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4[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/there_will_be_brawl.jpg]]
5%%
6->"''None of us are the heroes we're supposed to be...''"
7--> -- '''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Police Chief Link]]'''
8%%
9%% One quote is sufficient. Please put additional entries on the quotes tab.
10%%
11
12In short: ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] ''ComicBook/SinCity'' as well as ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' and ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs''. It has nothing to do with ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood'', other than borrowing much of its name.
13
14''There Will Be Brawl'' is a webseries that was eventually hosted by The Escapist and was directed by Creator/MatthewMercer. Featuring live actors, it takes the most famous characters from Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s library and puts them in a situation far removed from the bright and cheery childhood games we remember. The plot follows Luigi, who is now a jaded drug dealer trying to make ends meet in the seedy underworld of the Mushroom Kingdom for both himself and his brother. As the plot thickens and new dangers arise, Luigi searches for a reason to keep fighting for a city that seems beyond salvation.
15
16The overall dark tone of the series is accompanied by an engaging plot, good writing and acting, as well as some clever {{Mythology Gag}}s from all over the Creator/{{Nintendo}} universe. In addition, the sheer effort put into the costumes, make-up and production design impresses to no end, even though some costumes that required a little extra creativity involved (Kirby, Fox, Dedede etc) can be a tad distracting at first, you can generally get too immersed in the story to notice after a while. The series seemingly aims to be a {{Deconstruction}} of Nintendo franchises in general, but often ends up as more of an AffectionateParody of the plots and mechanics from the respective games.
17
18After the series ended they announced plans of a DVD, but that seems to have gone into DevelopmentHell.
19
20The website for the series has gone down in the years since it finished, but the complete series can still be found [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqvL8As0lKe3MCLofF8ufXsPIfi1JdZgS here]].
21
22----
23!! This show provides examples of:
24* AdaptationDistillation: By way of CompositeCharacter. [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Young Link]] and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Toon Link]] were folded into the character of "regular" Link. A photo of Link in his earlier days was "played" by stock pictures of the world's most famous Young Link cosplayer, and a doodle Zelda apparently drew some years ago resembled his Toon incarnation.
25* AdaptationalVillainy: At least half the cast, by design, are debased, broken and compromised versions of themselves. This version of the hero of dreams and innocence (Kirby) is especially jarring.
26%% * AndYourLittleDogToo: [[spoiler:Yoshi.]] Also a {{Homage}} to the infamous "horse head" scene of ''Film/TheGodfather.''
27* AnnoyingArrows: Ganondorf gets shot with arrows twice in the shoulder, to no effect whatsoever.
28* AntiVillain:
29** King Dedede. He may be a corrupt, hedonistic mafia don with his flippers in all kinds of illegal doings, but he really wants to end the violence and, of the four mob bosses, stands the best chance of doing so. [[spoiler:Until the butcher gets him.]] Basically, he manages to be the closest to a ReasonableAuthorityFigure that Luigi and his friends have encountered during the series, as he genuinely wants to help find the SerialKiller and is the one person with powerful enough connections and resources to accomplish it.
30** Bowser -- [[spoiler:it turns out that he no longer cares about kidnapping princesses or conquering the kingdom now that the Mario Brothers aren't around to fight him. Now he's a Buddhist. A bit closer to WorthyOpponent than AntiVillain, though -- whereas Dedede genuinely wants peace, Bowser still seems to hunger for the "good old days" of honorable brawling between clearly defined heroes and villains. Dedede was willing to cut a deal with Link, whereas Bowser responded to the chaos by sending his soldiers into the streets to take the kingdom by force, leading to tremendous bloodshed -- and, of course, his own death.]]
31* AnyoneCanDie: In the end, there are more dead Brawl characters than there were characters in Super Smash Bros Melee. Let's run down the body count in roughly chronological order, shall we? [[spoiler:Daisy, Roy, Pichu, Mewtwo, Peach, Wolf, possibly Donkey Kong, Dedede, Isaac, Saki, [=MetaKnight=], Yoshi, Falco, Bowser, Red, potentially Ike, Link, Zelda, Telma, Rosalina, Jill Dozer, Fox, End of Days (Olimar), Mr. Game & Watch, Wario, Ganondorf, [[DevourTheDragon Ness]], probably Lucas, Masahiro Sakurai, and possibly Shigeru Miyamoto and Kirby is AWOL...]] Phew!
32* AsTheGoodBookSays: Episode 1 starts off by quoting the Literature/BookOfGenesis.
33* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther:
34%% ** [[spoiler:"I may have held mercy for you, but there is only one fist that may bruise the face of '''my''' angel. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome FALCON PUNCH!!]]"]]
35** [[spoiler:When Link says "Let's rebuild Hyrule... together!" and Zelda instantly forgets that she stabbed him an hour ago and turns on Ganondorf with tears in her eyes. Doesn't last long, though.]]
36** In a platonic, brotherly sense, Mario's talk with Luigi when they break into Lakitu's house. "There are ''two'' Super Mario Brothers."
37** Marth when he hears that Ike's condition is worsening. When his help is required, he just ''decides'' he's off duty and takes off, obviously to the hospital.
38%% * AxCrazy: The Ice Climbers.
39%% * BackToBackBadasses:[[spoiler:Marth and Fox in Episode 10.]] The former even being there counted as his HeelFaceTurn, while the latter had one two episodes prior.
