The is a fictional divine magic sword in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. At times, it is referred to in-universe as the "blade of evil's bane" or the "sword that seals the darkness". It was introduced in the 1991 action-adventure video game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and has since appeared in most other games in the series.
The sword is the signature weapon of Link, the series protagonist, and has become an integral part of the character's visual identity and also a core element of Zelda iconography. In the narrative of the series, it is a powerful, sacred weapon that Link repeatedly uses to defeat the main antagonist, Ganon and other forces of evil. Throughout the Zelda series, it is shown to have various magical powers, including the capability to repel evil, alter the flow of time, and emit light beams to attack surrounding enemies.
In addition to The Legend of Zelda series, the Master Sword has also appeared in various other video games, media, and merchandise. These include Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8, and Hyrule Warriors. It has been recreated in fan art, cosplay, and weaponry and has become a widely recognizable object in video gaming.
Characteristics The Master Sword is a divine, magic sword and the signature weapon of Link, the hero of The Legend of Zelda series. It has become a defining aspect of Link's identity alongside the Hylian Shield and a prominent icon used to market the franchise. The majority of The Legend of Zelda video games follow a similar story arc that involves Link embarking on a journey that eventually leads him to recovering the Master Sword. The blade is traditionally found in its stone pedestal and must be pulled from the pedestal by Link to retrieve it. Although it is not always the strongest sword in Zelda games, the Master Sword is superior to other in-game weapons as it is the only weapon in most games that has the capability of defeating Ganon.
The Master Sword has been referred to by various names. In several games, it is named as the "blade of evil's bane". In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the Master Sword is referred to as "the sword that seals the darkness". In the mythology of the series, the Master Sword is a divine object—in Skyward Sword, it originates in the Goddess Sword, created by the goddess Hylia, and is inhabited by a humanoid spirit named Fi. Over the course of the game, the Goddess Sword is transformed into the Master Sword, a powerful blade that has the magical ability to repel evil.
The design of the sword has evolved over the course of each Zelda title, but it has become identifiable by its purple and silver design. It is a one-handed longsword blade featuring a blue or purple hilt with green grip, purple spread-winged handguards and a yellow gem inlaid in the centre. A defining feature of the sword is that it displays the Triforce, which is engraved on the blade just above the ricasso.
The sword possesses various magical abilities, such as generating fire attacks and lightning attacks in A Link to the Past. In Ocarina of Time, it acts as a seal that protects the Sacred Realm and the Triforce. It can also alter time by placing it in its pedestal to send Link back to his childhood or by removing it again to travel to the future. In The Wind Waker, the sword blocks the powers of Ganondorf and freezes time around Hyrule Castle, so that removing the blade from its pedestal restores Ganondorf's minions. In Twilight Princess, Link uses it to open a path in time. In Skyward Sword, it can be pointed towards the sky to gather energy from the heavens and launch a light beam known as a Skyward Strike. In A Link Between Worlds, the Master Sword is the only weapon that can break the magical barrier that is placed on Hyrule Castle. In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, it emits light beams that deal high damage to surrounding enemies. In Breath of the Wild its superior qualities are indicated by its high durability, as it is the only weapon that is unbreakable and must be recharged before being wielded again. When in close proximity to enemies associated with Calamity Ganon, it glows blue and doubles its attack strength. In Tears of the Kingdom, it possesses similar characteristics and emits higher powered attacks in proximity to enemies associated with Ganondorf.
Development Takashi Tezuka, the director of A Link to the Past credited screenwriter Kensuke Tanabe for conceiving the moment in the game when Link obtains the Master Sword. The scene established the mythological importance of the blade within the series as the only sword with the power to repel evil, but also emphasised its symbolic significance. Tezuka noted that in this moment the sword recognises Link as a hero. He explained that "our main aim was to show the birth of a hero in a scene fitting of The Legend Of Zelda, and overlap this with a sense of achievement for the player that they have been recognised as a hero after having overcome many challenges".
In 2011, Nintendo released Skyward Sword, which aimed to develop an early fictional history of Hyrule and create an origin story for the Master Sword. Producer Eiji Aonuma said that the premise was built around the game's motion controls: "This time, the theme is the sword which makes use of the Wii MotionPlus accessory..." The plot suffered from inconsistencies in the pre-existing timeline. Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi explained: "We settled on having the sky and surface world, and on top of that, it was going to tell the story of the creation of Hyrule, with the untold story of the origin of the Master Sword... So, looking back at the series so far, we began knitting together the various elements. And then all sorts of contradictions arose". A television commercial for the game's release prominently featured the Master Sword to advertise the game's motion controls, which involved using the Wii MotionPlus to control the sword's movements on screen.
