A weapon that grants its wielder their powers. This trope stems from ancient people's belief that sword and weapon forging was a magical process. Through fire, an earthen lump was transformed into a sharp, shiny weapon. Furthermore, the fine craftsmanship needed to create a fine blade in comparison to more crude weapons added to its supernatural associations. Swordsmiths hid the secrets of their forgery as well, adding to the mysticism of superior weapons. This trope would be codified by magic swords such as Excalibur.
Due to the powers it bestows on the user, the weapon will be very important to its wielder. Loss of it may be the user's Achilles' Heel in a fight, especially if there is Crippling Overspecialization. Destruction of the weapon will require its wielder to have to repair it to ever fight again, if not render them unable to fight ever again.
This allows a muggle whose only outstanding ability is their physical strength or weapon mastery to fight on par with mages and supernatural threats. It will often turn wielder into a Magic Knight.
The weapon often overlaps with Cool Sword, Empathic Weapon, and Evolving Weapon. May also overlap with Powers as Programs. Sometimes, because the sword is powerful, Only the Chosen May Wield. Compare Clothes Make the Superman, Magical Accessory, and Powers via Possession. Compare and contrast Stat Stick, a weapon that affects a character's video game stats, and Upgrade Artifact, which is gaining instantaneous skill at something — not a power that is usually trained over time. Contrast The Man Makes the Weapon, where the weapon isn't the important factor.
Examples:
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Anime & Manga
- Berserk: Serpico is gifted the Sylph Sword, a fan-like sword with a blade of feathers blessed by the wind spirits, letting him launch Razor Wind and slice apart enemies from a distance.
- Asta from Black Clover is the only person in the setting who cannot use any magic whatsoever. But thanks to this, he is chosen by the five-leaf grimoire, which gives him giant swords that can unleash anti-magic to slice through spells and nullify magic.
- In Bleach, Soul Reapers all wield Zanpakuto, swords born from their souls that are imprinted onto an Asauchi. These Zanpakuto bestow onto Soul Reapers their unique powers when released in Shikai and Bankai states, which also transform the swords themselves into different forms, sometimes different weapons altogether.
- A Certain Magical Index: Some of the magicians in this setting gain their powers from magical weapons. Examples are:
- Agnese who fights with the Lotus Wand, a polearm that can create spatial attacks.
- Tatemiya Saiji who wields a magical flamberge sword which can control fire.
- Yamisaka Ouma who wields a magical, wrist-mounted crossbow whose abilities include wind attacks and invisibility.
- Fairy Tail: Wizards in Edolas cannot store magic in their bodies like wizards in Earthland. As a result, they rely on weapons imbued with Lacrima to grant them specific magical powers. They include Mystogan's illusory magic staves and Erza Knightwalker's magic spear which has ten different magical forms.
- Overlord (2012): A group of assassins thinks this is the case with Sebas (who just one-hit-killed one of their number empty-handed), one of them stealing his gloves and claiming that he's powerless without them. Sebas shows them that no, the gloves were purely ornamental as he slaughters them in seconds.
- Haru from Rave Master wields the Ten Commandments, a magical sword that has ten different forms which each give him a power, such as supersonic speed, increased power via anger, and holy light.
Comic Books
- Black Hammer: The titular superhero's powers came from his mystical hammer. His daughter eventually finds the hammer and takes up his mantle, becoming the new Black Hammer.
- Golden Age Marvel character The Fin had an enchanted cutlass, which could cut through anything and also increased his strength.
- Xu Tao aka the Celestial Archer of the Great Ten possesses the Celestial Bow of Yi which grants him the godlike archery abilities of the mythological Chinese archer, Hou Yi
.
- Katana is a Master Swordsman who has no powers, but her sword has the ability to take the souls of those its wielder kills.
- The Mighty Thor: As the enchantment states, who ever is deemed worthy by the hammer will be granted the power of Thor, even a normal human. This power includes super strength, flight and control over storms.
- Shadowpact: Jim Rook's Sword of Night can warn him of impending danger, negate illusions, compel someone to speak the truth and slows down his aging.
- The Witchblade is an ancient, sentient Magitek weapon that has both defensive shielding and offensive strike capabilities. It can reshape itself as needed, expanding to many times its inactive size while it's being worn. Its mythos, according to Top Cow Productions, includes Queen Cleopatra and Joan of Arc as wielders before detective Sara Pezzini got hold of it.
- Wonder Woman:
- Diana's Lasso of Truth is either the source of her truth-related powers, a conduit for them, or an entirely unrelated magical item that forces those wrapped in it to tell and face the truth Depending on the Writer and current continuity.
- During her time as an Anti-Hero Substitute for Diana, Artemis wielded the Gauntlet of Atlas which granted her super strength. Cassie Sandsmark, the second Wonder Girl, also used the Gauntlet until her own demigod powers were unlocked.
Film — Animation
- The Little Mermaid (1989): King Triton's trident grants him and anyone who wields it various powerful abilities such as control over the sea, Weather Manipulation and the ability to transform others.
- Moana: Maui's fish hook grants him the power of Voluntary Shapeshifting.
Film — Live Action
- In The Golden Blade, Harun Al-Rashid uses the Sword of Damaskus, which lets him cut anything and makes him invincible.
