, leaping at her with her sai aimed at her throat. Sophitia and Cassandra desperately try to fight back against Gorro, and Astaroth swings his axe in an attempt to strike Motaro. Their struggle was in vain, however; his forces were too numerous, and more were pouring in every second through his portals from Outworld. There was no one to save them this time; he had won Mortal Kombat, and Earthrealm was now rightfully his to conquer.
"At long last, after ages of being denied, Earthrealm is mine!" Kahn yells.
"Do not delude yourself, wretched fool!" a voice calls out from behind him. Kahn turns to see a warrior clad in demonic-looking blue armor, wielding an enormous red sword.
"Fool!? You dare mock me!? Do you know who I am!?" Kahn roars, tightening his grip on his Wrath Hammer.
"You are my final sacrifice!" Nightmare shouts. Raising Soul Edge, he charges at Shao Kahn, who in turn charges toward him. With a yell, Nightmare swings Soul Edge at Kahn, who ducks under the blade and uses Charging Spikes, slamming into Nightmare with his spiked shoulder-blades. Nightmare crashes to the ground, and Kahn leaps forward, swinging his hammer downward. Nightmare quickly rolls out of the way, Kahn's Wrath Hammer smashing a hole in the floor.
Nightmare leaps to his feet; with a yell, he thrusts Soul Edge forward, attempting to impale Kahn, who effortlessly steps to the side to avoid it.
"Is that your best!?" Kahn laughs, throwing his hammer at Nightmare, who raises Soul Edge in front of himself. Kahn's hammer collides with the cursed sword and is deflected, although Nightmare does stumble back a few feet.
"That's the best you can do?" Nightmare says, "How weak!" He charges at Shao Kahn, swinging Soul Edge. Moments before the blade connects, Kahn's hammer rematerializes in his hand. Blade and hammer collide with a ear-splitting clang. Both warriors continue to swing their weapons mercilessly, neither warrior managing to break through the other's defenses. With a yell, Kahn swings his hammer at Nightmare's legs, but Nightmare leaps back and uses Soul Wave; a short energy burst erupts around Nightmare, knocking Shao Kahn back. Nightmare then strikes out with Critical Edge; Kahn yells in pain as Soul Edge cleaves a large bloody gash down his chest.
"This is it!" Nightmare yells, raising Soul Edge. Before he can deliver the finishing blow, however, Kahn leaps forward, bringing his hammer down on Nightmare's head and knocking him to the ground. He then proceeds to grab Nightmare's arm and stomp on his head. He lifts Nightmare up by the arm, and headbutts him with such force that his helmet cracks. Nightmare is thrown to the ground, and lies motionless.
"Pathetic..." Kahn says, looking down at his opponent, "Is that all you got?"
Nightmare does not move.
Shao Kahn throws his head back, laughing.
"It's official..." he says, "You suck!"
A sudden noise makes him look down; Shao Kahn barely has time to register Nightmare back on his feet before he is struck with a vertical slash from Soul Edge, launching him into the air. Kahn yells in fear and shock as he flies over the edge of the tower; he continues to scream all the way down, before smashing into the ground below and exploding into a bloody pulp.
Several of the fighters below stop dead at the sight of Kahn's remains. They slowly look up toward the top of the tower, where Nightmare stands triumphantly.
"At last, the time has come!" He yells, raising Soul Edge towards the sky. The evil sword begins to glow red, illuminating everything around him. "This is the end!"
With a roar, demonic flames erupt from Soul Edge, spreading out in every direction, cascading down the sides of the tower. Upon reaching the ground below, they continue to spread, engulfing everything and everyone in their path. As the flames continue toward the horizon, Nightmare begins to laugh.
It was the end of all things...
Winner: Nightmare.
Expert's Opinion[]
None written.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.Battles here were deemed to be unfair or otherwise not in accordance with wiki standards, and have been removed from the statuses of the warriors and displayed below.
Battle vs. Kratos (by Leolab)[]
Kratos walks onto the top of the Tower of Rememberance, and watches as a girl gets thrown flaming across the platform. He sees Nightmare, with two swords sticking in the ground to either side. Nightmare swings the Iron Paddle around, and charges Kratos.
He swings the blade in a wide arc, which Kratos ducks under. He rolls back and brings out the Bow of Apollo. The flaming arrows bounce off of the demon’s armor, and Kratos is forced to dodge again. He unleashes Poseidon’s Rage, knocking the Iron Paddle out of Nightmare’s hands. Kratos then drives Nightmare back using his Blades of Exile, which still do not penetrate the armor. Nightmare then grabs the more metallic of the two swords; one of the forms of Soul Edge. Nightmare then presses forward. Metal rings on metal, as the warriors duel their way back and forth across the circular platform. Kratos decides to go for a more unorthodox tactic: he wraps the chains of his Blades of Exile around Soul Edge, trapping it. He then disarms Nightmare, but the move leaves him open. Nightmare then grabs Kratos with his three-clawed hand, lifting him off the ground. He squeezes the warrior, and throws him halfway across the arena. Walking over to the remaining incarnation of Soul Edge, he pulls it out of the ground and sees Kratos pulling out the Blade of Olympus and unleashing the Rage of Sparta. The two warriors fight, a blade that killed gods combating one that eats souls.
