History Main / SwordBeam

** In the first ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'', [[FullHealthBonus if your life meter is filled to maximum capacity]], you can fire these at distant enemies. This is notable because the beam, unlike many later Zelda titles, carries the same power level as the blade itself, and they hit everything the sword hits as well (later games have enemies that are immune to the sword beam). Needless to say, getting the Magical Sword as early as possible is a major boon; even the White Sword is an improvement.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' has the Fierce Deity's Mask, a boss-only item that gives you the most powerful sword in the game that shoots sword beams that attack from all sides. All it costs is a little magic, which, for 200 rupees, you can have an unlimited supply of for the remaining 2 1/2 days of a given cycle.

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' Saber's [[InfinityPlusOneSword Excalibur]] can be used to unleash an enormous [[PillarOfLight beam of energy]] capable of [[PurposelyOverpowered annihilating anything in its path]]. [[spoiler: It is used during LightNovel/FateZero to literally [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch out Cthulhu]]]]. Naturally, this ability takes an immense amount of energy to use and she can't spam it, especially when she's getting mana from Shirou. Gilgamesh's own sword ([[StormOfBlades the only one he actually wields, that is]]), Ea, is pretty much the same thing but more powerful. It's the only Noble Phantasm to be classified as "Anti-''World''", which means Gil can pretty much never unleash its full power for fear of an EarthShatteringKaboom, [[SuperpowerLottery not that he needs to]]. Even on its weakest setting, it can match the aforementioned sword with ease.

* In ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror,'' Lifebinders can project sword beams if they use a sunblade [[BloodMagic forged with their own blood]]. [[spoiler: By using a huge sunstone to increase his power, Daylen is able to [[PersonOfMassDestruction slice Hamenday Island in half]] with this technique.]]

** The Moonlight Greatsword returns as the Holy Moonlight Blade in the DLC of ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'', and retains its Sword Beam properties. Also from the DLC is the {{Squick}} of this trope being combined with the game's motif: [[spoiler: Lady Maria]] creates what are basically Sword Beams with their ''blood''.

** Kirby, as seen in the page picture, can fire beams from his sword when he becomes Sword Kirby (In the games it only works while he's at full health, in homage to the Zelda example). Final Cutter a move that can be used by Sword or Cutter Kirby depending on the game is a blade combo ending in one of these and appears as Kirby's Up B special in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games. In ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'' and most future games in the series, Sword Kirby can also use Sky Energy Sword, which involves lifting the sword up to charge it and then unleashing a Sword Beam like in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword''. [[spoiler: Master/Galaxia]] Kirby can use a charged version of the move (that closely resembles the anime depiction of the move) in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror''.

* Lo Wang can use the Wing of Crane ability in ''VideoGame/ShadowWarrior2013'' to imbue his sword with energy and send a horizontal wave slashing out. [[spoiler: The Nobitsura Kage you've been after the whole game turns out to be even ''better'' at this once it's [[EleventhHourSuperpower fully assembled]], becoming Sword BeamSpam incarnate.]]

* ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend'''s [[spoiler: Excalibur]] shoots out sword beams.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Roy Greenhilt unsuccessfully tries to invoke this from his ancestral sword [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1045.html here]].

* While the Sword of Protection ''can'' fire lasers in ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' (as well as fixing miscellaneous articles of First One technology, [[MorphWeapon shifting shape]], turning things into unicorns, and healing people), Adora -- who is pretty ripped even when she ''hasn't'' [[SuperMode transformed into an eight-foot goddess of war]] -- only actually does it on rare occasions, generally preferring to just smack people with the flat of the sword to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. [[spoiler: In the final season, she tends to use it a lot, but usually against something non-organic.]]

* The people over at Wicked Lasers had to do work to avoid this trope [[http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasersaber here]]. If they hadn't, the product would have been something more like an extra riot baton with a very powerful laser coming out the tip, particularly impressive in that the website all but outright says that their lasers can be used for self defense.

