Master Sword: Difference between revisions

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==Overview==

==Abilities==

Only a hero "pure of heart and strong of body" is capable of wielding the Master Sword, and anyone with a tainted heart cannot even touch the blade. If a hero chosen by the Master Sword draws the blade when they are too young to bear the title of hero, their spirit will be sealed away, sending them into a deep slumber until they come of age (as seen in ''Ocarina of Time''). If someone attempts to draw the Master Sword but is too physically weak to wield it, the blade will gradually drain their life force and kill them unless they release the sword. In ''Ocarina of Time'', the Master Sword also serves as a key, keeping the entrance to the [[Sacred Realm]] sealed so long as it remains in the [[Pedestal of Time]]. If a hero has been placed into stasis by the blade, they can exploit this to perform a limited form of time travel, returning the Master Sword to the pedestal to revisit their youth, or drawing it again to return to the present.

==Mainline appearances==

{{Quote|The hero's triumph on Cataclysm's Eve wins three [[Pendants of Virtue|Symbols of Virtue]]. The Master Sword he will then retrieve, keeping the knights' line true.|Engraving on the Master Sword's pedestal, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past|A Link to the Past]]''}}

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past|A Link to the Past]]'', [[Link (A Link to the Past)|Link]] is instructed to find the Master Sword by [[Saharasla]], in order to defeat [[Agahnim]] and stop him from conquering [[Hyrule]]. The Master Sword is kept deep in the [[Lost Woods (A Link to the Past)|Lost Woods]], accessed through a log tunnel in the northwest corner of the woods; A prophecy is inscribed into the Sword's pedestal in ancient [[Hylian]], which can be translated using the [[Book of Mudora]]. To obtain the Master Sword, Link must first obtain all three [[Pendants of Virtue]], which enable him to pull the blade out.

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|Ocarina of Time]]'', the Master Sword is kept in a hidden chamber in the [[Temple of Time (Ocarina of Time)|Temple of Time]], behind the [[Door of Time]]; The Sword serves as a seal to separate Hyrule from the [[Sacred Realm]], protecting the [[Triforce]] from falling into the wrong hands. During the events of the game, [[Link (Ocarina of Time)|Link]] is sent on a quest by the [[Great Deku Tree]] (and later [[Princess Zelda]]) to obtain the three [[Spiritual Stones]] and enter the Sacred Realm, so that he may claim the Triforce before Ganondorf does. After Link opens the Door of Time by placing the Spiritual Stones on their respective pedestals and playing the [[Song of Time]], he gains access to the hidden chamber, and pulls the Master Sword from the [[Pedestal of Time]]. However, since Link is too young to become the hero of time, his spirit is sealed inside the [[Chamber of Sages]] for seven years until he has come of age; During this time, Ganondorf enters the Sacred Realm, claims the [[Triforce of Power]], and conquers Hyrule as the King of Evil.

The Master Sword is Adult Link's default weapon. It deals double damage compared to the [[Kokiri Sword]] and has a longer reach; Additionally, the Master Sword is the only weapon which deals normal damage against Ganon. After completing the [[Forest Temple (Ocarina of Time)|Forest Temple]] and meeting [[Sheik]] at the Temple of Time, Link can use the Master Sword to travel through time; Placing it back in the pedestal sends him back to the child era, before Ganondorf becomes the King of Evil, while drawing it again returns him to the adult era. After Ganondorf is defeated and banished, Zelda sends Link back to the child era with the [[Ocarina of Time]] so he can regain his childhood; The young hero leaves the Master Sword in the Temple of Time, preventing the seal from ever breaking.

{{Quote|You got the legendary Master Sword!|N/A, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons|Oracle of Seasons]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages|Oracle of Ages]]''}}

The Master Sword replaces the Noble Sword once obtained. It deals double damage compared to the Noble Sword (quadruple damage compared to the Wooden Sword), making it the most versatile sword in the game. Uniquely, the Master Sword in the ''Oracle'' games is not the real Master Sword, but merely the Noble Sword tempered to match its power; The replica resembles the Noble Sword, but is blue and features a second pair of prongs on the bottom of the cross-guard.

