So here we are with a video spawned off of twitter(check the vid description for that tweet!). Basically, who is the greatest grappler in fighting games, and to that point what even makes a character(or grappler) great? There's so many examples of big lumbering giants chucking people around, but is there a bit more to that? Can the gameplay get more nuanced? In this video ill make a case for 3 different characters I would consider could contend for the crown of Greatest Grappler! So give the vid a watch, like if ya liked it, and let me know what you think, and if you got your own picks!
Have you tried shovel knight in blade strangers ? He’s sooo strong, bravo from chaos code was top tier in a game full of top tiers and then there’s kanae from akatsuki blitzkampf who is like if they gave zangeif / shermie sf4 akuma vortex oki with comand grabs u can combo into .
King from Tekken Final answer. His moveset is way more versatile than other grapplers. he is also one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet despite everything going on in his series and despite how badly things would go for him. Plus his design is not only one of the best he is one of the most memorable fighting game characters out there.
@@rooflemonger Please don't pretend to be objective while making statements like that lmao. King is infinitely more appealing to the general population than Wolf as a character. His T8 trailer has over 3 MILLION views. This video instantly lost all credibility the moment you treated King like a joke.
@@ahimsamovies4484 Frankly, the point you're making by rebutting roofle and the point the OP makes are far removed from the point of the Greatest grappler topic in this video, so y'all aren't even talking about the same thing. Granted i'll admit i've never played VF so I can't speak on Wolf, but we can acknowledge that King overall has crowd appeal and flair compared to others because that's how he's designed to be especially with the back drop of what we know and love in real life of wrestling. So King can be the coolest looking grappler, but when considering how he is in the systems of his own game he cannot be called the greatest grappler
@@rooflemongerIn your opinion he’s a pale shadow because you obviously played VF and liked wokf. that’s not actually the majority, most people love king and if we’re talking “greatest”, why would king just be a joke? dude he’s got TONS of grabs and in his franchise is a titan. just in general. the first two people most players think of when thinking of grapplers is Gief and King, no shot. You’re being really biased and kinda dismissive of the majority my dude…
For me, the greatest Grappler is Clark from KoF. Chain-Grappling like that in a 2D-Fighter activated some neurons in me that I still cannot fathom. The Clark train is here to stay.
@@The_inconspicuous_sphinx I still do sometimes. After an awful season of kombat league in mk1 lol. And bro let me tell you that when I play bane I look like a excited kid going to toy store lmao
And then there's the one man who is the only one til this day to combo an anti-air grapple to an OTG grapple, to a super grapple INTO ANOTHER SUPER SUPER grapple 😂😂💀💀
That's a very good pick. Not only is he paradoxically also a good zoner (and a dominant one for most of his life in the game), but he was also rather unorthodox in DBFZ, which made him quite fun.
@@longlostcoder6322 Im pretty sure he's referring to Z broly. That's my pick at least. Hot take, but I think A16 is a better grappler than S Broly. S broly just has longer more annoying combos.
L take , King has every famous professional wrestling move in history and he does them with style . He's based off a real wrestler in tiger mask cmon bro he's top 3@@rooflemonger
@@rooflemonger how tho. king is a love letter to grappling and pro wrestling. so much room for expression, so many chain grabs, grab confirms, cool inputs, cool designs. solomon grundy just smells bad and lives in a crap game
@@rooflemonger In what way is he superior to King? And you're wrong, King was based on wrestler Rev. Sergio Gutierrez Benitez aka Fray Tormenta and/or the character Tiger Mask from the 60s-70s manga. Other than both being wrestlers, King and Wolf don't really share much in common. Your irrational hate boner for King just looks really silly ngl.
@@ahimsamovies4484 Thats dead wrong, had nothing to do with fray tormenta, common misconception. Its all tiger mask. Kings moveset in tekken 1 is literally a ripoff of wolfs, right down to giant swing. Everything King ever did, wolf did first and king took it later.
I gave a shoutout to Iron Tager purely because there was a youtube vid from a while back that just gushed about Iron Tager. I've never actually played BlazBlue
Good man! I said Iron Tager myself. A mechanic that allows you to magnetize your opponent to pull them to you command grab, can pick you off the ground while magnetized and leave you right next to him, then he has a good projectile that, you guessed it, magnetizes you (whether you got hit by it, or blocked it). Damn he was a terror!! lol
I definitely feel like king got the very short end of the stick, even as far as honorable mentions go, also I feel like beowulf from skullgirls could get a mention
I'm not usually a grappler main, but one that really grew on me was Incineroar from Smash Ultimate. Just something about back-throwing someone with the revenge buff on gives me a dopamine rush like few other games in general can provide. Also, his side special being timing-based and the fact that his up special is an anti-air pseudo-grab which is potentially a kamikaze option off stage are really fun gimmicks
@@BknMoonStudios Last time JM played Skullgirls at a serious level, they didn't even have Beowulf in the game. It would be nice to see him do more with the game at all, especially since Black Dahlia might be one of the coolest fighting game character designs I've ever seen.
I litterally didn't see a single comment mentioning kanji from p4u2. Such a cool character. Anti air grabs flying grabs and he has zoning and causes stun. He so unique it's a shame people don't even mention him
One example I've always liked is Incineroar from SSBU. He has the typical slow mobility the archetype is known for, but he has a special counter move that increases the damage of his next attack or grab based on the strength of the move he counters. This gives him a great tool against long range zoning. He can lose it in a few ways, such as being thrown or taking enough damage, so its not super easy to make the most of. It doesn't go away on block, so his strike/throw and sheild pressure become really scary. Combine that with his solid defensive options and great normals, and he's a blast to use without being overpowered.
