Line #16 Main/MagicalWeapon


1	Humans have been using weapons since before we even became ''Homo sapiens'', and as such they are deeply ingrained into culture and mythology. However, while many have been very effective, few real-world weapons would allow someone to take on an entire army by themselves, slay a monster the size of a skyscraper, or banish a demon from this world forever. To do that, you would need powerful magic or a far more powerful weapon. Or, you could have them both in one convenient package. A Magical Weapon (sometimes called an enchanted weapon) is a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin weapon that has magical properties]], which usually fall into the two basic categories of doing something unusual, or doing normal things really well, though obviously these can coexist.
2
3	Being OlderThanDirt[[note]]The Mesopotamian god Ninurta had a mace named Sharur that could fly and talk.[[/note]] and nigh-Omnipresent in Fantasy and Mythology, there are many possible properties of these weapons, many qualifying as tropes on their own. Common properties and subtropes include:
4
5	[[foldercontrol]]
6
7	[[folder: Having a mind/morality of its own]]
8	* {{Empathic Weapon}}s
9	* [[TalkingWeapon Being able to talk]]
10	* [[LivingWeapon Being actively alive]]
11	* [[EvilWeapon Being evil]]
12	* [[HungryWeapon Being bloodthirsty]]
13	* Being good
14	* [[UnholyHolySword Appearing good but actually being evil]]
15	* [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield Being only usable by a chosen one]]
16	** [[LoyalPhlebotinum Only working for its owner]]
17	* [[WeaponWieldsYou Being able to control the wielder's body]]
18	* [[FlyingWeapon Being able to fight on its own sans wielder]]
19	[[/folder]]
20
21	[[folder: Having elemental/holy/unholy powers ]]
22	* ElementalWeapon
23	** FlamingSword -- may also be technological
24	** ThunderHammer
25	** ThunderDrum
26	** LightningLash -- may also be technological
27	* SacredBowAndArrows
28	* HolyHandGrenade or UnholyNuke, though these are often spells instead of weapons
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder: Being summoned or created instantly]]
32	* [[SummonToHand Coming to your hand when called]]
33	* [[SpontaneousWeaponCreation Being created instantly when needed]]
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder: Having special properties under certain conditions or against certain targets]]
37	* SituationalSword
38	* [[WeaponOfXSlaying Being especially effective against some targets]]
39	* [[ImmortalBreaker Being able to kill immortals]]
40	* [[HolyBurnsEvil Hurting evil creatures]].
41	* [[VillainBeatingArtifact Being the only way to beat a villain]]
42	* [[SetBonus Being more powerful alongside another weapon/ while wearing certain armor]]
43	* [[DesperationAttack Being more powerful the more injure the wielder is]]
44	* [[FullHealthBonus Being more powerful the healthier the wielder is]]
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder: Being a really good normal weapon]]
48	* [[UnbreakableWeapons Being indestructible]]
49	* [[AbsurdlySharpBlade Being able to cut through anything]]
50	* [[AlwaysAccurateAttack Never missing]]
51	* [[ArmorPiercingAttack Penetrating armor]]
52	* [[UnblockableAttack Being impossible to block]]
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder: Cutting things that can't normally be cut]]
56	* CuttingThroughEnergy
57	* [[SoulCuttingBlade Cutting through souls]]
58	* [[DimensionalCutter Cutting through the universe to make portals]]
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder: Protecting its wielder]]
62	* [[AntiMagic Negating Magic, whether offensive or defensive]]
63	* [[LikeCannotCutLike Protecting against other enchanted weapons]]
64	* [[AttackReflector Reflecting attacks (especially magical ones) aimed at its wielder]]
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder: Affecting/channeling the powers of the wielder]]
68	* [[AmplifierArtifact Making the wielder's powers stronger]]
69	* [[PowersViaWeapon Granting the wielder powers they didn't have before]]
70	* [[PowerCrutch Helping the wielder use existing powers]]
71	* [[StatSticks Boosting stats in video games]]
72	* {{Magic Wand}}s and [[MagicStaff Magic Staves]] specifically channel magical powers
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder: Being highly adaptable]]
76	* [[MorphWeapon Changing its shape to suit its wielder's need]]
77	* [[EvolvingWeapon Getting stronger over time]]
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder: Other miscellaneous effects include]]
81	* Firing {{Sword Beam}}s
82	* [[YourSoulIsMine Capturing souls]]
83	* [[LifeDrain Draining health]] or [[ManaDrain mana]].
