List of fictional swords

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This article is a list of fictional swords in literature, film and television. For swords originating in mythology and legend, see list of mythological swords. Swords that originate in epic poems, tales and chronicles that were taken at one time as a "true" accounting of history rather than being composed as works of fiction, such as Beowulf, The Tale of the Heike and the Kojiki are not listed here, regardless of whether the swords themselves are believed by contemporary scholars to have existed historically.

Akita Yoshinobu: Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

• Baldanders: The sword of Heavenly Beings, used for transforming a Killing Doll into a humanlike body, males into females, and humans into beasts. The name is of German etymology: "bald anders" means "soon to be different".

Lloyd Alexander: The Chronicles of Prydain

• Dyrnwyn: Prince Gwydion's sword, made by Govannion the Lame under the command of King Rhydderch Hael.

J.M. Barrie: Peter Pan

• Johnny Corkscrew: Smee's cutlass, so named because he would twist it into the wound after stabbing his opponents.

Terry Brooks: The Sword of Shannara

• The Sword of Leah: A sword wielded by the Leah family for generations, which later gains the ability to cut through magic.
• The Sword of Shannara: An indestructible sword forged from magic, which can reveal the truth of any being or situation.

Lewis Carroll: Jabberwocky

• Vorpal Sword: A blade used by the hero to battle and kill the titular beast. Vorpal swords have appeared in various role-playing games: in Dungeons & Dragons, vorpal swords have the ability to sever heads.

Cassandra Clare: The Shadowhunter Chronicles

• Seraph Blades: Swords forged by the Iron Sisters and wielded by shadowhunters to kill demons. They have angelic powers and operate when an angel's name is called.
• Glorious: The sword of the archangel Michael, used by Joshua at Jericho.
• Cortana: A sword passed down through the Carstairs family. It has an inscription on the blade that reads: "I am Cortana, of the same steel and temper as Joyeuse and Durendel."
• Heosphorous and Phaesphoros: The Morgenstern blades. Heosphorous is a short sword made of black steel with a decal of stars inscribed on the blade, while Phaesphoros is a longsword.
• Maellartach: One of the Mortal Instruments given to the Nephilim by the Angel Raziel, which has a guard that resembles a golden pair of wings and is said to be the blade used to drive Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. It is also known as The Mortal Sword, the Soul Sword, and the Angel Blade.

Susan Cooper: The Dark is Rising Sequence

• The Crystal Sword: A magical sword commissioned by the Light and crafted in the magical Lost Lands by the Lost King. It is named Eirias, or "blazing", and also called the sword of the sunrise. It burns with blue fire in the presence of the Dark, can cut portals through magical barriers, and is encased in a magical scabbard of invisibility. It is used by Bran Davies, the Pendragon, heir of King Arthur, to cut the fully blossomed silver flower on the Midsummer's Tree.

Brian Daley: Coramonde

• Flarecore: The royal sword of the ruler of the Kingdom of Coramonde, which is plundered from and later returned to Vegana. Also known as Blazetongue, it can be made to ignite if the wielder knows the activating spell. This ability is usually restricted to the ruler, although the evil sorcerer Yardiff Bey also knows the spell.
• Bar: The true weapon of the rulers of Coramonde, which has the property of being eternally sharp.
• Dirge: The sword of the evil wizard Yard Bey. Wounds caused by it do not heal.

David Eddings: The Belgariad & The Malloreon

• The Sword of the Rivan King / Iron-Grip's Sword: The sword of protagonist Garion/Belgarion, which has The Orb of Aldur in the pommel.
• Cthrek Goru / The Sword of Shadows: The sword wielded by the god Torak.

Michael Ende: The Neverending Story

• Sikanda: A sword given to Bastian by Grograman, which only those who have eaten, drunk, and bathed in the flames of the Many-Colored Death and ridden on his back may touch. Sikanda may only be used when it emerges from its sheath of its own volition, as drawing it intentionally brings misfortune.