{{Quote|You got the Master Sword! The legendary blade with the power to repel evil...once wielded by the legendary hero himself!|N/A, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|The Wind Waker]]''}}

{{Quote|The prayers of the [[Medli|Earth Sage]] have restored the Master Sword's former energy! There is but one last step before it becomes the true Master Sword again!|N/A, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|The Wind Waker]]''}}

Link uses the Master Sword during the final battle against Ganondorf, and with the help of [[Tetra|Princess Zelda]], kills him by driving the blade through his skull. As the last of Hyrule is flooded beneath the [[Great Sea]], the Master Sword is left stuck in Ganondorf's petrified body, where it would remain for the rest of time.

{{Quote|You got the Master Sword! Only the true hero can wield this legendary weapon!|N/A, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]''}}

{{Quote|Light filled the Master Sword! Its blade glows with a golden light in the [[Twilight Realm]]. With it, you can cut through dark fog!|N/A, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]''}}

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]'', the Master Sword is kept deep within the [[Sacred Grove]] in [[Faron Woods (Twilight Princess)|Faron Woods]], inside the ruins of the [[Temple of Time (Twilight Princess)|Temple of Time]]. When [[Link (Twilight Princess)|Link]] is trapped in his [[Wolf Link|wolf form]] after [[Zant]] drives a [[Shadow Crystal]] into his forehead, [[Zelda (Twilight Princess)|Princess Zelda]] informs him that only the Master Sword can remove it and lift the curse. Link and [[Midna]] journey to the Sacred Grove and are eventually able to gain access; The Master Sword emits a brilliant blast of sacred light, removing the Shadow Crystal from Link and enabling him to draw the blade.

At the end of the game, Link uses the Master Sword to finish Ganondorf using the [[Ending Blow]]. As peace returns to Hyrule, Link returns the Master Sword to the pedestal in the Sacred Grove, where it rests.

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition]]'', the Master Sword is an optional sword upgrade that is obtained by completing the [[Realm of Memories]]. It enables [[Link (Four Swords)|Link]] to fire Sword Beams while at full health. It is implied that this Master Sword is simply an upgrade to the [[Four Sword]], given that Link can still divide into four copies using it.

{{Quote|The [[Din's Flame|flames of Din]] have imbued your blade with a sacred white light that demons revile.|N/A, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|Skyward Sword]]''}}

{{Quote|The [[Hylia|goddess]] has blessed your blade, and the Master Sword has at last achieved its ultimate form! The sword is now imbued with the mythical power to drive back demons, and only [Link] may wield it!|N/A, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|Skyward Sword]]''}}

After visiting Zelda in [[Hylia's Realm]], the Master Sword is blessed, becoming the '''True Master Sword''' and reverting to its classic design. In this state, the Master Sword can only be wielded by a hero chosen by the Goddess, and its Skyward Strikes have greater speed and range. If examined closely, it is revealed that the cross-guard's unique design is meant to resemble a [[Loftwing]], with the yellow gem as the beak and gold decals as the body.

{{Quote|You got the Master Sword—a blade for a true hero! It fires a beam when you're at full health.|N/A, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds|A Link Between Worlds]]''}}

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds|A Link Between Worlds]]'', the Master Sword is kept in its pedestal in the Lost Woods, mirroring its appearance in ''A Link to the Past''. It is obtained in the same way; [[Link (A Link Between Worlds)|Link]] must obtain all three Pendants of Virtue, which will enable him to draw the Master Sword from its pedestal.

{{Quote|The legendary sword that seals the darkness. Its blade gleams with a sacred luster that can oppose the Calamity. Only a hero chosen by the sword itself may wield it.|[[Hyrule Compendium]] description, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild|Breath of the Wild]]''}}

{{Quote|The legendary sword that seals the darkness, a blade that can combat the Calamity. Link's triumph over the [[Trial of the Sword]] has awakened its true splendour.|Description after completing [[EX Trial of the Sword]], ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild|Breath of the Wild]]''}}

During the Great Calamity, Link wielded the Master Sword against an attacking horde of [[Guardian (Breath of the Wild)|Guardians]] as he was escorting Zelda to [[Fort Hateno]]. During the intense battle that ensued, Link was gravely wounded, and the Master Sword's power was completely exhausted from overuse, the blade being reduced to a decayed stump. When Zelda awakened her sacred powers and shut down the Guardian horde, she had Link delivered to the [[Shrine of Resurrection]] so he could recover from his wounds, and returned the Master Sword to its pedestal in Korok Forest so that it could recover, promising the blade that its master would return.

