History Main / BlackSwordsAreBetter

** Tensa Zangetsu, Bankai form of Ichigo's Zanpakutou is an entirely black tachi with a manji-shaped hilt. [[spoiler:His true Zanpakutou is completely white in Asauchi form but in Shikai becomes two jet black swords.]]

* ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'': The two swords, Anguirel and Anglachel were made by Eöl the Dark Elf. These swords were made of meteoric iron, which is not naturally black in real life. While Anguirel was wielded by Eöl, and later his son Maeglin, Anglachel was gifted to Thingol as payment for his home in Nan Elmoth, who in turn gave it to Bereg. Melian, wife of Thingol, could sense malice in Anglachel, and it was known for its blood-thirsty habit of drinking the blood of its victims. Whenever Bereg unsheathed it, it sang with gladness and possessed some level of sentience. Anglachel was later renamed Gurthang, and its blackness was reaffirmed in ''Literature/TheBookOfLostTales''

* The two swords, Anguirel and Anglachel (later renamed as Gurthang), made by Eöl the Dark Elf, in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''. These swords were made of meteoric iron, which is not naturally black, and ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' predates the popular concept of "meteoric iron is naturally black", so they must be blued. Confirmed by an early version of Gurthang in ''Literature/TheBookOfLostTales'' -- it is black on the flat, with shiny edges. This, however, may be the origin of the black meteoric iron misconception.

* In ''VideoGame/MarySkelterNightmares'' and it's sequel, both Alice and Otsuu have black and pink swords, on top of Alice's being [[BFS freaking gigantic]]. Then again, the weapons of the other Blood Maidens also have the same color scheme, so in this case, it's ''Any'' Black Weapons Are Better, not just swords.

* In ''VideoGame/Fallout1'' and ''VideoGame/Fallout2'', various Envclave R&D projects had created stronger [[PoweredArmor Power Armor]] for their troops such as the Advanced Power Armor Mk. I & II [[note]]The mk I version returns as the Remnant Armor in New Vegas [[/note]], and Frank Horrigan's Power Armor. ''Fallout 3'' has the the Tesla Armor and later the Elite Hellfire Armor in ''Broken Steel''.

* In ''In/{{Fallout}}'' and ''VideoGame/Fallout2'', various Envclave R&D projects had created stronger [[PoweredArmor Power Armor]] for their troops such as the Advanced Power Armor Mk. I & II [[note]]The mk I version returns as the Remnant Armor in New Vegas [[/note]], and Frank Horrigan's Power Armor. ''Fallout 3'' has the the Tesla Armor and later the Elite Hellfire Armor in ''Broken Steel''.

* ''Manga/JoujuuSenjinMushibugyou'': when the leader of the Bugmen [[spoiler: UsefulNotes/SanadaYukimura]] decides to test his sword skill against his opponent's newly-powered up vibrating giant sword, he condenses his black butterfly scales into a single pitch-black katana he calls "Masamune". [[spoiler: In a single slash, he cuts the giant sword in half and severely wounds Mugai, the wielder.]]

* In ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'', Sharrkan's sword is pictured as this, and so is his brother's scimitar. Alibaba's dagger turns into one when he transform it into the [[FlamingSword Sword of Amon]], which can cut through anything. Finally, the Black Binding Mist Sword used by Cassim is the most powerful of the Mist Swords appeared [[spoiler: and allows him to go OneWingedAngel]].

* In ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}'', the Devil King Sword is black colored with white edges. [[spoiler: During the final battle on the back of Yamata no Orochi it becomes a black LaserBlade.]]

* ''Literature/WayOfTheTiger'' has [[LivingWeapon Sorcerak]], a large black sword which can cut through anything, move on its own to attack from afar and, most notably, [[AntiMagic nullify all spells and magic around it]], making even TheArchmage defenseless against it. [[spoiler: It's also a demon in the form of a sword, and so much better, as a matter of fact, that its wielder must be worthy of its power, or will suffer for his arrogance.]]

* ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' has the Onyx Blade, which only the main character, Revya, is able to wield. [[spoiler: It contains the soul of Master of Death, Gig.... and it once belonged to Median the Conqueror.]]

* A steel cutting tool (such as a knife or machine tool head) with a layer of Titanium Carbonitride deposited upon it will have a glossy, very dark gray finish. It'll also hold its edge longer and much more resistant to corrosion and wear as a bonus.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': SCP-076-2 can summon bladed weapons made of a mysterious non-reflective black material.

