The Magical Sword,(TLoZ | TAoL | HW)[1][citation needed] also known as the Magic Sword,[citation needed] is a recurring sword in The Legend of Zelda series. This sacred blade is known as Link's strongest Sword prior to the Master Sword's first appearance in A Link to the Past.
Location and Uses[]
The Legend of Zelda[]
In The Legend of Zelda, Link finds the Magical Sword in the possession of the Magical Sword-Giving Old Man who lives underneath a Grave in the Graveyard. It is the third and most powerful Sword in the game. This particular Old Man requires that Link have at least twelve Heart Containers in his Life Gauge before he gives the young hero the Magical Sword. In the Second Quest, the Magical Sword is found in the northern mountains, one screen to the left of where the White Sword is found. The Magical Sword has the same properties as all of the other swords in the game, such as the ability to shoot Sword Beams, but it does twice as much damage than the White Sword, and four times the damage as the Wooden Sword, equal to that of Bombs.[2] This weapon is entirely optional, however, as only the Silver Arrows and any kind of Sword are required to defeat Ganon. Against the main antagonist, it takes only four hits by the blade to stun Ganon before finishing the Demon King off with one Silver Arrow, making the Final Boss encounter significantly easier than with weaker swords.
The Adventure of Link[]
In The Adventure of Link, Link departs on his quest with the Magical Sword in his left hand and the Magical Shield in his right, and is the only Sword in the game.[3] Link is able to augment the Sword's ability to fire Sword Beams with the Fire spell, which allows the Sword to shoot fireballs even if Link is not at full health. The Sword will also do more damage if the hero levels up his Attack stats. Strangely, the weapon in-game more closely resembles a short sword when Link thrusts to attack enemies.
Other Appearances[]
Captain N: The Game Master[]
Although not explicitly referred to as the Magical Sword, Link in Captain N: The Game Master wields a Sword similar to the Magical Sword. Like in The Legend of Zelda TV series, Link can use it to zap enemies, and this time, he can be seen attacking enemies with the Sword rather than just using it to defend himself or parry.
SoulCalibur II[]
The Magical Sword is one of Link's ten weapons available in SoulCalibur II, although it is known as the Magic Sword instead. Paired off with the Magical Shield, the Magic Sword and the shield can be bought in the Aldebaran Shop, Algol Shop, Pollux Shop, or the Merak Shop for 3000 Gold while playing the Weapon Master Mode. Although Link's offense and defense will not increase when he equips these weapons, the Magic Sword will cause 40% block damage, compared to the usual 10%, but will take minor damage from blocking opponents' attacks.[4] The sword and shield's design are completely different from its original appearance, as the Magical Sword resembles the artwork from The Legend of Zelda, albeit with more detail and more proportional. The Magical Shield is also blue and silver rather than brown and lacks the Christian cross.
| Image | Cost | Attributes | In-game Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 Magic Sword & Magic Shield |
3000 Gold | Causes 40% block damage Weak against physical impact |
Ancient arms hidden deep in an underground tomb. This powerful sword holds an enchantment that counters the forces of darkness, and its holy aura allows it to deliver damage to the enemy even without making physical contact. The shield is enchanted with a spell that protects its user from enemy magic, but the actual shield itself is quite old and is weak against physical impact. |
Hyrule Warriors[]
The Magical Sword appears as the third-tier weapon in Link's Hylian Sword category in Hyrule Warriors. It is obtained as a reward through Adventure Mode. Its overall design was derived from both its artwork from The Adventure of Link and to a lesser extent the 8-Bit rendition of the Magical Sword from The Legend of Zelda An 8-Bit version of the Magical Sword from The Legend of Zelda, called the 8-Bit Magical Sword?, appears as the Lv.★ form of Impa's Naginata. It was added to the game with the Majora's Mask Pack DLC in Hyrule Warriors.
Trivia[]
The Magical Sword seen on the box art of The Adventure of Link
- The Sword featured in the international version of The Adventure of Link's box art is the Magical Sword.
- The Magical Sword is the first holy sword in The Legend of Zelda series.
- Although it is unknown what exact sword is shown on the title screen of The Adventure of Link, it is presumed to be the Magical Sword.
- In the beta version of The Legend of Zelda, the Magical Sword required only 8 Hearts to be obtained instead of 12.[5]
- Due to the weapon's similar role, the Magical Sword is seen as the precursor of the Master Sword, and it's likely the latter replaced it, as this sword was never seen again in the core series since The Adventure of Link, released in 1987. However, it does make a spin-off appearance in Hyrule Warriors as well as SoulCalibur II.
- Some players do, however, mistake the Magical Sword as the Master Sword in its canonical NES appearances.
- In the A Link to the Past player's guide, various artworks in the book referring to The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link depicted Link wielding a sword strongly resembling the Master Sword rather than the Magical Sword, despite itself does not yet officially exist by either game's release.
- In The Legend of Zelda, the sword Link is carrying on the File Select screen when the Second Quest unlocked is the Magical Sword.
Nomenclature[]
 Names in other regions  | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | Meaning | |
 | Japanese | マジカルソード (Majikaru Sōdo) (TLoZ | TAoL)[6][7] | Same as English. |
 | Dutch | Magisch zwaard (TLoZ)[8] | Magical sword |
 | FrenchCA | Épée magique (HWDE)[9] | Magic sword |
 | FrenchEU | Epée magique (TLoZ)[10] Épée magique (HWDE)[11] | Magical sword Magic sword |
 | German | Magisches Schwert (HWDE)[12] | Same as English. |
| This table was generated using translation pages. | |||
Gallery[]
-
The Magical Sword-Giving Old Man offering Link the Magical Sword from The Legend of Zelda -
The Magical Sword on Link's hand in the file select screen from The Legend of Zelda -
Artwork of the Magical Sword from The Legend of Zelda -
Artwork of the Magical Sword from The Adventure of Link -
Artwork of the Magical Sword from The Adventure of Link -
The Magical Sword from Captain N: The Game Master -
Link bearing the Magical Sword from SoulCalibur II -
The Magical Sword from Hyrule Warriors -
The Magical Sword from Hyrule Warriors -
The 8-Bit Magical Sword from Hyrule Warriors -
Impa wielding the 8-bit Magical Sword from Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
See Also[]
References
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 131 (TLoZ | TAoL)
- ↑ The Legend of Zelda manual, page 19
- ↑ "Then, with a magical sword in his left hand and a magical shield in his right, he set off alone in his long travels." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 12)
- ↑ "Good at penetrating defenses, but weak against impact" — N/A (Soulcalibur II)
- ↑ "The Magical Sword requires eight hearts in the prototype and 12 in the final." — Proto:The Legend of Zelda, The Cutting Room Floor, retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ↑ The Legend of Zelda manual, pg. 21
- ↑ The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 15
- ↑ The Legend of Zelda manual, pg. 19
- ↑ "Épée magique" — Smithy (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition)
- ↑ The Legend of Zelda manual, pg. 19
- ↑ "Épée magique" — Smithy (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition)
- ↑ "Magisches Schwert" — Smithy (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition)