List of magical weapons
This is a list of magical weapons from fiction and folklore. A magical weapon is one that is directly described as such in the work; or one that has obvious fantastic or supernatural qualities.
In folklore
Further information: List of mythological objects § Weapons
- Sword Kladenets – a fabulous magic sword in some Old Russian fairy tales.
- Dyrnwyn – Sword of Rhydderch Hael in Welsh legend; When drawn, it blazed with fire; if drawn by a worthy man, the fire would help him in his cause, but its fire would burn the man who drew it for an unworthy purpose.
- Hrunting and Nægling – Beowulf's magical swords.
- Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar – Legendary Persian sword.
- Skofnung – sword of legendary Danish king Hrólf Kraki.
- Thunderbolt – as wielded by various mythological deities such as Zeus.
- Vajra – A composite weapon made from the bones of a willing sage used by Indra.
- Gan Jiang and Mo Ye - Legendary Chinese twin swords named after their creators.
- Sharur - the enchanted talking mace of Ninurta, Sumerian god
- Ruyi Jingu Bang - Magical staff wielded by the Monkey King Sun Wukong in Chinese classic Journey to the West
- The Jem of Kukulkan - the Mayan Serpents Jem has the ability to control all elements. Like fire, wind, and ice, though the Serpent only has the wind jem.
Indian mythology
- Arrow of Brahma - The arrow given by the sage Agastya to Rama (seventh avatar of Vishnu) and was used to kill Ravana.
- Asi - A legendary divine lotus sword created in ancient times as the first weapon to destroy the enemies of the gods and restore dharma.
- Astra - Divine celestial weapons with devastating impacts which could be invoked by reciting mantras and forming hand signs.
- Chandrahas - In the Hindu epic Ramayana, the Chandrahas sword is an indestructible sword that Lord Shiva gifts Ravana.
- Chentu - A horse whip which looks like a crooked stick, and is a typical attribute of Aiyanar, Krishna in his aspect as Rajagopala, and Shiva with Nandi.
- Gada - A mace used by the Monkey God Hanuman.
- Gandiva - An indestructible bow with a 100 strings created by Brahma and later used by Arjuna.
- Halayudha - A plough used as a weapon by Balarama.
- Kaladanda - the staff of Death is a special and lethal club used by the God Yama or God of Naraka or Hell in Hindu mythology. It was the ultimate weapon; once fired it would kill anybody before it no matter what boons he had to protect himself.
- Kaumodaki - The Gada (mace) of the Hindu god Vishnu.
- Kaundinya's bow - A magic bow wielded by the Brahman Kaundinya I, who used it to make the Naga princess Soma fall in love with him.
- Khaṭvāṅga - In Hinduism, the god Shiva-Rudra carried the khatvāṅga as a staff weapon and are thus referred to as khatvāṅgīs.
- Kodandam - Rama's bow.
- Mace of Bhima - A club that was presented by Mayasura. It was a weapon of Danavas King Vrishaparva.
- Nandaka - Nandaka or Nandaki is the sword of the Hindu god Vishnu.
- Parashu - The parashu is the weapon of the god Shiva who gave it to Parashurama, sixth avatar of Vishnu, whose name means "Rama with the axe".
- Pasha - A supernatural weapon depicted in Hindu iconography. Hindu deities such as Ganesha, Yama and Varuna are depicted with the pasha in their hands. The pasha is used to bind a foe's arms and legs or for hunting animals.
- Pattayudha - The divine sword of Lord Virabhadra, commander of Lord Shiva's armies.
- Pinaka - The great bow of Shiva, arrows fired from the bow could not be intercepted.
- Sharanga - The bow of the Hindu God Vishnu.
- Sharkha - The bow of Krishna, eight avatar of Vishnu.
- Shiva Dhanush (Shiva's bow) - A bow given by Shiva to Janaka and broken by Rama during Sita's swayamvara.
- Sudarshana Chakra - The legendary discus of Vishnu, which cannot be stopped by anyone, except by Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. It has tremendous occult and spiritual powers, by which it is able to destroy anything.