** Yami uses his Dark Magic with his katana to shoot beams made of darkness as massive crescent waves. His spell Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash unleashes a vertical slash with great range and cutting power that is capable of cutting through [[SpaceMaster Spatial Magic]]. When combined with [[BackgroundMagicField Mana Zone]], its range and power become [[UpToEleven devastating]].

** Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō, a crescent-shaped blast of energy which causes anything struck by it to be cut in half, disintegrate or explode, depending on how concentrated it is. His [[SuperMode Bankai]] takes this UpToEleven in that it allows him to control the path and shape of the blast for better versatility. He also figures out other ways to use it like keeping the Getsuga Tenshō energy around his blade to enhance its cutting power, or cutting into an enemy and ''then'' firing a Getsuga Tenshō from inside their body, both of which take away the ability to dodge. [[spoiler:And after reforging Zangetsu into its true form, which consists of two separate swords that he [[DualWielding dual-wields]], Ichigo can fire a sword beam out of each of them to form the cross-shaped Getsuga Jūjishō.]]

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' Saber's [[InfinityPlusOneSword Excalibur]] can be used to unleash an enormous [[PillarOfLight beam of energy]] capable of [[PurposelyOverpowered annihilating anything in its path]]. [[spoiler: It is used during LightNovel/FateZero to literally [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch out Cthulhu]]]]. Naturally, this ability takes an immense amount of energy to use and she can't spam it, especially when she's getting mana from Shirou. Gilgamesh's own sword ([[StormOfBlades the only one he actually wields, that is]]), Ea, is pretty much the same thing turned UpToEleven. It's the only Noble Phantasm to be classified as "Anti-''World''", which means Gil can pretty much never unleash its full power for fear of an EarthShatteringKaboom, [[SuperpowerLottery not that he needs to]]. Even on its weakest setting, it can match the aforementioned sword with ease.

* ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'' is a strange example as instead of using a sword, he uses his hands, but they still work the same as this trope. Also they are not so much "beams" as they are "forks and knives".
** [[UpToEleven Taken up to eleven]] when he uses his legs.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManX'''s [[MyHeroZero Zero]] does this all the time with his Z-Saber, usually in a boss fight against him; can be taken UpToEleven in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX5 X5]]'' if you go the bad ending route, where, if you don't defeat him under around 2 minutes, he'll turn invincible and fire massive sword beams of OneHitKill. Playable Zero only gets it in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX7 X7]]'', called Hadangeki.

** Ukitake's shikai produces this sort of effect (-ish?) when it redirects multiple Ceros. The downside is that somebody else has to fire a beam at him before he can fire it back. The upside is that his redirection of energy attacks makes them much faster and thus harder to block or dodge.

** Asta's AntiMagic swords can do this once he masters the properties of the weapons to unleash flying beams that cancel out enemies' spells.
** Yami uses his Dark Magic with his katana to shoot beams made of darkness as massive crescent waves. His spell Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash unleashes a vertical slash with great range and cutting power, even moreso when combined with Mana Zone.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda'' animated TV series, Link's sword is really more of a sword-shaped MagicWand that he [[SwordPointing points at things]] in order to shoot {{Disintegrator Ray}}s. He never attempts to actually swing it at enemies except when parrying or feinting in battle. Likewise, the bows wielded by Zelda are depicted as an EnergyBow with identical powers. One episode has Link foolishly trade his sword for a snazzier-looking blade, and then discovers to his horror that the new sword is useless because it ''doesn't'' shoot magic beams; simply using the weapon like a regular sword isn't so much as considered. Presumably, this is because [[MoralGuardians slashing something with a sword is imitable, but shooting a laser out of it isn't]].

* Huang He from ''VideoGame/TheGladiator'' wields twin ''jian'' at the same time, and using her ''chi'', she can release two sword-beams (crossed as an "X" shape) on her onscreen enemies. It's useful for clearing a row of enemies right in front of her, all at once.

