Hsien-Ko vs Squigly (Darkstalkers vs Skullgirls)
“The undead did not love, but they remembered love with a savage loyalty” - Kim Harrison
Hsien-Ko, the Jiang-Shi Darkhunter from Darkstalkers.
Squigly, the Undead Opera Singer from Skullgirls.
Being undead can suck, but these two girls will push on through to avenge the wrongs of what happened to them and their loved ones.
But when these two meet head-to-head, who will be sent to their final grave? Will Hsien-Ko hold victory up her sleeves, or will Squigly get one more encore? Read to find out who will win a DEATH BATTLE!
Before We Start…
For Darkstalkers, I will be using a composite of the main games and various extended material. This includes the OVA, the manga series, and the Udon comics. The Udon comics do share a crossover with Street Fighter, but no crossover scaling will be used.
For Skullgirls, I will be looking at the main game, the mobile game, and the Webtoon comic.
Huge credit to The Black Shulk’s Donovan vs Zangetsu and Annie vs Linne blogs for being a great source of information.
Background
Hsien-Ko
(By Cabbage)
“Have a pleasant journey through the Nine Courts of Judgement!”
In the demon realm, Makai, there exists creatures called Darkstalkers, monsters who terrorize the innocent. Despite the power of these beings, there are those who have risen up to fight against them, calling themselves Darkhunters. But not all Darkhunters are human, such as the case with this Chinese vampire, Hsien-Ko.
Born in 1730, Hsien-Ko and her twin sister, Mei-Ling, were raised by their mother, who taught them powerful mystical techniques. On one fateful night, demons attacked their village, and their mother sacrificed herself in order to save Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling. As she was killed by a demon, their mothers soul became trapped in darkness. Distraught over their mothers fate, and determined to save her, the two twins performed a forbidden spell, turning themselves into Jiang-Shi, immortal vampires. With the new power these forms granted them, Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling set out to destroy the demons that plagued their mothers soul.
After centuries of hunting demons, Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling eventually succeeded in freeing their mother's soul, but at the cost of their own lives. But their mother, finally free from torment, used her powers to save them, reincarnating them into a new life.
Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling would happily live their new lives, forgetting what happened. But on the night of their sixteenth birthday, thanks to a shared dream, they would awaken to a familiar power. The old power their Jiang-Shi forms had granted them had returned, as well as their memories from their previous lives. With their powers combined, Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling would continue hunting demons, bringing peace to people and lost spirits.
Squigly
(By Cabbage)
“You exist only to manipulate. I won't let you sway me!”
In the city of New Meridian, the Contiellos were a famous family of opera singers. For generations they have been singing for the operas of the city, and had an amicable relationship with the Medici mafia family. They even played host to a parasite known as Leviathan. But none would ever guess that their true legacy would lie with the youngest member of the family, Sienna Contiello, better known as Squigly.
One day, Squigly’s mother, Selene, received a gift from a strange visitor. It was the Skull Heart, an object capable of granting women any wish they desire, while also turning them into the powerful Skullgirl, hell bent on destroying the world. Selene tried to keep this a secret, but it would be blown wide open when the Medici crashed a party the Contiellos were hosting, and began killing the party goers in an attempt to find the Skull Heart.
After seeing Squigly killed and her husband, Roberto, mortally wounded by the Medici, Selene snapped, and wished upon the Skull Heart for the power to destroy the mafia family. And thus she was turned into the fearsome Skullgirl, and began to revive the dead in order to enact vengeance upon the Medici.
Roberto, wanting to spare Squigly from becoming one of the Skullgirl's mindless minions, urged Leviathan to bond with her. It was because of this bond that Squigly managed to keep her sentience.
Though Squigly was hesitant to fight her family, with the encouragement of Leviathan and her new allies, she stepped up to put her family to rest for good. It was a hard fight, but Squigly did succeed in vanquishing the Skullgirl. However, this meant that her connection to the Skull Heart was now gone, and Squigly turned back into a normal corpse. A proper funeral was organized by Lorenzo Medici, who mocked the Contiellos by stitching Squigly’s mouth shut.
Years later, a new Skullgirl would arise in New Meridian. Squigly, having been resurrected by her power, now had a new foe to fight. With the help of friends both new and old, Squigly managed to put a stop to this new Skullgirl, and began to rest once more.