- Teen Baan - Shiva gave Barbarika three infallible arrows (Teen Baan). A single arrow was enough to destroy all opponents in any war, and it would then return to Barbarika's quiver.
- Trident of Madhu - It was given as a boon by Shiva to Madhu, a Rakshasa. Then he gave it to his son Lavanasura. It was a very powerful weapon. It destroys anyone who directly fights with its master.
- Trishula - The trident of Shiva, stylized by some as used as a missile weapon and often included a crossed stabilizer to facilitate flight when thrown. Considered to be the most powerful weapon.
- Vajra - A lightning thunderbolt wielded by Indra, the god of rain and thunderstorms.
- Vasavi Shakti - The magical dart of Indra. Used by Karna against Ghatotkacha in the Mahabharata war.
- Vel - Vel is a divine javelin (spear) associated with the Hindu war god Karthikeya.
- Vijaya - The bow of Karna, one of the greatest hero of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.The bow of Indra is also called Vijaya.
Islamic mythology
- Zulfiqar - A sword sent from the Heavens to the Prophet Muhammad and given to Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Norse mythology
- Angurvadal (Stream of Anguish) - A magical sword of Viking, and later Frithiof. The sword was inscribed with Runic letters, which blazed in time of war, but gleamed with a dim light in time of peace.
- Dáinsleif - King Högni's sword that gave wounds that never healed and could not be unsheathed without killing a man.
- Dragvandil - The sword of Egill Skallagrímsson.
- Forseti's axe (also Fosite's axe) - A golden battle axe that Forseti (or Fosite in the Frisian mythology) used to save the old sages of the wreck and then threw the axe to an island to bring forth a source of water.
- Freyr's sword - A magic sword which fought on its own. It might be Lævateinn. Some sources also refer to it as Sumarbrand.
- Gambanteinn - A sword which appears in two poems in the Poetic Edda
- Gram – Sword of the hero Sigurd from Norse mythology, also known as Nothung in the Ring cycle
- Gríðarvölr - A magical staff given to Thor by Gríðr so he could kill the giant Geirröd.
- Gungnir – Odin's spear created by the dwarf Dvalinn. The spear is described as being so well balanced that it could strike any target, no matter the skill or strength of the wielder.
- Hǫfuð - The sword of Heimdallr, the guardian of Bifröst.
- Hrotti – Hrotti is a sword in the Völsung cycle (Fáfnismál, Völsunga saga, 20). It was a part of Fáfnir's treasure, which Sigurðr took after he slew the dragon.
- Ichaival - A bow possessed by Odin. Another source said it was came from Ydalir, the home of the god Ullr. It possessed the power of each pull of just one arrow will release ten arrows.
- Lævateinn – A weapon mentioned in Fjölsvinnsmál by Sophus Bugge. Wielded by the monster, Surt.
- Legbiter - The sword of Magnus III of Norway.
- Mistilteinn - The magical sword of Prainn, the draugr, later owned by Hromundr Gripsson and it could never go blunt.
- Mjölnir – The hammer of Thor. It was invulnerable and when thrown it would return to the user's hand.
- Quern-biter - Sword of Haakon I of Norway and his follower, Thoralf Skolinson the Strong, said to be sharp enough to cut through quernstones.
- Ridill (also Refil) - Sword of the dwarf Regin.
- Skofnung - The legendary sword of Danish king Hrólf Kraki. It was renowned for supernatural sharpness and hardness, as well as for being imbued with the spirits of the king's twelve faithful berserker bodyguards.
- Tyrfing – A sword made by dwarves in the Elder Edda.
- Freyr's Sword - Freyr's sword that was so good that it fought by itself. Given to Skirnir in exchange for courting the Giantess Gerd on his behalf.
Irish mythology
- Fragarach – Sword of the god of the seas Manannan mac Lir and later Lugh in Irish legend; it was said to be a weapon that no armour could stop.
- Caladbolg – Two-handed sword of Fergus mac Róich in Irish legend; said to make a circle like an arc of rainbow when swung, and to have the power to cleave the tops from the hills.
