GT25's Versus Series: Zora vs. Gnoll
Hello, and welcome to the Versus Series. In this series, we will compare warriors from across the many universes of all forms of fiction and analyze their weapons, armor, and x-factors to see who would win in a hypothetical battle. For this installment, we pit two different races from the realms of fantasy with the Zora from the lands of Hyrule and the Gnoll from the lands of Faerân. For this installment, we will take the Zora as portrayed in Breath of the Wilds with additional information from Hyrule Warriors and the Gnoll based off information from the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. As these two warriors are not seen very often even within their own universes, I will provide a bit of background for the two races.
History of the Warriors
One of the races that inhabit the lands of Hyrule, the aquatic folk known as the Zora are referred to as the protectors of the waters as allies of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Having their own kingdom known as the Zora's Domain, the Zora make a living as fishers using the bows of their species with some of them taking up the role of knights to defend their domain. According to the Zora Stone Monument, their kingdom was said to have been founded by the Zora at least ten thousand years before the reign of King Dorephan. During the rule of King Dorephan, the Second Great Calamity would take place across Hyrule though the Zora were spared the damages caused by Calamity Ganon. However, the king's daughter Mipha as the Zora's Champion would attempt to stop Waterblight Ganon though would be killed doing so. A century after the Second Great Calamity, the Hylian Champion known as Link would return to the lands with him reaching Zora's Domain and meeting the king's son Prince Sidon.
With some often claiming to be created by the demon lord Yeenoghu, the Gnoll are a race from the lands of Faerân known for their savage culture and warlike ways. Being natural predators and would savor the thrills of the hunt, the Gnolls almost always preferred the wilderness to the civilized enclaves that are favored by other similar races like humans and dwarves. Gnolls often form packs based off family and blood ties with them often becoming nomadic savages due to the craving of the hunt and primal blood lust that inhabits their minds. This often causes them to wreak havoc wherever they can which gives them their fearsome reputation as slaving brigands throughout the world. While they would take victims from their attacks to be used as slaves, they would also salvage equipment and weapons from their attacks. However, some members have been known to suffer from a rare form of madness that can quell their evil instincts which causes them to adopt a more pacifistic nature.
Close Range
Zora Sword (Zora): The Zora Sword is a type of sword used by the Zora as a sidearm that appears similar to a normal longsword with an ornate guard. Unlike most swords of Hyrule, this weapon is formed from silver due to being able to resist rusting in water and said to be very durable, though it could be a unique trait to the type of silver used by the Zora for their equipment. This sword most likely has a 30 inch silver blade with a total length of 42 inches and possibly weighs 2.95 pounds.
Short Sword (Gnoll): The Short Sword, often referred to as a 'Gladius' or 'War Sword' in Faerân, is a type of sword that was larger than a large dagger often carried as a secondary weapon. Assuming that this sword is similar to the real-life Gladius, this sword most likely has a 18.75 inch steel blade with a total length of 22.38 inches and possibly weighs 1.91 pounds.
Verdict: The Zora Sword gets the edge. While the Short Sword is the lighter of the two swords by 1.04 pounds, the Zora Sword is much like a longsword which gives it a longer blade by 11.25 inches and can be used with either one or both hands in combat. While one can argue that any type of silver is weaker than steel when used for a blade, the Zora Sword is able to match similar swords in Hyrule which were made of steel.
Medium Range
Hook Spear (Zora): The Hook Spear is one of a few types of spears used by the Zora with this variant often being the choice of weapon for their warriors. While often just called the 'Zora Spear', this spear has the barbs much like those found on arrow heads that extend down past where the spear head connects with the spear shaft. This type of spear most likely has a length of 78 inches and possibly weighs 4.5 pounds.
Iron Spear (Gnoll): The Iron Spear is a standard spear with an iron spear blade that is used by the Gnoll when in combat. This spear most likely has a length of 6 feet, or 72 inches, and possibly weighs 4 pounds.
Verdict: The Hook Spear gets the edge. While the Iron Spear is a bit lighter by 8 ounces, the Hook Spear is a bit longer in length by 6 inches and the barbs on the end of the spear blade can cause internal injuries when being torn out.
Long Range
Silver Bow (Zora): The Silver Bow is a type of bow crafted artfully out of silver as a means to increase its durability which is normally used by the Zora for fishing. This type of bow most likely has a length of 70 inches and possibly weighs 2.1 pounds.