40%% * BadassBoast: [[spoiler:"I'm at full health."]]
41* BadassLongcoat: Luigi is never seen without his unbuttoned Greatcoat, [[spoiler:until Red dies]].
42%%* BadCopIncompetentCop
43%% * BarBrawl: Between Mario and Franchise/DonkeyKong over [[CallBack Pauline]].
44* BerserkButton:
45** Never, ''ever'', call Mario a plumber if you value your teeth at all.
46** Fox doesn't much appreciate being called "furry".
47* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler:Bowser would rather blow up himself and the attacking Game & Watches with a Bob-Omb than be trophyfied.]].
48* BewareTheNiceOnes: Wario [[spoiler:is done in by Red's cute little girlfriend, Leaf. Because she sics a Jigglypuff on him.]]
49* BigBad: [[spoiler:Kirby, with Lucas and Ness as his Dragons and Ganondorf as the BigBadWannabe.]]
50* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: When the main characters are cornered, Captain Falcon comes out of the alley, gives a speech about only ''he'' gets to bruise Pit's face, and Falcon Punches Saki and Issac to dust.]]
51%%** [[spoiler:Link, Pit, and Samus in the final episode.]]
52* BigNo:
53** [[spoiler:Mario]], after [[spoiler:discovering Yoshi's remains in his bed]].
54** [[spoiler:Leaf]] after [[spoiler:Red dies]].
55** [[spoiler:Zelda]], right before [[spoiler:Ganon kills Link]]
56* BittersweetEnding: The Mushroom Kingdom is on the road to rebuilding, but so many have died, [[spoiler:including Peach, the Kingdom's big source of hope, and Kirby is still out there [[GainaxEnding doing...''something'' with Miyamoto.]]]]
57* BreatherEpisode: Between Episode 4 and 5, and again between 7 and 8, there are gag reels from the Mushroom Kingdom news station.
58* TheCameo: Out of the main brawlers, Pikachu, Lucario, ROB, and Young and Toon Link are relegated to walk-on roles. There are also the assist trophies, [[VideoGame/GoldenSun Issac]] and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Cyborg Ninja]]. Lots of minor or lesser-known Nintendo characters make cameo appearances throughout the series, they can be seen in the [[Characters/ThereWillBeBrawl characters page]].
59* CanonImmigrant: Referenced in a running MythologyGag: [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Snake, Cyborg Ninja]] and [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]] are cast as bums living in an immigrant slum.
60* CardboardBoxHome: Solid Snake of ''VideoGame/MetalGear'', CanonImmigrant, is an insane hobo living in a cardboard box. This is a MythologyGag, in reference to both the games (where a silly mechanic allows you to hide in a box) and ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork''.
61* CastingGag: Matthew Mercer (AKA Ganondorf) and Joellen Elam (AKA Zelda) were dating while There Will Be Brawl was filmed. [[spoiler:This was most likely the basis for the Ganondorf and Zelda's romance subtext]].
62* CheerfulChild: Red, the Franchise/{{Pokemon}} trainer. He takes care of the Pokémon after [[spoiler:Mewtwo]] is killed. Unique in that he's one of the only non-Gray characters, being simply Good. [[spoiler:This makes his death all the more shocking, especially since Luigi was indirectly responsible]].
63%%* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler:The Pikmin bomb--twice! Also Jigglypuff.]]
64* ChekhovsGunman:
65** [[spoiler: Game and Watch]] had been seen around the city doing various tasks. [[spoiler: He actually is an EldritchAbomination, and is the "End of Days" meant to bring about the end of the world.]]
66** [[spoiler: Ness and Lucas]] were seen playing in an alley, and served to remind Luigi of his motivation for fighting. [[spoiler: Then it gets turned on his head when he discovers ''[[CreepyChild they]]'' are the murderers. And that feeling of hope Luigi got from seeing them was artificially planted by their telepathy to keep Luigi fighting -- which they found entertaining.]]
67* ChildrenAreInnocent: [[spoiler: At first, it had been the main motivation for Luigi to keep fighting: that as long as there was one child laughing in the world, there was hope for it. When he started to lose his focus, he saw Ness and Lucas playing, and that motivated him to go on. Come the final episode though, and he finds out that the murderers are ''[[CreepyChild Ness and Lucas]]''. They are such pure evil that even ''Ganondorf'' wonders how heroes can exist in the face of it.]]
68* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Pikachu and Lucario end up showing up in a single fight early in the series and don't show up for the rest of it, though it's implied Red still takes care of them.
69%% * CombatTentacles: [[spoiler:Game & Watch's Final Smash form.]]
70%% * CompanionCube: TheSandbag and [=ROB=], to [[VideoGame/{{Pikmin}} Captain Olimar]] at least.
71* ConsultingAConvictedKiller: Franchise/{{Kirby}} is re-imagined as an {{Expy}} of Hannibal Lecter, presenting him as an imprisoned cannibalistic serial killer that is consulted in the hope of solving other murders going on.
72%% * CosmicHorrorStory: [[spoiler:Game & Watch and Olimar]]'s part of the story turns into this.
73* CrapsackWorld: The story takes place in a ''massively'' DarkerAndEdgier version of the Mushroom Kingdom. You're either a petty criminal, an ObstructiveBureaucrat, or in the pockets of TheMafia. Or possibly all three.
