Web Animation / Delusions of Grandeur (machinima)

Created by Big Game Productions, member of the Smash Bros. machinima group SmashingXIII, Delusions of Grandeur is a Machinima filmed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The series is The Remake of a series by razanak7, which was originally in filmed in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

For years, Fox McCloud was the undisputed champion of the Smash Bros. tournaments: his impressive winning streak led to him proclaiming himself the "King of Smash." But one day, he loses. He dismisses it as a fluke and is a bit miffed, but for the most part he gets over it. Then it continues: month after month, year after year, Fox gradually begins losing almost every single matchup. The constant losses contribute to a steady Sanity Slippage, and he suddenly vanishes after suffering one defeat too many. Then suddenly, fighters who were known to have defeated Fox begin mysteriously disappearing... and it all goes downhill from there.

The series would go on to release 6 episodes, the finale of the series being released March 14, 2021, a full year after its debut. The series can viewed here. And for those interested in viewing the original version filmed by razanak7, the completed series can be found here.

A prequel special, The Demon of Delusion, was released on November 5th, 2022. The plot follows a similar structure to Delusions of Grandeur: Arulo, the prince of the Kingdom of Drochal, is barred from inheriting his father's throne after demonstrating reckless behavior during a recent war. Eager to reclaim his birthright by any means, Arulo conspires with the demon Razanak (the same demon who manipulated Fox's schemes in the main series) to plot against both his own family and the kingdom at large.

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Tropes Found In Delusions of Grandeur