- Moralltach (Great Fury) – a highly lethal sword belonging to Aengus, which left no stroke or blow unfinished at the first trial. Aoegus eventually gave to his foster-son Diarmuid Ua Duibhne along with a second sword of less power, the Beagalltach (Little Fury).
- Gáe Buide and Gáe Derg – Spears of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, given to him by Aengus. The yellow spear Gáe Buide was said to inflict wounds from which none could recover; the red spear Gáe Derg can destroy any magic that touches its head.
- Claíomh Solais – Sword of Nuada, the king of the gods in Irish mythology; in legend, the sword glowed with the light of the sun and was irresistible in battle, having the power to cut his enemies in half.
- Gáe Bulg – Spear of Cúchulainn; made from the bones of a sea monster.
- Spear of Lugh – Spear of Lugh, the champion of the gods in Irish mythology.
Arthurian legend
- Excalibur - The sword King Arthur got from the lady of the lake.
- Caliburn – The sword King Arthur pulled from the stone.
- Clarent – King Arthur's sword of peace. Also known as the Coward's Blade, as it is the sword Mordred, his son, stole and later used to kill King Arthur.
- Carnwennan - King Arthur's dagger, sometimes described to shroud the user in shadow.
- Rhongomiant - King Arthur's Spear
The Song of Roland
- Almace – The sword of Archbishop Turpin.
- Durendal – Indestructible sword of Roland.
- Hauteclere – The sword of Oliver.
- Joyeuse – Charlemagne's personal sword.
Japanese folklore
- Ame-no-nuboko – Japanese halberd which formed the first island.
- Kusanagi – Legendary Japanese sword.
- Tonbogiri – One of three legendary spears created by the famed swordsmith Masazane. It is said to be so sharp that a dragonfly landing on the edge would be instantly cut in half. This is the origin of the name.
- Honjo Masamune - A legendary and very real Japanese sword (with alleged mythical abilities), created by Japan's greatest swordsmith, Goro Nyudo Masamune. The Masamune sword is by far the most referenced Japanese sword in popular fiction, ranging through books, movies and computer games.
Spanish folklore
- Tizona - the sword of El Cid, it frightens unworthy opponents, as shown in the heroic poem Cantar de Mio Cid.[1]
- Colada - the other sword of El Cid, as Tizona its power depends on the warrior that wields it.[1]
- The lance of Olyndicus, the celtiberians' war chief who fought against Rome. According to Florus, he wielded a silver lance that was sent to him by the gods from the sky.[2]
In novels
- Anaklusmos (Riptide) - The sword used by Perseus (Percy) Jackson in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
- Axe of Hereward in Charles Kingsley's 1866 novel Hereward the Wake.[3]
- Brisingr - The Rider sword that Eragon uses in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
- Callandor – The sword that is not a sword, a powerful sa'angreal in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.
- Charon's Claw – Powerful sword from the Forgotten Realms series.
- Curoch - The Blade of Power from The Night Angel Trilogy.
- The Darksword – Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Darksword trilogy.
- Heosphoros - The Morgenstern family sword, owned by Clarissa 'Clary' Fray in the The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
- Grayswandir – The magic sword wielded by Corwin in The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. Sister blade of Werewindle.
- Frakir - Merlin's magically sentient garotte from the second Chronicles of Amber, also by Roger Zelazny.
- Nehima – Lirael and Abhorsen by Garth Nix.
- Ruyi Jingu Bang – A magical staff wielded by Sun Wukong in Journey to the West.
- Snaga, the Sender - The great axe of Druss, the Legend, from the Drenai Series by David Gemmel.
- The Swords of Night and Day - The twin blades of Skilgannon, The Damned, from the Drenai Series by David Gemmell.
- Sword of Gryffindor – In the Harry Potter series, a sword that was previously owned by Godric Gryffindor. Has the power to reveal itself to any worthy Gryffindor student in a time of need. In the novels, reveals itself to Harry and Neville Longbottom.
