Just so you know we've already done a video testing some of the constructed improvised weapons in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, but it was not recommended to most of our viewers and many don't even know we made it. It's a great video and I'm sure you will enjoy it: ua-cam.com/video/SDcccleEA4M/v-deo.html&t
2:56 I actually have seen Link use the master sword with two hands. In a cutscene from Breath of the Wild, we can see him swinging it around to practice swordplay and during that, he's using two hands.
It looked cool! but have you guys disassembled the hilt to find what made the sound? Because of the pommel screw, I wonder if its hollow and if there is a lengthy screw thru the length of the hilt that might be making the sound!?
My guess is when the three Goddesses turned the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword, they had put a special enchantment on it to make it extremely light which could explain why Link can use it one handed.
I can’t wait till they announce a Legend of Zelda movie. That’s one of Nintendo’s more grounded properties and is proper fantasy. Hopefully, a lot of care will be put into the worldbuilding and story, so people like you can analyse and enjoy it Shad. Great video by the way. You are one of the reasons why I got into fantasy and have inspired me greatly.
Actually, the Master Sword is a one and a half hand sword. Link generally holds it with one hand, but he occasionally wields it with two for certain moves (especially in Twilight Princess).
And the training scene in botw if you want a more modern scene. (My god im getting old, i remember when twilight first came out, it's been out since november 2006...)
In addition to twilight princess, you can see link train using two hands with the master sword in botw, specifically in one of the memories. It shows as link and Zelda are stuck in the rain under a tree, where link decides to train with his sword until the rain ends, utilizing both two handed and one handed sword strikes, while listening to zelda talk.
Actually Shad, Link's version on Zelda Twilight Princess uses his sword with two hands from time to time when you execute these "hidden skills" passed on by the Hero's Shade who is presumably an earlier encarnation of Link himself.
Well the shade does outright call Link "My Son" when you complete all of his trials, so I think its a little closer than just an incarnation. Though the "Hyrule Historia" Lists the Hero's Shade as specifically being the Hero of Time, who wished to pass on his techniques as proof of his heroism (time travel was involved in his game, so him being a hero was time paradoxed away at the end).
I thought that was the case. I'm pretty sure he definitely does it in the hidden draw (or whatever it was called when you have your sword sheathed and drawn and strike the enemy all at once.)
@@jlan7844 Actually, Twilight Princess is in the victory/child timeline, where the Hero of Time beat Ganon, then Zelda sent him back in time to live out his childhood, and be the Link of Majora's Mask. Wind Waker is the game in the absent timeline where the Hero of Time didn't return to live out his childhood after winning, and therefore wasn't present when Ganon returned again. And Link to the Past -> Zelda 1/2 are the timeline where Link lost at the end of Ocarina of Time (the "downfall timeline")
I've got the same opinion about Chaoseater from Darksiders. Simple in shape, and yet with a lot of decoration. The Ashen Vindicator from Soulstice too. Even simpler in shape than Chaoseater (being a Berserk reference), but it also has a long handle on one side of the blade instead of an edge, to make it better wieldable upside-down. This is important because Ashen Vindicators/Enforcers double as both weapons and warhammers. The Heavenly Sword from the same-titled game... to an extent. It's got an awkward spiky bit at the back upper part of the handle, but it also seems to have a pretty elegant mechanism of splitting the blade in two. I would include the Soul Reaver among here, but out of all these blades, it's the closest to being realistic (to an extent).
I think it's one of those things that looked perfectly sensible in the stylized art where it originated, but then it kept going. Sometimes they change it up a little, in Twilight Princess it was upgraded in length which helped with that being the most realistic-ish one.
@@KairuHakubi hell yeah, I love the twilight princess master sword, it really felt fantasy like whilst still keeping a realistic aesthetic, the blade is pretty much claymore length yet link wields it like he’s swinging around a dagger lol
In Breath of the Wild, during the memory cutscenes, we can see Link train using both hands on the Master Sword. This would imply that when not using a shield, the Master Sword can be used as a two handed sword. It is also implied that the royal knight sword arts in Hyrule has two handed combat. Plus, Link in the Hyrule universe is supposed to be able to be a beast when it comes to strenght while still being noticably smaller than other Hyrulians.
@@professormutant3252 Yup, I think through various 1st-party sources it’s been confirmed it’s a 1.5-handed sword. Also remembering, Hylians aren’t the tallest race.. Their bastard swords are probably 1h-sized.
I would add the fact that from Twilight Princess ahead, the Master Sword started being more like a 2 handed sword, in Ocarina of Time the M-Sword looks shorter and seems more comfortable for being a one handed sword, also on Smash Bros Brawl, one thing that got me thinking is the M-Sword, it looks so much shorter there than its "canon" counterpart from Twilight Princess.
The sword not cutting horizontally actually still matches up with the video games. While attacking without using an inputted direction from the stick, Link usually attacks with diagonal strikes and a vertical strike to start a combo, usually ending with a horizontal slice that would knock back enemies and allow him to jump-strike or Finishing Blow on them while they were knocked onto the ground. It also matches up with the great spin attack that knocks everything away from him.
Maybe that's the reason why Link doesn't have a shield in any cinematic. In real life he uses it two handed style but the one handed is just iconic for him.
True yeah, in a bunch of cinematics he holds it two handed as someone else mentioned maybe that's what he does normally without a shield and bow but when we're playing him he only does one handed
Link actually did use two hands while wielding the master sword for at least one of the hidden skills in Twilight Princess. I can’t remember if he did with the mortal draw, but I remember him using both hands on the jump strike.
Fatal Blow was definitely with both hands, but it's hard to say whether Mortal Draw used both hands. Mortal Draw looks like his shield hand is only there for spiritual support, similar to how he executes jump attacks in every game.
If anything, the Master Sword's design makes even less sense for killing monsters than it does for dueling. Both the crossguard and second edge are virtually useless unless you're facing armed and intelligent opponents, and it lacks the reach to reliably reach the vitals of some of Zelda's larger monsters and avoid being crushed by the falling corpse.
Apparently, on their website, they've clarified that they only sell the sword in one color and that's with the brass. However, the brass tarnishes giving it the blued color. It is not intentionally blued. They recommend customers simply polish it back to a bright brass. I kind of feel like they should polish it themselves before sending it out as shipping tarnished products that look different than the advertised picture is a bit shady, but to their credit, they're at least honest about shipping tarnished swords.