Longbow (Gnoll): The Longbow is a type of bow used by many cultures that was roughly equal to the size of the user and made from a single piece of wood. The longbow that is often used by the Gnolls most likely has a length of 67 inches and possibly weighs 1.5 pounds.
Verdict: Neither weapon gets the edge. Despite the Longbow being lighter by 9.6 ounces and the Silver Bow being used normally for fishing, both bows are very similar with the only real difference between them being what the two are made from.
Special Weapons
Silverscale Spear (Zora): The Silverscale Spear is one of the types of spears used by the Zora which was often wielded by the most skilled Zora fighters. This type of spear has a spear blade similar to the tail fin of a shark with one side of the blade being slightly longer than the other. In addition, this spear has a counter balance shaped like an elaborate arrow head though its usage in battle is dubious at best. This type of spear most likely has a length of 80 inches and possibly weighs 5 pounds.
Battle Axe and Teeth (Gnoll): The Battle Axe is a type of axe that is used as a basic type of weapon among many cultures with a wooden handle and a metal axe head that will be assumed to be made of steel. This type of axe most likely has a length of 32 inches and possibly weighs 2.5 pounds.
In addition to this axe, the Gnoll would make use of their teeth in a fight and would be able to bite down on their foes often to deliver a killing blow. While the exact bite force of the Gnoll is unknown, it is reasonable to assume that their bite is strong enough to tear into the skin of a human and possibly crush bone.
Verdict: Neither weapon gets the edge. Starting off, the Battle Axe and Teeth give the user both another weapon to use and a weapon that they can't loose during the heat of combat. However, while the Battle Axe is lighter by 2.5 pounds, the Silverscale Spear is still longer by 4 feet, or 48 inches. In addition, the spear gives the user another polearm while the axe and teeth give the user two more weapons in melee combat. As such, it comes down to whether the extra polearm can keep the foe at bay or the two extra melee weapons can quickly take out a foe's defenses.
Armor
Silverscale Mail and Silver Shield (Zora): When going into battle, the Zora would often use light sets of armor with one type being Silverscale Mail armor that is used for their body armor. This mail hauberk, or shirt, is most likely made of silver rings riveted together to provide the user protection from slashing attacks. While it can fail to thrusting attacks, trying to pierce through mail with a thrusting attack isn't an easy task and the wrong type of weapon may even ruin the chances to actually pierce through it.
In addition to this body armor, the Zora make use of the Silver Shield which is a medium sized ornate shield that is able to redirect attacks with ease in the hands of a true master. This shield has a round top that curves down to a point at the bottom with the sides having silver ornate structures giving two hook shapes on each side possibly to provide a bit of extra protection. This type of shield is most likely made of wood and silver on the front along with the structures on the sides with enarmes, or leather straps, possibly on the back for the user to grip the shield.
Steel Lamellar and Steel Shield (Gnoll): As nomadic Gnolls often rely on other races for wealth and resources, the armor used by them is typically created from scavenged pieces of armor either found abandoned or taken from their victims. As such, this often means that a Gnoll is using many pieces of armor to create its own distinct set which, while uniquely aesthetic, would make it vary wildly in terms of quality and durability. For the purposes of this battle, it will be assumed that the Gnoll is using a set of lamellar armor and a steel shield that had been scavenged through unknown means.
Assuming that the lamellar armor is made from steel and also protects the upper arms and thighs like most versions of this armor, this lamellar armor is made up of small, rectangular plates laced together in horizontal rows most likely laced to a leather backing. Lamellar armor was typically able to offer protection from slashing attacks and blunt force trauma, but a thrusting attack could break through as the small plates could spread apart if the lacing fails.
In addition to their body armor, some of the Gnoll made use of a medium sized shield made of a single piece of metal that differs in how it looks. For this fight, it will be assumed that the shield is made of steel and it has a rectangular convex design similar to the real-life Scutum. As such, this type of shield is made of steel with enarmes, or leather straps, on the back for the user to grip the shield.
Verdict: Neither warrior gets the edge. Starting with body armor, both the Silverscale Mail and Steel Lamellar can protect the user from slashing attacks and both will fail to thrusting attacks. As neither armor has any kind of extra protection, this makes them both even in terms of strength and durability. Looking at their shields, both the Silver Shield and Steel Shield are of the same size with the only difference being what they are made of and their shape. While the Steel Shield is made of metal rather than mostly wood, the silver used for the ornate structures and on the front of the shield do offer extra protection along with the wood used for the basis. As such, neither armor set gives their respective wearers an edge over the other in this situation.
