Flaming Sword: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|''Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden. He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword [[You Cannot Grasp the True Form|which turned every way]], to keep the way of the tree of life.''|[[The Bible|Genesis 3:24]]}}

 

 

[[Older Than They Think|Great-great-great Grandfather]] to the [[Laser Blade]], this is a blade that is ''[[Kill It with Fire|on fire]]'' (or possibly ''made'' of fire). These are usually wielded by divine and infernal guardians alike, because nothing says "Gonna smite your ass" like being able to cut someone and burn them at the same time. Also a favorite trick of the [[Magic Knight]], who may also vary it with [[Elemental Powers|different elements]].

 

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* In ''[[Kaze no Stigma]]'' Ayano has Enraiha a wooden sword always in flames.

* In ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'', through a unique mishap involving a virtual MMORPG and a [[Reality Warper]] feather; both Syaoran and Kurogane end up with flaming swords outside of the game as well.

* Shishio in ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]''.

** While he utterly fails [[Artistic License: Biology|biology]] and [[Artistic License Chemistry|chemistry]], he gets away with it due to liberal applications of [[Rule of Cool]] and [[Crazy Awesome]].

* Hiei in ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'' occasionally uses the Sword of the Darkness Flame.

* [[Berserk|Isidro's]] Salamander Dagger can unleash a burning power, hot enough to melt steel.

* In ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh (anime)|Yu-Gi-Oh]]'', the Flame Swordsman's [[Calling Your Attacks|Flaming Sword of Battle]].

* The sword Kurikara in ''[[Blue Exorcist]]''.

* An [http://www.mangafox.com/manga/sekirei/v05/c046/9.html Inversion] appears in ''[[Sekirei]]'' with Tsukiumi's Water Blade.

* A variation in ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'': Yue and Beatrice can enchant their [[BFS|swords]] to emit [[Shock and Awe|lightning]] and [[An Ice Person|ice]] respectively.

** Quartum's [[Impaled with Extreme Prejudice|magic spear]] and ''[[BFS|Gladius Divinus Flammae Ardentis]]'' are straight examples.

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* ''[[Scott Pilgrim]]'' obtains a flaming [[Katanas Are Just Better]] (through [[RPG Elements|gaining a level]] {{spoiler|when [[The Power of Love|he declares his love for Ramona]]}}.

* Rustam, a recurring enemy of the ''[[Suicide Squad]]'' through his involvement with the terrorist group Jihad, wielded a "psi-scimitar", with a blade of fire erupting from its hilt. In their final confrontation, Rick Flagg {{spoiler|manages to kill him with it}}.

 

== Fan Works ==

* Blackfire in ''[[With Strings Attached]]''. Bonus coolness points because the flames are, well, black.

 

== Films ==

* ''[[The Scorpion King]]'s'' [[Big Bad]] had flaming swords (due to being dipped in lamp oil) during the climactic [[Boss Battle]].

* Violet, the protagonist of ''[[Ultraviolet (film)|Ultraviolet]],'' and her arch-nemesis, have a flaming sword duel after she renders his flame-throwing pistol useless.

** This is actually helpful at one point. When Ichabod is [[Only a Flesh Wound|stabbed in the shoulder]], he doesn't bleed out because the sword cauterised the wound.

* The High Priest of the Mayan temple in ''[[The Fountain]]'' wields a flaming sword with which to defend the Tree of Life. It's actually a bit of [[Deconstruction]], as the Mayan priest basically {{spoiler|distracts Tomas with the sword and stabs him in the gut with a dagger.}}

 

== Literature ==

* Subverted rather neatly in [[Harry Turtledove]]'s ''Wisdom of the Fox''. The protagonist, amateur wizard Gerin the Fox, discovers an ancient book with a section titled "A cantrip which produceth a flaming sword." Gerin proceeds to [[Lampshade Hanging|hang a lampshade]] on [[Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe]]. Then he tries the spell. It works; his sword bursts out in pure, smokeless [[Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors|elemental fire]]. Then he discovers the problem with the spell that explains why not everyone uses it. The spell covers your sword blade in fire... but gives you no insulation or protection from the heat ''created'' by the fire. Luckily for him, he manages to drop the sword in a barrel of water before his hand gets blistered too badly.

* Late in ''[[Inheritance Cycle|Brisingr]]'', Eragon gets the titular sword. Whenever he says its name (which means fire in the ancient language), it ignites. One character at least has the sense to point out this is incredibly cheesy.

* The Balrogs in [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s Middle-earth mythos (''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Silmarillion]]'') wielded not only a flaming sword, but also a flaming cat-of-nine-tails whip. Also, while Anduril is not literally on fire, it does shine "as though on fire." Even more, Turin son of Hurin has his own blade, which after a very [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|Kamina-esque speech]], he thrusts in the air and a great fire leaps up all around him. One of Gurren Lagann's writers just has to have read that for Kamina.

** At one point Anduril did burst into actual flame, courtesy of Gandalf the White.

** God's [[Angels & Demons|divine warriors]] all have flaming swords. In addition they have flaming chariots pulled by [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|lions with snakes for tails]]! Not only that, a prophesy in Revelations says that [[Kung Fu Jesus|Jesus]] will return to earth, pull a flaming sword ''out of his mouth'', and finish Satan off for good.

