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| 13 | [[quoteright:250:[[VideoGame/NinjaGaiden https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dark_dragon_blade.png]]]] |
| 14 | [[caption-width-right:250:Useful to look cool, less to stab your opponent.[[note]]Although it's ''definitely'' going to hurt if you're able to do so ''and then'' pull the thing out.[[/note]]]] |
| 15 | |
| 16 | [[CoolSword Swords are cool.]] [[HeroesPreferSwords That's why heroes prefer them.]] But for some authors, it seems that a sword with a plain, straight blade, a curved [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]] or [[SinisterScimitar scimitar]], or some other exotically functional real blade like the wavy [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris kris]] is still not quite cool enough. They need to invent their own special blade. So screw functionality and ergonomics! They will design swords with the weirdest shape possible, as long as it looks [[RuleOfCool cool]]. The odd shape won't have any practical purpose other than looking special, when it isn't outright AwesomeButImpractical… [[ImplausibleFencingPowers not that it will prevent the wielder from fighting perfectly with it]]. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Usually the "odd" shape can either being used to give the character using the sword a distinctive character or can also be used for "humour" or alternative to a family friendly weapon: seeing such an odd sword makes you think that you can't possibly harm someone with that. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | While the odd shapes for blades may vary. There's also one template that some strangely-shaped blades tend to draw inspiration from and it's the '''[[PublicDomainArtifact Nanatsusaya no Tachi]]'''/'''Shichishito''', the legendary ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven-Branched_Sword Seven-Branched Sword]]''. An ancient ceremonial sword, possibly originating in Korea, with three smaller blades on each side projecting from its main blade. It is one of the national treasures of Japan currently housed in the Isonokami Shrine in Nara Prefecture, Japan and not shown to the public. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | SubTrope of CoolSword and ImpossiblyCoolWeapon. Compare ImprobableWeaponUser, LaserBlade, VibroWeapon and {{BFS}}. Can overlap with SerratedBladeOfPain. A defensive equivalent would be ScaryImpracticalArmor. Contrast BoringButPractical. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | ---- |
| 25 | !!Examples: |
| 26 | |
| 27 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 28 | |
| 29 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 30 | * ''Manga/BeetTheVandelBuster'' gives us [[ImprobableWeaponUser Zenon]] who wields the deceptively named [[http://oi57.tinypic.com/fwsv0k.jpg Excellion Blade,]] which, despite the name, actually has multible blade'''s''', plural. |
| 31 | * ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Nearly every [[EmpathicWeapon Zanpakutou]] release that looks like a sword will have an unusual shape. During Ichigo's Bankai training, he has to retrieve his real sword among a FieldOfBlades. Every single sword in the field has a unique design, though the actual one is just (if a bit oversized) a regular sword. The most egregious example is maybe Izuru's sword: curved with two right angles and with no pointy end. One of his opponents even lampshades how impractical it is to fight (although shortly after he discovers [[OffWithHisHead one way the blade can be used]]) |
| 32 | ** Rukia and Hitsugaya's released swords (both [[AnIcePerson ice element types]] coincidentally) are surprising aversions. Both blades still look like normal swords but they both gain accessories coming off the end of the hilt (a ribbon for Sode no Shirayuki and a crescent blade on a [[VariableLengthChain chain]] for Hyourinmaru). Captain General Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka might also count if you could see the actual shape of the blade under [[KillItWithFire all the]] [[FlamingSword flames]]. It makes them stick out in a host of oddly shaped blades and {{BFS}}s. |
| 33 | ** This is the case with some of the Arrancar's own sealed Zanpakuto, chief examples being Tesra (a katana with a saber-like handle and what can be described as a chakram blade between the sword tip and the guard) and Quinta Espada Nnoitra (previously an upward-pointing crescent blade on a stick with the cutting edge on the inside, in the present day he has a second downward-pointing crescent blade right below the upper one, again with the edges on the inside). |
| 34 | ** Iziru Kira's shikai Wabisuke, gives his sword a square hook on the end. It has the power to increase the weight of whatever it strikes. One enemy questions the practicality of the weird shape, and he later responds by demonstrating, after immobilizing said enemy, that the purpose of the hook is to decapitate immobilized enemies like a reverse guillotine, by hooking it under the neck and pulling up. |
| 35 | * ''Anime/DevilHunterYohko''[='s=] title character wields a sword with a large bladed handguard; in one episode she demonstrates that she can un-dock the sword blade and use the remaining portion as a hand axe. |
| 36 | * In one of the ''Manga/DragonBall'' filler episodes. Goku happens upon Shula, the King of the Demon Realm. He wields a [[https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Shula%27s_sword large sword]] with six ''branches'' along its blade, that he uses to keep a giant cursed gate open to make sure his demons can torment a nearby kingdom by nightfall. |