84	* [[PowerGlows Glowing]]
85	* Functioning as some sort of key
86	* Being [[CursedItem Cursed]]
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder: They are often made of something unusual]]
90	* [[ThunderboltIron Metal from a Meteorite.]]
91	* FantasyMetals such as
92	** {{Mithril}}
93	** {{Hihiirokane}}, which is often associated with fire
94	** {{Orichalcum}}
95	** Adamant/Adamantine/Adamantium
96	** ColdIron is inherently effective against [[TheFairFolk Faeries]] and sometimes [[OurElvesAreDifferent elves]], though it's somewhat less likely to have extra magic applied to it.
97	* [[MadeOfMagic Pure Magic]]
98	* [[MadeOfGood Pure Good]]
99	* PureEnergy
100	** {{Energy Bow}}s can be made of pure energy or just fire energy arrows
101	* [[CrystalWeapon Crystal]]
102	* The body parts of a magical creature
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder: Common Origins include]]
106	* ForgedByTheGods (or Demons, Faeries, etc.) and given to someone as DivineAssistance
107	* Forged by an UltimateBlacksmith (who may be one of the gods) and likely in an UltimateForge, possibly filled with SacredFlames
108	* Being created out of a magical being such as an angel or demon
109	* Being enchanted after its creation by a Wizard/Witch/Magic User
110	* Being cursed by a Wizard/Witch/Magic User
111	* Created using some general form of FunctionalMagic
112	* Being temporarily empowered via a [[SpellBlade short term spell]]
113	* Being crafted by a player character using a [[ItemCrafting Crafting System]]
114	* Having [[RunicMagic Runes carved into it]]
115	* Being [[RandomlyGeneratedLoot randomly generated as part of a loot roll]]
116	* Being put back together after being [[DismantledMacGuffin dismantled]].
117	* Being a combination of two or more previously existing weapons/items
118	* Temporarily created out of PureEnergy.
119	* And occasionally created by SufficientlyAdvancedAliens, in which case it may be SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology that works like magic.
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder: They sometimes but not always require a power source, such as]]
123	* The {{Mana}} of the wielder
124	* A BackgroundMagicField or LeyLine
125	* The [[YourSoulIsMine souls]], [[BloodMagic blood]], or LifeEnergy of its victims, wielder, or sacrifices made to it, especially for evil weapons.
126	* A PowerCrystal (sometimes containing said life force or souls)
127	** A LivingBattery of some sort, possibly trapped inside a PowerCrystal.
128	[[/folder]]
129
130	[[folder: These weapons will also likely be]]
131	* {{Legendary Weapon}}s
132	* {{Ancestral Weapon}}s
133	* [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement Swords of Plot Advancement]] (and also {{Plot Coupon}}s and [[PlotCouponThatDoesSomething Plot Coupons That Do Something]]
134	* {{Infinity Plus One Sword}}s, {{Infinity Minus One Sword}}s , {{Penultimate Weapon}}s, {{Bragging Rights Reward}}s, and/or divided into ColorCodedItemTiers
135	* {{Nemesis Weapon}}s
136	* {{Joke Weapon}}s or {{Lethal Joke Weapon}}s
137	* Swords, as HeroesPreferSwords, and may also be [[BlackSwordsAreBetter Black Swords]]
138	* {{Fantastic Nuke}}s
139	[[/folder]]
140
141	SisterTrope to EnhancedArchaicWeapon, an old weapon enhanced with new technology, though they can overlap if the magic is newer than the original weapon. May involve MagicByAnyOtherName, especially in non-fantasy VideoGames that still want the player to have interesting weapons.
