History Main / OneHandedZweihander

In real life, trying to use a two handed sword with one hand is generally a bad idea, though not for the reasons you might think. While in fiction two-handed blades often look difficult to even ''lift'' much less use in combat, real-life two-handed swords are impressively light and well-balanced for their size ([[http://www.thearma.org/essays/2HGS.html#.VuN4NJwrLIU Renaissance two-handed swords that weren't ceremonial fell within 5-8 pounds]][[note]]8 pounds is nothing to sneeze at; that's about the weight of a gallon of milk. Sure you can ''lift'' it, but try swinging it around energetically for any length of time; it's quite a workout.[[/note]]) Swords like ''Zweihänders'' or the Japanese ''nodachi'' have very long hilts to acts as levers, with the hand closest to the guard (usually the right one) acting as a fulcrum. With one hand you lose this mechanical advantage; it's still possible for a person of average strength to use the sword, it's just a ''lot'' less effective.

** Essentially every sword in the game is this, barring the few stock weapons that are closely modeled on historical examples (which are still on the big side by real world standards and ''always'' the weakest weapons of their class). Take the basic Lordsworn Straight Sword for example, which is used by the most common enemy {{mook}}s. The player's version is [[https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Straight+Swords a good deal longer than the stock Longsword]] (which again, is already well above-average compared to historical examples) with a blade nearly [[https://i.imgur.com/aBxcW71.png twice as wide as a historical longsword's while also being slightly thicker.]] It easily rivals high-end real-world greatswords in volume/mass, yet in this game it's a quick starter weapon intended for one-handed use (and even a tutorial-level player character is more than strong enough to use it as such). Lordsworn Straight Swords in the hands of said mooks are scaled up appropriately as [[EvilIsBigger they're all close to seven feet tall.]] Their swords about as long as a normal man is tall, making them both longer than real-world greatswords and ''several times'' as massive due to still having the same proportions (i.e. a very wide blade) - and of course, they're all effortlessly wielded in one hand by said mooks while being swung at superhuman velocities (which the game's art style emphasizes with anime-style speed lines).
** The description of the Zweihander sword lampshades the trope, noting that it was designed to be wielded two-handed, and all but the strongest warriors struggle even with that. The Tarnished can wield it (and any other weapon) one-handed and even dual wield zweihanders, but two-handing it can help with meeting the weapon's hefty Strength requirement.

** Later on in Season 4, Striga slaughters farmers with a huge zweihander of her own, effortlessly swinging it with one hand.

* The Damocles in ''VideoGame/EYEDivineCybermancy'' is a huge 15kg katana, with a handle made of generators to create a warp bubble upon contacting flesh, creating a large explosion. Normally it is held with both hands, but with the SwordAndGun combo ([[HandCannon with a fully automatic .45ACP pistol]]), the user can carry it one-handed with the only adverse effect being a slower swing speed. It probably helps that the player is a [[CyBorg heavily augmented]] and clad in PoweredArmor. On the other hand, the Arrancadora De Tripas [[DropTheHammer warp hammer]] cannot be held one-handed at all.

A ''zweihänder'' is a two-handed sword. It's right there in the name ("zwei" meaning ''"two"'' in German and "händer"...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well]]). However some characters don't want to read the manual...

* ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': Kirito wields a huge black iron sword with one hand in ALO. The reasoning for this is that he is used to heavy swords from SAO.

* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'':

* ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': Kirito wields a huge black iron sword with one hand in ALO. The reasoning for this is that he is used to heavy swords from SAO.

* In ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', Ryoga's umbrella turns out to be so incredibly heavy that Akane, who is a highly trained martial artist and in excellent shape, can barely lift it. Yet, as she observes, Ryoga wields it in one hand like a normal person with a normal umbrella, tipping her off to his monstrous natural strength. Ranma can do the same.
* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Zabuza Momochi and Kisame Hoshigaki both wield their massive swords (Decapitating Carving Knife and Samehada, respectively) one-handed; both are very heavily built. At later points in the series, Suigetsu and Kakashi both use Zabuza's sword; Suigetsu alternates between both arms and one (sometimes using ninjutsu to make it larger and stronger) but Kakashi has only been shown using it one-handed.
* Bui from ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' wields an axe so large and heavy that it ''causes his footsteps to crack solid stone floors'', and with a single hand he can swing it faster than most humans can percieve. [[IAmNotLeftHanded The axe is by far his weakest form of attack.]]
* In ''Manga/{{Gamaran}}'' the most (and perhaps only) blatant example can be found in [[DrugsAreBad Kibe Ryuho]], the Silver Demon: his gargantuan iron club "Black Claw Comb" (Which is 8 and half feet long and weights around 40 kg/90 pounds) is made to be used with both hands. However, thanks to the ludicrous SuperStrength obtained with the Juugan drug he eventually manages to swing the whole damned thing with a single hand when going all out with his DeadlyUpgrade (And he's not even that big or brawny either). Much later in the story, we see that both Zenmaru and Kai have reached the peak of their skills by using their Sadanaga (a large nodachi meant for sheer offensive power) to perform one-handed swings with incredible speed. Lampshaded in the sequel series ''Shura'', where the BigBad Hiramatsu Tadaie always uses his tachi with one hand... but as the onlookers can see, he can still strike with all the strength of a two-handed slash.