| 37 | * ''Manga/{{Gamaran}}'' has some examples: The Maruyama brothers have the Murder Sword Ginguruwa (Silver Wheel): a sword with a very short, knife-like blade and a long, curved blade coming out of the back of said short blade. Another example is provided by Shinsuke's Soenmaru blade: A broadsword hollow inside composed by two katana-like blades on the hilt. Last but not least, Kibe refers to his weapon as a sword, while it's actually a colossal, spiked iron club. |
| 38 | * [[spoiler:The resurrected Yomi (Izumi)]] in ''Manga/GaRei'' is able to materialize a seven-branched sword out of thin air, [[spoiler:having lost the Shishiou.]] |
| 39 | * ''Anime/GoLion'' carries a strange looking sword as his main weapon. |
| 40 | * [[spoiler:[[BigBad Joka]]]] from ''Manga/HoshinEngi'' wields the Shihoken: technically a sword, it's better described as a nodachi designed and forged by someone obsessed with modern art. Considering that it works by erasing things with a big Kaboom, it doesn't need to be sharp or practical by normal swords' standards. |
| 41 | * ''Anime/KillLaKill'' features two of these, which in part serve as [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement Swords Of Plot Advancement]], that each look like the separate halves of a pair of tailor's scissors, just ones enlarged to BFS proportions. They can also change size and shape, and become even more ridiculous when in Decapitation Mode. And yes, they do, also fit together to form a gigantic, double-edged pair of scissors! [[http://kill-la-kill.wikia.com/wiki/Scissor_Blades Take a look, but WATCH OUT FOR SPOILERS!!!]] |
| 42 | ** The scissor shape is a plot point: Life Fiber monsters such as [[spoiler:Nui or Ragyo]] have a HealingFactor so rapid that their wounds begin closing before a blade can finish cutting through them, such that they can pull through things like decapitation and dismemberment unscathed because those extremities technically never left their bodies. The Scissor Blades, cutting in two directions at once and meeting in the middle, work fast enough to leave permanent injuries. |
| 43 | ** Later, the story introduces the [[GratuitousEnglish Tailor's Dagger]], a combat knife with three parallel blades made specifically to sever the threads of the Life Fibers (to prevent the fiber's regenerative capabilities). The OVA has four custom versions for the EliteFour, namely a three-bladed katana for [[MasterSwordsman Sanageyama Uzu]], a three-bladed hatchet for [[MightyGlacier Gamagori Ira]], a knife with three blades shaped as musical notes for [[MusicalAssassin Jakuzure Nonon]] and a three-parted [[ImprobableWeaponUser club-keyboard thing]] for [[TheSmartGuy Inumuta Houka]]. |
| 44 | * ''Manga/KongohBancho'': Kenpei Bancho's own sword Kanaria is, by his own ammission, a heavily modified ''phirangi'' sword, looking mostly like a longsword with a serrated segment near the hilt, a thinner katana-like blade half-way through broadening back into a flat tip with a triangular spearhead attached to the flat tip with screws, to give it a drilling attack. Kenpei Bancho admits that he customized his sword so that it could slice, dice, drill and impale as he wishes. |
| 45 | * In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', among the swords owned by the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, only Zabuza's {{BFS}} looks like a real sword. |
| 46 | ** The Hiramekarei does look like a sword, albeit deviating from the conventional design. But it has an ability to transform into a hammer. |
| 47 | ** The Kiba swords: really thin dual blades with spikes protruding from them. |
| 48 | ** Nuibari which is a needle-like sword that is used to sew enemies together |
| 49 | ** Shibuki which has a cutting edge on one side and a paper bomb dispenser on the other. |
| 50 | ** Kabutowari which is actually a hammer and an axe connected by a chain... |
| 51 | ** The strangest of all has to be Kisame's Samehada, which barely even looks like a sword. It's more like a giant club made of thorns. It actually is not really a sword at all, but is actually a bizarre chakra-eating creature that lets its owner use it like a sword. |
| 52 | ** Kubikiribocho, Zabuza's blade, while it looks like an actual sword still has a very unique design. It is a {{BFS}} with a rectangular shape, so it almost resembles a cleaver, and it has a large hole cut out near the end of the blade, and a semicircular edge cut out of the edge close to the grip. |
| 53 | * ''Manga/OnePiece'': |
| 54 | ** [[WorldsBestWarrior Dracule Mihawk's]] Yoru isn't an especially odd shape - essentially a [[{{BFS}} super-giant]] Gross Messer - but what is bizarre are its enormous crossguards that make it look like a crucifix. |
| 55 | *** But on the other hand he is so skilled that he carries a small blade around his neck called Kogatana that is the size of a small knife he uses as a way to play fair and to show his CodeOfHonour. |
| 56 | ** Arlong's [[SerratedBladeOfPain Kiribachi]] is essentially a ten-foot metal pole with lots of triangular blades attached to it. |
| 57 | ** Jack's two swords are helical, like an elephant's tusks, with the edge on the inside. |
| 58 | * ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'': |
