Master Sword

"The Master Sword" redirects here. For the Recovered Memory from Breath of the Wild, see The Master Sword (Memory).

Master Sword

Artwork from Skyward Sword

Games	A Link to the Past Ancient Stone Tablets Ocarina of Time Oracle of Seasons Oracle of Ages The Wind Waker Twilight Princess Four Swords Anniversary Edition Skyward Sword A Link Between Worlds Breath of the Wild Age of Calamity Tears of the Kingdom
Location	A Link to the Past Lost Woods Ocarina of Time Temple of Time Twilight Princess Sacred Grove Breath of the Wild Korok Forest Tears of the Kingdom On the Light Dragon
Uses	Damaging evil enemies
Related	Goddess Sword Four Sword Phantom Sword Lokomo Sword Tempered Sword Golden Sword
Media
Music	Master Sword (Theme)

In Other Languages[show][hide]

Language	Name
日本語	マスターソード
Française	Épée de Légende
Español	Espada Maestra
Deutsch	Master-Schwert
Italiana	Spada Suprema

"The Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch.... Only one worthy of the title of "Hero of Time" can pull it from the Pedestal of Time...."

— Rauru

The Master Sword, also known as the Blade of Evil's Bane and the Sword that Seals the Darkness, is a recurring sword in The Legend of Zelda series. Said to be the only weapon capable of defeating Ganon, the Master Sword is blessed with sacred light and possesses the ability to repel beings of evil, and is considered the main weapon of Link; several incarnations of the hero have used the Master Sword during their adventures, with each one returning it to the Pedestal of Time once the land has been saved. The Master Sword has also appeared in various other video games and media, and is one of the most recognizable objects in video gaming.

History

The Master Sword was forged from the Goddess Sword, a blade originally wielded by the Goddess Hylia. During the events of Skyward Sword, Link is revealed as Hylia's chosen hero and removes the blade from its pedestal on the floating island of Skyloft. The sword is tied with a guardian entity known as Fi, a being created by Hylia to guide the chosen hero. Fi assists Link forging the Master Sword by travelling with him to three Sacred Flames across Hyrule - each Flame, representing the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore, enhances both the sword's structure and its powers.

Once Link has visited all of the Sacred Flames, he will have forged the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword, which is capable of opening the Gate of Time inside the Sealed Grounds. Link travels through the Gate and into Hylia's Realm, where he meets Zelda - after she reveals her past as the Goddess Hylia, Zelda blesses the Master Sword, turning it into the True Master Sword. Link uses the blade to vanquish Demise and seal his "residual consciousness" inside of it - however, Demise curses both Link and Zelda, promising that anyone with the spirit of the hero or the blood of the Goddess would forever be at war with his reincarnated vengeance. Following the events of Skyward Sword, Link leaves the Master Sword in a pedestal in the Sealed Grounds, with Fi entering the Master Sword to remain dormant inside of it for eternity. From then on, the Master Sword would be used by several future incarnations of Link to protect Hyrule from Ganon, with each hero returning the Sword to its pedestal once Hyrule was safe.

Design

The Master Sword is a double-edged, one-handed longsword with no fuller and a blue hilt, although in the artwork for A Link to the Past, the sword has a gold hilt. The cross-guard is large and elaborate in relation to its pommel, and is similar to the seal of Hyrule's Royal Family. The Triforce is engraved on the base of the blade, and a yellow gem is embedded in the cross-guard.

In The Wind Waker, the state of the gem in cross-guard seems to be indicative of the sword's power. When Link first acquires the un-awakened Master Sword, the gem in its cross-guard is dark, and the guard itself seems to have retracted toward the grip. Only once the sword has been restored to its full power does its hilt regain its signature appearance, and its blade again shines a mysterious light. In Twilight Princess, the Master Sword is much longer and slimmer.

In Tears of the Kingdom, the Master Sword's blade is now made from a light blue crystal, due to the blade having been repaired thanks to its time with the Light Dragon.

