This article is about the re-examined version of Death Battle's 22nd episode. You may be looking for the original version of Link VS Cloud from 2012.
- —Tagline
Link VS Cloud is the 147th episode of Death Battle, featuring Link from the The Legend of Zelda series and Cloud Strife from the Final Fantasy series in a re-examination of the battle between iconic video game swordsmen. Cloud was voiced by Adam Gibbs.
Interlude
 |
Wiz & Boomstick by Brandon Yates  
|
Wiz: Link, the courageous and determined hero of Hyrule.
Boomstick: Cloud Strife, sword swingin', spikey-haired Sephiroth slayer.
Wiz: Each are powerful warriors in their own right, but in a fight to the death, which one will win?
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
Link
|
Dreams Of Adventure 2 by Luke Richards 
|
Wiz: In the land of Hyrule was a hero so great, even a goddess favored him. Destined to wield the Triforce of Courage, he fought for his people until his dying breath. Moreover, he was chosen to be reincarnated through time to continue defending against evil. This hero's name was Link.
|
Argonaut's Shield by George Kallis
|
Boomstick: Since Link's spirit had been reborn over and over, technically that means most Links are kind of the same guy. It's a real Link to the past! Heh, heh. Which is probably why he's so skilled with tons of different weapons, like his Hylian Shield, and of course, the Master Sword.
Wiz: The Master Sword is no ordinary blade. Infused with sacred energy, it is evil's bane incarnate, capable of destroying magical barriers, dispelling curses, and slaying immortal monsters.
Boomstick: But nothin's more badass than its laser beams and Skyward Strike. He can even charge it with lightning. You like that, Like Like?
Wiz: Link's carried hammers, clubs, spears, even boomerangs. And his talent with a bow is second to none. He has fire, ice, and shock arrows, and his light arrows possess holy magic. But the Ancient Arrows instantly consign foes to oblivion, appearing to either transport them to another dimension or crush them into nothingness.
Boomstick: And these suped-up weapons have come in handy. Link's had his fair share of tussles defendin' the world from foes like Ganon, Vaati, and Majora.
Wiz: Link has survived rolling through lava, and while wearing the Golden Gauntlet or Titan's Mitts, been strong enough to lift stone weighing well over 10,000 tons.
Boomstick: And the Four Sword lets him split up into copies of himself. Talk about multitasking.
Wiz: With the Ocarina of Time, Link can summon storms, teleport across the land, and even travel through... time. With song!
Boomstick: But some of that doesn't hold a candle to the Sheikah Slate. That thing can set remote bombs, move objects magnetically, and totally stop time for things! And it can summon his Master Cycle Zero.
Wiz: Motorcycles are all well and good, but his Sailcloth is certainly a more elegant way to move around.
Boomstick: So, he's got a lot of cool stuff, but sometimes, he's gotta get sneaky about it. While he may be tough, Link can't always win fights with brute force.
Wiz: His Clawshots are perfect for maneuvering around the environment, and his Magic Cape can turn him invisible.
|
Ichor Flows by Mark Petrie 
|
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Boomstick: I can think of a lot of ways that would come in handy.
Wiz: Well, let's see. DUMMI!
Nothing happens.
Wiz: Uh, DUMMI?
DUMMI throws off the Magic Cape, revealing himself and startling Boomstick.
DUMMI: Ha ha. Got ya!
Boomstick picks up the cape and puts it on, turning invisible as Wiz aims the Fire Rod at a nervous-looking DUMMI.
Wiz: You know, Link's weapons are VERY effective against sassy robots!
DUMMI zips off.
Boomstick: Oooh! You can't see me coming now, can ya? HAH!
We hear the rush of air from a blow, but Wiz doesn't react. Boomstick makes his head visible.
Boomstick: Hey, why didn't you get hit?
Wiz: Uh, right, the Magic Cape also turns Link intangible.
Boomstick: Huh. Welp, guess there's no punch... line.
We cut back to the analysis.
|
Legions Upon Legions by Noah Sorota
|
Boomstick: Anyway, did you know Link's fast enough to roll away from Beamos lasers? Which are actual light beams. They burn things, move in a straight line, and the guide says they're lasers, so... there.
