The sword is a weapon that is almost as old as civilization itself. Across the planet, blades of all shapes and sizes became the de facto weapon for hunters and soldiers, and their presence began to spread to media. Stories and plays made regular use of swords, so their inclusion in video games was merely a matter of when not if.
While many games relegate swords to being one of many weapons for a player to choose from, some have showcased swords that have passed into the realms of legend. Monster slayers, god killers, and game-changers, some blades have become icons unto themselves and serve as faces of the franchises that birthed them.
10 Aerondight – The Witcher
A monster-hunting blade of silver, the stuff of legends in the world of The Witcher. Less effective against mortal men, the weapon is a physical embodiment of what the Witchers stand for in a world of ravenous monsters and demonic entities.
Geralt of Rivia would be knighted with this blade and wield it repeatedly during his career as a monster hunter. Aerondight was often the last thing a monster saw that dared to cross Geralt and the player.
9 Blades of Chaos – God of War
Non-traditional blades made to serve in non-traditional combat. The Blades of Chaos became the signature weapon of Kratos during the original run of the God of War series as he tore through ancient Greek and Roman deities and their hordes of minions.
From lowly demigods to Zeus himself, the Blades of Chaos brought havoc and death to all that stood in the way of Kratos on his path of revenge for the death of his family. Even in the distant future during his war against the Nordic pantheon, the Blades of Chaos are still around, calling for Kratos to add them to his arsenal once more.
Oftentimes, in-game lore has to be put on the backseat for the sake of gameplay. While not perfect, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is far better than most in this regard. Raiden’s customized Katana can cut through most non-building objects in the game world, including massive trees and entire cars, helping to immerse players further when they turn the weapon towards multi-story Metal Gears, nanomachine-enhanced politicians and self-bisecting ninjas espousing the cultural power of memes.
The boss battles of Metal Gear Rising keep players on their toes, each demanding a different fighting style that changes the pace of combat, and with a knowledgeable player, the katana can easily keep pace. In a world as violent, self-aware, and packed with political stand-ins for real-world issues and events, Raiden’s Katana can cut through the worst of it with ease and style. Who needs the Rules of Nature when your sword defies physics?
7 Keyblades – Kingdom Hearts
Ever try lockpicking a door with a key? With three mainline entries and plenty of spinoff tales under its multiple belts, the Kingdom Hearts franchise has always had the Keyblades as the player’s primary weapon against the forces of the Darkness.
If it’s good enough for Goofy, Sora and Buzz Lightyear, then it’s good enough to beat out the competition of any shape or size. As unusual as a massive set of keys may be in any other medium, video games allow them to become icons of a beloved franchise that can beat back the eternal darkness that tries to creep forth.
6 Lightsabers – Star Wars
Not a video game in origin, but a frequent weapon for players regardless. The lightsabers of Sith and Jedi alike have featured in fighting games, third-person action RPGs, Souls-Like games, and class-shooters for over twenty years in the Star Wars universe with staggering results.
Players have been on both ends of these crystal-powered blades, making the sight and sound of them as memorable in-game as they are on-screen. In a galaxy far, far away, there’s little that can outpace the usefulness of a blade that can cut through a ship’s hull like butter.
5 Diamond Sword – Minecraft
The apple of the mind’s eye for millions of people, and the desired end goal weapon for Minecraft players. The strongest default weapon in the game, Diamond Swords can become even more powerful with enchantments and additions that have been added to the game over time, further cementing the weapon’s versatility.
With toys, posters, and books aplenty, Minecraft and the Diamond Sword go hand in hand in and out of the game itself, proving its longevity in the hearts and minds of players, professional and casual. Whether it’s combating zombies in abandoned mines or other players in a PVP setting, if it’s not a Diamond Sword, it’s not worth the hassle.
4 Buster Sword – Final Fantasy VII
The larger and more impractical, the cooler it’ll look when players put it to good use. One of the most iconic swords of not just video games, but media in general, thanks to its extensive use in Final Fantasy VII in-game and in promotional material, magazines, and posters.
Seeing such a powerful and unique weapon be brought to the forefront helped make the Final Fantasy series stand out amidst the slew of Japanese-produced content that began pouring into the western market in the 1990s. In the hands of Cloud and the player, the Buster Sword can carve through hordes of opponents with finesse and grace that compliments the sword’s massive stature.
3 Frostmourne – World of Warcraft
The soul-shattering longsword of the dreaded Lich King, and one of the most desired and well-known weapons in World of Warcraft. With a series of high stake quests to free the countless souls trapped inside its blade, millions of players forged memories alongside their peers as they traversed the world to rid this weapon of the harm it had done.
If a sword and its story are known by so many, what else could it be called besides a legend?
2 Energy Sword – Halo
The king of the Infection game mode, the birth of map-hopping, and the one weapon everyone in the game will fight over. The energy sword of the Halo franchise is a modern rendition of an ancient sword from the Elite’s Pre-Covenant history, and it’s one of the few weapons that can easily cut through a Spartan’s high-tech Mjolnir power armor. In Halo 2, the weapon became infamous for being able to glitch its melee range to fly across entire multiplayer maps in the blink of an eye.
Starting with Halo 3 and continuing in the present with Halo Infinite, the Energy Sword would become prominent in the Halo community with the introduction of the Infection game mode, pitting a team of sword-wielding zombies against shotgun-wielding survivors. The mode became wildly popular and went from a rotating game mode in Halo 3 to becoming a mainstay, dedicated mode in Halo Reach, 4 and 5, with Infinite adding the mode sometime during 2023. With an abundance of appearances in games, media, and merchandise, the Energy Sword is just as much the face of the franchise as Master Chief himself.
1 The Master Sword – The Legend of Zelda
While not the first sword to appear in a video game, and not even the first sword in games to gain public notoriety, the Master Sword has outlived its predecessors and has become an icon of pop culture independent of the Legend of Zelda series itself. Time and time again, the Master Sword has been wielded by a hero named Link across timelines and eras when Hyrule comes under threat and not once has it failed to deliver.
From the forces of Ganon to the moon itself threatening to crash into the earth, the Master Sword has served Link, and players, dutifully and with a beautiful design for nearly 4 decades and shows no sign of slowing down.
