Rivals of Aether

Rivals of Aether

235 ratings
Desperado
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File Size
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3.177 MB
Dec 23, 2023 @ 8:26am
Aug 20, 2024 @ 6:57pm
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Desperado

In 3 collections by mallow
TAG Direct Collection
6 items
Rivals 2 Contest Characters (Collection)
75 items
Cracked Crown Character List
54 items
Description
In the corner of the Vast Plains, far away from Julesvale, a less than fortunate mining settlement was left to rot after a dust bowl ravaged the place, known only as The Ghost Town.

Nearby locals tell a tale of an evil spirit that haunts the town with unfinished business. Go out after dark, or travel alone, and you might see glimpses of him, waiting for his next target. Known only by an alias, his name alone incites fear:

Desperado, the Remnant of Ash



Elemental Powers

  • LOCK N' LOAD - Desperado loads bullets into his gun using Jab, Down Special and Forward Special. The bullets increase his Heat, granting him more damage. With more than 3 bullets, certain moves become more powerful.
  • HEADLESS HUNTER - Desperado can throw his head using Forward Special. Pressing the button again while its out causes it to explode, which also happens when it's thrown by Up Special or Down Air.
  • DESPERATE MEASURES - Using Neutral Special with bullets causes him to unload every bullet, being an extremely powerful fullscreen projectile.

    ...
    ...

  • HEADSHOT - Burn your own soul. Mark your target. Take the shot.


Desperado is a Glass Cannon zone-breaker that keeps you out with large disjointed attacks, and can become incredibly powerful when left to his own devices, forcing enemies to get in fast. While hes light and on the slower side, managing when to fill your chamber with bullets and keeping opponents away with high up-time on Forward Special will be keys to success, being able to seal out stocks incredibly early with the use of Neutral Special when you have bullets.

When Desperado has more than 3 bullets in his chamber, he becomes Scorched, buffing a couple moves in specific ways. Back Air becomes larger and gains an incredibly powerful sweetspot, and Forward Tilt becomes an active multihit.

Forward Special throws his skull in a boomerang arc, which can be angled up or down. In addition to being able to press the button again while its out to detonate it, you can also grab it with Down Air or Up Special to throw it, causing it to explode after a brief delay. Finally, you can use Neutral Special to shoot it, which causes it to home at the enemy before shooting a single, powerful blast.



Profile
Desperado is a wicked ram spirit haunting a long-forgotten town in a desperate attempt to be remembered. In his life, he was a quiet inventor who studied the control over the Elements, working with his partner to create gadgets and tools during the Vast Plains' Expansion, during which towns like Julesvale were initially founded and populated.

Desperado spent time developing an extremely powerful and experimental weapon with his partner - the Firearm, which would go on to be very illegal and used by few outside of black market deals, being shunned for its ability to harness Fire without being a wielder of the element.

While developing the tool, the town was hit with a massive dust bowl, ravaging the entire landscape. After weeks of dwindling food supplies, in an act of greed and fear, Desperado attacked his partner, trying to steal the weapon they were working on together in order to leave the town behind and find a way out by any means necessary. However, he was too weak, and was shot by the weapon, becoming the first casualty; of which his partner went on to take the credit, selling the blueprints and leaving Desperado's true name to be forgotten.

In a state of eternal unrest, his Burning Soul lives on, clinging onto life as much as he can. With his only mission to be remembered, in a cruel twist of irony, he ended up getting his wish: The story of Desperado lives on in infamy, as a humiliating and cautionary tale.




Credits

Art: Mallow
Code: Sheargrub (Extra thanks to Sheargrub, couldn't have done it without you!)
Preview: Reiga
Music: Ultrakill / Heaven Pierce Her

..and so he left, with his pyrrhic plunder.
50 Comments
KORKYBN Apr 23 @ 1:10pm 
I think Desperado might be my favorite character for the rivals 2 contest (if its not for that then i think its still a really good and cool :steamthumbsup:oc character
MeanToast Mar 12 @ 1:35am 
all jokes aside i love this character lol
MeanToast Mar 12 @ 1:34am 
ladder combos........
Thelt122 Feb 7 @ 11:12am 
ok hes got some insane combo game a cool mechanic and a cool taunt this is peak
Verman (Blessed with hearing) Dec 1, 2024 @ 1:15am 
Genuinely one of the most fun OC characters I’ve ever played
mallow  [author] Nov 3, 2024 @ 12:18pm 
gerudo valley, raccoon city, and Red
Six flags Rhodesia Nov 2, 2024 @ 9:09pm 
Can you post a list of the stages from the preview images?
S.I.L. Jul 12, 2024 @ 7:35pm 
Overall, he's a blast and a half to play and watch; and he's definitely gonna be a regular pick of mine.

Now, my standard question:
Do you have a headcanon voice for our outlaw here; and if so, what is it?
Personally, I've been imagining a similar voice to Ed Bosco's voice as Striker in a YouTube adult's animated series, Helluva Boss; but with an added echo to make his voice more haunting.
S.I.L. Jul 12, 2024 @ 7:31pm 
As for his design:

As I stated: it's relatively simple; but by no means bad. He has this weird "fan favorite villain" energy to him that I really like. The way he's handled and animated really stress his spectral influence; and give him a presence that's both haunting and intimidating. His skins don't only all look great; but they have such cool names along with them, which is so unimportant; yet so fulfilling for some reason. I love that he can put I wanted sign of his opponent; and blow it to bits any time he wants. A silent demonstration that he couldn't care about you if he tried. He exudes a relentless determination and general disapproval of everyone around him; and I love it.
S.I.L. Jul 12, 2024 @ 7:24pm 
Here to leave my thoughts on this character in a (probably) too in depth way:

I can't be sure why; but I had sort of low expectation for this guy. I don't know if it was the relatively simple design or what; but I wasn't expecting much from him. So, that was incorrect.

very

incorrect.

After playing against a bunch of CPUs and finding out all the crazy stuff this cowboy can rope his targets into, I started having, what we call in the industry, a "rootin', tootin' good time!"
This guy has some some seriously fun and satisfying combos that I can't get enough of; and his ammo system adds a layer of strategy and opportunism that I really wasn't expecting. Not to mention his general unpredictability, as he can suddenly change up his game & get you tangled up in a juggle you didn't know could happen.