Sword

Overview

Swords have been represented in games since 1976's Adventure. While they were initially only represented by a few pixels, they've evolved in complexity and importance as games have evolved. They have been included as central plot devices, incredible game-altering weapons, and even sentient beings. Swords have been depicted in a number of different ways, flaunting different abilities and allowing the player to use or attack with them in different ways; some swords slice, while others merely bash. Some swords are imbued with magic which can then be let loose at distant enemies, and some are combinations of swords and guns, which is, of course, completely crazy. Some swords have one blade, some swords have two. Some swords shoot fire, others swords shoot ice. The versatility of the sword cannot be understated.

Famous Game Swords

Many swords, especially impressive or important ones, become iconic of specific franchises and can reach legendary status among certain communities of players.

The Master Sword Possibly one of the most famous weapons of all time, the Master Sword has become an important and expected plot device of the Legend of Zelda franchise. Forged with the power of ancient magic, the sword is known as "The Blade of Evil's Bane" and can actively repel evil forces. Its abilities have changed over the course of the Zelda series, ranging from it being able to launch magical energy at a distance and deflecting enemy attacks to simply being a powerful melee weapon. Whatever its powers, the Master Sword is almost always the ultimate weapon the player uses to slay the Hyrulian agents of evil.

Frostmourne Arthas, together with Muradin Bronzebeard, set out an journey to find the runeblade, Frostmourne which he hoped would help him save his kingdom from the invading Scourge. When they reached the runeblade, they realized that it was cursed. Nevertheless, Arthas shattered the icy tomb encasing the runeblade and claimed it for himself. It granted him extreme power and helped him slay the dreadlord, Mal'Ganis. However, the damage was already done to him. He was hearing the word of the Lich King, communicating through the blade. Arthas' soul and body became more and more cursed. And in the end, he became the most loyal servant, the first Death Knight, to the Lich King.

Soul Edge The central sword of the Soul Calibur franchise, Soul Edge is a weapon of immense power used throughout countless battles and wars. After centuries of use the weapon had wrought so much death and destruction that it eventually gained an evil, dark soul of its own. Now it only hungers for the souls of the living. The only weapon that can possibly counter it is Soul Calibur. Soul Calibur Imbued with a holy soul of its own, Soul Calibur is the only weapon in the world that can counter the evil Soul Edge.

Buster Sword This is the signature weapon of Final Fantasy characters Zack Fair, and later Cloud Strife. The Buster Sword is a powerful weapon, as tall as a man, and able to be socketed with materia. Its popularity has led the weapon to be included in several Square Enix productions, including Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, as well as both Kingdom Hearts games.

Masamune The Masamune is an especially famous sword that appears in many games, including Chrono Trigger, the Onimusha series, and the Final Fantasy series. It can appear in many forms, such as a two-handed sword wielded by Frog in Chrono Trigger, or even the 10 foot long nodachi wielded by Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII, which he uses to kill Aeris. It is named after the famous swordsmith Masamune.

Gunblade Made popular as the weapon of choice for both protagonist and antagonist of Final Fantasy VIII, variations of the Gunblade have appeared in numerous Final Fantasy titles. The first type is not actually a gun at all, but is more similar to a vibroblade, causing additional damage when the wielder pulls the trigger just before striking an enemy with it. The second kind of gunblade actually fires projectiles and functions as a melee weapon.

Dragon Sword The magical katana wielded by the super ninja Ryu Hayabusa in the Ninja Gaiden franchise, the Dragon Sword is a weapon of awesome power. It was forged a thousand years in the past from the tooth of a dragon and was a gift to humanity to fight a demonic invasion.

Keyblade Semi-sentient weapons found within the Kingdom Hearts games, keyblades are essentially giant keys which are used for a variety of activities, including slicing or bashing up enemies. Additionally, they have the ability to seal a world from evil forces and they act as outlets for magical energy.

Energy Sword Sword seen in the Halo Universe and could be first used by Master Chief in Halo 2. The energy sword is a one hit kill in the Halo universe and is a very potent weapon in multiplayer. The only way to block an energy sword's attack is by using an energy sword lunge at the same time as the other player causing the attack to be negated.