74* CreatorCameo: Zach Grafton and Matthew Mercer make several small cameos as Toads, policemen, and cultists.
75%% * CreepyChild: [[spoiler:Ness and Lucas, to a ridiculous extreme given that they are the butchers.]]
76* CrypticConversation: When Luigi meets Olimar/End of Days, he seems to spout a bunch of nonsense and generic doomsday prophecies. [[spoiler: When listened to again retrospectively, it turns out to be pretty clear cut {{Foreshadowing}}.]]
77* {{Cult}}: Olimar leads a cult centered around Master Hand.
78-->'''Fox''': More like...Crazy Hand!
79* DaChief: [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] is in charge of the police force of the Mushroom Kingdom, and he's not afraid to remind you about it either. At the end of the series, [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Marth]] takes up this position.]]
80%% * DarkFic
81* DarkerAndEdgier: Kirby is probably the greatest example of this, while Red is pretty much the only one to be unchanged or otherwise untainted - if not even ''more'' innocent.
82* ADayInTheLimelight: Episode 8 focuses completely on, ironically, Mario. Luigi and his other allies don't even appear on screen, besides in flashbacks.
83* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler: it turns out that Princess Peach had been killed immediately after she was kidnapped, with her body turned into a trophy by Ness & Lucas.]]
84* DeconstructionCrossover: The show straddles the line of this and a a DarkerAndEdgier {{Parody}} of Creator/{{Nintendo}} [[VideoGames games]]. It uses a pre-existing Massive Multiplayer Crossover established by the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' franchise, and then constructs a world based around the end result of innocent and not-so-innocent characters fighting a purposeless war against each other for years.
85* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Ganondorf]]'s motivation in Episode 10 appears to more or less boil down to "how can heroes possibly go on when evil like [[spoiler:Ness and Lucas]] exists?" The same applies to villains.
86%% * DespairSpeech: Ganondorf gets a pretty epic one near the end.
87* DevourTheDragon: Implied to have happened to [[spoiler:Ness & Lucas]], when [[spoiler: [[BigBad Kirby]] is revealed to still be alive, there are no signs of either of his Dragons, and he's wearing the cap of one of them. Now, remember that Franchise/{{Kirby}}'s powers involve copying the powers of other characters by literally eating said characters, and he usually dons a hat reflecting said powers...]]
88%% * DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: [[spoiler:Mario destroying the Game & Watches with a Final Smash.]]
89%% * DiesWideOpen: [[spoiler:Red.]]
90%% * DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:Kirby. ''Twice.'']]
91%% * DistressedDamsel: [[spoiler:Peach. Some things just never change. Unfortunately, she doesn't survive to be rescued by Luigi.]]
92* DramaticShattering: Luigi, despite being TheStoic for most of the series, vents his frustration by chucking a glass against a wall in Episode 3, cutting out the background music.
93* DramaticUnmask: In Episode 10 a figure that seems to be [[spoiler: Meta Knight]] unmasks himself to show he is [[spoiler:Kirby, who killed Meta Knight and stole his mask and sword.]]
94%%* DrowningMySorrows: Both Mario brothers have a tendency to do this at times, Mario more so than Luigi. So does Link, as we see when he interrogates Luigi.
95* DualWield: In the final episode, Marth wields Ike's old sword as well as his own, while Fox takes up Wolf's blaster. While facing both of the aforementioned, Nana beats down Popo and takes his hammer.
96* EldritchAbomination: Bowser and Ganondorf make the [[spoiler:endless hordes of Game & Watches]] out as these, the Oldest Ones, the demons that were forgotten by all. They eventually [[spoiler:merge into their [[CombatTentacles Final Smash Octopus form.]]]]
97* ErmineCapeEffect: Zelda appears in a business suit, but Hyrule's been absorbed by the Mushroom Kingdom so she's not ''really'' a princess anymore. Princess Peach on the other hand is ''always'' wearing her classic pink dress and crown, ''even when having sex''.
98* EvenEvilHasStandards: Kirby may be a murderer and [[ImAHumanitarian cannibal]], but he won't stand for another inmate attacking Peach when she visits the prison.
99%% ** ''Ganondorf'' is appalled by the pure evil of [[spoiler:Ness and Lucas]].
100* EvilIsNotAToy: You'd think that Ganondorf would be above this sort of thing but [[spoiler:his attempt to use Ness and Lucas was never going to end well for him.]]
101%% * EvilSorcerer: Ganondorf.
102* EyeBeams: As part of his cult's ritual sacrifice, [[spoiler:Falco stares into ROB's eyes [[EyeScream and gets lasered in his own.]]]]
103* FallenHero:
104** Mario was on the border for awhile, but after [[spoiler:hospitalizing Franchise/DonkeyKong in a bar fight]], he crossed into outright AntiHero territory. That's not to say that most of the cast aren't {{Anti Hero}}es to begin with though.
105** Link is enormously bitter and depressed, and has resorted to heavy alcoholism.
106%% * FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: HOLY SHIT. To give a few: [[spoiler:Dedede, Red, Link, Ganondorf, and Peach]]
107%% * FilmNoir
108* FlamboyantGay: [[VideoGame/FZero Captain Falcon]] and [[VideoGame/KidIcarus Pit]]
109-->''"Come back sometime, and maybe you can... show me your moves."''
