Which Soulcalibur fighter could really defeat Yoda?
When Star Wars’ Yoda and Darth Vader were revealed as the guest character fighters for fighting game Soulcalibur 4 in early 2008, reactions went two ways: One, this is so wizard. And, two, is a guy with an ax or a lady with an épée really going to be viable against someone with Force powers and a damn lightsaber? Wouldn’t Darth Vader just instantly Force-choke the entire Soulcalibur cast into submission? And wouldn’t the amputating/cauterizing powers of Yoda’s diminutive lightsaber simply slice through literally everyone and their metal weapons?
Even mainstream gaming sites worried, “is Star Wars ruining Soulcalibur?” citing, in part, the perceived imbalance between Jedi, Sith, and the roster of Soulcalibur 4. But many Star Wars fans underestimated the raw power of the Soulcalibur cast back in 2008. Virtually the whole roster of Soulcalibur 4 could trounce Yoda in a fight, with nary a midi-chlorian among them.
Fighting games are all about balance, but also about level playing fields. The Marvel vs. Capcom games presume that Street Fighter’s Ryu or Resident Evil’s Jill Valentine are an even match for Marvel’s ancient demon Shuma-Gorath or Infinity Gems-wielder Thanos. Similarly, NetherRealm’s DC fighting games effectively put Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Sub-Zero on even footing. Questions about imbalance are often hand-waved away with one word: magic.
Magic is an important element of the Soulcalibur universe. This is a franchise about a magical demonic sword, the Soul Edge, after all, not just humans, golems, and lizard people bashing each other with swords, axes, and nunchaku. Star Wars is likewise a movie series about space wizards intended for children.
The character Zasalamel, introduced in Soulcalibur 3 and
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