However, a new Skullgirl would come around eventually, and Squigly will be awakened once more. When that time comes, you can be sure that the last Contiello will fight again to make sure that no one else is killed by the Skullgirl.
Skill & Experience
Hsien-Ko
Hsien-Ko has spent two centuries fighting demons, and has become quite the skilled fighter because of it. She can easily fight off a huge group of foes all on her own. Hsien-Ko is also a master at using multiple different weapons. Her huge claws especially, as she is comfortable enough with them to act as a second pair of hands. Her reincarnation didn’t slow her down at all, since she still retains all of her past life’s memories.
Squigly
Despite her young age, Squigly is quite the skilled fighter. She received defense lessons prior in life, and was a major factor in taking down Selene when she became a Skullgirl. Her teamwork with Leviathan is extraordinary, with the both of them acting together more like a single body rather than two separate people. Squigly may be inexperienced herself, but she can still take on and fight alongside more experienced fighters than herself, such as Double and Annie.
Equipment & Support
Hsien-Ko
Claws
Hsien-Ko’s main weapons, and her most iconic ones. Hsien-Ko uses these huge metal claws to slash at her opponents, dealing great damage. They’re quite versatile, with Hsien-Ko being able to use each claw individually, and even bend it like a normal finger. These claws are also attached to a chain that can let Hsien-Ko fight from a distance.
Sleeves
Hsien-Ko’s big sleeves are for more than just show. They act as a sort of hammer space for her, allowing her to safely store all of her weapons inside, and bring them out at a moment's notice. These sleeves also essentially act as an extension of Hsien-Ko’s body, and she can move them separately from her own arms, as though they were another pair.
Throwing Weapons
Hsien-Ko carries a collection of weapons hidden in her sleeves to throw at her opponent. Daggers, kunai, hatchets, ninja stars, boomerangs, and even a statue of Akuma for some reason are all available for tossing at her foes.
Spike Ball
A spike ball attached to a chain that Hsien-Ko flails around in front of her. She can also roll multiple balls towards her opponent.
Saw
A saw blade that Hsien-Ko uses to shred her opponents at low angles.
Gong
A percussion instrument originating in southeast Asia. By hitting it with a mace, Hsien-Ko can produce a short range sound wave that is capable of reflecting enemy projectiles back at them. This sound wave can also be used to stun a whole group of people, knocking them unconscious.
Grappling Hook
A grappling hook that Hsien-Ko uses to swing around the battlefield. While swinging, Hsien-Ko spins her claw in a circular motion, shredding anyone that gets in the way.
Knives
An assortment of knives that Hsien-Ko uses to fight at close range. She has a serrated knife for shredding her opponents, a knife hidden inside her shoes, and it seems like she carries a set of knives specifically for juggling.
Bomb
A powerful bomb that Hsien-Ko throws towards her opponent. It has a timer of nine seconds. She can also throw a red one with a shorter timer on it.
Anvil
A heavy anvil that Hsien-Ko uses to pin her opponent to the ground.
Guns
A massive assortment of random guns that Hsien-Ko can pull out.
Atomic Bomb
An atomic bomb that Hsien-Ko can pull out of her sleeve. Because of course she has this.
Mei-Ling
Hsien-Ko’s twin sister. She transforms herself into the talisman on Hsien-Ko’s face, which dampens her power and lets her maintain control. When not transformed, Mei-Ling can create barriers for defense, use talismans to bind people and even spirits in place, and turn people into stone statues.
Squigly
Coffin
A wooden coffin that Squigly uses to either tag into a fight, or drop on her opponent for devastating damage.
Leviathan
Leviathan is the worm-like parasite that lives in Squigly’s head. Parasites are creatures that bond themselves to a person in a symbiotic relationship. Due to their deep familial ties, Leviathan goes above and beyond for Squigly as her parasite.
His serpentine body allows him to move around in pretty much any way he wants to. He coils and twists around Squigly’s body, allowing him to attack from multiple angles, protecting her from attacks, or even as a stool for her to sit on. His spiked tail allows for quick offense, and he can even turn it into an ax. He’s also more than willing to sick his fangs on his foe as well. He can even segment his body into multiple sections to shred anyone he’s touching, or to extend his range.
Leviathan is also capable of breathing fire. Either as small bursts to help with Squigly’s movement, or to keep opponents at bay, or even as giant infernos capable of incinerating anyone.
