u/Aggressive_Total_506

Hex Chimera: It’s always funny to look at this mod and think about how Chimera needed the help of a classic horror plot—one that simplifies things and creates convenient scenarios—just to catch Serena at the end of the mod (using only the classic horror character teleport). AND EVEN THEN, SHE ALMOST DIDN’T MANAGE TO CATCH SERENA LOL.

Chimera is a rotting corpse that can barely move properly and doesn’t have much physical strength; one of her arms is literally a broken bone, and she doesn’t even have very dangerous psychic powers—they’re practically only good for initially tricking her target, but the target can easily ignore that. she’s also extremely slow and falls to the ground many times during the mod; the chimeras inside her body aren’t strong at all either—we literally see one of them dead at the beginning of the mod, which implies that she tried to attack a trainer before Serena and ended up failing, thus causing the third chimera’s death, so it’s more than clear that Chimera relies on an extremely specific and convenient scenario—and on the help of the script and horror clichés—to be effective, and even then, she barely managed to catch Serena. The fact that she exists in the Pokémon world—where every trainer is required to carry at least three Pokémon—already makes her existence a joke, since she can easily be wiped out even by an average, not-very-strong Pokémon or a human who just punches her in the face.

Captain Clark: Just like Chimera, he isn’t fast at all and doesn’t have the best mobility either. To be fair, you wouldn’t be able to kill him with a few punches, but you could easily outrun him and hurt him with any piece of furniture or object you have in your hand. Clark’s own psychiatrist managed to take him down by breaking his wooden leg and injured him using ordinary furniture.

Captain Clark isn’t very strong either. I mean, his greatest display of strength was easily lifting a grown man and tearing off part of his body with his teeth—though this man was completely still and had been tricked, which is something no one here would ever do upon seeing him. He even took a long time to destroy a wooden door, so his destructive power isn’t anything to write home about either.

Jeff the Killer: the image speaks for itself. Actually, many Creepypasta serial killers fit into this post, but Jeff is the best example here because… well… he’s just a teenager or young adult with nearsightedness and a kitchen knife that’s surely rusty and dull—since blood easily corrodes any metal— he’s also no genius at covering his tracks, nor is he a strong fighter; he relies solely and exclusively on his target being vulnerable while asleep—and yet, even in his own original story, he’s known for letting several of his victims survive because they counterattacked him and managed to push him away, forcing him to flee—not only from his victim, who is now his prey, but also from the police. Jeff doesn’t stand his ground in a fight; he’s a weak coward who needs his victim to be completely off guard—and even then, he might fail.

Besides, at best, Jeff has a certain tolerance for pain, but that changes practically nothing. If one of his victims were someone with even minimal physical combat training or simply knew how to counterattack, Jeff would be easily taken down... and I don’t even need to mention what would happen if the victim were armed, right?

Ghost face: Same as Jeff. He’s a guy in a costume with a knife. He was literally knocked down by a bunch of bottles that were thrown at him—I don’t need to say anything else.

At least I’ll give him some credit here: unlike Jeff, he at least plans some of his crimes and does a bit of research on his victims, but that’s not much either, and he’s certainly no Albert Einstein among serial killers;

Sadako: Does anyone here still use VHS...?

Sonic exe: Do what the Creepypasta protagonist’s friend told you to do… just… break the Mega Drive cartridge… and that’s it…

Otherwise, what is this Sonic with conjunctivitis really going to do? Is he going to scare you with a bunch of sprites of Tails and friends, all covered in blood with text written in red, while letting out a scream straight out of a horror movie?

Besides, is anyone here really scared of a little Sonic figurine with a black-rimmed eye and red spots drawn on its cheeks to look like blood? This guy has the same scam as Jeff the Killer and needs 1,000 other versions made by megalomaniacal fans who don’t even know how to make horror to have any merit.

Herobrine: Just quit Minecraft, or just delete the world and start a new one...

If you want to have some fun, try out a few mods and show Herobrine just how funny a nuclear explosive weapon is LOL.

Artie the Clown: Unless he pulls a gun out of thin air... well... it's the same story as with Ghostface—this guy can be injured and killed by just about anything ordinary.

You could argue about his “immortality,” which might catch some people by surprise, but not only does it take him a VERY LONG TIME to revive, but his body also needs to be intact and whole for him to become functional again. Furthermore, assuming you survive him more than once, and are aware of his resurrection, you can simply tear his body into several pieces and prevent him from coming back, or just run far, far away—he’d simply never find you.

