# (7)Strider Hiryu vs (10)Raziel 2002

_source: (7)Strider Hiryu vs (10)Raziel 2002 (revid 88710)_

## Results

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2002

## Ulti's Analysis

- **Division:** South Division
- **Match \#:** 23
- **Match Date:** Tuesday, July 23rd, 2002
- **Vote difference:** 3,001
- **GameFAQs Prediction:** Strider - 55.79% (9,353 brackets)

The Jill/Kirby complaining was so bad that people forgot to realize that there was another match going on afterwards, and oddly enough, that match would wind up being the closest match thusfar in the contest.

Of course, one look at the final vote totals shows that this was one of those fodder vs fodder matches that no one but the bracketmakers cared about too much. Strider and Raziel have decent-sized fanbases, but both them and their games aren't exactly household names on GameFAQs. The result? A boring, low-scoring match that was barely in doubt despite how close it seemed. Strider had the match on lockdown the entire time, and despite the final vote totals being so close, that was a result of the low vote total moreso than Strider's difficulty in handling the match. This match was so low-scoring that Strider set the record for least impressive contest winner and held onto that record for quite a long time. Winning a match despite only scoring 30,000 votes says a lot about both characters, but more about Raziel. He may not have been favored to win the match, but his odds of winning the contest were far better than Strider's. Considering that this was a very winnable match for Raziel, him never being in it was a disappointment.

Even more of a disappointment however is the fact that despite Raziel's loss, Legacy of Kain has had future representation in contests while Strider has yet to return. Strider's one victory may have been against fodder, and he may be fodder himself, but there is no reason to lock Strider out of the contests while Kain is allowed to stink it up every year.

Fast forward to 2026, and our contests likely being over for good. Strider and Raziel both failed to ever return. Not even in the absurd bracket in 2013.

• **Previous Match**       • **Next Match**