History Main / HotBlade

* Though they are not technically swords, the hooks thrown by Spider Splicers in the ''{{Bioshock}}'' games are glowing red hot. They are probably heated by plasmid use on the part of the splicers.

** Captain Yamamoto's Bankai Seems to be this, along with a fullbody flame armor.
* In ''OnePiece'' [[ShockAndAwe Enel]] does a variation by using his electric powers to turn his trident into molten metal in order to burn [[RubberMan Luffy]].

** Also the cauterization effect is actually the least explained part of the bugbear that is the lightaber, at the temperatures they are likely to output flesh would vaporize and flash boil, resulting in geysers of steam, gore all over the place and flying chunks of partially burnt meat.

Compare {{Vibroweapon}}, which uses extremely rapid vibrations instead of heat to enhance its cutting power. A more advanced weapon is the LaserBlade, where the blade is ''made'' of PureEnergy instead of just adding (heat) energy to a physical blade. Hot blades are more common in a ScienceFiction setting. Its more {{fantasy}}-oriented counterpart is the FlamingSword; a hot blade retains a touch of KillItWithFire while requiring less WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief.

* ''{{Bleach}}'' FillerVillain Shusuke Amagai's Zankpaktou has this when its hilt [[FlamingSword spouts flame]].

* ''CallOfCthulhu'' supplement Cthulhu Companion, adventure "Valley of the Four Shrines". The East shrine is dedicated to Cthugha, a deity made of fire. A sword found in a secret room can be made to glow yellow-hot, which will do damage to creatures vulnerable to fire.

* Optimus Prime from the ''{{Transformers}}'' movies uses some of these to cut Decepticon's heads clean off.

[[caption-width-right:259:Perhaps it's [[AWorldwidePunomenon too hot to handle]].]]

* Super Heated Saturnite Knifes from the FalloutNewVegas Dead Money add-on. A special alloy knife that when heated with a pressure cooker and other stuff [[ArtisticLicence remains hot indefinitely]].

* In the ''{{Gundam}}'' franchise, the next step down from EnergyWeapons like beam sabers is heat weapons, the most iconic of which is the [[MobileSuitGundam Zaku II's]] heat hawk. Another well-known example is [[GundamWing Gundam Sandrock's]] heat shotels, which become [[{{BFG}} ludicrously huge]] in ''[[TheMovie Endless Waltz]]''.

* In the ''{{Gundam}}'' franchise, the next step down from EnergyWeapons like beam sabers is heat weapons, the most iconic of which is the [[MobileSuitGundam Zaku II]]'s heat hawk. Another well-known example is [[GundamWing Gundam Sandrock]]'s heat shotels, which become [[{{BFG}} ludicrously huge]] in ''[[TheMovie Endless Waltz]]''.

** Also the cauterization effect is actually the least explained part of the bugbear that is the lightaber, at the temperatures they are likely to output flesh would vaporize and flash boil, resulting in geysers of steam, gore all over the place and flying chunks of partially burnt meat.

* Many Warhammer swords (at least in the way they are visually depicted), both ''WarhammerFantasy'' (Archaon) and ''{{Warhammer40000}}'' ('''THE GOD-EMPEROR OF MANKIND'''), even when some flames might flicker depending on the artist, verging into FlamingSword territory.

* The Heated Cosmic Knife from the Dead Money expansion of ''FalloutNewVegas'' is this. It's an indestructible AbsurdlySharpBlade that has been heated with a heating pad and apparently retains its heat for a ridiculous amount of time, giving it even more destroying power.

* One of the bosses from ''ChronoCross'' uses a {{Steampunk}} version (a NighInvulnerable, HumongousMecha), but this is technically a fantasy setting.

* The Thermoblades in ''[[XCom X-Com]] 2'' are a combination of HotBlade and {{Vibroweapon}}, and are pretty effective against [[DemonicSpiders Demonic Crabs]]. [[hottip:*:Ok, they are actually lobsters.]]

The second-best thing to a FlamingSword. Sure, fire is [[RuleOfCool cool]] and all, but the more scientifically oriented may start to wonder exactly where the fuel for the flames comes from?

So enter the HotBlade: It's not actually ''on fire'', but it's been heated to such a high temperature that it [[PowerGlows glows visibly]], and ''still'' retains that touch of KillItWithFire. Less energy (and [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief suspension of disbelief]]) required to make the weapon slice through {{Mooks}} like a ... well, [[ShapedLikeItself hot knife through butter]].

See also AbsurdlySharpBlade, whose cutting power is due to an impossibly sharpened edge; {{Vibroweapon}}, which is powered by high-frequency vibrations; and LaserBlade, where the blade itself is made of PureEnergy.

[[AC: Other]]
* The idiom "Like a hot knife through butter".

* Shusuke Amagai's Zankpaktou has this when its hilt [[FlamingSword spouts flame]].

* In ''OnePiece'' [[ShockAndAwe Eneru]] does a variation by using his electric powers to warm his trident up in order to burn [[RubberMan Luffy]].

* Though they are not technically swords, the hooks thrown by Spider Splicers in the {{Bioshock}} games are glowing red hot. They are probably heated by plasmid use on the part of the splicers.

* {{Strider}} Hiryu's Cypher uses plasma to achieve this effect.

* The Zaku's heat tomahawk, the Gouf' heat sword and heat rod, and the Dom/Rick Dom's heat saber from ''MobileSuitGundam''.