And just like Ghostface, I’ll give him a pass, since he’s at least capable of using his psychopathic creativity to ambush or kill his victims—but it’s also nothing that’s impossible to avoid or counterattack.

SCP-1471 (MALO): There’s a very obvious reason why not even the SCP website or SCP-focused channels take this monster seriously anymore.

Unless you suffer from paranoia or anxiety, you could easily live with this creature, since it does practically nothing to its victims other than watch them from a distance through reflections… and that’s it…

You might even get a few scares at night or during the day and feel uncomfortable, but humans are beings who easily get used to their surroundings, so you’d just ignore it and could even use this SCP for your own purposes and goals... (HEY, DON’T THINK ABOUT ANY NONSENSE, OK!?)

Works that were always dark, though their tone might have varied or felt relatively lighter at the start, but as the plot progresses, the story not only abandons almost all (if not all) of the lighter tones that once balanced out its darkness, but effectively becomes so pitch-black that it makes its own beginning look mild and even luminous by comparison.

The Sopranos: The first three seasons were never truly light or easy-going; however, the vivid tone, the humor (sometimes dark), and the character ensemble kept things as balanced as possible. However, from Season 4 through Season 6, the series gradually shifted in tone, becoming darker and darker, to the point where, comparing Season 1 to Season 6, it is practically impossible not to notice how EVERYTHING, absolutely EVERYTHING, is completely different: the colors are grayer and deadlier, many characters have died or are in states of misery and loneliness, the survivors are lost and alone, and the humor and any form of levity have long since vanished. Even certain characters got worse as people, turning into the worst version of themselves.

Breaking Bad: Much like The Sopranos, the show was never truly light, but comparing its beginning to its end makes it indisputably clear how everything was ruined, both literally and visually. Characters die, others spiral into moral degradation, some try to run away, and above all, the lives that characters like Jesse Pinkman and Walter White once had were completely destroyed, with no way back.

Squid Game (Season 1): Up until Episode 7, even with a clear tonal degradation, characters like Ali and Gi-hun still thought and acted in a relatively luminous way, always holding onto the hope that, in the end, they might still have companions who would win all the games and leave rich and united. Gi-hun even made jokes and almost treated the games like a dangerous competition. However, as the games progressed, literally and emotionally, everything grew worse; the player dormitory, once crowded and vivid, became emptier and emptier until it reached the fateful Episode 8 with its damn Glass Bridge game, which definitively sealed the series' dark and morbid tone from then on. After this episode, even in subsequent seasons, the tone never truly recovered the glimmer and dark balance that Season 1 had up until Episode 7, sinking further and further into darkness.

A battle between two charming, arrogant jerks whose main selling point is their ability to move quickly.

Similarities:

Both are charming young people, but they have somewhat jerkish and selfish personalities.

Both, in their own ways, love to bully some of the story’s main characters (Maki and Ralsei).

Ironically, both are the main reason for the character development of their bullying targets (Maki becomes stronger and colder, and Ralsei becomes more aggressive and active).

Both possess a speed-based power that visually enhances their movements.

Both are part of a family-like group (the Flowers of Esgore and the Zenin Clan).

Both are introduced into the story by initially approaching the protagonist directly with the intention of interfering in something. (Naoya wanted to find Megumi and kill him, and Flowery wanted to prevent Kriss from finding Asgorer and sealing the Dark Fountain.)

Both represent not only a physical threat but also a moral test for each of the characters (Naoya is the primary embodiment of the Zenin Clan that must be destroyed, and Flowery highlights the contradictions in the ideology of Kriss and his friends.)

Both aim for a selfish desire as the main focal point of their arcs, which leads them to antagonize the main characters (Naoya wants to be the new head of the Zenin Clan and for that, he needs Megumi to die; Flowery wants to keep Asgore in his world to give him true happiness and companionship, even if it means sweeping everyone out of his way).

Contrast:

Despite being selfish, Flowery isn't truly evil; he simply saw Asgore in pain and wanted to return the favor for him taking care of him when he was just a flower, in addition to compensating for his insecurity of feeling like a useless person who could never help Asgore. Naoya, however, is genuinely evil and, with the exception of Gojo and Toji, he views everyone and everything as inferior to him.

