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Oddly-Shaped Sword: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
[[File:Dark-Dragon-Blade_2999.jpg|link=Ninja Gaiden (Video Game)|frame|Useful to look awesome or catch an enemy sword. Less to stab your opponent.]]
 
[[Cool Sword|Swords are cool.]] [[Heroes Prefer Swords|That's why heroes prefer them.]] But for some authors, it seems that a sword with a plain, straight blade, a curved [[Katanas Are Just Better|katana]] or [[Sinister Scimitar|scimitar]], or some other exotically functional real blade like the wavy [[wikipedia:Kris|kris]] is still not quite cool enough. They need to invent their own special blade. So screw functionality and ergonomy! They will design swords with the weirdest shape possible, as long as it looks [[Rule of Cool|cool]], or at least unique. The odd shape won't have any practical purpose other than looking special, when it isn't outright [[Awesome but Impractical]]… [[Implausible Fencing Powers|not that it will prevent the wielder from fighting perfectly with it]].
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== Anime And Manga ==
* ''[[Bleach (Manga)|Bleach]]'': every [[Empathic Weapon|Zanpakutou]] release that looks like a sword will have an unusual shape. During Ichigo's Bankai training, he has to retrieve his real sword among a [[Field of Blades]]. Every single sword in the field has a unique design. The most egregious example is maybe Izuru's sword: curved with two right angles and with no pointy end. One of his opponents even lampshades how impractical it is to fight (although shortly after he discovers [[Off Withwith His Head|one way the blade can be used]])
* Samehada, Kisame's sword in ''[[Naruto (Manga)|Naruto]]''. If you can really call this thing a sword… it's more like a giant spiked club, but is refered to as a sword anyway…
** If we really want to get technical, it looks more like a {{spoiler|cross between a shark and a sea urchin}}.
** Among the Swords of the Mist we also have Raiga's swords: really thin dual blades with spikes protruding from them.
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== Tabletop Game ==
* The [[media:Vorpal_blade_2840.jpg|Vorpal Blade]], from ''[[Munchkin (Tabletop Gamegame)|Munchkin]]'', is covered in spikes and curves that don't even always go in the same direction.
** There's also the Funny-Looking Sword. It [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|lives up to its name]].
* There are several in ''[[Magic: theThe Gathering (Tabletop Game)|Magic the Gathering]]'', including the spiral-shaped [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221186 Trepanation Blade], the hook-ended [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193528 Pennon Blade], and the blade split down the middle seen on [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214070 Sword of Feast and Famine] and it's cousins.
 