Leviathan’s most curious, and most welcoming ability is his capacity to block the Skullgirl’s control of Squigly. This allows her to keep her full sentience and autonomy without any interference from the Skullgirl.
Abilities
Hsien-Ko
Jiang-Shi Physiology
As a demon, Hsien-Ko is much more powerful than a normal human. Since she is of the undead, she is able to live for centuries without aging a day. Hsien-Ko is unable to feel any hot or cold temperatures as well.
Also, since she is a Darkstalker, Hsien-Ko possesses a natural aura of fear that can drive even the most skilled warriors mad.
Air Walk
A technique that lets Hsien-Ko briefly walk on the air as if it were the ground.
Teleportation
Hsien-Ko can teleport short distances, letting her quickly get close to her opponent, or dodge projectiles.
Houten Geki
Hsien-Ko grabs her opponent and throws them into the air, letting them fall onto her spinning claws and shredding them.
Tenrai Ha
Hsien-Ko pins her foe to the ground with an anvil, before then dropping a volley of spike balls on them.
Chireitou
Hsien-Ko plants her hands into the ground, summoning a series of large blades that move towards her opponent.
Rimoukon
Mei-Ling transforms back into a human, letting Hsien-Ko unleash her full power for a brief time. In this state, Hsien-Ko is invulnerable to any and all attacks her opponent throws at her.
Resistances
Temperature: Cannot feel hot or cold temperatures at all
Madness Manipulation: Mei-Ling’s talisman keeps her from going berserk
Squigly
Immortality
Squigly’s undead status makes her effectively immortal. And this immortality is directly tied to the Skull Heart. This connection can revive Squigly from the dead, make her and Leviathan stronger, and even prevent her from aging.
However, this does mean that if the Skull Heart is destroyed, Squigly will go back to being a normal corpse.
Dragon’s Breath/Serpent's Tail
These two techniques are used to empower various moves and abilities that Squigly uses. Dragon’s Breath charges up her flames, while Serpent’s Tail involves her spinning Leviathan’s tail around at fast speeds.
Spatial Manipulation
With the power of her song, Squigly is capable of manipulating the space around her. Specifically, the position of objects within space. She often does this in order to bring her foes closer to her. This act can even create a sort of temporary wall around the immediate area to prevent her foes from escaping. Squigly can even use this ability to avoid attacks by moving her foes around her.
Squigly even uses this ability to project her voice, since her stitched up mouth means that she can’t speak normally.
Liver Mortis
Leviathan lets out a small burst of flames right in front of Squigly, sending anyone it hits flying.
Drag ‘n’ Bite
Leviathan drags Squigly forward like a dog, biting anyone that gets in the way.
Arpeggio
A series of rapid stabs from Leviathan’s spiked tail.
Draugen Punch
A rising uppercut performed in tandem with Leviathan.
Tremolo
Leviathan digs his tail into the ground and launches a sneak attack at the opponent from below.
The Silver Chord
Squigly throws Leviathan’s spiked tail at her foe, impaling them and dragging them towards her. This move also leaves her foe temporarily stunned.
Fallen Woman
While in air, Squigly dives towards her foe with Leviathan’s spiked tail. If landed successfully, Squigly then flips and launches them behind her, which can leave them open to further attacks.
Squigly Battle Opera
Squigly uses her song to create a sphere of pure sound right in front of her, damaging anyone that it touches. It can be summoned in front, or above Squigly’s position. When Squigly moves, this sphere also moves related to her position.
Daisy Pusher
Squigly kicks the ground, creating a hole that the opponent drops into, before a large wooden coffin drops right on top of them.
Inferno of Leviathan
Leviathan charges up, unleashing his full power in the form of a massive fire ball. If it misses, or the opponent dodges, it will come swinging right back around, making it very difficult to avoid forever.
Rage of the Dragon
Squigly levitates forwards, seeking her foe. Upon contact, Leviathan scorches them with his breath, dealing massive damage (why is this only the second Akuma reference in this blog?).
Resistances
Mind Manipulation: Leviathan blocks the Skullgirl’s control over Squigly.