Wiz: As you can see, Link can dodge this laser at the moment it's fired. Given the distance between the two, and the time frame, he would have to be moving two feet in just under two billionths of a second, about a tenth the speed of light.
Boomstick: Now that's a reason to say "Excuuuse me, princess", 'cause if he didn't, no one would get out of the way in time!
Wiz: But one item Link has isn't simply a mere vehicle to increase his speed or strength: the Triforce of Courage, a holy relic that offers mystic power to its bearer, including protection from transmutation.
Boomstick: He's got some other spells, too. Like for shielding and healing, and his Fairy spell lets him literally just turn into a Fairy! Aww, look at him. He gets all tiny and he can fly around... Get the flyswatter.
Wiz: Link's also been granted magic by Great Fairies and spirits of past Hylian champions. Mipha's Grace can even revive him to full health after death.
Boomstick: And if all this wasn't enough for him to just trash his opponents, Link's known to carry around a snack or two to help him out.
Wiz: While he usually has a limited supply of magical energy, a single bottle of Chateau Romani gives him unlimited magic for three whole days.
Boomstick: That's nothin' compared to his masks.
Wiz: These masks not only change his physical form, but give him unique abilities, like how his Goron Mask increases his strength.
Boomstick: He can even roll so fast he catches fire! But the Fierce Deity Mask is the best. It basically transforms him into a dark god, 10 feet tall and 100% terrifying, with inhuman strength and the impossible Helix Sword.
Wiz: Fierce Deity Link could easily overpower Majora, who pulled the Moon into the planet with enough force to destroy a continent and cause planet-wide destruction.
|
Dream Cities by James Seymour Brett
|
Boomstick: Welp, sounds like he's got everything he needs to defend Hyrule. I mean, if you're chosen by a goddess, you gotta do what she says, right?
Wiz: With the boy clad in green committed to the cause, Hyrule can breathe easy knowing it's defended by such a worthy champion.
Epona rears upon the Bridge of Eldin, Link upon her back as he raises his sword skyward at his side.
Cloud Strife
|
Plan A Never Works by Noah Sorota
|
Wiz: On the planet Gaia, run by the Shinra Conglomerate, one man wanted to be a strong protector of others, just like his hero, Sephiroth, the elite member of SOLDIER. This was Cloud Strife.
Boomstick: The troops of SOLDIER are awesome! They get badass paramilitary weapons, and get to cast magic from Materia.
Wiz: Materia is a byproduct of the Lifestream, an energy source that runs through the world.
Boomstick: Green Materia casts offensive spells, blue's for supportive spells, and yellow has commands. But red's the most powerful, 'cause they can summon giant monsters! No wonder Cloud wanted to be a part of SOLDIER so bad! I'd want to too if I could have a giant dragon god as a pet!
Wiz: This is Bahamut Fury, among the most powerful summons in Final Fantasy history. Capable of annihilating a moon, a feat worth over 140 exatons of TNT.
Boomstick: Which Cloud totally survived after he made it into the SOLDIER program without any problems whatsoever. Nope. None at all. Is this too much foreshadowing?
Wiz: Uh, Cloud's time as a SOLDIER mercenary was... well, it never happened. Despite his own memories saying otherwise, Cloud actually failed to join the program at all.
Boomstick: All right, bear with me here. See, Cloud had a friend, a first-class SOLDIER named Zack Fair. They went through a bunch of wacky adventures together, then got kidnapped by some weird cultists who injected them with alien DNA and Mako energy that supercharged 'em. It's a long story.
Wiz: Time and time again, Zack came to Cloud's rescue, until one day, a rescue would be his final act.
|
Viper Squad by James Seymour Brett
|
Boomstick: But before he fell, he gifted Cloud his big ol' Buster Sword. Hey, what's a sword between bros? Especially when Zack had been there for Cloud so much in the past.
Wiz: Like how Zack was the one who helped Cloud adjust to the fact he had never become a member of SOLDIER.