The true answer is Vice... from Cyberbots!!! 8-way air dash, homing missiles, 1 frame command grab with no whiff animation that can be done in the air, crouching L that hits from half screen and counts as a low... the only character higher on the tier list than him is the banned boss, not a situation any other grappler would ever find themselves in!!!
Also, Hisako from KI is not only a grappler, she also breaks the grappler stereotype which makes her a unique and an interesting take on a grappler character in any fighting game. KI lives forever. Fight on!
Finally! My boi Clark is getting the recognition he deserves. The true CHAD of the Ikari Team! 😎 I like how his NEO MAX in KOF XIII and CLIMAX in KOF XIV/XV are Kinnikuman reference (or in this case, Robin Mask and Kevin Mask's reference) Clark is a man of culture. He deserves to have his own team in the next game instead of always being alongside Ralf
For me, Cerebella from Skullgirls. She has multiple strong command grabs that keep her scary in multiple situations and can even combo off of them in multiple ways which gives them huge damage potential but on top of that, she has SO many tools to compliment those grabs. Cerebella has a fast close grab, a ranged grab, an anti air grab and a super grab that can all be comboed from. She also has big buttons, a fast armored command run with run stop pressure, a projectile reflector, a DP, a built in cross up move, an air glide, multiple strong air normals like a clap that stops momentum, a huge falling kick that hits super far down and an elbow drop to help mix up anti air timing or get cheeky overheads. And I love her supers, I'll stop there but look into them to see how they work, they're so cool. She is the peak of kit design for a grappler, both being easy to pick up but also has such a high ceiling with all you can master about her. I haven't seen any other grappler beat her.
@@alfredomartinezmazuela9328 Hey very few people can say they love broly like me, but the actual "grappling" part of broly isn't why hes so good really. Its his armour and zoning.
Of the grapplers not specifically called out in this video I have to go with Beowulf from Skullgirls. His hype meter, chain grabs, and the kayfabe references are top notch, AND he's the only grappler who uses a weapon stance as a core part of his moveset. As for pure nostalgia, it's gotta be Gaira from Samurai Shodown. I know nobody talks about him anymore but I'll never forget the first time I put my quarters in that machine, fought my way to this giant monk with a rosary of all weapons, and got killed with two command grabs. Shigen and Juzoh from Last Blade were also quite cool for their time as well.
I know the more niche fighting games aren't really touched on for videos like this but Tamaki from "Aquapazza" is probably my bet. If nothing else, she's tied for top 2 there if that's any indication. She can do ridiculous damage, especially her super command grab which I've seen hit upwards of 75%. Has a full screen projectile that, while doesn't do damage, staggers and debuffs your opponent. Has some of the best health proration in the game. Her Splash Art (lvl 3 ultimate) slows down your opponent for 316 frames (roughly over 5 sec.) System mechanics-wise, she essentially gets buffed for getting hit, which includes benefits like easier guard breaks and dealing more damage. Isn't big body. Can run.
@@williamalbatross4677 It doesn't sound right because soon after that, fighting games stopped going that extra mile, especially when it came to grapplers.
@@LordHollow huh. i guess im just surprised as someone who has really only put extensive time into USF4, SFV and SF6 because there he has no where near 15 grabs. or even 10 for that matter. Interesting
@@LordHollow uh hold up, i just looked it up to check for myself and that’s NOT true. he does not have 10-15 grabs before doing the ones that require 360s, in fact he doesn’t even have that many in general. i dont know what you’re talking about lol
Tager's moveset design was truly innovative, and Grundy was a grappler I should've played more. I will say, one of my favorite grapplers back then was Astaroth; in all his flaws (especially in SC6) he had plenty of ways to ring people out, and that was funny to me! XD
RIP no Kira Daidouji from Arcana Heart. Girl has A 1080 TEN. EIGHTY. Ontop of 360, 720, half circle with a running and jumping variant based on button input, and standing anti air grab with 3 variations. Additionally, her GIANT normals have the craziest clash frames in the game, meaning if your move collides with an opponent, you can probably just command grab them for clashing you. Not to mention the arcana movesets in AH you can supplement her with. I personally go for teleport grappler, but you can maker her a zoning grappler or armor grappler or whatever. She already has the universal homing movement, but you could give her wind arcana and have her triple jumping and double air dashing, etc etc.
The feeling of your opponents soul leaving their body when you actually hit them with Kings rolling death cradle is the best feeling ever. Most grapplers can't compare.
Clark always had the most fun movesets: Frame 1, anti-air and invincible command grabs, follow-ups, charge moves, mash moves, command dash that goes over low projectiles... And he also has a very cool design, always calm and cool. He obviously is my un biased pick, it isn't like he's been my favourite kof character since I was little. But my top 2 favourite grappler is t hawk! 🦅
Me still waiting for a mention of R.Mika... 😢 The little known game called Nitroplus Blasterz has an awesome Grappler called Ethica. She was so much fun to play in that game!
It's king and it's not even close. He literally has combo structure in his grabs, and not in the way that some command grabs can start combos.. literally grabs chaining from one to the other. The next one down under that is Astaroth, mostly because of the nature of grabs in Soul Calibur and how correctly teching the grab leaves him plus enough to try another one.