* In ''Manga/{{Fairy Tail}}'', Erza uses a black sword in her Purgatory Armor.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has two black swords so far: [[{{BFS}} Kokutou Yoru]], the strongest sword in the world, owned by the strongest MasterSwordsman Mihawk. The other one is [[KatanasAreJustBetter Shusui]], a long katana with an elaborate black blade formerly owned by Zoro. Is listed as one of the strongest swords in the world, and Zoro even stated that it wouldn't bend even if a dinosaur stepped on it. Mihawk also demonstrates to Zoro that, by using Haki (spiritual willpower), any weapon can be made black and greatly stronger. The story implies that swords imbued with Haki can become Kokutous permanently.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'': [[spoiler: Dante's iconic sword Rebellion is destroyed by the BigBad Urizen. After finally realizing the true nature of his sword, Dante stabs himself with its remains unlocking the most powerful stage of his [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]], a.k.a. '''Sin''' Devil Trigger, and gaining a new sword made of a substance resembling hardened lava, called Devil Sword Dante.]]

* The sharpest manufacturable blades are made of obsidian, which is a black vocanic glass (it has an entry under AbsurdlySharpBlade). Obsidian saw more use as arrowheads and knives than swords, and currently is often used to make surgical scalpels for when an incredibly clean cut is required.
* A steel cutting tool (such as a knife or machine tool head) with a layer of Titanium Carbonitride deposited upon it will have a glossy, very dark gray finish. It'll also hold its edge longer and much more resistant to corrosion and wear by way of a bonus.

A {{Fantasy}} trope, but can show up in other genres as well. Want to show that some kind of sword is {{cool|Sword}}, powerful, [[ArtifactOfDeath deadly]], etc? Make this sword black. It can be simply [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluing_(steel) blued]], but sometimes it is made of some fantasy metal which is naturally black. [[ThunderboltIron Meteoric iron]] is often misrepresented as a naturally black metal. (It actually doesn't look all that different from terrestrial iron, once forged and worked).

** And in Mother's Rosario [[RedBaron Zekken]][[note]]A moniker earned from a 67 duel win streak[[/note]], the only person to defeat him, has a black sword. Kirito also says that Zekken would have gotten the DualWielding[[note]]Given to the player with the highest reaction speed[[/note]] sword skill were she in SAO.

* The first UsefulNotes/{{Muramasa}} sword in ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'' comics. Like the Ebony Blade, anyone else than the one born to wield it would have uncontrollable bloodlust.

* Din Djarin continues to use the Darksaber when he appears in ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'', although it shows that it has quite a bit of differences to a standard lightsaber. Namely that it's hilt is made from beskar (so trying to destroy it with a lightsaber strike is of the books) and actually has some weight to it's blade. With Din having trouble wielding it effectively (even hurting himself with it), the Armor explains that it can't be wielded with physical strength alone, he will only get better if he learns to work with the blade. [[spoiler:The burly Paz Visla/Vizla even has trouble lifting the damn thing properly in his duel against Din, showing that he arguably has the same problem but in a worse degree]].

** There's also the ninth-level Arcane spell, [[http://dndtools.eu/spells/magic-of-faerun--20/black-blade-of-disaster--1605/ Black Blade of Disaster]]. It bypasses magic barriers, attacks on its own, and disintegrates anything it crits. ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' only, sorry.

** And then there is the [[http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Dominion_sword Dominion sword]].

* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', cold iron weapons are especially effective against demons. In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', they're black; examples include [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0409.html Hinjo's awesome katana]].

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': The Darksaber, a unique black-bladed lightsaber introduced in ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'' and also makes an appearance in ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Rebels]]'', is actually a subversion, despite providing the page image. It was made by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi, and while it looks very cool and has a lot of cultural significance, it ultimately works no differently than any other lightsaber [[note]](the only notable differences are that it's hilt is made of beskar and it appears to be an EmpathicWeapon as while it has some weight compared to the usual lightsaber it's weight can differ greatly depending on the mental state of the user)[[/note]]

** In ''Rebels'', it comes into the possession of fellow Mandalorian Sabine Wren, who unlike Vizsla is a good guy. She gets some training in how to use it from a Jedi, and then actively avoids actually using it in combat as anything but a symbol. In fact, in the situation shown in the page image, Kanan is deliberately letting her win a training bout to make a point about committing to learning how to use the weapon. It later returns to the hands of Bo-Katan, who wields it as the true leader of Mandalore...[[spoiler: until ''Series/TheMandalorian'', when Moff Gideon destroys the planet, wipes out its populace, and steals the weapon from her]].

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel Damascus steel]], while not black, is ''much'' darker than normal steel, and thanks to unique impurities in the metal is also far stronger than any other form of steel humans were capable of making up until the industrial era.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has an unusual example in that it's black ARMOR that's better. The Veteran Ranger Combat Armor, 200 year old riot gear that serves as the main armor for the NCR Veteran Rangers and also called [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the black armor]], is the game's iconic armor, appearing in nearly all promotional materials. The fact that it has the highest defense of nearly every armor short of PoweredArmor reinforces this. This is taken UpToEleven in Lonesome Road, which has the [[AceCustom Advanced and Elite Riot Gears]] that provide special effects alongside the high defense.