Steven Erikson: Malazan Book of the Fallen

• Dragnipur: A long, silver-hilted bastard sword with an inky-black blade that absorbs all light. It was wielded by Draconus, who forged it, then Anomander Rake.
• Chance: A sword dedicated to Oponn. It was originally wielded by Ganoes Paran, who gave it to Cotillion when he deemed that any luck it provided him had turned. It is later wielded by Crokus Younghand.
• Vengeance / Grief: A sword commissioned and wielded by Anomander Rake, who named it "Vengeance". When Rake acquired Dragnipur, he passed Vengeance to his brother Andarist, who named it "Grief".

David Gemmell: Drenai Series

• The Swords of Night and Day: Swords wielded by Olek Skilgannon 'the Damned' in White Wolf and The Swords of Night and Day, which are copies of the Swords of Blood and Fire.
• The Swords of Blood and Fire: Twin swords wielded by Decado in The Swords of Night and Day and by Boranius in White Wolf. They are the original swords from which the Swords of Night and Day were copied.
• Snaga: An axe known as Snaga, The Sender, The Blades of No Return. After Druss exorcises the demon from it, it is later used to imbue Gorben's sword with similar powers as the axe, causing Gorben to go insane.

Terry Goodkind: The Sword of Truth

• The Sword of Truth: A sword wielded by Richard Rahl. It possesses various powers, most notably that it opposes being used on a target the wielder does not believe deserves to die, punishes its user after they have killed someone with it, especially someone who did not deserve to die, and remembers the skills of its previous wielders. If given to someone not worthy of the sword, it will eventually transform them into a subhuman creature if it is removed from their possession for an extended period of time.

Hideki Kamiya: Devil May Cry

• Alastor/Force Edge: The depowered form of the sword of Sparda, one of the three swords created by the devil Sparda.
• Dante: The most recent sword of protagonist Dante, which takes his name and he can summon at will.
• Rebellion: Dante's original sword and one of the three swords created by Sparda, which has the ability to combine.
• Red Queen: An engine-powered sword wielded by Nero, the son of Vergil.
• Sparda: The sword wielded by Dante and Vergil's father, which is considered the most powerful sword out of the three created by Sparda.
• Yamato: Vergil's katana-like sword and one of the three swords, which has the ability to separate.

Robert A. Heinlein: Glory Road

• The Lady Vivamus: A straight sabre that resembles a rapier and is used by Oscar Gordon in his mission to recover The Egg of the Phoenix.

Brian Jacques: Redwall

• Sword of Martin: Wielded by Martin the Warrior and numerous successors. Originally an ordinary blade, it was broken by the wildcat queen Tsarmina Greeneyes while Martin was held captive. It was later reforged in the mountain fortress Salamandastron from a chunk of a meteorite, giving it an infinitely hard blade. When Martin retired from the life of a warrior, he hid the sword within Redwall Abbey, with his spirit guiding individuals he deems worthy to wield it. It was named "Ratdeath" by Abbot Mortimer after Matthias slew Cluny the Scourge.
• Verminfate: A broadsword wielded by the badger lord Rawnblade Widestripe.
• Rapscallion sword: Wielded by the Firstblade of the Rapscallion Army. One side of the blade was wavy, to convey the oceans, the other flat, to convey land—when thrown in the air, whatever side it landed on dictated how the army would travel. Gormad Tunn and his son, Damug Warfang, both rigged the hilt with a brass clip to ensure that the sword would land the way they wanted it to. It was broken in battle when Damug was slain by the badger lady Cregga Rose Eyes.

Robert Jordan: The Wheel of Time

• Callandor: A powerful sa'angreal, also known as The Sword that is not a Sword. It resides in the Stone of Tear (heart of the stone)
• Heron Mark Sword: Swords borne by blademasters. Some are Power-wrought blades of Aes Sedai make, and thus unbreakable.

Fritz Leiber: Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser

• Graywand: The longsword wielded by the barbarian Fafhrd.
• Scalpel: The Gray Mouser's thin-bladed rapier, often wielded in conjunction with Cat's Claw, his "hooked dirk".