110%% * {{Foreshadowing}}:
111%% ** In episode 8, Zelda appears to break up a fight between Mario and Link, and the 2 men start arguing about princesses, to which Mario responds: "That bitch will be the death of you!", [[spoiler:and in episode 9...]]
112%% ** Bowser gives one: ''"[[spoiler:Let them know...no one made a trophy out of the king!]]"''
113%% ** The butcher's identity is faintly hinted at, though probably not enough to guess ahead of time: [[spoiler:"As long as there is a single child..."]]
114%% * GainaxEnding: Wait, [[spoiler:Kirby? Miyamoto? Kirby?]] What the... What!? ...[[spoiler:Sakurai's LEGS?!]]
115* TheGhost: Despite being an important business owner and Captain Falcon's boss, Tingle never shows up in person.
116* GloryDays: An underlying theme of the series. Both heroes (e.g. Mario) and villains (e.g. Ganondorf & [[spoiler:Bowser]]) reminisce about the days when there was clear cut heroes and villains, with both fighting honorably.
117%% * GoKartingWithBowser: Compared to the present, the GloryDays were seen as an honorable competition, especially by Luigi, Ganondorf, [[spoiler:and Bowser himself]].
118* TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil: Red and Luigi are Good due to both genuinely being traditionally heroic, with Luigi wanting to rescue Princess Peach; The mob bosses are Bad since they want to control the Mushroom Kingdom but still having redeeming qualities; Kirby and [[spoiler: Ness and Lucas,]] are completely batshit ''evil incarnate'', with the former being a cannibalistic SerialKiller and the latter two being a duo of psychopathic killers.
119* GreyAndGreyMorality: Very few characters are clear-cut good or evil in TWBB. [[ChildrenAreInnocent Red]] is the only completely Good characters, while only Kirby, [[GodGuise Olimar]], and [[AxCrazy the Ice Climbers]] are clear-cut Evil. Kirby himself is explicitly stated to be the reason everything fell apart--he taught the people to fear and it broke Mushroom Kingdom culture in half. Peach is the exact opposite--she's been explicitly stated to be the one thing holding the whole place together. The finale also [[TheReveal reveals]] that [[spoiler: [[CreepyChild Ness and Lucas]] are also VERY clear-cut evil. Of course, they've been completely broken by Kirby, so there's the question of how responsible they are for their own actions that makes their morality far more ambiguous.]]
120* HeadHat: Kirby reminisces about wearing Daisy’s head like a hat after killing her when talking to Luigi in Episode 7.
121* HeelFaceDoorSlam: [[spoiler:Zelda. Link gets better long enough to properly complete his HeelFaceTurn, but Zelda isn't so lucky.]]
122* HellIsThatNoise:
123** Lakitu, since Episode 6, finds terror in Mario's laughter [[spoiler: after Mario runs him over with a Yoshi.]] ([[{{Irony}} Ironic]] in that this happens [[spoiler: while he is reporting that the kingdom is rid of the Mario Brothers.]]
124** The electronic chirps and beeps of the [[spoiler: [[Platform/GameAndWatch Game & Watches]]]].
125*** Fox: What is wrong? What is noises?
126** Absolutely, the off-screen sound of [[spoiler: Ness' bat scraping on the ground.]]
127%%* HeroicNeutral: Captain Falcon.
128%%* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Bowser, Fox and Zelda. [[SenselessSacrifice Zelda's...didn't quite work.]]]]
129* HijackedByGanon: Both in terms of EnsembleDarkHorse and its original intent.
130** At the end of episode 10, [[spoiler:Kirby shows up and tells Ganondorf he did a good job of watching the butchers in his absence before lopping his head off with Meta Knight's sword.]]
131** It's amusing how much more often that trope is used when the man himself is in the work in question. [[spoiler:Ganondorf just can't seem to help himself from hijacking plots. It's what he ''does.'']]
132* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Samus]], of all people, but she uses her position (not ''that'' kind of position...) to gather information, and is a very handy source of connections for Luigi.
133* HopeSpot: In the final episode, [[spoiler: the previously impaled Link shoots Ganondorf with his light arrows, reveals he's at full health, shoots Ganondorf some more with the Master Sword...and then Ganondorf simply grabs him and [[YourHeadAsplode explodes his head]].]]
134* HotterAndSexier: There are at least two sex scenes in the first episode alone.
135* HowlOfSorrow: Wolf does this [[spoiler: as he lay dying.]]
136* HumanSacrifice:
137** [[spoiler:Olimar was about to take a knife to Falco for his cult when Mario showed up.]]
138** [[spoiler:Olimar tries to sacrifice Mario for his cult. He ends up using himself when Mario shatters his helmet.]]
139** [[spoiler: Bowser also implies that the reason for the specific M.O. for the killings was so that the trophies made from the victims could be used to control and empower the Game & Watches.]]
140%%* HypocriticalHeartwarming:
141%%-->'''Captain Falcon''': ''I may have held mercy for you... but there is only'' '''''one''''' ''fist that can bruise the face of my angel.'' '''''FALCOOOOOON... PUNCH!'''''
142* HypocriticalHumor: Saki speculates about whether Sheik is a woman or "one of those androgynous girlie dudes."