* In episode 8 of ''Literature/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'' [[spoiler: [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments Bell steals a minotaur's sword and proceeds to utterly wreck the beast while using it in tandem with the Hestia Knife]].]]
* Hishigi from ''Manga/SamuraiDeeperKyo'' has a {{BFS}} named Hakuya. The length of the hilt and size of the blade (it's about as tall as he is, and he's canonically 180cm) suggest it's a two-hander, but Hishigi's left hand never touches it. He can swing it so fast it creates shockwaves capable of one-shotting the main character, and it was made for him because his strength ''shattered'' normal swords -- naturally, Hakuya is too heavy and powerful for anyone else to handle.

* In ''Manga/BlackClover'' Asta's [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Demon-Slayer Sword]] has a blade that's almost as long as he is and is nearly two feet wide; [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower due to roughly a decade of physical training]] he's the only one who can swing it. Not that anyone would be able to since it drains the mana of anyone that touches it, [[RequiredSecondaryPowers with Asta having none to begin with]].
* ''Anime/AfroSamurai'' has a downplayed example with Afro himself. He uses a tachi, a proto-katana with a longer, more curved, and more unwieldy blade, and is skilled and strong enough to swing it one-handed. When in a fight he deems serious enough, he uses both hands.
* ''Manga/UshioAndTora'': minor villain Blood Robe appears as a one-eyed WarriorMonk wielding a naginata with one hand and surprisingly high skill: the reason is, he has a ''yumi'' bow embedded in his other arm's wrist, preventing him from properly wielding his glaive.

* ''Film/TheMaskOfZorro'': Downplayed. Cavalry sabres are swung one-handed on horseback, but on foot are far more effective when used with both hands. This doesn't stop [[TheDragon Captain Harrison Love]] from not only wielding his sabre one-handed, but attempting to ''fence'' with it, against an opponent armed with a rapier, mirroring Zorro's stance despite having a far heavier and more awkward blade. While Love can hold his own at first, he's clearly overmatched, and when Zorro gains the upper hand, Love abandons this impractical fighting style and starts swinging his sabre with both hands.

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': Gregor Clegane, known as "the Mountain That Rides," is closer to eight feet tall than seven and freakishly strong even for his size. He's so large that his massive destrier looks like a pony and he wields a greatsword in one hand.
* In ''[[Literature/SienkiewiczTrilogy With Sword and Fire]]'', Longinus Podbipięta uses a massive bastard sword called [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Zerwikaptur (Hood-Ripper)]], often one-handed, while the other characters have difficulty even holding it up.
* In ''Literature/CodexAlera'', the superhumanly strong Knights Terra use greatswords and giant mauls in one hand to devastating effect.
* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': Garion's sword in question is powered by a CosmicKeystone that explicitly makes the sword lighter than it would normally be. When the stone is removed, Garion - who's comfortably over six feet tall and well built - can barely lift or carry the sword at all, much less in one hand. He once removed the stone while forgetting the sword is slung in the scabbard at his back. It brought him to his knees. Torak, by contrast, is a god, and would not be expected to have difficulty handling any sword.
%%** Garion, Torak, and 'Zakath all do this one occasion. Likely justified, as the swords in question are magic.