Nightmare then disengages, and punches Kratos with his claw. He then delivers a brutal uppercut, launching the warrior into the air. He then stabs the ground with his sword, creating a red sphere of energy that captures the falling Kratos. He drains his opponent’s soul, killing him.
Expert's Opinion[]
Nightmare's weapons were far more powerful than those Kratos had, which lead him to the win.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Reason[]
Kratos is given the Blades of Exile and the Bow of Apollo, weapons that he only had in God of War III. He was also given Poseidon's Rage, an ability he only possessed in God of War and God of War II. Therefore, this version of Kratos does not exist at any point in his canon.
Battle vs. Guts (by Leolab)[]
Prologue
Guts, the Black Swordsman, walked past a large cathedral in a desolate area. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, and puts two fingers up to the Brand of Sacrifice carved into his flesh. He looks at them, seeing blood.
“Heh,” a small laugh escaped from his lips. He enters the cathedral, which is devoid of life.
“Why’re ya goin’ in here?” A voice asks from his pouch. Puck, an elf travelling with him, flies out of the bag and lands on Guts’ shoulder. He looks around in confusion, not seeing anything worth noticing.
“There’s an Apostle in here,” Guts replies, “One powerful enough that I could feel it from outside.” He continues walking, until he comes to a round antechamber. At the sound of a clanking above him, Guts leaps into a sideways roll, dodging the falling cage that would have slowed him down. Puck was not as fast, however, and remained stuck inside the cage.
“Heeeey, Guts, a little help, here?”
“I’ll come back for you,” Guts says, and walks off to find his foe, drawn by the sound of swords clashing to the inner sanctum of the cathedral. The sounds of combat stop as he enters, seeing a man in azure armor with a massive sword facing an altar, while a man in plate armor lies fallen behind him. The Azure Knight turns to face him, flexing his three-clawed right hand.
“You,” he growls, “will be my first sacrifice.”
Battle Part 1: Azure Nightmare
Nightmare whips Soul Edge towards Guts’ neck, charging in to finish the battle in one blow. Guts, however, draws the Dragonslayer in one smooth motion. The two swords that could barely be called swords clash, and Nightmare’s momentum brings him careening past his foe. Guts pivots as the Azure Knight passes, swinging Dragonslayer as he does so in a bid to decapitate Nightmare. Nightmare turns as well, catching Dragonslayer with his claw and brings Soul Edge arcing towards Guts’ head.
Guts ducks under the blow, letting go of the Dragonslayer with his right hand and using it to grab one of the miniature bombs in his pouch. As Nightmare overextends with his strike, Guts strikes the fuse on his prosthetic left arm and throws the bomb into the mouth on Nightmare’s stomach, while bringing his right foot up into a kick to launch himself backwards off of Nightmare’s armor.
The bomb explodes, and Nightmare staggers. Guts charges in with a stab, aimed at the same place. Nightmare recovers just enough to sidestep it and swing his sword like a bat, catching Guts with the flat of the blade. Guts goes flying into a pillar, hitting his back and falling to the ground.
Nightmare walks towards him. “Now, give me… GIVE ME YOUR SOUL!” he yells, reaching out with his claw to absorb yet another defeated soul.
“Sorry,” Guts says, looking up, a small piece of string between his teeth and his prosthetic arm pointing at his foe, “But you can’t have your sacrifice just yet.” He pulls with his mouth, and Nightmare growls in surprise as a cannonball tears through his chest armor. Guts exploits the recoil to spin in a circle, building momentum for a massive strike with Dragonslayer. It shears through Nightmare diagonally, from the left shoulder to the right hip. Guts finishes the job by decapitating Nightmare and driving Dragonslayer through Soul Edge’s single eye.
As he turns to walk away, however, the pain in his brand spikes, sending out a new gush of blood. He turns to see a rift opening behind him, and he gets sucked in.
(End music, if it hasn’t already)
Battle Part 2: Astral Chaos
Guts finds himself in the center of a stone platform, seemingly floating in the void. He looks around him, noting similar floating stones ringing the arena, as well as a single eye-like orb in the far distance. He hears a threatening growl, and instinctively brings up his sword in a defensive stance. This saves his life, as a beam shoots forth from his foe and slams into his defense, pushing him backwards about halfway to the edge of the platform.
