Simple and versatile, a sword can be an extension of the arm and useful in a wide variety of battle situations. It is a weapon for heroes, especially in anime. I mean, when is the last time you saw a pikeman as a main character in an anime, right? (Ushio and Tora) As swords are so widely used, anime has manifested a few truly great swords – swords of legend. These blades are recognized by fans that don’t even watch the show because they have become an icon of them.
Best Anime Swords
Zangetsu From Bleach
The swords, or zanpakuto, in Bleach are some of the most well known in anime. They come with a variety of powers to make their wielder more powerful by awakening different levels toward their ultimate ability, the bankai. As the main character’s sword, Zangetsu is one of the more immediately recognizable ones because, at first, it is large and unwieldy. As it awakens further,it proves to be one of the most powerful in the show.
Tessaiga From Inuyasha
Tessaiga is the flagship sword of Inuyasha. Made from his father’s fang, it has the ability to grow ridiculous large when drawn and use powerful moves like wind slash. It also has its lesser known sister Tensaiga sword that is wielded by his half-brother Sesshoumaru, and as a sword that only heals, is less famous.
Dragonslayer From Berserk
Far to big to be a sword, Dragonslayer is more like a slab of raw iron. The dragonslayer is a literal sword of legend and far too heavy for anyone not motivated by pure vengeance to wield. As it is big and heavy, it is a sword more used for crushing slashes rather than quick sharp slashes.
Ea From Fate/Stay
Each servant has a weapon. Typically they are nameless and passed down through servant to servant. However, Ea, the Sword of Rupture, is a weapon only Gilgamesh can possess. It looks ostensibly pretty useless as a weapon, but it is truly a weapon fit for a ruler with its devastating powers.
Ragnarok From Soul Eater
In Soul Eater, the weapons are also people. Ragnarok is a sword of great power who is also evil and constantly talks trash to his mentally fragile wielder. Ragnarok the sword is one of the major antagonists in the series even if his wielder, Crona, is not that evil at all.
Wado Ichimonji From One Piece
Many non-One Piece fans know Zoro as the swordsman. They are more familiar with him as the swordsman with a blade in each hand and one stuffed in his mouth like a swiss roll for good measure. Most don’t know his iconic mouth sword’s name is Wado Ichimonji.
Elucidator and Dark Repulser From Sword Art Online
Why have one sword when you can have two. Really the swords themselves are less prestigious than the ability to wield them. Dual wielding is a rare skill and awarded only the fastest players.
Scissor Blade From Kill La Kill
Kill la Kill has a lot of iconic …outfits. However, the blade of the main character is pretty interesting too. It is one side of a big pair of scissors. Ryuko has one half, and the other half belongs to someone else. While the blade itself is pretty interesting, it can also change size, becoming as tall as Ryuko and as small as a trinket throughout the series.
Do you have more iconic anime swords of legend? Let fans know in the comments section below.
Great article, interesting as always!