| 59 | ** Sawagejou Chou, "the Sword Hunter" collects unusual swords. ''Renbatou'' consists of two katana blades whose hilts snap together to make one weapon with two parallel blades. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Kenshin easily destroys it]] by getting his scabbard between the blades and twisting to snap them off. More effective is ''Hakujin no Tachi'', which has a super-long, flexible blade that he can use like a whip. In the Hokkaido Arc he adds another sword... which is actually a ''stick'' with countless razor-sharp tiny blades attached to it, which serves as a propeller to throw these blades at the enemy. |
| 60 | ** Shishio Makoto's sword ''Mugenjin'' has a serrated edge like a steak knife that tends to collect the flesh it cuts. Shishio can ignite the collected fats and oils by striking the edge of the sword against his scabbard, and uses the flames for various special moves. Downplayed in that the Mugenjin looks like a perfectly normal katana at first sight, and it needs extreme close ups to show the barbed edge. |
| 61 | [[/folder]] |
| 62 | |
| 63 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 64 | * '80s Sci-fi/Fantasy comic ''ComicBook/{{Dreadstar}}'', Vanth Dreadstar's sword looks like he removed the head of a halberd and is swinging that around. So guarding his hand is a large axe and then a spearhead is the blade of his sword. |
| 65 | * ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'': The Sword of Second and Third is the size of a knife and shaped rather like a tuning fork. Its magic is powerful enough to make it worthwhile, though. |
| 66 | * In ''ComicBook/XOfSwords'', the sword Pogg Ur-Pogg is... a giant 6-armed crocodile in red crystalline armour with a sickle-like blade. Quite a number of the swords featured in the comic are oddballs though none match the Pogg. |
| 67 | [[/folder]] |
| 68 | |
| 69 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 70 | * ''Fanfic/BaitAndSwitchSTO'': Morgan t'Thavrau's sword is modeled largely after a curved cavalry saber, but the basket hilt has a forward-pointing hook on it that she can use to trap an opponent's blade. |
| 71 | [[/folder]] |
| 72 | |
| 73 | [[folder:Film — Live-Action]] |
| 74 | * In the film version of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'', the Uruk-Hai had L-shaped blades. The blades are essentially an oversized straight machete with a spike on the blunt side at the end of the sword. Being mass-produced cast metal, they would work just fine hacking up lightly armoured opponents but would struggle to deal damage to someone wearing plate armour. So the spike was (probably) intended to deal with that sort of protection, just like the reverse spikes on a polearm. Flip your grip and put a hole in them! |
| 75 | * ''Film/TheManWhoSavesTheWorld'' has a big dumb-looking sword with a lightning-bolt blade. [[http://www.nanarland.com/Chroniques/tsw/tsw009.jpg Behold!]] ("The ultimate weapon: the painted-wood saw-blade"). Even in-universe it's completely useless to the BareFistedMonk hero, who reforges it into gauntlets. |
| 76 | * ''Film/WebOfDeath'': Fittingly enough given the theme being PoisonedWeapons, the Venom Clan's best fighter uses a poison-coated blade shaped like a centipede. |
| 77 | [[/folder]] |
| 78 | |
| 79 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 80 | * The depictions of Shardblades in ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' tend towards this, with spikes, spurs, and ripples common as decorations. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] by the fact that Shardblades are [[AbsurdlySharpBlade Absurdly Sharp Blades]] that cut though things with magic rather than regular physics, and thus don't need a practical shape as much. ''Literature/RhythmOfWar'' indicates that the ornate shapes are because [[spoiler:the Shardblades are actually a MorphWeapon that's been "locked" into ceremonial form by the death of their spren.]] |
| 81 | [[/folder]] |
| 82 | |
| 83 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 84 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E5TheBrainOfMorbius "The Brain of Morbius"]], the Sisterhood of Karn threaten the 4th Doctor with impractical-looking flame-shaped daggers. |
| 85 | * ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'': The [[ShockAndAwe Deer Undead]] wields two organic-looking Seven-Branched Swords which evoke a pair of antlers. |
| 86 | * ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' and ''Franchise/SuperSentai'': |
| 87 | ** The Shark Sword from ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai''. |
| 88 | ** The Sword of Demons was an oddly shaped scimitar given to the Dragon Ranger in ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger''. This would be translated to ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' as the Sword of Darkness, but both served the same purpose - odd, yet cool looking blade. |
| 89 | * Bat'leth, the iconic Klingon sword from the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise, with a crescent (often complex shaped) edge on one side and multiple handles on the other side. Also less iconic mek'leth, which looks like a (backwards) scimitar with an additional knife attached under the crossguard. |
| 90 | ** The Bat'leth was intentionally designed to be a mix of several weapon types, the result being ergonomically sound but utterly impractical. The fighting style created to go with it is basically a form of {{Flynning}}, the weapon being great for blocking the kind of wide swings that it forces on it's user and bad at pretty much anything else. |
