History Main / LegendaryWeapon

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has had many of these, from the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords and Sword of Kas in the 1st Edition Dungeons Master's Guide to the swords of the ForgottenRealms as described by Ed Greenwood (Adjatha, Albruin, Demonbane, etc.).

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'': The Monado, the legendary Blade that can defeat the otherwise invincible Mechrons.

* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'': Frostmourne (among others).
** The 'Legion' expansion gives a legendary weapon for every available player class specialization. These range from old classics (such as twinblades forged from the broken shards of the previously mentioned Frostmourne, and the sword who broke Frostmourne in the first place) to completely new ones, which were given a fitting backstory.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film]]

* While ''Literature/LoneWolf'' has many a CoolSword and other awesome weapons, the Sommerswerd, the Sword of the Sun, is ''the'' blade of legend. This golden sword was forged by a god-like race and sent by the sun god Kai to the people of Sommerlund to aid them in fighting off the dark god Naar's champions, the Darklords of Helgedad. The second book revolves entirely around Lone Wolf retrieving the sword in order to repel another invasion by the Darklords.

[[folder:Live-Action Television]]

** The Daedric Artifacts (at least those that are weapons) are the most legendary weapons on Nirn. Each is associated with a particular [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] and passes from owner to owner according to the wishes of those deities. Famous ones include the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Malacath]]'s hammer Volendrung, the dagger [[OmnicidalManiac Mehrunes]]' Razor, the Mace of [[GodOfEvil Molag Bal]], [[GoodIsNotNice Meridia]]'s sword Dawnbreaker, and [[MadGod Sheogorath]]'s staff Wabbajack.

* The Eternal Sword in the ''Franchise/{{Tales|Series}}'' series. Also known as the Sword of Time, it is capable of cleaving time and space itself.

* The Daedric Artifacts (at least those that are weapons) are the most legendary weapons in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' universe. Each is associated with a particular Daedric (daemonic, more or less) deity and passes from owner to owner according to the wishes of those deities. Famous ones include the hammer Volendrung, the dagger Mehrunes' Razor, the Mace of Molag Bal, the sword Dawnbreaker and the staff Wabbajack.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': The Master Sword, aka "the Blade of Evil's Bane," is as legendary as the Triforce itself. It is inscribed in Hyrule's lore that [[GoodHurtsEvil evil ones cannot touch it]], nor can anyone save for the [[TheChosenOne Chosen Hero]] [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield draw it from the Pedestal of Time]].

A character in a work finds a weapon, and discovers that it is the same weapon from one of the [[OralTradition legends]] of their world. Most of the time, legendary weapons are a pretty big deal -- they don't call them "legendary" for nothing, after all -- and instead of being a ''very'' [[ExcaliburInTheRust old, rusty piece of scrap]] that's been in a display case for the last millennium, are actually extremely powerful and useful. They might even have the spirit of an ancient hero trapped in them, have immense magical properties, or be made with [[LostTechnology a technique that has been lost to the ages]]. Occasionally, when the protagonist is TheChosenOne of a {{Fantasy}} setting, they'll just happen to be a descendant of the last great hero to use that weapon, and the weapon [[OnlyTheChosenMaWield will unlock its true power only in their hands]].

A character in a work finds a weapon, and discovers that it is the same weapon from one of the [[OralTradition legends]] of their world. Most of the time, legendary weapons are a pretty big deal -- they don't call them "legendary" for nothing, after all -- and instead of being a ''very'' [[ExcaliburInTheRust old, rusty piece of scrap]] that's been in a display case for the last millennium, are actually extremely powerful and useful. They might even have the spirit of an ancient hero trapped in them, have immense magical properties, or be made with [[LostTechnology a technique that has been lost to the ages]]. Occasionally, when the protagonist is TheChosenOne of a {{Fantasy}} setting, they'll just happen to be a descendant of the last great hero to use that weapon, and the weapon will unlock its true power only in their hands.

* The Dual Blade in the ''Franchise/{{Lufia}}'' series, a weapon that amplifies the wielder's energy waves.

* Mjolnir in ''Film/{{Thor}}''.