Feats
Hsien-Ko
Overall
Hunted Darkstalkers for 200 years
Successfully freed her mothers soul from darkness
Regained her powers in the next life
Escaped Majigen
Helped exorcise many spirits
Power
Can easily break apart the ground (see above gif)
Speed
Easily dodges some people jumping her (see above gif)
Durability
Survives an attack from Pyron (see Before the Verdict)
Mei-Ling’s barrier stops an attack from Morrigan (see Before the Verdict)
Squigly
Overall
Was a talented opera singer in life
Helped end the reign of two Skullgirls
Bonded perfectly with Leviathan
Escaped from the Egrets
Defeated Double
Power
Speed
Can spin Leviathan’s tail really fast
Durability
Scaling
Hsien-Ko
Huitzils
A robot army that was created by Pyron to scout out planets. They essentially act as fodder for the main cast to beat, so Hsien-Ko can easily scale to their feats.
A large amount of Huitzils fly into outer space (see Before the Verdict)
B Class Darkstalkers
Hsien-Ko has met and fought many B class Darkstalkers before, and is considered a B class herself, so she would scale to any of their feats.
Jon stabs Lilith through the chest (see Before the Verdict)
Jon claims he can reach lightspeed (see Verdict)
Anakaris grabs a flying Huitzil out of the air and slams it onto the ground
Anakaris sinks ancient Egypt (1.67 Megatons of TNT - 3.537 Gigatons of TNT)
Donovan Baine
A fellow Darkhunter, Hsien-Ko has fought alongside him multiple times, and can scale to any feats he has.
Blows a hole in Pyron’s body (see Before the Verdict)
Squigly
Beowulf
The wrestling legend trying to make a comeback. Both have defeated Skullgirls and fought alongside Annie, so Squigly should scale to whatever feats he has.
Double
A shapesifting creature that is responsible for making sure that the Skullgirls are created. Squigly has killed her, so she would scale to any feats Double has.
Has full control over Gehenna, a pocket dimension that spans over the entire continent, potentially the whole world. The continent itself is as large as “Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, or Africa”. Double is everything within it, and can collapse it whenever they want to (575.13 Teratons of TNT - 33.7 Petatons of TNT)
Annie of the Stars
A mysterious girl powered by the stars, she has spent centuries fighting against the Skullgirls. Squigly and Annie have fought alongside each other multiple times, so Squigly can scale to her feats.
The density of her Star Power is great enough to cause gravitational collapse (201.05 Teratons of TNT - 2.01 Petatons of TNT)
Destruction Pillar makes her fast enough to reach escape velocity (Mach 33)
Sagan Beam Blockbuster fires cosmic rays, which move at near light speed
Skullgirls
Women who make a wish on the Skull Heart are transformed into the Skullgirl, a powerful being hell bent on destroying the world. Squigly has defeated multiple Skullgirls before, so she scales to any of their feats.
Weaknesses
Hsien-Ko
Hsien-Ko is very reliant on her sister, as without her she would go berserk, and slowly die as well if it goes on for too long. Hsien-Ko can also be pretty hot headed at times, which can put her in bad situations.
Squigly
Squigly’s connection to the Skull Heart means that, should it ever be destroyed, Squigly will collapse and go back to being a normal corpse. She is also quite naive, given her young age, though Leviathan does help in regards to that.
Before the Verdict
MFTL+ Huitzils?
If you’ve been around in Darkstalkers debates before, you’ve probably heard the claim that the Huitzils can fly interstellar distances in a short amount of time, reaching massively FTL speeds. Since the Huitzils are just fodder enemies to everyone else, this would mean that the entire cast can scale to their flight speed. I don’t agree with this, for several reasons.
First, let’s start with the game feat. Or “feat” I should say. The claim is, at the end of the arcade mode, a Huitzil flies from Earth all the way to the planet Hellstorm in order to fight Pyron. I’ll be blunt, this feat doesn’t actually exist. Pyron is canonically on Earth throughout the events of Darkstalkers 1 and 2, and would have no reason to just leave and go all the way to Hellstorm just to fight some random Huitzil that was also on Earth. The fact that the in-game fight takes place on Hellstorm should be considered a game mechanic. Even assuming that this feat is real, there isn’t any way to find a timeframe for it, so it can’t be quantified.