11:26 "You have broken what could not be broken! Now, hope is broken." At Spaceworld 2000, Nintendo showed a Gamecube tech demo with a brief video of Link and Ganon dueling each other. At the end, Link throws his shield aside and two-hands the Master Sword, but all we see him do with it is bind with Ganon's blade. And it's been years since I last played, but I seem to remember some of Link's combos in Wind Waker ending with him two-handing the Master Sword.
Link’s master sword is usually one-handed, but there are few occasions where he has wielded it with two hands. Even in ocarina he does it when you do his downward jumping strike.
If I'm remembering correctly, there's many times Link two hands the Master Sword. Zelda2: The down thrust attack. *A Space World 2000 Presentation: Ganondorf taunts Link, making his toss aside his shield and two hand the sword for a furious strike. Twilight Princess: The Finishing Plow, a move were he leaps into the air, plunging the sword into a downed enemy, with both hands. Skyward Sword: once again, The Finishing Plow returns, same as Twilight Princess. While these are farm from normal sword techniques, he has two handed it plenty of times, just not while swinging it most times... Thank you for listening to my TEDTalk. Edit: I'm glad the community was able to form an encyclopedia of all the times Link two hands the Master Sword from this comment.
One of the Zelda Mangas Link uses the master sword two hands, and in reference, art for OOT Link is fully using the Master sword as a two-handed weapon.
Down-air in SSBM is same as Zelda 2. That attack is also used in other games but I can't remember off the top of my head. Also wow, that little comment by Shad really got the nerds out in force.
Came here because I was vaguely interested but decided to sub because you guys seem really cool, not only that, as a fan of swords, I just love seeing people talk about them, especially something as Iconic as the Master Sword. Of course for one to get the full power from the Master Sword one needs to add a few "Haah's" and "Hiyah's" to your swings but that's besides the point, looking forward to more content. May the Goddess Hylia bless your future endeavors, now back to saving Hyrule from the Calamity.
I actually really like the idea that the Master Sword is much heavier and chunkier than one would expect. It lends credence to the whole "only destined heroes can wield it" thing. I also love the idea of an elven blade that's specifically meant for fast, heavy, powerful blows, chopping more than cutting. Like the elves got tired of getting bullied by dwarves and orcs and said "FINE. You want a *real* sword? *THIS* is a *REAL* sword!"
I never thought of the Master Sword as primarily a weapon. Even traditionally in past games there are stronger blades like the big goron's sword in OoT. The Master sword is treated more like a key, a relic that operates as the functional end of a seal against darkness.
As an interesting note towards Link two handing his sword, he does do it on certain attacks. For instance his powerful “Mortal Draw” in Twilight Princess if I recall. It’s an over the shoulder draw/slash holding the hilt with two hands.
Link actually does use two hands on it for the Mortal Draw skill and Jump Strike skill in Twilight Princess. The Master Sword has always looked like a longsword to me, even though he's always used it with a shield.
@@Andrea-wr5wd I think it changes game by game. In Twilight Princess, it is certainly long enough to be a standard size longsword rather than a hand-and-a-half sword
As others have pointed out Link from Twilight Princess does at times use the Master Sword with two hands. He not only uses it in a couple of hidden skills but he ALSO uses it when performing certain swords strikes at the end of a normal attack chain. I think its the both the neutral attack chain finisher(overhead strike) and the forward attack chain finisher(forward thrust) in which he uses two hands. Its easier to see the animation when the shield is unequipped, however it remains the same with the shield equipped aswell.
Interesting how the more functional blade has similar design choices to the redesigns you did a while back, Shad. It seems we have physical evidence that knowing your stuff about swords really pays off to making fantasy swords that actually work and still look cool!
@@firenze6478 Just wear the gem as an amulet. Also, gameplay wise, Link banishes enemies + ganon without the Master Sword multiple times, so the Gem is not really consistently the only "power to repel evil." If anything, the gem just repairs it.
The original Zelda OOT master sword was made to be visible on a 320x240 game picture, and one with some sort of early anti aliasing, and another two screen blurring filters and the CRT blur on top of it. it kinda needed to be thick.
I disagree, the whole blade could be made to be wider, but the blade profile should still be much better, less thicker, & have distal taper, making it far more comfortable to wield as a proper sword. For example, The Albion Principe used a wide type XVIIIc blade & it's basically a cutting terminator.
Not to mention that the low polygon count possible on the N64 with the current state of the art on software rendering forces a rather larger stylised view so there are details at all. If they had the current math and software concepts for efficient rendering the hardware is almost certainly capable of a little more detail in the game world, but there is still only so far you can go on the hardware at playable speed.
The LTTP one actually is a bit more viable that the artwork has a thinner profile, as the ingame art basically depicts link holding it horizontally when just not a swoop. Also on the Zelda OOT era, even the modelling tools were more limited. the invention of real time skinning (the technique where the model is animated per vertices instead of being a bunch of separate objects being rotated and moved around) improved the model quality a lot within that generation.
Links downward/airborn thrust-move he has in some games, for example in Twilight Princess, as a finisher move, uses two hands. Link also kills/seals Ganondorf/Ganondorf multiple times with two handed strikes. Wind waker being one of them. But generally no, outside commercials and very specific moves, the Master Sword is only drawn from the pedestal with two hands, then used single handed.
It's interesting I feel like it makes sense that it would be considerably heavier while not cutting as strong, because pretty much every iteration of Link its freakishly strong, and seems to use the master sword almost like a blunt weapon half the time. The way he batters enemies around and sends them flying lends to the idea of a lack of sharpness in exchange for blunt force capabilities, so this seems like a damn accurate master sword to me. Edit: Just got to the woodcutting section, this thing is built like a frickin axe which is awesome and feels super accurate.
Fun Fact for fans of the Master Sword. Brendan Olszowy of FableBlades currently has a custom version available for auction... with an opening reserve price of 8k USD
Something I wanted from TOTK was variations on the master sword design. Like you could take the master sword to a "master smith" and they'd craft a zweihander or an axe or whatever in that aesthetic.
humanoid people though, like ganon. but you could argue that since its supposed to be holy and full of light and energy, that it somehow lightens it up if held by the chosen one / link.