A Link to the Past

The Master Sword as seen in A Link to the Past

In A Link to the Past, the Master Sword is located in a pedestal hidden in the Lost Woods of northwest Hyrule. An ancient text is inscribed into the pedestal, which when translated by the Book of Mudora, reads "The Hero's triumph on Cataclysm's Eve wins three Symbols of Virtue. The Master Sword he will then retrieve, keeping the knights' line true." Once Link has obtained all three Pendants of Virtue, he will be able to draw the Master Sword from the pedestal, dispelling the fog over the Lost Woods in the process.

In-game, the Master Sword replaces the Fighter's Sword as Link's main weapon once obtained - it is required to dispel the magical barrier blocking access to the third floor of Hyrule Castle, and thus is necessary to confront Agahnim. It deals double damage compared to the Fighter's Sword, has a longer reach, and has the ability to fire Sword Beams when Link is at full health. It can also be upgraded into the Tempered Sword, and eventually the Golden Sword. In the GBA version, the Master Sword can also break Jars.

Ocarina of Time

The Master Sword as seen in Ocarina of Time 3D

In Ocarina of Time, the Master Sword is kept in the Temple of Time, specifically inside the Pedestal of Time. Link is sent on a mission by the Great Deku Tree, and later Zelda, to obtain the Master Sword and use it to stop Ganondorf from conquering Hyrule. The pedestal itself is locked inside a hidden chamber; to access it, Link must obtain all three Spiritual Stones, place them in their pedestals, and then play the Song of Time on the Ocarina of Time. Once Link draws the Master Sword, however, he is sealed away inside the Sacred Realm for seven years, as he is too young to wield the blade. This allows Ganondorf to enter the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce for himself, conquering Hyrule in the seven-year timespan. When Link awakens in the future, now an adult, he wields the Master Sword on his quest to free the Seven Sages. After defeating Ganon, Zelda returns Link to the present, before he ever pulled the Master Sword, and he uses his knowledge of the future to stop Ganondorf before his plan can begin, creating a split in the Timeline.

In-game, the Master Sword is Adult Link's default sword. It deals double damage compared to the Kokiri Sword, and has a longer blade, giving it increased reach - in addition, it is the only weapon that can deal the final blow to Ganon#Ocarina of Time. After completing the Forest Temple, Link can return to his childhood by placing the Master Sword back in its pedestal, enabling him to travel between the present and future.

Oracle of Seasons

The Master Sword as seen in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages

The Master Sword is the final upgrade of the Wooden Sword and can only be obtained in a Linked Game with Oracle of Ages.

Oracle of Ages

The Master Sword as seen in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages

The Master Sword is the final upgrade of the Wooden Sword and can only be obtained in a Linked Game with Oracle of Seasons.

Four Swords Anniversary Edition

The Master Sword as seen in Four Swords 25th Anniversary Edition

The Master Sword is obtained after completing the Realm of Memories. It allows Link to shoot Sword Beams.

The Wind Waker

The Master Sword in its weakened state in The Wind Waker

In The Wind Waker, Link finds the Master Sword underneath the Great Sea within Hyrule Castle in the drowned land of Hyrule. After his first face-to-face encounter with Ganondorf, he is told that the Master Sword has lost its power. To restore the Master Sword to its former glory, Link must awaken the new Sages of earth and wind.

The Master Sword powered with the prayers of the Sage of Earth

After awakening Medli as the new Earth Sage, Link takes her to the Earth Temple. Upon defeating Jalhalla, Link and Medli play the Earth God's Lyric and restore power partially to the Master Sword.

The Master Sword returns!

After awakening Makar as the new Wind Sage, Link then travels with him to the Wind Temple. Upon defeating Molgera, Link and Makar play the Wind God's Aria. With the prayers of both Sages, the Master Sword returns to its true state.

Twilight Princess

Link removing the Master Sword from its pedestal in Twilight Princess

In Twilight Princess, Link obtains the Master Sword after getting cursed by Zant, causing Link to remain permanently as a wolf. The Master Sword is the only thing that can break the curse and it lies in a place called the Sacred Grove.

Later in the game, upon entering the Palace of Twilight, Link infuses the Master Sword with light. This light comes from the light sources of the Twilight Realm known as Sols. Once infused with light, the Master Sword can cut through veils of twilight which normally would transform Link into a wolf upon exposure. The light vanishes from the sword upon leaving the Twilight Realm, but returns to the sword upon re-entry.

Skyward Sword

Upon exposure to Din's flame, the Goddess White Sword becomes the Master Sword in Skyward Sword

Skyward Sword explains the creation of the Master Sword. It was originally known as the Goddess Sword wielded by the Goddess, Hylia. The blade was exposed to three Sacred Flames—Farore's Flame, Nayru's Flame and Din's Flame—and then blessed by the Goddess in the form of Zelda, turning it into the True Master Sword. In comparison to the Goddess Longsword, it deals twice the damage. Each slash can deal 16 points of damage. The Spin Slash deals 24 points of damage and the Skyward Strike deals 8 points of damage.

The Master Sword in its true state after being blessed by Hylia

In this game, the Master Sword also has the ability to shoot beams of light and can search for people or items. This is likely due to the presence of Fi, the spirit inside the sword. After completing the game, the player can replay it in Hero Mode, which makes the Goddess Sword and subsequently the Master Sword's Skyward Strikes much quicker from the very beginning.

A Link Between Worlds

Link obtaining the Master Sword from the Lost Woods in A Link Between Worlds

The Master Sword makes an appearance in A Link Between Worlds, and is found in the same location as A Link to the Past. It can be found in the Lost Woods and cannot be obtained until after Link has collected the Pendants of Virtue and finds his way through the woods. It is needed to break the barrier around Hyrule Castle.

The Master Sword replaces the Captain's Sword and features enhanced strength over his previous sword, and like its predecessor, a sword beam can be shot out of the Master Sword whenever Link has full health. It can be upgraded to deal more damage if Link acquires two Master Ores and gives them to the Blacksmith in Hyrule, and he can further upgrade the Master Sword if he takes two more Master Ores to the Blacksmith in Lorule. When upgraded, the Master Sword Lv2 has a red blade while the Master Sword Lv3 has a golden blade, much like the Tempered Sword and the Golden Sword respectively in A Link to the Past.

Breath of the Wild

Main article: Master Sword Requirements

In Breath of the Wild, the Master Sword can be found in its pedestal in the Korok Forest, guarded by the Great Deku Tree.

Background and Obtaining the Sword

The Great Deku Tree reveals to Link that if a person deemed to be weak attempts to draw the Master Sword from its pedestal, they will slowly lose their life. This means that Link must be powerful enough to draw the blade from its slumber and, unlike any previous incarnation, he requires at least thirteen hearts to successfully retrieve the sword (These hearts must be permanent heart containers: using consumables that temporarily increase Link's maximum hearts will not allow him to obtain the Master Sword). Note that the Horned Statue can be used to convert stamina to hearts to get thirteen hearts, even if they are converted back later.

The Great Deku Tree will prevent Link from dying if he fails to lift it the first time, but Link will die upon further attempts with not enough hearts. Upon taking the sword, Link will obtain a memory of the sword being placed in the pedestal; however, this memory is not actually Link's, rather, it is Princess Zelda's. Zelda placed the sword in its resting place after Link's near-death, where the hero would come to retrieve it once more after his slumber in the Shrine of Resurrection.

It is not necessary for Link to have a free Weapons slot to pick up the Master Sword, though it occupies a permanent inventory space when picked up; this slot does not affect the number of slots that can be obtained through the exchange of Korok Seeds.