*** Of course, John the Revelator ''was'' [[Good Omens|reportedly]] "[[What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?|rather fond of strange mushrooms]]..."

** Wasn't that Archangel Uriel? IIRC, he is referred to as "the Flame of God" and "the Sword of God".

*** Uriel is not mentioned in the bible, only in apocrypha.

* In Farworld: Land Keep, there is a type of sword called a Flazite, made of dark metal with flames "leaping about on the surface" despite the rain. It gets worse- one scratch, and your blood turns to fire. And...it's pointed at our heroes. Crap.

 

* Honorary mention should be given to Giles from ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' who went up against the vampire Angelus with a baseball bat that he set on fire. Ultimately futile, but dang did it look cool.

** That was a vial of /holy/ oil that he lit and threw upon the table, dipping the bat in as he passed. That was a Flaming Holy Avenger baseball bat.

** However, being a parody and all, Krod has no control over the flaming part. It tends to catch fire when he's "excited". Hell, the first time someone asks about it he thinks it means the sword is somehow defective and he needs to get it fixed.

* In the ''[[Series/Fallen|Fallen]]'' mini-series, [[Our Angels Are Different|angels]] and [[Half-Human Hybrid|Nephilim]] can wield swords made of pure divine fire, which they can summon from thin air. Being hit by one usually incinerates the target. Strangely enough, the protagonist, a regular kid until recently, can match his swordfighting skills with angels, who have been doing this since before humans were around, and even [[The Devil]].

 

== Music ==

* The song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY-6eZk_FxA Flaming Sword] by the British New Wave Band ''Care''.

 

* In [[Norse Mythology]]; Surtr, the leader of the giants of Muspelheim had one (called "Lævateinn"); his having it plays a major role in Ragnarok. It will burn nearly all of the earth. Oddly enough, he gets stopped by a ''tree'' of all things (granted, it ''was'' [[World Tree|Yggdrasil]]).

** Lævateinn itself was forged by [[Ultimate Blacksmith|Volundr]] and owned by [[The Trickster|Loki]]. The Old Norse translation literally means "Damage Twig" and may in fact not be a named sword, but a [[wikipedia:Kenning|kenning]] for a sword.

* One of the 13 treasures of Britain, The Dyrnwyn of Rhydderch Hael, is a sword that would light up on fire that does not harm the wielder if drawn by a noble man.

 

== [[New Media]] ==

 

== [[Professional Wrestling]] ==

* Commonplace in [[Garbage Wrestler|Garbage Wrestling]] (and sometimes makes its way to the professional world), it's entirely possible to see things set aflame to look more intense and painful, including but not limited to tables, two-by-fours wrapped in barbed wire, [[Man On Fire|the wrestlers themselves...]]

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

** The brand new [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214368 Sword of War and Peace] is also flaming.

* The Flame Swordsman card in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh (Tabletop Game)|Yu-Gi-Oh]]''.

* This is the major schtick of the Bright Wizard in Warhammer, though other wizards have similar weapons and Daemons can crack out the flaming blades on occasion as well.

* The CCG [[The Moral Substitute|Redemption]] features a giant flaming sword on the back side of the cards.

 

 

== Toys ==

** Reused a few times down the line - Hordika Vakama's swords get special mention for having flamethrower nozzles worked into the design.

** Jaller Inika's Enegerized Flame Swords and Ackar's Flame Sword.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

** The weapon of Sword Man (which Mega Man can [[Power Copying|acquire]]) in ''[[Mega Man 8]]'' is called the Flame Sword. Or "Flame Suword".

* ''[[Phantasy Star]] Universe'' has the Crimson, an S-rank saber that glows red and is constantly on fire. There's also a Twin Saber version called the "Two-Headed Ragnus." Unfortunately, while they look badass, their damage output isn't that great compared to [[Katanas Are Just Better|other S-ranks in the same category.]]

** Later in the series, it's revealed that the Hylden champion is supposed to wield a flaming sword. Raziel takes this to mean that he is the Hylden champion, because the Wraith Blade quite resembles a flaming sword.

* ''[[Diablo (series)|Diablo II]]'' featured the Archangel Tyrael, who used a sword that burned with holy flames, before Baal wrestles it away.

*** Not that a sorceress's weapon actually appears to flame; it just turns bright red. Incidentally, there's actually unused flaming sword animations for the Paladin in the game files. And it does look as cheesy as one would imagine.

* ''[[Parasite Eve II|Parasite Eve 2]]'''s [[Big Bad]], [[One-Letter Name|No. 9]], wields one of these in the first boss battle, before ditching it in favor of a [[Swiss Army Weapon|gunblade]] in subsequent appearances.

* In ''[[City of Heroes]]'', Fire Melee and Fire Manipulation give the player access to swords literally [[Incendiary Exponent|made of fire]].

* Elemental effects are a large part of the ''[[Guilty Gear]]'' games. Sol Badguy actually wields a sword that has no sharp edge or point but is a great vessel for his fire magic, and French cop Ky Kiske has a regular sword charged with lightning magic.