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143	'''Note: As there are many subtropes, examples should either not fit neatly into just one of them, or be a general overview of enchanted weapons in a work. '''
144	----
145	!!Examples
146
147	[[foldercontrol]]
148
149	[[folder: Anime and Manga]]
150	* ''Anime/OutlawStar'': "Caster" is a term that refers to a user of {{mana}}. In antique times of the series timeline, there were magic users as well as special weapons created to shoot magic as if it were bullets (called "Caster shells") that were able to nullify, block and even destroy other magic. In the actual era, these weapons are considered antique and scarce, being few people in the universe who still keep or use them. [[HeroProtagonist Gene Starwind]] and one of the [[SiblingsInCrime MacDougall brothers]] are the only characters who wield them, with Gene using his [[IconicItem Caster Gun]] effectively against the Tao Magic of the [[SpacePirates Kei Pirate Guild]].
151	* ''Literature/{{Gokudo}}'': Gokudo is an AntiHero adventurer who's all but heroic, but then found a [[GenieInABottle djinn]] who helps him to get a magical sword that [[FlamingSword throws fire]] [[SwordBeam as a beam]] and [[LoyalPhlebotinum comes back to him if it disappears]], since the sword makes a bond to him.
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:Card Games]]
155	* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'': [[https://yugioh.fandom.com/wiki/Equip_Spell_Card Equip spell cards]] are magic cards which often take the form of weapons such as swords, axes and guns. They usually serve as attack and defense point boosters but can also have other more useful effects such as allowing a monster to attack more than once, preventing them from being destroyed, or changing control of the equipped monster.
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder: Comic Books]]
159	* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'':
160	** Diana's iconic Lasso of Truth is a mystical weapon with the ability to compel people to tell the truth. It can also extend in length, dispel illusions and undo mind control.
161	** The Wonder Girls, Donna Troy and Cassie Sandsmark, also have magic lassos of their own. Donna's can mind control people while Cassie's summon lightning.
162	** In ''Red Hood and the Outlaws'', Artemis acquires the Bow of Ra, a magical bow created by the god Ra as a gift to the champion of the Bana-Mighdall Amazons.
163	** Other magical weapons wielded by the Wonder family include Diana's Hephaestus Sword which can shave atoms, the Gauntlet of Atlas which can increase a user's strength tenfold and Artemis's massive axe of divine nature called Mistress.
164	[[/folder]]
165
166	[[folder: Fan Works]]
167	* ''Fanfic/{{Metro}}'': Commentary on a stab wound in the first part:
168	--> "I can't see that the epigenetic reactivation, or 'induced burnout' as you called it, helped make the situation much better. I do accept that the treatment may have lowered the risk from whatever toxins or enchantments that could have been on the blade... but still, here we are."
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder: Films -- Live-Action]]
172	* ''Film/Hellboy2004'':
173	** The Spear of Longinus is said to make its wielder invincible, and to have caused Hitler's power to grow tenfold when he acquired it during his rise to power.
174	** In ''Film/HellboyIITheGoldenArmy'' Prince Nuada's spear is a [[TelescopingStaff Telescoping Spear]], and when [[spoiler: Hellboy]] is stabbed with it its tip breaks off and proves almost impossible to remove, moving towards [[spoiler: Hellboy's]] heart every time Abe tries to remove it. The spear also grows a new tip as soon as the old one is removed.
175	* ''Film/HolyFlameOfTheMartialWorld'': There are two swords known as the Holy flames; there's both a yin and a yang variant, which can only be used by a woman and man respectively. Those with qi can tap into the magic power of the weapons, simply launching them at their opponents, shooting lasers, or even using them as a platform to crush their enemies or fly around on if the two wielders are together.
176	[[/folder]]
177
178	[[folder: Literature]]
179	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', being a parody of all things fantasy, features a large number of magical weapons with a wide variety of properties, but perhaps its most interesting case is an inversion: Carrot's sword is so non-magical that it's more real than anything else on the Disc, and thus can cut through almost anything.
180	* ''Literature/TheCosmere'' features a number of these in its various worlds.
181	** Nightblood, which appears in both ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' and ''Literature/TheStormLightArchive'', will instantly vaporize anyone it hits, desires to destroy evil without [[ChaoticGood particular knowing what evil is]], and drains the life of both its victims and its wielder, though it can be fed with [[{{Mana}} Stormlight]] while on Roshar.
182	** The Shardblades of ''[[Literature/TheStormlightArchive Roshar]]'' can be [[SummonToHand Summoned to Hand ]] out of thin air, can cut through any non-living matter instantly, and directly attack the souls of those they are used against, killing anyone they hit in the head or chest, regardless of whether the wound would be lethal for a normal weapon. While normal ones are made from [[spoiler: the souls of dead spren]], radiant spren also possess the power to transform into any necessary shape.