Boomstick: Or how Cloud hadn't been the one who took the moon exploding either. That was Zack all along.
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Wiz: Cloud's own history had affected him so much, that he unintentionally took Zack's as his own.
Boomstick: Geez, sounds like he needs to do some heavy self-reflection.
He looks in a hand mirror.
Wiz: Cloud's struggled with confidence ever since he was rejected from the SOLDIER program. That, combined with the trauma from being kidnapped, experimented on, and watching his best friend die fractured his sense of self.
Boomstick: Y'know, Cloud not bein' who he said he was reminds me of someone, Wiz.
Wiz: Uh, what are you talking about?
Boomstick: You know, like how you faked your identity to avoid paying all those student loans, and Homeland Security's still lookin' for you and...
Wiz: Stop!
He uses green Materia to freeze Boomstick in time.
Wiz: Uh, hey, did you know, despite how the game works, Cloud can use Materia without a weapon? Isn't that neat?
Boomstick glares at him.
Wiz: Anyway...
We cut back to the analysis.
|
Fanfare For Fantasma by Noah Sorota
|
Wiz: Realizing his memories were faulty sparked Cloud's journey of self-repair. Though he had failed to become part of SOLDIER, he probably shouldn't have, because he's been in many, many fights just as, if not more impressive than those of Zack's résumé.
Boomstick: Remember that awesome dragon? He beat him! Bahamut's super strong, but also fast enough to fly between planets in seconds. Hell, Cloud can even fly, too!
Wiz: I guess, more like he's able to jump hundreds of yards up, and... hang in the sky, and... lunge around... yeah, it's basically flight.
Boomstick: He can also use spirit energy for super attacks called Limit Breaks, like the classic Omnislash.
Wiz: He's also worn several different types of gear over the years. But the one he's consistently kept is a certain ribbon, which defends him from the majority of status effects, excluding time manipulation.
Boomstick: He's dodged bullets, lasers, and electric attacks. He's casually sliced buildings in half, can cast literal nuclear explosions with his Flare Materia, and he even beat that handsome devil Sephiroth. I don't know how Sephy survived being impaled by a sword that's literally wider than he is, but Cloud got to kick his ass multiple times.
Wiz: Even coming face-to-face with Sephiroth's ultimate attack, Super Nova.
Boomstick: Along the way, Cloud also destroyed Shinra! That's one way to get back at the folks who refused to hire you. Oh, and he got an even cooler sword, too! Get rid of that sentimental Buster Sword, buster, 'cause the Fusion Sword isn't here to play.
Wiz: With the Fusion Sword came a new version of Cloud, one who'd worked hard to resolve his personal issues, and overcame any foe, mental or physical, in his way.
Boomstick: So, all that, on top of beating Sephiroth three whole times, proves Cloud puts up one hell of a fight.
Wiz: Despite Cloud's frustrating start as a young man with unattainable dreams, he grew up to become far more than he could've imagined.
Boomstick: After savin' the world more than once, Cloud Strife deserves the hype.
Cloud: Stay where you belong. In my memories.
Prelude
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: But first, if you wanna last as long in bed as Link and Cloud do fighting gods, check out BlueChew.
Wiz and Boomstick read out an advertisement for BlueChew.
Boomstick: But right now, IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!(The transcript below is exclusive to the YouTube version of the episode.)
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: But first, if you wanna last as long in bed as Link and Cloud do fighting gods, check out BlueChew.
Wiz and Boomstick read out an advertisement for BlueChew.
Boomstick: But right now, IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!
(The transcript below is exclusive to the Rooster Teeth version of the episode.)
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!Death Battle
|
Final Breath by Brandon Yates
|
Cloud is seen driving his Fenrir motorcycle through the Corkscrew Tunnel in Midgar. Suddenly, the screen transitions in a similar style to the battles in Final Fantasy VII. He looks behind him and sees Link approaching him while riding his Master Cycle Zero, readying his Master Sword.
Cloud: Oh, great.
Cloud pulls out his Buster Sword before swerving his bike around and clashes swords with his opponent several times while driving. He drives on the ceiling to strike from above, but Link is able to block it with his Hylian Shield.
