High & Low: Where do they rank?

[Iron_Twister]

I enjoyed this awkward yet touching proposal of an alliance. Like he got too much pride to fully admit he and the Housen Corps would've backed Fujio all the way though they do got personal beef too.

[Sharpandpointies]

Yep, The Worst despite having it's very dark moments is fairly light hearted tale compared to Story of Sword.

Truth. Yes, there's violence and it gets ugly. Yes, in the first movie there are drugs, people in desperation, some pretty ugly things, and the second movie has some pretty vicious fights, but it's not nearly as bad as The Story of Sword. Cripes, Red Rain is well named; it has a body-count. A BIG body-count.

...I mean the School Alliance's hunt for Oya students ain't quite Kuryu's outright decimation of the SWORD area, but my jaw did drop of the guys that got hospitalized from the aftermath. Nakagoshi getting a crate dropped on him was a highlight while Kiyoshi pulling a Gandalf the Grey moment was something.

Yeah, lots of people DID get hospitalized (which again showcases the difference between SWORD and The Worst for feats as well - I mean, the biggest injury we actually SEE happen aside from Tsukumo getting run over - which as you've noted, apparently gave him super-powers after he woke from his coma - is Tsukumo breaking that Daruma guy's arm. Even the outright massive beating Rocky takes, including getting clubbed in the face with a giant pipe wrench by the insanely-strong Ranmaru while a couple of guys are holding his arms, or the Yakuza beating of Cobra? Those don't actually have any lasting effect).

Kiyoshi's last stand was absolutely awesome, yeah. Very cool choice, and shows where the Oya students have headed since Fujio effectively took over. A lot more camaraderie between them, even between the different groups.

[Sharpandpointies]

I enjoyed this awkward yet touching proposal of an alliance. Like he got too much pride to fully admit he and the Housen Corps would've backed Fujio all the way though they do got personal beef too.

It's classic, really. 'We're rivals, but we sort of get along, and...*cough cough* we just have our own beef, don't get in our way.'

^_^

Then they realize that Oya has a better reason - kidnapped friend to save - and it's all 'Respect!'

[Iron_Twister]

Kiyoshi's last stand was absolutely awesome, yeah. Very cool choice, and shows where the Oya students have headed since Fujio effectively took over. A lot more camaraderie between them, even between the different groups.

"I'm not your only friend in Oya High! Make them pay!"

...Considering Yasushi and Kiyoshi were basically the crazy faction in fulltime Oya when The Worst began, that says a lot.

[Sharpandpointies]

"I'm not your only friend in Oya High! Make them pay!"

...Considering Yasushi and Kiyoshi were basically the crazy faction in fulltime Oya when The Worst began, that says a lot.

Well-put. Oya High School has changed a lot since the starting of The Story of Sword. It changed under Murayama as he changed, and then again under Fujio.

Todoroki even acknowledges this somewhat obliquely before the fight with his two old enemies, saying something like 'Yeah, I've learned a lot under my leaders', clearly referencing both Murayama and Fujio. Which...is a huge switch for him, as well.

[Iron_Twister]

Well-put. Oya High School has changed a lot since the starting of The Story of Sword. It changed under Murayama as he changed, and then again under Fujio.

Todoroki even acknowledges this somewhat obliquely before the fight with his two old enemies, saying something like 'Yeah, I've learned a lot under my leaders', clearly referencing both Murayama and Fujio. Which...is a huge switch for him, as well.

Fine development. A nice payoff really when Todoroki didn't participate in the last two entries of the Story of Sword films as it's ultimately a Murayama+Part-timers conflict

[Sharpandpointies]

Fine development. A nice payoff really when Todoroki didn't participate in the last two entries of the Story of Sword films as it's ultimately a Murayama+Part-timers conflict

Yeah, that was something of a disappointment. He made for a good character in Season II and the Movie.

[Iron_Twister]

Yeah, that was something of a disappointment. He made for a good character in Season II and the Movie.

