It goes without saying that weapons are cool, swords and spears especially. Bigger weapons, obviously in fantasy, is what makes them fun. But what happens when we look at the weapons as real weapons, and how practical can they be used in real combat?
I've actually lauded the Zelda series as having well designed fantasy swords. While there's wild shenanigans, as per fantasy, mostly the real weapons Link uses are, for the most part, more practical than other examples I've seen in fantasy.
This is something I plan to make into a series, and maybe even discuss the fighting itself from a practical perspective.
I see no more fitting a start as the iconic sword of the series, the Master Sword itself.
Just before we continue, I actually practice historical European swordsmanship, based on historical fencing manuals. Specifically, I study Fiore dei Liberi, a 15th century weapons master, knight, and mercenary. So that's the lens we'll be using to critique the Master Sword's design, and the weapons of the series in general.
Before I talk about how functional the Master Sword is as a sword, let me first say that despite some design changes I’d make to the sword, I still say that it is functional as it is, it would just be a little heavy and rather clunky to use as it currently stands.
First, here’s a picture of the current iteration of the Master Sword:
Now, again, it’s not the worst designed fantasy sword, but there are some problems with it.
The sword seems to be rather long, which is perfectly fine, as it’s right in the ball park for a longsword, that is, a sword you use primarily with two hands, which is clearly the inspiration behind the sword. Many people will erroneously call it a broadsword, but the term broadsword doesn't historically refer to Medieval cruciform swords of the Oakshott typology. What it refers to is the basket hilted swords from the Renaissance. They were called "broadswords" to distinguish them from the rapiers and smallswords of the era, which typically had thin blades designed for thrusting.
So, if you hear "broadsword," think of this type of sword:
Here’s a screenshot of Zelda from Breath of the Wild holding the Master Sword. You can see it’s rather long. So this isn’t a broadsword, as so many people like to think it is. It clearly is a longsword.
Note the rust on the sword. That means this blade is made from steel, and not any special galvanized steel or magical metal, mind you, it’s made from carbon steel, as evidenced from the rust. Therefore, we can put to bed that the sword is made from magical metal. It’s made from good ol’ high carbon steel. This is actually a great material for a blade. So good on the developers for that!
In terms of use, Link uses it as a one-handed (arming) sword in conjunction with a shield, as evidenced by the numerous times he’s used it. For reference, here’s his render from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where he’s clearly using the sword in conjunction with his shield.
Link would be far better off going with a smaller one-handed sword, considering his fighting style. In history, shields were indeed, primarily used for defense, but they could also be used to create openings, such as shield-bashing to create openings for a killing blow. In the manuscript MS I.33, also known as the Walpurgis Fechtbuch, which is about sword and buckler (I know bucklers aren’t quite shields as such), the monks show how to use a sword in conjunction with the buckler.
Side note about MS I.33, it was a manuscript written by monks in 1299 teaching people how to defend themselves. So, of course, warrior monks were a thing in Medieval Europe.
One thing you’ll notice, is that they are using one-handed swords (arming swords). Another thing to note is that they have several guards (called Wards) where the buckler is used to protect your hand. Most notably, in 1st Ward, the blade is meant to be tucked under your armpit with the palm facing out, and the buckler held out or tucked in to guard your hand. The primary attack from this position is to basically throw a jab with the buckler to open up that line and swinging the sword out at the same time while the buckler covers your sword hand.
Another position is 5th Ward, with the buckler out, with the sword pointed behind you with the palm facing up. Curiously, this is your thrusting position, as to thrust from this position, you would power the thrust with your shoulder and hips to swing the sword forward and stab.
Why am I pointing this out? Well, to demonstrate that if you’re using a shield or buckler in your off-hand, a smaller sword would work better to let you maneuver the sword around, attacking while defending at the same time without the shield or buckler interfering much with the sword, or vice-versa.
Since Link’s using a shield, a longsword would work (because you can use a longsword in one hand, even though it's primarily a two handed weapon), but it would be more awkward to use for this style. You can make it work, but you’d be a bit slower to react because while longswords were light, they were heavier than arming swords with longer handles. I think you can deduce why longswords wouldn’t be the best fit for sword and shield, or sword and buckler.
Of course, you can just forgo the shield, and use the sword as a longsword, or two handed sword, which is clearly where it gets its inspiration.
I think if Link were to use the Master Sword in the Fiore tradition, he’d not only be more effective, but the Fiore system is straightforward, practical, and also pretty elegant and stylish looking.