As they approach the end of the tunnel, Cloud notices there is no road up ahead. He gets his bike back on the ground and comes to a quick halt before casting a spell. Link attempts to brake near the end of the tunnel, but is struck by lightning, separating him from his bike and sending him plummeting towards the ground while Cloud attempts to make the long jump.
While falling, Link takes out his Sheikah Slate and uses Magnesis on his foe's motorcycle to drag it towards him. Cloud jumps off his vehicle and attempts to dive for it, but Link obliterates the bike by firing an Ancient Arrow at it. The resulting explosion knocks Cloud into the nearby cliff and causes him to drop the Buster Sword. He repeatedly stumbles along the rock formation before landing feet first in the Sector 5 slums church, where his Fusion Sword is waiting for him.
Link lands on the ground safely thanks to his Paraglider. As Link puts away the Paraglider, he sees several pots in front of him. He gasps in joy and he proceeds to run around and break them, temporarily forgetting about his opponent as brief sounds of obtaining rupees and items can be heard. Cloud grabs his Fusion Sword, pausing to stare in confusion as Link smashes more pots. Realizing that he has been forgotten, Cloud lets out an indignant outburst.
Cloud: Excuse me?!
Cloud, not liking the vandalism of the place where Aerith's memory lies, charges toward Link, who quickly throws a pot at him. Cloud catches the pot with his Fusion Sword and flings it into the air before making a strike at Link, who blocks and pushes him away with the Hylian Shield. Cloud then catches the pot and gently sets it on the ground before resuming his fight with Link.
Cloud unleashes a triple flurry of blows and despite Link blocking, the latter is knocked down to the ground by the last blow. Link rolls around to Cloud's back to avoid his next attack before sending Cloud skyward with a Back Slice and knocking him away with a Spin Attack as he comes back down. As Cloud charges at him, Link jumps and tries to use the Down Thrust on him, but Cloud rolls out of the way.
The two turn to each other, intent on using their time stop abilities to gain the upper hand: Link uses the Sheikah Slate's Stasis, and Cloud casts Stop, leaving both combatants frozen in time for a few seconds. Soon, they unfreeze, and the fight resumes, with Cloud delivering a blow powerful enough to knock the Master Sword out of Link's hand.
Forced on the defensive, Link uses his shield to block Cloud's next attack and is pushed back. Cloud uses his superior speed to feint at Link from behind and upfront to throw him off-balance before attempting a spin slash at Link's back, which he blocks in time, though is pushed back again.
Fortunately, this attack gets Link some distance, allowing him to take out the Four Sword to immediately parry an attack from Cloud with it. As Cloud blocks his counter-attack, he is surprised to see that there are suddenly four swords, each with a Link holding them, pushing against him.
The four Links perform a synchronized attack, forcing Cloud to back off for a moment. Cloud splits two of the Fusion Sword's blades off into a double-bladed staff and uses it as a secondary weapon, then repels the four attacking Links and knocks them all away with his own spin attack. The Links then start getting creative with their arsenal. The Purple Link transforms into a Fairy and distracts Cloud...
Purple Link (Fairy): Hello? Hey! Listen! Hey! Hey! Hello? Hey! Listen!
...while Remote Bombs from the Sheikah Slate roll into a circular formation. Afterward, the original Link charges towards Cloud and engages him in a sword fight. He makes a smug face toward Cloud before dodging to the side as the Green Link shoots an Ice Arrow at Cloud. As ice encases Cloud and the Fusion Sword, Aerith's Ribbon glows, breaking the ice, but the momentary distraction was enough for the Blue Link to knock Cloud into the circle of Remote Bombs which the Red Link detonates. The Links then take a moment to celebrate.
Purple Link (Fairy): Look! Watch out!
True to the fairy Link's warning, a purple energy passes by the group as an unfazed Cloud jumps up from the smoke and casts Remove, which drags Link's copies into a black hole.
Purple Link (Fairy): Hey! Listen!