X-Factors
Physicality: The Zora are an aquatic race of humanoids with fins on their limbs and a tail on the back of their heads with them being able to swim against the current of rivers and even up waterfalls through they do often stay close to bodies of water. The Gnoll are a humanoid race that closely resemble hybrids between humans and hyenas with them being very quick compared to many other races and are able to naturally see in both low light conditions and in the dark.
Logistics: The Zora get the edge. While they often don't travel far from sources of water, the Zora often make use of weapons and tools that they make which are often created for their purposes with them having uniform sets of armor for their knights. Due to their propensity for scavenging, the Gnoll often make use of what they can take from their raids which range from their tools and wealth to the weapons that they would use in battle and their unique sets of armor.
Brutality: The Gnoll get the edge. When looking at the knights that defend their domain, the Zora would make use of their weapons to combat those who dared to threaten their homes and would be called upon to deal with larger beasts that attack their people. When looking at them as nomads, the Gnoll would wreck havoc wherever they can with them often not sparing any of the victims of their attacks and those that are spared are often taken to be broken so they can be used as slaves.
Training: As many among them are skilled fishers, the Zora most likely are trained in how to fish using spears and their bow with those who become knights to defend their domain receiving training in how to fight with other weapons. Often fighting among each other from a very early age, the Gnoll will often engage in vicious and often lethal battles as soon as they can walk and would most likely receive training from their elders in the use of their weapons.
Match Information: This is a one on one match with nothing else being taken into account.
The Set Up: In a forested area close to a large lake, a Gnoll is walking through the forest after an attack while a Zora jumps out of the water of the lake to retrieve their weapons.
BATTLE
In the middle of a forested area with the sun about to set over the horizon, a humanoid being that looks like a hyena wearing rusted Steel Lamellar armor over a torn tunic is walking through the area. In their right hand is an Iron Spear with them having a Steel Shield on their left arm in addition to a quiver of arrows across their back. Over their right shoulder is a Longbow with them wearing a belt which has a Short Sword in a scabbard on the left side and a Battle Axe worn on a loop on the right side of it. This being is a Gnoll whose trying to return to her pack after she had been separated during an attack on a nearby village.
Nearby at a large lake in the same forested area, an aquatic being with pale violet skin that is wearing a shirt of Silverscale Mail comes out of the water as they swim towards the nearby shore. Leaving the water and heading to a nearby rock just past the shore, they are unhindered by the Silver Bow across their back which is under a Silver Shield that is over both a quiver full of arrows and a scabbard for a Zora Sword. Reaching the rock, the being sees a Silverscale Spear laying against it before grabbing the Hook Spear next to it and stepping away as they take up a fighting stance. This being is a Zora whose been practicing the use of her weapons in the area while patrolling for any possible threats.
As the Zora performs mock thrusts using her Hook Spear, the Gnoll keeps walking through the forested area before coming across a small clearing and catching the setting sun in her eye. Looking towards it to see what time it is, the Gnoll sees the aquatic being about forty feet away from where she is. Seeing the weapon they're holding, the hyena humanoid takes her Steel Shield off her arm and puts it on the ground with her putting her Iron Spear onto it. Standing back up, she takes her Longbow from her shoulder and draws an arrow from her quiver as she keeps looking at her newest prey.
Performing a thrust with her spear, the Zora steps back as she retracts her weapon back while she continues to practice to prepare for a fight. Doing a second mock thrust as she steps forward, the aquatic being steps back as she lowers her weapon just as an arrow flies inches past her face. Looking to where the arrow came from, the Zora spots the Gnoll who growls from the miss as they draw another arrow from her quiver. Nocking the arrow, the hyena humanoid draws the bowstring back only to see the Zora to toss their spear to the side and jumping into the water.
Taking the arrow off the bowstring, the Gnoll grabs her shield and spear from the ground before rushing forward towards where her prey had been. Reaching it, the hyena humanoid looks around only to see water and the forest around her. However, the water ripples around a cluster of rocks about twenty-five feet away as the Zora comes out of the water with her Silver Bow now in hand. Climbing onto the rocks, the aquatic being spies the Gnoll as they look to their right away from her as she draws an arrow from her own quiver. Kneeling down, the hyena humanoid puts her shield and spear down on the ground and stands up as she nocks the arrow still in her hand back onto her bowstring.