I like Grappler from DNF duel. He sports a classic martial artist design with a great, flashy move set. The man is stuck in a game where everyone is OP, having to fight magic users, gun slingers, Demon possessed fighters, cursed weapon users and Naruto styled ninjas with his bare hands but manages to still be fun to use. I imagine he would be a straight menace if he were to be inserted in another game.
The greatest grappler is Don Valve from Battle Fantasia. He has an armored lariat/running bear grab mix up, he has slide head which is unblockable, in heat up he gets the fastest walk speed in the game, a one button command normal command grab that does more damage than the input.
So glad Tager was part of the three, he's been my favorite FG character ever since I tried CF, definitely the coolest big body grappler you can never go wrong with the power of magnetism.
I love grappler characters. The first grappler I truly grew to love was actually Iron Tager. He's the first character I learned to do 360's with. Potemkin has got to be the one I've enjoyed playing with the most. Ladieva is a fun one too. The only grappler I don't really enjoy playing is funny enough, the Grappler from DNF Duel.
Android 16 in Season 1 has to be the greatest grappler of all time with combo starting armor,4 way mix,chain throws,great damage,and solid mobility on top of all that.
Iron Tager is the perfect example of a Grappler for me and it’s all thanks to his magnetization. We’re lucky if we’re gonna get another unique Grappler like him again.
before i even get into the video: if we're talking the grapplers that instill the most fear into me? it's Clark Still, bar none. he's mobile, he's tricky, he can combo into his scary grapples, he has maybe the most demotivating super to get hit by in human history--he is a MONSTER given flesh. i've seen Daimon named the strongest grappler in KOF history, but he's at least kinda friendly and goofy. Clark scares me like nothing ever will. EDIT: thank god he got his flowers, rightly deserved
Krauser in KoF 98 is probably my favorite grappler ever. Not only does he have a good set of command grabs (frame-1 and invincible) as well as a counter, he's also a god tier zoner comparable to Sagat. Literally the best of both worlds.
Tager and Clark where 2 of my guesses, since we're talking GOAT's here, but Grundy was a pleasant surprise. Honestly one of my favorite designs for a grappler ever- just too bad he's stuck in Injustice 1 of all places
I'm not big on grapplers usually, but I do enjoy playing a few of them like Tager, Bullet, Manon. Special shout out to the various "grapplers" from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R with their command grabs that apply debuffs to the opponent. They tilt me like no others, I'd rather take the big damage and die than have my special or super moves locked away etc.
As a grappler playing starting in the 90s (thanks to SNK with their mobility grapplers).... I full 100% endorse this list and Rooflemonger' teachings 💪🏻👍🏻
I'd say Fatal Fury 1 Geese, because his counter pose is also a grab. He's invincible during the pose, can counter any physical move, and grabs you if you're within range. He's an SNK boss, but a grappler.
Accent core potemkin is easily one of Pot's best iterations, with insane meter gain, vacuum 2s, air potemkin buster combos/loops, and UNBLOCKABLE AEGIS REFLECTOR LOOPs, easily earns a top spot in my book
See, I also love Iron Tager, but speaking as someone who mains Tager in BB, he has one glaring flaw most grapplers in other games don't have to worry about: HIS COMMAND THROWS CAN BE TECHED. I learned this the hard way in a BBCSE tournament back in the day. I input his 720 super and my opponent cut it off with a throw-break. I was so shocked, I lost the round. A skilled BB player can shut down Tager with the right timing/inputs.
The love for grapplers you put into this Rooflemonger, it shone brightly. Excellent picks, solid elaboration. Honored to play grapplers just like you. Some of my personal favorites are Ladiva, Iron Tager, Shermie, and Waldstein. Glory to Grapplers 🦍
I think a Part 2 with other games like Skullgirls (Cerebellum) and how a guest character and a grappler “hint hint CEO” won a tournament. General RAAM is, I believe, underestimated: he can put poison on you (General RAAM must be hit or the timer of the poison must run out for the damage to stop), has a literal FADC using meter, has an unblockable, some of the best AA’s in his game and that one command grab that can be one frame if you spend meter. Also, his Instinct adds potential damage and allows him to move while charging his unblockable on top of making him harder to see for those playing with their own eyes. Combine that with some ridiculous normals including the best Standing Heavy Punch you will ever see and you got quite the grappler. Also he uses a sword that looks like a knife in his hand… and the ground shakes for every step he makes.
Good taste! Mine were Tager, Daimon, Grundy, Goh, and Vice. Goro Daimon doesn't necessarily have terrible mobility though. The roll helps, the natural KOF movement, and the ground pound/feint combo all let him get in.
I definitely agree about Tager being an incredible grappler design, albeit hampered by system choices for much of his games' timeline. Despite my strong preference for Potemkin, I would say that Tager in an overall design sense is much cooler as a concept.
As a quasi huge tekken fan, here’s my response. Even if it’s true that that King is based off of wolf, to quote Kazuya a fight is about who is left standing, and I don’t see any new virtual fighters or new upcoming gameplay like we are seeing from SNK. So until so until they come back, king’s updated move set not to mention updated visuals of tekken, I’d give the edge to King over wolf for now.
The hate boner this guy has for King is extremely silly, like, I get you dont like the character. But way too many people resonate with King's style and gameplay (you know, the STUFF that makes fg characters GREAT), to even pretend that King isn't hugely important in the grapplers space is just stupid.
I think for me, it has to be Zangief. He's what I think of when I think of a grappler character in a fighting game. He is the archetype. There are definitely grapplers that I like more but I feel like Gief just gets that spot for me.