143-->'''Saki''': [[spoiler:''(To Marth, who would eventually lose his partner [[HoYay Ike]])'']] That might be something you want to look into! [[DudeNotFunny You're gonna be single soon, anyway, right...!?]]
144* INeedAFreakingDrink: Link in Episode 7. He doesn't bother with the line and has more than one source of ready alcohol on hand...
145* KarmaHoudini: By the end of the series, [[spoiler:Kirby is still on the loose.]] Given the [[CrapsackWorld overall tone]] of the series, it's not terribly surprising. Karma seems to have long since decided to take its business elsewhere.
146* KentBrockmanNews: Channel 8 Lakitu News. Not so much in the main storyline (where it provides mainly [[CoincidentalBroadcast background exposition]]), but the BreatherEpisode(s) play it for laughs.
147* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:Red]] is the only unequivocally ''good'' character throughout the entire series. So TheMafia [[KickTheDog blows up his house]] in the second-to-last episode.
148* LargeHam: Wario all the way, but also Ganondorf has some hammy antics. No wonder both of them stole the episodes they first appeared in.
149%%** Captain Falcon cranks the hamminess up to eleven in his appearance in Episode 7.
150%%* LeaveHimToMe: [[spoiler:Meta Knight to Kirby]] and [[spoiler:Link to Mario.]]
151* LibationForTheDead: [[spoiler:Fox pours a drink on the graves of Wolf and Falco]] before heading off the battle.
152* LickingTheBlade: Nana does this with a bloodied hammer.
153%%* LightFlickerTeleportation
154* LonelyFuneral: [[spoiler:Red]]'s funeral was only attended by [[spoiler: Leaf, Samus Aran, K.K. Slyder, and Barbara the Bat.]] Subverted by the fact that many other people loved him, but didn't attend his funeral because they were out [[spoiler:avenging his murder.]]
155%%* LoveTriangle:
156%%** Between Mario, Luigi, and Peach.
157%%** Zelda, Link and [[spoiler: Ganondorf, duh.]]
158* TheManBehindTheMan:
159** [[spoiler:Ganondorf was manipulating both Zelda, Olimar and the butcher(s)]] the whole time.
160** [[spoiler:The butcher(s) were manipulating Ganondorf back, on the orders of Kirby.]]
161* ManlyGay: [[VideoGame/FZero Captain Falcon]], who is [[VideoGame/KidIcarus Pit]]'s lover and ''extremely'' badass. "Maybe later you could come by and... [[{{Catchphrase}} show me your moves]]."
162%%* MeaningfulFuneral: [[spoiler:Red]]'s.
163* MindScrew: The series leaves constant clues in reference to the identity of the butcher; in Episode 9 we're led to believe [[spoiler:that it's Zelda]]. In Episode 10 the [[spoiler:butchers turn out to be Ness and Lucas (two characters that had gotten no direct clues associated with them and have only had four seconds of total screentime ''in the entire series'' before Episode 10)]].
164* MobWar: Between Bowser, Ganondorf, King [=Dedede=], and Mewtwo. By Episode 9, [[spoiler:only Ganondorf is left standing, and then it comes full circle when he's killed by Kirby, the original cause of the chaos.]]
165* TheMole: [[spoiler:Wario]] sells the main characters out to the corrupt police force.
166* MoralityKitchenSink: Farthest towards the "Hero" side would be [[TheStoic Luigi]] and [[spoiler: Red]], who genuinely want the best for the Mushroom Kingdom and its inhabitants, and work to solve the mysteries in the show ''without'' resorting to more extreme methods like [[FallenHero Mario or Link]]. Characters closer to the "Villain" side are people like Wario, who's only out for his own self-interests, then [[spoiler: Zelda]] who forcibly attempts to usurp the Kingdom's power, and finally [[spoiler:Kirby]] at the most extreme, who just likes killing people and sowing fear among the populace.
167%%* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Kirby.
168* MsFanservice: Samus does justice to the reputation bestowed upon the Zero Suit; Becky Young (her actress) lampshades this in the pre-finale behind-the-scenes video.
169* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
170** After Zelda [[spoiler:murders Link]] at the end of episode 9, episode 10 opens with her crying in the bathroom.
171** [[spoiler:''Ganondorf'' pulls this while watching the Butchers in action. Then they turn on him...]]
172* MythologyGag:
173** The identities of the serial killer's first victims: Pichu, [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade Roy]], and [[spoiler:Mewtwo]]. (They were playable in ''Melee'', but weren't included in ''Brawl''.)
174** ''VideoGame/DrMario'' is also brought up as Mario's failed medical practice. The pills Mario takes are from that game, and in the final episode, when Mario is suiting up, his doctor outfit is hanging next to his cape.
175** In episode 3, when Mario and Luigi are arguing, just after Luigi notices the pills Mario took, Mario pins Luigi against the wall, and you'll notice a poster for ''Film/SuperMarioBros1993''.
176** Luigi drinks from a Potion Flask from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2''.
177** Snake's ongoing love affair with his [[CompanionCube cardboard box]].
178** When Luigi unlocks his apartment door in episode 1, he uses a key from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'', a Phanto enemy from the same game appears behind him.
179** Blink-and-you'll-miss-it, there are two Zelda ones in a row: Link hurls his flask at Navi after one too many "Hey Listen"s InUniverse, and then in the next shot pulls another from his pocket. Multiple bottles, indeed.
