A country that has a long and distinct history in military and swordsmanship is certainly Japan. So why shouldn’t they incorporate that history and fetish of swords in their mode of entertainment? As seen in anime, the majority of the anime characters are shown as swordsmen or swordswomen. Therefore, we can deduce that swords have a great place in the heart of Japan, even anime swords. Additionally, have you seen how many otakus are there in and outside of Japan now? The number seems to be growing greatly. Can you believe that the number of manga otaku in Japan is 350,000 and anime otaku is 110,000 and growing? That is ¥103 billion in the market! The otakus are originating all over the world too. China has 200,000 consumers, France has over 250,000 consumers, and even Germany isn’t so far behind. In the USA, the anime industry is now worth $2.74 billion, which is more than the comic book industry that is $1.03 billion. We can sum up the otaku culture around the world as astonishing!That is a lot of information, right? Maybe we should get back to the most revered topic in anime and manga: the swords. We’ll now discuss some of the most amazing anime swords to have surfaced in the anime culture so far. Let’s not dilly-dally and get done to business.
Elucidator and Dark Repulsor
You must be aware of how Kirito uses a unique style of sword fighting. Kirito wields two blades at the same time. With the dual swordplay, Kirito is able to enter a new realm in terms of swordplay. Moreover, the combination of the Elucidator and the Dark Repulsor enables him to explore twenty different techniques. Are you a fan of SAO? Then did you know that dual blades are only awarded to the players that have the fastest reaction time? Bet you didn’t!
Claymore – Claymore
The sword Claymore is from the anime with the same name. The Claymore swords in the anime are huge with a sharpened hilt and double edge. These anime swords have their roots from the Scottish Gaelic weapons termed “claidheamh mor”, which literally means “great sword”. In the anime, it is clearly seen that each Claymore sword is ornamented with the owner’s symbol at its hilt.
Murasame – Akame ga Kill!
Akame from the anime “Akame ga Kill!” wields a long Japanese katana, called Murasame or a one-cut killer. Murasame has the ability to kill anyone who is even lightly pricked by it since the blade holds poison. As seen in the anime, Akame uses great caution even when she cleans it, which tells us that this blade is seriously deadly. The catch? The wielder of Murasame can cut themselves, and if they survive, they can attain great speed and strength.
Kurikara – Ao no Exorcist
Waiting for season 3 of Ao no Exorcist? You will have to wait for it a little. But we are here to talk about the sword, and the sword in question is Rin Okumura’s demon-slaying sword, Kurikara! The Kurikara has the ability to slay demons, and surprisingly, it also holds Rin’s demon heart and powers. Whenever Rin unsheathes the sword, his demonic powers are released and sheathed, the powers are sealed. The problem: whenever Rin loses control of his powers he becomes more of a demon! But we don’t want him turning into a demon, do we?! Kurikara has a power that puts it on the list of the greatest anime swords, which Rin is certainly not going to let go of.
The most famous anime sword of an old anime, InuYasha, is the Tessaiga! It certainly is the greatest anime sword of all time! Tessaiga is made from the tooth of InuYasha’s father, who was a demon. Initially, the Tessaiga looks like a normal Japanese katana, but when wielded properly, the Tessaiga transforms into a huge blade. The most revered and famous offensive attacks are the Kaze no Kizu (Wind Scar) and Bakuryuuha (Backlash Wave). Each of these attacks is able to eliminate many demons all at once. But there is a catch: the Tessaiga can only be wielded by someone with demonic power and should care about the humans.
Sword of Dios – Shoujo Kakumei Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Sword of Dios is obtained by Utena in the anime Shoujo Kakumei Utena. She pulls this sword from the chest of Anthy Himemiya, which is a Rose Bride. Though this sword is one of the least exciting anime sword but because of the Rose Bride, the sword’s strength and power increase by quite a lot.
Miroku – Mai-HiME (My-Hime)
Mikoto from Mai-HiME wields the Miroku. It is a huge, black claymore, which has to be dragged along because the sword is quite big compared to Mikoto herself. Even though Mikoto has a small built, she faces no problem in handling the Miruko, a beast of a sword. She uses the weight of the sword to her advantage, to gain momentum and is able to perform quicker and powerful attacks. The Miroku is an anime sword that requires special warriors to wield it.
Toyako Bokuto – Gintama
Other anime swords are seen to be forged from copper or other metals. But the Toyako Bokuto was forged from a tree’s bark, an ancient tree that was from an entirely different planet; hence, the Toyako Bokuto being a purely wooden sword. With the plain appearance, this anime sword can cut through anything at all. The sword is a Hoshikudaki, which means a “Star Destroyer”; hence, very befitting!
Zanpakuto – Bleach
Though the name of the anime makes little to no sense, the anime was certainly amazing. Bleach housed many anime swords, all known as the Zanpakuto. Every Shinigami had their own Zanpakuto, and each and everyone has unique powers. The Zanpakuto has the power to cut through any spiritual body. Moreover, the power of the Zanpakuto increases when the wielder knows its name. Zanpakutos are the most mysterious anime swords of all.
Scissor Blade – Kill la Kill
As the name suggests, the Scissor Blade sword is a part of a scissor or at least look like one. One of the Scissor Blade is possessed by Ryuuko from the anime Kill la Kill. The blade is able to change its size from a normal scissor to a menacing blade. The blade is more extendable, allowing execution in the decapitation mode, but only when Ryuuko performs his finishing move.
The Sakabato is a reverse blade sword, wielded by Kenshin from the anime Rurouni Kenshin. The sword is designed in a way that it does not kill. The katana Sakabato was designed for Kenshin so that he can atone for his sins of the past. Moreover, he aimed to aid people from his sword, Sakabato. This anime sword was designed to accommodate the peach of the Meiji era, and the promise Kenshin made to never take another human life. However, when needed, Kenshin is able to use the Sakabato to kill with his unique skills.
Wado Ichimonji – One Piece
The Wado Ichimonji is a sword featured in the anime One Piece, honestly a really long anime series! Wado Ichmonji means “straight road of harmony” and the sword is wielded by Zoro Roronoa. The blade of this sword is called the suguha (straight blade). Zoro uses the sword by putting the blade in his mouth. Certainly, a unique way to wield a sword!
Sword of Kusanagi – Naruto
The chokutō, a straight, single-edged, Japanese sword, used by Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto was called the Sword of Kusanagi. The sword had a black sheath and a matching hilt. The difference is in the size, the Kusanagi is longer than normal chokutō, which enables it to cut through almost anything. The Kusanagi was used by Sasuke during his battle with Madara Uchiha and was later destroyed when he fought with Kaguya Ōtsutsuk, alongside Naruto, in a different dimension. It is even seen that Sasuke later replace the Kusanagi with some other sword.
Ragnarok – Soul Eater
Ragnarok is no ordinary sword. The sword Ragnarok is used by Crona in Soul Eater, and the sword is a living being. Crona uses her black blood that enables the sword to be created and the blade is given powers, imparting the blade with speed and frequency that helps the blade to attack effectively. This anime sword houses a unique design, the hilt of the sword has spikes projecting out. Moreover, you can see lips on the spikes that emit the frequency waves.
Dragon Slayer – Berserk
The Dragon Slayer is a sword from the anime Berserk. This anime sword is the true definition of wiping out soldiers and demons alike. The sword, Dragon Slayer, is too big, long, thick and heavy that it is more of an iron slab than a blade. The design of the Dragon Slayer is quite primitive. Those are quite a lot of anime swords, no? Man, we had a difficult time compiling them. Hopefully, for the otakus out there, this was fun, and if you aren’t into anime and manga yet, you will be. Because such a variety of swords and action widely available can only be found in these anime. Like it’s been said so many times, anime is not for kids! Anime isn’t your normal happy-go-lucky kind of cartoons! Enjoy the thrill of these anime swords by watching them in action yourself. And be sure that there are several more out there than what we have described!