* Several of the 13th century [[Literature/TheIcelandicSagas Sagas of Icelanders]] (specifically ''Kormak's Saga'' and ''Laxdoela Saga'') have a cameo of Skofnung, the legendary sword of the ancient Danish king Hrolf Kraki told about in ''Literature/TheSagaOfHrolfKraki'', which supposedly was [[GraveRobbing robbed from Hrolf's gravemound]] and brought to Iceland by the Icelander Skeggi of Midfirth.

A character in a work finds a weapon, and discovers that it is the same weapon from one of the [[OralTradition legends]] of their world. Most of the time, legendary weapons are a pretty big deal -- they don't call them "legendary" for nothing, after all - and instead of being a ''very'' [[ExcaliburInTheRust old, rusty piece of scrap]] that's been in a display case for the last millennium, are actually extremely powerful and useful. They might even have the spirit of an ancient hero trapped in them, have immense magical properties, or be made with [[LostTechnology a technique that has been lost to the ages]]. Occasionally, when the protagonist is TheChosenOne of a {{Fantasy}} setting, they'll just happen to be a descendant of the last great hero to use that weapon, and the weapon will unlock its true power only in their hands.

* Most of the Servants' [[SignatureMove Noble Phantasms]] in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' count. Considering the setting is based on the real world and the Servants are actually spirits of legendary heroes, a lot of them overlaps with PublicDomainArtifact.

* The Sword of Shannara from the ''Literature/{{Shannara}}'' series is the legendary sword which the Elven King Jerle Shannara used to defeat the Warlock Lord and end the Second War of the Races. Five hundred years later, the entire plot of ¡¡Literature/TheSwordOfShannara'' is a quest for said sword.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has the hat trick. The three Swords of the Cross are named Amoracchius, Esperacchius, and Fidelacchius. Or, as they've been called in the past, [[spoiler:{{Excalibur}}, Durendal, and [[{{Kusanagi}} Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi]], [[PublicDomainArtifact respectively]]]].

* The Emerald Sword in the ''RhapsodyOfFire'' songs. Very old, extremely powerful, can also count as an UnholyHolySword.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': The Master Sword, aka "the Blade of Evil's Bane", is as legendary as the Triforce itself. It is inscribed in Hyrule's lore that [[evil ones cannot touch it]], nor can anyone save for the [[TheChosenOne Chosen Hero]] [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield draw it from the Pedestal of Time]].

* A recurring element in ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'', particularly the games that feature a {{High|Fantasy}} or HeroicFantasy-themed locale.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' has the twelve legendary weapons, also known as the Sealed Weapons. They are weapons. They are legendary. There are even twelve of them.

A character in a work finds a weapon, and discovers that it is the same weapon from one of the [[OralTradition legends]] of their world. Most of the time, legendary weapons are a pretty big deal - they don't call them "legendary" for nothing, after all - and instead of being a ''very'' [[ExcaliburInTheRust old, rusty piece of scrap]] that's been in a display case for the last millennium, are actually extremely powerful and useful. They might even have the spirit of an ancient hero trapped in them, have immense magical properties, or be made with [[LostTechnology a technique that has been lost to the ages]]. Occasionally, when the protagonist is TheChosenOne of a Fantasy setting, they'll just happen to be a descendant of the last great hero to use that weapon, and the weapon will unlock its true power only in their hands.

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

* Excalibur in ''Manga/SoulEater'' is considered the strongest of weapons (which, in this setting, is a race) and his power is considered the stuff of legend. Any Meister who wields him is pretty much unstoppable, and many have tried, as his location and exploits are well documented. [[spoiler: What isn't, is the fact that he is completely insufferable and no one can stand him long enough to use him for long.]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* ''ComicBook/TheSixthGun'' has the Six, which have been reborn in every age of the setting. Built to free Man from an enemy that is no longer there, the Six were known to early man as clubs, to the Knights Templar as swords, to other ages as crossbows and matchlock muskets. In the age of the comic, they are .44 revolvers due to the Western setting.