Well admittedly a surprise as well though glad The Worst remedy his absence (with an explanation as well so props) and greatly expand his role as Murayama, Furuya, and Seki more or less made their farewell with perhaps intentions to join Sannoh by the end of the first Worst film.

And of course have another fight to pretty much conclude that part of Todoroki's character arc.

[Sharpandpointies]

Well admittedly a surprise as well though glad The Worst remedy his absence (with an explanation as well so props) and greatly expand his role as Murayama, Furuya, and Seki more or less made their farewell with perhaps intentions to join Sannoh by the end of the first Worst film.

Certainly they're doing what they all talked about doing (at least Murayama did): get bikes and just pal around (in Season II, Murayama had that big arc where he realized how important his friends had become; that was the Todoroki arc).

Also, there was another bit of 'growth' shown on his part at the end of The Worst (just remembered) - he phones up Cobra. Not to ask questions about bikes, not to ask to join Sannoh, not even for a fight. Just to chat.

I thought that was cool. ^_^

And of course have another fight to pretty much conclude that part of Todoroki's character arc.

Truth.

It's H&L, some things DON'T change. ^_^

[Sharpandpointies]

Okay, revisiting this thread because I've watched the Mighty Warriors special again and reviewed some of their other feats. So I'm going to try to slot those guys more accurately into the H&L tiers.

...admittedly, there are likely two people on the entire forum who will be interested, but it's something I enjoy, so. ^_^

One of the first things to realize about the Mighty Warriors is that many of them are, like the Amamiya boys, no strangers to killing. Ice, Bernie and 9 have all been actual mercenaries in hotspots around the world. Pho is imprisoned for beating someone to death with his hands. Sera doesn't seem to give two shits about whether or not anyone lives or dies. Etc. Unlike the SWORD bunch, killing isn't an issue for them and they've done it before.

Now, to try to rank them. I'll go from...low to high. ^_^

I have nothing on Ark and Glock - they're just members of the band outside the movies (except for the Warrior's Anthem video), they don't really count.

The more mainstay Mighty Warriors + Pho seem to easily be a match for name-level gang members, if not better. Diddy beats up Seki rather convincingly (End of Sky). Pho takes on Noboru and does pretty well (End of Sky). 9, Pearl and Bernie beat all hell out of regular gang members with laughable ease (The Movie, End of Sky) and in some cases (Bernie and Pearl, the Movie) take on Sannoh name-level people and seem to fight them to a standstill.

But there are some that rise above the others.

Sera/Sarah - casually whups the stuffing out of Shimura (name level) and some White Rascals by herself (The Movie). Utterly lays waste to SWORD gang members in large groups (The Movie, End of Sky), including (I think, glimpsed briefly, Koo). I would place her above a name-level SWORD member, in the Yamato/Todoroki/Takeshi region. If not better.

Ryu - Takes on Smokey when Smokey is sick, and pushes Smokey to the wall, eventually managing to cripple him (The Movie). This is pretty big, as Smokey (when not undergoing one of his sick moments) is one of the better fighters in the SWORD gang leaders, utterly dominating Yamato. Ryu managing to flat-out beat him when he's sick does hold weight. Ryu also is good enough to spar - with weapons - with Kuryu's 'Terminator' and win. It's notable, though, that Ryu is at this level when armed - we don't see him fighting anyone serious without a weapon. So I would put him at the same level as a SWORD gang leader when armed.

Jesse - Jesse has some really good feats. Beats all hell out of normal SWORD gang members, but that's nothing new. Was one of the scariest dudes in one of the two H&L prisons. The big points in his favor are that he wins a hard fight against Rocky and stalemates against Cobra (End of Sky). Those, to me, are easily enough to put him on the same level as the best of the SWORD leaders (Cobra).

