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Swords,(TLoZ | LA | TFH | BotW)[1][2][3] also known as Fighter's Swords,(ALttP)[4] are recurring items in The Legend of Zelda series.
Location and uses
Ocarina of Time artwork of Link using his Kokiri Sword to slash and defeat two Deku Babas with the Spin Attack technique
Swords are Link's primary offensive weapon used to fight and slay enemies, defeat antagonists, parry attacks and sometimes solve puzzles. Like its defense counterpart, the Shield, there are a wide variety of swords, some of which are stronger than others. The Sword is a common and importantly recurring item in every game of the Zelda franchise. The blade completes Link's hero-like appearance, along with any Shield he happens to wield at the time. Most Swords Link has at the beginning of the games are weak and resemble daggers in some cases (Kokiri Sword, Hero's Sword, etc.), but later in the quest are replaced with more advanced or longer blades, or become upgraded to inflict greater damage. In gameplay, it's almost always equipped to the A or B button. While the majority of swords in the series appear to be typical medieval-based blades, certain ones are infused with magic and play an important role, such as the Master Sword or Magical Sword.
The Master Sword, the trademark sword of the franchise
The best-known Sword in the series is the legendary Master Sword, which is Link's signature weapon since A Link to the Past and is often required to defeat Ganon.
Mainline appearances
The Legend of Zelda
First appearing in The Legend of Zelda, the Sword can be obtained in a Cave accessed from the starting screen. Inside, Link finds an Old Man who tells him to take the Sword because it is dangerous to travel alone.[5] The Sword has two additional color variants which appear when Link wears either the Blue Ring or the Red Ring. The Sword can damage almost every enemy, but it is one of the weakest items in the game. However, the Sword can be replaced by the White Sword and then the Magical Sword, which each deals twice the damage of its predecessor. A Sword that is designed like a rapier is depicted on the title display of the game. It is not confirmed to be any of the Swords that can be obtained in gameplay.
A Link to the Past
The Fighter's Sword is given to Link by his Uncle along with the Fighter's Shield as he enters Hyrule Castle. Link uses the Fighter's Sword until he obtains the Master Sword.
During the credits, Link's Uncle is shown using the Fighter's Sword again.
Link's Awakening
The Sword in Link's Awakening is the first Sword that Link can obtain. It is from Link's previous adventures and has his name engraved on it.[6] Link finds it on Toronbo Shores shortly after waking up after his crash on Koholint Island. By bringing 20 Secret Seashells to the Seashell Mansion, Link can replace it with the Level 2 Sword.[7][8]
By holding his Sword out, Link can move while he keeps facing the same direction.[9] If he then releases his Sword, Link will perform a Whirling Blade attack,[10] which deals more damage than a regular Sword blow.[11]
Link can also hit walls with his Sword to determine whether or not they can be destroyed using Bombs.[12]
Tri Force Heroes
The Sword is used by the Links in Tri Force Heroes.[13] It changes appearance when certain outfits are worn, such as the Sword Suit, the Sword Master Suit, the Dapper Spinner, the Hero's Tunic, Ninja Gi, the Spin Attack Attire and the Tri Suit. While wearing the Fierce Deity Armor, the Sword becomes the Fierce Deity Sword. In addition, the Sword becomes a Telescope while wearing Linebeck's Uniform, and a parasol while wearing the Lady's Ensemble.
Breath of the Wild
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The Sword in Breath of the Wild can be obtained randomly from a Treasure Chest dropped by scanning The Legend of Zelda Link amiibo with the amiibo Rune. It is described as a Sword that was once wielded by a hero in an ancient age.[3] Its appearance resembles its design throughout the artwork of The Legend of Zelda.
Being made of metal, the Sword will conduct Electricity attract Lightning during Thunderstorms. It will sink if it is dropped in Water, but it can be picked up again and manipulated using the Magnesis Rune. It is also unable to burn when exposed to Fire or a Scorching Climate.
In other media
The Legend of Zelda (television series)
In "Stinging a Stinger" of The Legend of Zelda TV series, Sleezenose offers Link a Sword as a sign of gratitude for having saved him. Although Link first hesitates to trade it in for his Crissword,[14] Sleezenose explains that anyone who carries the Sword is made irresistible to women, especially princesses.[15] This convinces Link and causes him to immediately hand over his old Sword when he hears Princess Zelda screaming for help. When Link finds Zelda, she is being attacked by a Patra. The young hero, confident about his new Sword, faces an incoming Patra, but one beam from the foe breaks the Sword in half and causes Link to collapse from the attack. When he looks up and sees the broken Sword, he realizes that he has been tricked by Sleezenose. Link leaves behind the broken Sword when Ganon appears and captures him.
Link's Awakening (Cagiva)
In the Link's Awakening manga by Ataru Cagiva, Link finds his lost Sword at Toronbo Shores after waking up from the shipwreck. During the fight against the Angler Fish, Link breaks the Sword after stabbing the boss on its head.