The Master Sword plays a prominent role in Link's memories, and is once again indicated to only be usable by the chosen hero. During Link's final memory, and Zelda's memory when the Sword is retrieved, it is shown to be in a severely damaged and rusted condition, something that has not been seen in any previous Zelda game. After being placed into its resting spot by Princess Zelda, the Sword gradually regained its luster and restored itself to its most powerful state.

After Link's death during his final memory, the sword begins to flash blue and emit a sound that is the same as Fi's in Skyward Sword, indicating that she is still present within the blade. Fi speaks to Princess Zelda, and tells her that Link can still be saved by taking him to the Shrine of Resurrection, where he can fully recover to fight Calamity Ganon once more.

Statistics

The Master Sword has an initial base attack power of 30, leaving it outclassed by a multitude of other one-handed weapons in its unaltered state. Its true power, however, comes in the presence of evil when Link ventures to certain areas or draws near certain enemies. This includes near any guardian variations (except Guardian Scouts), the entirety of Hyrule Castle, as well as within the four Divine Beasts, i.e. where Ganon's presence is most powerful. In this awakened state, the blade will start glowing with a blue aura and its attack rating will be boosted to 60, making it the most powerful single-handed weapon in the game.

It is possible to increase the base power of the Master Sword by progressing in the Trial of the Sword from The Master Trials DLC. Completion of each section will increase the attack power by 10, with completion of the third Final Trials boosting its attack power from 50 to 60, ultimately leaving it in its "awakened" state at all times (alongside a hefty durability increase):

Power Stage	Attack ∕ vs. Guardian Enemies	Durability	Requirements
Standard	30 ∕ 60	40	13 Heart Containers
1st Luster	40 ∕ 60	40	Have the Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass Clear the Beginning Trials of the Trial of the Sword
2nd Luster	50 ∕ 60	40	Have the Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass Clear the Middle Trials of the Trial of the Sword
Full Luster	60	188	Have the Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass Clear the Final Trials of the Trial of the Sword

Properties and Powers

Like all other weapons in Breath of the Wild, it can be rendered unusable after extensive use. However, it is special in that the Sword will never break, or disappear from the inventory after obtaining it. After the Sword loses its power from extensive use, it will auto-repair itself gradually and return to normal after some time. When the Master Sword is engulfed in its true power, it will gain a huge durability boost.

The Master Sword can shoot blade beams of energy when Link has full health. The distance covered by the beams depends on Link's total hearts at full health (the more hearts, the more distance), and the rate and frequency of beam shooting can be enhanced by wearing specific armor sets like the ★★-tier Hero of the Wild Set. Each beam spends one point of damage on the weapon until it has full luster; at that point, the sword can shoot beams without consuming durability.

Albeit it has its own built-in power boost in the presence of Guardians or while at Hyrule Castle, the Master Sword is entirely unaffected by the Guardian Weapon bonuses of the Ancient Set and the Diamond Circlet; as such, wearing these armor items will not boost the Master Sword's attack.

The Master Sword is part of the Hyrule Compendium, and should a picture not have been taken before acquiring it, as the sword cannot be dropped to take a picture from a distance, a picture can be obtained by taking a selfie with the Camera Rune, or by purchasing pictures at bulk from Symin.

Age of Calamity

The Master Sword is obtained by Link in the Freeing Korok Forest Chapter 3 scenario. It is part of his One-Handed Weapon moveset, and is paired with the Hylian Shield when used.

Tears of the Kingdom

Story

The Master Sword initially starts in Link's inventory but is grievously damaged by Ganondorf's Gloom attack during the opening.

Upon Link's awakening in the Great Sky Island, he will instead be in possession of a Decayed Master Sword, a weapon with a measly 1 attack power, ensuring he cannot be without a source of damage output in the game's tutorial segment. Like its variant in Breath of the Wild, it will go into an auto-repair state once broken instead of permanently disappearing. However, due to the sword being decayed, it will be remain recharging indefinitely. After Link clears the Great Sky Island, the Decayed Master Sword will disappear in a flash of light, before the Light Dragon appears and parts the Cloud Barrier, granting access to the rest of Hyrule.