* In ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'', Mistborn don't use metal knives because of their enemies' SelectiveMagnetism powers. Instead, they favor knives of obsidian.

* Many blades designed for modern military use or survival are painted black or blued so they don't give away their owner's position by reflecting light. The bluing also prevents rust.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has two black swords so far: [[{{BFS}} Kokutou Yoru]], the strongest sword in the world, owned by the strongest MasterSwordsman Mihawk. The other one is [[KatanasAreJustBetter Shusui]], a long katana with an elaborate black blade currently owned by Zoro. Is listed as one of the strongest swords in the world, and Zoro even stated that it wouldn't bend even if a dinosaur stepped on it. Mihawk also demonstrates to Zoro that, by using Haki (spiritual willpower), any weapon can be made black and greatly stronger. The story implies that swords imbued with Haki can become Kokutous permanently.

* The Darksaber makes it's live-action debut in ''Series/TheMandalorian'' despite it's unique look, is stated by Moff Gideon to be more or less a typical lightsaber in terms of its abilities. However, the myth and legends associated with the Darksaber, and it's association with the Visla/Vizla lineage, makes it a symbol of Mandalorian rulership. [[spoiler:Din Djarin (the titular Mandaorian) becomes the new owner of the Darksaber after defeating Gideon in a one-on-one battle.]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': The Darksaber, a unique black-bladed lightsaber introduced in ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'' and also makes an appearance in ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Rebels]]'', is actually a subversion, despite providing the page image. It was made by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi, and while it looks very cool and has a lot of cultural significance, it ultimately works no differently than any other lightsaber [[note]](the only notable differences are that it's hilt is made of beskar and it appears to be an EmpatheticWeapon as while it has some weight compared to the usual lightsaber it's weight can differ greatly depending on the mental state of the user)[[/note]]

A {{Fantasy}} trope, but can show up in other genres as well. Want to show that some kind of sword is {{cool|Sword}}, powerful, [[ArtifactOfDeath deadly]], etc? Make this sword black. It can be simply [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluing_(steel) blued]], but sometimes it is made of some fantasy metal which is naturally black. [[ThunderboltIron Meteoric iron]] is often misrepresented as a naturally black metal. (It actually doesn't look all that different from terrestrial iron, once forged and worked.)

* In ''Series/TheMandalorian'', the Darksaber, despite it's unique look, is stated by Moff Gideon to be more or less a typical lightsaber in terms of its abilities. However, the myth and legends associated with the Darksaber, and it's association with the Visla/Vizla lineage, makes it a symbol of Mandalorian rulership.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': The Darksaber, a unique black-bladed lightsaber from ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Rebels]]'', is actually a subversion, despite providing the page image. It was made by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi, and while it looks very cool and has a lot of cultural significance, it ultimately works no differently than any other lightsaber.

* In most of the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' gamebooks, black swords are usually evil weapons employed by the villains, such as [[Literature/TempleOfTerror Malbordus (which may paralyze you in three hits, like a ghoul's claw)]] or [[Literature/SwordOfTheSamurai Ikiru (may one-hit kill you]], though sometimes the player gets to use one, such as in ''Literature/LegendOfZagor'' as the InfinityPlusOneSword for Braxus.

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* Subverted InUniverse in ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba''. Demon Slayers' swords take their color depending on the slayer who owns them. Tanjiro's black blade seems to be an oddity, and an ill omen of sorts - no slayer with a black blade ever became a Hashira. However, it's later revealed that Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who was an incredibly powerful Demon Slayer who created the Sun Breathing, the first and strongest Breathing Style, had a black blade like Tanjiro does. But unlike all normal demon slayers who permanently enhance the color of their blades due their Breathing affinity when they touch it for the first time, Yoriichi could make his black blade turn red at will when he engaged in battle, showcasing his proficiency in Sun Breathing.

* The two swords, Anguirel and Anglachel (later renamed as Gurthang), made by Eöl the Dark Elf, in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''. These swords were made of meteoric iron, which is not naturally black, and ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' predates the popular concept of "meteoric iron is naturally black", so they must be blued. Confirmed by an early version of Gurthang in ''Literature/TheBookOfLostTales''--it is black on the flat, with shiny edges. This, however, may be the origin of the black meteoric iron misconception.