C.S. Lewis: The Chronicles of Narnia

• Rhindon: Peter Pevensie's sword, which is given to him, along with a shield, by Father Christmas. He uses it to slay the wolf Maugrim and wields it in battle against The White Witch. When the Pevensie children return to Narnia centuries later, he takes it up again to lead the revolutionary army against the Telmarines.

George R.R. Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire

• Blackfyre: The Valyrian steel sword of Aegon I Targaryen. It was wielded by Targaryen kings, with Aegon IV giving it to his son, Daemon Blackfyre. After Daemon led a rebellion against the Targaryens and took the sword's name for his house, its whereabouts are currently unknown.
• Brightroar: The ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword of House Lannister, which was lost when King Tommen II Lannister of the Rock sailed to Valyria and never returned.
• Dark Sister: The Valyrian steel longsword, which was wielded by Visenya Targaryen and Bloodraven.
• Dawn: The ancestral greatsword of House Dayne, who bestowed the title Sword of the Morning upon the sword's bearer. Forged of metal from the heart of a fallen star, it is 'pale as milk glass' and is said to be as sharp as Valyrian steel. It was brought to Ashara Dayne by Eddard Stark after Ser Arthur Dayne's death.
• Hearteater: A sword which was given to Joffrey Baratheon to replace the lost Lion's Tooth. The pommel is a ruby cut in the shape of a heart between a lion's jaws.
• Heartsbane: The ancestral Valyrian steel two-handed greatsword of House Tarly, which is currently in the possession of Lord Randyll Tarly.
• Ice: The ancestral Valyrian steel two-handed greatsword of House Stark. Following Eddard Stark's execution in King's Landing, it was melted down and reforged into two longswords: Widow's Wail and Oathkeeper.
• Lady Forlorn: The ancestral Valyrian steel sword of House Corbray, it is currently in the possession of Ser Lyn Corbray.
• Lightbringer: The sword of Azor Ahai, a legendary hero who is prophesied to drive away the Great Other. Thought to be a sword made of living fire, it is also known as the Red Sword of Heroes.
• Lion's Tooth: Joffrey Baratheon's first sword.
• Longclaw: The ancestral Valyrian steel sword of House Mormont. It once had a bear's head for the pommel, which was replaced by a wolf's head made from pale stone and with chips of garnet for the eyes to reflect Jon Snow's Stark heritage.
• Needle: A small Braavos sword forged in Winterfell for Arya Stark by Mikken at the request of Jon Snow.
• Nightfall: The ancestral Valyrian steel blade of House Harlaw, which is currently wielded by Ser Harras Harlaw.
• Oathkeeper: One of two Valyrian blades reforged by Tobho Mott from ice. It was made for Ser Jaime Lannister, who gave it to Brienne of Tarth for use in her quest to locate Sansa Stark, after which it was given its name, Oathkeeper.
• Red Rain: The Valyrian steel sword of House Drumm, which was stolen in a raid. At that time, it was given its name and coloring, possibly the ancestral sword of House Reyne.
• Widow's Wail: One of two Valyrian blades reforged by Tobho Mott from ice. It was made for King Joffrey Baratheon as a wedding gift by his grandfather, Lord Tywin.

Michael Moorcock: Eternal Champion

• The Black Blade: Urlik Skarsol's sword.
• Kanajana: Erekosë's sword.
• Mournblade: A sword that is Stormbringer's twin, wielded by Elric's cousin, Yyrkoon.
• Ravenbrand: Ulric von Bek's sword.
• Stormbringer: Elric's sword, which absorbs the souls of those it kills.
• The Sword of the Dawn: Dorian Hawkmoon's sword.
• Traitor: Corum Jhaelen Irsei's sword.