@@zero.Identity Gannon is big and magic, and link (even when he does not have stuff to help him carry heavy stuff) Carries something most likely heavier then the master sword, the hylian sheild. Theirs just so much metal on that thing
Link has used the master sword with two hands on a couple of occasions in the latest games. Mostly cutscenes (one in botw when he was training in the rain, and another in Age of Calamity when he goes to kill Ganon, another for whenever he does a finishing blow in both TP and SS.) The sword is typically wielded in one hand, though, yes.
I'd love a video of how you'd design your own functional Master Sword, if you haven't made one already. Personally, I'd want to somehow include Fi in its design (Master Sword's sword spirit, but also referencing fi as iron, as well as phi, the golden ratio (Dan Winter's phi × planck length × planck time), which also connects to the golden power aka the triforce. Thanks for the video!
I personally loved the weapon construction and fusions in TotK. The Blue Lizalfos horn being essentially a katana or military saber blade was awesome. I always tried finding royal broadswords with +10 so I could use the blue horn without being too underpowered. Silver Lynel Saber Horn helps a lot, but are much harder to stockpile.
Link does occasionally two hand the master sword (most prominently while dueling Ganondorf in Twilight Princess), though it's clear his preferred style is sword and board.
I think the rondel disk could have been moved up to merge with the crossguard, and still be thinner and lighter material than that thick crossguard, while still giving it the mirage of the same width of the original crossguard as the disk cups down a bit, but the crossguard's wings should still sweep up from the disc like before. Also the blade definitely needs to be thinner and even longer if possible.
2:54 "Never seen link two-hand the master sword" Just going to put this out here while I can. Smash Brothers! Link's Final Smash! His final strike is him wielding it two-handed! I want to believe I've also seen him wield it two-handed in the main games but I will have to do some digging for that.
@@Angelic_Hero 1. Ah yes the jump attack! How could I forget! Thank you! 2. As for any other? Hm... maybe one of the "Hidden skills" in Twilight Princess? Would 'Ending Blow' count?
@Freddiefreeman I have no clue other then the jump attacks since that is the one thing all the 3d games have in common. And I don't remember all the attack animations from every game
MY first thought when you described the blade profile was that it sounded like what an axe would be so i was gratified to see it held up on the wood test.
Two things I noticed: 1. The Master Sword is meant to be used left-handed. 2. Your hearts are not full; you should be sending blasts of energy when you swing it. Hope that helps.
It depends on which game this is from, because the earlier games did have link left handed, but then skyward sword came out and Nintendo had to make link right handed because most players were and are right handed, which the games after skywards swords release have kept link as
this is one of the episodes i was waiting for hoping you do, the other one i really wanna see is meta knights sword, galaxia, from kirby. hoping you do that some day too
I always interpreted the Master Sword (as heavy as it looks) being practically almost _weightless_ when wielded by a "worthy hero"; that being Link, among a long line of reincarnated individuals who carry the "Spirit of the Hero" within them.
"I've never seen Link 2 hand the Master Sword" Me: Z target, jump attack. Edit: one comment on the blade geometry, something thst you have done videos on. A lot of people try to fit the Master Sword into an earlier typology like a type XII, but really its closer to a later period sword like a type XVIIIe or XIX
This was surprisingly informative. Also, seems appropriate that the master sword cut into wood fairly well, considering how player's use it as a tree felling tool in BotW.
The Master Sword, to your credit is more ornamental or ceremonial rather than a battle ready weapon. Used for sealing dimensions, stopping time or weakening evil.
@@chuckchan4127 skyward sword is my favorite game. I have over 3000 hours of it on the wii and 1000 on the switch. It was my first zelda game. The difference is that it is the sword and Link in its prime, (similar to Age Of Calamity) where the power of the triforce bolstered Link and therefore bolstered the sword. Link and the sword are intrinsically connected, both are a representation of eachother. If the sword is missing, so is Link, if the sword is damaged, so is Link, if the sword is broken, so is Link. Link cannot wield the full power of the sword in botw, because he himself is not at full power.
Judging by the length of the blade, I think they designed it to be suitable for someone of Link's size. He's about 1.47 meters in height, so the length of the sword would be more appropriate for him. It would have to be scaled up a bit to be suitable for a grown human
I would really like for someone to make an actual longsword inspired by the master sword. In-game we don't see Link using the sword two-handed but in animatics and other non-game play scenes, we do see him practice both one-handed and two-handed moves.
he also holds it in both for jump attacks but thats still a small amount of attacks that i can rember in the various games where he does use both hands during actual play
I do think Link tends to have one 2-handed strike with the Master Sword in Ocarina of Time through Twilight Princess, that being the leaping overhead cut. In Smash, and added for Twilight Princess, I think his down-aerial stab also puts 2 hands on the handle.
Link has a habit of carrying a massive amount of gear, taking on opponents far larger than himself, and picking up gauntlets that boost his (already kinda absurd) upper body strength. In his hands, that sword is probably feels like a foil.
Link uses the Mastersword two handed in any jump attack. In the games "Ocarina of Time" and "Majoras Mask" he grabs the sword in the air for a mor powerful downslash wich would be a reason why the jump attack is his most powerfull basic attack. In "Twilight Princess" he learns an advanced version of this technique where he grabs the sword two handed and preparing the jump by using a special stance. So yeah Link uses the sword quite a lot two handed.
This is a great introduction to people that don't know a lot about swords as it brings in the people who just care about the Zelda. it's a great analysis on the pros and cons of the video game design, why it is the way it is and why it doesn't function in the real world as well as being a great analysis on sword crafting. It's a win win video. 👍
Imagine being Link trying to find where the master sword went, thinking it was stolen or something, and then seeing Zelda on the sheikah tablet watching two dudes reviewing it and roasting it lmao
Wow that actually really pretty. Not a bad redesign to “make it real” but if for me personally I would rather the sword be as screen accurate possible. Because if it’s not then there’s no point for me. If you not going to make it accurate then make a new version altogether. Perfect example the apocalypse version of the Master Sword is just perfection. ❤
Of everything I saw in this video the thing that made me happiest was seeing you guys use eye protection. I've been genuinely concerned in the past about some of the destructive testing. Whenever there's splinters flying, or worse metal shards, there's always that 1:1,000,000 chance that one of them decides it wants a new home in your eye. It's such an easy risk to mitigate, and the cost for failing to do so is high.
