The Best in Fictional Weaponry: Excalibur

*Originally published on 2/24/12


In terms of iconic weapons, you don't get any more renowned than Excalibur. It was the primary weapon wielded by King Arthur for crying out loud.

Oddly enough, despite being the more well known of the magical swords that exist in the world of fiction, it's probably the weakest. Sure, it has magical properties, but in the grand scheme of things, it isn't quite as potent a weapon as some of the other items discussed, or even the other magical swords that have been created over the years.

In some iterations, Excalibur was the mythical "sword in the stone", the blade that Arthur drew as a boy to prove that he was the rightful King. Other men, far stronger than young Arthur, tried their hand at drawing the sword and all failed miserably. Destiny asserted its hand, however, for when Arthur grabbed on to the sword and pulled, it slid out easily, ensuring that Arthur would take his place on the throne.

A lot of other iterations say that the two blades are different. Quite frankly, I prefer the prior. It gives him a greater tie to the weapon and it shows us from the get-go that the weapon is unique. Whereas, with the two weapons being separate, one might get the impression that Excalibur was just your run of the mill sword.

This is not the case as Excalibur did have other attributes that made it unique. For example, it is said that whenever the sword is drawn, it would blind Arthur's enemies. This power acts in much the same capacity as the "solar flare" in Dragonball Z, giving the hero a chance to strike and gain an advantage while the foe tries to recover.

In an interesting twist, even Excalibur's scabbard (or sheath) has powers as well. According to legend, the bearer of Excalibur's sheath was unable to be killed due to blood loss. In some cases, the bearer didn't bleed period. That would come in handy during a sword fight.

While each individual ability is a potent asset in its own right, the combination of the two makes the wielder of Excalibur a force to be reckoned with in any conflict.