However, she hears something and turns to look to her left to spot the Zora as they launch their arrow only for the Gnoll to jump forward towards the water of the lake with the projectile missing her. Aiming her Longbow, she launches her second arrow only for the aquatic being to jump off the rocks and rolls into a kneeling position. Taking another arrow from her quiver, she nocks her arrow onto her Silver Bow and launches it quickly at her adversary. Just as the Gnoll draws an arrow from her quiver, the arrow from the Zora strikes her Longbow just above her hand which shocks them.
Despite this, the Gnoll tosses her Longbow away and steps towards her gear before bending down to pick up her Iron Spear. Seeing this, the Zora rushes forward as she drops her Silver Bow while taking her Silver Shield from her back. With the hyena humanoid grabbing her shield by its enarmes, the aquatic being gets her shield onto her arm just as she bends down to pick up her own spear. However, the Gnoll thrusts her Iron Spear forward which her foe blocks using their Silver Shield. With her opponent stepping back, the hyena humanoid notices the sun setting over the trees of the forest before going for another thrust with her Iron Spear.
Stepping to her right, the Zora performs a thrust with her Hook Spear only for her foe to block the strike using her Steel Shield. As the spear is brought back, the Gnoll performs a low thrust that cuts her foe's right leg thanks to them stepping a bit to their left. Powering through the pain, the Zora performs another thrust with her Hook Spear only to see the hyena humanoid to lean back to avoid it. Not wasting a moment, the Gnoll thrusts the spear blade of her Iron Spear with it catching a barb of the Hook Spear before she lifts her spear back.
In an instant, the aquatic being gets her Hook Spear pulled out of her hand with some ease as the weapon is sent through the air away from either combatant. Bringing her Iron Spear down, the hyena humanoid attempts to take advantage of the situation as she thrusts her weapon at her adversary. However, the Zora manages to jump out of the way and rushes over to the rock with her other spear with her enemy moving to attack her. As the Gnoll prepares to use her spear to skewer her prey, the aquatic being grabs her Silverscale Spear and turns around to confront their opponent.
Seeing the incoming thrust, the Zora uses the blade of her Silverscale Spear to deflect it away from her before going for her own thrust. Acting quickly, the hyena humanoid is able to block it in time though she is forced back a bit into the water from the strike. However, as she tries to perform a thrust, the aquatic being uses her spear to move the shield out of the way before a quick thrust punches into one of the scales on her foe's lamellar armor.
Stepping back, the Gnoll starts to feel the water hitting her thighs as she moves to block another thrust with her shield. However, the Zora pulls her Silverscale Spear back before she swings it with the blade catching the rim of the Steel Shield and knocking it out of her foe's hand. Seeing the shield having been sent into the water, the hyena humanoid grabs her Iron Spear with both hands and gets a thrust in which hits her adversary in their right side before pulling her weapon back.
Gritting her teeth from the new wound, the aquatic being sees their foe going for another thrust before stepping to her left to avoid the strike and sending the rim of her shield into their face. Dazed from the hit, the Gnoll stumbles to her left before quickly getting her senses back and turns to face her prey again. However, the Zora quickly brings her Silverscale Spear down in a swing with the spear blade cutting through the shaft of the Iron Spear with some difficulty.
Now forced to get away from a slash from the spear, the hyena humanoid tosses both halves of the spear away before grabbing her Battle Axe using her left hand. The aquatic being attempts a thrust with her spear, but her opponent uses their axe to deflect it before suddenly lunging forward with their mouth open. Before she can react, the Zora cries out as the Gnoll bites down onto her right arm with all her might and causes her foe to drop her weapon into the water.
Unwilling to give up, the Zora uses her Silver Shield to bash her opponent in the head causing them to release her arm before backing up away from them as she keeps her right arm close to her body. Looking up at her foe, she sees the Gnoll drawing her Short Sword with her right hand as she swings her Battle Axe at her. Seeing her prey blocking the strike with her Silver Shield, the hyena humanoid swings her axe again as she aims for the rim of the shield.