* Huang-He from ''VideoGame/TheGladiator'' can fire crescent-shaped sword beams, shaped into an "X", with her ''jians'' which she DualWields.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManX'''s [[MyHeroZero Zero]] does this all the time with his Z-Saber, usually in a boss fight against him; can be taken UpToEleven in ''X5'' if you go the bad ending route, where, if you don't defeat him under around 2 minutes, he'll turn invincible and fire massive sword beams of OneHitKill. Playable Zero only gets it in the seventh game, called Hadangeki.
*** In ''X3'', if you manage to get Zero's saber (through an intricate method), it'll modify X's ChargedAttack: With his armor's arm part, by charging to the max, he can shoot a sword beam from the saber after shooting 2 blasts from his buster. The sword beam itself can kill bosses (including [[BigBad Sigma]]) in two hits. In ''X6'', where X gains the saber from the start, 2 of his obtainable armors have sword beams as their [[LimitBreak Giga Attack]]: a simple, shot-forward large crescent beam with Blade Armor, and 2 encircling large crescent beams with Shadow Armor. The Magma Blade weapon (from Blaze Heatnix) also makes him swing a FlamingSword that shoots a sword beam made of fire.
** Colonel of the fourth game likes spamming these from his LaserBlade, and Double can also throw large ones from his Laser BladeBelowTheShoulder after he TurnsRed. Slash Beast launches his Twin Slasher from his feet claws, and Grizzly Slash throws his Crescent Shots with his large red claw. Sigma in ''X8'' has a variant where he smashes the ground with his {{BFS}}, causing a short-ranged wave of energy.
** The Zero in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' does this as well, in an EX skill for the second, third, and fourth (final) games. As does Harpuia in that game, [[BeamSpam excessively]]. The bosses Zero gets sword beams from -- Childre Inarabitta and Fenri Lunaedge -- also can do this, with their ears and arm-blades respectively. [[spoiler:Omega Zero can do this via the "Buster-Buster-Slash" combo and can launch multiple smaller beams when doing a mid-air rolling slash.]]

** Model HX from ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', based on the aforementioned Harpuia, can do this if you alternate between the two attack buttons. One of the Model H Pseudoroids, Hivolt, can perform a similar move with his wings that double as {{Laser Blade}}s. [[spoiler:Omega Zero also returns as a BonusBoss with his variations, as can Model OX once you unlock the form]]. And there's Prometheus, who technically uses a large [[SinisterScythe scythe beam]], which in cutscenes can do anything from critically wound the heroes [[spoiler:to straight up [[TheStarscream killing]] the BigBad ([[JustADoombot fake body]])]].

* Tatewake Kunō in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' is capable of projecting strikes of compressed air from his blade as he thrusts, which are capable of crumbling concrete.

* ''[[VideoGame/ExtrapowerAttackOfDarkforce EXTRAPOWER Attack of Darkforce]]'': How [[MagicGirlWarrior Blue Hikari Warrior]] Ruritia attacks with her magical sword. She holds it aloft, charges power, then swings it level and fires a rainbow beam at her foes.

Not to be confused with a BeamSword or with [[ShapingYourAttacks Beams Shaped Like Swords]] (though [[Webcomic/EightBitTheater a sword made of beams that shoots beams made of swords]] would be [[RuleOfCool pretty awesome]]).

* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' has the Shinmei Ryū Hidden Technique, ''Zanmaken: Ni no Tachi'' [[spoiler:"In Celebration of my FirstKiss [[SchoolgirlLesbians with Ojou-sama]] Special"]] (spoilered part of name courtesy of Jack Rakan, natch). When Rakan demonstrated it, the crescent-shaped energy projectile it produced bypassed all of Negi's DeflectorShields and damaged the building behind him before finally slicing a giant floating rock some distance away behind that in half.

* The ''VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokaiTenkaichi'' series has Yajirobe, who wields a katana. His 'Ka-Blam Slicer' attack sends an energy wave at the opponent. Oddly enough, Future Trunks' AbsurdlySharpBlade does ''not''.

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Roy Greenhilt unsuccessfully tries to invoke this from his ancestral sword [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1045.html here]].