However, the original Link manages to escape using the Clawshot at the cost of sacrificing the Four Sword. Cloud pursues Link as this happens.
Cloud: Oh, no, you don't!
Cloud attempts to strike Link down, but he uses a second Clawshot to dodge, then uses the Magic Cape to turn invisible. While hidden, Link plays the Song of Storms and retrieves the Master Sword, before revealing himself in front of Cloud.
Link reveals that the storm was for more than just a distraction and unleashes a Skyward Strike charged with lightning. Cloud absorbs the Skyward Strike with the Fusion Sword and turns its power against Link, creating a massive explosion that ravages the church.
Cloud takes a moment to catch his breath and heals himself before Mipha's voice echoes through the area, signaling the activation of Mipha's Grace.
Mipha: Now's your chance!
As this happens, a figure emerges from under the boulders in a surge of power, sending rubble flying around. As Cloud casually dodges a large boulder, Link, now donning the Fierce Deity's Mask, rises to his full height. Cloud looks up at Link's new form calmly before going on the defensive when the Fierce Deity charges at him. They clash repeatedly while Cloud flings away his various swords seemingly at random before making another leap away.
As the Fierce Deity charges again, Cloud casts a Flare Spell in front of him that sends Link into the sky surrounded by the pieces of the Fusion Sword. As this happens, a Final Fantasy VII-esque menu prompt shows up. On his last legs but not giving up, Cloud musters his strength into one final attack: Omnislash V5.
Cloud: Let's mosey, asshole.
Cloud leaps into the air and barrages Link with a legendary flurry of blows, before coming down for the coup de grâce. Recovering as Cloud gets closer, Link attempts to block the final strike using the power of the Triforce of Courage, but it fails to protect him as Cloud slashes clean through the Triforce-manifested barrier.
Link's body splits in two, causing him to let out one final, dying cry as a damage number of 9999 is shown, leading to a fade-out animation similar to Final Fantasy VII. Cloud lands on the ground with his blades and the split halves of his opponent falling around him. Cloud shrugs before performing a shortened version of his signature blade-spinning victory pose.
Cloud: Nothin' to it.
Results
|
Final Breath by Brandon Yates
|
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Boomstick: Guess Link thought it was time to... split! Too soon? Yeah...
Wiz: Link had an incredibly versatile arsenal available to him, given the abilities he had from his various weapons and masks.
Boomstick: And with stuff like the Sheikah Slate and Ocarina, the guy had so much to throw at Cloud, that he could've easily gotten overwhelmed.
We cut to the post-analysis.
Wiz: Even with that against him, Cloud could match much of Link's arsenal with both his Materia and superhuman ability. Link may have won a few fights with his time stop, but so would Cloud. For our purposes of determining who would win the most often, these essentially cancel each other out.
Boomstick: Link's Master Sword and Triforce of Courage helped him counter some of Cloud's Materia. Like, he wasn't gettin' turned into a toad or anything, but Cloud's ribbon could do a lot of the same, especially against those fire, ice, and shock arrows.
Wiz: Since both had multiple ways to counter each other's more magic-based moves, and both had incredible healing spells, this really came down to their baser abilities.
Boomstick: Like how Link dodging lasers put him at a tenth the speed of light. But Cloud kept up with Bahamut, who flew between planets in 12 seconds.
Wiz: Since this looks like Neptune, and considering Gaia is a stand-in for Earth, the distance between them would be 4.3 billion kilometers. To travel that distance in 12 seconds means Bahamut Fury flew at least 1,200 times the speed of light.
Boomstick: So while Link was smart, had more experience, and has fought foes faster than him before, Cloud could literally run circles around him without him noticing.
Wiz: Link's strength and power were nothing to scoff at, especially when scaled to Majora pulling the moon into a planet and destroying a continent. That would take an energy equivalent to over 60 exatons of TNT. However, Cloud was strong enough to endure similar attacks and return the favor in a devastating way.
Boomstick: Like how he survived Sephiroth's Super Nova attack.
Wiz: Guidebooks confirm that the Super Nova is a blast that destroys dimensional space. Technically, it occurs in another dimension where the entire solar system is annihilated... with Cloud standing right there.
