Master Sword
- "The Master Sword" redirects here. For the Recovered Memory from Breath of the Wild, see The Master Sword (Memory).
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Artwork from Skyward Sword
Games | ||
Location | A Link to the Past | |
Uses | Weapon to damage evil enemies | |
Related | ||
| Media | ||
|---|---|---|
Music | ||
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
 日本語
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マスターソード |
 Française
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Épée de Légende |
 Español
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Espada Maestra |
 Deutsch
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Master-Schwert |
 Italiana
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Spada Suprema |
"The Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch.... Only one worthy of the title of "Hero of Time" can pull it from the Pedestal of Time...."
The Master Sword, also known as the Blade of Evil's Bane and the Sword that Seals the Darkness, is a recurring Sword in The Legend of Zelda series. It is one of the most iconic items of the series, along with Link himself. In many games, it is said to be the only sword capable of defeating Ganon. This legendary blade is blessed with the power to vanquish beings of evil and is often found in the Pedestal of Time. It has become one of the most iconic symbols of The Legend of Zelda series, often appearing in other video games.
History
The Master Sword was forged from the Goddess Sword, a blade originally wielded by the Goddess, Hylia. During the events of Skyward Sword, Link is revealed as Hylia's chosen hero and removes the blade from its pedestal on the floating island of Skyloft.
The sword is tied with a guardian entity known as Fi, a being created by Hylia to guide the chosen hero. Fi helps Link in the forging of the Master Sword. This is done by imbuing the blade with three Sacred Flames which represent Din, Nayru and Farore respectively.
Each sacred flame increases the properties of the sword as well as the shape and structure. Farore's Flame forges the Goddess Sword into the Goddess Longsword, a longer and sharper blade that does double damage. Nayru's Flame makes the Goddess Longsword into the Goddess White Sword, making the color of the hilt white and enhancing dowsing abilities. Din's Flame changes the Goddess White Sword into the Master Sword. The hilt turns purple and green and the blade does three times the damage. However, the wings on the side of the hilt are not extended, and the yellow gem in the middle is not glowing. These are indicators that the sword is not yet in its true form.
The Goddess Hylia blesses the blade and turns it into the True Master Sword. Skyward Strikes now charge much faster.
Design
The Master Sword is a double-edged longsword with no fuller and blue hilt, although in the artwork for A Link to the Past, the hilt of the sword is golden. The sword's cross-guard is large and elaborate in relation to its pommel, and is similar to the seal of Hyrule's Royal Family. The Triforce is engraved on the base of the blade, and embedded in the cross-guard is a gem.
In The Wind Waker, the state of the gem in cross-guard seems to be indicative of the sword's power. When Link first acquires the un-awakened Master Sword, the gem in its cross-guard is dark, and the guard itself seems to have retracted toward the grip. Only once the sword has been restored to its full power does its hilt regain its signature appearance, and its blade again shines a mysterious light. In Twilight Princess, the Master Sword is much longer and slimmer.
Appearances
A Link to the Past
In A Link to the Past, the Master Sword is obtained by collecting the three Pendants of Virtue from the three temples in the Light World across Hyrule. Once Link has them, he finds the Master Sword in the Lost Woods, discarding any Fake Master Swords he finds on the way.
In this game, the Master Sword can be upgraded to the Tempered Sword and the Golden Sword. In the GBA version, the Golden Sword can break pots.
Ocarina of Time
In Ocarina of Time, Link obtains the Master Sword in the Temple of Time from the Pedestal of Time. Link needs to place the three Spiritual Stones on the temple's altar, which can be found in the three dungeons from the Child Timeline across Hyrule. Sheik describes the blade as a ship that sails across time; obviously referencing the ability of it to take Link back and forth between childhood and adulthood. After defeating Ganon, Link places the Master Sword back into its pedestal. This creates a split in the timeline.
Oracle of Seasons
The Master Sword is the final upgrade of the Wooden Sword and can only be obtained in a Linked Game with Oracle of Ages.
Oracle of Ages
The Master Sword is the final upgrade of the Wooden Sword and can only be obtained in a Linked Game with Oracle of Seasons.
Four Swords 25th Anniversary Edition
The Master Sword is obtained after completing the Realm of Memories. It allows Link to shoot Sword Beams.
The Wind Waker
In The Wind Waker, Link finds the Master Sword underneath the Great Sea within Hyrule Castle in the drowned land of Hyrule. After his first face-to-face encounter with Ganondorf, he is told that the Master Sword has lost its power. To restore the Master Sword to its former glory, Link must awaken the new Sages of earth and wind.
After awakening Medli as the new Earth Sage, Link takes her to the Earth Temple. Upon defeating Jalhalla, Link and Medli play the Earth God's Lyric and restore power partially to the Master Sword.
