Here are some of my candidates, starting with the obviousish:
- 1. Covenant vs. the Despiser/Illearth Stone, TPTP. A beam duel before Dragonball Z made the style of fighting famous (at least I think that show made this style famous, but what do I really know? Not a hell of a whole lot when it comes to this exact point). A weird but profound salvation-by-laughter. And then the TCTC scene I may or may not have visualized more often than any other (to the tune of Angels and Airwaves, "The Adventure," of all things...): the destruction of the Illearth Stone.
2. ... vs. the Despiser, Linden vs. the Sunbane, WGW. Enough said.
3. ... vs. the Despiser, ... vs. Her, TLD. Though I may be in some kind of minority on this one, I really, really, really effin' loved these showdowns. Smashing!
4. Rand vs. the Dark One, AMoL. It goes on for what, hundreds of damn pages?! Thank the Light! More or less what I hoped for, if not as meaningful as it might've been. (I'm not usually or personally a fan of "evil must always exist somehow to balance with good" kind of talk, but whatever.)
5. Shea Ohmsford vs. the Warlock Lord, TSoS. Actually I don't remember it too well, but it seemed at least clever, even if the Warlock Lord talked all in capslock like the Dark One would come to.
6. Brin Ohmsford vs. the Ildatch, TWoS. Once more, enough said.
7. Whoever Ohmsford vs. the Shadowen horde, TToS. Especially when the magic is released back into the Four Lands and starts replenishing the countryside, I was like hell yeah!
8. Nausicaä and Ohma vs. the Grave of Shuwa, NotVoW volume 7. Although when I first read it I was terribly disappointed that the title character appeared to randomly forsake her desire not to kill other living creatures (justifying what even she herself identified as a sin in part by describing the to-me obviously living Grave as "not a real living thing" or whatever), over the years I've reconciled myself to the fact that the scene is still, for better or worse, totally f--king awesome.
EDIT: Dear God, how could I forget?!
- 9. Vin, Elend, and Sazed vs. Ruin, THoA. Absolutely enough said.