The King disrespect is unreal. He's not even a favorite of mine but to suggest Potemkin is more famous than him when King's T8 trailer got over 3 MILLION views is laughable. Likewise with King just being a cheap Wolf knockoff when King has an infinitely sharper and more intimidating design that perfectly represents the Mexican lucha libre masked wrestler archetype. He also has a much more interesting character concept and story than just about any of the other grapplers mentioned in this video, being an alcoholic priest that runs an orphanage and competes in martial arts tournaments to earn money to feed the orphans under his care. Dude has so much going for him, but this video treats him like a joke that was only mentioned because Tekken is so well-known. Hard to take the whole thing seriously after that.
Clark has always been my favourite against cowardly zoners, especially in KOF 2001 where players would choose all 4 zoners as fighters with no striker. Where else Clark would be my fighter and 3 would be strikers giving me 4 gauge bars, Many times I can drain a zoner's full health bar with a single combo.
So here we are with a video spawned off of twitter(check the vid description for that tweet!). Basically, who is the greatest grappler in fighting games, and to that point what even makes a character(or grappler) great? There's so many examples of big lumbering giants chucking people around, but is there a bit more to that? Can the gameplay get more nuanced? In this video ill make a case for 3 different characters I would consider could contend for the crown of Greatest Grappler! So give the vid a watch, like if ya liked it, and let me know what you think, and if you got your own picks!
Hey roofl...when you gonna help unite the lands of the fighting nation? I need my tekken x virtua fighter or king of the virtua fist as you will.
My personal favorite it was The Grappler in DNF Duel. Only one I found sick enough to play.
it’s funny how Grappler is probably the strongest grappler ever; but in a game like DNF, he’s only just okay lol
Agreed… he is easily the best grappler.
Have you tried shovel knight in blade strangers ? He’s sooo strong, bravo from chaos code was top tier in a game full of top tiers and then there’s kanae from akatsuki blitzkampf who is like if they gave zangeif / shermie sf4 akuma vortex oki with comand grabs u can combo into .
Idk dbs broly is op
@@longlostcoder6322 tbf; Broly is also one of the best zoners too lol
King from Tekken Final answer.
His moveset is way more versatile than other grapplers. he is also one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet despite everything going on in his series and despite how badly things would go for him.
Plus his design is not only one of the best he is one of the most memorable fighting game characters out there.
pale shadow of the character he ripped off, wolf.
@@rooflemonger Please don't pretend to be objective while making statements like that lmao. King is infinitely more appealing to the general population than Wolf as a character. His T8 trailer has over 3 MILLION views. This video instantly lost all credibility the moment you treated King like a joke.
@@ahimsamovies4484 Frankly, the point you're making by rebutting roofle and the point the OP makes are far removed from the point of the Greatest grappler topic in this video, so y'all aren't even talking about the same thing.
Granted i'll admit i've never played VF so I can't speak on Wolf, but we can acknowledge that King overall has crowd appeal and flair compared to others because that's how he's designed to be especially with the back drop of what we know and love in real life of wrestling. So King can be the coolest looking grappler, but when considering how he is in the systems of his own game he cannot be called the greatest grappler
@@rooflemongerIn your opinion he’s a pale shadow because you obviously played VF and liked wokf. that’s not actually the majority, most people love king and if we’re talking “greatest”, why would king just be a joke? dude he’s got TONS of grabs and in his franchise is a titan. just in general. the first two people most players think of when thinking of grapplers is Gief and King, no shot. You’re being really biased and kinda dismissive of the majority my dude…
King's design may appeal some people, but wether his design is one of the best or not is subjective. To me; for example, is so silly.
For me, the greatest Grappler is Clark from KoF. Chain-Grappling like that in a 2D-Fighter activated some neurons in me that I still cannot fathom. The Clark train is here to stay.
I'll like to introduce you to Beowuld, my favorite chain-grappler. Absolute madness, that man.
@@notimeforcreativenamesjust3034 oh don't worry, I know Beowulf. Love him as well.
I loved Clark ever since he got the Level 3 where he points to each end of the screen, runs across thee ENTIRE stage powerbombing you in each corner
Running Three!!!
Not better then Tager
The risk reward of Bane’s playstyle was so much fun for me.
Exactly. Venom bars made his playstyle more fun, you still play injustice 2?
@@The_inconspicuous_sphinx I still do sometimes. After an awful season of kombat league in mk1 lol. And bro let me tell you that when I play bane I look like a excited kid going to toy store lmao
@@diamondcutz1499 😂 nice.
Playstation or PC?
One of the best things about SNK Grapplers is the ability to combo into their command grabs
And then there's the one man who is the only one til this day to combo an anti-air grapple to an OTG grapple, to a super grapple INTO ANOTHER SUPER SUPER grapple 😂😂💀💀
@@thespacecowboyYTGoro Daimon?
@@cageman301 (yes lol)
KOF 98 Goro Daimon, he was so good that the grapplers are paying to this day for his crimes.
Thankfully
You beat me to it ngl
he was broken af in that game
You can't just beat a family man.
@@glacierwolf2155 by that logic takuma should have been top tier in that game
Goro Daimon running with wooden sandel sound still haunt me till this day.
In my humble opinion, the most fun grappler ive played is definitely Broly
It also helps that he's like one of the very few top tier grapplers, in contention for top 1
That's a very good pick. Not only is he paradoxically also a good zoner (and a dominant one for most of his life in the game), but he was also rather unorthodox in DBFZ, which made him quite fun.