It's also smart fighting, and in the series, Link's always won battles not just by his strength, but his wits. So the system would suit him rather nicely.
Take a look at this video made by these guys using the Fiore system.
Not only is this style fluid and elegant, but it is deadly efficient and effective. But this was mainly to show that longswords weren't heavy (typically they weighed on the order of 3 lbs), and that longsword fencing was fluid, skilled, and very smart fighting.
Sorta reminds us of our boy Link right?
As far as the overall shape, the sword isn’t too bad, all things considered. The blade is perfectly functional, and I think has quite a nice aesthetic to it with the ricasso showing the engraved Triforce on it, symbolizing this as a holy blade. This actually is a common symbolic theme in Medieval iconography, where the sword dispenses God's justice, and the cruciform sword is shaped like a crucifix for several reasons. Not only does it practically protect your hands from harm, but when a knight prays, their sword is symbolically pointing into the ground, resembling Christ's cross.
This has symbolic meaning. Knights in the Middle Ages were basically servants to their lords, and their main service was war. Thus, in a way, praying before battle, as was done in the Crusades, symbolized them as martyrs, dispensing God's justice, and calling on Saint Michael, the archangel, to help them dispense God's will.
Since Link is the Hero Chosen by the Gods, he is, not only a literal knight, but in a way, a martyr for dispensing the will of the gods.
So really, the Master Sword itself, has a TON of religious symbolic meaning in the series. It was forged in the fires of Din, Nayru, and Farore, the three golden goddesses, and wielded by Hylia, a Christ-like figure in lore.
So should we be at all shocked that the series clearly took some inspiration from Medieval iconography? That actually enhances the sword's design in my eyes.
The hilt assembly (that is, the guard, handle, and pommel) if viewed vertically, kind of looks like a bird. And that’s perfectly in accordance to what we see of fancy swords from history. There’s been several blades that took inspiration from animals, so I say the overall aesthetic as well as the symbolic meaning of the sword is fantastic.
Now THAT is impressive!
However…
The handle is a bit on the skinny side. I can chalk that up to this being a case of the proportions being slightly off. The sword seems oversized a bit in the blade, and undersized in the handle. To make it better, I would actually make the blade thinner, both from edge to edge, and its overall thickness. I would also give it two tapers, making it thinner as it gets closer to the point (profile taper), and giving it a distal taper, which means the blade gets thinner from flat to flat as it nears the point. These two tapers would make the sword much better at cuts and thrusts, which is what swords are meant to do. It would also lighten the blade a bit.
For comparison, here’s a longsword from history, note the taper in the blade.
Yeah I know Link is superhumanly strong, but strength isn’t everything in a sword fight. Timing, footwork, technique, and speed are more paramount, which is why historical weapons weren’t unnecessarily heavy. And really, Link has always in the games been demonstrated as a pragmatic fighter, seeking to exploit the weaknesses of his enemies not only with the strength of a warrior, but with quick wits, canny, and smart fighting.
The historical sources also agree that strength isn't everything. True to say a warrior must possess strength, but also wisdom, speed, and having a bold heart.
Again, remind you of anyone?
Thus, adding heft to a weapon when it doesn’t offer benefit is never what you want to do.
Another point on the handle, it seems perfectly cylindrical, which is not what you want for a handle. You want ovate to round, or rounded rectangles because those handles allow you to feel where the edges are aligned. This is important because for a sword to cut well, you want the edge lined up with the direction you’re cutting. This is called edge alignment. If the edge alignment is off, it would just cause the sword to bounce off the target, or encounter much more resistance, and thereby causing the blade to not bite in as deeply in contrast to the blade being perfectly aligned in the direction of the cut. So to fix that, I’d actually give it an ovate to round grip. This means Link would have a better feeling of where the edges are on the sword, allowing him to slice and cut much deeper.
The guard seems unnecessarily large, and since we know this is made from steel, that would mean this guard would add a lot of unnecessary weight to the sword. Not to mention there’s a weird rounded section under the guard and above the handle that seems to be made from solid steel. That would also add unnecessary weight to the weapon. If we look at historical swords, the guards aren’t that thick, and that’s because they’re made from solid metal, and sword blades aren’t gonna cut through it.
Not only that, but some longswords had side rings, which I guess is the purpose for that weird rounded section.