Flowery genuinely has a sibling-like relationship with his fellow flower companions and friends; Naoya, at best, only sees the Zenin Clan as a tool for his own goals.

Although he annoys Ralsei, he only does so to help him grow as a person and start having more freedom to be who he is and act on his own. Naoya simply torments Maki and others to massage his ego.

Flowery genuinely wants the best for his father figure (Asgore). Meanwhile, Naoya didn't care at all about the death of his father (Naobito Zenin).

After tying and morally losing to Kris, Flowery genuinely learns his lesson and puts his selfishness aside. Naoya, even after his death, refused to learn any lesson and only got worse as a person.

Flowery treats women with respect, whereas Naoya harbors misogyny toward women.

Flowery dies trying to protect his friends and father figure, passing away alongside the very person who initially detested him—in short, an honorable death. Naoya, on the other hand, dies in an ironic and humiliating way twice, and both times at the hands of the figures he despised.

A battle between two charismatic and memorable jerks who, at first glance, seem confident and proactive, but deep down are dying inside and sinking deeper and deeper into their insecurities, mental struggles, and addictions—which only drag them further and further into the depths of despair, with even the people around them suffering as a result and sinking along with them.

Connections:

1: Both are characters—if not THE most memorable characters—in their shows, second only to the main protagonists (Pomni and Tony Soprano).

2: Both are essentially the deuteragonists (or co-protagonists) of the show, and in some cases even take center stage in episodes focused on them.

3: Both are part of a specific group that is usually found in an even more specific location (the Digital Circuit and the Bada Bing).

4: This is where many of the main events of their respective shows take place, and where they also begin and end.

5: Both are charismatic jerks who constantly belittle those they deem inferior to them in order to boost their own image and overall standing in everyone’s eyes.

6: However, they don’t seem to do this to figures who are clearly superior to them (Tony Soprano and Cain).

7: One of the people they love to torment—and with whom they have a clearly toxic friendship—is an individual who loves to create art and conceptual stories that express his ideas, but whose career has stalled due to emotional issues and life problems. Because of this, he is constantly belittled by his jerk friends, who make a point of highlighting his weaknesses through physical and verbal aggression, yet at the same time support him as much as possible in their own ways (J.T. Dolan and Gangle).

8: They also have another complicated friendship with another cast member of the show, in which basically every time they’re on screen together, there are funny moments where they insult and berate each other, even though, in a way, they clearly feel a sense of loyalty toward one another. (Paulie and Zooble)

9: These two harbor clear feelings of hatred and resentment toward each other because of who they are and how they act, and because they have privileges that the others don’t have (Paulie envies Chris for being Tony Soprano’s favorite, and Zooble envies and resents Jax for being Cain’s favorite and for constantly belittling her);

10: Before their shows begin and shortly afterward, both also have a trio of friends consisting of themselves, a somewhat clownish friend whom no one takes seriously, and a girl with whom they end up having a romantic fling. (Bredan Filloni and Kaufmo)

11: Although they don’t treat their clown friends well, deep down they respect them, and in a scene where they’re entering a room, they find both of them dead in horrific physical states. (Bredan is murdered with a shot to the eye in the bathtub, and Kaufmo suffer from abstraction )

12: At first, this event doesn’t directly have any major effect on them—other than an “oof”—but far away, where no one can see them, they show that it has affected them significantly, to the point that they try to bury it by becoming even more closed off to everyone and acting like jerks.

13: They have a boss who basically owns everything they know and who sees great potential in them, making them his favorites among everyone (Cain and Tony Soprano).

14: Both carry out missions and orders from these bosses with great pleasure, as it gives them the opportunity to do what they love most without restrictions and to be violent jerks without any consequences.

15: Although neither has extensive military experience, they are, in the final analysis, the best shooters in their respective shows. They have extremely sharp and accurate aim, are very quick, and land precise shots in every scene where they appear with firearms.

16: When they’re consumed by rage and hatred, they exhibit violent tendencies bordering on sociopathy, and they take pleasure in it.