Ice - okay, my favourite, I admit; Elly/Crazyboy is awesome. Anyway, we're introduced to Ice by a montage of him fighting against a group of people and sending at least two of them into the air - upwards - with two uppercuts, so fast both of them are in the air simultaneously (and he one-shots everyone else in the group). He clowns on SWORD gang members, fighting them in large groups while joking and playing with them before levelling multiples of them in seconds (The Movie, End of Sky). He talks on a phone while beating up SWORD members (Hiroto Amamiya-style, End of Sky). He one-shots Seki, a name-level SWORD member (The Movie). His big thing, though, is taking on Hiroto Amamiya one-on-one and both of them getting wrecked in the fight (The Movie). The fight is stopped due to a situational thing, but when it ends, both of them are equally beat up, equally exhausted, and the outcome is VERY much in doubt. He's also billed as the most dangerous member of the Mighty Warriors, a group that includes Jesse, who fought Cobra to a draw.

Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KedIUabGjs Here's the original fight, without the cuts. It's clear that through much of the fight, Ice is pressing Hiroto VERY hard, if not winning.

I'm pretty darned good with ranking Ice as up there with the two younger Amamiya brothers and Kohaku.

[Iron_Twister]

And frankly, I always enjoy looking back into this...People need to watch this series if they just want some fun action with a pretty neat soundtrack.

And right, Mighty Warriors are definitely seen as the most dangerous of the gangs for sure. I mean barring the Kuryu group just throwing all pretense of a fight and just go scorched earth on everything.

[Sharpandpointies]

And frankly, I always enjoy looking back into this...People need to watch this series if they just want some fun action with a pretty neat soundtrack.

Truth.

And right, Mighty Warriors are definitely seen as the most dangerous of the gangs for sure. I mean barring the Kuryu group just throwing all pretense of a fight and just go scorched earth on everything.

Agreed.

And even Kuryu got pretty mangled by the Amamiyas, one entire family - using firearms - getting wrecked by Hiroto and Masaki when they got serious. Then they sent...like, what, 100 guys with shortswords to try to kill Kohaku, Tsukumo, and the Amamiyas? And that didn't. Turn. Out. Great. ^_^

Edit: Just went back and watched Season 2, episode 5. Ice, in his first serious appearance, punches someone such that they fly about 2-3’ off the ground, spinning in the air. He uppercuts three people 1-2-3 so fast that all three are in the air at roughly the same time. He casually lays out a dozen huge guys like it's nothing, one-shotting all of them.

[Iron_Twister]

Amamiyas are truly that broken in the series. Reminds me how in The Movie, they gave the SWORD factions a major advantage after being heavily outnumbered just by showing up.

The Orochi Bros in The Worst were a nice counterpart as they dominate in the fights there as while the stakes did get high in the climatic battle...It's not exactly Story of SWORD levels of escalation as we've discussed prior. The Coke Zero of the Amamiyas but not a bad thing whatsoever given the overall tone of The Worst.

[Sharpandpointies]

Amamiyas are truly that broken in the series. Reminds me how in The Movie, they gave the SWORD factions a major advantage after being heavily outnumbered just by showing up.

Broken is a good word. They turn the entire fight by arriving, as you say, and that's despite the MW being there and having themselves turned the fight in favor of Doubt.

They're so ridiculous it the writers need to invent some unstoppable juggernaut with a sword to give them and Kohaku a challenge, because nothing else is enough. Not a hundred Yakuza with knives, not a swarm of people with pistols and automatic weapons, nothing. ^_^

Back in the TV series, Murayama stumbles across Masaki Amamiya, recognizes him, and DOESN'T try to fight him. And this is early days Murayama, who was that classic 'must fight the strongest person I see' kind of character. It's rather telling that his reaction is 'It's Masaki Amamiya, what's he doing here?' and...that's all.

The Orochi Bros in The Worst were a nice counterpart as they dominate in the fights there as while the stakes did get high in the climatic battle...It's not exactly Story of SWORD levels of escalation as we've discussed prior. The Coke Zero of the Amamiyas but not a bad thing whatsoever given the overall tone of The Worst.

Yeah, it's better to keep things a little less insane for that series. I mean, it's already insane, and Raoh certainly upped the ante, but still.

[Eternal Torment]

My memory of The Red Rain is pretty shaky, so I'm not sure what feats the elder Amamiya brother has. Must be pretty high end for him to be considering one of the strongest in the series.