[ad_1]
Wrestlemania 40 is almost upon us, and if you’ve been following WWE for the past three years, the show, like almost every storyline during that time, revolves around one family: the Bloodline. The massive family tree of Samoan wrestlers goes back decades and includes members such as current undisputed champion Roman Reigns, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Yokozuna, Rikishi and many others. In a business full of famous families, the Bloodline is probably the greatest family dynasty in pro wrestling history.
This got me thinking about similar family trees throughout video game fiction, and if any of them could stand up to the bloodline. I’ve assembled a few worthy clans, and while we’ll never see them face off against Roman’s hunger for dominance, we can at least hypothesize who would earn the right to be recognized.
The Kong Family – Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong threw its first barrels at players in 1981, establishing itself as an icon and staple of the medium. Since then, Nintendo’s famous ape has multiplied into an expansive family tree of children, grandchildren, nephews and romantic partners with their own clans, all united by the name Kong. If you added up all the Kongs to appear in games, comics, promotional materials, and the Donkey Kong Country animated series, it’s enough to fill several barrels. And if you’re ever having trouble remembering certain members, the infamous DK Rap serves as a handy wake-up call. However, if this matchup turns into a rap battle, Roman’s cousins, the Usos, have the Kongs soundly defeated.
The Belmonts – Castlevania
Like the Bloodline, the members of Castlevania’s Belmont family have made a name for themselves by being very good at the same job: killing Dracula. This legendary bloodline of vampire hunters (though equally adept at slaying all manner of supernatural threats) has been wielding whips and slinging holy water better than anyone for centuries. The cruel irony is that their archenemy, Dracula, has a closer connection to them than the last of the Belmonts may realize. We don’t often see the Belmonts working together due to generational gaps, so any member facing Roman could be in a Cody Rhodes-like scenario of representing their family alone, putting them at a huge disadvantage .
Nurse Joys/Officer Jennys – Pokemon
One of the longest running gags in the Pokemon anime was how each village has its own Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. They are not the same person, but a visually identical member of two obscenely large clans of doctors and law enforcement officers. It’s amazing that a family consists of dozens of siblings, cousins, first cousins, etc., let alone two clones. Imagine if the Bloodline were just multiple copies of Roman Reigns and only his wise man Paul Heyman (ironically playing the role of Brock) could explain the subtle differences like the length of his eyelashes and the whiteness of his teeth. One on one, Nurse Joy is too nice for a fight, but Officer Jenny is always up for a scrap. Also, his ubiquitous Arcanine could counter an inevitable Solo Sikoa matchup.
Lineage of Desmond Miles – Assassin’s Creed
This one is interesting as they are more descendants than direct relatives. But considering that centuries separate the most famous ancestors of Desmond, Altaïr, and Ezio, one would assume that there are countless relatives in between for their bloodline to survive to this day. Thanks to the advanced science-magic of the Animus, stabbing Templars in the neck has become a hereditary trait rather than a learned trade. The Bloodline should probably only deal with Desmond, but he channels the assorted abilities (read: stabbing/climbing things really well) of his ancestors thanks to the sci-fi magic of the Animus.
The Feys – Ace Attorney
From the outside, the Ace Attorney series seems like it’s all about winning court cases and shouting OBJECTION, but the franchise is steeped in the supernatural. Phoenix Wright’s mentor was Mia Fey, a renowned defense attorney and a spirit medium in a long line of them. After Mia’s death, her younger sister Maya becomes Phoenix’s lifelong companion, and players encounter more Fey relatives throughout the series. There are nine known members (all female, as only females can learn the family spirit channeling technique), but it is assumed to be much larger given its structure of having a “main” family and several branch families of “younger” siblings and their relatives. The Feys could channel the spirits of Roman’s deceased brothers to play effective mind games. After Cody Rhodes’ claims that Roman and Rock’s grandfather was ashamed of their evil antics, the Feys could easily confirm that. However, the Feys have not been immune to inner turmoil and have been willing to resort to assassination to rise in the hierarchy, a schism that the Bloodline could exploit.
Aquato Family – Psychonauts
Raz’s family may not be fighters, but they are the best: circus performers. Known by their stage name as “Flying Aquatos”, Raz’s immediate (and very large) family excelled in aquatic acrobatics until a water-related family curse derailed their act. The Bloodline could easily take advantage of this by having the match take place on a literal Island of Relevance, triggering the long-standing trauma of Raz and his family. On the other hand, Raz getting inside Roman’s head and exploring what makes him tick would be a fascinating platformer. There would probably be a lot of Royal Rumble 2015 related collectibles to find.
The Coopers – Sly Cooper
Sly Cooper was destined to be a master thief from the moment he was born. That’s because it’s the latest generation of benevolent thieves. In a way that dates back to the Ice Age, the Coopers have been pulling off heists since dinosaurs roamed the Earth, possibly making them the oldest family on this list. For all we know, Coopers invented the very concept of stealing, and just like the Bloodline, he was able to come up with some sneaky ways to pull off a win. Also, they could all be present during the match thanks to the introduction of time travel in the fourth game. Win or lose, one thing’s for sure: there’s no way in hell the Coopers won’t walk away with Roman’s belt, by hook, or expertly executed thief.
Which video game family do you think could take on The Bloodline? Let us know in the comments!
Source: gameinformer.com