* Nightblood of ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'' is a black sentient [[TalkingWeapon telepathic]] sword that suggests killing just about everybody. Also it can compel just about anybody to kill their companions and themselves; its most common use is being thrown into groups of enemies who end up killing each other off. Ironically it was actually created to destroy evil. [[spoiler:Eventually, it is [[Literature/WordsOfRadiance removed]] to [[Literature/TheStormlightArchive Roshar]] and is given to the hands of [[NeverMyFault Szeth]]-[[ProfessionalKiller son]]-[[PsychoForHire son]]- Vallano.]] This behavior was intended to both find and remove evil in the absence of proper knowledge about evil - anyone who picks up the sword and thinks of using it for "evil" purposes (ranging from using it to stab people to selling it to the highest bidder) will quickly fall prey to the homicidal effects; anyone else just gets nauseous. Nightblood's creators commanded it to 'destroy evil', but forgot that a sword, even a living one, has no conception of what evil ''is''.

* During the season 2.5 finale of ''Series/{{Nikita}}'', Alex buys a combat knife with a black blade. Quite {{justified|Trope}}: see RealLife, below.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has [[PoweredByAForsakenChild soulsteel]] - a pitch black metal made from the tortured, still-aware, souls of humans that can drain a persons essence and willpower away when used as a weapon. While not necessarily better than the other magic materials, it's still better than normal metals. Characters could also acquire weapons made from 'Black Jade', which gave good bonuses to defensive stats. One such weapon was a dagger called ''Black Depths Foretold'', which was fated to kill a powerful God...despite various attempts to [[YouCantFightFate throw it away]].

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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darksaber.png]]]]

* In ''Series/TheMandalorian'', the Darksaber, despite it's unique look, is stated by Moff Gideon to be more or less a typical lightsaber in terms of its abilities. However, the myth and legends associated with the Darksaber, and it's association with the Visla/Vizla lineage, makes it a symbol of Mandalorian rulership.

* In ''VideoGame/UltimaUnderworld'' 1 and 2, the best type of sword is a black sword. Likely a callback to ''The'' Black Sword from ''VideoGame/UltimaVII''.
* When you finally assemble the Nobitsura Kage in ''[[VideoGame/ShadowWarrior2013 Shadow Warrior]]'', the weapon looks like the blade was forged from obsidian with lava-cracks running through it. It's the most powerful weapon you get ([[EleventhHourSuperpower though you only get to play around with it at the very end of the game]]) and fires off {{Sword Beam}}s that cut through the crowds of enemies running at you, and has a high rate of fire. It's also the only thing that will kill an Ancient, since the Ancients are otherwise immortal.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', the BigBad, Ghirahim, has a black rapier (and later, two) in the second phase of each fight against him. [[spoiler:Turns out that Ghirahim himself ''[[EquippableAlly is]]'' a sword, belonging to Demise, which resembles a black and bulkier version of the Master Sword]].
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', the Royal Guard weapons are blacked-out {{Palette Swap}}s of the gilded Royal weapons, and have the highest raw damage stats in the game. However, [[AwesomeButImpractical they break easily]], and they tend to only be found in Hyrule Castle.

* ''VideoGame/RuneScape''
** Black swords are a weapon category, above steel and below mithril, uncraftable.
** There's also Darklight, which was created when the sword Silverlight was coated in ichor while destroying the demon Agrith-Naar. It is stronger than the original Silverlight and is extra effective at killing demons.
** And then there is the [[http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Dominion_sword Dominion sword]].

* The InfinityPlusOneSword in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateDarkAlliance'' is jet black.
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIIShadowsOfAmn'' gives us Blackrazor, a +3 longsword that grants +3 to hit, regeneration, immunity to charm and fear magic, and a 15% chance to drain 4 levels from an enemy and provide additional healing and strength to its wielder, and its description refers to it as being a powerful black blade forged of the darkest iron. [[TooAwesomeToUse Sounds amazing, right]]? Problem is, it falls in the category of {{Awesome But Impractical}} due to the fact that it comes at the very end of the game during the five trials of Bhaal, during the Greed Trial, and keeping it is considered the evil path. Not important if you a) have the DLC installed and/or b) your character is some form of Evil alignment anyway, but otherwise most players won't really get a chance to use it at all.