180** Possibly unintentional, but in episode ten [[spoiler:Link only gets two shots of his full health magic sword off at Ganondorf. The cartoon show had Link proudly announce that ''three'' shots of the sword would finish Ganon.]]
181** Luigi wasn't capable of saving Daisy from Kirby in the backstory; Luigi wasn't playable in the one title (''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'') where Daisy needed saving.
182** Waluigi references his actual appearances in games in the order he does things, starting with holding a tennis racket (his first appearance was in ''Mario Tennis'') and then the ''VideoGame/MarioParty'' line (his next in-game appearance). A bit after that, Red then asks if Waluigi wants to go play go kart with him, which is the next game he appeared in. Finally, he says he has to go to play "Olympics" after giving Red a gift, [[VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames another game in which he appears.]]
183** In a sinister vein, the titular Brawl had its basis laid down due to Kirby's reign as the cannibal, and was kicked into motion with [[spoiler:Ness and Lucas' actions as the butchers. HAL Laboratories is responsible for the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games, the ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'' trilogy, and the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series. In fact, if you count Ness as different from Ninten, Kirby was created first, then Ness, then Lucas,]] and then ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''.
184** [[spoiler:The kids are from ''Videogame/{{Mother}}'', a game where everything starts looking childish and innocent,]] but ends up being full of NightmareFuel. [[spoiler:Lucas and Ness look nice at first,]] but it turns out they are not what they seem.
185** ''"They've been here since the beginning"'' [[spoiler: is said by Olimar when talking about Mr.G&W and R.O.B, two of Nintendo's first creations, which had practically dissapeared since TheEighties. When did they decide to return? In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', to kick asses!]] Hence the second part of the quote: ''"and they don't like what they see"''.
186** While taunting Luigi in Episode 9, Ganondorf tells him that "Captain [Falcon] and I, [[NotSoDifferentRemark we're a lot more similar than you think."]] In the games, Captain Falcon and Ganondorf have the same moveset.
187** Olimar is referred to as End Of Days. This is a reference to the he stars in ''Pikmin'' where you have 30 in game days to complete his ship, as well as his Final Smash in Super Smash Brothers Brawl, "End of Day".
188** In episode 9, Captain Falcon mentions that Pit is Samus's younger brother. VideoGame/KidIcarus and Franchise/{{Metroid}} were designed by the same person, made on the same engine, released on the same day, and even share an enemy (the Metroids/Kometo).
189* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Mario goes to root out the corruption in the police department and save his brother. He even uses the Master Key to open up and rescue everyone unfairly imprisoned... but he also ends up freeing Kirby. Oops. Kirby also takes the the Fire Flower that Mario was carrying around and dropped in the confusion, and uses it to burn Meta Knight. If not for Kirby getting hold of the Fire Flower there's at least a decent chance Meta Knight would have beaten him again.]]
190%%* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent
191* NotMeThisTime: Who's the butcher and/or kidnapper? [[AffablyEvil Bowser?]] [[HijackedByGanon Ganondorf?]] Everyone takes turns applying this, so we have no idea.
192%%* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:Link. Doesn't last long, though.]]
193* OldShame:
194** Mario very nearly goes [[BerserkButton berserk]] InUniverse when the addled Waluigi says at his arrival, ''"It's Mario... It's a '''Mario party!'''"''
195** Any mention of plumbers, for both Mario Brothers. Luigi is rather annoyed, but it's Mario's BerserkButton.
196* OneLastSmoke: In a form; the last thing [[spoiler:Red]] does is [[spoiler:give Luigi a Jigglypuff so he could listen to her singing. One last random act of kindness.]]
197* TheOner: In the finale, the scene where [[spoiler:Mario uses an Invincibility Star to pound his way through about twenty of Wario's goons for nearly a minute]] is shot without any breaks. A particularly impressive bit of work, considering the both the low-budget style of the series and the relatively complex fighting that ensues.
198* OneWomanWail: Or in this case, One-Pokémon Trainer Wail. [[spoiler:It provides the background for Peach's kidnapping.]] He does it again [[spoiler:over his own funeral and Yoshi's murder]].
199* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou:
200** Meta Knight seems to be this way with Kirby, seemingly dedicating his life to keeping guard over him. And then when Kirby escapes, Meta Knight responds to it by saying to Luigi; "He's mine... At last." before proceeding to fight him.
201** Mario seemed pretty angry after learning that Bowser was already dead before he had a chance to fight him personally.
202* PetTheDog: [[VideoGame/WarioLand Wario]] looks after his mentally handicapped brother, Waluigi. Of course, he later has Waluigi [[spoiler:assist in the murder of Red.]]
203* PoliceBrutality: [[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Ike]] [[VideoGame/FireEmblem and]] [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Marth]] go from a recurring ThoseTwoGuys duo to outright {{Jerkass}}es when they pick on a couple of homeless characters in Episode 4. The brutality [[FromBadToWorse gets worse]] from there.
204* PosthumousCharacter: A number of characters in ''WebVideo/ThereWillBeBrawl'' fall under this trope, but the really notable one is mob boss [[spoiler:[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Mewtwo]], who had been killed early on in the series, but was later revealed to have been the ones to cultivate the psychic powers of Ness and Lucas, who turn out to have been the serial killers all along.]]