* A justified example in ''Literature/TheReturnOfTheCondorHeroes'' as the protagonist Yang Guo [[AnArmAndALeg loses his right arm]] third quarter into the story. Still, he is able to wield the appropriately named Heavy Sword proficiently to become a certified HandicappedBadass.
* ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'': Cao Cao's bodyguard Dian Wei proves his worth by brandishing [[DualWielding two]] ''ji'' in battle, each weighting 34 pounds.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'':
** The Barbarian archetype Titan Mauler, which has the class feature of wielding swords meant for two-handed fighting with one hand.
** There is also the "Thunder and Fang" fighting style, which focuses on wielding an earthbreaker (a massive two-handed hammer) in one hand and a klar (a bladed shield crafted from/in the shape of a giant reptile's skull) in the other.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'''s Elves fight more swiftly and skillfully with double-handed great weapons than humans are capable of with single-handed ones (thanks, in game terms, to all elves having the Always Strikes First rule and a very high Initiative characteristic). The Swordmasters of Hoeth in particular specialise in extreme swordsmanship skills with their seven or eight foot blades. Most elf great weapon wielders tend to use both hands, but many of the champion models are depicted swinging their gigantic swords and axes with one. The White Lion hero Korhil even uses the magical Great Axe Chayal in one hand and a regular hand-axe in the other. Elven great weapons tend to be much lighter and less cumbersome than other races' equivalents however - the power of the strikes coming from sharpness and perfect balance more than brute force and weight.
* Pretty much every sword in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' is used one-handed regardless of its size (usually justified via PoweredArmor, SuperStrength engineering, etc.), but special mention must be made of Abaddon the Despoiler, whose one-hand-wielded sword is an ''actual'' Zweihander.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'', a two-handed weapon can be used one-handed if the user has at least 1,5 times the required strength, but becomes unreadied (basically, the character next turn will be spent "readying" the weapon instead of attacking) after each strike. Users who have twice the required strength (that is, near superhuman strength for most weapons) can swing them with one hand at no penalty.

* The Holy Moonlight Sword in ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'', in it's un-transformed state is a pretty huge claymore that the hunter none the less swings around with one hand. When it's transformed into it's Moonlight form however, it get's even bigger and ''[[SubvertedTrope does]]'' require two hands. The advantages being that its normal form leaves your off-hand open for carrying a gun for parrying or a torch for light, while its transformed state can launch powerful magical attacks. Like all the weapons in the game, the trick is knowing which situations to use which form.

* Used within the ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''. Garen, Riven and Tryndamere are examples of this trope... especially Tryndamere, whose joke emote is "My right arm is a lot stronger than my left arm!" Well, there's another reason for that joke too.
* ''VideoGame/{{Soul|Series}}calibur'': Nightmare usually wields [[EvilWeapon Soul Edge]], which takes the form of a Zweihander, with one hand. It is notable that he does ''not'' normally use the [[RedRightHand freakishly outsized claw that is his right arm]] to do so. Soul Edge itself is an evil sentient weapon, and presumably gives its servant [[RequiredSecondaryPowers the power to wield it no matter what form it takes]]. No such HandWave exists for Siegfried (the guy who used to ''[[BrainwashedAndCrazy be]]'' [[EnemyWithout Nightmare]]), though, who also uses one arm to wield ''his'' {{BFS}} [[StanceSystem in certain stances]].
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'':
*** Cloud prefers to use two hands to wield his signature weapon, but he ''can'' hold it in just one, as seen in his victory animation when he spins it around with absolute ease. The [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake Remake]] has Cloud holding the sword in two hands in Operator mode, but using one hand in Punisher mode. Amazingly, while Cloud moves much slower in Punisher mode, he ''attacks'' much faster.
*** Sephiroth uses his absolute monster of a katana, Masamune, with one hand exclusively. Which is impressive, since it's longer than he is tall.
*** ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'': Angeal and Zack, the first and second wielders of the Buster Sword, are also capable of using it one handed.
*** ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'': After losing his trademark gunblades in the second-to-last chapter, Weiss fights Vincent with a ''nodachi'' in each hand.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'': The [[MixAndMatchWeapon gunblade]] uses a firing mechanism to [[{{Vibroweapon}} send a shockwave through the blade]]. Squall usually has two hands on the grip when swinging to cope with the recoil, but [[TheRival Seifer]] prefers a FiringOneHanded stance. Come ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', Squall has figured out that firing a round can give the blade a RecoilBoost, and varies between one-handed and two-handed depending on the attack.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'':
*** You can learn the ability to do this--called "Monkey Grip" in some games--so you can equip a shield on your free hand. The inverse ability, Two-Handed, forgoes a shield to inflict major damage instead.
*** Knight swords, the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Swords]] of the original Tactics, are by far the largest weapons in the game if both their inventory and combat sprites are anything to go by, almost as large as the character models. Despite this, every single one is still classified as a one-handed weapon.
*** In the ''Tactics'' games as well as some other ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games you can invert this by using the opposite ability--Doublehand--to wield one handed weapons with both arms for extra power.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Auron uses large, Western swords (which are labeled as {{katanas|AreJustBetter}}). Although he can clearly lift and use them with no effort, most of his attacks ([[LimitBreak Overdrives]] included) actually have him use both hands. In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', however, he keeps his left hand tucked away under his robes, playing this trope straight.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'':
*** Lightning usually wields light, one-handed gunblades, and her normal battle stance reflects this. However, in ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII'' her swords range in size from small, light rapiers to great swords, a category that includes the Buster Sword and Caius's sword. While she wields the larger weapons with two hands when attacking with them, her idle stance is always the same one-handed one.
*** None of this takes into account how she wields Odin's Zantetsuken, as massive BifurcatedWeapon. While Odin wields them as a single double-bladed weapon, Lightning, by far the smaller of the two, dual wields the massive blades. [[ItMakesSenseInContext While riding Odin like a horse]].
*** Caius himself has a tendency to swing Chaos' Revenge single-handed in a ReverseGrip in order to show off the [[SummonMagic Eye of Bahamut eidolith]] in the hilt.
** ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' has an unusual example with the Warrior of Light. His Braveheart sword, by proportions, qualifies as a zweihander, yet he wields it one-handed [[KnightlySwordAndShield with a Lustrous Shield in his other hand]]. However, this is easy to miss, because the same game features the likes of Cloud, Sephiroth, Jecht, and Garland, who all have outright {{BFS}}es.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'': Gladiolus Amicitia uses greatswords, alternating between wielding them two-handed or one-handed as the situation demands. Noctis [[AvertedTrope averts this]], always going two-handed with greatswords and the larger royal arms. His founding ancestor Somnus Lucis Caelum, the Mystic, has an impressive greatsword to his name, but wields it one-handed as an animated statue in ''Kingsglaive'' and ''Royal Edition'' and in flashbacks in ''Episode Ardyn''. [[spoiler:[[BigBad Ardyn]] himself has an identical greatsword, and wields it the same way as Somnus.]]