But what about the comic feat? We actually see the Huitzils fly through space there. That should be legit, right? Let’s give some context for this feat first. Three years prior to the events of the story, Pyron received a transmission from Huitzils on Earth telling him that the planet is ready for him, prompting him to begin journeying there. By the time the story starts proper, Pyron is close enough to be visible in the night sky, and is very noticeable at that. Later, when Morrigan first enters Romania to confront Demitri about his return to Makai, the Huitzils then fly into space to meet up with Pyron as he is approaching Earth. By the time the meeting is over and we cut back to Morrigan, she’s still looking for Demitri. So for a timeframe, while we can’t get anything exact, it shouldn’t be impossible to find a reasonable estimate for it.
The real problem with this feat is when we look at the distance the Huitzils covered. The comic shows them leaving Earth, and then the next panel immediately cuts to them approaching Pyron, giving no indication as to how far they actually traveled. On the same page the feat happens, the Huitzils say that Pyron is nearing his final approach to Earth, and Pyron himself says that he’s close enough to the planet to “smell it”.
So with all of that in mind, it’s pretty clear that Pyron is a very close distance to Earth when the Huitzils fly towards him. An exact distance can’t really be measured for this feat, but it most likely wouldn’t end up being far enough for the Huitzils to be flying at MFTL+ speeds.
Can Hsien-Ko scale to higher class Darkstalkers?
There is a popular idea going around that everyone in Darkstalkers can scale to the top tier feats performed by A and S class characters. If this is true, it would be a massive boon for Hsien-Ko and the other B class Darkstalkers, as it would allow them to scale to such feats as Demitri covering the planet with clouds and Pyron crushing stars. But does this idea hold water? I don’t think so.
First, there’s the class system, in which Darkstalkers are divided into classes based on their power. Hsien-Ko is a B class, so she’s already narratively meant to be weaker than those in A and S class. She doesn’t have any canon feats of fighting higher class Darkstalkers in the games that could contradict this narrative. While she does fight Pyron and Jedah at the end of the arcade modes, these specific fights are non-canon. Canonically, Demitri is the one who defeated Pyron, and Jedah is still alive after the events of the third game. So nothing can be gained from the games.
When looking at the OVA, things aren’t better. Hsien-Ko does fight Pyron, but it’s pretty clear that she is not on his level. None of her attacks phase him, and the spike balls sinking into his torso can be chalked up to his unique body rather than her damaging him. Pyron throws one attack throughout the entire fight, and Hsien-Ko does survive it… Although she is immediately knocked out of the fight afterwards. And it’s entirely likely that Pyron wasn’t even going all out with that blow. None of the other B class Darkstalkers do much better than Hsien-Ko either. Even Donovan gets destroyed by Pyron pretty easily, almost dying in the process. Donovan does get back up to defeat Pyron, but only after getting healed and buffed by Anita, so it wouldn’t be a standard level of power for him.
There is also the matter of Jon fighting Morrigan, but I don’t think this supports scaling. Morrigan manages to successfully block or dodge every attack from Jon. And that’s putting aside the fact that this fight only takes place within the opening, with the two of them never meeting in the OVA, so it’s very easy to dismiss this fight as non-canon.
In the manga, Mei-Ling does manage to block an attack from Morrigan, and there’s also the infamous page where Jon punches a hole through Lilith’s chest. That should be pretty clear cut scaling, no? Well, it’s important to note that the Darkstalkers manga is an entirely separate continuity from the games, and it has quite a few contradictions as well. Lilith’s character arc is changed, as she rejects joining up with Jedah, and does not want to return to Morrigan here. Hsien-Ko’s powers are also changed, with Mei-Ling’s talisman making her stronger, rather than weaker. There’s simply no proof that these versions of the characters are as powerful as their game counterparts, and there’s no reason to assume that they are. Even if they were as strong, it’d likely just be an outlier due to how inconsistent it is.
With the Udon comics, Hsien-Ko isn’t featured in the main story, but it’s not impossible to gauge how strong she is in relation to the cast. In her fight with Necalli, Hsien-Ko is explicitly weaker than him. Necalli himself is shown to be weaker than Morrigan, with the Succubus easily defeating him. Considering the fact that Morrigan does often hold back in fights, and was still able to easily defeat someone stronger than Hsien-Ko, makes it pretty clear that the jiang-shi cannot scale to any high class Darkstalker in this continuity.
So overall, I think it’s pretty clear that Hsien-Ko cannot scale to anything the higher classes can do.
Squigly’s Ghost Form/Sound Form
This is a portrait that appears during Skullgirls’s story mode, showing that Squigly is using her powers. What this “form”, if you could call it that, is, is very unclear. It’s not explained anywhere what this might be, but I think I have an answer to what it is.
