#going to upfront admit that i'm actually a bigger fan of linebeck being helpless during bellumbeck

[waywardsalt]

Bellumbeck is such an interesting final boss, because not only is it your ally, some of the bosses actions/details make it clear that Linebeck is fighting back. Retraining Ciela instead of killing her, using moves he's seen Link do, and more darkly in the manga - willing to destroy himself if it protects Link. Link is forced to fight not just an ancient evil - but one of the closest friends he's ever made besides Tetra, and one of the few adult figures he respects. To fight Linebeck is to potientially lose another mentor as was with The King of Red Lions

Bellumbeck is so… he really stands out from pretty much all of the other final bosses and its so cool- and it’s like you say, Bellumbeck is not just some final form of varying flavors of Evil Thing or a dangerous character whose defeat the world would benefit from, that’s your fucking friend. It doesn't feel heroic like other final bosses, it feels like a desperate fight for the survival of you and your friends.

Linebeck being capable of fighting back or otherwise resisting Bellum is an interesting one; definitely a fun way to give him some sort of agency or role to play, suggesting that he may be fighting against Bellum just as hard as Link is. I think I've seen some people suggest that the slight hesitation or pause before some of Bellumbeck's attacks may be caused by Linebeck trying to stop himself (like the manga shows him doing).

I absolutely ADORE the idea that Bellumbeck uses a spin attack because it's something that Linebeck has seen Link do. The idea that it might be unconscious, or something Bellum just happened to pick up on from Linebeck's memories... UGH it's good no matter how you justify it.

On the other hand, I personally don't see how Linebeck fighting back would've had an effect on Bellum restraining rather than killing Ciela. I understand stuff like a hitch in the attacks or unconsciously influencing what attacks are made, since all of that is stuff that Linebeck has a direct (though unwilling) hand in, but Bellum grabbing Ciela is something that... Bellum individually does. I don't imagine that Linebeck would be able to have any ability to influence what Bellum himself does, especially considering that even if he can affect the part he's directly involved in it's only ever a small effect. Bellum restraining rather than killing Ciela is, I think, a deliberate choice on Bellum's part without any input from Linebeck, and honestly even that way it's still interesting to think about.

The manga's take on events is interesting, especially with the idea that, to some degree, Linebeck was able to overpower Bellum in order to move how he wanted (even though it was clearly limited to only specific parts and with clear difficulty) and the idea that he'd do... well, anything he can to ensure Link's safety is pretty good.

The general concept of a Link having to fight a possessed person isn't really new and wasn't new when Phantom Hourglass rolled around, but I honestly think ph did it best, holy shit. Link having to fight a close friend and someone in a role akin to a mentor to him is already one hell of a devastating setup, but one extra thing I've seen others point out is that the Bellumbeck fight is the second time Link's be faced with a sword fight with another human, and he ended the first one by killing his opponent. So, that's a fun correlation for Link to make during this fight!

Bellumbeck is just... it's such a cool, unique battle even compared to the other final bosses, and while it may fall short in difficulty or gameplay, it has some fantastic music and all of the story and character surrounding it is honestly amazing.