* Black Knight weaponry from ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', unlike other bladed weapons, is colored jet black. There is a reason for this though, as the lore says Black Knights were charred by a highly powerful magical flame such that they were burnt to ashes and their armor and their weapons went black from the heat. As for their power, the weapons (large sword, great sword, great axe, and great halberd) were not even originally meant to kill man, but gigantic Demons. Saying that they are powerful is an underestimation at best.
** The Cursed Greatsword of Artorias is a decent greatsword that is one of the few weapons that can permanently kill ghosts.
* Black Knight weapons return in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', though they seem to be a bit rusted due to age. Despite that, they are still very powerful weapons. The Crypt Blacksword, crafted from [[spoiler:the Soul of the Old Dead One dropped by The Rotten on NewGamePlus which is heavily implied to be the soul of Gravelord Nito]], is a jet-black {{BFS}} that is potentially one of the most powerful weapons in the game.
* In ''VideoGame/INinja'', the player regularly receives upgraded swords whose colors correspond to karate kyu and dan. In order of increasing superiority, the swords are colored white, yellow, green, blue, red, black.
* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has an unusual example in that it's black ARMOR that's better. The Veteran Ranger Combat Armor, 200 year old riot gear that serves as the main armor for the NCR Veteran Rangers and also called [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the black armor]], is the game's iconic armor, appearing in nearly all promotional materials. The fact that it has the highest defense of nearly every armor short of PoweredArmor reinforces this. This is taken UpToEleven in Lonesome Road, which has the [[AceCustom Advanced and Elite Riot Gears]] that provide special effects alongside the high defense.
** In the same theme, the strongest PoweredArmor is the black colored Enclave Armor.
* In ''Fallout'' and ''Fallout 2'', various Envclave R&D projects had created stronger [[PoweredArmor Power Armor]] for their troops such as the Advanced Power Armor Mk. I & II [[note]]The mk I version returns as the Remnant Armor in New Vegas [[/note]], and Frank Horrigan's Power Armor. ''Fallout 3'' has the the Tesla Armor and later the Elite Hellfire Armor in ''Broken Steel''.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'': The shiny coloration for the possessed sword Aegislash is black and red.
* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series has seen the Dark Knight class in various entries, which can arm Dark Swords. In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'', the Dark Sword is the only weapon that can permanently kill otherwise regenerating enemies.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' gives Cecil a black sword called the Deathbringer for his final weapon as a Dark Knight. Not only is it black, it has a chance to cause instant death on whatever it hits.

* In ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'', the InfinityMinusOneSword of the Swords category, the Night Emperor, is black with white trim.
* When sufficiently upgraded, Corvo's balisong sword in ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'' becomes black.

* ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' has the Onyx Blade, which only the main character, Revya, is able to wield. [[spoiler: It contains the soul of Master of Death, Gig.... and it once belonged to Median the Conqueror.]]

* In ''VideoGame/NuclearThrone'', by leaving Chicken's starting weapon (the Chicken Sword) in area 1-1 and then looping the game, the aptly named [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Black Sword]] will spawn near you. This weapon swings faster than most other melee weapons in the game, and while it doesn't have too much base damage (12 per hit), it has the ability to deal ''80 damage per hit''... [[DesperationAttack if Chicken is headless.]]
* In ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'', the Tal'mahe'Ra Blade is a black {{katana|sAreJustBetter}} forged in a ghost-city of TheUnderworld by an ancient vampire cult; it deals [[WoundThatWillNotHeal aggravated damage]] which, like [[KillItWithFire fire]] and [[WeakenedByTheLight sunlight]], cuts through vampires' defenses and interferes with their HealingFactor.

* In ''VideoGame/MarySkelterNightmares'' and it's sequel, both Alice and Otsuu have black and pink swords, on top of Alice's being [[BFS freaking gigantic]]. Then again, the weapons of the other Blood Maidens also have the same color scheme, so in this case, it's ''Any'' Black Weapons Are Better, not just swords.
* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'': [[spoiler: Dante's iconic sword Rebellion is destroyed by the BigBad Urizen. After finally realizing the true nature of his sword, Dante stabs himself with its remains unlocking the most powerful stage of his [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]], a.k.a. '''Sin''' Devil Trigger, and gaining a new sword made of a substance resembling hardened lava, called Devil Sword Dante.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DontStarve'', the Dark Sword is the most durable and powerful weapon in the game. It's made primarily of Nightmare Fuel, a powerful resource in a game that practically runs on YourMindMakesItReal.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', Netherite, a [[{{Unobtanium}} super-rare]] black alloy that the player can forge, creates the most powerful and durable tools, weapons, and armor that the player can make use of when superimposed on a diamond item. So, not only are black swords better, black armor, black axes, black pickaxes, black shovels, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking black hoes]] are better as well.

* Played with in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. In the ''Heaven's Feel'' route, [[spoiler:Saber turns evil due to TheCorruption that's been attacking the Servants, and to match her new "Saber Alter" state her golden sword Excalibur turns black. While the sword itself, named ''Excalibur Morgan'' in ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'', is not inherently stronger than the original Excalibur, it ''is'' far deadlier, if only because Saber Alter is now receiving infinite mana from the corruption, and can thus use her sword's devastating SwordBeam function almost infinitely (beforehand, the SwordBeam used by the good Saber had to be used with restraint due to its high mana consumption and Shirou's low mana reserves).]]

* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', cold iron weapons are especially effective against demons. In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', they're black; examples include [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0409.html Hinjo's awesome katana]].