He looks at the being that fired it, which somewhat resembled his foe before. Where the armor was azure, however, it had been colored a dark red, with what appeared to be fire-filled cracks. It had grown enormously in size, even sprouting wings, and its sword had changed, as well.
“So,” he says, “That’s your true form.”
Night Terror roars unintelligibly and lands opposite him, taking a fighting stance.
Battle Part 3: Pavor Nocturnus
Would you kindly play in another tab
Guts brings his prosthetic hand up, crossbow attached to the top. He fires rapidly, filling the air with bolts. While his aim is accurate, the bolts simply clatter off of Night Terror’s armor. He breaks off this form of attack and meets Night Terror’s “sword” with his own.
Night Terror swings his malformed lump of flesh and teeth with speed that belies his mass, flowing between what appears to be two different styles of combat with ease.* Guts meets his every move with his own sword-shaped slab of iron, reacting with similar speed. The two combatants clash, neither giving ground.
Guts swings in a low sweep, aiming to hamstring his foe. Night Terror flaps his wings and jumps above the blow. Guts reverses the strike, aimed at the now-hovering Night Terror’s torso. Night Terror quickly drops to the ground and ducks, letting the strike pass harmlessly through the fire that comprises his wings.
He dashes forward, slicing diagonally at Guts. The strike connects, and Guts is driven back almost to the edge of the platform. If it weren’t for my armor I’d be dead, he thinks as he regains his footing, and casts a glance behind him. He gets an idea, and turns back to face Night Terror, who lets out another growl and charges at him, bringing his weapon up for an overhand chop.
Guts sidesteps the blow and stabs forward with the Dragonslayer, impaling Night Terror. He lifts his sword up, taking his foe with it, and pivots while swinging it down forcefully. Night Terror is thrown off, slamming into one of the rocks floating around the battlefield. Temporarily stunned, he falls.
Guts starts reloading his hand cannon, keeping watch in case anything else comes. As he drops in the cannonball, he hears wings flapping. He turns to face the sound, seeing Night Terror flying back onto the field.
“Tough bastard, aren’t ya?” he says, grabbing his sword. Night Terror growls and charges back in, swinging with frenzied strength. Guts dodges and counters, only to be parried himself. Night Terror goes in for an overhead stab, which Guts dodges and brings his sword around for another slash. Night Terror then unleashes the power of the souls he’s absorbed in an explosion, staggering the Black Swordsman.
While his foe is vulnerable, Night Terror takes to the air once again, shooting his signature eye beam at Guts, who is hit head on. Heavily injured, he is in no shape to react when Night Terror swoops down and impales him with his horn, flying back up to shoot his eye beam point-blank, obliterating his foe.
Expert's Opinion[]
The match was set up to mimic a Guts v Apostle fight during the Black Swordsman arc. Guts has technique and speed over Nightmare as a swordsman, but Night Terror overpowered him. While Guts relied on tricking and playing on ego to defeat a far stronger enemy, Night Terror's beastial mentality and sheer power nullified this strategy.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Reason[]
The battle featured Guts as he was during the Conviction arc, who is too weak and ill-equipped to stand a chance against Nightmare. Additionally, Nightmare has access to his ultimate form of Night Terror, which is a massive power-up that Guts has no answer to.
Battle vs. Meredith Stannard (by JWarrior89)[]
Location: Kirkwall Gallows (night)
It is late at night in the city of Kirkwall. The streets are deserted, with the exception of the occasional guard on patrol. In the Gallows, Knight-Commander Meredith speaks with some of her Templars. As they are talking, one of the Templars glances upward and notices a shadowy figure watching them from the rooftops.
“Knight-Commander!” he yells, pointing. Meredith spins her head around; the figure leaps from his perch, brandishing an enormous sword. Meredith and the Templars draw their weapons; as the figure lands with a crash, one of the knights charges, but a single swing from the warrior’s weapon sends him flying. The other Templars attempt to attack him as well, but are each struck down with a single blow. The mysterious warrior looks up; he is clad in blue armor, except for his right arm, which appears to be some horribly mutated, three-fingered claw. His sword looks like some unnatural mix of metal and flesh, with a large eye in the middle. Meredith’s eyes widen in revulsion as the eye looks right at her.
“More,” the warrior growls, “Need more souls!” He swings his blade, but Meredith swiftly blocks it with her Lyrium Sword. The two warriors back away from each other. “What foul Abomination are you!?” Meredith says. “I am Nightmare,” her opponent replies, “and I am a servant of Soul Edge.” He indicates his sword, and the pupil in the eye widens in response. “I care not what you call yourself,” Meredith growls, “I will not allow you to threaten this city!” Nightmare chuckles. “You have a strong will,” he says, “Your soul will strengthen Soul Edge greatly.” Meredith’s eyes flame with anger. “I am a servant of the Maker,” she yells, “and I will not fall to something as pathetic as you!” “You conceited wretched human!” Nightmare shouts, swinging his sword, but Meredith blocks the blow.