Dbs or regular?
@@longlostcoder6322 Im pretty sure he's referring to Z broly. That's my pick at least.
Hot take, but I think A16 is a better grappler than S Broly. S broly just has longer more annoying combos.
For me is DBS Broly for sure. He is brutal, fast and has some mind games. He is my favorite character in DBZF
Its me, I'm the greatest grappler
im really proud of you honestly
spoilers man, I just started the video
What game are you in and what moves do you have?
@telethus4387 I'm in your mom and I Lariat all over the place
Oppai!
Hakan is the best when oiled up. Hakan with oil is like Batman with prep time.
And, from what ive heard, hard to counter
Plus Hakan pulls it off with style. I tried oiling up and challenging people and all i got was arrested.
Clark still is simply put, the cool grappler, guy is a vibe and the lore and personality he brings is top notch
The Chad Clark VS the v¡rg¡n Ralf
Clark should created his own team in the next KOF game.
I am tired of the classic Ikari Team formation of Leona, Ralf and Clark.
Solomon Grundy actually made me start playing grapplers😅
grundy is blessed
I wish Netherrealm would give us another grappler like Grundy. I've been chasing that high for years.
King gotta be the best grappler to ever be created. The amount of grabs alone and creativity involved
king isn't even as good as the guy he ripped off, wolf from VF.
L take , King has every famous professional wrestling move in history and he does them with style . He's based off a real wrestler in tiger mask cmon bro he's top 3@@rooflemonger
@@rooflemonger how tho. king is a love letter to grappling and pro wrestling. so much room for expression, so many chain grabs, grab confirms, cool inputs, cool designs. solomon grundy just smells bad and lives in a crap game
Everyone knows King is the greatest grappler. This vid's just trying to provoke comments and flame war. Impossible to take seriously.
Three words: Rolling Death Craddle
King... It's King.
naw if im putting a 3d char in there its wolf, cause he's superior to king, and king is literally just a ripoff of him anyways
@@rooflemonger never knew that. I just know that King's combos were crazy
@@rooflemonger In what way is he superior to King? And you're wrong, King was based on wrestler Rev. Sergio Gutierrez Benitez aka Fray Tormenta and/or the character Tiger Mask from the 60s-70s manga. Other than both being wrestlers, King and Wolf don't really share much in common. Your irrational hate boner for King just looks really silly ngl.
@ahimsamovies4484 Eh, it's all subjective, and to Rooflmonger king is buns in comparison. Tekken is just the more recognizable franchise lmao
@@ahimsamovies4484 Thats dead wrong, had nothing to do with fray tormenta, common misconception. Its all tiger mask. Kings moveset in tekken 1 is literally a ripoff of wolfs, right down to giant swing. Everything King ever did, wolf did first and king took it later.
I gave a shoutout to Iron Tager purely because there was a youtube vid from a while back that just gushed about Iron Tager. I've never actually played BlazBlue
Iron Tager is a blast to play. He's the character that made me love grapplers.
Tager looks like the funnest (yes funnest) character
Im sure theres someone funner(yes funner)@@technorave555
Good man! I said Iron Tager myself. A mechanic that allows you to magnetize your opponent to pull them to you command grab, can pick you off the ground while magnetized and leave you right next to him, then he has a good projectile that, you guessed it, magnetizes you (whether you got hit by it, or blocked it). Damn he was a terror!! lol
I definitely feel like king got the very short end of the stick, even as far as honorable mentions go, also I feel like beowulf from skullgirls could get a mention
Between Wolf and King for the wrasslin' rep, but King talks in growls and roars so he wins IMO
sounds like someone doesn't know wolf quotes or you wouldn't be saying that.
@@rooflemonger Don't be ridiculous! You think I don't that to be strong is........... ........ .....beautiful?
It's Zangief man. I know people say he's basic. But I don't fucking care. I love his design and he looks sick. I will be as big as him one day 💪
Guess you could say you’re his loyal fan…
I’d like to see those people say he’s basic and streetfighter six when he’s too good
@@medium.fuha-kr2qs no he sounds like somebody who knows what he’s talking about because he is by far the hardest to beat
I'm sold. Tager for SF6 guest!
I’ll vote for that 😂💯🔥
I'm not usually a grappler main, but one that really grew on me was Incineroar from Smash Ultimate. Just something about back-throwing someone with the revenge buff on gives me a dopamine rush like few other games in general can provide.
Also, his side special being timing-based and the fact that his up special is an anti-air pseudo-grab which is potentially a kamikaze option off stage are really fun gimmicks
Rooflemonger needs to play Beowulf in Skullgirls.
Cerebella is so fun too!
Him and JMCrofts should make a collab video about Skullgirl grapplers, since the both like the archetype and JM was an EVO competitor in that game.
@@BknMoonStudios Last time JM played Skullgirls at a serious level, they didn't even have Beowulf in the game. It would be nice to see him do more with the game at all, especially since Black Dahlia might be one of the coolest fighting game character designs I've ever seen.
@@BknMoonStudiosI thought JM hated grapplers?
Only seen 0.2 seconds of the video but Grappler from DNF is one of the funniest dudes to watch grab other dudes
I litterally didn't see a single comment mentioning kanji from p4u2. Such a cool character. Anti air grabs flying grabs and he has zoning and causes stun. He so unique it's a shame people don't even mention him
What does P4u2 stand for?