Boomstick: It sounds crazy, but this means he can literally survive a sun exploding in his face! I mean, it really messed him up, but still, it's a goddamn sun. Link's never had to deal with something of that magnitude before.
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Wiz: The hero of Hyrule put up an admirable fight, and could certainly win in a few different ways, but Cloud's speed, strength, and powerful Limit Breaks meant that, more often than not, his victory was assured.
Boomstick: Link Tried-force, but against Cloud, he had Je-no way out.
We cut to the "Winner" card.
Wiz: The winner is Cloud Strife.
Original Track
|
Final Breath by Brandon Yates
|
Composition
The track for this fight is "Final Breath" by Brandon Yates. It is an orchestral rock track reminiscent of songs in the Final Fantasy series while utilizing mystical instruments that would be heard from the fantasy settings of most The Legend of Zelda soundtracks. A good chunk of the main melody is based on "Let the Battles Begin" from Final Fantasy VII, but some snippets are based on the Overworld theme from the original The Legend of Zelda and the "Song of Storms" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the latter coming into play when Link uses the Ocarina of Time.
Title
On top of it referencing a battle to the death, the title combines the names of two of the games the combatants appear in (Final Fantasy VII and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the latter of which being the most recent Zelda title Link appeared in at the time of the episode's release and the primary inspiration for how he was depicted in the fight).
Cover Art
The cover art done by Luis Cruz depicts the Royal Crest from the Zelda series glowing behind Cloud's Buster Sword. The lifestream from Final Fantasy VII is also seen hovering around the crest and the sword. An animated version of the cover art done by Brandon depicting the Royal Crest forming, the lifestream floating, and the Buster Sword coming down can be viewed here.
Trivia
Production
- The core connections between Link and Cloud are that they are both blonde, quiet, powerful swordsmen and main protagonists of iconic Japanese video game series famous for defining story-based video game genres (The Legend of Zelda for action-adventure games and Final Fantasy for RPGs, respectively). In addition:
- Both are wielders of some of the most iconic swords in video game history (the Master Sword and the Buster Sword, respectively).
- Both are the arch-enemies of villainous, nigh-immortal, magical swordsmen with strong ties to their past (Ganondorf, the reincarnation of Demise who was defeated by a previous incarnation of Link, and Sephiroth, who was Cloud's former SOLDIER superior and destroyed his hometown, respectively).
- Both have fought villains who had plans to destroy their world with a meteor-like object (Majora, who wanted to destroy Termina with the Moon, and Sephiroth, who wanted to destroy the planet with a giant meteor, respectively).
- Both have had a history of crossdressing (Link did so in Breath of the Wild to blend in with the Gerudo, while Cloud did so in his games to infiltrate Don Corneo's mansion).
- Both are also playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. series since Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate being where their 3D models come from for this episode.
- This is the first 3D fight since Goku VS Superman 1 to be animated in Blender.
- The Rooster Teeth release of this episode aired on Cloud's Japanese voice actor Takahiro Sakurai's birthday.
- A fan thumbnail made by AriesStone was used twice in official promotional material for this episode, first in a YouTube community post by Daitomodachi and then in a reveal video for the track's cover art that Luis Cruz posted on Twitter. In Luis' case, this was due to the official thumbnail not being available at the time, so he used Aries' thumbnail since it was the first one on this wiki page back when fan thumbnails were displayed on the main page rather than in a separate gallery subpage.[1] Daitomodachi likely had a similar, if not identical, experience.
Easter Eggs
- Link's "Background" slide has the Philips CD-i listed as one of his dislikes, referencing the infamously and memetically bad Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure games made for the console.
- A Final Fantasy VII-esque menu prompt shows up at the start and the end of the battle.
- The HP and MP values displayed are based on Cloud's max in-game stats for both at level 99.
- The shot of Link stopping his Master Cycle Zero at the end of Corkscrew Tunnel appears similar to that of this piece of official artwork made for the Champions' Ballad DLC of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which in it of itself is a reference to the Akira motorcycle slide.
