The History of Movie Swords

Fantasy Swords in the Movies

The movies have a long and illustrious relationship with swords. The two things go very well together. Movies have long focused on the hero and his weapons. And being a visual medium the artisans of movies have created some astonishingly beautiful swords. Often times the sword makers are given some free reign to create something that was only previously described in a book or novel and our first sword is just this. It is the sword of Conan the Barbarian. The name of his sword is "The Atlantean". It, and its wielder Conan were created by Robert E. Howard.

The Conan Sword (1982 Movie)

The Riddle of Steel - "Crom is strong! If I die, I have to go before him, and he will ask me, 'What is the riddle of steel?' If I don't know it, he will cast me out of Valhalla and laugh at me." ~Conan the Barbarian

An interesting observation about the sword. It is very similar to a flamberge which was a two-handed sword from the middle ages and the unique thing about the flamberge was the wielder could hold it in the normal way and swing it with both hands much like it was a baseball bat. But the Flamberge had a special section above the crosspiece which was wrapped in leather. This allowed the wielder to choke up on it and swing it in tighter circles. The Atlantean has this same kind of structure.

You can see in the picture from the movie above that conan's left hand is on the choked up section. The atlantean didn't have a leather wrapping here it was metal. Conan the Barbarian Sword of Crom

When did the sword first appear?

Conan first appeared in the Magazine "Weird Tales" in 1932 in a story called "The Phoenix on the Sword". And the sword made its first movie appearance in the movie Conan the Barbarian in 1982 with Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Conan.

Conan: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Savage Barbarian

Highlander The Movie (1986)

Born in the Highlands of Scotland in 1518, Connor Macleod is immortal. When he is wounded in battle but does not die, he is banished from his village. He meets another like himself, Ramirez, who teaches him swordsmanship--the only way to kill another immortal is to take his head--and the ways of the immortals. Modern-day New York is the location of "The Gathering," where Connor and the few remaining immortals must battle to the last for "The Prize."

Macleod Claymore Sword with Sheath The highlander sword changed over the course of the movies and this is a replica of the sword used in the first movie. It has the traditional look of medieval scottish swords. As the movies evolved so did the swords. The main character in the movies of course updates to more modern weapons as he moves forward in time. His ultimate weapon is a highly stylized katana. This is a replica of the set he uses in Highlander 3.

This is the 1st generation Highlander series STYLE sword based on Connor MacCleod's sword. Few swords can compare to the intricate detail, the beauty, or the smooth handling of this sword. This highly detailed well sought after piece is a classic in the making. The blade of the sword is HQSS 440 stainless steel with the temper line down the edge of the blade. The blade has already been sharpened and features a push tang design. The scabbard of the sword is high polished blue lacquered aluminum. The scabbard features a cord wrapped sage-o, and two golden fittings. The first golden fitting is an ornate end cap depicting a roaring dragon head at the end of the scabbard. The second golden fitting is at the scabbard throat and depicts 2 fighting dragons. The guard of the sword and the blade collar are also both golden. The guard of the sword highly detailed golden dragon wrapped around the blade of the sword. The handle of the sword is the sweet spot. The whole handle is composed of imitation ivory and incredibly detailed. The handle traces four oriental scenes separated by the scales of the dragon. The pommel of the sword ends in the opened mouth dragon head, the signature mark of the Highlander style swords. 4 Pcs Highlander 1 Samurai Katana Sword Set Black

Braveheart (1995)

This is one of the best movies ever made and it showcases a lot of different weapons through a lot of different battle scenes. The most famous weapon is the big two handed flamberge that Mel Gibson wields. you can see it in the movie cover pic on the left.

Original William Wallace #1 Medieval Sword One of the unique features of this weapon was the extra sheathing above the crosspiece (it covered part of the blade) This served an important purpose. When the wielder had lots of room he swung the weapon two handed like a baseball bat. But when the combat got in close and there wasn't room to swing it he could place a hand on the choked up leather section and wield it in a more controlled fashion. Note From Will: I own this sword! You can Read my review of it and see more pictures of it here: My William Wallace Sword

Blade (1998 - 2004)

This is a trilogy of movies with Wesley Snipes as a vampire hunter. His weapon is very stylish and is modeled after the katana. It has the added booby trap of having blades that will sever a user's hand if a safety button is not depressed. This insures only Blade can wield it.

Blade Sword of Daywalker

Product Description

Sword Overall Length: 35-1/4"
Blade Length: 26-3/4"
Blade Material: Polished Stainless Steel double edged, not sharp faux edge
Handle Material: Cast metal handle with dagger
Leather covered Hard Scabbard with body harness and 8 chrome rings

Gladiator (2000) This movie is a strong pre-cursor to the now popular 300 movie. The roman era had its own unique style of weapons and here is a look at the sword of Maximus (Russell Crowe)

Maximus Roman Gladiator Sword Medieval Gladius w/ Scabbard

Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)

There are of course many swords and other weapons in the Lord of the Rings movies. And these movies have done much to forward the hobby of collecting swords. But of all the weapons in the movie one rises above them all. It is the small sword of Frodo Baggins which was given to him by Bilbo Baggins. The sword is of course "Sting" and it glows when an Orc is near. This sword has magical powers. If you want to learn about some of the other swords in the Lord of the Rings movies I have put together a whole section devoted to these weapons. You can learn the names of the weapons and who wielded them. Lord of the Rings Swords

Eragon (2006)

This movie has quite a few unique weapons in it including the main sword Zar'roc which Eragon wields. It has a blue sapphire mounted at the end of the handle and this symbolizes the blue egg and the dragon.

Zar'roc, The Sword of Eragon - Miniature Replica with Stand

300 (2007)

A blockbuster movie that has done a lot for the art and craft of the Roman era as seen by the modern movie goer. There were several famous weapons used in the movie and none more famous than the Gladius - a standard sidearm of the Roman soldier and used only as last resort when the battle got in real close. The lack of a crosspiece showed the limitations of metal working from this period of history. It wasn't until centuries later that the sword changed dramatically as metal working and blacksmithing technologies improved.

KILL BILL Katanas Two Sword Set with Display Stand

Factory X Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Slayer's Stake There are not a lot of ways to kill a vampire. While decapitation and exposure to direct sunlight will do, the preferred method of most Vampire Slayers throughout the ages has always been a good old-fashioned wooden stake through the heart. Of course, any sharp and pointy wooden object can be used a pencil, a table leg, a pool cue but theres just no substitute for a well-whittled stake to rid yourself of that undead pest. Now, you can bring home a stake of your own, as Factory Xs Slayers Stake is currently in stock. A striking prop replica that pays tribute to the Slayers whove kept the world safe from evil all through the millennia, Factory Xs Slayers Stake is made of actual, hand-carved wood. The piece itself comes in a handsome satin-lined, black wooden box, adorned with an attractive brass plaque, and the inside of the lid features the now-famous words, Into every generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a chosen one. . While the artisans at Factory X had numerous stakes to choose from, they opted to replicate of one of the earliest stakes used on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Featured prominently in the shows first season, this stake was also used extensively in promotional shots for the show.