I actually purchased this sword a while ago as a gift for my girlfriend. I will say in terms of appearance, the sword is STUNNING after polishing the hilt and pommel with Brasso. I also used some Sculpt Noveau dyed patina's and mica powder to give the game-accurate purple, as well as leather paint to get the green crosshatching on the handle and gold embossing on the scabbard. This video was SO helpful in seeing what the sword can actually do as a functional weapon.
I could see a 1to1 translation of that design into one of the games. Just a little more blue, a very dark shade, and I think it's a really beautiful look.
I think also its implied somewhere in lore that despite the sword being sorta blunt it gets incredibly sharp when it hits anything thats evil in a sense the blade has some sort of holy unseen sharpness that only activates on monsters perhaps its intended to be like that to avoid harming actual hylians who want to spar maybe?
What's funny is in Game the Master sword alot of the time sorta looks more like it's Slapping Enemies anyway. In Botw and Totk lots of Links Blows send enemies flying. Maybe the blade is suppose to be bad at Cutting? Also yeah the Brass coloring on the page looks to be more akin to the Master Swords Original design
Thank you so much for this, I have been waiting for an in-depth analysis of this Master Sword as I have been contemplating getting this blade. I am making this comment before watching, so I can't wait!!
Yes, I HAVE seen Link 2-hand the Master Sword. Jump Attacks, locking blades with Ganondorf in Twilight Princess, his aerial downward thrusts, and the first half of his forward Smash attack in Super Smash Bros.
I've been using Budk for maybe 15 years now. Bought multiple knives, swords, pouches, fishing stuff and survival stuff, and even a bucket of emergency food with a shelf life and have been happy with everything I've ever gotten from them,
There are a few instances where he uses both hands in the games, notably the finishing blow or "down stab", and this also includes the Smash games. When Melee introduced being able to charge basic attacks, he also uses both hands when executing charged sideways attacks.
Just so you know we've already done a video testing some of the constructed improvised weapons in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, but it was not recommended to most of our viewers and many don't even know we made it. It's a great video and I'm sure you will enjoy it: ua-cam.com/video/SDcccleEA4M/v-deo.html&t
2:56 I actually have seen Link use the master sword with two hands. In a cutscene from Breath of the Wild, we can see him swinging it around to practice swordplay and during that, he's using two hands.
It looked cool! but have you guys disassembled the hilt to find what made the sound? Because of the pommel screw, I wonder if its hollow and if there is a lengthy screw thru the length of the hilt that might be making the sound!?
My guess is when the three Goddesses turned the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword, they had put a special enchantment on it to make it extremely light which could explain why Link can use it one handed.
I can’t wait till they announce a Legend of Zelda movie. That’s one of Nintendo’s more grounded properties and is proper fantasy. Hopefully, a lot of care will be put into the worldbuilding and story, so people like you can analyse and enjoy it Shad.
Great video by the way. You are one of the reasons why I got into fantasy and have inspired me greatly.
I think the Twilight Princess Master Sword had a longer handle allowing for two handed grips when needed.
Were you guys full health while testing the sword? That makes a difference with the Master Sword.
shad is never at full health, if you have been following his videoes
It means he couldn't shoot a beam from it LOL
@@CL-os5cz exactly. I need to see the real world performance of the beam.
@@reienna6410 too true.
The only full health effect is sword beams
Actually, the Master Sword is a one and a half hand sword. Link generally holds it with one hand, but he occasionally wields it with two for certain moves (especially in Twilight Princess).
And the training scene in botw if you want a more modern scene. (My god im getting old, i remember when twilight first came out, it's been out since november 2006...)
16 years...
In addition to twilight princess, you can see link train using two hands with the master sword in botw, specifically in one of the memories. It shows as link and Zelda are stuck in the rain under a tree, where link decides to train with his sword until the rain ends, utilizing both two handed and one handed sword strikes, while listening to zelda talk.
This! I'm glad someone else commented this already.
@@Y_u_dumdude that's not old. I remember seeing ocarina of time commercials
Actually Shad, Link's version on Zelda Twilight Princess uses his sword with two hands from time to time when you execute these "hidden skills" passed on by the Hero's Shade who is presumably an earlier encarnation of Link himself.
Well the shade does outright call Link "My Son" when you complete all of his trials, so I think its a little closer than just an incarnation. Though the "Hyrule Historia" Lists the Hero's Shade as specifically being the Hero of Time, who wished to pass on his techniques as proof of his heroism (time travel was involved in his game, so him being a hero was time paradoxed away at the end).
Oof yourself spam bot
I thought that was the case. I'm pretty sure he definitely does it in the hidden draw (or whatever it was called when you have your sword sheathed and drawn and strike the enemy all at once.)
"presumably" ? its officially confirmed to be link from OoT
@@jlan7844 Actually, Twilight Princess is in the victory/child timeline, where the Hero of Time beat Ganon, then Zelda sent him back in time to live out his childhood, and be the Link of Majora's Mask.
Wind Waker is the game in the absent timeline where the Hero of Time didn't return to live out his childhood after winning, and therefore wasn't present when Ganon returned again.
And Link to the Past -> Zelda 1/2 are the timeline where Link lost at the end of Ocarina of Time (the "downfall timeline")
I know it's not a very realistic sword, but you can't deny that it's damn cool
I've got the same opinion about Chaoseater from Darksiders. Simple in shape, and yet with a lot of decoration.
The Ashen Vindicator from Soulstice too. Even simpler in shape than Chaoseater (being a Berserk reference), but it also has a long handle on one side of the blade instead of an edge, to make it better wieldable upside-down. This is important because Ashen Vindicators/Enforcers double as both weapons and warhammers.
The Heavenly Sword from the same-titled game... to an extent. It's got an awkward spiky bit at the back upper part of the handle, but it also seems to have a pretty elegant mechanism of splitting the blade in two.
I would include the Soul Reaver among here, but out of all these blades, it's the closest to being realistic (to an extent).