Christopher Paolini: The Inheritance Cycle

• Brisingr: Eragon's Dragon Rider's sword, which was crafted for him by the elf Rhunön. It is a blue sword with the glyph for "fire" engraved in the blade and scabbard, with a sapphire in the pommel surrounded by four ribs. When Eragon says its name, it becomes engulfed in blue flames. It is capable of cutting through magical wards.
• Zar'roc: The sword of Dragon Rider Morzan. After his death, Brom kept it for safekeeping before eventually giving it to Eragon. At the Second Battle of the Burning Plains, Murtagh takes it from Eragon, claiming it as his own. It is a crimson sword with a ruby in the pommel.
• Albitr: The sword of Angela, the herbalist, which she nicknamed "Tinkledeath" for the sound it made. It is described as "the ultimate embodiment of an incline plane" and its blade was made of a transparent substance. Angela claims that it is the sharpest sword in the world.
• Arvindr: The sword of a deceased dragon rider, which was considered as a possible replacement weapon for Eragon before Brisingr was forged.
• Naegling: Oromis' gold-bronze sword. During their time in Du Weldenvarden, he and his dragon Glaedr stored vast amounts of energy into the sword's gem, a yellow diamond. Several elves also contributed energy, to the point where there was said to be enough raw power contained within the sword to shift an entire mountain. Oromis used the sword in his duel with Eragon before losing it during his battle with Murtagh. He placed magical wards around it, preventing Oromis from retrieving it and leading to his death.
• Támerlein: A two-handed sword, with its pommel containing an emerald and the inscription "I am Támerlein, bringer of the final sleep" engraved in its blade. It originally belonged to the Elven Dragon Rider Arva, who gave it to his sister, Naudra, to defend herself when Galbatorix and the Forsworn attacked their homeland. When Eragon found himself in need of a new Rider's sword, he sought permission to use the blade as his own. However, he ultimately rejected it and the sword was reworked for Arya, the Queen of the Elves, to use.
• Undbitr: The Rider's sword of Brom, which was lost during The Fall of the Dragon Riders.
• Vrangr: Originally wielded by Vrael, the last leader of the Dragon Riders, and called Islingr, or "light bringer". After Galbatorix killed Vrael, he claimed it for himself and renamed it Vrangr, which translated to "Awry" in the ancient language. Its blade, guard and hilt are pure white, resembling the color "of a sun-bleached bone". An unspecified gem as clear as a mountain spring rests in the pommel.

Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus

• Anaklusmos: Meaning riptide in English, it is the sword of Percy Jackson, which was given to Hercules by the hesperide Zoe. It is made of the fictional metal Celestial Bronze.
• Backbiter: The sword of Luke Castellan, which is made of Celestial Bronze and regular mortal steel.
• Ivlivs: The sword of Jason Grace, which is made of Imperial Gold and was wielded by Julius Cesar before being destroyed by the giants.
• Katoptris: Meaning Looking Glass in English, it is the dagger of Piper McLean and once belonged to Helen of Troy, who received it as a gift from Menelaus. It allows Piper to see visions of the future.

J. K. Rowling: Harry Potter

• Sword of Gryffindor: The sword of Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts, which is also wielded by Harry and Neville. It was made by goblins and, though they have ownership over it, it can only be wielded by a "true Gryffindor". The sword absorbs any substance that will strengthen it; for example, if immersed in poison, it gains the ability to poison its target. It also rejects any substance that would damage or tarnish it.

Fred Saberhagen: Books of the Swords

• The Twelve Swords of Power: Forged by Vulcan, they each possess a unique magic property and were scattered across the world.
• Coinspinner: the Sword of Chance - Symbol: dice
• Doomgiver: the Sword of Justice - Symbol: hollow circle
• Dragonslicer: the Sword of Heroes - Symbol: dragon
• Farslayer: the Sword of Vengeance - Symbol: target; that is concentric rings
• Mindsword: the Sword of Glory - Symbol: generic banner
• Shieldbreaker: the Sword of Force - Symbol: hammer
• Sightblinder: the Sword of Stealth - Symbol: human eye
• Soulcutter: the Sword of Despair - Symbol: none
• Stonecutter: the Sword of Siege - Symbol: a wedge, splitting a block
• Townsaver: the Sword of Fury - Symbol: crenelated wall
• Wayfinder: the Sword of Wisdom - Symbol: small white arrow
• Woundhealer: the Sword of Mercy - Symbol: open hand