- This is the first episode to have its fight homage the scene, with the next one being Ghost Rider VS Spawn.
- The shot of the Fusion Sword impaled on the grass at the Sector 5 slums church resembles the main menu screen of Final Fantasy VII and its remake. It also references the ending of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, where the Buster Sword was seen impaled on the grass at the same location.
- Link taking a break from the fight to break pots is a reference to the common behavior of Zelda players doing the same thing, which has become a meme and was previously listed as the first thing listed as one of Link's dislikes in his "Background" slide.
- The three other Links that appear after Link pulls out the Four Sword seem to have different personalities based on how they act in the fight, which may be a reference to the manga adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, where each Link copy had a distinct personality of their own.
- Purple Link's appearance and voice clips when turned into a Fairy come directly from Navi.
- The scene where Cloud's ribbon protects him from being frozen by Link's Ice Arrow is a call-back to a moment in Link VS Cloud (2012), where he is fully frozen before negating it.
- The scene where Cloud gets caught in the circle of remote bombs is another call-back to Link VS Cloud (2012), this time to the climax, where Cloud was caught in a circle of bombs right before his death.
- Cloud's line, "Let's mosey, asshole," comes from one of his iconic lines from Final Fantasy VII.
- The shot of Cloud posing with the Fusion Sword in front of the moon is similar to the scene where he performs Omnislash Version 5 on Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, as well as his special Advent Children costume's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
- Cloud's final one-liner, "Nothing to it," comes directly from Final Fantasy VII: Remake.
- The way the Triforce part of the Royal Crest forms in the animated version of Final Breath's track cover is similar to how the Triforce forms in the intro to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Errors
- The Silence ability is listed twice under the "Disruption" section of Cloud's "Materia" slide.
- There's a noticeable jump cut when Cloud goes to hit Link with a jump slash before the latter rolls out of the way, as the background of the church abruptly changes to a different perspective despite Link and Cloud remaining relatively in the same place compared to the previous shot.
- When Cloud delivers the final blow on Link, he is unusually not using the First Tsurugi part of the Fusion Sword, but rather the Hollow Blade part of the sword.
- The Moon can also be erroneously seen in front of a cloud before Cloud deals the killing blow, something that's impossible for it to do in real life.
Other
- This is the 24th episode to feature a returning combatant, after Zitz VS Leonardo, Batman VS Captain America, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, Pokémon VS Digimon, Mewtwo VS Shadow, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Metal Sonic VS Zero, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Black Panther VS Batman, Ryu VS Jin, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Mega Man Battle Royale, Captain Marvel VS Shazam, Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla, Ganondorf VS Dracula, Deadpool VS Mask, Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Venom VS Crona, Hulk VS Broly, Shadow VS Ryuko, and Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, and with the next 17 being Batman VS Iron Man, Akuma VS Shao Kahn, Thor VS Vegeta, Boba Fett VS Predator, Excalibur VS Raiden, Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha, Phoenix VS Raven, Guts VS Dimitri, Goku VS Superman (2023), Omni-Man VS Bardock, Bowser VS Eggman, Kratos VS Asura, Ghost Rider VS Spawn, Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Aang VS Traveler, Ash VS Yugi, and Hulk VS Godzilla.
- This is the 18th episode to feature a returning loser, after Batman VS Captain America, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, Pokémon VS Digimon, Mewtwo VS Shadow, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Black Panther VS Batman, Ryu VS Jin, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Mega Man Battle Royale, Captain Marvel VS Shazam, Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla, Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Hulk VS Broly, Shadow VS Ryuko, and Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, and with the next 10 being Batman VS Iron Man, Thor VS Vegeta, Boba Fett VS Predator, Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha, Goku VS Superman (2023), Bowser VS Eggman, Kratos VS Asura, Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Ash VS Yugi, and Hulk VS Godzilla.
- This is the eighth time that the returning loser wins, after Batman VS Captain America, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Ryu VS Jin, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, and Shadow VS Ryuko, and with the next five being Thor VS Vegeta, Boba Fett VS Predator, Bowser VS Eggman, Kratos VS Asura, and Master Chief VS Doom Slayer.