After awakening Makar as the new Wind Sage, Link then travels with him to the Wind Temple. Upon defeating Molgera, Link and Makar play the Wind God's Aria. With the prayers of both Sages, the Master Sword returns to its true state.
Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, Link obtains the Master Sword after getting cursed by Zant, causing Link to remain permanently as a wolf. The Master Sword is the only thing that can break the curse and it lies in a place called the Sacred Grove.
Later in the game, upon entering the Palace of Twilight, Link infuses the Master Sword with light. This light comes from the light sources of the Twilight Realm known as Sols. Once infused with light, the Master Sword can cut through veils of twilight which normally would transform Link into a wolf upon exposure. The light vanishes from the sword upon leaving the Twilight Realm, but returns to the sword upon re-entry.
Skyward Sword
Skyward Sword explains the creation of the Master Sword. It was originally known as the Goddess Sword wielded by the Goddess, Hylia. The blade was exposed to three Sacred Flames—Farore's Flame, Nayru's Flame and Din's Flame—and then blessed by the Goddess in the form of Zelda, turning it into the True Master Sword. In comparison to the Goddess Longsword, it deals twice the damage. Each slash can deal 16 points of damage. The Spin Slash deals 24 points of damage and the Skyward Strike deals 8 points of damage.
In this game, the Master Sword also has the ability to shoot beams of light and can search for people or items. This is likely due to the presence of Fi, the spirit inside the sword. After completing the game, the player can replay it in Hero Mode, which makes the Goddess Sword and subsequently the Master Sword's Skyward Strikes much quicker from the very beginning.
A Link Between Worlds
The Master Sword makes an appearance in A Link Between Worlds, and is found in the same location as A Link to the Past. It can be found in the Lost Woods and cannot be obtained until after Link has collected the Pendants of Virtue and finds his way through the woods. It is needed to break the barrier around Hyrule Castle.
The Master Sword replaces the Forgotten Sword and features enhanced strength over his previous sword, and like its prequel, a sword beam can be shot out of the Master Sword whenever Link has full health. It can be upgraded to deal more damage if Link acquires two Master Ores and gives them to the Blacksmith in Hyrule, and he can further upgrade the Master Sword if he takes two more Master Ores to the Blacksmith in Lorule. When upgraded, the Master Sword Lv2 has a red blade while the Master Sword Lv3 has a golden blade, much like the Tempered Sword and the Golden Sword respectively in A Link to the Past.
Breath of the Wild
- Main article: Master Sword Requirements
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Spoiler Alert! This section describes a subject that is sensitive to plot development. |
In Breath of the Wild, the Master Sword can be found in its pedestal in the Korok Forest, guarded by the Great Deku Tree.
Background and Obtaining the Sword
The Great Deku Tree reveals to Link that if a person deemed to be weak attempts to draw the Master Sword from its pedestal, they will slowly lose their life. This means that Link must be powerful enough to draw the blade from its slumber and, unlike any previous incarnation, he requires at least thirteen hearts to successfully retrieve the sword (These hearts must be permanent heart containers: using consumables that temporarily increase Link's maximum hearts will not allow him to obtain the Master Sword).
The Great Deku Tree will prevent Link from dying if he fails to lift it the first time, but Link will die upon further attempts with not enough hearts. Upon taking the sword, Link will obtain a memory of the sword being placed in the pedestal; however, this memory is not actually Link's, rather, it is Princess Zelda's. Zelda placed the sword in its resting place after Link's near-death, where the hero would come to retrieve it once more after his slumber in the Shrine of Resurrection.
It is not necessary for Link to have a free Weapons slot to pick up the Master Sword, though it occupies a permanent inventory space when picked up; this slot does not affect the number of slots that can be obtained through the exchange of Korok Seeds.
The Master Sword plays a prominent role in Link's memories, and is once again indicated to only be usable by the chosen hero. During Link's final memory, and Zelda's memory when the Sword is retrieved, it is shown to be in a severely damaged and rusted condition, something that has not been seen in any previous Zelda game. After being placed into its resting spot by Princess Zelda, the Sword gradually regained its luster and restored itself to its most powerful state.
After Link's death during his final memory, the sword begins to flash blue and emit a sound that is the same as Fi's in Skyward Sword, indicating that she is still present within the blade. Fi speaks to Princess Zelda, and tells her that Link can still be saved by taking him to the Shrine of Resurrection, where he can fully recover to fight Calamity Ganon once more.