Brandon Sanderson: Cosmere

• Shardblades: Featured in The Stormlight Archive, shardblades are usually two-handed swords capable of cutting through any nonliving material and are summoned by a wielder who has bonded with one. Living beings struck by shardblades are not cut, but instead wounded in the soul, while wounds from shardblades cause the affected area to go limp. Some are able to summon shardblades through a connection with supernatural creatures known as spren. A prominent shardblade, Oathbringer, is the namesake of the third book in The Stormlight Archive, which partially explores the sword's history with several of the main characters.
• Honorblades: The oldest known shardblades, which were given to a group of immortal beings known as Heralds by their namesake god and creator, Honor. Unlike typical shardblades, Honorblades grant their wielders the supernatural abilities of one of the orders of the Knights Radiant, which varies depending on the Honorblade used.
• Nightblood: First featured in Warbreaker, Nightblood is a sentient sword that, when drawn, usually causes those in its vicinity to attempt to kill each other to claim the sword for themselves. Though powerful, its power consumes the essence or soul of its wielder. Nightblood itself has an innocent, almost childlike personality, as it is unaware of many aspects of the world. It is bound by a single command: "Destroy evil," which can cause problems due to its limited understanding of morality.
• Koloss blades: Featured in the first trilogy of Mistborn books, they are massive swords used by the ogre-like koloss due to being too big for a normal human to wield, though some magic users can increase their strength to do so. The number of swords that a koloss band has influences that band's hierarchy. Due to the koloss' brutal lifestyle and generally low intelligence, the blades are not well maintained or kept sharp.

J. R. R. Tolkien: Middle-earth

• Glamdring: (Sindarin: foe-hammer) Nicknamed "Beater" by the Goblins. First owned and wielded by Turgon, king of Gondolin, it was later wielded by Gandalf the White.
• Narsil: (Quenya: red fire-white brilliance; refers to the Sun and Moon as the great lights of the heavens) The sword of Elendil, which was broken when Elendil fell on it during his battle with Sauron. The shard is used to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand by Isildur, Elendil's second son, while the sword is an heirloom of the House of Elendil, coming into Aragorn's possession as the heir to the thrones of Arnor and Gondor. It is reforged and renamed Andúril (Quenya: West-brilliance, usually rendered as the Flame of the West), fulfilling the prophecy that it shall be forged anew when the One Ring is found again. Andúril serves as Aragorn's primary weapon and as a symbol of good to all who oppose Sauron. It is the literary opposite of the One Ring.
• Orcrist: (Sindarin: orc/goblin-cleaver) Called "Biter" by the orcs; used by Thorin Oakenshield.
• Ringil: (Quenya: cold-star) The sword of Fingolfin, king of the Noldor elves; used during his duel with Morgoth, the Great Enemy.
• Sting: An Elven knife used as a sword by Bilbo, and later his nephew, Frodo. Sting has the characteristic of glowing when orcs are near, thus serving as an alert to its wielder.
• Anglachel (Sindarin: iron-fire-star) and Anguirel (Sindarin: iron-eternal-star): Swords forged from meteoritic iron by Eöl, the dark elf. They could cleave all earth delved iron.
• Gurthang: (Sindarin: death-iron) A sword formerly known as Anglachel and given its current name by Túrin Turambar, who wielded the sword until his suicide upon Gurthang's point. The sword is notable for apparently being sentient; it appeared to mourn the death of its former owner, the elf Beleg Cúthalion, and spoke in response to being hailed by Túrin just before his death. After being discovered to have broken under Túrin after his death, the shards were buried with him.
• Herugrim: (Rohirric: very fierce, savage) The sword of Théoden, king of Rohan.
• Aranrúth: (Sindarin: king's-ire) The sword of Thingol, King of Doriath in Beleriand.
• Gúthwinë: (Rohirric: battle-friend) The sword of Éomer.
• Barrow-blade: The blades wielded by Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, which were given to them by Tom Bombadil from a tomb on the Barrow-downs.
• Morgul-knife: A blade wielded by the Nazgul. It is designed to kill over time, as it breaks upon stabbing an enemy, leaving a small shard within them. The blade disintegrates afterwards, while the shard travels to the victim's heart, either killing them or transforming them into a wraith.

