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Unholy Holy Sword: Difference between revisions
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(Import from TV Tropes TVT:Main.UnholyHolySword 2012-07-01, editor history TVTH:Main.UnholyHolySword, CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported license) |
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The [[MacGuffin]] and [[Applied Phlebotinum]]'s reply to [[The Mole]].
In many stories with fantastical or sci-fi elements, there's one particular object or weapon that the heroes rely on--perhaps a [[Cool Sword]] or [[Orphan's Plot Trinket]] that just so happens to be the source of their powers. It will always be stated as innocent or innocuous at the least, and outright holy at the most extreme. In both cases, this is the hero's trademark weapon and the crutch by which they battle and carry out their adventures; if it's of the sacred variety, the heroes may use it as [[Omniscient Morality License|a crutch for the morality of their actions, too]]: Sure, it might leave a bad taste in their mouths to have killed the sympathetic [[Anti
Of course, in a case like this it's not that pretty--this weapon or object just happens to work through [[Evil Weapon|evil means]]. Perhaps it's simply [[Powered By a Forsaken Child]], or perhaps it happens to be a keystone in the villain's plans, and he's [[Unwitting Pawn|manipulating the heroes]] into [[MacGuffin Delivery Service|handing it over to him]] or even powering it up for him.
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Needless to say, '''this is a SPOILER trope''', so if you happen to be spoiler-sensitive, avert thine eyes.
{{examples
== [[Anime]] ==
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* Frostmourne in ''[[War Craft|WarCraft III]]''. It was originally the sword of [[Magnificent Bastard|Ner'zhul]] [[Big Bad|(the Lich King)]] which he trick Prince Arthas to use (which he did believing it was the only way he could defeat the plague of the undead) while its true purpose was to corrupt Arthas into joining him.
** The Ashbringer zig-zags around this trope. The crystal that it was made of started as evil, but was purified. The sword itself was created as good, later corrupted, and then purified again. And then there are theories that the crystal is somehow related to [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|Naaru]], or ''is'' one, going through their dark/light reincarnations.
** Quel'Delar, the [[Infinity
* The Grandlion/Masamune in ''[[Chrono Trigger (Video Game)|Chrono Trigger]]'' is a complicated example. It's first mentioned as a heroic knight's blade, but turns out to have been filled with the power of [[Eldritch Abomination|Lavos]], but is also powered by a pair of playful spirits that react to people's dreams. So it goes from good, to bad, to neutral, to good again. By ''[[Chrono Cross (Video Game)|Chrono Cross]]'', it's been tainted again (by a powerful person wielding it for evil), but you can fix it.
* ''[[Chrono Cross (Video Game)|Chrono Cross]]'' also has the Records of Fate, which are revered in Arni as if they speak some divine and benevolent will, but it turns out they're used to control the islanders by a computer aptly-named FATE.
* ''[[Brave Fencer Musashi]]'' features Lumina, the [[Department of Redundancy Department|sword of luminescence]], which was used to defeat the Wizard of Darkness in the distant past. Musashi claims it early in the game, and spends most of the rest of it finding and claiming the [[Plot Coupon|Five Scrolls]] that increase its power. Naturally, upon acquiring the final one, it turns out that Lumina wasn't just used to defeat the Wizard of Darkness, the Wizard of Darkness was [[Sealed Evil in A Can|sealed inside of it]] and the scrolls have been [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|breaking the seal]].
* Arcadion the Shade Sword, or The Black Sword, from ''[[Ultima VII]]: The Black Gate'' (the Forge of Virtue expansion). Forged from a supernatural metal and empowered by its captive demon, it is a superb weapon that can kill anything that capable of dying, possesses many other potent powers, and the demon can offer plenty of advice on matters. On the other hand, it is a ''demon-powered sword'' and you're supposed to be the Avatar, a champion of Virtue. It's fairly far-fetched for you to want to wield the thing, or forge the cursed thing in the first place. You can avoid it by not completing the expansion, but since you start with it in ''Serpent Isle'', Arcadion is canon.
* ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic]] 4'' has the Angel's Blade. It's not necessarily evil, and it's primary function is killing undead and demons, but a quest during the campaign reveals it was created by a demon. It doesn't really matter since 1) the main character is a necromancer fighting other demons, and 2) he only needs the sword because the energy released when destroying it, will open a portal to where he needs to go.
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== Visual Novels ==
* The aptly-named [[Shaped Like Itself|Sword]] from the [[Girls Love|yuri]] [[Visual Novel|VN]] ''[[Aoi Shiro]]''. It was used to summon divine storm that sunk the invading Mongol fleet in the past. Partially subverted, those with qualifications to use it know that it's holy in the sense that "this item with terrible power is a property of the gods, do not touch", not "this is a weapon to battle evils". Also, it's not mentioned as such during the game itself, but it's ''the'' [[Public Domain Artifact|Kusanagi]]. It was originated from the [[Swirly Energy Thingy|Chaos]] that people in the past called [[Orochi]], and will definitely, without exception, [[Artifact of Doom|corrupts its user]].
* The wish-granting Holy Grail in ''[[Fate Stay Night (Visual Novel)|Fate Stay Night]]'' literally holds [[Made of Evil|all the evil in the world]], and [[Jackass Genie|can only grant wishes through destruction]]. However, this is because the summoning of an eighth Servant, [[Anti
** In the third route of the [[Visual Novel]], there's also Saber's Excalibur. For the first 2 [[Multiple Endings|routes]], it is a holy "Sword of Promised Victory" that fires off a [[Wave Motion Gun|beam]] of [[Light Is Good|bright light]]. Halfway through the third route she is corrupted by the evil in the Grail {{spoiler|and becomes the newly villainous [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|Sakura]]'s Servant}}. The switch from Lawful Good to Lawful Evil is accompanied by her sword turning into the [[Paint It Black|pitch-black]] "Excalibur Morgan" and firing off red/black beams. [[All There in the Manual|This is explained]] as being due to Morgan Le Fay's hand in it's creation.
== Webcomics ==
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