* Manga/{{Naruto}} has a variation; unremarkable black ''kunai'' knives are very commonly used by ninjas due to [[BoringButPractical their versatility, ease of use, and disposable nature.]]
* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has two black swords so far: [[{{BFS}} Kokutou Yoru]], the strongest sword in the world, owned by the strongest MasterSwordsman Mihawk. The other one is [[KatanasAreJustBetter Shusui]], a long katana with an elaborate black blade currently owned by Zoro. Is listed as one of the strongest swords in the world, and Zoro even stated that it wouldn't bend even if a dinosaur stepped on it. Mihawk also demonstrates to Zoro that, by using Haki (spiritual willpower), any weapon can be made black and greatly stronger. The story implies that swords imbued with Haki can become Kokutous permanently.
* Guts of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' fame wouldn't be the Black Swordsman without that [[{{BFS}} huge sheet of black blade]] that he calls the Dragonslayer.
* ''Manga/SamuraiDeeperKyo'' has the Shibien, one of the four swords crafted by Muramasa. It apparently absorbed too much blood and turned black as a result.

* ''Manga/SoulEater''
** Masamune ''is'' [[EquippableAlly one]] and after Tsubaki defeats him she gains this ability as well. Slightly subverted when Tsubaki, during hers and Black★Star's battle against Masamune, claims that now that's black the blade has lost some of its original beauty.
** Also Ragnarok, being entirely made of "black blood". Since he's the Demon Sword, he's one of the most powerful weapons in the series.
* ''Franchise/BlackRockShooter'' wields the ''black blade'' (the ''★rock shooter'' part of her name is for her [[{{Handcannon}} gun]]).
* In ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}'', the Devil King Sword is black colored with white edges. [[spoiler: During the final battle on the back of Yamata no Orochi it becomes a black LaserBlade.]]

* In Mashima's previous work ''Manga/RaveMaster'', the EvilCounterpart sword Decalogus is mostly black in all his forms. Then there's the TMC's ninth form, Sacrifar, a pitch black jagged scimitar that bestows a great power to the user, but also merge with his arm and turn him into a psychotic, restless berserker. Last but not least, [[DarkIsEvil Doryuu's]] swords are both darkness-related and mostly black.
* In ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', Elucidator, one of Kirito's two swords, is pitch black. In ALO, his sword is also black. In GGO, his sword is '''still''' black (though his LaserBlade is [[PurpleIsPowerful purple]]). And go on, guess what color his sword in Underworld is going to be. There's a reason he's called the Black Swordsman in that series, and it's not just that he favors wearing a black coat.
** Worth mentioning that, as mentioned in the DualWielding example, in SAO his second sword is white...though only in the original light novel. In the anime adaptation, his second sword is instead blue.
** And in Mother's Rosario [[RedBaron Zekken]][[note]]A moniker earned from a 67 duel win streak[[/note]], the only person to defeat him, has a black sword. Kirito also says that Zekken would have gotten the DualWielding[[note]]Given to the player with the highest reaction speed[[/note]] sword skill were she in SAO.
* In ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'', Sharrkan's sword is pictured as this, and so is his brother's scimitar. Alibaba's dagger turns into one when he transform it into the [[FlamingSword Sword of Amon]], which can cut through anything. Finally, the Black Binding Mist Sword used by Cassim is the most powerful of the Mist Swords appeared [[spoiler: and allows him to go OneWingedAngel]].
* In ''LightNovel/{{Campione}}'', Ena Seishuin's legendary sword Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi is black.

* In ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'', Hestia gets down on her hands and knees to beg Hephaestus for a weapon to give Bell to keep up with his inflated growth rate. The result is the Hestia Knife, a black knife that responds to Bell's Falna and is thus only valuable when wielded by him. Its strength will constantly grow along with his, making it even sharper and more powerful the higher his stats go. Once he reaches the pinnacle of adventurers, the Hestia Knife will reach the pinnacle of weapons. As a weapon personally designed and forged by Hephaestus herself and infused with the blood and hair of Hestia, it's a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
* In ''LightNovel/ChivalryOfAFailedKnight'', Ikki Kurogane's Device takes the form of a black katana called Intetsu.
* Ayato Amagiri from ''LightNovel/TheAsteriskWar'' wields the purple-black blade, Ser Veresta which was previously owned by his elder half-sister [[spoiler:Haruka Amagiri.]] He has an astounding 97% compatability rate with it.
* In ''LightNovel/AestheticaOfARogueHero'', Akatsuki Ousawa wields the giant sword Laevateinn which is colored black. It requires seven AD's to generate, unlike just one for everyone else. [[spoiler:By putting on eight AD's, the sword becomes bigger, sharper, and gains a massive axe-like blade head on top of it.]]
* In ''LightNovel/BladedanceOfElementalers'', Kamito Kazehaya's previous contracted spirit, Restia transforms into a jet-black demon sword known as Vorpal Sword in her elemental waffe form.
* Lux Arcadia from ''LightNovel/UndefeatedBahamutChronicle'' has the Black Divine Drag-Ride Bahamut which is color black when in sword form. It was originally owned by his elder half-brother [[spoiler:Fugil, who can still access Bahamut's power due to the special armament of his true Drag-Ride, Ouroboros.]]
* Kanata Age in ''LightNovel/SkyWizardsAcademy'' was formerly known as the Black Master Swordsman. He wields the black magic cannon sword Gladius as his main weapon of choice. It can shoot powerful laser beams by consuming his magic power.
* In ''[[Manga/RurouniKenshin Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc]]'', five years after the events of the Kyoto Arc, the Mugenjin now sports a charred, blackened appearance after surviving the fires of Shishio and his headquarters burning to the ground.