17: Together with a teammate, they pursue a defenseless individual with whom they’ve long had a certain emotional conflict and who was indirectly or directly linked to some of the tragic losses in their lives (Chris kills with great hatred and pleasure. (Mikey Palmice was the one who killed Brendan, and Ragatha knew about Ribbit and had already indirectly used her name to provoke Jax.) )

18: Incredibly, both of them were chasing Mikey and Ragatha with fury and a murderous intent in an episode whose main focus was chasing and killing targets, with Jax and Pomni doing so with great enthusiasm, and Chris and Paulie killing Mikey on Tony Soprano’s orders—Jax and Chris viewing this as a personal vendetta—and both of their targets, before being shot multiple times, say things that make the two of them even more furious (Mikey tries to bargain and beg for his life, claiming that it was Junior Soprano who ordered Brendan’s death, while Ragatha says that Jax is corrupting Pomni and won’t let him do that to her the way he did to Ribitt).

19: Even before the main events of their shows began, they were already in a romantic relationship; they were the only people to whom they opened up about their vulnerabilities and insecurities, and who knew who they really were and how they had gotten to that point.

20: At the same time, this romantic relationship—which was healthy and romantic at first—becomes one of the main pillars leading to the moral and emotional downfall of both of them.

21: Chris deeply loves Adriana but is constantly cheating on her and physically and verbally abusing her, while Jax deeply loves Ribbit but refuses to genuinely open up to her after showing vulnerability; after that, he tries to ignore her and verbally abuse her, belittling her and even disparaging her.

22: In the end, they just want them to be happy together, and they’re so deeply in love that they can’t bring themselves to hate them for their abusive behavior; they constantly try to help them reconcile and rebuild a healthy relationship.

23: Unfortunately for Adriana and Ribbit, they ended up falling in love with someone who is so trapped in their vices and insecurities that any attempt to help only makes things worse.

24: This leads them into a deep emotional decline that causes both of them to make horrible choices that would lead to the end of their lives (Ribbit decided to cut herself off from everything and everyone and eventually succumbed to isolation, while Adriana sank into drug addiction and was cornered by the FBI; she told Chris that she was being wiretapped by the FBI, which led Chris, reluctantly and painfully, to hand Adriana over to Tony Soprano, who ordered her death. She was taken far away from everything and everyone and killed without any chance of survival.)

25: The deaths of Adriana and Ribbit caused permanent emotional and mental damage to Jax and Chris—damage they would carry with them until the end of their lives.

26: This specific event marked a moral breaking point for both of them; from then on, they would only sink deeper and deeper into their dark sides.

27: Despite everything, they would still find another romantic relationship, which, however, did not fill the void left by their previous relationship; quite the contrary, it made the wound even deeper and more painful. (Jax meets Pomni and develops a strong friendship with her that practically borders on a romantic relationship, and Chris meets Kelli, with whom he even has a daughter.)

28: For a brief moment, these relationships bore good fruit for them (Jax found someone else to open up to and have fun with, and Chris finally managed to have a daughter).

29: However, the shadow of their past love haunts them, and they simply can no longer open up completely and genuinely to their new loves, with both openly stating that their new partners would never be able to understand them (Jax openly tries to make Pomni hate him and make her give up on any attempt to see his true self; Chris says he doesn’t really like Kelli because she doesn’t understand him the way Adriana did, and he would never open up to her.)

30: Both lost their father figures very early in life. (In his human life, Jax had a father who abandoned him, and Chris lost his father when he was killed—and Chris was just a baby at the time.)

31: Both have a toxic mother figure who brings out the worst in them. (In his human life, Jax had a mother who tried to turn her son into a substitute for his father, provoking and upsetting him to the point where he would yell at her and she would laugh at him, only to try to caress him right after, only to be pushed away and supposedly killed accidentally; Chris has a toxic mother who, although not shown much in the show, was clearly responsible for causing his anger and stress issues and, above all, verbally abused him.)

32: Both end up becoming addicted to things that leave them comfortably numb so they can escape their insecurities and emotional problems. (Jax immerses himself in his personas and even willingly sought to suffer the effects of “abstraction”—which is basically an allegory for drug use and LSD—while Chris struggles with drug use, cocaine, and injecting drugs, which leave him high.)

33: It reached such a critical point that his friends and lovers had to intervene to prevent the worst from happening, since they became violent and out of control in that state. (Pomni and everyone else had to help Jax Abstraction, and Chris had to be taken to a rehab clinic by everyone.)

