Character Sheet: Manhandla

MANHANDLA

Today, we begin the third (and probably last) big character haul of the Zelda series, assuming the Tingle and CDi games, the remakes, the animated series, and the comics don't add in anything too drastic. Our list covers twenty-eight familiar faces, and they are:

1. Linkle

2. The Youth

3. Wild Zelda

4. Wild Impa

5. Twili Midna

6. Lana

7. Darmani

8. Yunobo

9. Mikau

10. Sidon

11. Teba

12. Riju

13. Hestu

14. Epona

15. Tingle

16. Agitha

17. Purah & Robbie

18. Yves

19. Terrako

20. King Rhoam

21. Wild Fairies

22. Monk Maz Koshia

23. Cia

24. Astor

25. Volga

26. Wizzro

27. Manhandla

28. Sooga

Today, we cover a bit of an odd one. Manhandla has been around as a recurring boss since the very beginning, often portrayed as a giant plant with four mouths pointing in four different directions, forcing you to have to be careful how you approach it. I personally feel it reached its peak design in Four Swords, when each head had a different color and could only be attacked by the Link of that color. However, seeing it in Hyrule Warriors did awaken me to some of its hidden potential as a fighter.

Among the various moves of the boss, it can spew fireballs, spin really fast when it gets angry, fire seeds either as homing or rapid-fire projectiles, uproot itself from the ground and rampage, spew poison across the ground, and lash with its heads to bite and swallow opponents. It's also worth mentioning the boss Diababa from Twilight Princess bears a strong resemblance to it, but its bite and poison attacks are already accounted for, so . . . I think we've got enough.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Bite

Manhandla will lash out its heads and chomp down on anything standing nearby, swallowing them before spitting them out for a second. Uncertain if this will be just one head lashing in the forward direction, or all four heads lashing out in different directions. Also it should be noted that a gimmick for this fighter is that at 0% damage it will have all four heads active, but the more damage it takes, the less heads it will have, resulting in just one head past probably 100 or 200%. At which point, that could make a fun difference with this move, as at full health you can attack from four directions, but at higher damage, you will only attack in one.

Side B: Seed Shot

With a light tap, it will fire out seeds rapid-fire like bullets. With a longer tap though, it will instead spew out stronger targeting missile seeds.

Up B: Rage Spinout

It will get angry and spin really fast, lifting itself up into the air for a short distance like Link or Donkey Kong.

Down B: Poison Smog

It will spew a cloud of poisonous gas across the ground in front of it, damaging anyone who gets caught in it.

Final Smash: Big Manhandla

It will jump off the stage as the ground starts to rumble and a much bigger version of Manhandla bursts from the ground, its four heads lashing out and KOing everything in sight.

Entrance: It will burrow up out of the ground.

Taunts: Up, its four heads will reach up and sniff the air. Side, it will lower its head and the green crystal at its core will be exposed. Down, all four heads will laze around on the ground like they're tired.

Thanks for reading! Next up, we finish our list with the noble swordsman of the Yiga Clan, Sooga!