I dunno, it kinda looks like it’s made of plastic, in the games….
@@theguileraven7014 Dude, I genuinely love Kamen Rider weapons.
I think it's one of those things that looked perfectly sensible in the stylized art where it originated, but then it kept going. Sometimes they change it up a little, in Twilight Princess it was upgraded in length which helped with that being the most realistic-ish one.
@@KairuHakubi hell yeah, I love the twilight princess master sword, it really felt fantasy like whilst still keeping a realistic aesthetic, the blade is pretty much claymore length yet link wields it like he’s swinging around a dagger lol
In Breath of the Wild, during the memory cutscenes, we can see Link train using both hands on the Master Sword. This would imply that when not using a shield, the Master Sword can be used as a two handed sword. It is also implied that the royal knight sword arts in Hyrule has two handed combat. Plus, Link in the Hyrule universe is supposed to be able to be a beast when it comes to strenght while still being noticably smaller than other Hyrulians.
Yea, im pretty sure the master sword is two handed (or versitile) link is just a badass
@@Neceroe yeah I reckon it's somewhat a bit of a bastard sword, able to be used both 1h and h2
@@professormutant3252 Yup, I think through various 1st-party sources it’s been confirmed it’s a 1.5-handed sword.
Also remembering, Hylians aren’t the tallest race.. Their bastard swords are probably 1h-sized.
@@requiemforameme1 yeah true. gotta consider the racial sizes when thinking fantasy swords
I would add the fact that from Twilight Princess ahead, the Master Sword started being more like a 2 handed sword, in Ocarina of Time the M-Sword looks shorter and seems more comfortable for being a one handed sword, also on Smash Bros Brawl, one thing that got me thinking is the M-Sword, it looks so much shorter there than its "canon" counterpart from Twilight Princess.
The sword not cutting horizontally actually still matches up with the video games. While attacking without using an inputted direction from the stick, Link usually attacks with diagonal strikes and a vertical strike to start a combo, usually ending with a horizontal slice that would knock back enemies and allow him to jump-strike or Finishing Blow on them while they were knocked onto the ground. It also matches up with the great spin attack that knocks everything away from him.
2:55 There IS actually a cinematic in BOTW where Link is practicing 2 hand with the Master sword, unfortunately they never really do it in gameplay…
there's a taunt in smash too no ?
Maybe that's the reason why Link doesn't have a shield in any cinematic. In real life he uses it two handed style but the one handed is just iconic for him.
His Sneak Strike has him place both of his hands on the weapon too
True yeah, in a bunch of cinematics he holds it two handed as someone else mentioned maybe that's what he does normally without a shield and bow but when we're playing him he only does one handed
Yep under the tree in the rain
Link actually did use two hands while wielding the master sword for at least one of the hidden skills in Twilight Princess. I can’t remember if he did with the mortal draw, but I remember him using both hands on the jump strike.
beat me to it
I swear he did it with the I feel like he did with the mortal draw but couldn't be wrong
Fatal Blow was definitely with both hands, but it's hard to say whether Mortal Draw used both hands. Mortal Draw looks like his shield hand is only there for spiritual support, similar to how he executes jump attacks in every game.
It was also during his fight with Ganondorf in Twilight Princess that he used both hands to overpower Ganon and you had to spam A really quickly.
Keep in mind the context of the master sword, it’s not for elegant dueling, this is made for killing monsters.
Its a sacred tool to banish the dark. Killing monsters is just a nice extra effect.
and grass
@@linkstorm6 Why touch grass when you can cut it with your sword!
If anything, the Master Sword's design makes even less sense for killing monsters than it does for dueling. Both the crossguard and second edge are virtually useless unless you're facing armed and intelligent opponents, and it lacks the reach to reliably reach the vitals of some of Zelda's larger monsters and avoid being crushed by the falling corpse.
@@irrelevantfish1978 so the enemies in BoTW/ToTK are more fitting for the sword to slice up, got it
Apparently, on their website, they've clarified that they only sell the sword in one color and that's with the brass. However, the brass tarnishes giving it the blued color. It is not intentionally blued. They recommend customers simply polish it back to a bright brass.
I kind of feel like they should polish it themselves before sending it out as shipping tarnished products that look different than the advertised picture is a bit shady, but to their credit, they're at least honest about shipping tarnished swords.
Which is funny since plating the cross guard and pommel in oxidized cobalt would give it a better blue colour than tarnished brass would.
i think it's about giving the option of having a blue lore sword, or a brass pretty sword
Head Canon for Zelda lore. The blue in the game's Master Sword is just a bluing of brass, from natural petina.
@@CaitiffFTW "You left it in a pedestal in the woods for HOW LONG? Dude, that's never coming off."
11:26 "You have broken what could not be broken! Now, hope is broken."
At Spaceworld 2000, Nintendo showed a Gamecube tech demo with a brief video of Link and Ganon dueling each other. At the end, Link throws his shield aside and two-hands the Master Sword, but all we see him do with it is bind with Ganon's blade. And it's been years since I last played, but I seem to remember some of Link's combos in Wind Waker ending with him two-handing the Master Sword.
Links holds the sword with two hands a lot in Twilight Princess
Also the Mortal Draw and Jump Strike skills in Twilight Princess.
Link’s master sword is usually one-handed, but there are few occasions where he has wielded it with two hands. Even in ocarina he does it when you do his downward jumping strike.
You can tell the fun they made making this one.
If I'm remembering correctly, there's many times Link two hands the Master Sword.
Zelda2: The down thrust attack.
*A Space World 2000 Presentation: Ganondorf taunts Link, making his toss aside his shield and two hand the sword for a furious strike.
Twilight Princess: The Finishing Plow, a move were he leaps into the air, plunging the sword into a downed enemy, with both hands.
Skyward Sword: once again, The Finishing Plow returns, same as Twilight Princess.
While these are farm from normal sword techniques, he has two handed it plenty of times, just not while swinging it most times...
Thank you for listening to my TEDTalk.
Edit: I'm glad the community was able to form an encyclopedia of all the times Link two hands the Master Sword from this comment.
