William Wallace and Shaka Zulu are locked in a duel to the death, and the floors of Deadliest Warrior’s dojo will run red with the blood of legends tonight at 10.
This is our first (and only) named battle of the season. This time, we’re not testing types of warriors, but two men who wrote their way into history with the blood of their enemies. Consider each man in his time and place, his natural context:
William Wallace was a 13th century Scottish Knight whose legendary resistance of English rule transformed him from a renowned warrior into a symbol of national pride. Wallace was one of several Guardians of Scotland who lead campaigns against the English during the first Scottish War of Independence. Often outmanned and outmatched by the English, Wallace lead Scots to victory in the face of insurmountable odds at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, a feat that earned him his knighthood. He was ultimately defeated at the Battle of Falkirk, a loss that prompted his resignation as a commander and forced Wallace into hiding until his eventual capture in 1305.
Wallace’s ferocious reputation on the battlefield preceded him, and though he was one of several commanders who helped wage the Scottish War of Independence, he is the most beloved. Much of his history is intermixed freely with legend thanks in large part to an epic poem written about his life in the 15th century. While accurate histories are available, Wallace has become difficult to separate from his near mythical status thanks in large part to such films as Braveheart.
Shaka (and he was largely known as “just” Shaka. We add “Zulu” to his name as modern reminder of his kingdom, but if you want to get technical, you can call him Shaka kaSenzangakhona, meaning “Shaka son of Senzangakhona”) was a Zulu king who reigned in the first half of the 19th century. Under his reign, the Zulu Kingdom expanded and absorbed a number of northern kingdoms, to such an extent that it is sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire.
Alternately praised and denounced as a military genius who reformed the Zulu army’s strategy, weaponry, and composition, Shaka ruled with iron fist until his assassination at the hands of his half-brothers. The military reforms he made ensured that the Zulu empire was a force to be reckoned with well into the latter half of the 19th century. Despite the Zulu’s eventual defeat at the hands of the British, the tenacity with which they fought to retain their independence earned the Zulu people a ferocious reputation within the British Empire. Their successes in this struggler were due in large part to the teachings and reforms of Shaka, who had set them out 50 years prior.
These short descriptions hardly do either warrior justice—I highly recommend that you seek out additional material on each fighter. But if I had to distill this battle down and reduce all of its components to a single thought, it would be that this is a battle of mind-sets. Shaka was a conqueror; he forged an empire in his image, and left a legacy of military dominance in his wake. William Wallace resisted English rule; he fought to preserve the freedom of his people, and he is remembered for his victories in the face of overwhelming odds.
Both men are leaders, but of different styles, reach, and calibers. Shaka built an empire, while Wallace fought to stop one.
Neither man was taken on the field of battle. A Scot loyal to King Edward betrayed Wallace, while Shaka’s half brothers attempted to assassinate him at least twice before they finally succeeded.
However, leadership is just one aspect of tonight’s fight. Both men were skilled in actual combat, not just leading others, and both men possess wildly differing arsenals. Frankly, it’s a hard fight to offer any insight into.
Wallace does have the technology advantage. His gear is heavier, and his armor is more robust than Shaka’s shield. But Shaka has ways around armor, and isn’t as encumbered as Wallace. He’s quick on his feet, both mentally and physically—he has to be, otherwise he wouldn’t have survived multiple assassination attempts. It’s enough to make me doubt my usual faith in superior armaments.
Additionally, both fighters were extremely hardy. When it comes to toughness, and we’re talking about that gut level toughness, deep down underneath the armor, you’d be hard pressed to find two warriors that could equal these two. We certainly were.
This was a hard battle to test for, and a hard battle to run. I have a difficult time finding a weakness or flaw in either warrior, especially at the individual level. Truly, this is a battle of greats.
Aside from all that, there are a few other bits of business I should mention here:
First, our final episode is going to air early! Instead of airing next Tuesday at 10 PM, IRA vs. Taliban will be broadcast on Sunday, May 31st, at 9 PM Eastern and Pacific.
Second, for those of you who are curious about matchups between fictional characters, be sure to catch “GameTrailers TV Presents: The 2009 VGAs-E3 First Look Special” this Thursday at 11 PM on Spike. The folks over at GTTV were cool enough to have me come talk about a certain matchup near and dear to my heart, but even better than that, they’re going to have a ton of sneak peak footage for upcoming games.
That’s it for this week. As usual, be sure to leave us your comments for The Aftermath, and we’ll do our best to get to them.
Morituri te salutant,
Max
Max Geiger is a game designer and graduate of USC's Interactive Media Division. You can follow him on Twitter, as well as Geoff Desmoulin, Dr. Armand Dorian, and now, The Aftermath’s Kieron Elliott