- Discussed and defied in Thor: Ragnarok. Thor gets a power-up after realizing he doesn't need his weapon.
Odin (in Thor's dream): Are you Thor, the God of Hammers?
- Later played straight in Avengers: Endgame, when it's revealed that, like in the comics, anyone worthy of wielding Mjolnir will be given, at a minimum, the ability to summon lightning.
Literature
- The Stormlight Archive: Honorblades give their wielders powers of Radiant Knights of the relevant order (or more accurately the Radiant Knights were given their powers in imitation of those granted by the Honorblades), which always include instant healing.
- Whateley Universe: The sword, Destiny's Wave, when wielded by Alex, gives him a Super Gender-Bender into a form that would be codenamed Bladedancer.
Live-Action TV
- Kamen Rider: While most of the Riders in the various series transform using belt-based Drivers, there are a few who use weapon-based Drivers instead.
- Kamen Rider Kabuto: Kamen Riders Drake and Sasword transform with their respective gun- and sword-based Zecters.
- Kamen Rider Kiva: The various users of the IXA System use the IXA Knuckle to transform.
- Kamen Rider Drive: Chase uses the Break Gunner to transform into Mashin Chaser.
- Kamen Rider Ex-Aid: Downplayed with the users of the Gashacon Bugvisor and Bugvisor II, which do double duty as belt buckles and Swiss Army Weapons.
- Kamen Rider Zero-One: Kamen Riders Vulcan and Valkyrie use the gun-based Shotriser to transform, while Jin uses the Slashriser after he comes Back from the Dead.
- Kamen Rider Saber: The swordsmen Riders all derive their powers from the Seikens they wield.
- Kamen Rider Gotchard: Supana uses his Valvarusher weapon to transform into Valvarad.
- Super Sentai:
- Seijuu Sentai Gingaman: Hyuuga/Black Knight's sword Bull Riot also serves as his Transformation Trinket.
- Shuriken Sentai Ninninger: The Ninja Ichibantou sword serves as the Ninningers' transformation device and main weapon.
- Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger: The core five's OhgerCaliber, as well as the Sixth Ranger's Kumonoslayer, acts as both their weapons as well as their Transformation Trinkets.
Mythology & Religion
- Arthurian Legend: Excalibur came with a scabbard that prevented the wielder's wounds from bleeding, unfortunately King Arthur lost it sometime before his duel with Mordred. In some of the original Welsh traditions he also had a dagger named Carnwennan that shrouded the wielder in shadows, allowing him to kill the Black Witch.
Tabletop Games
- Heroes Unlimited: The Magic category includes rules for playing a superhero whose powers come from an enchanted weapon. While the character has the weapon, they are a powerful Magic Knight with a boatload of mystical abilities at their disposal. Without the weapon, they're just an ordinary person.
Video Games
- Assassin's Creed: The Swords of Eden can grant charisma and leadership, negate illusions, grant echolocation and fire energy blasts.
- Final Fantasy:
- Final Fantasy IX: Characters learn new abilities from their equipment, such as Vivi learning Fire from the staff he starts with.
- Final Fantasy XV: The Oracle lineage has the power to wield magic and commune with the Astrals, but they are only able to do this when they have their Ancestral Weapon the Trident of the Oracle.
- Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and its sequel use a similar system to FFIX's, with the slight distinction that weapons provide active abilities while most passive abilities come from armor instead.
- The Dagger of Time from Prince of Persia gives, like its name suggests, powers over time to its wielder.
- Played with in South Park: The Stick of Truth. The game's title alludes to a weapon that supposedly grants its wielder powers to control the entire universe, serving as the catalyst for a power struggle between multiple factions, including the US Government itself. However, the Stick of Truth is really just an ordinary tree branch that is being used as a prop in a group of children's role-playing game.
- Tales of Destiny: The party gains their special powers from the Swordians they partner with.
- Titan Quest: Some special weapons, when equipped, grant skills to their wielder. For example, wielding the Staff of the Chosen gives the ability to summon two Sprigglings.
- Tsukihime: Subverted. While several characters initially think that Shiki's Absurd Cutting Power abilities are a result of the ancestral knife he wields, he's actually just that good.
Webcomics
- None of the boxers of Star Impact have any remarkable abilities by themselves, but their gloves, made from Real Leather, bestow upon the wearer a special and unique power, such as letting the wearer Flash Step around the ring, multiplying the pain that each punch deals, letting the wearer buff up parts of their body, and more besides.
Western Animation
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power both had the Sword of Power and the Sword of Protection respectively. Both of these weapons granted their wielders access to the near bottomless powers of Grayskull, transforming them into the titular empowered forms.
- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: The Sword of Protection will turn Adora into the super-empowered She-Ra. She adapts to using the Super-Strength and the sword's ability to cut through anything quickly, but it takes her most of the series to learn to master its more esoteric powers like healing.
- Thundercats 1985: Lion-O's Sword of Omens grants him the ability to spot impending danger or allies that are in trouble.
- Young Justice: Harm, the Villain of the Week in "Secrets", gets superhuman strength, speed and reflexes from the Sword of Beowulf.