* In ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'', Keiji Maeda and Sakon Shima do this with a pike and a humongous falchion/cleaver, respectively.
* ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'':
** Orochi wields his massive scythe with a single hand.
** In the sequel Kiyomori Taira wields an absurdly large set of rosary beads with one hand.
* In ''VideoGame/UltimaVII'', there is a character, Dupre, that comes with a Two-Handed Sword (which is one of the best weapons in the game, magical or not) in just ONE hand, and a shield in the other. It's a bug, since moving the sword to his backpack and then back to his hand makes him to use in both hands, but is awesome nevertheless.
* In some of the ''Manga/OnePiece'' video games, the resident badass MasterSwordsman Mihawk will swing his gigantic sword with one hand. Recently, the New Fishman pirate Dosun is shown using a colossal maul with only one hand.
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'':
** [[TheHero Ragna the Bloodedge]] does this with a sword described as "a massive slab of metal." He also tends to use it in ReverseGrip, making it even more implausible.
** Also played straight by [[ColonelBadass Kagura Mutsuki]], who wields a cricket bat-shaped sword that is even bigger than Ragna's in one hand, and also uses it in ReverseGrip. {{Averted|Trope}} surprisingly by [[WorldsStrongestMan Hakumen]], who wields his Nodachi the correct way, with both hands.
** Bloodedge, the famous hero who sacrificed himself to stop the Black Beast and who Ragna takes his name after, used his giant sword with one arm. {{Justified|Trope}} because his right arm didn't work at all. [[spoiler:Also, because he's Ragna.]]
* In ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'', a character on horseback will always wield their weapons one-handed (reasonably enough, as using both hands would be unbalanced and very impractical) and yes, this goes all the way up to six-foot greatswords and longaxes. Any two-handed weapon (except polearms) used this way suffers a 25% damage and skill penalty, though.
* ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'':
** ''VideoGame/DiabloII'': Barbarians can wield two-handed swords like this, allowing for either a shield or another weapon (even another two-handed weapon) to be used in the other hand, though they take a damage penalty for one-handed use. For barbarians using a Frenzy build, however, nothing tops it.
** ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'': Crusaders using the Heavenly Strength passive skill can also wield two-handed weapons -- even ''polearms'' -- in one hand. Unlike the Barbarian from the previous game, however, the Crusader cannot dual-wield, and primarily uses this in tandem with a [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe big heavy shield]].
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
** Fury Warriors achieve this with the Titan's Grip talent, which also allowed the warrior to {{Dual Wield|ing}} normally two-handed weapons.
** The infamous Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker, which is particularly notable for being a one-handed sword that is, in fact, ''bigger'' than some two-handed swords.
** Felguards, the front line troops of [[TheLegionsOfHell the Burning Legion]], always wield a axe or zweihander-type sword one-handed. A glyph usable by warlocks gives Felguards under their control the ability to wield any two handed weapon in the warlock's inventory.
** A more specific example of the trope would be the Death Knight Thassarian, a recurring character allied at first with the Knights of the Ebon Blade during ''Wrath of the Lich King'' and the Alliance in ''Cataclysm'' onward. He {{Dual Wield|ing}}s two-handed swords.
* ''VideoGame/GuildWars'': Your character will always have to wield swords with a shield or an off-hand no matter their size, despite of them being ''really'' huge. The trope is completely averted in ''VideoGame/GuildWars2''.
* In ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' there's Yukimura (twin spears), Tadakatsu ([[ThisIsADrill giant drill]]), Shingen (battleaxe), Keiji ({{BFS}}), Motochika ([[AnchorsAway anchor]]), Motonari ([[RingsOfDeath ring blade]]), Nagamasa (longsword), and Mitsuhide (two [[SinisterScythe giant scythes]]).
* In ''VideoGame/{{Bujingai}}'', one of Lao's swords is large and has a two-handed grip, but he still uses it with one hand.
* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'':
*** One-handed swords were a little large for humans but start to look more like two-handed swords for elves and dwarves, as a one-handed sword is about as long as the distance between the ground and an elf's chin. Enter the Rogue talent that lets you dual-wield one-handed weapons instead of requiring a dagger in your off-hand...
*** A Warrior power, Killing Blow always uses the same attack animation, a one-handed forward thrust, but can be used with either one or two-handed weapons. Doesn't matter if you're wielding a dagger or a two-handed hammer with a head that's bigger than your torso.
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', ''two-handed'' swords often come across as this. In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', two-handed weapons were slow, clunky things that made your character look like they're about to tip over. However, in the sequel, characters swing two-handers around like they're made of feathers, and usually one-handed (despite still being classed as two-handers).
*** The Qunari Arishok wields a claymore and a two-handed battle axe in each hand, which is not surprising considering his enormous body height and clearly SuperStrength. On a related note, the in-game model of Arishok belongs to the Rogue class (rather than the burly Warrior you'd expect) and his weapons are technically daggers, since the game's engine limits dual-wielding to this class and weapon exclusively.
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** Ike wields all of his swords in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Path of Radiance]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'' (including his {{iconic|Item}} [[InfinityPlusOneSword Ragnell]]) in this manner and is explicitly pointed out to be doing so in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' by Solid Snake on Snake's level, [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Shadow Moses Island]].
** The BlackKnight also does this with his Alondite, the twin of Ragnell. Ashnard, the BigBad of ''Path of Radiance'', also wields his lance-esque sword Gurgant with one hand.
** Even more ridiculously, the legendary hero Altina ''[[DualWielding dual-wielded]]'' Ragnell and Alondite, but that was ages ago.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'', Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn all gain access to [[InfinityPlusOneSword new weapons]] in the Final Chapter, a few chapters after they [[PrestigeClass promote]]; Eliwood gets the Durandal (a claymore as long as ''[[CoolHorse his horse]], if not longer''), Hector gets Armads (a giant axe), and Lyn gets the Sol Katti (a lenghty, [[RoyalRapier rapier-esque]] {{katana|sAreJustBetter}}). Of the three, Eliwood and Hector play the trope straight (though [[AwesomeButImpractical Eliwood's attack speed plummets by 7 points as a result of Durandal's huge weight]]). Lyn subverts it; she holds the sword by one hand for her idle sprite and critical animation, but has to swing the blade with both hands when she lunges at her foe with a jumping slash for her normal battle animation.
** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Shadows of Valentia]]'', a forging system was implemented where you can improve a weapon's stats or turn it into a whole new weapon. One instance of the latter is turning a Brave Sword into a Zweihander, and the unit that equips it does indeed wield it one-handed.
* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** Dante does this with all his {{BFS}}es. The most noteworthy being Sparda, which is at least as long as he is tall, and can extend to be even longer. He also likes to SpamAttack with these oversized swords. [[JustifiedTrope Of course, he]] ''[[JustifiedTrope is]]'' [[JustifiedTrope half-demon.]] In the first game, Dante encounters ([[RecurringBoss several times, for that matter]]) [[BlackKnight Nelo Angelo]] ([[spoiler:his BrainwashedAndCrazy EvilTwin Vergil]]), [[MirrorBoss who copies his moveset]] with an even ''larger'' blade.
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'': Nero also does this with his BFS, Red Queen as well as with [[spoiler: Yamato, Vergil's sword]].
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'': Appropriately, [[spoiler:Devil Sword Dante, which is named after him]] is also wielded in this manner.
%%** Many classes in ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' swing around huge weapons one-handed.
* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'':
** Berserker one-hands a giant sword that is more a seven foot slab of rock, so fast that even his missed attacks cause a RazorWind. On the other hand, Berserker's ''humongous'' size makes said sword look small by comparison.
** Played straight when [[spoiler:Shirou traces Berserker's sword and fights with it.]] He can't even wrap his hand around the hilt.
* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'':
** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'':
*** In the first ''Dark Souls'' as well as its predecessor ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'', a player with the right stats can carry any weapon in a single hand, whether it be a 6 foot katana, a zweihänder, a battleaxe intended for a giant or a solid-stone dragon tooth larger than the person wielding it. The [[MightyGlacier NPCs Havel the Rock and Black Iron Tarkus]] go as far as to wield a giant weapon in their right hand and a [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe tower shield]] on their left. The player is even capable of DualWielding two-handed weapons, though [[CoolButInefficient doing so granted no practical advantage]] until ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' introduced the ability to attack with both weapons at once, but only if you have ''1.5'' times the Strength and Dexterity two compatible weapons need to simply be used one hand.
*** Artorias of the Abyss, who is based off of Guts of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', the developers having admitted to being huge ''Berserk'' fans, and will ''[[ThatOneBoss destroy you]]''. Even more frightening once you think of the size difference between Artorias and the Player. The player's height (male) is assumed to be around 6 feet tall, Dragonslayer Ornstein is around the same height as the Black Knights (appear around 7 to 8 feet tall). Artorias makes both of them look small in comparison. This means Artorias' sword is at the ''minimum'' '''ten feet''' long or bigger. Even ''more'' frightening when you realize the reason he's fighting one-handed in the first place is because his left arm ([[IAmNotLeftHanded which is also implied to be his stronger arm]]) [[HandicappedBadass is broken and limp]]. If he puts up that much of a fight in his wrecked state, imagine [[WhatCouldHaveBeen how powerful he must have been in his prime...]]
*** Though not as flashy as Havel, Tarkus, or Artorias, [[BadassNormal knights of Catarina]] like [[PluckyComicRelief Siegmeyer]] and his daughter Sieglinde also fit this trope with their zweihanders, a weapon described in-game as needing "inhuman strength" to even wield two-handed, much less with a Pierce Shield as both of them have.
** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'':
*** The mighty King Vendrick [[spoiler:or what's left of him]] wields a huge sword as big as he is with one hand. He's a giant, by the way.
*** In the Crown of the Old Iron King DLC, players fight the Fume Knight [[spoiler: formerly known as Knight Raime]] who starts off with this trope by DualWielding the tremendously large Fume Ultra Greatsword and a thinner, nondescript sword, though notably only using the Greatsword in huge, slow attacks. [[TurnsRed Late in the fight]], he'll discard the smaller blade and start two handing the Greatsword (for the most part).
*** Players can obtain the Smelter Hammer weapon, fan dubbed "The Giant Chicken wing," this weapon is a mass of steel literally larger than the player. The weapon is intended to be used with two hands, as it's strong attack has the player spin in place before using the sheer weight of the weapon to launch themselves forward, also fittingly named "The KFC Special" by fans. Despite this, nothing stops players from getting the strength to 1-hand this behemoth. Even crazier? With 99 Strength (The cap in DSII) you can DUAL-WIELD THESE MONSTROSITIES!
*** In the Crown of the Ivory King DLC, the titular king wields his Ultra Greatsword in one hand. Notably, despite being seven feet long, the sword is pretty slick in design and doesn't at first look as heavy, [[LargeAndInCharge especially in the king's hand]], but it has a special attack that encrusts it in ice, effectively ''doubling'' its length and tripling its girth.
** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'': Artorias's successors, the Abyss Watchers, have a fighting style based around a greatsword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Said fighting style is ridiculously flippy and nimble, meaning that not only are they fighting with a one-handed greatsword, they're fighting ''very acrobatically'' with a one-handed greatsword. And the player can get in on it by transposing the Watchers's boss soul into the Farron Greatsword, which literally ''can't'' be two-handed; pressing the button that would usually two-hand the weapon causes you to draw the dagger instead. This gives you advantages (you can parry with the dagger, and some of the best options in the moveset use the dagger to spin on), but also makes you more vulnerable to parrying.

* ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' gives us Pyramid Head, who swings and drags his Great Knife in one hand (though his slow movements suggest it isn't easy). While the player can acquire this weapon, James Sunderland wields it with two hands and swings it even ''slower''.
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'':
** In the first game, [[BigBad Sarevok]] wields a big sword one-handed. In ''Shadows of Amn'', you can get this sword as an actual item -- and only then will you see it was a two-handed sword, by the rules simply impossible for your characters to wield in one hand. (However, in ''Throne of Bhaal'', [[spoiler: this rule applies to Sarevok as well.]])
** ''Shadows of Amn'' also offers an [[InvertedTrope inversion]]: The Pixie Prick is a (somewhat odd-looking) dagger and wielded as such, but according to the [[FlavorText description]] its first owner was an actual pixie who wielded it as a two-handed sword.
* ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGateDarkAlliance Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II]]'': Dorn the Barbarian can learn a high-level skill (it costs 15 skill points) that allows him to wield two-handed swords, axes and hammers in one hand, and even dual wield them should he wish.
* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'':
** An interesting inversion. The Dominion Sword looks for all intents and purposes like a normal, one handed longsword. However, you can only wield it two-handed; as in, [[ObviousRulePatch you aren't allowed]] to equip a shield, even though the sword is obviously small enough for you to do so.
** Played straight with the Slayer master Vannaka, who wields both a steel two-handed sword and Dragon square shield at the same time although not even players with maxed Strength can wield two-handed swords with a shield.
** In "Beneath Cursed Tides", Vannaka offers to teach you to use his sword one-handed, and thereafter you gain a cosmetic override to make a one-handed weapon look like his sword. It only works for one-handed weapons. [[ParodiedTrope You cannot wield Vannaka's zweihander as a zweihander]].
* In ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', each weapon [[http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Weapon#Size has a minimum size to be used at all and a minimum size to be used one-handed without penalty;]] units above the second size won't even try to wield the weapon with two hands available. Because they were meant to let at least some dwarves wield any weapon one-handed, the size standards for this are rather unrealistically small. Even slightly above average humans are big enough to wield things like pikes, two-handed swords, halberds, mauls, and great axes one-handed without issue. For reference, the in-game weight of an iron maul or great axe (the two largest weapons) is over 10 kilograms.