I don't usually play grapplers but I do play Iron Tager and Potemkin.
One example I've always liked is Incineroar from SSBU.
He has the typical slow mobility the archetype is known for, but he has a special counter move that increases the damage of his next attack or grab based on the strength of the move he counters. This gives him a great tool against long range zoning. He can lose it in a few ways, such as being thrown or taking enough damage, so its not super easy to make the most of.
It doesn't go away on block, so his strike/throw and sheild pressure become really scary. Combine that with his solid defensive options and great normals, and he's a blast to use without being overpowered.
Hinako is the only grappler i ever enjoyed. She is so much fun and i wish other grapplers were as interesting to me so id like them more.
King from tekken is that dude! textbook authentic pro-wrestling moves with chainlinks. you cant go wrong with that
The true answer is Vice... from Cyberbots!!! 8-way air dash, homing missiles, 1 frame command grab with no whiff animation that can be done in the air, crouching L that hits from half screen and counts as a low... the only character higher on the tier list than him is the banned boss, not a situation any other grappler would ever find themselves in!!!
I get the whole knockoff thing with King and Wolf but he does have his own style tho. Im just saying as a King fan personally 😅
Thanks for picking Mai in the examples
Unpopular opinion I think, but my favorite grappler is Bane. I really enjoy armoring through wake up options with a venom command grab.
Chief Thunder is also up there for me, since his instinct dashes really change his style
Always gotta rep KI
Also, Hisako from KI is not only a grappler, she also breaks the grappler stereotype which makes her a unique and an interesting take on a grappler character in any fighting game.
KI lives forever. Fight on!
Thunder was my first KI character before I got obsessed with Glacius
Finally! My boi Clark is getting the recognition he deserves.
The true CHAD of the Ikari Team! 😎
I like how his NEO MAX in KOF XIII and CLIMAX in KOF XIV/XV are Kinnikuman reference (or in this case, Robin Mask and Kevin Mask's reference)
Clark is a man of culture.
He deserves to have his own team in the next game instead of always being alongside Ralf
My favs are Zangief and King. But Solomon Grundy is a good one too. Wish he could’ve made it in Injustice 2
A rooflemonger grappler video?!? Instant watch!
For me, Cerebella from Skullgirls. She has multiple strong command grabs that keep her scary in multiple situations and can even combo off of them in multiple ways which gives them huge damage potential but on top of that, she has SO many tools to compliment those grabs. Cerebella has a fast close grab, a ranged grab, an anti air grab and a super grab that can all be comboed from. She also has big buttons, a fast armored command run with run stop pressure, a projectile reflector, a DP, a built in cross up move, an air glide, multiple strong air normals like a clap that stops momentum, a huge falling kick that hits super far down and an elbow drop to help mix up anti air timing or get cheeky overheads. And I love her supers, I'll stop there but look into them to see how they work, they're so cool. She is the peak of kit design for a grappler, both being easy to pick up but also has such a high ceiling with all you can master about her. I haven't seen any other grappler beat her.
And no im not just picking my favs, cause otherwise id just rant about Vice, Wolf, and T hawk for 20 minutes. Gotta be objective!!!
Damn you shafted King 😅
@@bxspliffmaster I will, we near the rebirth of Virtua Fighter and Tekken fans need to be reminded that they were always the cheap knockoff
@rooflemonger You can't help but admire a man who stands behind his principles 💪
I'm surprised you didn't put Broly Z here!! For me the ultimate grappler is also a zoner xddd
@@alfredomartinezmazuela9328 Hey very few people can say they love broly like me, but the actual "grappling" part of broly isn't why hes so good really. Its his armour and zoning.
Armour king, Mishima style gameplay with grappling is too cool.
Agreed, Armor King is cool
Of the grapplers not specifically called out in this video I have to go with Beowulf from Skullgirls. His hype meter, chain grabs, and the kayfabe references are top notch, AND he's the only grappler who uses a weapon stance as a core part of his moveset.
As for pure nostalgia, it's gotta be Gaira from Samurai Shodown. I know nobody talks about him anymore but I'll never forget the first time I put my quarters in that machine, fought my way to this giant monk with a rosary of all weapons, and got killed with two command grabs. Shigen and Juzoh from Last Blade were also quite cool for their time as well.
General RAAM in Killer Instinct is a notable shoutout, especially after the recent tournament win
Saw the noti about grappler. Had to see who
I know the more niche fighting games aren't really touched on for videos like this but Tamaki from "Aquapazza" is probably my bet. If nothing else, she's tied for top 2 there if that's any indication.
She can do ridiculous damage, especially her super command grab which I've seen hit upwards of 75%.
Has a full screen projectile that, while doesn't do damage, staggers and debuffs your opponent.
Has some of the best health proration in the game.
Her Splash Art (lvl 3 ultimate) slows down your opponent for 316 frames (roughly over 5 sec.)
System mechanics-wise, she essentially gets buffed for getting hit, which includes benefits like easier guard breaks and dealing more damage.
Isn't big body.
Can run.
Man, I was hoping to see Texas from Them's Fightin' Herds make it.
But hell yeah, more Grundy rep.
Clark was my first pick when I saw this title. Definitely this was gonna be a snk tribute video lol
I cackled at the Shermie bit
World Warriors Zangief by a country mile: Dude had 10-15 different throws and this is before you start spinning the joystick.
… is that true? Zangief in OG SF2 had 10-15 different throws and animations for those throws? that can’t be right?