205* PrivateEyeMonologue: Luigi's not a private eye, but his speeches narrate a good deal of the story in a similar fashion. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Bowser. "So you're a private dick now?"
206* RedemptionEqualsDeath: Link in the final episode by fighting Ganondorf. It could actually count as a DoubleSubversion, since he had an apparent HeelFaceDoorSlam in the previous episode, thanks to Zelda's (quite literal) backstabbing. However, he gets better just long enough to face down Ganondorf one final time as a true hero.
207* RedHerring:
208** The characters don't notice or mention it at all, but there's one directed toward the viewers in the form of [[spoiler:Jigglypuff. Red was seen conspicuously hiding her from the others a few times early on, which directly led to a few WildMassGuessing theories involving either Red or Jigglypuff being the murderer. Episode 9 reveals that both were innocent in [[ChildrenAreInnocent every sense of the word]], and Red was merely trying to keep Jigglypuff a surprise for Luigi until he finished training her to sing. ]]
209** [[spoiler:Bowser was innocent all along.]]
210** [[spoiler:Meta Knight wasn't the butcher; he was killed by Kirby, who turned out to be the BigBad, but not the butcher.]]
211** [[spoiler:Luigi's entire profile of the butcher as being "fast, and good with a blade" was wrong! The actual butchers didn't have any particularly notable speed (but did have PK Teleport in the games, though it was never referenced in any of the ten episodes) or proficiency with a blade, like many of the other characters do. They had ''a snake and a baseball bat'' and they disembowel their victims using psychic powers. The baseball bat was used to cause blunt force trauma and the snake was used to poison victims.]] Brilliantly, Kirby actually chastises Luigi for this and hints that he’s on the wrong track. Near everyone ignored this as Kirby just playing mind games.
212* ReminiscingAboutYourVictims: Kirby likes to taunt Luigi by fondly recalling how he ate Daisy.
213%%* RousingSpeech: Mario's "take back the kingdom" speech.
214* ScareChord: The music playing when [[VideoGame/{{Pikmin}} Olimar]] takes Luigi to his spaceship in Episode 5 sets the tone for what comes next. Once they enter the spaceship, the music gets creepier, and the [[PsychoStrings violin screeches]] when Olimar [[spoiler: kills and chops up the Pikmin, combined with their death screams]].
215%%* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Both [[VideoGame/SinAndPunishment Saki]] and [[VideoGame/GoldenSun Isaac]].
216* SeekerArchetype: Luigi, along with Badass Longcoat and Private Eye Monologue. He drives the plot with his inquiries into the disappearance of Princess Peach.
217%%* {{Seme}}: [[VideoGame/FZero Captain Falcon]]
218%%* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Mario is the manly man, Luigi is more sensitive.
219* SerialKiller:
220** Six years prior to the events of the series, Kirby was incarcerated for a cannibalistic killing spree.
221** [[spoiler: Ness and Lucas are the butchers hired by Kirby]].
222* ShoutOut:
223** ''[[Film/JurassicPark "Clever bitches..."]]''
224** [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} Who watches the Game & Watch?]] Not to mention a figure in a trenchcoat walking around the city constantly delivering an inner monologue and the shadows left by a Falcon Punch.
225** ''"Fuck it! We'll do it live!"'' [[spoiler:Creator/BillOReilly]]
226** "WellExcuseMePrincess!"
227** [[VideoGame/PunchOut Little Mac]] gets his bike stolen.
228** [[VideoGame/GoldenSun Isaac]] proclaims "we'll use ''force'' if necessary", "Force" being an oft used technique in the game he's from.
229** When Waluigi debuts, he's strumming a tennis racket and vocalizing the opening bars of [[Film/{{Deliverance}} Duelling Banjos]].
230** Ike: "[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl You'll get no sympathy from me]]."
231** Kirby: [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros "Hiiiiiii..."]]
232** At one point, Olimar's followers chant [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} "Blood for the Blood God!"]]
233** Luigi tells Mario: "There isn't a world for [[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes heroes, no more!]]"
234** Kirby is basically an {{Expy}} of [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter.]]
235** The way [[spoiler: Mario discovers Yoshi's death]] is a reference to the [[spoiler: Horsehead scene]] from ''The Godfather''.
236%% * ShowWithinAShow: Mushroom Kingdom News.
237* ShutUpHannibal:
238** By the time they meet in Episode 10, Luigi is in ''[[TalkToTheFist no mood whatsoever]]'' to put up with another one of [[spoiler:Ganondorf]]'s {{Hannibal Lecture}}s.
239** This happens twice, in fact. Once to Olimar "Cut the ''crazy''.", and once to the above "[[PunctuatedPounding I've had enough! Of your HEADGAMES!]]"
240* SiblingYinYang: Luigi is the smart one, and generally keeps a cool head. Mario is much more comfortable with a "hands-on approach", and has a pretty violent temper when pushed.
241%%* SinisterScrapingSound
242* SoundtrackDissonance: [[spoiler:Leaf plays a tape of Red singing a slower, almost melancholy rendition of the theme song for ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' ("Gotta Catch 'Em All") at Red's funeral.]] Considering the circumstances, it was almost an unintentional VideoWill.
243-->[[spoiler:'''Red:''']] So, uh... was I any good?