Here's an example from a longsword I personally own:
You'll notice that on my longsword, the side ring is also not that large, and it doesn't need to be to protect your hand. The guards are made out of solid steel or bronze, in some cases, and a sword blade is going to have a DIFFICULT time cutting through them.
For reference, here’s several guards from several longswords.
Note how small the guards are compared to the Master Sword. Also note the handles are either rounded rectangles, or ovate to round, and also notice the overall shape of the blade.
As far as the pommel, it seems perfectly fine from what I can tell.
So to fix the issues with the Master Sword, in fact, I came across a reputable company that makes functional weapons from films, TV shows, and video games called Fable Blades, and their version of the Master Sword is a much more elegant design. It fixes the issues I have with the Master Sword by making the grip ovate to round, giving the blade some proper tapering, narrowing up the guard, yet it retains all of the aesthetics of the Master Sword. They even etch on the fuller in Hylian text, “The Blade of Evil’s Bane” which is a nice little touch for Zelda nerds like us.
Now THAT is what the Master Sword should look like. It now is more functional and practical, while still retaining the design aesthetic of the original, and not destroying its symbolic status. And yes, this is a full tang, high carbon steel blade. The dimensions right from the website are bang on for a proper longsword or bastard sword.
The specs:
Weight: 1.53 kg (3.37 lbs)
Overall length: 103.7 cm (40.8″)
Blade length: 80.4 cm (31.7″)
Grip length: 16.3 cm (6.4″)
Point of balance: 10.4 cm (4.1″) from the blade shoulder
Material: Full tang 9260 high carbon steel heat treated to 52HRc. Guard and pommel are cast in bronze.
Now again, the Master Sword isn't a terribly designed fantasy sword. As it currently stands, the weapon would be usable, but it would feel a little too heavy and a bit sluggish. The blade made by Fable Blades actually did every change I'd make to the sword, but it keeps the design characteristics of the blade, and it doesn't lose its symbolic meaning.
So based on all of this, if I was to give the Master Sword a rating based on practicality and historical design, it gets an 8/10. It's got a load of symbolism surrounding it, which cruciform swords in history also had, and when comparing it to other fantasy "swords," it still is a sword, and not a huge spikey metal monstrosity of spinal deformity.
Let me know what you think of this post, and if I should continue with this series. If there's a weapon from the series you want me to cover, please let me know.
I've actually lauded the Zelda series as having well designed fantasy swords. While there's wild shenanigans, as per fantasy, mostly the real weapons Link uses are, for the most part, more practical than other examples I've seen in fantasy.
This is something I plan to make into a series, and maybe even discuss the fighting itself from a practical perspective.
I see no more fitting a start as the iconic sword of the series, the Master Sword itself.
Just before we continue, I actually practice historical European swordsmanship, based on historical fencing manuals. Specifically, I study Fiore dei Liberi, a 15th century weapons master, knight, and mercenary. So that's the lens we'll be using to critique the Master Sword's design, and the weapons of the series in general.
Before I talk about how functional the Master Sword is as a sword, let me first say that despite some design changes I’d make to the sword, I still say that it is functional as it is, it would just be a little heavy and rather clunky to use as it currently stands.
First, here’s a picture of the current iteration of the Master Sword:
Now, again, it’s not the worst designed fantasy sword, but there are some problems with it.
The sword seems to be rather long, which is perfectly fine, as it’s right in the ball park for a longsword, that is, a sword you use primarily with two hands, which is clearly the inspiration behind the sword. Many people will erroneously call it a broadsword, but the term broadsword doesn't historically refer to Medieval cruciform swords of the Oakshott typology. What it refers to is the basket hilted swords from the Renaissance. They were called "broadswords" to distinguish them from the rapiers and smallswords of the era, which typically had thin blades designed for thrusting.
So, if you hear "broadsword," think of this type of sword:
Here’s a screenshot of Zelda from Breath of the Wild holding the Master Sword. You can see it’s rather long. So this isn’t a broadsword, as so many people like to think it is. It clearly is a longsword.
Note the rust on the sword. That means this blade is made from steel, and not any special galvanized steel or magical metal, mind you, it’s made from carbon steel, as evidenced from the rust. Therefore, we can put to bed that the sword is made from magical metal. It’s made from good ol’ high carbon steel. This is actually a great material for a blade. So good on the developers for that!
In terms of use, Link uses it as a one-handed (arming) sword in conjunction with a shield, as evidenced by the numerous times he’s used it. For reference, here’s his render from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where he’s clearly using the sword in conjunction with his shield.