I believe that the 4º attack of a combo he also 2h the master sword (Twilight Princess)
Breath of the Wild: Link two hands in the Memory "Shelter from the Storm"
One of the Zelda Mangas Link uses the master sword two hands, and in reference, art for OOT Link is fully using the Master sword as a two-handed weapon.
Every Forward-Smash in Smash Bros. His shield instantly gets put away on his back in like 1 frame when he does it.
Down-air in SSBM is same as Zelda 2. That attack is also used in other games but I can't remember off the top of my head. Also wow, that little comment by Shad really got the nerds out in force.
Came here because I was vaguely interested but decided to sub because you guys seem really cool, not only that, as a fan of swords, I just love seeing people talk about them, especially something as Iconic as the Master Sword. Of course for one to get the full power from the Master Sword one needs to add a few "Haah's" and "Hiyah's" to your swings but that's besides the point, looking forward to more content. May the Goddess Hylia bless your future endeavors, now back to saving Hyrule from the Calamity.
I actually really like the idea that the Master Sword is much heavier and chunkier than one would expect. It lends credence to the whole "only destined heroes can wield it" thing. I also love the idea of an elven blade that's specifically meant for fast, heavy, powerful blows, chopping more than cutting. Like the elves got tired of getting bullied by dwarves and orcs and said "FINE. You want a *real* sword? *THIS* is a *REAL* sword!"
Wonderful video, Shad! Hope you're doing all right.
I never thought of the Master Sword as primarily a weapon. Even traditionally in past games there are stronger blades like the big goron's sword in OoT. The Master sword is treated more like a key, a relic that operates as the functional end of a seal against darkness.
As an interesting note towards Link two handing his sword, he does do it on certain attacks. For instance his powerful “Mortal Draw” in Twilight Princess if I recall. It’s an over the shoulder draw/slash holding the hilt with two hands.
Link actually does use two hands on it for the Mortal Draw skill and Jump Strike skill in Twilight Princess. The Master Sword has always looked like a longsword to me, even though he's always used it with a shield.
And Link has more than enough superhuman strength to wield it one handed so easily. He throws around gorons without any magical enhancements.
@@yarion4774 Very true. Though he didn't do that in OoT, he still showed a lot of strength before getting the power glove.
it seems like it's an "hand and a half" sword,a kind of sword that can be wielded with either 1 or 2 hands depending on preference/situation
@@Andrea-wr5wd I think it changes game by game. In Twilight Princess, it is certainly long enough to be a standard size longsword rather than a hand-and-a-half sword
As others have pointed out Link from Twilight Princess does at times use the Master Sword with two hands. He not only uses it in a couple of hidden skills but he ALSO uses it when performing certain swords strikes at the end of a normal attack chain. I think its the both the neutral attack chain finisher(overhead strike) and the forward attack chain finisher(forward thrust) in which he uses two hands. Its easier to see the animation when the shield is unequipped, however it remains the same with the shield equipped aswell.
Learned something new today, didn't know that the geometry of the blade mattered as much as it does.
The more you know.
The kind of restraint required not to call it "The Master Bastard" is legendary.
It's really not, but you can have that I guess
@@razztastic rly fun at parties huh
Fi's creator wasn't married so...
@@moody7063No invites to any parties
Interesting how the more functional blade has similar design choices to the redesigns you did a while back, Shad. It seems we have physical evidence that knowing your stuff about swords really pays off to making fantasy swords that actually work and still look cool!
Only problem is that he removed the sword’s power source.
The golden gem. It’s just a tough sword if it doesn’t sparkle with the power to repel evil.
@@firenze6478 Just wear the gem as an amulet.
Also, gameplay wise, Link banishes enemies + ganon without the Master Sword multiple times, so the Gem is not really consistently the only "power to repel evil."
If anything, the gem just repairs it.
@@Chris____.Then the sword is just a sword, and now you’d have an amulet which you can’t both fight and seal the evil with.
This time don’t remove the power source
(The golden gem.)
You have to remember it is a magic holy sword
Actually its still there, infact it was probably still even yellow when they made the sword it only looks blue because the metal tarnishes
@@y0ax I’m referring to his original redesign
Ooh kk, that makes sense
The original Zelda OOT master sword was made to be visible on a 320x240 game picture, and one with some sort of early anti aliasing, and another two screen blurring filters and the CRT blur on top of it. it kinda needed to be thick.
I disagree, the whole blade could be made to be wider, but the blade profile should still be much better, less thicker, & have distal taper, making it far more comfortable to wield as a proper sword. For example, The Albion Principe used a wide type XVIIIc blade & it's basically a cutting terminator.
If you make the profile thinner, the blade will basically disappear depending on the angle
Not to mention that the low polygon count possible on the N64 with the current state of the art on software rendering forces a rather larger stylised view so there are details at all.
If they had the current math and software concepts for efficient rendering the hardware is almost certainly capable of a little more detail in the game world, but there is still only so far you can go on the hardware at playable speed.
That and the master sword first appeared in A Link to the Past and needed to fit in a 16×16 pixel square.
The LTTP one actually is a bit more viable that the artwork has a thinner profile, as the ingame art basically depicts link holding it horizontally when just not a swoop.
Also on the Zelda OOT era, even the modelling tools were more limited. the invention of real time skinning (the technique where the model is animated per vertices instead of being a bunch of separate objects being rotated and moved around) improved the model quality a lot within that generation.
There are definitely occasions where the sword is used two-handed in the 3D titles, especially in particularly heavy strikes.
Shad up in here with the Old Ben Kenobi vibes... I dig it lol
Links downward/airborn thrust-move he has in some games, for example in Twilight Princess, as a finisher move, uses two hands. Link also kills/seals Ganondorf/Ganondorf multiple times with two handed strikes. Wind waker being one of them. But generally no, outside commercials and very specific moves, the Master Sword is only drawn from the pedestal with two hands, then used single handed.
It's interesting I feel like it makes sense that it would be considerably heavier while not cutting as strong, because pretty much every iteration of Link its freakishly strong, and seems to use the master sword almost like a blunt weapon half the time. The way he batters enemies around and sends them flying lends to the idea of a lack of sharpness in exchange for blunt force capabilities, so this seems like a damn accurate master sword to me.
Edit: Just got to the woodcutting section, this thing is built like a frickin axe which is awesome and feels super accurate.