When Squigly gets into a fight with Eliza’s henchmen, this portrait appears when she is escaping them. Afterwards, Albus says “How does she move like that?! She ain’t that fast,” to which Horace says “From what I could see, she and that parasite appeared to be moving you,” making it clear that Squigly used her spatial manipulation powers to avoid them. With that in mind, this portrait is likely just a visual representation of Squigly using her powers during cutscenes.
Planet level Skullgirls?
While the Skullgirls are repeatedly stated to be a threat to the world, it’s unlikely that they actually have planet level attack potency.
For starters, there are no feats close to planet level that would actually back up this supposed level of power.
Also, being able to “end the world” can mean very different things depending on the context, of which we have very little for Skullgirls. It could mean wiping all life, or destroying only a portion of the planet, and both of those would count as the world coming to an end.
All in all, it’s very unlikely that the Skullgirls are planet level in any capacity.
Verdict
Stats
Neither Hsien-Ko or Squigly have any crazy direct feats, so the best way to see where both land is by comparing them to other characters. Specifically, Hsien-Ko and other B class Darkstalkers and Darkhunters, and Squigly and the rest of the Skullgirls cast.
When looking at the best feats this scaling can offer, it becomes clear who the stronger one is. Anakaris sinking Egypt can get up to about 3 Gigatons, but Double’s control over Gehenna gets over 500 Teratons at worst. That’s over a 162,000 times gap, with plenty of room to argue the gap being much bigger depending on what ends you buy for each feat. With this, Squigly is easily the stronger of the two. And with Squigly’s ability to take hits from foes on her level, such as Double and Marie, Hsien-Ko will be struggling to deal any damage to Squigly at all.
Speed is a little more complicated. The best that Hsien-Ko would scale to is Jon’s lightspeed statement, but it’s not completely solid. None of the B class Darkstalkers have any feats even close to this level, already making this statement very dubious. Jon’s language is also very much just him hyping himself up after winning a match, making it likely that the statement is just a hyperbole. With all of that in mind, it’s hard to take this statement seriously, which would leave Hsien-Ko with just Donovan’s bullet timing.
On the flip side, Squigly’s scaling to Annie’s cosmic rays, which move at relativistic speeds, is much more solid in comparison. The statement comes from the game itself, not said by any character. Annie’s powers do come from the stars, adding further credence to its legitimacy.
This level of speed would far exceed Hsien-Ko to an absurd degree. Even if you don’t buy the scaling to these cosmic rays, Annie’s Destruction Pillar reaching escape velocity would still make Squigly faster than Hsien-Ko.
All in all, it’s very clear that Squigly takes the entire stat trinity over Hsien-Ko.
Arsenal & Abilities
It goes without saying that Hsien-Ko’s arsenal blows Squigly’s out of the water. Squigly has her coffin and… Yeah that’s it. With access to over a dozen different weapons to use, Hsien-Ko could very easily overwhelm Squigly.
However, things are different when it comes to their abilities. Air walk, teleportation, and her grappling hook all give Hsien-Ko far better mobility options than Squigly, and it could easily let her take control of the battlefield. But there’s just one severe problem with that, Squigly’s spatial manipulation.
Squigly’s ability to control the position of objects in space is the perfect counter to Hsien-Ko’s greater mobility and arsenal. Having trouble keeping up with her? Just bring her to you. An attack you can’t avoid normally? Just move it around yourself. If that doesn’t work for whatever reason, Inferno of Leviathan could also be used to keep Hsien-Ko on her toes, as it is very hard to avoid. Squigly’s Battle Opera can also be used to interrupt Hsien-Ko’s movement, as it creates a ball of sound that moves with Squigly. With these abilities, it’s actually Squigly that has better control of the battlefield.
Comparing their support, Mei-Ling and Leviathan, it’s clear who’s better. Leviathan is always with Squigly, and can stretch and twist his body into a staggering variety of ways, moving alongside Squigly throughout all of her attacks. Leviathan can stab and grab people from a distance, dig underground for a sneak attack, charge up for more power, and can just straight up uppercut people. Squigly can even footdive with Leviathan. Leviathan’s fire breath can also provide for a devastating offense, with good range to boot. Mei-Ling is almost always stuck as the talisman on Hsien-Ko’s face, unable to do much besides keep her in control. In her human form, Mei-Ling can make protective barriers and bind people into place, but Leviathan can do similar stuff. Though Hsien-Ko’s weapons can match Leviathan in versatility, it still ends up leaving Mei-Ling in the dust.