| 91 | [[/folder]] |
| 92 | |
| 93 | [[folder:Magazine]] |
| 94 | * ''{{Magazine/Analog}}'': The [[Recap/Analog1930 December 1930 cover]] depicts one KillerGorilla holding a black dagger with an undulating blade. It stands out in the image because the rest of the cover has bright colours. |
| 95 | [[/folder]] |
| 96 | |
| 97 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 98 | * Most swords -and other weapons- in ''TabletopGame/AnimaBeyondFantasy'', with the bonus in quite a number of cases of being also a {{BFS}}. The epitome may be the ''Angelus'' and the similar ''Seoman Kephos'', the Imperial Sword, both forged (and the former used) by [[CrystalDragonJesus Abel]], [[AwesomeButImpractical but so cool as useless]] in RealLife (cue to ImplausibleFencingPowers and the RuleOfCool). |
| 99 | * There are several in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', including the spiral-shaped [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221186 Trepanation Blade]], the hook-ended [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193528 Pennon Blade]], and the blade split down the middle seen on [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214070 Sword of Feast and Famine]] and its cousins. |
| 100 | ** The bifurcated swords came back on Amonkhet, as visible in [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=426922 Prepare,]] because Amonkhet worshipped Nicol Bolas as a god and [[SigilSpam put a symbol based on his horns anywhere it could]] - that's it at the base of the sword there. |
| 101 | * The [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Vorpal_blade_2840.jpg Vorpal Blade,]] from ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}}'', is covered in spikes and curves that don't even always go in the same direction. |
| 102 | ** There's also the Funny-Looking Sword. It [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin lives up to its name]]. |
| 103 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': |
| 104 | ** Sawtooth sabres have a cutting edge with large teeth on it, meant to resemble a praying mantis's barbed arms (they're used by an assassins' guild devoted to the assassin god Achaekek, for whom mantids are sacred). You can use them as a martial weapon in which case they're mechanically identical to longswords, but if you take an Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, you can treat them as a light weapon under the DualWielding rules. |
| 105 | ** The rhoka is a sword with two side-by-side blades, both serrated. It's used almost exclusively by the life-hating urdefahn. |
| 106 | * ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'' miniatures are heading this way, particularly for Chaos; wherever the shapes of Chaos daemon weapons follow a comprehensible form, the obsession with packing on pointless detail has led to the swords sprouting all manner of spikes, tendrils, loops, hooks, serrations and excess blades, to the point where you can't see the basic shape. And they only get worse from there. This also happens to their axes. [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}} Dark Eldar]] blades also have strange cutouts, excess points and other details on already-strangely-curved blades, which often curve in multiple directions. |
| 107 | * TabletopGame/{{Warmachine}}'': ''Epic forms of Cryx warcasters also have bizarrely-shaped blades, often with too much blade mass. Epic Asphyxious even has a ''really'' odd weapon ''[[EvilWeapon made of a fallen rival]]''. |
| 108 | [[/folder]] |
| 109 | |
| 110 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 111 | * Don Quixote's sword in ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'' -- it ends in an impressive spherical helix, though it is ''rather'' second-hand. |
| 112 | [[/folder]] |
| 113 | |
| 114 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 115 | * Befitting the religious and pious themes in ''VideoGame/{{Blasphemous}}'', the Penitent One's weapon is a sword designed for self-punishment. The grip is a religious statue held upside down and covered in stone barbs that constantly pierce into the wielder's hands. The crossguard is jagged and uncomfortable. The blade itself isn't too weird, except the barbs continue about halfway up the edge. The coiling thorns mirror the Penitent One's [[https://i.imgur.com/kyDWwqf.gif distinctive helmet]] |
| 116 | * In ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', Ragna the Bloodedge wields the Aramasa, a sword he inherited (via Jubei) from the original Bloodedge, an unsung hero of the Dark War who singlehandedly halted the advance of the Black Beast for a year (unknown to Ragna, Bloodedge is actually [[spoiler:an amnesiac Ragna thrown back in time]]). The sword has a somewhat wavy, almost hook-like shape to it. In its awakened state, the Aramasa is also capable of assuming the form of a scythe with a blade made out of crimson energy (the blade extends from the hilt and turns to resemble a scythe). |
| 117 | ** There's also Kagura, who uses a blade that is best described as a black, angled gravestone on a stick. Also, it's friggin ''huge.'' |
| 118 | * In ''VideoGame/DarkChronicle'', the vast majority of Monica's swords are appropriate looking. However the final sword that she can get, Island King, is nothing more than a tiki mask with a propeller on it. |