Through memories, the Sword is shown to have travelled through time and appeared to Zelda in the past. Over the course of Zelda's time there, and especially after Ganondorf comes to power, Zelda realizes that she was sent there to restore the Master Sword to its full potential. As Mineru tells her, this would likely take eons to accomplish, and a source of power could not normally be provided for such a long time. Zelda resorts to the only possible method - consuming her Secret Stone and irreversibly turning into a Dragon. At the end of the memories and the past events, Zelda stands behind the Temple of Time, and consumes the Stone. She grabs the decayed Master Sword and holds it in front of her before she transforms into the Light Dragon.

In the present, the restored Master Sword can be found stuck in the brow of the Light Dragon, who soars all around Hyrule. The Master Sword requires 5 Stamina Vessels (the equivalent of two full stamina wheels total) to pull out (temporary stamina from meals or other means will not work). If Link does not retrieve the Master Sword before confronting Ganondorf, he will receive the sword from the Light Dragon at the start of the Demon Dragon fight, regardless of maximum stamina.

The sword is required to deliver the final blow to the Demon Dragon, though other weapons can be used to deal damage up until the final scripted blow.

After Ganondorf has been defeated and the Light Dragon transforms back into Zelda, she is relieved to see that Link found the Master Sword, and that her attempt to restore it worked.

Powers and Statistics

The Master Sword can be Fused like any other weapon, though it cannot be used as a fuse material for something else, due to being impossible to drop from the inventory. Materials fused onto the Master Sword will be irrecoverably lost, as they will be destroyed when the Master Sword runs out of energy and unlike other weapons, Pelison cannot remove materials fused onto the Master Sword.

The Master Sword retains its stats from Breath of the Wild, with base 30 damage and 40 durability. However, in the presence of Gloom, its damage output will double, including the attack bonus of anything fused onto it. It will get a full durability restore upon entering the Ganondorf fight.

A similar sword, called MsgNotFound, is used by Link during the prologue, appearing exactly like the Master Sword, but lacks the Master Sword's name and description, as the player cannot open the equipment menu in the prologue without glitches. It cannot break, and cannot be legitimately used outside of the prologue. If it is somehow glitched into the game proper, then it also cannot have materials fused onto it without the use of additional glitches.

Non-Canon Appearances

SoulCalibur II

In the fighting game SoulCalibur II, the Master Sword is Link's default weapon. Link starts with this weapon, along with the Hylian Shield, and it is the most well balanced of all his weapons. The Master Sword is also used when combined with the Mirror Shield.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

The Master Sword can be obtained from fortune cookies in Animal Crossing: New Leaf as it appears in Skyward Sword. It is a furniture item that can be displayed in one's house. It is in its pedestal when placed in a house.

Hyrule Warriors

Link with the Master Sword in Hyrule Warriors.

"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

In Hyrule Warriors, the Master Sword is located in a pedestal, deep in the Temple of the Sacred Sword. The sword keeps a fragment of Ganondorf's spirit sealed inside the pedestal; if removed, the seal will weaken and eventually break. In Legend Mode, after all three Gates of Souls have been closed, Zelda and Lana decide that they must obtain the Master Sword to defeat Cia, believing that Link is worthy of wielding the sacred weapon - Lana assures the heroes that the seal will only weaken, allowing them a brief period of time to defeat Cia before Ganondorf's spirit fragment escapes. Despite intervention from Wizzro and his forces, Link is able to retrieve the Master Sword from the pedestal.

