10 Famous Fantasy Swords: Enhancing Your Collection

It is difficult to imagine any weapon in the history of mankind as infamous as the sword. With its simplistic design, rich symbolic nature, and captivating history, the sword is a weapon known by and admired by just about everyone. The sword is admired even more so, however, by sword enthusiasts—people who enjoy learning about and collecting swords. One of the most popular pastimes of sword enthusiasts involves the collection of “fantasy swords.” Fantasy swords are, essentially, swords inspired by a particular genre. The most popular genres include famous swords from video games, books, cartoons, and fantasy films. These swords are not meant to be used in combat, and many of them lack the truly sharp blade found on battle-ready swords. Fantasy swords are created with the sole purpose of “looking pretty” to the viewer. These weapon replicas may be placed in glass cases, hung on walls, or kept in other displays where they remain safely secured.

Swords abound in almost any culture and often play a large role in well-known myths, captivating folklore, and an abundance of historic legends. Since swords have such deep roots in the world of fantasy and fiction, it makes sense that there are famous sword replicas inspired by just about any imaginary world or universe you can think of.

Easy to buy and ranging from “cheap” (less than $100) to expensive (use your imagination), nearly anyone can decide to pursue a fantasy sword collection. Since there are so many fantasy swords out there on the market, it can be difficult to decipher which swords are quality and which are not. Generally, you get what you pay for when it comes to buying fantasy swords. More expensive swords are typically made from materials that are pricier and more durable; they may also feature beautiful design, ornamentation, and decoration. As you begin to collect fantasy swords, you will learn how to sort the junk from the treasure, so to speak.

Then comes the question of which swords to buy. They can be quite an investment, after all. The answer is quite simple: buy the swords that make your nerdy heart happy. Enjoy this little compilation of ten famous fantasy swords that will inspire you on your quest to enrich your fantasy sword collection.

One: Anduril (The Lord of the Rings)

The name of this beautiful Lord of the Rings sword translates to “The Flame of the West.” Anduril is undoubtedly one of the most well-known swords in the world of fantasy fiction, perhaps gaining so much popularity simply due to its carrier: the beloved character Aragorn. With that beard and those flowing locks, who wouldn’t think he wielded the coolest sword in the saga? Anduril was supposedly broken into shards and re-forged many years later by the talented Elves.

Two: Godric Gryffindor's Sword (Harry Potter)

This magical sword was owned by beloved Gryffindor and holds a place of significance in the adored Harry Potter saga. In the tale, Gryffindor’s sword was forged by a group of goblins by immersing it in a basilisk's blood. As a result of its superior craftsmanship and design, this sword was rumored to be the only weapon that could decimate a horcrux. As you would expect of any magical sword, this weapon appears when it is most needed—and always in the nick of time. Harry Potter himself was relieved to see the magical sword pop out of the Sorting Hat in a time of great need. It is safe to say that this is one of the coolest fantasy swords of all time. Who wouldn’t want a replica of a magical Harry Potter saga sword?

Three: The Master Sword (Legend of Zelda)

Anyone who likes video games is very familiar with Zelda. The Master Sword appeared for the first time in A Link to the Past, the third game to be released by the Zelda franchise. Speaking of the Zelda franchise, the Master Sword became so famous that it morphed into the franchise’s trademark. The main character of Zelda, Link, usually spends a large portion of each game trying to locate The Master Sword by braving a great many quests and adventures.

Four: Sting (The Hobbit)

The swords found in the Lord of the Rings series are so good that it’s hard to only mention one. This one is called Sting, and it belonged to the much-beloved hobbit Bilbo Baggins. If you want to get technical, Bilbo’s sword was actually a long knife crafted by the Elvish peoples; however, keep in mind that, as a rather small creature, Bilbo considered Sting to be the perfect sword for a Hobbit-sized person. This sword has the especially cool feature of glowing brightly when any nasty orcs wandered into its proximity. Sting doesn’t sound like a very intimidating name, but after you witness it slash up a bunch of way-too-big spiders, you’ll no longer doubt its effectiveness.

Five: The Buster Sword (Final Fantasy)

The Buster Sword may be the most famous sword in the entire Final Fantasy realm, which is saying a lot considering the franchise has cranked out over fifteen successful games. The Buster Sword was the weapon of choice for Cloud Strife, the main protagonist in the sixth Final Fantasy game. Although a myriad of greatly superior swords followed in the Final Fantasy game series, the Buster Sword is considered the best due to its unique minimalist design and memorable structure. The somewhat ridiculous looking Buster Sword resembles an oversized vegetable knife, but has risen to the top of the ranks as one of the most iconic fantasy swords out there. Fun fact for you Final Fantasy fans out there: the sword also appears in the playful video game Kingdom Hearts.

Six: Frostmourne (World of Warcraft)

If this were a ranked list of fantasy swords, many would argue that Frostmourne belongs at the very top. This sword plays an extremely critical role in the World of Warcraft plot and is wielded by one of the most central characters in the game, Prince Arthas Menethil. Like most famous fantasy swords, this sword comes with a history of bloodshed; it was used by the Prince to impale and kill his father.

Seven: Soul Edge and Soul Calibur (Soul Edge and Soul Calibur)

These swords are a dynamic part of the Soul Edge/Soul Calibur video games, appearing as a symbolic icon of the games. These swords have a somewhat complex history. To make a long story short, they often meld together to morph into a single powerful sword of sorts called Soul Embrace.

Eight: The Atlantean Sword (Conan The Barbarian)

Perhaps this sword owes its famous image to its creator in “real-life,” Ron Cobb. As most of you may already know, Cobb was one of the chief designers behind some of the greatest cinema pieces of all time: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, and even the two Alien and Aliens films. The Atlantean Sword was Conan the Barbarian’s iconic weapon and was used in both Conan the Barbarian and its sequel Conan the Destroyer. Where is the original Conan weapon (yes, it can actually be used as a weapon) kept now? Arnold Schwarzenegger kept the prop after the movies were filmed and keeps it in his unsuspecting office.

Nine: The Vorpal Blade (Through the Looking Glass)

Lewis Carroll's trippy novel, Through the Looking Glass, features a rather ridiculous poem entitled “Jabberwocky.” The Vorpal Sword was used by a child to kill the terrifying Jabberwocky. With each parry and slice, the sword made the now-famous sound effect “snicker-snack.” Even though no one really knows what Vorpal means (and who would try to understand the mind of Lewis Carroll?), the Vorpal has been featured in a great many other fantasy pieces including Fables. 

Ten: The Sword of Omens (ThunderCats)

This sword was hardly an average sword; The Sword of Omens could turn into just about anything. Transforming into daggers, flares, crystal balls, and shuttle ramps (to mention a few), the Sword of Omens may be the magical sword of magical swords. In case its transforming powers haven’t impressed you yet, take a look at some of its main functions. The Sword of Omens could create its own force field and fire blasts of pure power much like a phaser set-to-kill. While it may sound a little ridiculous, you have to admit that any sword that has the ability to do all of this and more deserves to be on the fantasy sword list.

The swords listed here are only a small portion of the abundance of fantasy swords available for those interested in collecting replicas. Nostalgic, relatively affordable, and incredibly handsome on your dining room wall, fantasy swords are the perfect collector’s item for those who enjoy being “a part of the action.” Make a list of fantasy swords worth drooling over and begin your quest to cross each one off of your list—you’ll be tickled to have your favorite replicas in your home or office.