• Adaptation Expansion: The series greatly expands upon plot points and character developments in the original series, adding in a plethora of new or recontextualized scenes.
  • The most immediate change is that everyone talks now. The original series filmed in Melee conveyed dialogue through text and the occasional in-game voice clip.
  • The original series makes it quite blatant that it's set in a video game, with several characters commenting on mechanics specific to Melee. The remake removes all traces of these mentions, although it remains set during the period in which Melee was relevant (2001-2006, with the main events occurring toward the end of 2005).
  • Characters who had minor roles in the Melee series, like Link and Roy, are given more development. The remake also gives roles to characters that played no part in the original, like Falco and Mario.
  • Fox's Start of Darkness was only explained through a brief Info Dump in the original series. In the remake, it is conveyed through two separate montages—Fox maintaining his winning streak for several years, followed by the string of continuous losses which embittered him.
  • The original also implies that everyone is aware there's something wrong with Fox, as he'd been seen pacing around the same area for days on end and muttering to himself, but nobody really bothers with investigating it. The remake only makes everyone aware of something wrong when Falco reports Fox missing.
  • The search party the Smashers organize for Fox never occurs in the original: rather, Bowser takes it upon himself. He still remains the first Smasher to be brainwashed by Fox, however.
  • Pichu's death. As soon as he says his dying words in the Melee series, the scene immediately returns to the action: the consequences of it are only briefly mentioned in later episodes. In the remake, Pichu is given a proper funeral once Fox is exiled, and the characters' reactions are given more emphasis—in particular, Mewtwo develops PTSD from accidentally killing his friend and Pikachu initially blames himself for not keeping a closer eye on his younger brother.
  • Once Fox is exiled and made aware of Razanak's presence in the original series, he still expresses a desire for revenge before abruptly deciding to cut ties with the entity in their next appearance. The remake alleviates this by having Fox outright reject Razanak's influence once they meet, and struggles to avoid being controlled again from that point onward.
  • Razanak, aka the entity controlling Fox for part of the series, is given slightly more background. In the original, he was simply a recolored Fox with no motivation beyond wanting to be a god. In the remake, Razanak is a demonic creature of unknown origin (his appearance being updated to that of a red-colored Ridley reflects this) who has conquered and destroyed countless other worlds by manipulating others to his whims.
  • The original series has Razanak abduct every fighter except for Fox at the end, including Mewtwo. For no given reason, though, Mewtwo magically reappears in time to help Fox defeat the entity. The remake keeps Mewtwo and Fox paired up for the entirety of the final battle, and the duel with Razanak comes after a lengthy battle against several corrupted fighters.
  • In the original series' finale, Fox and Pichu are brought back to life following a complex ritual. To maintain a Bittersweet Ending, the remake keeps both of them dead (though their spirits briefly appear as Mewtwo prays for them in the Temple's cathedral).
• Adaptation Personality Change: Unlike most Smash Bros. machinima, the characters who are typically cast as villains—Bowser, Ganondorf and Mewtwo—are all benevolent individuals and undergo Adaptational Heroism. Mewtwo in particular is given lead status as The Hero. Conversely, Fox undergoes Adaptational Villainy and serves as the main antagonist.
• Another Dimension: Fox is exiled to one of these. According to Razanak, he has been banished to "the fringes of reality itself." In the finale, it's revealed to be Final Destination and is also called "the beginning and end of all things."
• Bittersweet Ending: While the heroes succeed in saving the world from Razanak and Fox completes his redemption arc, he sustains mortal injuries and dies not long after the battle ends. Roy also remains committed to retiring from the tournament scene, and Mewtwo decides to follow suit given how exhausting the entire ordeal has been on him.
• Book Ends: The series began and ended on the same day, with one year between them.
• Breather Episode: Episode 4 follows three episodes of Fox kidnapping Smashers and brainwashing them into his army, leading them into a battle against the remaining fighters which ultimately ends in Pichu's death. While it does touch upon the aftermath of those prior episodes, the plot mainly focuses with moving on from those events and it ends on a happy note.
• Broken Pedestal: Fox's actions cause everyone to lose all respect for him, though they take just enough pity on him to simply exile Fox rather than execute him. Falco takes it especially hard, given his close friendship/friendly rivalry he had with Fox.
  • Rebuilt Pedestal: However, once Mewtwo explains that Fox gave his life to save everyone from Razanak's corruption, the other fighters start to rethink their attitudes on Fox. While they won't ever forget the terrible things committed in his name, they're at least willing to remember Fox for the great fighter he once was.
• Brainwashed: Roughly half of the Smashers are subjected to this after Fox kidnaps them.
• Ceiling Smash: Mewtwo subjects Fox to this during their duel in the Temple's cathedral following Pichu's death. Fox is launched fast enough that he crashes through the roof.
• Close-Knit Community: The Smashers consider themselves a part of one, as they all get along rather well and are usually willing to lend a hand to those who need help. Most notably, they work to look for Fox when Falco reports him missing.
• Create Your Own Villain: Fox's downward spiral begins with Zelda, as her combative alter ego Sheik, defeating him in an exhibition. From there, the rest of the fighters gradually defeat Fox in tournaments over the span of several years. The straw that breaks the camel's back is when Bowser, who is ranked among the lowest of the low, defeats Fox relatively early on in a tourney—it is this incident which leads Fox to hatch his scheme.
• Creative Closing Credits: Every episode has a unique ending sequence which depicts events that happened prior to, during or after the events of the episode that weren't shown on-screen. Episode 1's end credits, for example, show Falco meeting with Zelda to discuss the search party for Fox.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: All three times Mewtwo duels Fox, though the first is only after he enters an Unstoppable Rage from Pichu dying in front of him. The latter two fights are after he's had months of honing his strength and skills, as well as going up against Fox after having spent weeks in exile with no training.
  • The final battle is initially this in favor of Razanak, since Mewtwo and Fox have no idea how to counter his fighting style. Once Mewtwo lands a devastating hit that cripples Razanak, the tables turn in his and Fox's favor.
• Curse Cut Short: Mario lets one off in the finale, once it seems like he just let Fox slip through his fingers alongside Mewtwo and the others.

  Mario: Son of a BIT-!