Link would be far better off going with a smaller one-handed sword, considering his fighting style. In history, shields were indeed, primarily used for defense, but they could also be used to create openings, such as shield-bashing to create openings for a killing blow. In the manuscript MS I.33, also known as the Walpurgis Fechtbuch, which is about sword and buckler (I know bucklers aren’t quite shields as such), the monks show how to use a sword in conjunction with the buckler.
Side note about MS I.33, it was a manuscript written by monks in 1299 teaching people how to defend themselves. So, of course, warrior monks were a thing in Medieval Europe.
One thing you’ll notice, is that they are using one-handed swords (arming swords). Another thing to note is that they have several guards (called Wards) where the buckler is used to protect your hand. Most notably, in 1st Ward, the blade is meant to be tucked under your armpit with the palm facing out, and the buckler held out or tucked in to guard your hand. The primary attack from this position is to basically throw a jab with the buckler to open up that line and swinging the sword out at the same time while the buckler covers your sword hand.
Another position is 5th Ward, with the buckler out, with the sword pointed behind you with the palm facing up. Curiously, this is your thrusting position, as to thrust from this position, you would power the thrust with your shoulder and hips to swing the sword forward and stab.
Why am I pointing this out? Well, to demonstrate that if you’re using a shield or buckler in your off-hand, a smaller sword would work better to let you maneuver the sword around, attacking while defending at the same time without the shield or buckler interfering much with the sword, or vice-versa.
Since Link’s using a shield, a longsword would work (because you can use a longsword in one hand, even though it's primarily a two handed weapon), but it would be more awkward to use for this style. You can make it work, but you’d be a bit slower to react because while longswords were light, they were heavier than arming swords with longer handles. I think you can deduce why longswords wouldn’t be the best fit for sword and shield, or sword and buckler.
Of course, you can just forgo the shield, and use the sword as a longsword, or two handed sword, which is clearly where it gets its inspiration.
I think if Link were to use the Master Sword in the Fiore tradition, he’d not only be more effective, but the Fiore system is straightforward, practical, and also pretty elegant and stylish looking.
It's also smart fighting, and in the series, Link's always won battles not just by his strength, but his wits. So the system would suit him rather nicely.
Take a look at this video made by these guys using the Fiore system.
Not only is this style fluid and elegant, but it is deadly efficient and effective. But this was mainly to show that longswords weren't heavy (typically they weighed on the order of 3 lbs), and that longsword fencing was fluid, skilled, and very smart fighting.
Sorta reminds us of our boy Link right?
As far as the overall shape, the sword isn’t too bad, all things considered. The blade is perfectly functional, and I think has quite a nice aesthetic to it with the ricasso showing the engraved Triforce on it, symbolizing this as a holy blade. This actually is a common symbolic theme in Medieval iconography, where the sword dispenses God's justice, and the cruciform sword is shaped like a crucifix for several reasons. Not only does it practically protect your hands from harm, but when a knight prays, their sword is symbolically pointing into the ground, resembling Christ's cross.
This has symbolic meaning. Knights in the Middle Ages were basically servants to their lords, and their main service was war. Thus, in a way, praying before battle, as was done in the Crusades, symbolized them as martyrs, dispensing God's justice, and calling on Saint Michael, the archangel, to help them dispense God's will.
Since Link is the Hero Chosen by the Gods, he is, not only a literal knight, but in a way, a martyr for dispensing the will of the gods.
So really, the Master Sword itself, has a TON of religious symbolic meaning in the series. It was forged in the fires of Din, Nayru, and Farore, the three golden goddesses, and wielded by Hylia, a Christ-like figure in lore.
So should we be at all shocked that the series clearly took some inspiration from Medieval iconography? That actually enhances the sword's design in my eyes.
The hilt assembly (that is, the guard, handle, and pommel) if viewed vertically, kind of looks like a bird. And that’s perfectly in accordance to what we see of fancy swords from history. There’s been several blades that took inspiration from animals, so I say the overall aesthetic as well as the symbolic meaning of the sword is fantastic.
Now THAT is impressive!