The Master Sword is a metal [[One-Handed Weapon]], which cannot be dropped or put on display in [[Link's House]]; However, it takes up no space in the player's inventory, instead having a dedicated slot. It has a base attack power of 30, and a base durability of 40. However, if Link is in the proximity of [[Malice]] (either from being inside a [[Dungeon]], in the proximity of Guardians, [[Blight Ganon]]s, Calamity Ganon, or Malice itself), the blade will glow blue, increasing the attack power to 60 and vastly increasing the durability; The awakened Master Sword is the strongest one-handed weapon in the game. If Link attempts to throw the Master Sword, he will instead fire a Sword Beam if he is at full health, which takes 1 durability from the blade; Sword Beams deal 10 damage, and the range increases alongside Link's number of Heart Containers. Upon running out of durability, the Master Sword's blade turns black and loses its sacred property, rendering it unusable for 10 real-life minutes until it has recharged.

The Master Sword can be upgraded by progressing through the [[Trial of the Sword]]. Completing the Beginning Trials increases the Master Sword's base attack power to 40, and completing the Middle Trials increase it to 50. Completing the Final Trials will awaken the Master Sword's full power, causing it to remain in its awakened state at all times, enabling Link to fire Sword Beams without draining durability, and increasing the durability to a whopping 188.

{{Quote|The legendary sword that seals the darkness. Its sacred power has been diminished after being ravaged by the [[Gloom|gloom]] beneath [[Hyrule Castle (Breath of the Wild)|Hyrule Castle]].|Decayed Master Sword description, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom|Tears of the Kingdom]]''}}

{{Quote|The legendary sword that seals the darkness. Its corruption was healed by its time with the [[Light Dragon]]. The blade gleams with a scared luster that can oppose the Demon King.|Hyrule Compendium description, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom|Tears of the Kingdom]]''}}

The Master Sword assures Zelda that Link is safe in the present, and that it was sent back so that it could recover its strength to face Ganondorf. Now understanding why she was sent back in time, Zelda comes up with a plan to [[Draconification|draconify]] herself, enabling the Master Sword to absorb sacred light over millennia and return to its former glory. After [[Mineru]] seals her spirit in the [[Purah Pad]], the rest of the [[Seven Sages]] promise to pass on their abilities to their descendants, and the [[Great Sky Island]] is equipped with everything Link needs to recover, Zelda swallows a [[Secret Stone]] and transforms into the [[Light Dragon]], the Master Sword becoming embedded in a growth on her forehead.

The Master Sword functions similarly to its appearance in ''Breath of the Wild'' but like all other weapons, has been nerfed to account for fusing. When the blade is in the proximity of Gloom-infected enemies, it glows blue, increasing its attack power by 15 while confronting [[Phantom Ganon (Tears of the Kingdom)|Phantom Ganon]] and [[Demon King Ganondorf|Ganondorf]], it increases by 30 and becomes unbreakable. The Master Sword can be fused like any other weapon, with the fused material remaining until the blade runs out of energy; However, the material cannot be recovered at the [[Break-A-Part Shop]] and its durability isn't increased. When the blade is fused, glowing [[Zonai]] runes appear along the side, and the fused material will only appear briefly as a green apparition whenever the blade is drawn.

==Spin-off appearances==

{{Non-Canon|section}}

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets|Ancient Stone Tablets]]'', the Master Sword can be obtained from the Lost Woods during Week 4; In previous weeks, the entrance to its resting place is blocked by a Soldier. It is the strongest sword in the game, and can shoot Sword Beams while the player is at full health. In the ending, the player, Zelda, and [[Aginah]] return the Master Sword to its pedestal.

{{Quote|The legendary blade of evil's bane. Only the chosen hero can wield this sword. When attacking with full health, your strikes gain a little extra oomph!|In-game description, ''[[Hyrule Warriors]]''}}

Uniquely, the Master Sword is one-of-a-kind, and the player cannot obtain new copies of the weapon or sell it. It uses the same moveset as the [[Hylian Sword]], but several attacks are stronger, and Link's [[Spin Attack]] has a wider range. After completing [[A War of Spirit]] in [[Legend Mode]], the Master Sword's power is fully awakened, enabling Link to fire Sword Beams after certain attacks while at full health. Additionally, the Master Sword comes with two Legendary Skills, which can only be removed once a specific requirement has been fulfilled:

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In ''[[Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity]]'', the Master Sword is a [[One-Handed Weapon (Age of Calamity)|One-Handed Weapon]] that is unlocked by completing [[Freeing Korok Forest]]. It is wielded alongside the Hylian Shield and [[Knight's Bow]]. Just like its predecessor, it can fire Sword Beams after certain attacks if Link is at full health.