  Hard Cut to the next scene

• Fantastic Caste System: The tier list system. Unlike in other machinima series, such as Smash King, the system does not contribute to societal rank in any sense—it exists solely to provide rankings on the Smashers' performances in tournaments. Fox is the only fighter who is obsessed with retaining his position; lower tier characters like Mewtwo and Pichu express a healthy desire to improve their rank without thinking of glory, and for the most part the other competitors don't seem to give their tournament standings too much thought.
• Fighting Your Friend: The series opens on Mewtwo and Pichu sparring together, with the former coaching the latter on techniques that will help him improve. It's taken far more seriously in Episode 3, where several Smashers are forced to fight their Brainwashed and Crazy friends after Fox sics his army on them.
  • In the finale, Razanak abducts every fighter sans Mewtwo and Fox and forces the heroes to fight several corrupted versions of their friends. Earlier in the episode, Marth and Fox face a brainwashed Roy in order to give Zelda and Mewtwo a chance to retreat.
• From Bad to Worse: Things immediately start off bad, with Fox concocting his scheme in Episode 1 and beginning the process of abducting Smashers well into Episode 2. From there, Fox boldly declares his vengeance to the few Smashers he hadn't captured and sics his army of brainwashed fighters onto the innocent Smashers. While the ensuing battle ends in the heroes' favor, it's not before Pichu loses his life due to taking a shot meant for Fox. Mewtwo sums up the aftermath of these events quite well.
  Mewtwo: Friendships have been broken... partnerships strained... and unfortunately, a life was lost.
• Happier Home Movie: Pikachu has one of Pichu's birth, complete with cameos from their parents (their dad can be seen playing with the newborn Pichu, and it's implied that their mom is the one filming).
• Hilarious Outtakes: A blooper reel was released following the conclusion of the series. All of the characters are portrayed as Animated Actors, and additional gags are included to compliment the bloopers.
• I Want Them Alive!: Fox indicates this to his army of brainwashed fighters, in regards to the Smashers still opposing him. It's possible that he wants all the remaining Smashers under his control, or at the very least alive to worship him, but Fox still gives his minions permission to kill the others if necessary.
• Limited Wardrobe: Averted. Zelda, Marth and Roy all receive new outfits in Episode 5 to reflect the time skip, while background characters are given different attire in other episodes. Fox changes into a new outfit for the finale, with the excuse being that his prolonged exile left him in desperate need of a shower and a fresh outfit.
• Mythology Gag: A few are present:
  • Despite being filmed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the series (barring very few exceptions) makes use of characters & stages solely featured in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It is also set between 2001 and 2006, which is the timespan between Melee's release and the first reveal of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
  • Ganondorf and the Ice Climbers holding Home-Run Contest records is a nod to the fact that, at least in Melee, they are tied for the highest score. Unlike the games, however, Ganondorf's record is treated as a "true" solo record while the Ice Climbers count as a co-op record due to their teamwork.
  • The Happier Home Movie of Pichu's birth gives viewers a date of November 21st, 1996. The year is a reference to the Japanese release of Pokémon Red and Blue, while the month and day reference the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver (the games Pichu debuted in).
  • Episode 5 includes a brief nod to Super Smash Bros. Brawl by highlighting the first confirmed newcomers—Meta Knight, Pit, Wario and Snake—in a news story about the upcoming "Brawl" tournaments. Zero Suit Samus also makes brief appearances.
  • The finale has Mewtwo and Roy retiring from tournaments, as nods to their absence from the roster in Brawl. Cameos from more Brawl newcomers appear in the credits, with King Dedede, Ike, and Lucario getting the most focus (Sonic and Diddy Kong also appear as background characters). Lastly, Zelda is also seen in the credits with her hair dyed brown, referencing the Twilight Princess designs used for Brawl.