183	** The Honorblades have the same properties of shardblades [[note]] and shardblades were specifically crafted in their imitation[[/note]] except that they also [[PowersViaWeapon grant their wielders radiant powers]]. Both Honorblades and living shardblades can be used as keys to the [[MassTeleportation Oathgates]]
184	* ''Literature/FightingFantasy'': In the main setting, certain types of entity can only be harmed by magical weapons, so you occasionally get "magic swords" which don't have any powers beyond being generically magic. In ''Literature/VaultOfTheVampire'', you could get one as a second best if you were severely lacking in hit points and unwilling to undergo the BloodMagic ritual that got you the SwordOfPlotAdvancement.
185	* ''Literature/HelenAndTroysEpicRoadQuest'':
186	** Magical weapons are so commonplace, the National Questing Bureau does public tours for an entire warehouse full of them.
187	** Troy's sword has supernatural sharpness, if held with both hands with both feet on the ground it protects him from harm, and tapping the blade three times on the ground summons an elemental spirit that obeys one command, but only once a day.
188	** Helen's wand is an "unharnessed battery of magic" that can do anything as long as it neither harms or heals another person.
189	* ''Literature/NjalsSaga'': Gunnar has a magic Halberd that made its wielder invincible. He took it from a pirate who was invincible until the halberd got [[LeftStuckAfterAttack stuck in the boom of the ship.]]
190	* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium''
191	** Elvish swords glow blue, but only in the presence of orcs or goblins.
192	** The swords found in the barrow downs after the Hobbits' imprisonment there in ''Literature/TheFellowshipOfTheRing'' were forged in old Arnor, and seem to have some enchantment which allow Merry to wound the [[TheDragon Witch King of Angmar]] with it and thus allow Eowyn to finish him off.
193	** ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin'': Anglachel/Gurthang was a [[BlackSwordsAreBetter black sword]] made of ThunderboltIron that on top of being abnormally strong and able to resist the potent acid of a dragon's blood also possessed some degree of sentience, enjoying fighting evil, and briefly talked to Turin before his suicide, promising to kill him quickly and drink his blood so that it could forget being used to kill its master Beleg.
194	* ''Literature/VillainsByNecessity'': Truelight is a longsword Prince Fenwick owns which lets off its own light and can also [[EmpathicWeapon sense evil]].
195	* ''Literature/OfFireAndStars'':
196	** Cas is killed with a white arrow which unerringly struck him from a very long distance and is difficult to spot because it has an enchantment on it.
197	** Zumordan weapons also have enchantments that a person with [[ElementalPowers an Affinity]] can sense simply by touching them, and show to others with a specific MagicalGesture.
198	* ''Literature/DaughterOfTheSun'':
199	** Orsina's sword is enchanted to light up when she triggers this with a prayer.
200	** Aelia is seeking the Unbinding Stone, which despite this name is really a dagger which can free her from being trapped in a human body.
201	* ''Literature/TheAfterward'': Kalanthe's hair spike is deadly to anyone but her who touches it because of its magic.
202	* ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles'': The Sword of the Kings is able to aid in casting spells or undo them, along with absording and attracting magic in general.
203	* ''Literature/TalesOfThePack'': The knife that Lexie got from her mother turns out to have several powers. She can tell if a person is a werewolf through looking at their reflection in the blade, make werewolves change forms by cutting them (aside from full-bloods as they don't shift) and keep her from turning on full moons as usual.
204	[[/folder]]
205
206	[[folder: Mythology and Religion]]
207	* Myth/CelticMythology:
208	** Cú Chulainn wielded a spear made out of a sea monster's bone called the Gae Bolg that when thrust into an enemy grew 30 points out of its one point, invariably killing its target and also requiring its wielder to cut it out of their enemies corpse to retrieve it.
209	** Lúin of Celtchar was a lance with a burning head that had to be quenched in a cauldron of blood/venom (depending on the story) or else it would burn straight through its own shaft. If it was thrust at a man, it could kill him without touching him and would kill 9 men when thrown, and was guaranteed to kill a king/royal/chieftain.