However…
The handle is a bit on the skinny side. I can chalk that up to this being a case of the proportions being slightly off. The sword seems oversized a bit in the blade, and undersized in the handle. To make it better, I would actually make the blade thinner, both from edge to edge, and its overall thickness. I would also give it two tapers, making it thinner as it gets closer to the point (profile taper), and giving it a distal taper, which means the blade gets thinner from flat to flat as it nears the point. These two tapers would make the sword much better at cuts and thrusts, which is what swords are meant to do. It would also lighten the blade a bit.
For comparison, here’s a longsword from history, note the taper in the blade.
Yeah I know Link is superhumanly strong, but strength isn’t everything in a sword fight. Timing, footwork, technique, and speed are more paramount, which is why historical weapons weren’t unnecessarily heavy. And really, Link has always in the games been demonstrated as a pragmatic fighter, seeking to exploit the weaknesses of his enemies not only with the strength of a warrior, but with quick wits, canny, and smart fighting.
The historical sources also agree that strength isn't everything. True to say a warrior must possess strength, but also wisdom, speed, and having a bold heart.
Again, remind you of anyone?
Thus, adding heft to a weapon when it doesn’t offer benefit is never what you want to do.
Another point on the handle, it seems perfectly cylindrical, which is not what you want for a handle. You want ovate to round, or rounded rectangles because those handles allow you to feel where the edges are aligned. This is important because for a sword to cut well, you want the edge lined up with the direction you’re cutting. This is called edge alignment. If the edge alignment is off, it would just cause the sword to bounce off the target, or encounter much more resistance, and thereby causing the blade to not bite in as deeply in contrast to the blade being perfectly aligned in the direction of the cut. So to fix that, I’d actually give it an ovate to round grip. This means Link would have a better feeling of where the edges are on the sword, allowing him to slice and cut much deeper.
The guard seems unnecessarily large, and since we know this is made from steel, that would mean this guard would add a lot of unnecessary weight to the sword. Not to mention there’s a weird rounded section under the guard and above the handle that seems to be made from solid steel. That would also add unnecessary weight to the weapon. If we look at historical swords, the guards aren’t that thick, and that’s because they’re made from solid metal, and sword blades aren’t gonna cut through it.
Not only that, but some longswords had side rings, which I guess is the purpose for that weird rounded section.
Here's an example from a longsword I personally own:
You'll notice that on my longsword, the side ring is also not that large, and it doesn't need to be to protect your hand. The guards are made out of solid steel or bronze, in some cases, and a sword blade is going to have a DIFFICULT time cutting through them.
For reference, here’s several guards from several longswords.
Note how small the guards are compared to the Master Sword. Also note the handles are either rounded rectangles, or ovate to round, and also notice the overall shape of the blade.
As far as the pommel, it seems perfectly fine from what I can tell.
So to fix the issues with the Master Sword, in fact, I came across a reputable company that makes functional weapons from films, TV shows, and video games called Fable Blades, and their version of the Master Sword is a much more elegant design. It fixes the issues I have with the Master Sword by making the grip ovate to round, giving the blade some proper tapering, narrowing up the guard, yet it retains all of the aesthetics of the Master Sword. They even etch on the fuller in Hylian text, “The Blade of Evil’s Bane” which is a nice little touch for Zelda nerds like us.
Now THAT is what the Master Sword should look like. It now is more functional and practical, while still retaining the design aesthetic of the original, and not destroying its symbolic status. And yes, this is a full tang, high carbon steel blade. The dimensions right from the website are bang on for a proper longsword or bastard sword.
The specs:
Weight: 1.53 kg (3.37 lbs)
Overall length: 103.7 cm (40.8″)
Blade length: 80.4 cm (31.7″)
Grip length: 16.3 cm (6.4″)
Point of balance: 10.4 cm (4.1″) from the blade shoulder
Material: Full tang 9260 high carbon steel heat treated to 52HRc. Guard and pommel are cast in bronze.
Now again, the Master Sword isn't a terribly designed fantasy sword. As it currently stands, the weapon would be usable, but it would feel a little too heavy and a bit sluggish. The blade made by Fable Blades actually did every change I'd make to the sword, but it keeps the design characteristics of the blade, and it doesn't lose its symbolic meaning.
So based on all of this, if I was to give the Master Sword a rating based on practicality and historical design, it gets an 8/10. It's got a load of symbolism surrounding it, which cruciform swords in history also had, and when comparing it to other fantasy "swords," it still is a sword, and not a huge spikey metal monstrosity of spinal deformity.
Let me know what you think of this post, and if I should continue with this series. If there's a weapon from the series you want me to cover, please let me know.
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