• Neck Lift: After Fox is sentenced to exile and boldly declares the world will know him as its king, Ganondorf Flame Chokes him out of rage. The only thing keeping Ganondorf from killing Fox then and there is Bowser, who says it isn't worth it.
• Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Though life returns to some semblance of normalcy by the time of Episode 4, it's made clear that most Smashers are still struggling to move on from Fox's betrayal and Pichu's death. Pikachu implies that many consider themselves guilty for a small part of Fox's downfall, and wonder if there was anything they could have done to prevent it.
• Pragmatic Adaptation: The original series filmed in Melee stretched the plot out over the course of 12 episodes which ran, on average, anywhere between 2-5 minutes in length. The remake, meanwhile, condenses multiple episodes' worth of story into one episode while also adding in plentiful new content. Episode 1 of the remake, for example, incorporates elements from the first 3 episodes of the original version.
• Outside-Context Problem: After Fox is exiled from the world of Melee, the demonic entity Razanak takes over as the main antagonist, with no forewarning other than he was the one who gifted Fox his newfound powers.
• Send in the Search Team: Falco requests the aid of the Smashers in finding Fox after he goes missing. As more and more fighters start disappearing due to Fox's machinations, the search effort becomes more urgent.
• Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Going off of comments made by Link, he considers Ganondorf to be one of these. Despite the Gerudo king undergoing a case of Adaptational Nice Guy, Link immediately accuses him of causing trouble when fighters begin vanishing.
• Sitting on the Roof: Fox made a habit of sitting on the roof of one of Fourside's buildings whenever he was in a miserable mood: this is even reflected in the first OP. Mewtwo goes to the same spot following Pichu's death, and sits atop Onett's pharmacy in the second OP and after Fox returns from exile.
• Thinking Up Portals: Ganondorf can create these, as is expected of a Gerudo warlock imbued with the Triforce of Power. Fox also uses portals to abduct Smashers into his army, as well as a means of teleportation, though this is really one of the powers given to him under Razanak.
• Time Skip: There is a one-month gap between Episode 3 and the beginning of Episode 4. By the end of Episode 4, two months have passed since the events of Episode 3.
  • Another one occurs between Episodes 4 and 5, which places Episode 5 six months after the events of 3. The beginning of the episode shows that for Fox, who is still in exile at that point, only a few weeks have passed since his banishment.
• Training Montage: Episode 4 features one where Pikachu has Mewtwo practice his Shadow Ball techniques.
• Wham Episode: Episode 3 is where everything comes to a head. Picking up immediately where Episode 2 left off, Fox boldly announces his revenge plot to the few remaining Smashers, then reveals that the abducted fighters have been brainwashed into his personal soldiers. An intense battle breaks out, and when Mewtwo goes to confront Fox, it inadvertently leads to the death of Pichu. From there, Fox is sent into exile... and it's only then that the demon Razanak emerges as the one who enabled Fox's scheme. Everyone is shaken up in the immediate aftermath, and while they do their best to move on, it's evident that Fox's betrayal scarred a lot of the Smashers to some extent.
  • The series takes things up to eleven even further. The final battle culminates in the reveal of Razanak, the demonic entity who had been orchestrating everything up to that point, and the death of Fox following the battle. Once things have returned to some semblance of normalcy, both Mewtwo and Roy officially retire as competitors, though they promise to continue supporting their friends as spectators.
• Year Outside, Hour Inside: Time flows differently in the dimension where Fox is exiled. While only a few weeks have passed for him, six months have passed for the rest of the Smashers.