 
== Video Game ==
* The Soul Reaver from ''[[Legacy of Kain]]'' looks odd, but this kind of wavy blade actually exists, and is called a Flamberge.
* The Dark Dragon Blade in ''[[Ninja Gaiden (Video Game)|Ninja Gaiden]]'', depicted above. A fully upgraded [[BFS|Dabilahro]] also has plenty of unnecessary curves and flourish. Enma's Fang in ''Sigma 2'' just… [http://b6.raptrcdn.com/activity/award_def/psn/69/e5/69e56ddf18103edff73c3f66f63225fe.PNG cannot be described with words.]
* The Seven Punishment Sword in ''[[Okami (Video Game)Ōkami|Okami]]'' is another example of the "flame shaped" variant.
* In ''[[The Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask]]'', Link wields the [http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101109205945/zelda/images/a/a0/Double_Helix_Sword.png Double Helix Sword] which has two blades that cross back and forth before coming to a point.
** Though less exotic than some, in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Video Game)|Skyward Sword]]'', the [[Big Bad]]'s sword is an [[Evil Counterpart]] to the Master Sword, and has [http://www.zeldawiki.org/images/thumb/0/0b/DemonBoss_BlackMasterSword.png/640px-DemonBoss_BlackMasterSword.png a blade shaped like overlapping diamonds with spikes at the corners.]
* The blades of both Noel's primary sword and Caius' [[BFS]] in ''[[Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Video Game)|Final Fantasy XIII-2]]'' are odd, to say the least.
** Auron's ultimate weapon in ''[[Final Fantasy X (Video Game)|Final Fantasy X]]'' looks more like a really big wrench. Most of [http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/File:TidusSwords.png Tidus's swords] have odd shapes as well.
* ''[[Samurai Warriors]]'': Kenshin Uesugi's standard weapon is a seven-bladed sword. Kojiro Sasaki can summon giant blades with a really weird design. Kunoichi's best weapon is a flame-shaped dagger.
* ''[[Sengoku Basara]]'': Yukimura starts out with a spear. Ok, fine. His last weapon is a multi-pronged, flame like monstrosity. And he's not the only one. Hojo Ujimasa stands out too: His ''basic'' weapon is a pike with twelve blades that, in [[Real Life]], would be a waste of wood and metal.
* The Darksword from ''[[Dark Souls]]'' looks more rectangular than anything else, but the prize goes to Quelaag's Furysword, which looks like a ramp/wedge attached to a stick and covered in shells, bones, spikes and grey paint. Also, it glows red whenever you swing it.
* While most weapons in the ''[[Soul Series (Video Game)|Soul Series]]'' series are fairly reasonable and realistic, several extra weapons you can buy/obtain tend to fall into this category, such as Siegfried's Flamberge (a zweihander with a wavy flames design, not unlike the page image). [[Dem Bones|Revenant]], an extra character in ''Soulcalibur III'' and ''IV'', also uses twin wave swords known as Gatekeeper.
* Sol Badguy's Fireseal/Fuuenken in ''[[Guilty Gear (Video Game)|Guilty Gear]]'' [http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111030092758/guilty-gear/images/b/b8/Ggxxr_cs1_so.jpg is a blunt, rectangular blade.] It makes up for its supposed lack of sharpness due to [[Hot Blade|its ability to generate intense flames]] (presumably thanks to an engine/exhaust-like mechanism installed in the sword) although the blade is still able to draw blood in-game. By the time of ''Overture'', however, [http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111029045961/guilty-gear/images/1/1f/Gg2o_cs2_so.jpg the weapon has undergone heavy modification and resembles a more traditional sword] (the tip of the blade is still fairly blunt, though). Back during his days as a member of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights, Sol instead used [http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111108135038/guilty-gear/images/4/43/Ggxxac_cs_or.jpg an unnamed sword] that appears to be little more than a giant slab of stone or concrete.
* In ''[[Blaz Blue]]'', Ragna the Bloodedge wields Blood-Scythe, a sword he inherited (via Jubei) from the original Bloodedge, an unsung hero of the Dark War who singlehandedly halted the advance of the Black Beast for a year (unknown to Ragna, Bloodedge is actually {{spoiler|an amnesiac Ragna thrown back in time}}). The sword has a somewhat wavy, almost hook-like shape to it. In its awakened state, the Blood-Scythe holds true to its name, assuming the form of a scythe with a blade made out of crimson energy (the blade extends from the hilt and turns to resemble a scythe).
* The Sparda sword in ''[[Devil May Cry (Video Game)|Devil May Cry]]'' has a huge crescent-shaped blade, and the position of the handle should make it quite difficult to wield. Lampshaded in the last line of [http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/899 this] ''[[Manly Guys Doing Manly Things (Webcomic)|Manly Guys Doing Manly Things]]'' comic.
* In ''[[Fate Extra]]'', Saber wields Aestus Estus, a large sword that tapers and widens somewhat randomly and comes to three points on the cutting edge... Well, [http://images.wikia.com/typemoon/images/f/f9/AestusEstus.png see for yourself].
* In ''[[Musashi Samurai Legend (Video Game)|Musashi: Samurai Legend]]'' the first four Elemental Swords may be unusual, but otherwise fine. Then there's the Void Sword: it looks like there are two blades merged: the one in the middle is straight and squared, the other one has a wave shape and is merged with the former. In [[Real Life]] this sword would be awfully hard to use properly.
* In ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2 (Video Game)|Neverwinter Nights 2]]'', the [http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5427/850920-githsword_large.jpg Silver Sword of Gith]. Possibly justified by it being an [[Infinity+1 Sword]] [[Sword of Plot Advancement|of Plot Advancement]]. And by not being human-made.
* A lot of the higher-level swords and daggers in ''[[Dragon Age Origins]]'' have serrated, zig-zagging, and/or wavy-edged blades.
 
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== Visual Novel ==
* In ''[[Visual Novel/Dancing Blade Katte Ni Momotenshi|Dancing Blade Katte Ni Momotenshi]]'', Momotenshi, the [[Super Mode]] of main heroine Momohime, wields a [[BFS]] [http://download.minitokyo.net/Dancing.Blade:.Katte.Ni.Momo.Tenshi.387463.jpg with its tip shaped like a peach], as a reference to Momohime's origins (she's a [[Gender Flip]] adaptation of Momotaro, the boy born from a peach).
* ''[[Ace Attorney (Visual Novel)|Ace Attorney]]'': the Shichishito, which literally means "seven-branched sword".
 
 
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