| 119 | * The Darksword from ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' looks more rectangular than anything else, but the prize goes to Quelaag's Furysword, which is basically the segmented leg of a giant spider (that catches fire when swung). |
| 120 | * In ''Videogame/DarkSoulsII'', the [[http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140329045159/darksouls/images/d/d5/King%27s_Ultra_Greatsword.png King's Ultra Greatsword]] is really more of a giant statue of Vendrick's beloved queen Nashandra on a stick than a sword. It even has the moveset of clubs instead of swords and does strike damage instead of slashing damage. |
| 121 | * The Sparda sword in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' has a huge crescent-shaped blade, and the position of the handle should make it quite difficult to wield. Lampshaded in the last line of [[http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/899 this]] ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' comic. Downplayed in that the Sparda is also a shapeshifting weapon. |
| 122 | * A lot of the higher-level swords and daggers in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' have serrated, zig-zagging, and/or wavy-edged blades. |
| 123 | * Many of the bladed weapons in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'' have odd designs, especially some of the greatswords having a shape that can only be described as that of a screwdriver (thin main body ending in an arrowhead), swords with cross-like parts near the tip or axes with a circular main blade with four drop-shaped, smalled blades attached. |
| 124 | * One of the [[NationalWeapon National Weapons]] of the Vahnatai in ''VideoGame/{{Exile}}/VideoGame/{{Avernum}}'' is the waveblade. Instead of a normal blade these swords have a blade that curves back and forth. The number of waves in the blade is said to be a sign of the quality. |
| 125 | * In ''VideoGame/FateEXTRA'', Saber wields Aestus Estus, a large sword that tapers and widens somewhat randomly and comes to three points on the cutting edge... Well, [[http://images.wikia.com/typemoon/images/f/f9/AestusEstus.png see for yourself.]] It should perhaps come as no surprise that the true identity of the character who designed and uses such an insane sword is [[spoiler:[[UsefulNotes/{{Nero}} Nero Caeser]]]]. |
| 126 | * The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games have many examples; |
| 127 | ** Two of Cloud's swords, Organics and Apocalypse in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. |
| 128 | ** [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/5/50/FFX_Weapon_-_Masamune.png/revision/latest?cb=20130421234548 Auron's ultimate weapon]] in ''Videogame/FinalFantasyX'' looks more like a really big wrench. Most of [[http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/File:TidusSwords.png Tidus's swords]] have odd shapes as well. |
| 129 | ** The blades of both Noel's primary sword and Caius's {{BFS}} in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'' are odd, to say the least, with Noel's looking like flames and Caius's looking like a ratty feather. |
| 130 | ** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', Gladiator/Paladin and Dark Knight are both subject to this on several occasions, especially since many Dark Knight swords are also scaled up Gladiator/Paladin swords. The worst offenders are the [[DishingOutDirt Titan]] Tremor/"of Crags" weapons, which are basically giant stone clubs masquerading as swords. |
| 131 | * The infamous "[[http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_small/1/18591/948664-marche.jpg Pizza]] [[http://www.abload.de/img/lusolljzw.jpg Cutter]] Sword" from the promotional artworks of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2''. |
| 132 | * ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'' features several examples of this, such as [[https://gbf.wiki/Balmung Balmung]] with its strange split edge, as well as several items that are ''clearly'' not swords of any kind being classified as such, like a [[https://gbf.wiki/Bewitching_Bouquet bouquet of roses.]] |
| 133 | * Some of the swords from ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'' tend to have rough designs (as in, they're essentially metal scraps rearranged to serve as weapons) or implausible shapes, hooks and unnecessary barbs. |
| 134 | * Sol Badguy's Fireseal/Fuuenken in ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111030092758/guilty-gear/images/b/b8/Ggxxr_cs1_so.jpg is a blunt, rectangular blade.]] It makes up for its supposed lack of sharpness due to [[HotBlade its ability to generate intense flames]] (presumably thanks to an engine/exhaust-like mechanism installed in the sword) although the blade is still able to draw blood in-game. By the time of ''Overture'', however, [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111029045961/guilty-gear/images/1/1f/Gg2o_cs2_so.jpg the weapon has undergone heavy modification and resembles a more traditional sword]] (the tip of the blade is still fairly blunt, though). Back during his days as a member of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights, Sol instead used [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111108135038/guilty-gear/images/4/43/Ggxxac_cs_or.jpg an unnamed sword]] that appears to be little more than a giant slab of stone or concrete. In ''Xrd'', Sol's trademark Fireseal is then switched out for a new sword named Junkyard Dog Mk.III, which is best described as a [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=1140413 giant lighter]] (though both ''Xrd'' and {{Interquel}} pachinko game ''Vastedge'' hint that the Junkyard Dog might not be an actual sword, but merely a casing for the Fireseal that draws upon its power. [[ImprobableWeaponUser Not that it makes things any less odd.]]). |