Statistics
The Master Sword has a base strength of 30 damage, initially leaving it outclassed by a multitude of other single-handed weapons. Its true power, however, comes in the presence of evil when Link ventures to certain areas or draws near certain enemies. This includes all guardian variations and the entirety of Hyrule Castle, as well as the four Divine Beasts, where Ganon's presence is most powerful. The blade will glow with a blue aura, and its strength will boost to 60 damage, making it the most powerful single-handed weapon in the game. Completing all three sections of the Trial of the Sword, from the Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass "The Master Trials" DLC, upgrades it by 10 points per section, to ultimately be in the "awakened" 60 damage/glowing state at all times:
| Power Stage | Attack→Guardian Enemies | Durability | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 30→60 | 40 | 13 Heart Containers |
| 1st Luster | 40→60 | 40 | Have the Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass Clear the Beginning Trials of the Trial of the Sword |
| 2nd Luster | 50→60 | 40 | Have the Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass Clear the Middle Trials of the Trial of the Sword |
| Full Luster | 60 | 188 | Have the Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass Clear the Final Trials of the Trial of the Sword |
Properties and Powers
Like all other weapons in Breath of the Wild, it can be rendered unusable after extensive use. However, it is special in that the Sword will never break, or disappear from the inventory after obtaining it. After the Sword loses its power from extensive use, it will auto-repair itself gradually and return to normal after some time. When the Master Sword is engulfed in its true power, it will gain a huge durability boost.
The Master Sword can shoot blade beams of energy when Link has full health. The distance covered by the beams depends on Link's total hearts at full health (the more hearts, the more distance), and the rate and frequency of beam shooting can be enhanced by wearing specific armor sets like the ★★-tier Hero of the Wild Set. Each beam spends one point of damage on the weapon.
The Master Sword is part of the Hyrule Compendium, and should a picture not have been taken before acquiring it, as the sword cannot be dropped to take a picture from a distance, a picture can be obtained by taking a selfie with the Camera Rune, or by purchasing pictures at bulk from Symin.
Age of Calamity
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This section is a stub. You can help the Zelda Dungeon Wiki by expanding it. |
The Master Sword is obtained by Link in the Freeing Korok Forest Chapter 3 scenario. It is part of his One-Handed Weapon moveset, and is paired with the Hylian Shield when used.
Non-Canon Appearances
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This section describes a subject that is or may be outside the core Zelda canon. |
Soul Calibur II
In the fighting game Soul Calibur II, the Master Sword is Link's default weapon. Link starts with this weapon, along with the Hylian Shield, and it is the most well balanced of all his weapons. The Master Sword is also used when combined with the Mirror Shield.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
The Master Sword can be obtained from fortune cookies in Animal Crossing: New Leaf as it appears in Skyward Sword. It is a furniture item that can be displayed in one's house. It is in its pedestal when placed in a house.
Hyrule Warriors
- Main article: Master Sword (Hyrule Warriors)
The Master Sword is found in the Temple of the Sacred Sword. It has a Light element, and 300 base power.
"The legendary blade of evil's bane. Only the chosen hero can wield this sword. When attacking with full health, your strikes gain a little extra oomph!"
Super Mario Maker 2
In Super Mario Maker 2, the Master Sword serves as a power-up in the Super Mario Bros. theme which transforms Mario (or the other playable characters) into Link, with a full set of typical Link moves. This includes using the Master Sword to stab, down thrust and dash attack. The power-up is lost if Link takes damage.
Skyrim
In the Switch release of Skyrim, the player can use Amiibo for items. The Zelda series Amiibo have a chance of giving the player gear from Breath of the Wild. Among these is the Master Sword, which is essentially just an Elven Sword. Oddly enough, however, the Master Sword never gets blood on it.
Gallery
Artwork from A Link to the Past
Artwork from A Link to the Past
Pulling out the Master Sword in A Link to the Past
The Master Sword in A Link to the Past
The Master Sword in the End Credits of A Link to the Past
Artwork from A Link to the Past
Sprite from A Link to the Past
Master Sword icon from A Link to the Past
Master Sword Art from Ocarina of Time
Master Sword Art from Ocarina of Time
Master Sword Icon from Ocarina of Time 3D
Master Sword within the Pedestal of Time from Ocarina of Time
Artwork from The Wind Waker
Master Sword within the Sacred Grove in Twilight Princess
Master Sword icon from Twilight Princess HD
Artwork of the Master Sword from A Link Between Worlds
Artwork of the Master Sword in Korok Forest from Breath of the Wild
Master Sword model from Soulcalibur II
Master Sword & Hylian Shield SoulCalibur II gallery entry (page 1)
Master Sword & Hylian Shield SoulCalibur II gallery entry (page 2)
Mirror Shield SoulCalibur II gallery entry, with Master Sword (page 1)
Mirror Shield SoulCalibur II gallery entry, with Master Sword (page 2)
Master Sword icon from Hyrule Warriors
Master Sword power-up sprite from Super Mario Maker 2.
Link with the Master Sword from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
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