Basic Trope: A character noted for their mastery of the sword. Implausible Fencing Powers optional.
- Straight:
- Bob is so skilled with the sword that he is able to defeat multiple combatants at once.
- Bob is a fencing champion.
- Exaggerated: Bob is so skilled with the sword that every battle that involves him ends in a second, with Bob being the victor.
- Downplayed: Bob is fully capable of using the sword, but he doesn't brag or do anything flashy with it. He does use the sword with simple moves that anyone can use; he just does them better.
- Justified:
- Bob trained hard, and/or has accumulated much combat experience with the sword.
- Bob, unlike most commoners of his age, is a noble in the medieval era who has enough money to afford a sword. He is expected to become a knight and uphold chivalry, and the sword is a symbol of said ideal.
- Inverted: Bob is skilled at using every single weapon in existence, except the sword.
- Subverted: Bob shows off his "skill" in the sword by doing a couple of flashy swiping motions with or without Implausible Fencing Powers, impressing everyone. A lowly mook challenges Bob and promptly disarms him in one go.
- Double Subverted:
- The mook is the master, not Bob.
- Turns out that Bob is unskilled with a greatsword. Bob quickly picks up a shortsword and ends the fight via Single-Stroke Battle.
- Parodied: ???
- Zig Zagged: Bob is skilled with a rapier and uses it to dispatch several enemies at once. Prolonged wear and tear causes the rapier to dull, and Bob eventually finds himself unable to penetrate the armour of Elite Mooks. He switches his rapier with a zweihander nearby, but he finds it too clumsy to wield. Discarding it, he finds a longsword and is back to kicking ass. Then the longsword breaks...
- Averted:
- Bob is only of average skill with the sword.
- No one uses a sword.
- Enforced: "We need a character who gets a Cool Sword and performs different poses and stances that oozes badassery. I'm sure the audience would like it and our ratings would increase."
- Lampshaded: "Whoa whoa whoa. Bob, where did you learn to become THAT good with a sword?!"
- Invoked: Bob is an actor playing as a master swordsman. He takes a fencing course to master swordsmanship, to portray realistic sword fights instead of Flynning, hoping that the audience would enjoy his performance.
- Exploited: Evulz, the Big Bad, decides to bring a gun rather than a sword to fight Bob, knowing that he'd be outmatched in a sword fight against Bob.
- Defied: "Look at Bob over there with the Cool Sword! His stances are awesome! I wanna be like him!" "I'd rather train you to use a gun than a sword. A gun is far more effective anyway."
- Discussed: "See that guy over there? That's Bob, the greatest swordsman in the town." "I see him. Woah, look how he just finished off three guys at once with one swing!" "Yep, he's that good."
- Conversed: "The show says that Bob is this master supremely skilled with a sword, but all he does is hacking and slashing. No thrusts. Bah! That's just unrealistic." "Well, he looks cool, at least."
- Deconstructed:
- In a realistic setting where Implausible Fencing Powers don't exist, Bob is merely a normal person who happens to be more skilled at the sword than other people. Bob has many weaknesses — ranged weaponry or a simple landmine takes him out with ease.
- Without his sword arm, Bob is toast.
- Bob is able to combat several combatants at once with just a sword in his hand, but he can still feel fatigue, which diminishes his effectiveness. He is then gradually overwhelmed by a persistent Zerg Rush.
- Reconstructed:
- The nation of Troperia shuns guns due to the belief that ranged weaponry is for wimps, cowards and losers, making them worthless in the eyes of Troperian society. Anyone skilled with the sword is seen as the epitome of a successful person.
- Unbeknownst to his enemies, Bob is ambidextrous. He is just as skilled with the sword with his left hand, and since he is handicapped, he becomes even more of a badass.
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