| 135 | * The ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' series has the [[LaserBlade energy sword]] and its two blades, emanating from the handle in a way that would be decidedly impractical if they were physical blades. Special mention goes to it for being both really odd ''and'' extremely well-designed to take advantage of its weightlessness in sword combat; plenty of edges designed to catch an opponent's blade while also protecting the hand. Justified to an extent, in that the sword was designed with the physiology of the Sangheili/Elites in mind, a species with symmetrical, two-thumbed hands. |
| 136 | * ''VideoGame/InfinityBlade'' is choc full of swords, some badass, some ridiculous. Actually scratch that, there are a lot of ridiculous swords. Special mentions go to the thornblade (not unlike the page example) which looks more like a meat-rack than an actual sword. |
| 137 | * ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' is bountiful in unusual weapons, though actual swords are rather lacking, the bladed weapons such as Lexeaus's Axe-Swords, Larxene's Knives and Xemnas's Ethereal Blades, often have concave indents, multiple prongs, and ornaments that don't appear to contribute to weapon efficiency. To say nothing of the Keyblade, which, at its most basic, is a key shaped sword. Once you get into the upgrades, you can get Keyblades shaped like buildings or ice cream or literal flames taking on a vague key-like shape. |
| 138 | * In the ''{{Franchise/Kirby}}'' series of games, Meta Knight's sword, Galaxia, is this, with large spikes protruding from the golden blade. They range in number from zero to six [[DependingOnTheArtist depending on the game.]] |
| 139 | * The Soul Reaver from ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' looks odd, but this kind of wavy blade actually exists, and is called a Flamberge. However, the undulations of the Reaver's blade are more pronounced than any Flamberge, thus seeming more kriss-like. It could be best described as a kriss blade crossed with a Flamberge design. |
| 140 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': |
| 141 | ** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask]]'', Link wearing the Fierce Deity's Mask wields the [[https://zelda.fandom.com/wiki/Fierce_Deity_Sword Double Helix Sword]] which has two blades that cross back and forth before coming to a point. |
| 142 | ** Though less exotic than some, in ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'', the BigBad's sword is an EvilCounterpart to the Master Sword, and has [[https://zelda.gamepedia.com/File:SS_Demise_Render.png a blade shaped like overlapping diamonds with spikes at the corners.]] |
| 143 | ** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' has the Goron greatswords such as the Cobble Crusher. They are blunt crushing weapons rather than slicing weapons, they get progressively wider approaching the point, and said "point" is typically covered in a heavy adornment that further shifts its center weight to make it better suited for smashing blows. Also, the swords the [[BirdPeople Rito]] use have a hollow space where the fuller would be to make them lighter. Additionally, the [[LizardFolk Lizalfos]] may wield boomerang-type weapons that can have as many as [[http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Lizal_Tri-Boomerang three blades,]] making it look like a cross between a boomerang, a kukri and a shuriken (and taking heavy inspiration from the African mambele knife). |
| 144 | * Swords in ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'' have [[{{BFS}} massive]] blades in the shape of a curved flame. Naturally, they typically overlap with FlamingSword. The game's [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement Dual Blade]] also possesses a curious one-edged design. |
| 145 | * ''Videogame/MaceTheDarkAge'' has the Hell Knight, who carries a pair of scimitars that look almost like axes. |
| 146 | * In ''VideoGame/MonsterGirlQuest'', Luka soon finds the Angel Halo, which is...well...[[https://static.miraheze.org/mgqwiki/7/77/Angel_Halo.png there's a reason if everyone he shows it to is shocked speechless.]] |
| 147 | * Given that they are carved from the bodies of the monsters the player hunts, it is no surprise that a lot of the swords--indeed, many of the weapons in general--in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' are fairly strange looking. Examples include the [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091003095037/monsterhunter/images/c/c2/BarrothGS.png Carapace Sword]], [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100816091319/monsterhunter/images/e/e5/AlatreonGS.png Alatreon Great Sword]] and the [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100518042206/monsterhunter/images/0/03/Sharq-Attaq.png Sharq Attaq]]. |
| 148 | * In ''VideoGame/MusashiSamuraiLegend'' the first four Elemental Swords may be unusual, but otherwise fine. Then there's the Void Sword: it looks like there are two blades merged: the one in the middle is straight and squared, the other one has a wave shape and is merged with the former. In RealLife this sword would be awfully hard to use properly. |