As the Hyrulean Army confronts Cia's forces at the Temple of Souls, Link begins to grow cocky and reckless due to both the Master Sword's power and Proxi encouraging him, charging into enemy lines with no regard for his or others' safety. Cia is able to exploit this, cursing Link and summoning an endless army of Dark Links that deliver a brutal attack on the Hyrulean forces. Link is overwhelmed and nearly killed by the Dark Links, but is saved by Lana and his allies - inspired by their teamwork, he overcomes his hubris, banishing the curse and awakening the Master Sword's true power. While Cia would ultimately be defeated, Link would fail to return the Master Sword to its pedestal in time, and the seal is broken, restoring Ganondorf's power. After Ganon's eventual defeat, Link and Zelda return the Master Sword to its pedestal in the Temple, restoring the seal.

The Master Sword is a weapon class used by Link - unlike the other weapons, the sword is one-of-a-kind, and the player cannot obtain additional copies or sell it. It uses the same moveset as the Hylian Sword, and is wielded alongside the Hylian Shield; however, it is significantly stronger than most obtainable Hylian Swords, and the Spin Attack becomes faster and wider than the Hylian Sword. After completing "A War of Spirit", the Master Sword gains the ability to fire Sword Beams after certain special moves, provided Link is at full health.

The Master Sword comes with two Weapon Skills that cannot be removed or swapped: Evil's Bane and Exorcism - however, both of these Skills are locked by Legendary Seals. To unlock Evil's Bane, the player must obtain every Level 1, 2, and 3 weapon in the game, then accumulate 25,000 KOs with the Master Sword (10,000 in Legends and Definitive Edition; this Skill increases the Master Sword's attack power by +200. Exorcism, which only appears in Legends and Definitive Edition, is unlocked by obtaining every weapon, including Level 4+ weapons, in the game, and then getting 15,000 KOs with the Master Sword; this Skill increases the Master Sword's attack power by +400, and will remove all Legendary Seals on other weapons.

Weapon	Level	Elements	Strength	Location
Master Sword	★	Light	300 (+200 with Evil's Bane) (+400 with Exorcism)	Complete The Sacred Sword.

Super Mario Maker 2

In Super Mario Maker 2, the Master Sword serves as a power-up in the Super Mario Bros. theme which transforms Mario (or the other playable characters) into Link, with a full set of typical Link moves. This includes using the Master Sword to stab, down thrust and dash attack. The power-up is lost if Link takes damage.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

In the Switch release of Skyrim, the player can use Amiibo for items. The Zelda series Amiibo have a chance of giving the player gear from Breath of the Wild. Among these is the Master Sword, which is essentially just an Elven Sword. Oddly enough, however, the Master Sword never gets blood on it.

Gallery

Canon appearances

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  Artwork from A Link to the Past

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  Artwork from A Link to the Past

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  Pulling out the Master Sword in A Link to the Past

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  The Master Sword in A Link to the Past

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  The Master Sword in the End Credits of A Link to the Past

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  Artwork from A Link to the Past

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  Sprite from A Link to the Past

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  Master Sword icon from A Link to the Past

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  Master Sword art from Ocarina of Time

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  Master Sword art from Ocarina of Time

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  Master Sword icon from Ocarina of Time 3D

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  Master Sword within the Pedestal of Time from Ocarina of Time

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  Master Sword sprite from Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages

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  Artwork from The Wind Waker

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  Master Sword within the Sacred Grove in Twilight Princess

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  Master Sword icon from Twilight Princess HD

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  Artwork of the Master Sword from A Link Between Worlds

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  Artwork of the Master Sword in Korok Forest from Breath of the Wild

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  Link with the Master Sword from Age of Calamity

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  Artwork from Tears of the Kingdom

Non-canon appearances

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  Master Sword trophy from Super Smash Bros. Melee, with text

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  Master Sword model from SoulCalibur II

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  Master Sword & Hylian Shield SoulCalibur II gallery entry (page 1)

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  Master Sword & Hylian Shield SoulCalibur II gallery entry (page 2)

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  Mirror Shield SoulCalibur II gallery entry, with Master Sword (page 1)

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  Mirror Shield SoulCalibur II gallery entry, with Master Sword (page 2)

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  Master Sword icon from Hyrule Warriors

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  Master Sword power-up sprite from Super Mario Maker 2.