Fun Fact for fans of the Master Sword. Brendan Olszowy of FableBlades currently has a custom version available for auction... with an opening reserve price of 8k USD
i always find these videos interesting keep up the good work shad (and the other hosts too)!
Something I wanted from TOTK was variations on the master sword design. Like you could take the master sword to a "master smith" and they'd craft a zweihander or an axe or whatever in that aesthetic.
When brass tarnishes it becomes dark almost black. I doubt it's blued, it more likely just needs a polish to restore the color.
But Link doesn't normally fight humans. Maybe the sword needs more girth so it doesn't break in the flesh of the moblins.
humanoid people though, like ganon. but you could argue that since its supposed to be holy and full of light and energy, that it somehow lightens it up if held by the chosen one / link.
The Yiga Clan begs to differ
Nobody's saying this, but I think the reason it's so broad is simply due to design constraints.
@@TornaitSuperBird i have. twice. or three times now in this comment section
@@zero.Identity Gannon is big and magic, and link (even when he does not have stuff to help him carry heavy stuff) Carries something most likely heavier then the master sword, the hylian sheild. Theirs just so much metal on that thing
Link has used the master sword with two hands on a couple of occasions in the latest games. Mostly cutscenes (one in botw when he was training in the rain, and another in Age of Calamity when he goes to kill Ganon, another for whenever he does a finishing blow in both TP and SS.) The sword is typically wielded in one hand, though, yes.
11:12 It will keel
Tyranth is just fantastic
I'd love a video of how you'd design your own functional Master Sword, if you haven't made one already.
Personally, I'd want to somehow include Fi in its design (Master Sword's sword spirit, but also referencing fi as iron, as well as phi, the golden ratio (Dan Winter's phi × planck length × planck time), which also connects to the golden power aka the triforce.
Thanks for the video!
he did do this a few years ago!
It was really cool to catch a glimpse of you working on a sword.
IT JUST LOOKS SO DAMN COOL
I personally loved the weapon construction and fusions in TotK. The Blue Lizalfos horn being essentially a katana or military saber blade was awesome. I always tried finding royal broadswords with +10 so I could use the blue horn without being too underpowered. Silver Lynel Saber Horn helps a lot, but are much harder to stockpile.
But does this one have the light power of the goodness and the ability to seal evil?
The game Twilight Princess has a few examples of two-handed use for the master sword. In some of the Sword Skills taught by the Hero's Shade.
Simple, entertaining, educational.
A true Shadiversity video through and through
Would like to see him do an analysis on the sword of light from Dragon Quest, even though it’s no where as iconic.
Your short worked to get me to watch, good work!
I love me some shad/zelda, especially the master sword.
Btw, your giant sword looks like the Fierce Deitys double helix sword.
The helix sword might be somewhat practical due to the holes in the blade making it lighter.
It honestly made my day to see youre still at it making informative wholesome conteint like this, so glad i subscribed!
Link does occasionally two hand the master sword (most prominently while dueling Ganondorf in Twilight Princess), though it's clear his preferred style is sword and board.
I wonder if the wider blade profile is intended to make the bludgeoning, cleaving effect of the sword more potent?
I think the rondel disk could have been moved up to merge with the crossguard, and still be thinner and lighter material than that thick crossguard, while still giving it the mirage of the same width of the original crossguard as the disk cups down a bit, but the crossguard's wings should still sweep up from the disc like before. Also the blade definitely needs to be thinner and even longer if possible.
Thanks, great review I've been excited about this one. Did you guys ever pull it apart to see what type of tang it has?
2:54 "Never seen link two-hand the master sword"
Just going to put this out here while I can.
Smash Brothers! Link's Final Smash! His final strike is him wielding it two-handed!
I want to believe I've also seen him wield it two-handed in the main games but I will have to do some digging for that.
he two hands with most his jump attacks through the main games not sure if any of the games have a regular attack that is 2hnd or not
@@Angelic_Hero 1. Ah yes the jump attack! How could I forget! Thank you!
2. As for any other? Hm... maybe one of the "Hidden skills" in Twilight Princess? Would 'Ending Blow' count?
@Freddiefreeman I have no clue other then the jump attacks since that is the one thing all the 3d games have in common. And I don't remember all the attack animations from every game
MY first thought when you described the blade profile was that it sounded like what an axe would be so i was gratified to see it held up on the wood test.
Two things I noticed: 1. The Master Sword is meant to be used left-handed. 2. Your hearts are not full; you should be sending blasts of energy when you swing it.
Hope that helps.
It depends on which game this is from, because the earlier games did have link left handed, but then skyward sword came out and Nintendo had to make link right handed because most players were and are right handed, which the games after skywards swords release have kept link as
Naw link is right handed in botw and TP
this is one of the episodes i was waiting for hoping you do, the other one i really wanna see is meta knights sword, galaxia, from kirby. hoping you do that some day too
Given that Link almost always fights enemies bigger than him, I totally have no issue with the Master Sword cutting very well upwards 😅
I like these shorted Shad videos.
I seem to remember link two handing the master sword several times in twilight princess.
The Mortal Draw first came to mind on my end.
Can you review Zelda's armor in Hyrule Warriors? You know, for science.
Really liking the Shadiversity gambeson!
I always interpreted the Master Sword (as heavy as it looks) being practically almost _weightless_ when wielded by a "worthy hero"; that being Link, among a long line of reincarnated individuals who carry the "Spirit of the Hero" within them.
Yes and Link has above human strength anyway tbh
@@BlackHawk2b tbh the hylian sheild is probably way heavyer
@@Blue-fg8vt Good point
It's more than just about weight, it's also about the shape, balance, and design of the sword.
02:04. It's better ballanced because it has the Pommel of Doom.
"I've never seen Link 2 hand the Master Sword"
Me: Z target, jump attack.
Edit: one comment on the blade geometry, something thst you have done videos on. A lot of people try to fit the Master Sword into an earlier typology like a type XII, but really its closer to a later period sword like a type XVIIIe or XIX
This was surprisingly informative.
Also, seems appropriate that the master sword cut into wood fairly well, considering how player's use it as a tree felling tool in BotW.
The Master Sword, to your credit is more ornamental or ceremonial rather than a battle ready weapon. Used for sealing dimensions, stopping time or weakening evil.
