Anchors Away!

Metal Shark Player was once a member of a recycling research team, and that’s the role he was created for. He eventually branched out into the field of DNA research, but he lost his position when his projects were deemed illegal. He was discarded as a form of punishment, and this effectively sent him back to the recycling lab where he was once employed. Metal Shark Player takes obvious inspiration from hammerhead sharks, and he looks remarkably at home when he’s swimming through scrap heaps. In battle, he bombards his enemies with an endless supply of exploding anchors that bounce around for a while before self-destructing. On the subject of bouncing objects, anchors would likely be the last thing you’d think of, so Metal Shark Player deserves at least some level of credit for using anchors in a creative way.

Although Thumpback was once a member of a fearsome pirate crew, he had little interest in piracy. He enjoyed traveling the seas, however, and his true passion was fishing. After he was separated from his ship, Thumpback joined a group of elemental giants who were resolved to defend the Skylands from robotic invaders. The whale-like behemoth has many ways to dispatch his mechanical foes. He can ensnare them in his jaws, trap them in whirlpools, are squash them with dramatic belly flops. His anchor is used in many of his attacks, and he can set up all sorts of dazzling combos. The range is pretty impressive too, and Thumpback typically swings the anchor by the chain rather than holding onto the anchor itself. Thumpback isn’t especially fast, so being able to create distance between him and his opponents is hugely beneficial.

Ruby Heart is a French-speaking pirate who sails the globe in a flying ship. Her crew is always on the lookout for magical artifacts, and her unusual fighting style puts these esoteric objects to good use. When she’s not surprising her opponents with elemental spell books and haunted treasure chests, she relies on brute strength. Many of her attacks involve an anchor, and she swings it around with reckless abandon. She can throw the anchor at all angles, and she also uses it to pull opponents towards her. As a crossover title, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 features well-known characters from established franchises. Although the roster is mostly comprised of familiar faces, Ruby Heart was designed specifically for the game. Since she acts as the plot anchor, she feels just as important as her more-famous castmates.

Huang Gai is a military general who served under Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and Sun Quan. Although he was born into poverty, he became one of the most powerful warriors of his era through hard work and discipline. A beast of a man with tree trunk legs, Huang Gai is a dominating presence on the battlefield. He can effectively wield an assortment of weapons, but he favors various clubs in Dynasty Warriors 7. His ultimate weapon in this outing is a massive anchor (dubbed “Soul Scepter”) that looks ridiculous even by Dynasty Warriors standards. He can take out dozens of enemies with a single swing, and I’m amazed that he can even lift the anchor in the first place. The anchor makes Huang Gai look like a complete badass even when he’s standing still, and he’s even more impressive when he’s jumping from ship-to-ship.

As a captain in the Royal Fleet, Charles Swiggins was tasked with hunting down pirates on the planet Titan. When an especially large pirate ship emerged, Swiggins’ vessel was reduced to floating debris. The Wet Point graduate was nearly defeated, but he gained an upper hand by hurling his ship’s anchor at his foe. With this act of desperation, the biggest pirate threat on the planet was eliminated. This earned Swiggins a promotion, and he soon found himself patrolling the stars instead of the seas. Although his adventures take him into the far reaches of space, he never goes anywhere without his trusty anchor, Homboldt. Admiral Swiggins is crafty enough to use Homboldt as a veritable grappling hook, and he can even immobilize his enemies by chaining them to the anchor. The brave admiral constantly reminds his enemies not to bring knives to an anchor fight.

Leviathan the Tidehunter was a brave champion of the Sunken Isles before he left his homeland in frustration. His race claimed dominion over the water, and they brought countless civilizations to ruin by engaging in secretive undersea battles. He had no time for petty political squabbles, however, so he decided to stalk the seas on his own. The durable warrior will gladly attack any ship that gets in his way, and he has a myriad of ways to deal with the unfortunate souls that stray into his path. To that end, he arms himself with a heavy anchor that was stolen from a Navy flagship. His anchor is typically used as a melee weapon, but it can also be chained to Tidehunter’s foes in order to slow them down. Anchors are designed to hold things in place, so I give Tidehunter credit for using his makeshift weapon for its intended purpose.

In his youth, Nautilus was a humble salvage diver near the Blue Flame Isle. He was provided with a metal suit and lowered into the murky waters to search for treasure, but his captain refused to pay a tithe to the Bearded Lady Nagakabouros. Nautilus ultimately ended up paying with his life, as he was dragged to the ocean floor and turned into an undead monstrosity. From that point on, any ship that refused to pay the Lady her due would draw the ire of Nautilus himself. Now confined to a suit of brass and iron, the so-called Titan of the Deep drags ships beneath the surface with his massive anchor. When he’s not causing shipwrecks, he uses his anchor as both a melee weapon and a makeshift grappling hook. He can also drive the anchor into the ground and set off explosive depth charges. It’s easy to see why sailors cower at his sight.

A pirate captain who’s known as the King of the Seas, Motochika Chōsokabe is more interested in adventure than expanding his territory. He’s strongly opposed to anyone who tries to conquer his islands, however, and he’s no stranger to battle. While most of the anchors on this list are used as surrogate clubs, Motochika’s anchor is affixed to the end of a spear. Although he can still immobilize his enemies with swinging motions, he also has various thrusting attacks in his repertoire. (Naturally, the anchor can also be used as a glorified grappling hook, if the situation calls for it.) The anchor can be imbued with fire too, and it creates huge explosions when it’s slammed into the ground. Motochika can even ride the anchor like a skateboard, mowing down anyone in his path. Anchors are supposed to reduce mobility, but I guess Motochika didn’t get the memo.

The majority of Ys VIII unfolds on a desert island following a shipwreck, and players are tasked with tracking down other castaways. Sahad Nautilus is one of the first recruits you come across, and the jovial fisherman immediately establishes himself as a valuable party member. The island is crawling with dinosaurs and other exotic creatures, and Sahad keeps them at bay with a broken boat anchor that he found on the shore. It’s an unusual weapon to be certain, but it’s also a practical one. The resources on the island are limited, after all, so Sahad has to make-do with what he has access to. The guy is built like a refrigerator, and he effortlessly wields the anchor like a war hammer. He’s also strong enough to create shockwaves by slamming the weapon into the ground. What he lacks in mobility, he makes up for in raw power.

This list is largely dominated by burly men (and fishmen), so a plucky teenage girl like May stands out for obvious reasons. Although her youth makes her seem inexperienced, she’s an integral member of the Jellyfish Pirates. May was taken in by the group after her homeland was ravaged by warfare, and she views her crewmembers as family. She’ll stop at nothing to protect them, and that’s where her anchor comes into play. Even though the anchor is larger than she is, she’s somehow able to swing it with ease. She often wields it in one hand, and I know people that would have a harder time managing a tennis racket. The girl has no muscles to speak of, so it’s implied that her superhuman strength is informed by latent energy-manipulation abilities. In any regard, you don’t want to be on the receiving end of her “Ultimate Spinning Whirlwind” attack.