* ''Manga/BlackClover'': Asta's swords are black and through them he can use AntiMagic to cut through spells and dispel magic. It's later revealed that, when wielded by their original owner Licht, the swords were an almost white color, but turn black and rusted-looking when covered in Anti-Magic. [[spoiler:The same thing happens when he infuses Yami's katana with anti-magic.]]
* Subverted InUniverse in ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba''. Demon Slayers' swords take their color depending on the slayer who owns them. Tanjiro's black blade seems to be an oddity, and an ill omen of sorts - no slayer with a black blade ever became a Hashira. However, it's later revealed that Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who was an incredibly powerful Demon Slayer who created the Sun Breathing, the first and strongest Breathing Style, had a black blade like Tanjiro does. But unlike all normal demon slayers who permanently enhance the color of their blades due their Breathing affinity when they touch it for the first time, Yoriichi could make his black blade turn red at will when he engaged in battle, showcasing his proficiency in Sun Breathing.

* The Black Knight's Ebony Blade from Creator/MarvelComics. Another example of ThunderboltIron. It can cut through or deflect anything, including magical and technological field and rays, but due to being tainted by its use to shed blood in various wars over the centuries, it can fill its wielder with an uncontrollable bloodlust if he or she sheds blood while using it (the effect is less pronounced if it involves defense of self or others, and extreme if the victim is innocent).

* ''ComicBook/BlackMoonChronicles'': When Wismerhill becomes the commander-in-chief of the armies of the Black Moon and one of the Lords of Negation, his master Haazheel Thorn gifts him with a black sword forged out of steel from the land of the dead.

* ''Literature/LoneWolf'': The Drakkarim and other Darklord soldiers use weapons with black blades, made of [[FantasyMetals Kagonite]]. The most dangerous of them all are of course the Darklord swords like Kraagenskûl's Helshezag or Gnaag's Nadazgada, though they still pale before the Sommerswerd. Wolf's Bane wields a black version of the Sommerswerd that burns with black flames, as well as the God-King of the Drakkarim you encounter in book 20.

* The two swords, Anguirel and Anglachel (later renamed as Gurthang), made by Eöl the Dark Elf, in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''. These swords were made of meteoric iron, which is not naturally black, and ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' predates the popular concept of "meteoric iron is naturally black", so they must be blued. Confirmed by an early version of Gurthang in ''Literature/TheBookOfLostTales''--it is black on the flat, with shiny edges. This, however, may be the origin of the black meteoric iron misconception.
* Creator/MichaelMoorcock:
** ''Literature/TheElricSaga'': In the Elric of Melniboné series of novels, the two demonic runeblades, Mournblade and Stormbringer, the latter of which becomes Elric's iconic weapon, are black. This one is so iconic that it inspired three heavy rock songs -- Music/BlueOysterCult's "Black Blade", Music/DeepPurple's "Stormbringer" and Music/{{Hawkwind}}'s "Chronicles of the Black Sword."[[note]]In this case not just a single song -- a whole multi-media stage performance and a concept LP[[/note]] If it were merely grey, would it have got this attention?
** Though Stormbringer is most famous, in Moorcock's mythology of the Eternal Champion, it is but an incarnation of a multiversal entity that is used and uses the Eternal Champion in many incarnations, an entity that is outright called the Black Sword. The Black Sword also manifests in its purest form when the Champion incarnates as Urlik Skarsol.