It’s not all over for Mei-Ling though, as she does have one trick up her sleeves that can turn the tides. Her transmutation talismans that can turn people into stone. If Squigly is tagged with one of these, it’s over, there’s no coming back. This would allow for Hsien-Ko to instantly win the fight should the tagging be successful.
But despite having an instant win move, it’s not very reliable in this situation at all. First off, only Mei-Ling has been shown to use this ability. She starts off as Hsien-Ko’s talisman, so she wouldn’t get the opportunity to immediately use it. Second, Hsien-Ko’s main strategy at the start of a fight is to use her weapons. She only ever calls upon Mei-Ling when she recognizes that the enemy is too strong for her to fight normally. Mei-Ling would then come out and tag the enemy herself.
So for Mei-Ling’s transmutation to be a viable strategy against Squigly, Hsien-Ko would have to recognize that she’s weaker, call out Mei-Ling, and Mei-Ling would have to tag Squigly herself. Given the aforementioned stat advantage that Squigly has, as well as her spatial manipulation, it’s very unlikely that she would ever get the chance to call out Mei-Ling. Even if she does, it’s possible that Squigly could avoid Mei-Ling, or get rid of her before getting tagged. And if Mei-Ling dies first, then that puts Hsien-Ko on a time limit, as she will slowly die without her sister.
Moving on to Hsien-Ko’s other abilities, it’s not much better for her. Her fear aura is unlikely to work, given Squigly’s undead status, willpower, and Leviathan’s ability to block mental control. Rimoukon can make Hsien-Ko invulnerable, but only for a very brief moment, and it’s unlikely that she’d be able to capitalize on it at all.
To summarize, while Hsien-Ko has a larger arsenal, and better mobility, Squigly’s spatial manipulation can counter all of that, and give her the opportunity to set up a fight-ending blow. Leviathan is generally more versatile than Mei-Ling, and while her transmutation can give her the win, it is far too unreliable to be counted on.
Tertiary Factors
Experience very obviously goes to Hsien-Ko. She’s been fighting Darkstalkers for over 200 years, while Squigly is just 14 years old. Leviathan himself is centuries old, but we don’t really know how much of that was spent fighting.
Skill is likely even between the two. Hsien-Ko is skilled enough to use her weapons as extensions of her own body, but Squigly can do the same with Leviathan. Squigly can even hold her own against more experienced fighters, such as Double, so Hsien-Ko’s experience edge isn’t that impactful.
Conclusion
Hsien-Ko
“Don't despair, even after death, you might be happy... Like me!”
Advantages:
Larger arsenal of weapons
Matches versatility with weapons
Better mobility options
Transmutation can instantly end the fight…
More experienced
Likely just as skilled
Actually got a happy ending
Disadvantages:
Weaker and less durable
Slower
Mei-Ling isn’t as versatile as Leviathan
…but is too unreliable
Will go berserk and die without Mei-Ling’s talisman
No way to deal with Squigly’s spatial manipulation
Cannot avoid Inferno of Leviathan forever.
Fear aura likely won’t work on Squigly
Rimoukon’s invulnerability lasts a small amount of time
Trash tier in MvC3
Dead franchise
Squigly
Advantages:
Stronger and more durable
Faster
Leviathan is more versatile than Mei-Ling
Likely just as skilled
Spatial manipulation lets her set up attacks and dodge
Better battlefield control
Inferno of Leviathan will hit Hsien-Ko eventually
Hsien-Ko’s fear aura likely won’t work on her
Best storyline in the game
Disadvantages:
Smaller arsenal of weapons
Weaker mobility options
Less experienced
Cannot resist transmutation
Franchise on constant life support
Her life kinda sucks
In the end, Squigly is the clear winner here. Though Hsien-Ko can hold her own with her larger arsenal and greater experience, but Squigly’s better stats, battlefield control, and more versatile partner grant her the win. Looks like Hsien-Ko herself will be going through the nine courts of judgment.
The winner is Squigly.
Next Time
Vin Venture vs Taylor Hebert (Mistborn vs Worm)
Yes, someone's researching Worm Finally!!!
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