[[folder: Fan Works ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* In ''Film/TheMummyReturns'' in the final confrontation Rick sees a mural depicting the golden scepter his brother in law has been hauling the entire film, showing it to be in fact a RetractableWeapon - the Spear of Osiris. Which is the only thing that can kill the Scorpion king. He promptly takes it and uses it to defeat the Scorpion king.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* ''Literature/TheRiftwarCycle'': The Hammer of Tholin is an ancient weapon that belonged to the last king of the dwarves, believed to be lost to the ages. The lore attached to it is so strong that its recovery allows [[spoiler: Dolgan]] to become the first king of the dwarves since its loss.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has the hat-trick. The three Swords of the Cross are named Amoracchius, Esperacchius, and Fidelacchius. Or, as they've been called in the past, [[spoiler:{{Excalibur}}, Durendal, and [[{{Kusanagi}} Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi]], respectively]].

[[folder: Live-Action Television ]]

* ''Series/{{Tracker}}'s'' Strada Brac. [[note]]note that as the series ended just after its discovery, we still have no idea how it's spelled for certain. This spelling is a fan consensus[[/note]] It was the subject of Vardian and Cirronian legends about how it was made during an ancient war and then stolen by the Migar council and hidden on Earth to keep it away from the Vardians. By the modern era, most of their peoples believed it was simply a myth. Cole and Mel obviously proved them wrong.
* ''Excalibur'' in ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' which Arthur is going to rip out of that stone as revealed by the series trailer, and Lancelot's sword which I have momentarily forgotten the name of.

[[folder: Music ]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* The [[CoolKey key]][[CoolSword blade]] in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts''.
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' gives us the χ-Blade (pronounced [[IncrediblyLamePun key-blade]] or kye-blade), of which other Keyblades were made to mimic its shape. Unlike the Keyblade, which was originally made to overcome Kingdom Hearts, the χ-Blade existed alongside it and protected it as well. It was over this that the Keyblade War was fought, which resulted in its destruction into 7 Lights, which became the [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Princesses of Heart]] and 13 Darknesses, as well plunging Kingdom Hearts into darkness and forcing The Worlds to reorganize. There is a way to reforge it and bring back the lost Kingdom Hearts; by having a powerful Light and equally powerful Darkness clash, but they have to be in partitions of 7 and 13 respectively for it to be successful. [[spoiler: [[BigBad Xehanort]], who has [[BackFromTheDead reformed]] in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' aims to start a second Keyblade War by doing exactly that, the 7 lights being either the Princesses of Heart or the various heroes of the series, while the 13 darknesses who are multiple splintered versions of himself gathered [[TimeTravel across time]].]]

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': [[SwordInTheStone The Master Sword]], aka, "The Blade of Evil's Bane", is as legendary as the Triforce itself. It is inscribed in Hyrule's lore that evil ones cannot touch it, nor can anyone save for the [[TheChosenOne Chosen Hero]] draw it from the Pedestal of Time.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' has the twelve legendary weapons. They are weapons. They are legendary. There are even twelve of them.
* The Vampire Killer Whip in ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series is considered the ultimate undead-killing holy weapon.
* The Eternal Sword in the ''Franchise/TalesSeries''. Also known as the Sword of Time, it is capable of cleaving time and space itself.

** ''Mask of the Betrayer'' has the longsword Sivlem, a weapon that has been attached to many glorious deeds. Its FlavorText has a weird {{Invoked|Trope}} DoubleSubversion when the mage enchanting it intended to give it [[TalkingWeapon an intelligence]] that would [[InvokedTrope drive its wielder to yet greater acts of heroism]], but applied said intelligence to a more mundane blade by mistake.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfGraces'' has the sword of Asbel's father, Aston, which was a legendary eleth sword. When Asbel was in training as a knight, he sold the old, rusted sword for cheap to a traveling merchant called a "Turtlez" (one of many in the game), not realizing its history or potential. Much later in the game, the player can buy it back for hefty premium and take it to the Amarcian Enclave and it turns out to be the extremely powerful Excalibur.
* In the arcade ''VideoGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' games from Capcom, at the end of Shadow of Mystara, if a player kills the final boss with a magical sword (i.e. any sword that they did not start with), the epilogue states that the weapon is renamed "The Sword of (Player Name)". On subsequent playthroughs, the sword is ''actually called that'' for anyone that picks it up. At least, until the cabinet is reset.

* The Relic weapons of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' qualify: though you have to ''re''forge them, they are legendary in the history of the world (for example, the Paladin's weapon, Curtana, is the sister sword to Oathkeeper, and both are the best swords ever made). The more they're upgraded, the more powerful they become, until eventually they're reforged again into ''epic'' weapons (Curtana becoming Excalibur, for example).