* All the types of spears in ''VideoGame/TitanQuest'' are used with one hand, no matter how large or heavy they look.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Dungeons}}'', the Zombie King wields a very large sword with one hand.
* In ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'', Saïx wields an in-name-only "Claymore" in one hand with a ReverseGrip. [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Terra]] also wields some of the largest Keyblades in the series one-handed. Actually, this trope is to be expected of ANY Keyblade that reaches {{BFS}} levels, since, by default, all Keyblades are designed to be one-handed swords, having only enough room for one hand to wrap the grip with some space; Sora and anyone else using or switching to a two-handed grip merely wrap their off-hand around the main hand, which normally, isn't a very comfortable hold on a sword. Especially prominent when [[spoiler:Vanitas]] wields [[spoiler:the χ-blade]], which is literally a sword blade attached to two Kingdom Keys attached to some other fancy decorations.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Risen}}'', putting 9 out of 10 points in the Sword fighting skill allows the Player Character to do this, allowing the combined use of a shield with a [[{{BFS}} huge sword]] that can be swung at the speed of common one handed swords which is arguably one of the most powerful weapon combinations in the game and the best option to spend the majority of your early [[NoStatAtrophy Learning points]] on if you choose to align yourself with the Don's Men instead of [[KnightTemplar the Inquisition]].
* The Damocles in ''VideoGame/EYEDivineCybermancy'' is a huge 15kg katana, with a handle made of generators to create a warp bubble upon contacting flesh, creating a large explosion. Normally it is held with both hands, but with the SwordAndGun combo ([[HandCannon with a fully automatic .45ACP pistol]]), the user can carry it one-handed with the only adverse effect being a slower swing speed. It probably helps that the player is a [[CyBorg heavily augmented]] and clad in PoweredArmor. On the other hand, the Arrancadora De Tripas [[DropTheHammer warp hammer]] cannot be held one-handed at all.