However, she looks on in surprise as the axe hits the shield and the aquatic being falls backwards into the water which causes her to back up with her weapons at the ready. Though not seeing her prey come back up, she looks around as sun finally sets over the trees causing only a dim light to be seen. Staying in her battle stance, the Gnoll suddenly sees the water being disturbed to her right and turns as the Zora comes out of the water with her Zora Sword now in her right hand.
Raising her shield to block a strike from the Battle Axe, the aquatic being performs a thrust with her sword that pierces her adversary in their left thigh. Feeling the sword being pulled out, the hyena humanoid limps back a few steps before raising her Short Sword to block an overhead strike from the Zora Sword. Deciding to end this fight, she brings her Battle Axe up and swings it to strike the edge of the Silver Shield. With her shield arm knocked out from in front of her, the Zora steps back as she sees her opponent about to charge and brings her sword to her side.
In an instant, the Gnoll charges with her Short Sword ready for a strike and tackles her prey into the water.
As the water stays still for a few moments, the Gnoll breaks out of the water with her Short Sword gone and the Zora Sword sticking through her gut with the blade coming out the left side of her back. Moving slowly, the hyena humanoid tries to wade back to the shore with her limping from her previous leg wound as blood flows from her newest wounds. As the water starts to only hit her shins, the Gnoll hears something and slowly turns around as she makes a soft growl.
Standing behind her is the Zora with the Short Sword having pierced her left side and having lost her Silver Shield. However, the Gnoll quickly sees that her prey is now wielding her Silverscale Spear in both hands.
Despite her wounds, the hyena humanoid charges forward as best as she can to prepare a strike with her Battle Axe. However, the aquatic being backs up as she lowers her spear to avoid the axe before bringing the weapon into an upward slash. The Gnoll is unable to react in time as the blade of the Silverscale Spear rips into her neck and the tip goes into her head and skull.
Pulling her Silverscale Spear out of her foe, the Zora watches the Gnoll collapse into the water and watches as blood starts to enter the water from the dead body. Breathing heavily, the Zora spies a rock close to the shore and limps over to it. Sitting down and leaning against it, she keeps her Silverscale Spear close to her as she starts to recover from the fight.
Final Verdict: In this battle of two different races that are polar opposites, these two warriors were able to make this a rather close fight yet when push comes to shove it was the Zora who claimed a narrow victory with a possible outcome of 5.1 out of 10 battles. Starting with their weapons, both warriors were even in both long range and special weapons, but the Zora had the edge in both close and medium range. In addition, their arsenals caused the Zora to have more options for medium range weapons while the Gnoll had a few more options when it comes to melee combat. Looking at their armor, both were totally even in terms of both their body armor and shields due to how both were composed. Moving onto x-factors, both were even in training and the Gnoll had a slight edge in physicality while both warriors had a solid edge with Zora gaining logistics and the Gnoll gaining brutality. This is where the x-factors decided this match with logistics as the Gnoll need to savage much of their equipment while the Zora had access to the equipment they needed. Simply put, the better logistics of the Zora along with their few better weapons was able to barely gain victory from the more brutal Gnoll and their slightly better physicality.
Got a battle you want to see? Tell me and I'll see if I can get it into the series! Next time, the chem addicts from the Mojave Wasteland go up against the new rulers of Earth of the year 3978.
Ray Tanaka: Hey, everyone. Many apologize that this chapter is late and now I'm rather behind in terms of this series and the Historical Series. In fact, I've already started the next chapter for this series by the time this chapter has gone up. Now, onto the chapter itself, this battle was certainly unique and the final outcome was determined by a rather slim margin. As to why I ended up siding with logistics over brutality and physicality, mostly it comes down to how used some weapons and armor can be when your main source of it comes from scavenging. In fact, it's also easy to say that those using said weapons and armor have been using it for some time. Basically, the Gnoll's slight edge in physicality and their brutality can only go so far if their weapons and armor are in poor conditions.
That said, I can still see instances of the Gnoll winning a fight against the Zora hence why this battle was so close. In fact, I decided to show how close these two were considering that both were getting wounded and got stabbed by a sword by the end of the fight. As for the next battle, the other one is rather vague but I can say it comes from a movie series from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Can't really say much else since it would give away who they are. The other one is a group whose origins would probably be rather obvious to readers of this series. On a final note, I currently have a poll for battles of the Historical Series still up. If you wish to vote, see the latest chapter of the Historical Series to see the details. Hope you all enjoy!