“Maker, give your servant the strength to defeat this evil!” she says, and her Lyrium sword begins to glow with a strange, red light. With a yell, she shoves Nightmare away, causing him to stagger back a few feet. Nightmare’s eyes widen as he stares at the glowing sword. “That is no ordinary weapon,” he says, “it contains an amazing power, almost as strong as Soul Edge itself! Once you are dead, I will absorb its power, along with your soul, into Soul Edge, and the world will tremble at my feet!”
With a yell, Meredith lunges forward, and Nightmare does the same. Their blades clash together, neither warrior giving any ground. Nightmare swings for Meredith’s legs, but she blocks the strike, responding with a swing at Nightmare’s neck. Nightmare ducks to avoid the blow, striking Meredith in the chest with Soul Edge. Her armor shields her from the blow, but she is knocked backwards. Nightmare immediately goes for the kill, but Meredith rolls out of the way, swinging her Lyrium Sword. Nightmare yells in pain as the blade leaves a long gash in his mutated arm, giving Meredith enough time to get to her feet. She aims for Nightmare’s head, but he blocks it, responding spinning Soul Edge in a series of vertical slices, Meredith blocking each one.
Meredith swings her sword again, and Nightmare once again ducks to avoid its arc. Meredith follows through with a stab, but Nightmare leans out of the way, grabs her outstretched arms, and smacks her across the face with the flat side of Soul Edge. Meredith is sent crashing to the ground, her sword falling a few feet away. Nightmare chuckles, “Somehow I expected more. You are supposed to be the protector of this city?” Meredith spits out some blood and glares at Nightmare. “Silence, Abomination!” she yells. “I don’t know what an Abomination is,” Nightmare replies, “but I do know one thing; my mission to restore Soul Edge will be a lot easier now with the added power of your enchanted blade. However,” he says, raising Soul Edge above his head, “I still have one more soul to collect first.” As he swings Soul Edge downward, Meredith lunges over, grabs her Lyrium Sword, and manages to block the strike. However, Nightmare presses down, the edge of his blade getting closer to Meredith’s face. Literally inches from death, Meredith lets out a savage yell, and her sword’s red glow intensifies. With a huge shove, she throws Nightmare off her, sending him to the floor. As they rise to their feet, Nightmare’s eyes widen in shock.
Meredith’s eyes are now glowing red! She glares at Nightmare with an inhuman fury, and for a second, the evil knight is afraid. He quickly forces the feeling from his mind, however, and readies Soul Edge for battle. To his surprise, Meredith suddenly levitates a few inches, the toes of her boots just above the ground. She raises her own sword, and suddenly dashes forward, leaving a trail of fire behind her. Caught off guard, Nightmare is struck and falls to the floor. Meredith stops, turns around, and dashes again. Nightmare quickly gets to his feet and swings Soul Edge; however, Meredith jumps over the blade’s arc, actually landing on the roof of the building behind him. She then jumps off, Nightmare running forward to meet her head on. As she lands, the stabs her Lyrium Sword into the ground; this sends a shockwave of energy that blasts Nightmare into the wall.
Disoriented, Nightmare quickly shakes his head and looks up. Meredith, still floating inches above the ground, raises her sword, and Nightmare knows she is preparing for the final blow. She dashes forward, but Nightmare rolls out of the way, Meredith’s Lyrium sword sticking into the wall. She quickly pulls it out and turns to face Nightmare, but Nightmare punches her in the jaw. He then uppercuts her, launching her into the air. He sticks Soul Edge into the ground, which creates a red sphere of energy to absorb her soul. However, Meredith, midair, extends her arm and uses one of her Templar abilities, Cleanse, which dispels the orb. As she falls, she manages to grab her sword, and as she lands, she swings downward. Nightmare cries out in pain as his mutated right arm is severed and lands on the ground. Meredith swings her sword again, striking Nightmare in the chest and sending him sprawling to the floor. Nightmare struggles to crawl away, but Meredith firmly plants her boot on his chest, pinning him in place. Nightmare’s eyes widen as she raises her Lyrium Sword one final time. “I shall be rewarded for this,” she says, “in this life and the next!” She stabs downward, breaching Nightmare’s armor and piercing his heart. He yells in agony, which quickly turns into a death rattle, as his head falls backwards and he lays still.
Meredith pulls out her blade from Nightmare’s corpse and approaches Soul Edge, still stuck in the ground. “This… thing… is an affront to the Maker!” she says, and pierces the eye of the blade with her sword, destroying it.
Winner: Meredith
Expert's Opinion[]
While Nightmare was powerful, Meredith was judged to be the faster warrior. In addition, the superhuman abilities she gained from the power of her Lyrium Sword, as well as her abilities as a Templar, gave her the edge over the demonic knight.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.