Celebrating the Massive Contribution of Fantasy Swords in Films for over 25 Years

Twenty five years ago, the sword dubbed as “The Atlantean” was given a rebirth in the silver screen. It was specifically designed for the movie Conan and for the actor who played the role, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The sword has been blessed with a premier role in the movie because it served as the centerpiece in the Conan stories and novels written by Robert E. Howard. The Atlantean proved to be immensely popular, bringing forth replicas that were later generated for sale on the mass market, both online and offline. 25 years later, replicas of the sword are still being made and continuously sold. The Atlantean has inspired a whole trend in the movie making world and presently, makers of fantasy and sci-fi movies go on great lengths to design, create, and offer unique swords as part of the movie and as part of their marketing itself. This is evident in the recent, blockbuster movie 300, which has stimulated a revival in the gladiator type of swords. Even the new Harry Potter film will showcase a sword wielded by the main protagonist himself. In fact, replicas of Harry’s sword has already been out in the mass market, available in limited quantities currently, that will surely leave hardcore fans of the movie franchise in a frenzy.

The Highlander TV series and movies, which had its first installment released in 1986, are also a prime example of how the sword serves as a highlight of the film. These weapons play a stellar role in movie plot in that the sword are to be used in order to vanquish an enemy, and therefore, gain the abilities of that particular foe. In the initial film, a Scottish Claymore sword was utilized and as the Highlander travels through time into the modern world, he alternates to an extremely conventionalized variant of Japanese swords, known as a katana. This application of the Japanese katana is perhaps one of the first examples of the mass commercialization of Japanese swords, and has proven to be followed with success by Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill volumes 1 and 2.

Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, which was released in 1995, is an ideal utilization of replica swords that remain true to the flavor of the era they depict. The main protagonist, William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson, aside from directing the film) handled several, diverse arms that endured to be exactly accurate to the time portrayed by the film. The most famous of the weapons that he used is a Flamberge, or also known as a “Flame Tongue”. This sword that served as his main weapon is a two-handed sword that has a leather wrapping around a portion of the blade which allows the wielder to choke up on the sword and use it in close-combat bearings. Aside from this medieval sword, the weapons that he handled also included a flail and a warhammer.

The Marvel Comics turned movie, Blade (1996-2004), is trilogy of vampire movies that applied a spectrum of arms, from projectiles to flailing and lashing weapons. The main character, Blade, played by Wesley Snipes, used a Japanese Katana as his primary weapon. It is not just any simple kind of Katana, because his “ōdachi” has its own unique booby trap effect. So if another person gets a hold of it, they will have a couple of seconds to press a secret button to deactivate the trap, otherwise three secret blades will bulge out of its handle and devastate the hand of its bearer. This trilogy is another great example of how the Japanese katana or “ōdachi” has become a hot centerpiece in movies.

The 2000 blockbuster movie Gladiator, is another fantastic example of how the armaments of the great Roman times have made their way into films and left its mark. Maximus (portrayed by award-winning actor Russel Crowe), had a Roman Gladius for his main weapon. His portrayal of the role not only immortalized the gladiator in this modern time, but also made the Gladius a very famous piece for avid weapon collectors to have.

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001 – 2003) have had a huge effect not only on fantasy movie fans, but also on sword collectors. This trilogy went beyond all other movies in triggering the desire of both young cosplayers and big time weapon collectors to have the different weapons and armors that it has featured.  This movie made the collector return to the artistic side of pure fantasy swords much like what Conan’s Atlantean did. While the movie trend was revolving around the creation of period accurate replicas, this trilogy moved the whole trend to a whole new level. Each of the lead characters in this trilogy has his own unique weapon that not only represented their respective races, but also their individual traits. From Gimly’s Axes to Legolas’ bow and arrow and dual blades, to Frodo’s Sting Blade, and King Aragorn’s Anduril, the trilogy welcomed its fans to fantasy weaponry and inspired them to get their hands on such collectible items.

Eragon, released in 2006, carried the tradition of unique fantasy swords forward, in that the primary character wields an exquisite-looking sword dubbed as Zar’roc. This unique blade has a blue Sapphire embedded at its hilt (while in the novel it had ruby instead) and has substantial power and symbolization. Not only did it play an important role in the movie, but it also played significant role in the world of replica swords collection.

The past 25 years of fantasy filmmaking not only bequeathed us with great entertainment, but also played a major role in replica swords collection. The selection of swords used in these past movies that are accurate reproductions of authentic swords in historical events has served as a window to the past. While the breathtaking innovations of fantasy swords that were given life by the creative minds of writers and the talent of forgers, have fascinated viewers of all age group and collectors of every stature. The trend that was first started with the movie Conan and his sword Atlantean has paved the way for more astonishing creations, as shown by the other succeeding movies. This fact only made us look forward that in the next 25 years, we will be treated more fascinating selections of weapons and swords in films, both local and international.

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