- Sword of Martin the Warrior – Weapon from the Redwall series of novels by Brian Jacques. Forged from a fallen star by a badger ruler. It appears to be unbreakable.
- The Sword of Shannara – The sword enchanted by the druids to reveal truth in Terry Brooks novels.
- The Sword of Truth – The sword wielded by the Seeker of Truth in the Terry Goodkind novels.
- The Vorpal Sword in the poem Jabberwocky in Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.
- Vasilis, the sword of light and darkness in the Fablehaven series, by Brandon Mull
- Werewindle – The magic sword wielded by Brand in The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. Sister blade of Grayswandir.
- Malachai Sword- the sword Nick uses to fight in the Chronicles of Nick series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
The works of J. R. R. Tolkien
See also: List of Middle-earth weapons and armour
- Anglachel – One of the two swords forged by Eöl the Dark Elf out of a black iron meteorite. It is said to be able to cleave any iron from within the earth. Anglachel appears to be a sentient sword that speaks on occasion and has some will of its own.[4]
- Glamdring, Orcrist and Sting – High-Elven swords; glow with a blue or white flame when Orcs are near. These are obtained during the events of The Hobbit and are carried respectively by Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo Baggins. Sting is later passed onto the latter's nephew Frodo Baggins.[5]
- Morgul-blade – Magical poisoned dagger wielded by Nazgûl.[5]
- Caudimordax – This sword cannot be sheathed when a dragon comes within five miles of its bearer's presence.[6]
- Andúril/Narsil – The sword of Elendil that was used by Isildur to cut the One Ring from Sauron (Narsil) reforged several ages later by Elrond (Andúril); the reforging of the shards was foretold as a sign of the coming of the true King of Gondor.
- Aiglos – The spear with which the Elven king Gil-galad went to war.
The works of Michael Moorcock
- Mournblade – An enchanted blade from Michael Moorcock's Elric stories, twin to Stormbringer.
- Kanajana - The sword of Erekose.
- The Runestaff - A magical staff in Moorcock's Dorian Hawkmoon novels which preserves the Cosmic Balance.
- Stormbringer - One of the two vampiric black runeswords inherited by the Melnibonean kings. Wielded by Elric of Melnibone.
- The Sword of the Dawn - A magical blade in Moorcock's Dorian Hawkmoon novels.
In comics and graphic novels
- Ebony Blade – Marvel Comics
- Soulsword – Marvel Comics
- Kevin Matchstick's magical baseball bat, Excalibur - Comico/Image Comics
- Dragonslayer- A huge sword wielded by the protagonist of Berserk
In role-playing games
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game with many unique magical weapons.
- Axe of the Dwarvish Lords (Greyhawk campaign setting)
- Craven's Edge (Critical Role)
- Hammer of Kharas (Dragonlance campaign setting)
- Dragonlance (Dragonlance campaign setting)
- Dragonslayer (Dragonlance campaign setting)
- The Brightblade (Dragonlance campaign setting)
- Staff of Magius (Dragonlance campaign setting)
- Mace of Cuthbert (Greyhawk campaign setting)
- Spear of Vix
- Sword of Kas (Greyhawk campaign setting)
- various adamant (or similarly termed) weapons
- various mithril weapons.
- Hypernova Sword(Dragon Quest 9)
In video and computer games
Magic weapons are a staple of fantasy video games.
- The Silver Sword of Gith - Neverwinter Nights 2. A legendary shattered blade whose shards are collected and eventually reforged to defeat the King of Shadows.
- Dagger of Time – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Master Sword – Legend of Zelda series. Used by Link after being drawn from a stone altar. Said to be untouchable by evil.
- Phantom Sword - a sword created by the ocean king in the game Legend of Zelda. Used to kill phantoms and to finish off Bellum.
- Lokomo sword - from the game Legend of Zelda. Able to stun phantoms without tears of light.
- Goddess sword - from Legend of Zelda. It was a gift by a goddess according to the Zelda timeline the master sword was made by it. It even has a spirit named Fi.