244* StraightGay: [[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Ike]] and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Marth.]] Unlike Captain Falcon and Pit, they could easily pass for HeterosexualLifePartners, if it wasn't for a few lines. The dancing together in a [[WhereEverybodyKnowsYourFlame gay bar]] was sort of a hint too.
245* TakeThat:
246** Sonic and Snake, the two non-Nintendo characters in the SSB series, are depicted as homeless and crippled, living in boxes in a back alley. The living arrangements, as noted above, are a reference to their CanonImmigrant status. The handicaps, on the other hand, are pure TakeThat.
247** There's a TakeThat in the first episode to nothing else but the Wii itself, with Luigi passing by a poster promoting ''VideoGame/WiiFit'' while narrating: "[[TheyChangedItNowItSucks Things aren't the same anymore.]]"
248** In the final episode, the entire story is heavily implied to be be a Take That to Nintendo's policies in marketing and game development, when End of Days mentions how the Nintendo Building is a monument to those who had long abandoned them. The NeglectfulPrecursors themes, the abandonment of the old "heroes and villains" dichotomy... perhaps a statement about Nintendo's apparent abandonment of old fan-favorite game styles to push for the non-gamer market?
249* TakeThatKiss: Ganondorf kissed [[spoiler: Zelda, after killing her and Link]] during the last episode.
250* TakingTheBullet:
251** [[spoiler:Fox pushed Marth out of the way of one of G&W's tentacles.]]
252** [[spoiler:Zelda tries to do this. It does not go well...]]
253* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Bowser, who's already been poisoned and is dying, uses a Bob-omb against a horde of Game & Watches to let Luigi escape.]]
254* ThirdLineSomeWaiting: How the plot eventually ties together.
255** Plot A: Luigi attempts to rescue Peach and salvage what's left of the kingdom, by finding and defeating the butcher.
256** Plot B: Mario is tired of how things have fallen after the glory days, and raises an army of allies to lash out at those he deems responsible.
257** Plot C: The chaos of the power void caused by the disintegrating mob balance, disappearance of the ruling princess, and power grabbing of the police force (Zelda, Link)
258** Plot D: The ever-present, yet seldom active, threat of the Butcher.
259%%* ThoseTwoGuys:
260%%** Marth and Ike.
261%%** After they get promoted to main characters, Isaac and Saki.
262* ThrowingTheFight: Dedede tells Mac that he's going down in the third round.
263* TitleDrop: Several indirect mentions; the title drop actually refers to the "brawl" that eventually erupts in the last episode. It also refers to the fact that the series is a dark AffectionateParody of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' as a whole. In order, it's mentioned by Luigi in the fourth episode, Dedede in the fifth, Olimar in the eighth, and [[spoiler:Bowser]] in the ninth.
264* TrademarkFavoriteFood: In Episode 4, Ike swats one of Sonic's trademark chili dogs out of his hands.
265* TrophyRoom: PlayedForHorror in Episode 10. The "trophies" are actually [[spoiler:bodies from the victims of the butchers such as Dedede, Mewtwo, Pichu, Roy, and Peach.]]
266%%* TheTwink: [[VideoGame/KidIcarus Pit]].
267%%* TykeBomb: [[spoiler: Lucas and Ness]]
268%%* {Uke}}: [[VideoGame/KidIcarus Pit]].
269* VerbalTic: Samus uses her preferred term of endearment, "sugar," at such a preposterous frequency that it qualifies.
270%% * VillainousBreakdown: Ganondorf, once he realizes [[spoiler: how much he's being used by Ness and Lucas.]]
271%% * TheVoiceless: The Ice Climbers (well, Popo technically has one speaking line in Episode 7), [[spoiler:Ness and Lucas]].
272* WellExcuseMePrincess: The phrase is used explicitly by Link to Zelda. The trope also applies, although to a much more extreme extent.
273* WhamEpisode:
274** The final episode comes along... [[spoiler:in which more than half of the remaining cast dies.]]
275** In Episode Nine, [[spoiler:Zelda stabbed Link and left him for dead, Bowser sacrificed himself so Luigi can escape his castle, and Red was killed in an explosion.]]
276** Oh, and apparently [[spoiler:''Ganondorf'']] was the one who actually kidnapped Peach, and is leading the [[spoiler:Game and Watches]], who ''themselves'' are really monsters from the beginning of time.
277** Before that, Episode Seven was very whammy as well: [[spoiler:Link didn't sanction the raid on Dedede, Red got arrested too, Kirby knows who the butcher is and ESCAPES FROM HIS CELL, Mario took on the whole police force, the other characters are finally aware of Zelda/Sheik's dual identity, and Captain Falcon incinerates Isaac and Saki with a Falcon Punch, BigDamnHeroes fashion. Your jaw was on the floor, admit it.]]
278* WhereEverybodyKnowsYourFlame: [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Tingle]] owns a place like this. Don't even bother acting surprised.
279* WideEyedIdealist: Red is either blissfully ignorant or in deep denial of the fact that Mushroom Kingdom has degenerated into a WretchedHive.
280* WretchedHive: The Mushroom Kingdom. If you're not an ObstructiveBureaucrat, then you're probably a petty criminal or in the pockets of TheMafia. Or sometimes all three.
281* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: In Episode 9, [[spoiler:Bowser verbatim states this after Luigi comes looking for Peach]].

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