@@williamalbatross4677 Back then, Capcom had some respect for Gief.
@@williamalbatross4677 It doesn't sound right because soon after that, fighting games stopped going that extra mile, especially when it came to grapplers.
@@LordHollow huh. i guess im just surprised as someone who has really only put extensive time into USF4, SFV and SF6 because there he has no where near 15 grabs. or even 10 for that matter. Interesting
@@LordHollow uh hold up, i just looked it up to check for myself and that’s NOT true. he does not have 10-15 grabs before doing the ones that require 360s, in fact he doesn’t even have that many in general. i dont know what you’re talking about lol
You have not known true grappler terror until you've played against SNK grappler characters.
loving that Grundy is getting a shout out.
Tager's moveset design was truly innovative, and Grundy was a grappler I should've played more. I will say, one of my favorite grapplers back then was Astaroth; in all his flaws (especially in SC6) he had plenty of ways to ring people out, and that was funny to me! XD
One thing I love about this channel is how you’re not afraid to give NRS some love
RIP no Kira Daidouji from Arcana Heart. Girl has
A 1080
TEN. EIGHTY.
Ontop of 360, 720, half circle with a running and jumping variant based on button input, and standing anti air grab with 3 variations.
Additionally, her GIANT normals have the craziest clash frames in the game, meaning if your move collides with an opponent, you can probably just command grab them for clashing you.
Not to mention the arcana movesets in AH you can supplement her with. I personally go for teleport grappler, but you can maker her a zoning grappler or armor grappler or whatever. She already has the universal homing movement, but you could give her wind arcana and have her triple jumping and double air dashing, etc etc.
The feeling of your opponents soul leaving their body when you actually hit them with Kings rolling death cradle is the best feeling ever. Most grapplers can't compare.
Shermie, King, and Taka Arashi are my favorite grapplers. I even habe a figure of King
5:02 I saw the title and click simoly to see how long it takes for him to show up.
Absolutely GENESIC.
KING… it’s in the name…
not even as good as the VF character he ripped off
@@rooflemonger he has had more appearances and is more popular… who still plays VF in 2024?
Capcom needs to make another Saturday Night Slam Masters game
Clark always had the most fun movesets: Frame 1, anti-air and invincible command grabs, follow-ups, charge moves, mash moves, command dash that goes over low projectiles... And he also has a very cool design, always calm and cool. He obviously is my un biased pick, it isn't like he's been my favourite kof character since I was little. But my top 2 favourite grappler is t hawk! 🦅
It’s in fact King. Always good in any of the games.
the strongest grappler of today (Clark) against the strongest grappler in history (Goro kof 98)
Me still waiting for a mention of R.Mika... 😢
The little known game called Nitroplus Blasterz has an awesome Grappler called Ethica. She was so much fun to play in that game!
They all are, duh
It's king and it's not even close. He literally has combo structure in his grabs, and not in the way that some command grabs can start combos.. literally grabs chaining from one to the other.
The next one down under that is Astaroth, mostly because of the nature of grabs in Soul Calibur and how correctly teching the grab leaves him plus enough to try another one.
BAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I like Grappler from DNF duel. He sports a classic martial artist design with a great, flashy move set. The man is stuck in a game where everyone is OP, having to fight magic users, gun slingers, Demon possessed fighters, cursed weapon users and Naruto styled ninjas with his bare hands but manages to still be fun to use. I imagine he would be a straight menace if he were to be inserted in another game.
Just stated the video, the answer is KING
king does not rate
@@rooflemonger lol
The greatest grappler is Don Valve from Battle Fantasia.
He has an armored lariat/running bear grab mix up, he has slide head which is unblockable, in heat up he gets the fastest walk speed in the game, a one button command normal command grab that does more damage than the input.
So glad Tager was part of the three, he's been my favorite FG character ever since I tried CF, definitely the coolest big body grappler you can never go wrong with the power of magnetism.
I love grappler characters. The first grappler I truly grew to love was actually Iron Tager. He's the first character I learned to do 360's with. Potemkin has got to be the one I've enjoyed playing with the most. Ladieva is a fun one too. The only grappler I don't really enjoy playing is funny enough, the Grappler from DNF Duel.
My boy Beowulf getting snubbed, he's the reason a video is called *_"Gets grabbed by Beowulf once..."_*
Orochi Yashiro is just insanely powerful grappler in KOF. I love playing as Shermie, her anti-air grappling is so satisfying
Before watching the video i went "of course the most iconic one is Grief, but the greatest has to be Tager if not Clark", i was not disappointed
Android 16 in Season 1 has to be the greatest grappler of all time with combo starting armor,4 way mix,chain throws,great damage,and solid mobility on top of all that.
Iron Tager is the perfect example of a Grappler for me and it’s all thanks to his magnetization. We’re lucky if we’re gonna get another unique Grappler like him again.
before i even get into the video: if we're talking the grapplers that instill the most fear into me? it's Clark Still, bar none. he's mobile, he's tricky, he can combo into his scary grapples, he has maybe the most demotivating super to get hit by in human history--he is a MONSTER given flesh.
i've seen Daimon named the strongest grappler in KOF history, but he's at least kinda friendly and goofy. Clark scares me like nothing ever will.
EDIT: thank god he got his flowers, rightly deserved
Krauser in KoF 98 is probably my favorite grappler ever. Not only does he have a good set of command grabs (frame-1 and invincible) as well as a counter, he's also a god tier zoner comparable to Sagat. Literally the best of both worlds.