You can't be serious.
Did you fight Demise in Skyward Sword?
@@chuckchan4127 skyward sword is my favorite game.
I have over 3000 hours of it on the wii and 1000 on the switch.
It was my first zelda game.
The difference is that it is the sword and Link in its prime, (similar to Age Of Calamity) where the power of the triforce bolstered Link and therefore bolstered the sword.
Link and the sword are intrinsically connected, both are a representation of eachother.
If the sword is missing, so is Link, if the sword is damaged, so is Link, if the sword is broken, so is Link.
Link cannot wield the full power of the sword in botw, because he himself is not at full power.
11:12 "It will keal" LMAO Shad's channel go from Myth Busters to Forged in Fire
good video
You two are great together on screen. Been a fan since the original wood paneled room, loved this.
Judging by the length of the blade, I think they designed it to be suitable for someone of Link's size.
He's about 1.47 meters in height, so the length of the sword would be more appropriate for him.
It would have to be scaled up a bit to be suitable for a grown human
Enjoying your channel with my son…. getting a kick out of you being a fellow Aussie for a change! Great channel.
I would really like for someone to make an actual longsword inspired by the master sword. In-game we don't see Link using the sword two-handed but in animatics and other non-game play scenes, we do see him practice both one-handed and two-handed moves.
More of a Bastard Sword / Hand and Half Sword.
Note that when compared to most other one handed / arming swords, the master sword is quite long.
he also holds it in both for jump attacks but thats still a small amount of attacks that i can rember in the various games where he does use both hands during actual play
I do think Link tends to have one 2-handed strike with the Master Sword in Ocarina of Time through Twilight Princess, that being the leaping overhead cut. In Smash, and added for Twilight Princess, I think his down-aerial stab also puts 2 hands on the handle.
God damn that's beautiful. I want it like I have never wanted anything else.
Link has a habit of carrying a massive amount of gear, taking on opponents far larger than himself, and picking up gauntlets that boost his (already kinda absurd) upper body strength. In his hands, that sword is probably feels like a foil.
I like to think the blade trouble is canonical, and it's the sacred power of the blade that deals all the damage.
Link uses the Mastersword two handed in any jump attack. In the games "Ocarina of Time" and "Majoras Mask" he grabs the sword in the air for a mor powerful downslash wich would be a reason why the jump attack is his most powerfull basic attack. In "Twilight Princess" he learns an advanced version of this technique where he grabs the sword two handed and preparing the jump by using a special stance. So yeah Link uses the sword quite a lot two handed.
This is a great introduction to people that don't know a lot about swords as it brings in the people who just care about the Zelda. it's a great analysis on the pros and cons of the video game design, why it is the way it is and why it doesn't function in the real world as well as being a great analysis on sword crafting. It's a win win video. 👍
Imagine being Link trying to find where the master sword went, thinking it was stolen or something, and then seeing Zelda on the sheikah tablet watching two dudes reviewing it and roasting it lmao
Wow that actually really pretty. Not a bad redesign to “make it real” but if for me personally I would rather the sword be as screen accurate possible.
Because if it’s not then there’s no point for me. If you not going to make it accurate then make a new version altogether.
Perfect example the apocalypse version of the Master Sword is just perfection. ❤
Of everything I saw in this video the thing that made me happiest was seeing you guys use eye protection. I've been genuinely concerned in the past about some of the destructive testing. Whenever there's splinters flying, or worse metal shards, there's always that 1:1,000,000 chance that one of them decides it wants a new home in your eye. It's such an easy risk to mitigate, and the cost for failing to do so is high.
"It's not what we do to the wood, its what the wood does to our sword"
classic forged in fire
nice vid! Thanks for it! was fun
I actually purchased this sword a while ago as a gift for my girlfriend. I will say in terms of appearance, the sword is STUNNING after polishing the hilt and pommel with Brasso. I also used some Sculpt Noveau dyed patina's and mica powder to give the game-accurate purple, as well as leather paint to get the green crosshatching on the handle and gold embossing on the scabbard. This video was SO helpful in seeing what the sword can actually do as a functional weapon.
Wait till we tell Shad we glued a boulder to a sword.
You should take a look at the Man at Arms versions of the Master Sword. There's two of 'em.
Edit: or Heroic Replicas.
11:27 that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we could call "Red Flag Face"
Can you guys check out the Fierce deity’s sword next if you havent already? One of the coolest looking great-swords in Zelda.
I could see a 1to1 translation of that design into one of the games. Just a little more blue, a very dark shade, and I think it's a really beautiful look.
I think also its implied somewhere in lore that despite the sword being sorta blunt it gets incredibly sharp when it hits anything thats evil in a sense the blade has some sort of holy unseen sharpness that only activates on monsters perhaps its intended to be like that to avoid harming actual hylians who want to spar maybe?
What's funny is in Game the Master sword alot of the time sorta looks more like it's Slapping Enemies anyway.
In Botw and Totk lots of Links Blows send enemies flying.
Maybe the blade is suppose to be bad at Cutting?
Also yeah the Brass coloring on the page looks to be more akin to the Master Swords Original design
"Never seen him use it with two."
So we're just ignoring jumpslashes and downward finishers now...
Thank you so much for this, I have been waiting for an in-depth analysis of this Master Sword as I have been contemplating getting this blade. I am making this comment before watching, so I can't wait!!
When link does jump attacks he's holding with two hands
I'm glad I'm not the only one who plays Ocarina of time so much haha. Best soundtrack ever, too!
Came here from the short. Will watch after my trip to the gym.
Yes, I HAVE seen Link 2-hand the Master Sword. Jump Attacks, locking blades with Ganondorf in Twilight Princess, his aerial downward thrusts, and the first half of his forward Smash attack in Super Smash Bros.
I've been using Budk for maybe 15 years now. Bought multiple knives, swords, pouches, fishing stuff and survival stuff, and even a bucket of emergency food with a shelf life and have been happy with everything I've ever gotten from them,
Awesome vid!
There are a few instances where he uses both hands in the games, notably the finishing blow or "down stab", and this also includes the Smash games. When Melee introduced being able to charge basic attacks, he also uses both hands when executing charged sideways attacks.
Love the reviews! Keep it up guys! You rule!