Tropes Found In The Demon of Delusion

• Ambiguous Ending: In regards to Razanak leaving Drochal to start a new "game" elsewhere, it's open-ended as to whether he heads to another random universe to cause more havoc, or if he plans on targeting the world of the Smash Bros. tournaments, kicking off the events of Delusions of Grandeur.
• Antagonist Title: Razanak is the eponymous Demon of Delusion, and the events of the special occur due to his machinations.
• Barbarian Longhair: All barbarians have this to some extent, and many have a Beard of Barbarism as well.
• Brainwashed: Using Razanak's magic, Arulo builds an army of brainwashed barbarians and Drochallian soldiers to aid in his coup.
• Bloodless Carnage: Razanak violently mauls a Drochallian soldier during the siege of Drochal's capital, and while there are sound effects indicating the tearing of flesh, no blood is visible.
• Conlang: All barbarian characters speak in their own unique language. The only time any of them switch to English (or rather, Drochallian) is when they're interacting with Drochallian characters like Arulo.
• Call-Forward: When Razanak is walking away from a dying Arulo, the shot is almost identical to one of the flashbacks that plays when he gloats about all the worlds he's ravaged throughout his life.
• Darker and Edgier: To be expected from what's essentially an hour-long Villain Episode. The plot revolves around committing regicide, the main city is violently sacked during the climax, and every major character sans Razanak is dead by the end.
• Decapitated Army: After Odoacer is killed by Arulo, the remaining barbarians flee Drochal to regroup in one of their original strongholds.
• Downer Ending: Spurred on by Razanak's manipulations, Arulo lays siege to his own home and murders everyone who was ever close to him, betraying the kingdom he previously served loyally. When the guilt comes crashing down on him, Razanak puts Arulo out of his misery and leaves him to die amid the burning ruins of the capital.
• The Dreaded: Arulo and Odoacer are this to their respective enemies. When Arulo revisits the barbarians to recruit them as his new army, they're justifiably wary of his presence (with at least one fleeing in terror at the sight of him).
• Even Evil Has Standards: Arulo is outraged by the level of destruction his forces bring to the capital. He angrily blames Razanak for allowing this to happen, but Razanak quickly reminds him that Arulo gave the order to take the city through any means.
• "Everybody Dies" Ending: By the time the credits roll, Razanak is the only main character still standing.
• Exact Words: Arulo orders his army to "take the city by any means necessary." They end up doing so by massacring the populace and burning it to the ground, to Arulo's distaste.
• Foregone Conclusion: Drochal ultimately becomes one of the many civilizations brought to ruin by Razanak, who slips away without anyone catching on to his existence.
• Good Hair, Evil Hair: The Drochallian soldiers are either clean-shaven or have groomed facial hair, and their captains are shown with shorter haircuts. Contrast this to Odoacer and his barbarian forces, all of whom have Wild Hair and primarily sport fuller beards.
• The Good Kingdom: Drochal.
• Hollywood Tactics: Zig-Zagged. In the opening battle, neither the Drochallians nor the barbarians utilize any proper formation. When the garrison of Drochal's capital is deployed in the climax, though, they create suitable lines of defense and prepare to hold the bridge, making a pseudo-phalanx.
• Offered the Crown: Arulo is given this choice after Ereny plans to name him co-ruler. The offer almost snaps him out of his delusions, but Razanak uses a careful selection of words to keep Arulo under his control and complete the coup d'etat they already started.
• Old Soldier: One of the royal courtiers is this. Although implied to be retired, he still wears the same gold-plated armor that's worn by several other Drochallian captains.
• Rape, Pillage, and Burn: Drochal's capital is violently sacked and razed after Arulo lets his army loose.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Near the climax, Arulo switches from wearing blue and gold armor to black armor with a red cape.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: One of the signs that someone is actively under Razanak's possession.
• Rousing Speech: Arulo tends to give these either before or after a major battle, raising the morale of his troops.
• Short-Lived Leadership: Ereny's reign lasts all of one day before she's deposed by Arulo. Arulo's kingship is even shorter, as he's killed by Razanak minutes after proclaiming himself king.
• Sibling Rivalry: Though it's rather one-sided, since Arulo holds a lot of resentment toward Ereny whereas Ereny still loves her brother despite his flaws.
• The Siege: During the climax, Arulo and his army of brainwashed warriors assaults the Drochallian capital. Because of Razanak's magic enhancing their strength, the soldiers easily overwhelm the city's defenses and allow Arulo to enact the final stages of his coup.
• Standalone Episode: Officially a prequel to Delusions of Grandeur, but Razanak is the only thing linking the two together. Otherwise, The Demon of Delusion is its own self-contained story.
• Standard Royal Court: Three advisors are shown as members of Delex's court, and they're adamant in upholding the new line of succession despite Arulo's protests. While not explicitly stated to be a member, a royal priest also appears.
• Super-Soldier: The soldiers that Arulo and Razanak brainwash become these, due to being enhanced with Razanak's demon magic.
• Take It to the Bridge: In the opening battle, Arulo and his soldiers engage some barbarians on a bridge over a desert canyon. When Arulo and Razanak launch the coup against Ereny in the climax, their corrupted army fights against the Drochallian garrison on the bridge leading into the city.
• Tragic Mistake: Arulo makes three during the course of the special. He rejects Delex's apology to him, a chance to recant his denunciation of Drochal during Ereny's coronation, and Ereny's offer to be her co-ruler all because Razanak kept goading him on.
• Travel Montage: As Arulo and his men march from Drochal's northern border to the capital city.
• Villain Episode
• War Is Hell: Multiple characters, both Drochallian and barbarian, acknowledge the costs that their war has taken on them. Arulo is the only one who doesn't seem as bothered by it, because he views the war as his ticket to gaining credibility as Delex's heir.
• We All Die Someday: Spoken word-for-word by Arulo on a couple occasions. Acknowledging that everyone dies eventually, he regards his battles against the barbarians as simply hastening the inevitable. Razanak exploits this belief to convince Arulo to murder Delex and Ereny.

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