Appearances
The Legend of Zelda series In the original The Legend of Zelda (1986), a fantasy weapon appears without any defining features, but was the precursor for future iterations of the Master Sword. It was not until 1991 that the Master Sword was introduced in the series with the release of A Link to the Past. The game involves Link setting out to rescue Princess Zelda by retrieving the blade from its pedestal in the Lost Woods and using it to defeat the main antagonists, the evil wizard Agahnim and finally, Ganon. Link must obtain three pendants to prove himself worthy of claiming the sword.
The sword reappeared in Ocarina of Time, and was the first iteration of the longsword design in 3D. As well as being the only weapon that is capable of defeating Ganondorf, it also acts as a seal to protect the Sacred Realm and the Triforce. In this iteration, it is located in the Temple of Time, locked behind the Door of Time. Link must collect three Spiritual Stones to open the Door of Time and claim the Master Sword from its pedestal. Due to his youth, the sword seals him in the Temple of Time for seven years until he is ready to be the Hero of Time. Link can then use the Master Sword to travel back to his childhood by placing it in the pedestal.
In The Wind Waker, Link finds the Master Sword inside the sunken Hyrule Castle. It is once again presented as the only sword capable of defeating Ganondorf. The sword blocks Ganondorf's magical powers and freezes time around the castle. When the blade is removed from its pedestal, it restores Ganondorf's minions and magic and it loses its power to repel evil. Once Link has replenished the Master Sword's power, he is able to destroy Ganondorf by plunging it into his forehead and turning him to stone.
When Link seeks out the Master Sword in Twilight Princess, it is located on its pedestal deep in the woods in the Sacred Grove within the ruined Temple of Time. Retrieving the sword is the only way to break the sorcerer Zant's magic, which has turned Link into a wolf. When he returns to the Sacred Grove later in the game, he uses the sword to open a path in time. The sword becomes more powerful when it is infused with the divine power of the Sols. As in previous games, the Master Sword is finally used to kill Ganondorf by stabbing it into his chest.
In Skyward Sword, the Master Sword plays a central role in Link's journey to defeat the main antagonist, Demon King Demise and prove himself as the hero. The plot charts the weapon's transition from the Goddess Sword, a weapon left by the goddess Hylia, into the Master Sword. Link uses three Sacred Flames to forge the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword and, after defeating Demon King Demise, seals him inside the sword by placing it in its pedestal. In the finale, a humanoid spirit named Fi, who acts as Link's companion throughout the game, is placed in an eternal slumber within the Master Sword.
Link again retrieves the sword from its pedestal in the Lost Woods in A Link Between Worlds, after collecting three Pendants of Virtue and then rescues Seven Sages and Princess Zelda. During the game, the Master Sword is upgraded by blacksmiths in Hyrule and Lorule after Link collects master ore from various locations, making it a more powerful weapon.
Throughout Breath of the Wild, Link can obtain the Master Sword once he is strong enough to pull it from its pedestal. It is located deep in the Lost Woods within Great Hyrule Forest. In this game the sword is heavily damaged and covered in Malice after being used in battle against Calamity Ganon 100 years before the events of the game. After successfully retrieving the repaired Master Sword and purchasing the DLC, the player is given the opportunity to tackle one of the end game challenges named "The Trial of the Sword", which is aimed at advanced players. Upon successfully completing all of the levels, the Master Sword is permanently upgraded to its highest attack level.
In Tears of the Kingdom (2023), the sequel to Breath of the Wild, Link begins the game wielding the Master Sword, only for it to be shattered by Ganondorf's power. After he awakens on the Great Sky Island with the broken sword, he sends it back in time to Zelda, who time-traveled back to the era of Hyrule's founding. To defeat Ganondorf, Zelda chooses to consume a secret stone to transform into a dragon, allowing the Master Sword to regain its sacred energy over millennia. In the present day, Link finds Zelda in her draconified form and pulls the Master Sword from her skull. Like other weapons in the game, the Master Sword can be fused with various materials to make it more powerful in combat.
Other media