Friday Fives (The Eminence in Shadow) – Five Best Fights
There are few things as exciting as a well-choreographed fight. Luckily, The Eminence in Shadow has plenty. So, I figured I would highlight my five favourites. It’ll give me a reason to rewatch them.
Friday Fives (The Eminence in Shadow) – Five Best Fights
Back when DVDs first came out, I remember being overjoyed that I could pop in Blade or The Matrix and skip to the best fights. I could watch them over and over again without having to rewind or watch the whole thing. Anyone born after the invention of YouTube probably has no idea of the pain that we suffered… Anyhow, that’s not a problem now and as such I’m going to highlight my favourite fights from The Eminence of Shadow so you can jump to them and enjoy the action. Remember, however, it’s not just about fights. Like everything else in storytelling, the more jobs it can do at once the better. Pay close attention or you might miss something crucial.
5. Stylish Ruffian Slayer versus Kidnappers (Episode 1)
This fight was an incredible way to begin this series as it tells us so much about Kageno/Cid. We can already see that he is a formidable fighter taking on a guy with a gun and an ex-military guy who was kicked out for being too violent. Amazingly, they are nothing compared to him. We saw Kageno training with his hand grip and he was wearing weights. However, the real thing that caught my attention was that he is insane. Once he had defeated the second guy, basically incapacitating him, he continued to hit him over and over again. He may be going after criminals but that was gratuitous. The best fights reveal more than just who’s the better fighter.
4. Shadow versus Zenon Griffey (Episode 5)
Alexia Midgar was kidnapped and Cid was the main suspect. After suffering through torture and abuse, he was finally released. Since no one had found Alexia, he took it upon himself. Well, with the help of Shadow Garden. Using his Shadow persona, he located Alexia and her capture Zenon Griffey. Zenon revealed that he was from the Cult of Diablos and believed he would be the twelfth Knight of Rounds. He was aware of Shadow’s exploits but believed he was stronger. Boy was he wrong. This was the first time we got to see Shadow go all out and he finished it with his ultimate attack where he effectively becomes an atomic bomb. It is spectacular and as long as no one asks how Alexia survived when she was standing so close to him when it happened, all is good. Seriously though, that crater didn’t make much sense.
3. Shadow versus Iris Midgar and Beatrix the War Elf (Episode 20)
I absolutely loved this fight. It was so much fun, but also so much more. At one point, Iris asks Shadow who he is and his reply feels like it has more meaning than what he simply said. He said, “This is my true form. Everything else is just a fanciful dream within a fabricated fiction.” Surely this is a commentary on the world and how everything seems to fall into Cid’s hands. Maybe, and I’ll get to that in another post, but for now, let’s just bask in the glory of this fight. I loved how Shadow switched to the crowbars partway through the fight and how they never had a chance of touching him. There was a point where Iris was yelling at him about how he couldn’t run after what he did to the capital, but she was the one that caused all of the destruction. All he did was block and parry their attacks. Who is the real demon? If she wasn’t before, Iris may be on the road to destruction much like Sherry Barnett.
2. Shadow versus Aurora, the Witch of Calamity (Episode 11)
So, someone entered Cid in the Goddess’ Trial, forcing him to either fight or flee. Of course, he chooses another option – confusion. He enters the arena as Shadow, causing some commotion with the organisers who are clearly from the Cult of Diablos. To everyone’s surprise, an ancient warrior appears and it’s none other than Aurora, the Witch of Calamity. The one who would have destroyed the world had the hero, Beatrix not defeated her. So, yeah, this was another fascinating fight but it felt more like a cry for help. Aurora showed Shadow that she was shackled which prompted him to wish that he could have fought her when she was at her best. Defeating her stunned everyone and opened the gate to the sanctuary, further upsetting the Cult of Diablos.
1. Mundane Mann versus Iris Midgar (Episode 19)
This was without a doubt my favourite fight in the entire season and there was basically one attack. I loved the way that Mundane forced her to see and feel things that didn’t happen. Well, not exactly. We saw earlier in the season when he was training with his sister how he could move faster than she could see land a couple of near hits and then go back to where he was and take her attack. He was doing that to Iris Misgar. Even moving his sword to and from his sheath was enough to mess with her mind, and once the mind has gone, you’ve lost. The attack ended up being fairly mundane (intended) as he palmed her sword away and then slammed her to the ground. She never had a chance. This reminded me of the final fight in Chivalry of a Failed Knight. Amazingly tense.
Final Thoughts
I can tell you right now that this will not be my last Friday Fives which is focused on the fights. I love how they show us what the characters are made of and how they handle pressure. It’s usually a great way to gauge their development. I also think that they show us a lot more than just their strength. Not only can we see how they think and act, but if they are done well, we can learn something about the world and the story.
Anyhow, these are just my opinions. Have you seen The Eminence in Shadow? If so, which were your favourite fights? Thanks for reading.
Other posts in the series
Series Information
English Title | The Eminence in Shadow |
Japanese Title | Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! |
Author | Daisuke Aizawa |
Artist | Anri Sakano |
Genres | Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai, Magic |
Demographic | Seinen |
Anime
Season One
Season | Season One |
Released | Fall 2022 |
Animation Studios | Nexus |
Episodes | 20 |
Bonus Posts
Analysis | How Much Does Cid Know? |
Lists | Five Best Fights |
Season Two
Season | Season Two |
Released | Fall 2023 |
Animation Studios | Nexus |
Episodes | 12 |
21 | The Lawless City |
22 | The Haven |
23 | The Hour of Awakening |
24 | The Mask of Falsehood |
25 | He Who Pulls the Strings |
26 | John Smith |
27 | Something Precious |
28 | The Dragon’s Tears |
29 | The Key |
30 | Caged Bird |
31 | Determination |
32 | Highest |
Manga
Volumes | Ongoing |
1 | We Lurk in the Darkness and Hunt Down Shadows |
2 | I Am Atomic! |
3 | Hidden Normie Technique |
4 | Battles Are Like a Conversation |
5 | A Memory I Never Want to Lose |
6 | What Beautiful Swordplay… |
7 | A Fancy Bandit Slayer |
8 | The True Aberration!!! |
9 | He Who Destroys All and Rebuilds it Anew! |
I love the difference in how Beatrix and Iris reacted to the battle. Beatrix was all, “Well, damn, I got some more practicing to do.” Iris lost her mind.
Like you said, the best fights, like all five you brought up here, tell us more than who’s the winner.
Yeah. Beatrix is one to watch. She actively volunteered to fight Shadow when she had nothing to gain. I liked how she realised Cid was far stronger than he let on and she wanted to fight Mundane too. I wonder if she’ll join him too when she finds out Alpha is with him, as I assume that’s who she’s looking for.