Tager and Clark where 2 of my guesses, since we're talking GOAT's here, but Grundy was a pleasant surprise. Honestly one of my favorite designs for a grappler ever- just too bad he's stuck in Injustice 1 of all places
I'm not big on grapplers usually, but I do enjoy playing a few of them like Tager, Bullet, Manon. Special shout out to the various "grapplers" from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R with their command grabs that apply debuffs to the opponent. They tilt me like no others, I'd rather take the big damage and die than have my special or super moves locked away etc.
4:15 - "Grappledom". Loved the word.
As a grappler playing starting in the 90s (thanks to SNK with their mobility grapplers).... I full 100% endorse this list and Rooflemonger' teachings 💪🏻👍🏻
I'd say Fatal Fury 1 Geese, because his counter pose is also a grab. He's invincible during the pose, can counter any physical move, and grabs you if you're within range. He's an SNK boss, but a grappler.
Its simple really, the second you brought up iron tager, you gained my undying loyalty
Accent core potemkin is easily one of Pot's best iterations, with insane meter gain, vacuum 2s, air potemkin buster combos/loops, and UNBLOCKABLE AEGIS REFLECTOR LOOPs, easily earns a top spot in my book
sad lack of Beowulf in this video, he has a grab that becomes multiple other grabs, you can't argue with that!
Bullet is my grappler 🗣️🔥
See, I also love Iron Tager, but speaking as someone who mains Tager in BB, he has one glaring flaw most grapplers in other games don't have to worry about: HIS COMMAND THROWS CAN BE TECHED. I learned this the hard way in a BBCSE tournament back in the day. I input his 720 super and my opponent cut it off with a throw-break. I was so shocked, I lost the round. A skilled BB player can shut down Tager with the right timing/inputs.
My votes for 3s Makoto. Has a jump scare dash and every (kara-able) grab is a opportunity for 50-100% depending on super/meter.
From the 3 you choose! I will go with Clark Still!
The love for grapplers you put into this Rooflemonger, it shone brightly. Excellent picks, solid elaboration. Honored to play grapplers just like you. Some of my personal favorites are Ladiva, Iron Tager, Shermie, and Waldstein. Glory to Grapplers 🦍
Goro Daimon never had any move to kill you with cheap damage on block. Purest grappler.
Definitely my favorite KOF grappler.
I think a Part 2 with other games like Skullgirls (Cerebellum) and how a guest character and a grappler “hint hint CEO” won a tournament.
General RAAM is, I believe, underestimated: he can put poison on you (General RAAM must be hit or the timer of the poison must run out for the damage to stop), has a literal FADC using meter, has an unblockable, some of the best AA’s in his game and that one command grab that can be one frame if you spend meter. Also, his Instinct adds potential damage and allows him to move while charging his unblockable on top of making him harder to see for those playing with their own eyes.
Combine that with some ridiculous normals including the best Standing Heavy Punch you will ever see and you got quite the grappler. Also he uses a sword that looks like a knife in his hand… and the ground shakes for every step he makes.
Good taste! Mine were Tager, Daimon, Grundy, Goh, and Vice. Goro Daimon doesn't necessarily have terrible mobility though. The roll helps, the natural KOF movement, and the ground pound/feint combo all let him get in.
I definitely agree about Tager being an incredible grappler design, albeit hampered by system choices for much of his games' timeline. Despite my strong preference for Potemkin, I would say that Tager in an overall design sense is much cooler as a concept.
As a quasi huge tekken fan, here’s my response. Even if it’s true that that King is based off of wolf, to quote Kazuya a fight is about who is left standing, and I don’t see any new virtual fighters or new upcoming gameplay like we are seeing from SNK. So until so until they come back, king’s updated move set not to mention updated visuals of tekken, I’d give the edge to King over wolf for now.
The hate boner this guy has for King is extremely silly, like, I get you dont like the character.
But way too many people resonate with King's style and gameplay (you know, the STUFF that makes fg characters GREAT), to even pretend that King isn't hugely important in the grapplers space is just stupid.
knew a vid was coming as soon as i saw that tweet 💀
I think for me, it has to be Zangief. He's what I think of when I think of a grappler character in a fighting game. He is the archetype. There are definitely grapplers that I like more but I feel like Gief just gets that spot for me.
This may be a deep cut but the kirby platform fighter has a grappler that is invincibility will grappling
Love Iron Tagger.... Android 16.... DNF Grappler....
I think the GOAT is Clark.
The King disrespect is unreal. He's not even a favorite of mine but to suggest Potemkin is more famous than him when King's T8 trailer got over 3 MILLION views is laughable. Likewise with King just being a cheap Wolf knockoff when King has an infinitely sharper and more intimidating design that perfectly represents the Mexican lucha libre masked wrestler archetype. He also has a much more interesting character concept and story than just about any of the other grapplers mentioned in this video, being an alcoholic priest that runs an orphanage and competes in martial arts tournaments to earn money to feed the orphans under his care. Dude has so much going for him, but this video treats him like a joke that was only mentioned because Tekken is so well-known. Hard to take the whole thing seriously after that.
Clark has always been my favourite against cowardly zoners, especially in KOF 2001 where players would choose all 4 zoners as fighters with no striker. Where else Clark would be my fighter and 3 would be strikers giving me 4 gauge bars, Many times I can drain a zoner's full health bar with a single combo.
I'm so conflicted. On one hand you're right, Wolf is the superior 3D grappler, on the other hand I love King too