210	* Myth/ClassicalMythology:
211	** Zeus's lightning bolts were treated as actual weapons handcrafted by Cyclopes in [[UltimateBlacksmith Hephaestus's]] forge.
212	* Myth/MesopotamianMythology: The Mesopotamian god Ninurta had a mace named Sharur that could fly and talk.
213	* Myth/NorseMythology:
214	** Thor's hammer Mjolnir was the original ThunderHammer, could never miss when thrown, was indestructible, would return to the wielder's hand by itself, and could be shrunk down and worn as a necklace.
215	** Odin's spear Gungnir could never miss when thrown and would pierce any target and never break, though it does not seem to have stopped Fenrir, who killed Odin at Ragnarok.
216	[[/folder]]
217
218	[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
219	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': Ubiquitous in most settings, the most common varieties simply applying a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with such weapons.
220	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'':
221	** While unable to draw on the winds of magic naturally, [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarfs]] can cast spells by enchanting objects with RunicMagic. Common runes burn out after a single use, while "master" runes last indefinitely. With the decline of the dwarf civilization, many powerful runes have become a form of LostTechnology, and runesmiths can dedicate their entire (considerable) lives to reverse-engineering the esoteric rituals involved. Many fabled magic weapons of the human Empire, such as Ghal Maraz and the Runefangs, are powered by dwarf rune magic.
222	** The forces of Chaos are the other prolific wielders of magical weapons, with chaotic weapons either developing magical properties through exposure to magic or simply being formed wholesale in the Realm of Chaos. Daemonsmiths can even bind living daemons into objects, creating especially powerful (and sapient) daemon-weapons for favored champions of the Dark Gods. All of these weapons also exist in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', where they can take the form of [[HauntedTechnology guns, chain-swords, and other technologically-advanced items]].
223	[[/folder]]
224
225	[[folder: Video Games]]
226	* ''VideoGame/DeadCells'' has a number of magical weapons, most interesting Serenade, a talking flying sword that can wield itself or be wielded by you. Most oddly, it marks enemies for a critical hit after hitting them, which is only triggered by using the weapon in its other mode.
227	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' has a few types:
228	** Standard enchanted weapons, which are just normal physical weapons infused with magic
229	** [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Daedric artifacts]], which are actually daedra locked permanently into the shape of a weapon (or other item). There are also [[OurGodsAreDifferent Aedric Weapons]], but it is unclear exactly how they were made.
230	** There are also Bound Weapons, which temporarily summon a daedra in the form of a powerful weapon.
231	* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': Keyblades can open any lock with a touch, [[DimensionalCutter open portals]] between dimensions or close them, and can be used to channel magic.
232	* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'': Enchanting, the process where players grant special properties to tools and weapons at the cost of experience points and lapis lazuli, is a major gameplay feature. Enchanted weapons are an important part of the late game, and can include such things as swords that set their targets on fire, bows that never run out of arrows, tridents that return to the player's hand when thrown or which call down lightning where they land, and weapons that deal increased damage against specific enemy types.
233	* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'': The Monado is a SituationalSword that can pierce the armor of a [[MechaMooks Mechon]], but will pass harmlessly through anyone from the Bionis. It's also very choosy about its wielders, with Dunban being able to wield it but crippled by its long term use and Shulk being the only mortal who can wield it safely and access its true powers, which include a {{combo platter\|Powers}} of opening up its already long blade to reveal a variable-length LaserBlade BFS, casting a shield to block enemy abilities, making allies more agile so they can dodge attacks, making allies able to also damage Mechon, seeing the future, and sealing enemies' auras.
234	[[/folder]]
235
236	[[folder: Western Animation]]
237	* ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' sees Raph, Leo, and Mikey [[AdaptationalWeaponSwap pick up new weapons]] after [[WreckedWeapon their original weapons get wrecked]]. Raph's tonfas [[FightingSpirit allow him to manifest a massive energy projection around himself akin to armor]], Leo's odachi [[DimensionalCutter can open portals]], and Mikey's kusari-fundo [[KillItWithFire can be engulfed in flame, propelling it forward with great force but making it difficult to control]]. There's also a fourth mystic weapon, but we never see what it does due to Donnie sticking with his tech-bo.
238	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MagicalWeapon