Swords only appearing in the film adaptations:

• Hadhafang: Elrond's sword from the Second Age.
• Lhang: A variety of two-handed, curved bladed swords used by Elves.

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman: Darksword

• The Darksword: A sword wielded by Joram. It is made of darkstone/iron, which has the ability to absorb Life (magic). Weapons forged from darkstone must be infused with Life from a catalyst and can only be effectively wielded by the Dead (devoid of magical power), who have no magic to be absorbed.

Tad Williams: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn are three legendary swords.

• Memory (also known as Minneyar, "Year of Memory"), was forged out of a keel.
• Sorrow, described as an unholy blade, was forged out of black iron and witchwood, a material used by the Sithi.
• Thorn is made out of ore retrieved from a meteorite ("sky-stone"), with a hilt fashioned to resemble a holy tree.

Gene Wolfe: The Book of the New Sun

• Terminus Est: The sword carried by Severian, the Torturer. It contains liquid metal (mercury, but referred to by its Latin name hydrargyrum) within it, making it hard to lift and giving more power on the downswing.

Roger Zelazny: The Chronicles of Amber

• Grayswandir: A sword used by Corwin of Amber and associated with the Moon and the night.
• Werewindle: Also called Rawg; a golden-colored sword used by Brand of Amber. Werewindle is inscribed with portions of the Pattern and is associated with the Sun and the day.

Various authors: Dungeons & Dragons

• Clamorer: The sword of Peirgeiron Paladinson, Lord of Waterdeep.
• Hill Cleaver: The holy avenger sword of Dragonbait.
• Godsbane: The sword wielded by Cyric during the Time of Troubles, which is actually a disguised Avatar of Mask.
• Icingdeath and Twinkle: Twin scimitars wielded by Drizzt Do'Urden.
• Dark Swords: Swords made of strands of shadow essence, wielded by the warriors of Vaasa. If an improper user held the blades, the blades hilt would freeze their hands.
• Druniazth: Thermophagic sword; the name is an anagram of the deity to which it is connected, Tharizdun, "the Chained Oblivion".
• Spike Sword
• Khazid'hea: "Cutter" in the drow language, a sentient sword taken from Dantrag Baenre and wielded by Catti-Brie.
• Charon's Claw: The sword wielded by Artemis Entreri. It is a netherese blade that kills anyone who touches it unless they either mentally overpower it or use the paired gauntlet. It can leave trails of hanging opaque ash to serve as optical barriers, and the gauntlet can redirect magic.

Andrzej Sapkowski: The Witcher

• Zirael (in Elder Speech: Swallow) is a sword given to Ciri by the blacksmith Esterhazy. Leo Bonhart, who enthralled Ciri, wanted to buy this sword for Ciri and make her fight in arenas. Zirael was a gwyhyr, which is a type of sword produced by gnomes. On the sword's blade is the elvish glyph Blathanna Caerme (in Elder Speech: Destiny Wreath).
• Sihill was a sword made by dwarves. According to the Witcher Saga, Sihill's first owner was the dwarf Zoltan Chivay, who gave it to Geralt of Rivia. It has a dwarven glyph on it, which says: For damnation of whoresons.

In other fiction

In film and television

See also

• Flaming sword (mythology)
• List of historical swords
• List of magical weapons
• List of mythological swords
• Magic sword
• Sword of Damocles