34: Both have a vision of the future where, to them, it seems like nothing really matters, and they use fictional allegories from TV shows to illustrate this. (Jax sees *The Circuit* as nothing more than an animated show in which each character is an archetype—which serves as an excuse for him to be who he is—and Chris feels that his life lacks its own narrative arc and that nothing really changes in it.)

35: Deep down, both know they’re horrible people and that they have the chance to escape all of this and become better people—all they have to do is be honest about themselves and their situations and break free from it all.

36: They even find themselves in a situation that would be their chance to escape everything in their lives. (Jax and his group are faced with the choice of whether or not to leave the digital circuit, and Adraina, after revealing her connection to the FBI, tells Chris that they should both run far away from it all and start their lives over.)

37: They, however, refuse this opportunity; although they initially accepted it, after thinking it over and realizing the kind of life they would have after running away from everything—and that, in the final analysis, it would take them away from the comfort of their current lives—they refuse it CLEARLY and DESPERATELY, entering a state of emotional euphoria during that moment (Jax remembers his life outside the circuit and desperately chooses not to leave it, entering a state of hysterical euphoria after this act; and Chris, upon seeing an ordinary couple living an average life with children, envisions what his own life would be like if he ran away with Adriana and chooses to hand her over to Tony, doing so while emotionally broken.)

38: Ultimately, both are representations of emotionally broken people who create personas and rigid facades to hide all their pain and emotional problems, while outwardly responding to any attempt to help them with violence and contempt.

39: The way they live and the kind of life they lead ruin the lives of people outside their circles, and they couldn’t care less about it (Jax ruined the Sweet Kingdom and the lives of its inhabitants and any NPCs just for fun and because they saw him as nothing more than… well… NPCs, and Chris is a mobster who kills people and ruins others’ lives through drug dealing and extortion.)

40: By the end of their stories, neither of them ever actually moved beyond where the show began; in fact, their arcs are the exact opposite of redemption, as they sink even deeper to the point where their situations become irreparable, and they’re unable to fix the damage they’ve caused to themselves and others.

41: Both have an iconic scene of violence: the moment they pounce on their lovers and strangle them in a cold and violent manner, but never actually managing to finish what they started because they lack the courage to do so. (Jax chokes Pomni, and Chris attacks and chokes Adriana after she reveals the truth to the FBI.)

42: Toward the end of their shows, they end up suffering something that leaves them physically devastated, which is the final nail in the coffin of their lives (Jax suffers from abstraction and bombs exploding him, and Chris is involved in a fatal car accident).

43: In their final moments, they mumble words that emphasize how much they’ve deteriorated as people and sunk to the very bottom of the pit—and… in a way, they end up gaining insight into their current states, yet refuse to change. (Jax, internally struggling with Pomni trying to save him, says loud and clear, “I don’t want to go,” and Chris tells Tony not to call an ambulance because “I wouldn’t pass the drug test.”)

44: They die alongside the people they respected and loved the most—the very same people who also loved them and had their best interests at heart (Tony and Pomni). These people were both indirectly and directly responsible for their fates (Pomni indirectly triggered emotional distress in Jax, leading him to withdrawal, and Tony was the one who both protected and corrupted Chris, ultimately dragging him down—and Chris suffocated him to death).

45: After their deaths, even the person with whom they had a relationship of both friendship and hatred would be saddened by their passing, with both of them saying that despite their differences, deep down they cared for each other. (Zooble was clearly emotionally saddened by Jax’s abstraction, and Paulie told Tony that, despite everything, he genuinely cared for Chris.)

46: At their funerals, both Tony and Pomni saw some improvement in their lives from their respective perspectives (Pomni managed to discover the whole truth about his life outside the circuit and move on with his friends forever, while visiting Jax’s grave from time to time; and Tony felt that after Chris’s death, his luck improved, even if his life didn’t exactly get better.)

47: Both have a song in the show that allegorically and ironically captures and summarizes their characters and their trajectories in the show. (“Isn’t She Lovely?” and “Comfortably Numb”)

48: Both songs play during the show as both characters’ lives come to an end.

49: Both are trapped for eternity in a place beyond the earthly realm (Jax is trapped in the circuit forever, and Chris is in hell.)

50: This place appears to be comfortable and entertaining, with eccentric and diverse residents, but in reality it is a place of eternal stagnation and perpetual moral and emotional decline, from which none of the residents can ever escape.

Characters who were destined for something (most often something grand and noble) but failed to live up to what was promised to them or what they were meant to do.