| 149 | * In ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', the [[http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5427/850920-githsword_large.jpg Silver Sword of Gith.]] Possibly justified by it being an InfinityPlusOneSword [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement of Plot Advancement]]. And by not being human-made. And being more of a focus for magical/planar energies than a sword. |
| 150 | * The Dark Dragon Blade in ''Videogame/NinjaGaiden''. A fully upgraded [[{{BFS}} Dabilahro]] also has plenty of unnecessary curves and flourish. Enma's Fang in ''Sigma 2'' just… [[http://b6.raptrcdn.com/activity/award_def/psn/69/e5/69e56ddf18103edff73c3f66f63225fe.PNG cannot be described with words.]] |
| 151 | * The Seven Punishment Sword in ''Videogame/{{Okami}}'' is another example of the "flame shaped" variant. |
| 152 | ** Ninetails' Nine-Pronged sword counts as well. [[MundaneUtility It also doubles as a lightning rod]] [[HoistByHisOwnPetard which is the key to defeating him]]. |
| 153 | * ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaWarriorWithin'' has several weapons the Prince can pick up, including his main sword, which tend to have unusual designs such as the Spider Sword (A broadsword with a wide, fan-shaped tip), the Snake Sword (the handle is shaped like a twisting snake and the blade is wavy) or the Scorpion Sword (a massive, cutlass-like sword with edges and spikes over it). [[BigBad The Emperess of Time]] dual-wields swords with plain hooked falx-like blades coupled with an incredibly developed handle which can protect her forearms and a handle positioned so that the swords become, essentially, a set of BladeBelowTheShoulder. [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/princeofpersia/images/6/68/KaileenaSword%28WW%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20181101205054&path-prefix=en They look like this.]] |
| 154 | * Ein's sword, the [[Myth/NorseMythology Einherjar]], in ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'' is bright yellow, bends backwards above the crossguard just to move back forward, and has an edge like a cleaver. [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/deptheaven/images/1/15/Ein.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20130325001159 It evokes feelings of a lightning bolt.]] Additionally, it cannot be [[BreakableWeapons broken]], but can only be effectively used by Ein himself. |
| 155 | * ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'': Kenshin Uesugi's standard weapon is a seven-bladed sword. Kojiro Sasaki can summon giant blades with a really weird design. Kunoichi's best weapon is a flame-shaped dagger. Ginchio Tachibana's sword has the blade shaped as a stylized lightning bolt. |
| 156 | * ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'': Yukimura starts out with a spear. Ok, fine. His last weapon is a multi-pronged, flame like monstrosity. And he's not the only one. Hojo Ujimasa stands out too: His ''basic'' weapon is a pike with twelve blades that, in RealLife, would be a waste of wood and metal. |
| 157 | * While most weapons in the ''VideoGame/{{Soul|Series}}'' series are fairly reasonable and realistic, several extra weapons you can buy/obtain tend to fall into this category, such as Siegfried's 7 Branch Blade (a zweihander with a wavy flames design, not unlike the page image). [[DemBones Revenant]], an extra character in ''Soulcalibur III'' and ''IV'', also uses twin wave swords known as Gatekeeper. |
| 158 | * The Excalibur from ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend'': clearly not forged by people of this world, it resembles a dark, thick broadsword built by a drunken blacksmith who, halfway through changed his mind and tried to make an axe. Then again, since the assembled sword can shoot volleys of supernatural green lightning, its design is merely to show how "alien" it is. |
| 159 | * ''VideoGame/VagrantStory'' has a number of odd-looking swords such as the Rhomphaia and Rune Blade both of which look like planks. The really weird one is the Holy Win. This greatsword blade is based on the holy symbol of St. Iocus and look like the blade has a flattened 'X' symbol going through it. |
| 160 | * ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has some truly ridiculous blades, like the [[https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/152183-sword-of-justice.jpg Sword of Justice]], the [[https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/739903-schwarzklinge-von-shahram.jpg Blackblade of Shahram]], the [[https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/455494-zwillingsklinge-des-ph%C3%B6nix.jpg Twinblade of the Phoenix]] or the legendary weapon [[https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/426561.jpg Thunderfury.]] And the other weapon classes (axes, maces...) have similar offenders. |
| 161 | * ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' gives us the Monado, a sword with a design that's almost cleaver-like, with the hilt and grip at the rear of the blade with the edge actually several inches forward of the grip, and a circular hollow within said blade to boot. [[spoiler:And that's just when [[BigBad Zanza]] loaned it to Shulk for a stint. When he reclaims it, it can best be described as "skeleton-bat sword."]] |