Spinoff appearances
The Faces of Evil

In The Faces of Evil, the Sword is used as Link's main weapon.[16] As well as being used to fight enemies with, it is also used to pick up dropped items and talk to characters by striking them. In the game's tutorial, the Sword is also referred to as a "Smart Sword", and it is explained that it will not hurt friendly characters but instead encourage them to talk.[17]
Link can later receive a stronger Sword called the Power Sword, which replaces his standard Sword.
The Wand of Gamelon
In The Wand of Gamelon, the Sword is used as Zelda's main weapon.[18] Identically to The Faces of Evil, it is also able to pick up items and encourage characters to talk, in addition to fighting enemies with. The Sword is also referred to as a "Smart Sword" in the game's tutorial.[19]
As in The Faces of Evil, Zelda can later find the stronger Power Sword. It replaces her standard Sword.
Trivia
- Although Link is by far the most popular recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series to use a sword as their main weapon, due to the medieval-like setting of the franchise, there are others. Aside from some enemies such as Stalfos or Darknuts, Ganon and even Princess Zelda are also known to have swords in certain games and other media (though the latter has never yet been seen using one in combat).
The iconic Sword-giving Old Man quote from The Legend of Zelda
- In The Legend of Zelda, when the Old Man gives Link the Sword at the very beginning of the quest, he tells the young hero the line, "IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! TAKE THIS."[5] This quote has become a famous line throughout the Zelda fanbase, even being referenced in later media of the franchise or popular culture, like Hyrule Warriors, where Impa references the line when talking to Princess Zelda.[20]
- In Breath of the Wild, the line is also referenced in the Sword's Inventory description.[3]
- In the original The Legend of Zelda, due to hardware limitations of the NES, the starting Sword's hilt (alongside Arrows, Princess Zelda's dress, etc.) shares the same color palette as Link's tunic. If he obtains the Blue or Red Ring, it will also become whitish blue or red, respectively. It even turns gray when Link dies.
- Link in the 3D games and other media is well known to carry any of his Swords on his back due to his scabbard (and Shield) being positioned there. However, although this is not realistic as they are supposed to be worn on the hip, this is an intentional choice by Nintendo to make the character be instantly recognized.
The Giant's Knife's blade being shattered in Ocarina of Time, something that is considered startling during release
- The Giant's Knife from Ocarina of Time is the first Sword in the mainline series to break or wear down from regular use. It is succeeded by the Razor Sword in Majora's Mask and the many blades Link obtains in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The former weapon in the Nintendo 64 title breaking apart after a few hits was met with considerable shock among fans at the time, as the Zelda franchise itself is heavily associated with swords and adds a feeling of being virtually defenseless (plus the weapon's high cost of 200 Rupees makes obtaining and destroying it rather frustrating). Even the Master Sword was shattered in Tears of the Kingdom when Link attempted to protect Princess Zelda from Ganondorf's vicious Gloom attack after being near-fatally wounded himself.
- In another case from the same game, Ganon knocks away Link's Master Sword during the final battle, forcing him to use different items to fight his archnemesis before retrieving it back. This marks the first time in the franchise Link was to lose a Sword.
- The earliest media in the series of any sword breaking is seen in the Japanese commercial of the original Famicom Disk System version of The Legend of Zelda, where a defeated Link is shown speaking to the audience as his blade splits in half.
- Among the most powerful Swords used by Link in The Legend of Zelda series are the Master Sword Lv3, Magical Sword, Biggoron's Sword, Fierce Deity Sword, and more.
- Although the Sword is arguably the most important item within the franchise during gameplay, in The Legend of Zelda, due to the total absence of linearity, it is possible for Link to progress and complete dungeons throughout his adventure without having the signature weapon at all. However, he cannot defeat the Final Boss - Ganon himself, in Level-9; alongside the Silver Arrows for the final blow, it is required for him to have any of the three blades (Sword, White Sword, or Magical Sword) to be able to harm his archenemy, as other items such as Bombs or the Magical Rod are ineffective.
The beta Kokiri Sword in Ocarina of Time
- During development of Ocarina of Time, the Kokiri Sword was originally in a wooden texture, resembling the basic Sword from The Legend of Zelda.
- The Sword can be considered the equivalent of the Mario series' Super Mushroom, as these are the main items used by the main protagonists to help them progress levels.
- In SoulCalibur II, Link uses seven different Swords. Although most of them are from the N64 installments where the Hero of Time was playable, the Magical Sword is included and two more are exclusive to the game - the Armos Series (based on the otherwise unused weapons wield by Armos in Ocarina of Time) and the evil Soul Edge taking on a shape resembling his Master Sword alongside the Hylian Shield.
- Notably, the main protagonist also uses the Megaton Hammer, Cane of Byrna, and Bug Net like swords in-game, which appears especially impractical for the latter item. However, in A Link Between Worlds, the Super Net upgrade is able to damage and even defeat enemies. It is possible this particular item was inspired by the Namco fighting game's usage.