* Alvin from ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' does this and [[SwordAndGun wields a pistol in his free hand to boot]]. While the slowest melee fighter in the party as a result, he gets abilities that allow him to [[ImmuneToFlinching take hits without flinching]] and [[UnblockableAttack break the opponent's guard]] to compensate.
* J.D. in ''VideoGame/GranadoEspada'' wields [[MultiMeleeMaster swords, rapiers, blunt weapons, great swords, and even the human-dwarfing crescent]] one-handed and in the same manner. The way he wields the crescent as if it's made from paper makes its other only wielder, [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Nar]], look like a skinny wimp.
* Neo in ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' can and does wield the longswords and katana's he picks up one-handed, unless he's charging up a [[OneHitKill killing blow, where he'll sometimes use two hands.]]
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** Ganon in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' dual-wields two golden swords about as large as Link is tall. Then again, he'd also just became a twelve-foot tall pig-demon when he does this.
** Ganondorf in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' wields an enormous, glowing zweihander one-handed for the final battle. {{Justified|Trope}} by Ganondorf's enormous stature (somewhere around nine feet tall) and his possessing the Triforce of Power.
** In ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', [[HumanoidAbomination Ganondorf]] is able to dual-wield these as his standard weapon set, [[MythologyGag a nod]] to Ganon in ''[=OoT=]''.
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', the Gorons wield their huge, blunt swords in one hand even though Link needs two hands to do so.
** ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity'' cutscenes shows King Rhoam wielding a Royal Claymore, a notable two-handed sword from ''Breath of the Wild'', in one hand. His actual battle model uses both hands however.
* The Leper of ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' wields an executioner's sword. While he carries the sword around with two hands in his neutral animations, most of his attacks has him swinging it with one hand.
* Magnus in ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', wields a massive sword. He is a man of Herculean strength, and he is considered the mightiest human swordsman in the world, as well as being a skilled mercenary. He also appears as an Assist Trophy in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series.
* The largest weapon in ''VideoGame/ArxFatalis'', Inut's Giant Magic Sword, is classified as one-handed, can be wielded along with shields and swings pretty fast for it's size. Visually, it resembles a man-sized replica of orcish swords from ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings LotR]]'' films, made of pure mithril, which makes it more believable, but not much.
* Continuing in Creator/FromSoftware tradition, the FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'', [[spoiler:Isshin, the Sword Saint]], starts out just using a normal-sized katana. Then, after losing his first health bar, he pulls a ''massive'' spear from [[{{Hammerspace}} out of nowhere]] and expertly wields it in one hand while continuing to use the katana (plus a pistol) in the other.

