The Top 10 Best Movie Swords
I Measured Twice and Cut Once with this List of Movie Swords!
I’ve been feeling a little cocky with some of the top 10 lists I’ve been doing lately, but nothing could have prepared me for the top 10 best movie swords. Oh, the hubris of thinking that this would be easy, fun even! Did you know that there are scores, maybe even HUNDREDS of movie swords?! Even when I narrowed my initial list down to just the iconic and super cool ones, there were still a couple of dozen remaining. So, I decided to put a few rules in place for this list. 1) Swords are made out of metal (sorry, lightsabers). 2) Only one sword per movie or franchise (Lord of the Rings could have had a list all of their own). 3) No more than two of any specific type of swords (that way there aren’t five or six katanas). Finally, I took into account how iconic the swords are, how beautifully they’re designed, and how powerful they are. The end result is a list of movie swords that would make any proper swordsman weep with joy at the sight of them. Now get ready, because this list of movie swords is ready to, well… cross swords.
10. The Ivory Dragon Katana- The Highlander
As you can probably tell from the name, this particular blade is a Katana. What makes it so special you might ask? Well, for one thing, no other movie swords have been hung on the walls of perpetually adolescent men more than this bad boy. It also happens to be wielded by one of a group of immortal warriors destined to battle for all time until only one remains. For me though, I’m fascinated by the fact that it’s a Japanese sword, wielded by a “Spaniard,” played by a Welsh actor (Sean Connery), and bequeathed to a Scotsman (Christopher Lambert). I suppose that makes the Ivory Dragon Katana one of the more worldly blades on this list. In all seriousness, this is perhaps the most iconic and easily recognizable sword of the bunch and is actually pretty cool… in a cringy 80s kind of way.
9. Sword of the Father and The Atlantean Sword- The Conan the Barbarian Films
We got ourselves a twofer on this one. On the one hand, Conan has more experience wielding his trusted Atlantean Sword that forged Conan into the warrior barbarian we all know and love. However, the Sword of the Father has special significance to the guy. He made it with his daddy, after all. The two finished it just in time for an evil warrior to kill Conan’s dad and take it for himself. It just so happens that both are a type of blade aptly named bastardswords, which just feels appropriate for the character. I know I said that I would only use one sword per franchise, but these two are pretty much a packaged deal and when Conan starts swinging both of them, you better believe nothing will be left standing. So, you can understand why I didn’t ask for him to give one up, right?
8. Anaklusmos- The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Films
We come to the first of these movie swords packing some real firepower in it. Along with his demigod abilities, Percy Jackson also inherited Anaklusmos (Greek for Riptide) from his father (Poseidon). A xiphos (Greek shortsword), Anaklusmos has been wielded by several mythical figures since it was forged by the gods eons ago and even wielded by a few legendary heroes, including Hercules. Made from a special material is made of Celestial Bronze, a material that is deadly to gods, demigods, titans, giants, and monsters. So, why isn’t this badass blade sitting higher on this list? Well, because celestial bronze is absolutely harmless to humans. In fact, the stuff passes right through them! I get that actual gods probably have a million other ways to kill mortals, but I still think that’s a pretty glaring flaw in a weapon.
7. The Six-Fingered Sword- The Princess Bride
When it comes to movie swords, very few are as beautiful as The Six-Fingered Sword. As it’s wielder, Inigo Montoya tells it, his father was a great swordsman who was hired by a six-fingered man to craft him the finest blade in all the land. Montoya’s father slaved for a year on the sword until it was complete. When it was finished, the six-fingered man returned, tried to stiff his dad for the job, and then murdered him. So, why is this rapier appearing on this list? Well, aside from being gorgeous, The Dread Pirate Roberts (AKA Westly) says, “I’ve never seen its equal,” after examining it. This is one of the best movie swordsmen, who has sailed the seven seas in a fairy-tale-esque world getting into plenty of battles as a dread pirate captain. When he says, “I’ve never seen its equal,” that really means something.
6. Hattori Hanzo’s Final Blade- Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
They say that a bad craftsman blames their tools, but even the worst swordsman in the world could probably take care of business with a Hattori Hanzo blade. The second katana on this list of movie swords, it was the final masterpiece of the legendary Japanese swordsmith, Hattori Hanzo. Hanzo had sworn an oath never to make another instrument of death and kept it for 28 years. However, when a certain lady assassin showed up with her tale of betrayal and plans for revenge, he broke his oath and took to the forge one last blade. When he was finished, Hanzo himself said, “I can tell you with no ego, this is my finest sword. If on your journey, you should encounter God, God will be cut.” With how easily Beatrice Kiddo cut down her enemies with it, I’m inclined to believe him.