[[AC:AnimeAndManga]]
* Excalibur in ''Manga/SoulEater'' is considered the strongest of weapons (which, in this setting, is a race) and his power is considered the stuff of legend. Any Meister who wields him is pretty much unstoppable, and many have tried, as his location and exploits are well documented. [[spoiler: What isn't, is the fact that he is completely insufferable and no one can stand him long enough to use him for long.]]
* Most of the Servants' [[SignatureMove Noble Phantasms]] in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' count. Considering the setting is based on the real world and the Servants are actually spirits of legendary heroes, a lot of them overlaps with PublicDomainArtifact.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:Fan Works]]

[[AC:Film]]
* Mjolnir in ''Film/{{Thor}}''.
* The sword Green Destiny in ''Film/CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'', an AbsurdlySharpBlade famously wielded by Li Mubai and which serves as a MacGuffin for much of the movie.
* In ''Film/TheMummyReturns'' in the final confrontation Rick sees a mural depicting the golden scepter his brother in law has been hauling the entire film, showing it to be in fact a RetractableWeapon - the Spear of Osiris. Which is the only thing that can kill the Scorpion king. He promptly takes it and uses it to defeat the Scorpion king.

[[AC:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Narsil is the legendary sword that was forged in the First Age by a famous dwarven smith, wielded and broken by Elendil and then used by Isildur to cut the ring out of Sauron's hand at the end of the Second Age, and then reforged under the name Andúril at the end of the Third Age to fulfill one of the ancient prophecies.

* The Sword of Shannara from the ''Literature/{{Shannara}}'' series is the legendary sword which the Elven King Jerle Shannara used to defeat the Warlock Lord and end the Second War of the Races. Five hundred years later, the entire plot of ¡¡Literature/TheSwordOfShannara'' is a quest for said sword.
* The Sword of Godric Gryffindor and the Elder Wand in ''Literature/HarryPotter''.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has the hat-trick. The three Swords of the Cross are named Amoracchius, Esperacchius, and Fidelacchius. Or, as they've been called in the past, [[spoiler:{{Excalibur}}, Durendal, and [[{{Kusanagi}} Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi]], respectively]].

[[AC: Live-Action Television]]
* ''Series/{{Tracker}}'s'' Strada Brac. [[note]]note that as the series ended just after its discovery, we still have no idea how it's spelled for certain. This spelling is a fan consensus[[/note]] It was the subject of Vardian and Cirronian legends about how it was made during an ancient war and then stolen by the Migar council and hidden on Earth to keep it away from the Vardians. By the modern era, most of their peoples believed it was simply a myth. Cole and Mel obviously proved them wrong.
* ''Excalibur'' in ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' which Arthur is going to rip out of that stone as revealed by the series trailer, and Lancelot's sword which I have momentarily forgotten the name of.

[[AC: {{Music}}]]
* The Emerald Sword in the ''RhapsodyOfFire'' songs. Very old, extremely powerful, can also count as an UnholyHolySword.

[[AC:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has had many of these, from the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords and Sword of Kas in the 1st Edition Dungeons Master's Guide to the swords of the ForgottenRealms as described by Ed Greenwood (Adjatha, Albruin, Demonbane, etc.).

[[AC: Video Games]]
* Any weapon (or, indeed, any item) that unlocks a [[EncyclopediaExposita Codex]] entry in the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series. Additionally, if you acquired the weapon Vigilance in ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'', the epilogue mentions that it went on to become one of these.
* The Runeblade from ''[[VideoGame/{{Drakan}} Drakan: Order of the Flame]]'' belonged to Heron, the last great dragonrider and is also the [[InfinityPlusOneSword best weapon in the game]].

* In the ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'', [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales Squire]] finds the sword of Squire, the knight from the legend she told in the first episode of the animated series. She uses it as her WeaponOfChoice for the rest of her life.

* ''ComicBook/TheSixthGun'' has the Six, which have been reborn in every age of the setting. Built to free Man from an enemy that is no longer there, the Six were known to eraly man as clubs, to the Knights Templar as swords, to other ages as crossbows and matchlock muskets. In the age of the setting, they are .44 revolvers due to the Western setting.