Plus: If fate had forced them to find a replacement for themselves.

Star Wars (Anakin Skywalker): You already know all about this character and his story; he wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place... Thank Episode 9 for putting him on this list and for being replaced by Rey.

Little Witch Academia ( Chariot / Ursula): She was chosen by Magic to be the witch who would restore the magical world and bring joy and hope to everyone. From childhood, Chariot was viewed as an outcast by magical society because her magical ability was mediocre and her skill was, at best, inconsistent; however, she possessed all the qualities necessary to be chosen to inherit the Shiny Rod and unlock the seven spells of the staff to unleash her full potential.

Up to a certain point, she had managed to acquire six spells, but she failed to obtain the last one because she began to commercialize her magic through shows. At first, she truly just wanted to bring joy to everyone in a genuine way; however, as her friend Croix pointed out, she was forgetting her true duty as the bearer of the Shiny Rod, and that eventually her shows would become boring and be forgotten. Chariot tried to argue that she just wanted to bring joy; however, when her last show began and people started losing interest in her, in a desperate move, she used a forbidden spell that stole the magical potential of everyone present to perform an innovative spell. This led to a chaotic event where everyone present fainted and lost their magical potential, and Chariot ended up leaving a destructive mark on the moon, which caused her to lose her magical grace and access to the Shiny Rod. Her show and career were canceled shortly thereafter, and she was forced to change her name and appearance, becoming a quiet, mediocre teacher who ruined everything because she forgot her true purpose and the true joy that magic brings to people.

In fact, because of her, the magic of the world declined even further and lost even more credibility, nearly being abandoned and forgotten—if it weren’t for her successor, Akko, who would complete what she was unable to finish.

World of Warcraft ( Arthas Menethil): His downfall was not caused by pure evil, but rather by the corruption of his virtues. He had everything it took to be the greatest hero in his world, but every step he took to save it led him to destruction.

Arthas's downfall begins when he faces an impossible dilemma: an entire city has been infected by a plague that turns its citizens into zombies. Instead of looking for another solution, Arthas decides to kill all the inhabitants before they are transformed.

Desperate to defeat the demon Mal'Ganis, Arthas travels to the frozen continent of Northrend. There, he finds a magical sword called Frostmourne, There was a prophecy that the sword was cursed. Arthas ignored the warning, saying that he “would accept any curse to save his people.” When he drew the sword, he lost his soul. The weapon transformed him into the first Death Knight.

In the end, He murders his own father, King Terenas. He destroys his own kingdom and massacres his people. He eventually merges with the Lich King, becoming Azeroth’s greatest villain. Arthas is the ultimate example of how the road to hell is paved with good intentions. He failed because his determination turned into obsession, and his pride prevented him from asking for help.

Adam ( Bible): Adam was the first living being created by God, in His own image, and destined to enjoy divine grace and creation alongside Eve, leading their future generations down a path of peace and coexistence with the divine—until Satan (or Lucifer, according to some accounts) manipulated them into biting the fruit of Eden, triggering the first original sin and the realization of free will, causing God to destroy the Garden of Eden, expel Adam and Eve, and leave them alone to fend for themselves, and they had sons (Cain and Abel), one of whom would become humanity’s first murderer; and so, as generations passed, their children and humanity itself would sink into sin and profanity, and at the end of his life, after 1,000 years, he would die witnessing the decadence of his children, unable even to gain access to the afterlife (along with Eve).

Later, God would attempt to undo his action through a global annihilation, leaving only Noah, his family, and the animals from all over the world as survivors. This did not work in the long run, and later, Jesus Christ would appear as the divine sacrificial lamb to redeem all of humanity’s sins and atone for the mistake of Adam and Eve.

Let's be honest. If you take away the fights designed to cause gratuitous hatred and humiliation, Homelander could win a lot of battles.

It's far from my favorite matchup for either All Might or Homelander, but thematically and narratively, it has some really interesting potential.

“Those who win are the ones who shape the truth”

This is the phrase that best captures the clash between these false messiahs of their respective worlds.

Connections:

1: Both are false saviors and heroes in their respective worlds.

2: Both are at the top of their worlds’ political hierarchies (HL controls Vought, and SP controls information and the city of Cybertron)

3: Both had a group composed of other members of similar status, whom they made a point of eliminating one by one (The Seven and the former Primes)

4: Both manipulate the narrative of their worlds to maintain their own status, even if it means hiding scandals and horrific crimes from everyone and everything. (HL manipulates the media, and SP keeps information about Cybertron hidden and alienates his people.)