* [[AnIcePerson Magara]] [[CameBackWrong Naokatsu]] from ''VideoGame/Nioh2'' is a one-armed giant of a man who can wield a huge oodachi longer than he's tall with one hand and the skill of a MasterSwordsman which allows him to overwhelm even [[spoiler: a younger Honda Tadakatsu]]. What's more, [[spoiler: [[TurnsRed using Youkai Realm to grow his left arm ''doesn't change'' his fighting style at all, save for some extra-strong two-handed slashes and occasional DualWielding (really) with a phantom copy.]]]]
* In ''VideoGame/TheSurge'' and ''VideoGame/TheSurge2'', all of the "one-handed" weapons are big enough that a normal human would need both arms to hold them. Thanks to being fitted with an Exo-Rig, however, both the player and enemies can wield them like they're one-handed weapons. The actual two-handed heavy weapons tend to be giant axes, hammers, or other [[ImprovisedWeapon repurposed industrial tools]] that are twice the size of a human. [[BladeBelowTheShoulder Single-rigged weapons]] are an unusual case, as while they are attached to one arm, the one wielding them effectively uses their entire body as a fulcrum to swing and stab with them.

* ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium:'' The book series ''Hjeimdallerman, the Man from Hjeimdall'', an [[ShowWithInAShow in-universe]] long-running SwordAndSorcery pulp series, and a pretty obvious ''Literature/ConanTheBarbarian'' parody, has the titular character ''dual wielding'' One-Handed Zweihänders, named Sturm and Drang. If they are high enough to comment on it, your skills are less than impressed by this character trait:
-->'''Hand/Eye Coordination:''' The writer has ''never'' held a sword in their life, let alone two two-handed swords at the same time.\\
'''Logic:''' It is physically impossible for a human being to effectively dual-wield ''zweihänder'' swords in any kind of real-life combat situation.

* ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'': Cao Cao's bodyguard Dian Wei proves his worth by brandishing [[DualWielding two]] ''[[BladeOnAStick ji]]'' in battle, each weighting 34 pounds.

* The Japanese martial art ''Tendo-ryu Naginatajutsu'' includes techniques where a [[BladeOnAStick naginata]] is wielded in one hand, and a short sword in the other.

* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'': Kirito wields a huge black iron sword with one hand in ALO. The reasoning for this is that he is used to heavy swords from SAO.

* In episode 8 of ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'' [[spoiler: [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments Bell steals a minotaur's sword and proceeds to utterly wreck the beast while using it in tandem with the Hestia Knife]].]]

* Thorkell from ''Manga/VinlandSaga'' is [[LargeAndInCharge so physically large]] that he is able to wield polearms the way smaller men wield single-handed weapons. His weapons of choice are [[DualWield a pair of dane axes]], 4-feet long poleaxes commonly used to break shieldwalls and kill horses.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'':

** She later uses a giant disembodied hand made of ice magic to wield a truly huge sword. The ice belongs to her, so she can use Keeper telekinesis on it, letting her wield a sword the size of a girder as if it were a toothpick.

* Used within the ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''. Garen, Riven and Tryndamere are examples of this trope... especially Tryndamere, whose joke emote is "My right arm is a lot stronger than my left arm!" [[ADateWithRosiePalms Well, there's another reason for that joke too]].