==Other appearances==

{{Non-Canon|section}}

In the [[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Comic)|''A Link to the Past'' comic miniseries]], [[Sahasrahla's Wife]] elaborates on part of the Master Sword's history: she tells of ancient scrolls that speak of the prosperous people who lived in Hyrule prior to its decline. They forged several powerful weapons, including the Master Sword, a treasure created to resist evil power that now dwells in the Lost Woods. When Agahnim kidnaps Princess Zelda, Link begins his journey to find the Master Sword after Zelda states that it is the only weapon that can harm the sorcerer. He finds Sahasrahla, who is surprised that a youth is attempting to find the legendary blade, but nonetheless informs him that he must first recover the Pendants of Virtue.

After acquiring all three Pendants, Link draws the Master Sword from its pedestal and travels to Hyrule Castle to confront Agahnim; Though he grows cocky, Sahasrahla warns Link not to place his full trust in the blade, as even the Master Sword cannot harm Agahnim's body. Sure enough, the Master Sword passes through Agahnim without harming him, and the sorcerer paralyzes Link with a single glance before banishing him to the [[Dark World]]. Since the hero and the blade are as one, Link's rage towards Agahnim channels through the Master Sword, Sahasrahla informs Link that the Master Sword can also ''repel'' evil, not just resist it; Turning Agahnim's magic back at him, Link is able to win the fight.

==Crossover appearances==

{{Non-Canon|section}}

In every ''[[Super Smash Bros. (Series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' game, Link and [[Link (The Wind Waker)|Toon Link]] wield the Master Sword as his main weapon, alongside the Hylian Shield and [[Hero's Shield]], respectively. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', the Master Sword in the Pedestal of Time also appears as an obtainable Trophy. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', Link can fire Sword Beams from the Master Sword by performing his forward smash at 0%.

In ''[[SoulCalibur II]]'', the Master Sword is the default weapon used by Link. It is wielded alongside the Hylian Shield, but can also be wielded alongside the [[Mirror Shield]] from ''Ocarina of Time'' after unlocking it.

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In ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]'', the Master Sword is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch version, and can be obtained by scanning Zelda [[Amiibo]] or inside a chest near Paarthurnax at the Throat of the World. It functions as an Elven Sword with slightly lower weight, and uniquely, it is the only weapon in the game that does not accumulate bloodstains.

{{Monita|This legendary sword is imbued with awe-inspiring magical power and can only be wielded by the righteous. That means if you've been very naughty, you probably won't be able to use it.|hide|left}}

In ''[[Nintendo Land]]'', the Master Sword appears as one of the 200 prizes that can be won using the central tower in Nintendo Land plaza.  

{{Clear}}

In ''[[My Nintendo Picross: Twilight Princess]]'', the Master Sword is the twenty-fourth puzzle in the ''Picross'' series and the sixteenth in the ''Mega Picross'' series.

==Trivia==

*''[[Wikipedia:Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem|Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem]]'', which released shortly after ''A Link to the Past'', features a weapon called the Master Sword. While it shares the name and is also a powerful weapon, the blade has a very different appearance. It also appears in the [[Nintendo DS]] remake, and in ''[[Wikipedia:Fire Emblem: Thracia 776|Fire Emblem: Thracia 776]]'', where the appearance is closer to the ''Zelda'' design. Its also appears in ''[[Wikipedia:Fire Emblem Heroes|Fire Emblem Heroes]]'' as the "Meisterschwert", under the ownership of Reinhardt: Thunder's Sword.

*The Snake Killer from ''[[Wikipedia:Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru|The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls]]'' is very similar to the Master Sword; It was drawn from the ground in an isolated area (the Ice Cave), and was required to defeat the final boss (Delarin, a snake). An ancient tablet regarding the Snake Killer had the message "When thou seeth thy true friend, the golden sword shalt awaken." When the spring bell was rung and Richard transformed back into a human, the Snake Killer began to glow and was used by Prince Sable to slay Delarin.

**The Master Sword also exists twice in both ''Breath of the Wild'' and ''Tears of the Kingdom''; The original one, wielded by Link before the Great Calamity and during the events of ''Breath of the Wild'', and the repaired Master Sword embedded in the Light Dragon's forehead.

*''A Link to the Past'' and ''A Link Between Worlds'' are the only games where the Master Sword can be permanently upgraded beyond its base power.