Nomenclature
| Language | Name | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ソード (Sōdo) (TLoZ)[21] 剣 (Ken) (ALttP)[22] | Same as English. Same as English. | |
| Dutch | Zwaard (TLoZ)[23] | Sword | |
| FrenchEU | Epée (TLoZ)[24] | Sword | |
| German | Schwert (LA | LANS)[25] | Same as English. | |
| Italian | Spada (LANS) | ||
| SpanishLA | Espada (LANS) | ||
| This table was generated using translation pages. | |||
Gallery
Artwork
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Sword's The Legend of Zelda artwork
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Sword's The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening artwork
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Sword's The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords artwork
Sprites
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Sword's The Legend of Zelda sprite
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Sword's The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX sprite
Icons
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Sword's The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords icon
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Sword's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild icon
Renders
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Sword's The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes render
Unsorted
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Artwork of the Sword seen on the Title Display from The Legend of Zelda
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The Sword while Link is wearing the Blue Ring from The Legend of Zelda
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The Sword while Link is wearing the Red Ring from The Legend of Zelda
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The Sword in the opening from The Legend of Zelda
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Link obtaining the Sword in The Legend of Zelda
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The Sword seen on the Title Display screen from The Legend of Zelda
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Concept art of Link with the Sword in the ground nearby from The Legend of Zelda
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A Link to the Past artwork
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In A Link to the Past
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Link obtaining the Sword in A Link to the Past
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Artwork of Link holding the Sword from Link's Awakening
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The Sword from Link's Awakening DX
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Link's Awakening DX menu sprite
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Link obtaining the Sword from Link's Awakening DX
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The Hero's Sword from The Wind Waker
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A Sword used by Stalfos from Skyward Sword
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A Sword used by Koloktos from Skyward Sword
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The Sword used by Demise from Skyward Sword
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Artwork of one of the Links holding the default Sword from Tri Force Heroes
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Breath of the Wild model
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The Sword from The Legend of Zelda TV series
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The Sword after being broken in The Legend of Zelda TV series
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The Sword from the Link's Awakening manga by Ataru Cagiva
See also
References
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 140 (TLoZ | LA | TFH)
- ↑ "Sword
The sword you carried prior to washing ashore on the island." — N/A (Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Sword
A sword once wielded by a hero in an ancient age. When grasped, a strange sense of nostalgia washes over you. Take it when going alone would otherwise be dangerous." — Inventory (Breath of the Wild) - ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 140 (ALttP)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! TAKE THIS." — Old Man (The Legend of Zelda)
- ↑ "You found your Sword! It must be yours because it has your name engraved on it!" — N/A (Link's Awakening DX)
- ↑ "I am the spirit of the mansion. I have been waiting for someone to overcome the darkness. Find all the secret shells and go through the gate to receive the ultimate sword!" — Spirit of the Mansion (Link's Awakening DX)
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 129
- ↑ Link's Awakening manual, pg. 18
- ↑ "The Whirling Blade technique has been handed down from generation to generation by the family of the hero. To use it, hold down the Sword Button and build up your power. When you have enough, you can release the Button! Can you master this?" — Secrets Of The Whirling Blade (Link's Awakening DX)
- ↑ Link's Awakening manual, pg. 19
- ↑ "Well that was a surprise! Hey! I'll tell you a secret! Use your sword to poke at dungeon walls... If you hear a hollow clank, you can break the wall with a Bomb!" — Talking Timber (Link's Awakening DX)
- ↑ "剣" — Nintendo, ゼルダの伝説 トライフォース3銃士 : 冒険ははるか長い道のり | ニンテンドー3DS | 任天堂, Official Japanese Site (Image), published n.d., retrieved August 23, 2017.
- ↑ "Gee, I don't know. It's been a pretty good sword." — Link (The Legend of Zelda TV Series, Episode 9)
- ↑ "Yes, but this sword is much better. For instance, it makes whoever carries it irresistible to ladies. If you know what I mean. [...] ESPECIALLY princesses." — Sleezenose (The Legend of Zelda TV Series, Episode 9)
- ↑ "The Sword Attack by pressing Button One to strike enemies. It is rumored that hidden in Koridai are ways to make your sword fire deadly Power Blasts." (The Faces of Evil manual, pg. 3)
- ↑ "Luckily, I brought my Smart Sword. It won't hurt anyone friendly. In fact, it makes them talk!" — Link (The Faces of Evil)
- ↑ "The Sword Attack by pressing Button One to strike enemies. It is rumored that hidden in Gamelon are ways to make your sword fire deadly Power Blasts." (The Wand of Gamelon manual, pg. 4)
- ↑ "Luckily, I brought my Smart Sword. It won't hurt anyone friendly. In fact, it makes them talk!" — Princess Zelda (The Wand of Gamelon)
- ↑ "Princess Zelda, it's dangerous to go alone. Take me!" — Impa (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition)
- ↑ The Legend of Zelda manual, pg. 18
- ↑ Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Vol. 1 (Shogakukan 1) pg. 21
- ↑ The Legend of Zelda manual, pg. 19
- ↑ The Legend of Zelda manual, pg. 19
- ↑ "Nun hast Du Dein Schwert gefunden und bist froh, den Namen [Name] darauf zu lesen!" — N/A (Link's Awakening, German version)



