* Creator/LloydAlexander's ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain''. The black sword Dyrnwyn is extremely powerful. It was used to kill not only all of the Cauldron Born but the Big Bad Arawn himself. It was originally a beautiful shiny sword until its wielder slew an innocent shepherd with it. The shepherd's blood stained the blade, turning it black.
* Nightblood of ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'' is a black sentient [[TalkingWeapon telepathic]] sword that suggests killing just about everybody. Also it can compel just about anybody to kill their companions and themselves; its most common use is being thrown into groups of enemies who end up killing each other off. Ironically it was actually created to destroy evil. [[spoiler:Eventually, it is [[Literature/WordsOfRadiance removed]] to [[Literature/TheStormlightArchive Roshar]] and is given to the hands of [[NeverMyFault Szeth]]-[[ProfessionalKiller son]]-[[PsychoForHire son]]- Vallano.]] This behavior was intended to both find and remove evil in the absence of proper knowledge about evil - anyone who picks up the sword and thinks of using it for "evil" purposes (ranging from using it to stab people to selling it to the highest bidder) will quickly fall prey to the homicidal effects; anyone else just gets nauseous. Nightblood's creators commanded it to 'destroy evil', but forgot that a sword, even a living one, has no conception of what evil ''is''.
* One of the three magical swords of ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn'' is black (Thorn). Another is silver and the third a dull, somewhat mottled grey.
* The Morganti weapons in ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'' are black blades that [[SoulCuttingBlade eat the souls]] of their victims. Foremost among them are the seventeen Great Weapons, which are [[EmpathicWeapon self-aware]], have unique properties, and are powerful enough to kill the Gods. Merely unsheathing the Great Weapon Blackwand can make a battalion break and flee: the sword is even more of a BloodKnight than its wielder.

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** Valyrian steel is described as having a dark, swirling, smokey appearance. Weapons made from it are sharper, stronger and lighter than traditionally-made steel. Since it's of such high quality and nobody knows how to make it anymore, weapons made from it are extraordinarily valuable and typically owned only by wealthy nobles.
** Inverted, however, with Dawn, the ancestral sword of house Dayne forged from ThunderboltIron. It's described as ''milky white'' in color, and yet is at least as good as a Valyrian steel sword.
* Nico from ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' has a sword made from black Stygian Iron from TheUnderworld. Unlike the other magical metals, Stygian allegedly absorbs the essence of monsters it kills, [[DeaderThanDead preventing them from resurrecting]] and is subsequently [[TheDreaded greatly feared by them all.]]
* The sword Dragnipur in ''Literature/TheMalazanBookOfTheFallen''.
* The Sword of Leah from Creator/TerryBrooks' ''Literature/{{Shannara}}'' series. Once an ordinary sword, it was dipped in the waters of the Hadeshorn by the Druid Allanon, and then infused with a measure of the Druid's own magic. The result is an ink black blade with a liquid sheen, and pools of green swirling through it that devours any magic directed at the user.
* ''Literature/AWizardInRhyme'': Matthew Mantrell wields a black diamond sword, at least for the first two books. Not much mention is made of it later in the series.

* ''Literature/TheRiftwarCycle'': Draken-Korin, BigBad of the original Riftwar quartet carries a black sword to go with his orange-and-black striped armour. Since his title is Lord of Tigers, this makes sense.

* The titular weapons of the ''Literature/BlackBlade'' series, which absorb magic.

* The ''Literature/{{Dragonrealm}}'' series features two, both crafted by Azran Bedlam. The first is the Horned Blade and the second is the Nameless (successor to the Horned Blade after Azran lost it). Both blades have the power to annihilate entire armies of men and dragons. [[spoiler:They're also both examples of a LivingWeapon, as well as an EvilWeapon.]]

** ''Literature/TheElricSaga'': In the Elric of Melniboné series of novels, the two demonic runeblades, Mournblade and Stormbringer, the latter of which becomes Elric's iconic weapon, are black. This one is so iconic that it inspired three heavy rock songs - Music/BlueOysterCult's "Black Blade", Music/DeepPurple's "Stormbringer" and Music/{{Hawkwind}}'s "Chronicles of the Black Sword."[[note]]In this case not just a single song - a whole multi-media stage performance and a concept LP[[/note]] If it were merely grey, would it have got this attention?

* In Music/SoundHorizon's "Moira", Elefseus uses two triangular black swords. Other characters, such as Sword Boy, also use a black sword. In almost all the cases the sword(s) seems to carry some sort of significance, linking the characters.

* The ''Literature/{{Dragonrealm}}'' series features two, both crafted by Azran Bedlam. The first is the Horned Blade and the second is the Nameless (successor to the Horned Blade after Azran lost it). Both blades have the power to annihilate entire armies of men and dragons.

** In ''Rebels'', it comes into the possession of fellow Mandalorian Sabine Wren, who unlike Vizsla is a good guy. She gets some training in how to use it from a Jedi, and then actively avoids actually using it in combat as anything but a symbol. In fact, in the situation shown in the page image, Kanan is deliberately letting her win a training bout to make a point about committing to learning how to use the weapon. It later returns to the hands of Bo-Katan, who wields it as the true leader of Mandalore...[[spoiler: until ''Series/TheMandalorian'', when Moff Gideon destroys the planet, wipes out its populous, and steals the weapon from her]].