- This is the 15th episode to feature a returning winner, after Zitz VS Leonardo, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Metal Sonic VS Zero, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Black Panther VS Batman, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Ganondorf VS Dracula, Deadpool VS Mask, Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Venom VS Crona, and Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, and with the next 12 being Batman VS Iron Man, Akuma VS Shao Kahn, Thor VS Vegeta, Excalibur VS Raiden, Phoenix VS Raven, Guts VS Dimitri, Goku VS Superman (2023), Omni-Man VS Bardock, Ghost Rider VS Spawn, Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Aang VS Traveler, and Hulk VS Godzilla.
- This is the ninth time that the returning winner loses, after Metal Sonic VS Zero, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Black Panther VS Batman, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Ganondorf VS Dracula, Deadpool VS Mask, Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, and Venom VS Crona, and with the next seven being Batman VS Iron Man, Akuma VS Shao Kahn, Thor VS Vegeta, Excalibur VS Raiden, Guts VS Dimitri, Ghost Rider VS Spawn, and Master Chief VS Doom Slayer.
- This is the seventh episode to feature two returning combatants, after Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, and Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, and with the next eight being Batman VS Iron Man, Akuma VS Shao Kahn, Thor VS Vegeta, Goku VS Superman (2023), Bowser VS Eggman, Ghost Rider VS Spawn, Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, and Hulk VS Godzilla.
- This is the 18th episode to feature a returning loser, after Batman VS Captain America, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, Pokémon VS Digimon, Mewtwo VS Shadow, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Black Panther VS Batman, Ryu VS Jin, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Mega Man Battle Royale, Captain Marvel VS Shazam, Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla, Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Hulk VS Broly, Shadow VS Ryuko, and Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, and with the next 10 being Batman VS Iron Man, Thor VS Vegeta, Boba Fett VS Predator, Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha, Goku VS Superman (2023), Bowser VS Eggman, Kratos VS Asura, Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Ash VS Yugi, and Hulk VS Godzilla.
- This is the fourth episode to be a redo of a previous episode, after Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, and Mario VS Sonic (2018), and with the next two being Goku VS Superman (2023) and Master Chief VS Doom Slayer.
- This is the second episode to be re-examined instead of being a remaster (like Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015)) or a sequel (like Goku VS Superman 2), after Mario VS Sonic (2018), and with the next two being Goku VS Superman (2023) and Master Chief VS Doom Slayer.
- This is the second redone episode to have the opposite verdict of the episode it's a redo of, after Mario VS Sonic (2018), and with the next one being Master Chief VS Doom Slayer.
- This is the eighth Super Smash Bros.-themed episode, after Mario VS Sonic (2011), Zelda VS Peach, Link VS Cloud (2012), Bowser VS Ganon, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Wario VS King Dedede, and Ken VS Terry, and with the next one being Sora VS Pit.
- This is the third Nintendo VS Square Enix-themed episode, after Link VS Cloud (2012) and Sora VS Pit.
- This is the second time the Square Enix character wins, after Sora VS Pit.
- This is the eighth episode in which only one combatant received a voice actor, after Mario VS Sonic (2011), Luke Skywalker VS Harry Potter, Eggman VS Wily, Hulk VS Doomsday, Lucario VS Renamon, Crash VS Spyro, and Blake VS Mikasa, and with the next two being Boba Fett VS Predator and Skyrim VS Dark Souls.
- Prior to this rematch, fellow animator David Roldan created a Super Battle Dome video of Link and Cloud fighting, which had a similar result.
- This is the second episode in which one or both combatants die more than once (as Link is seen reviving from death once with Mipha's Grace before getting bisected vertically by Cloud in the end), after Hulk VS Broly, and with the next six being Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash, DIO VS Alucard, Skyrim VS Dark Souls, Phoenix VS Raven, Gojo VS Makima, and Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor.
- On March 2nd, 2024, the DEATH BATTLE! YouTube channel uploaded the full fight animation of this episode on its own, likely to commemorate the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which came out two days earlier.