- Four sword - from Legend of Zelda. Has the power to split the wielder in four. Forged by the Four elements.
- Falchion - Fire Emblem series. Used by many heroes such as Marth, Alm, and Chrom. It was created from the dragon Naga's fang.
- Soul Reaver – Legacy of Kain series
- Soul Calibur and Soul Edge - Soul series
- Monado - Xenoblade Chronicles Mechanical sword created by the god Zanza to destroy the titan Mechonis. The sword is initially incapable of cutting people and can only damage robots and animals but later gains the ability to damage humanoid characters.
- Keyblade - Kingdom Hearts series
- Crystalis – Crystalis. The titular sword is formed from four elemental blades.[7]
- Frostmourne[8] and Ashbringer[9] are runeswords of Warcraft III and World of Warcraft.
- Blades of Chaos - God of War. These broad-bladed swords are seared into the flesh of the protagonist, Kratos, with a pair of chains wrapped his arms. This allows him to perform whip-like maneuvers.[10]
See also: Final Fantasy weapons and armor
- Sword of Aeons - Fable.
- Avo's Tear - Fable. An ancient sword said to be as powerful as the legendary Sword of Aeons. This Sword was imbued with extraordinary power when the Guild Mage Solcius used it in a spell to close a large vortex.
- Arondight - Fate/Zero Lancelot's sword, counterpart to Excalibur, crafted by the fairies (妖精 Yousei).
- Umbra - The Elder Scrolls. An immensely powerful, black-bladed sword that is occasionally given to mortals by the immortal Daedric prankster, Clavicus Vile. It can only pass from one mortal to another if the inheritor kills the former owner in single combat.
- Sword of Hisou (Sword of Scarlet Perceptions) - Touhou Project Tenshi Hinanai's sword, one that only Celestials can use. When paired with a keystone, she can manipulate the sky, people, and the earth.
In cartoons
- Sword of Omens - ThunderCats. Wielded by the hero Lion-O, the magical Eye of Thundera is embedded in its hilt.[11]
- The Power Sword and the Sword of Protection - He-Man. Twin swords wielded by Prince Adam and his sister Adora in the Masters of the Universe cartoons and toy line
Magical weapons by type
- Magic gun
- Magic sword
- Wand (disambiguation)
Other legendary weapons
Some weapons in fiction do not, strictly speaking, have magical properties, but are forged with materials or methods that are unique in the context of the story.
- Green Destiny – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon a powerful jian.
- Chrysaor – Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene
- Green Dragon Crescent Blade – Exceptionally heavy guandao wielded by Guan Yu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms; forged with the blood of a green dragon.[12]
References
- 1 2 Cantar de mio Cid. Edition of Alberto Montaner. Ed. Galaxia Gutenberg, 2007.
- ↑ Florus. Epitomae, II.
- ↑ Charles Kingsley (2007). "How Hereward was Outlawed". Hereward the Wake (Vol I). Wildside Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4344-9091-9.
...one of those magic weapons, brought, men know not how, out of the magic East, which were hereditary in many a Norse family, and sung of in many a Norse saga.
- ↑ The Silmarillion, J. R. R. Tolkien
- 1 2 The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien
- ↑ Farmer Giles of Ham, J. R. R. Tolkien
- ↑ Lopez, Miguel (Jun 17, 2000). "Crystalis Review for Game Boy Color". Gamespot.
- ↑ Rossi, Matthew (Mar 14, 2008). "Behold Frostmourne!". Joystiq.
- ↑ Ziebart, Alex (Aug 14, 2008). "Know Your Lore: The Ashbringer". joystiq.
- ↑ Navarro, Alex (Mar 21, 2005). "God of War Review for PlayStation 2". Gamespot.
- ↑ Hendershot, Heather (1998). "Toys, TV and Toaster Pictures". Saturday morning censors: television regulation before the V-chip. Duke University Press. p. 97.
- ↑ "Did Guan Yu Actually Use the Green Dragon Crescent Blade?". Cultural China. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
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