** You can also enchant your own flaming swords, and a couple come up in the games themselves. The Sword of the Crusader, in the ''Knights of the Nine'' expansion to ''Oblivion'', may be the most prominent. Like the sword in ''Tribunal'', you first need to recover it as an ordinary sword, and in this case reconsecrate it to the gods before it will light on fire for you.

* You can snag one of these pretty early in ''[[Ultima IX]]''. As with all good flaming swords, it doubles as a handy torch in the dark.

* ''[[Nethack]]'' has a couple which seem to fit the bill; Fire Brand (which is actually pretty rubbish - it's cold counterpart, Frost Brand, is ''far'' more useful) and Sunsword (which is more for dealing with undead, but at least it doubles as a torch).

** In addition to the previously mentioned Swords, A [[Cosmic Keystone]] in the game is also one and can shift into 3 different types and helps channel magic as well.

* It's not a sword, but [[Castlevania|Richter Belmont]] could briefly light his whip on fire as a [[Limit Break]]. The Flame Whip has also been a recurring weapon since the days of ''[[Castlevania II: Simon's Quest|Castlevania II Simons Quest]]''.

** The [http://forums2.battleon.com/f/tm.asp?m=6291824 ReignBringer] in ''[[Adventure Quest]]'', another of [[Artix Entertainment]]'s games, definitely fits the bill, it being the most famous of all the fire swords of the various games.

* In ''[[Persona 3]]'', it's possible to obtain Surt's flaming sword as a weapon for the main character and Junpei.

* One of the swords in ''[[Ōkami|Okami]]'' looks like it's on fire, as well as being red and orange.

* This is a common weapon in the ''[[Ys]]'' series. In most games, it's either the [[Infinity+1 Sword]] or close to it.

* ''[[SaGa Frontier 2]]'': The Firebrand, Finney Kingdom's sacred treasure. Any potential king of Finney undergoes a [[Rite of Passage]] where they hold it up in the air and, if it generates flames, proves their worth as a ruler. Unfortunately for Gustave XIII, nothing happens...

* In ''[[Dark Souls]]'' one is used by {{spoiler|Gwyn, Lord of Cinder}}. If you use his soul in a weapon ascension, you can make a non-flaming version.

* In ''[[Drakan]]'', one of the pickup weapons Rynn can use is this. Not only does it set its victims on fire when it hits, it even doubles as a torch for illuminating dark places. As a bonus, the first one Rynn gets to pick up has an alternate attack that creates an expanding ring of fire that burns everything around her. Unlike most swords of this type, the one in this game is [[Breakable Weapons|not so durable]].

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

* The Torchmen from ''[[Girl Genius]]''. Not only are their swords on fire, [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080730 their entire bodies are on fire].

** [[HSQ|Whoa]]. It's an [[Ninja Pirate Robot Zombie|ARMY of]] [[Steampunk|CLOCKWORK]] [[The Lord of the Rings|BALROGS]] [[Ninja Pirate Robot Zombie|controlled by a]] [[Mad Scientist]]'S [[Genius Loci|SENTIENT CASTLE]] [[Rule of Cool|attacking a]] [[Zeppelins from Another World]] [[Floating Continent|the SIZE of a CITY]].

* Red Cat in Triquetra Cats being a fire mage duel wields two of these

* ''[[Axe Cop]]'''s Fire Slicer has a magic (non-burning) sword that changes to a burning stick as it cuts the enemy.

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

* [[Zero Punctuation|Yahtzee]] commented that the shuriken-and-lightning gun in ''[[Painkiller]]'' "could only be more awesome if it had tits and was on fire."

* Dr. Clef's proposal for [http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-001 SCP-001] from the ''[[SCP Foundation]]'' is apparently ''the'' guardian of Eden, complete with one of these that can strike in multiple directions at once, regardless of distance.

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* In ''[[Static Shock]]'', pyrokinetic metahuman villain Hot Streak attempted to use such a weapon, but was defeated before it got to see any action.

* The Dinobots in ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' all have flaming weapons. Grimlock has the traditional sword, but Snarl has a flaming ''[[Drop the Hammer|club]]'', and Swoop has a flaming ''[[Epic Flail|flail]]''.

** A one shot bad guy used a whip that he set on fire.

* In ''[[Codename: Kids Next Door]]'', the Delightful Children From Down the Lane take this trope to the next level by using a giant mech sporting a pair of giant flaming ''[[Chainsaw Good|chainsaws]]''.

* In ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' episode, "Marge Gamer" used by Bart's MMORPG character.

* The Sun Sword on ''[[Thundarr the Barbarian]]'' is arguably part-way between a [[Laser Blade]] and a sword made of fire.

 

== [[Real Life]] ==

* You wish.

* [http://mattthesamurai.deviantart.com/art/Fire-Sword-Moves-156266698 Step aside, haters.]

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3mHcP9zwPg we're sorry, we can't hear you over the sheer awesomeness.]

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Rule of Cool]]

[[Category:This Index Is On Fire]]

[[Category:Biblical Motifs]]

[[Category:Magic Items Index]]