| 162 | * ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' has some weird shapes for its swords too. From Pyra's Aegis Sword (the Monado with a more angular design philosophy) to Catalyst's "scimitar" (a flower growing on a pole of sorts) to [[spoiler:Malos' Monado (some weird middle ground between Shulk's Monado and Zanza's Monado)]], it's a wonder how they didn't become AwesomeButImpractical. |
| 163 | |
| 164 | [[/folder]] |
| 165 | |
| 166 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 167 | * ''Franchise/AceAttorney'': the emerald Shichishito, which literally means "seven-branched sword", its branches supposedly representing the different paths life can take before its inevitable end. The fact that it is shaped so oddly comes up when [[spoiler:you prove that the defendant in the last case of ''Trials and Tribulations'' could not have shoved the sword all the way through the victim based on the wound and the blood on only the top branches]]. |
| 168 | * In ''VisualNovel/DancingBladeKatteNiMomotenshi'', Momotenshi, the SuperMode of main heroine Momohime, wields a {{BFS}} [[http://download.minitokyo.net/Dancing.Blade:.Katte.Ni.Momo.Tenshi.387463.jpg with its tip shaped like a peach,]] as a reference to Momohime's origins (she's a GenderFlip adaptation of Momotaro, the boy born from a peach). |
| 169 | * ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': |
| 170 | ** Gilgamesh's Sword of Rapture, Ea, which isn't a sword per se but instead a lance-esque weapon made of three spinning segments and actually ''pre-dates'' the concept of a sword. Not meant for actual melee, it charges up an attack by having the segments spin in opposite directions to create enough friction to dislocate space-time. The ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' material book acknowledges its odd shape, admitting it is more suited to being called a MagicStaff than an actual sword. |
| 171 | ** Berserker's weapon is a slab of stone that has been roughly carved into a cross between a sword and axe. Being a LightningBruiser who can lift and swing that giant hunk of stone around with ease, it works for him just fine. |
| 172 | ** From the sequel, ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia'', we have Avenger's blades Tawrich and Zarich. They're shaped more like a beast's claws than swords. It's noted that their bizarre shape actually lessens their effectiveness: a standard sword would work much better in pretty much every situation. |
| 173 | [[/folder]] |
| 174 | |
| 175 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 176 | * ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' has the [[RougeAnglesOfSatin SORD]], a ''WebComic/SweetBroAndHellaJeff''-themed weapon that looks like the already-on-this-list [[InfinityPlusOneSword Caladbolg]] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', but [[StylisticSuck run through the washing machine too many times.]] It's described as [[JokeItem so shitty it's hard to even hold onto.]] |
| 177 | * Parodied in ''WebComic/{{Oglaf}}'', featuring a magic unique sword with a blade shaped like a corkscrew, referred to as the "Unsheathable Sword". |
| 178 | [[/folder]] |
| 179 | |
| 180 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 181 | * The titular magiswords from ''WesternAnimation/MightyMagiswords'' are all weirdly shaped, with their shape implying what kind of power they have (i.e., the pencil magisword is shaped like a pencil and is used like one). |
| 182 | * Drew of ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays'' has a broadsword that is normal except for a sunbeam-shaped sculpture at the top of the blade. |
| 183 | [[/folder]] |
| 184 | |
| 185 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 186 | * The sword depicted in the page image, along with a few other examples on this page, actually take after the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven-Branched_Sword Seven Pronged Sword,]] which exists in real life, along with several replicas. Inscription on the sword indicates it was made as a gift from one king to another, and unlikely to have ever been used in real combat. |
| 187 | * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame-bladed_sword The flame-bladed sword]] is named such for its undulating blade shape that evokes the image of a fire. A wavy blade could distribute the force of impact better, prevent an opponent from grabbing it, and cause unpleasant vibrations when parried. |
| 188 | * An Creator/AntarcticPress "How To Draw Manga" book actually states that blades like what are described here are AwesomeYetImpractical and would be better served as mantelpieces. |
| 189 | * A number of oddly shaped swords are found in cultures across West and Central Africa: for example, [[https://africa.si.edu/collections/view/objects/asitem/Objects@8606/5/title-asc?t:state:flow=c43151fa-14ea-4250-bbc5-fca14baec611 this]] sword from Benin in West Africa, [[http://www.hamillgallery.com/ASANTE/AsanteObjects/Asante02.html this]] sword from the Asante Empire in what is now Ghana, and many others. However, these were not designed as actual weapons, but rather as art pieces used for ceremonies and display, no more real weapons than the ceremonial mace of the British House of Parliament. |
| 190 | * Possibly the strangest-shaped swords that are actually a weapon people really used are Chinese hook swords. The main blade ends in a hook, while the grip has has a shorter blade coming out of the bottom and has a pointy crescent shaped guard. Traditionally they are dual-wielded. |
| 191 | [[/folder]] |
| 192 |
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