5: Both have a female companion who would do anything for them, even though they don’t really care about them (Firecracker and Airachnid)

6: Both have caused ENORMOUS pain and hatred toward their main rivals (HL abused Becca, causing Bruto’s wrath and hatred, and SP manipulated Megatron’s entire life; after Megatron learned the truth, he developed an enormous hatred for him).

7: Both have sold and smuggled a key substance from their worlds for their own gain, all in exchange for status and political influence (HL sold Compound V to terrorists, and SP supplied Energon to the Quintessons).

8: Both are highly self-centered and narcissistic, to the point of seeing themselves as almost divine saviors above all else and everyone else.

9: Both look down on the weak (HL hates ordinary humans, and SP despises the miners of his worlds)

10: A group of people discovers their true nature and bands together to dethrone them, expose them to everyone, and kill them. (Orion’s group and The Boys)

11: A member of this group has a personal grudge against them (Butcher and Megatron)

12: At a certain point, a former member of their group reappears and causes them a setback; however, before being eliminated by them, they mock them to their faces and expose their fragile egos. (A-Tran and Alpha Trion)

13: Both present themselves in public as friendly and supportive, spouting empty, performative motivational phrases and lines.

14: Both have their own tower, which serves as a symbol of all their privileges and status.

15: At the end of their stories, both are exposed live to the entire population of their worlds, revealing their true, rotten faces.

16: Not long after that, their main rivals strip them of some of their powers, leaving them in a state of vulnerability and shattering their egos.

17: Both die brutally in front of everyone (Butcher kills HL by splitting his head open, and Megatron splits SP in half).

18: They were the main catalyst for all the problems in their respective storylines.

19: Both were the main reason why their rivals fell to the dark side and became possibly worse than they were.

20: Both beg for their lives and even offer their status in exchange.

A battle between two false heroes from their respective worlds, both of whom were indoctrinated and molded from birth through adulthood by corrupt systems (Vought and the Zenin Clan). These environments fostered deep-seated traits of narcissism and superiority complexes, particularly when dealing with those they deem 'weaker' than themselves.

connections:

1: Both were raised and shaped by a corrupt and oppressive system (the Vought and Zenin clan)

2: Both look down on weak people, particularly specific groups (Normal humans and womens)

3: Both are extremely narcissistic and self-centered, to the point of placing themselves on extreme pedestals that border on the divine in their respective worlds (HL sees himself as a god, and Naoya considers himself equal to Gojo and Toji)

4: Despite this, both have male figures whom they genuinely respect and admire, and in a certain way, they wish to be like them (HL respects Soldier Boy and Stan Edgar and even sees them as father figures; Naoya respects Toji and Gojo and aspires to be like them)

5: Although both are strong and skilled, they tend to overuse their primary techniques to end fights quickly (HL almost always uses his heat vision for everything, and Naoya uses his main jujutsu technique)

6: Although they hold the status of protectors and heroes in their worlds, they are far from what they appear to be in public; one could say that in certain contexts, they are even worse than the villains of their worlds.

7: Both seek to usurp the hierarchical status of their respective systems (HL takes Stan’s place at Vought, and Naoya wanted to kill Megumi to become the new leader of the Zenin clan)

8: It is implied that both sexually abused important figures from their respective rivals’ camps (HL abused Becca, and it is implied that Naoya has had relations with Mai)

9: Both have a specific person whom they view as inferior, yet their rivalry is a mix of twisted respect and genuine contempt. (HL with Butcher and Naoya with Maki)

10: At certain moments, both elevate their powers to new heights (HL takes v1 and Naoya is reborn as a curse)

11: Despite this, both are defeated and humiliated by their respective rivals (Butcher kills HL, and Maki defeats and permanently eliminates Naoya as a curse)

12: Despite their strength and power, both possess fragile egos; when confronted even slightly—whether verbally or physically—they become clearly upset and desperate to prove that they are who they truly believe themselves to be.

13: Both are defeated by a fatal blow to the face.

14: Both are representations of flaws in human character (HL is a victim who, despite his suffering, represents those who continue to perpetuate pain, while Naoya embodies misogyny and systematic egocentrism).