Dead Man's Volley
From Zelda Wiki.org
Dead Man's Volley[1] is a particular battle technique that involves the rhythmic parrying of an energy beam between two adversaries: Link, and a boss, often Ganondorf or one of his Phantom Ganon clones. The energy ball eventually impacts the one who is either paying the least attention, tires first, or the one who is not fast enough to parry the energy. In the Zelda universe, this technique is often only a section of a boss's overall fighting technique, although it has been seen to encompass the technique of an entire form, such as Puppet Zelda in Twilight Princess. Many boss enemies in The Legend of Zelda series are difficult or impossible to harm with ordinary attacks. Sometimes this is because they're just too tough, other times because they have magical protection or can block attacks, and occasionally because they're flying out of reach. To hit these enemies, it's often necessary to reflect their attacks back at them with the sword, much like a tennis player would return a serve. The first game in the series that included this tactic was A Link to the Past, which required Link to use the Master Sword, or, strangely, the Bug Catching Net, to reflect Agahnim's magical bolts back at him to hurt him. No other attacks would do damage. As an in-game hint, Link is told that he must find a way to reflect Agahnim's evil magic back on him.[2]
Technique
Since A Link to the Past, playing tennis has become a standard tactic for battling powerful enemies, but with a new twist. The enemy will often be able to answer Link's reflection by batting it back himself. This results in a dangerous game of skill as the two enemies bounce the shot back and forth between them, waiting for the other to make a mistake and get hit. In Ocarina of Time, for example, Link reflects the shots of both Phantom Ganon and also Ganondorf himself by batting them back with his sword (again, as an easter egg in the game, an empty bottle could also be used). Both these enemies will return the shot until someone misses and gets hit. Frequently, Link can increase his chances of hitting the enemy with the reflected shot by standing very close — the enemy will not be able to react fast enough to answer.
The boss will procure a ball of dark energy and throw it at Link. Link has one of two choices, if he does not want to get hit by the dark magic: either send the energy back at the boss through the swinging of a sword or interstingly, an Empty Bottle, or evade the strike by moving out of the way. In the case that Link parries the energy, it will be sent back to the boss, who will consequently send it back Link's direction. Over the course of the battle, the speed and the amount of parries required of the energy ball will increase, and the time Link has to deflect it back will decrease, making it harder for Link to keep it from hitting him. Eventually, upon a certain amount of parries, the boss will tire, and succumb to backfire of his own magic energy, leading to a Critical Point. As an exception, Ganondorf's Puppet Zelda merely requires the reflected shots to hit her, as Link obviously doesn't want to strike Zelda's body, even while possessed, with the Blade of Evil's Bane.
Users of the Technique
- Agahnim from A Link to the Past
- The Nightmare's second from from Link's Awakening
- Phantom Ganon from Ocarina of Time, in the second-half of the battle
- Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time, in his human form
- Blue Stalfos from Oracle of Ages
- Twinrova from Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages
- Vaati in Four Swords
- Phantom Ganon in The Wind Waker, in each of this fights
- Phantom Ganon in Four Swords Adventures
- Vaati in The Minish Cap
- Puppet Zelda in Twilight Princess, Ganondorf's first form
- Cubus Sisters from Phantom Hourglass
References
- ↑ "If you want to save Tetra, you'll have to play a match of dead man's volley first! So... Are you a big enough boy to return these volleys?" —Cubus Sisters (Phantom Hourglass)
- ↑ "Listen well, Link. Even with the Master Sword, you cannot inflict physical harm on the wizard. You must find a way to return his own evil magic power to him." —Sahasrahla (A Link to the Past)
