History Main / ExcaliburInTheRust

** There's also the very simple fact that Carrot literally bears Truth, both in his personality and lack of handle on euphemism and metaphor, and in his sword. Magic is technically a form of lie, in that it's shoving reality under the carpet, so to speak, and so the single most unmagical thing in a world is a physical incarnation of truth. The truth can cut through any lie, and though it may be slow to come, it is terrible when it does. "A lie can run the whole world around before the truth even has it's boots on." Well, a lie, in the form of crime and oppression, and an embarrassment of a city watch had run rampant over Ankh Morpork. Then Carrot came, and the Truth started...well stabbing, really, but you get the idea.

** In the first Seiken Densetsu game (LegendOfMana), the hero acquires a Rusted sword. The same twist applies: it's the Mana Sword. The remake doesn't let you wield it, but it opens the path to the Dime Tower in both versions of the game.

* The absolutely ordinary-looking, non-magical sword wielded by [[{{Discworld}} Carrot Ironfoundersson]]. Does not gleam, has minor chips along the edge, and [[AbsurdlySharpBlade sharp enough]] to effortlessly nail someone to a stone pillar.

* ''Dragon'' magazine #14 article "Interview with a Rust Monster": A {{PC}} party unknowingly carries the Sword of Toshio. "[It] looks like an ordinary sword, bent and worn from use. But in the hands of a samurai, it takes on its true appearance as a katana of great power."

A SubTrope of the CoolSword, the Excalibur In The Rust has an outward appearance which belies its awesome nature. It looks like an entirely ordinary, non-Cool sword. In fact, it's extremely likely to be in an apparent state of extreme disrepair.

* Zero's [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]] in ''{{Tasakeru}}'' plays with this. It ''is'' just an ordinary sword, if a bit scratched and weatherbeaten. [[spoiler: But then it gets [[[BrokenBlade broken]] and subsequently reforged by a God...]]

* Dyrnwyn is burned black by the fire that killed its first wielder.

** When Cohen and friends (the last surviving barbarian heroes in the world) see Carrot's sword in ''TheLastHero'', they all freak out - "an ordinary sword in the hands of a truly brave man can cut a magical sword like a knife through butter". Pterry's obsession with this trope is a bit much...

** It's also extremely un-magical, so much that it has less magic in it than pretty much any other object in the world.

* The absolutely ordinary-looking, non-magical sword wielded by [[{{Discworld}} Carrot Ironfoundersson]]. Does not gleam, has minor chips along the edge, and sharp enough to effortlessly nail someone to a stone pillar.

* In the hands of anyone except ''{{InuYasha}}'', Tessaiga looks like a katana that has seen better days. When [=InuYasha=] weilds it, the blade takes its true form.

* ''DragonQuestIX'' features the Rusty equipment, the first piece of which you're likely to find is the Rusty Sword towards the end of the game. It's not much use at first, but add a little glass powder and some [[Unobtainium extremely rare metal]] and you get the third best sword in the game. And then the rest of the equipment is also the third best of its type in the game. It would be an {{understatement}} to say that it is difficult [[GuideDangIt to find anything other than the sword.]]

*Kenpachi's zanpaku-to in ''{{Bleach}}''. Technically, all the power behind the sword is Kenpachi himself, but the sword is remarkable at least in that it is able to withstand his abuse of it. Also, it theoretically has the ability to release to a more powerful state, though he's never worked out how to do this.
**In fact, most zanpaku-to look thoroughly ordinary in their unreleased state, though Kenpachi's is the only one which looks poorly maintained.

* ''TenchiMuyo''. When Tenchi first sees the [[LaserBlade Master Key]], a physical blade had been affixed to the hilt. This blade was in a state of extreme disrepair, prompting Tenchi to exclaim, "What a rusty old piece of junk!"
* In the hands of anyone except ''{{InuYasha}}'', Tessaiga looks like a katana that has seen better days. When [=InuYasha=] weilds it, the blade takes its true form.
*Sikanda, the magical sword from ''Tales from {{the Neverending Story}}'', true to the book.
* ''Dragon'' magazine #14 article "Interview with a Rust Monster": A {{PC}} party unknowingly carries the Sword of Toshio. "[It] looks like an ordinary sword, bent and worn from use. But in the hands of a samurai, it takes on its true appearance as a katana of great power."

*Saito's sword in ''ZeroNoTsukaima''.
*Kenpachi's zanpaku-to in ''{{Bleach}}''. Technically, all the power behind the sword is Kenpachi himself, but the sword is remarkable at least in that it is able to withstand his abuse of it. Also, it theoretically has the ability to release to a more powerful state, though he's never worked out how to do this.
**In fact, most zanpaku-to look thoroughly ordinary in their unreleased state, though Kenpachi's is the only one which looks poorly maintained.
* In ''SecretOfMana'', the player acquires a rusty old sword at the beginning of the game, which is none other than the game's legendary Mana Sword.

* Pale Justice in IcewindDale is an extremely powerful sword for paladins, and looks exactly like an ordinary longsword.

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