Master Sword

The Master Sword, also known as The Blade of Evil's Bane, is a recurring legendary sword in the. Originally crafted by the goddess Hylia as the Goddess Sword, it was later forged into the Master Sword by the goddess's chosen hero and its spirit Fi, who bathed it in the three Sacred Flames located across the land that would become the Kingdom of Hyrule. Din's Flame in particular, imbued the sword with the power to repel evil, a power apparently augmented after the sword received the blessing of Zelda, which transformed the blade into the True Master Sword. It is usually the only sword that can defeat Ganon in the games it appears in.

True to its name, the sword is often seen to choose or accept its master by its own will, always a hero who has gone through great trials that test his courage, wisdom and power to prove him worthy of wielding it. This may be the conscious choice of the sword's spirit, Fi, who sleeps eternally within the sword and only assists her heroic master.

Design, Abilities and Characteristics
When the Master Sword was first introduced in artworks of A Link to the Past, the sword's grip was red and its cross-guard yellow (in-game, both the grip and guard are red). However, in its pedestal, the Master Sword has a purple grip and blue guard. Its most conventional appearance was clearly defined in Ocarina of Time, with the purple grip and purple guard, though in subsequent games and the re release of Ocarina of Time 3D, the purple has become more blue or indigo. In The Wind Waker, the grip and guard are royal blue as opposed to a deeper color.

For the rest of the games, the Master Sword is a double-edged longsword with a ricasso and no fuller. The Triforce can be seen engraved in the lower part of the blade and a yellow gemstone is embedded in the crossguard. It is seen in The Wind Waker and Skyward Sword that the state of the gem and the crossguard are indicative the sword's awakening and power. When Link acquires the unawakened Master Sword in The Wind Waker and the first form of the Master Sword in Skyward Sword, the gem in its crossguard is dark and the guard is retracted toward the grip. Once the Master Sword has been restored to its full power in both games, its crossguard regain its winged form and the gem its yellow color.

The Master Sword's most known ability is the power to vanquish evil and break curses that involve powerful, dark magic. Infused with the sacred flames provided by the Golden Goddesses, the sword is effective even against evil ones possessing the Triforce. However, in order to keep the power to repel evil intact, two Sages, known as the Sage of Earth and the Sage of Wind, are in charge of praying to the gods and thus infuse the Master Sword with the gods' power. Should something happen to these Sages, the Master Sword will weaken and lose its might to combat evil. In SS undefined, it is seen that the sacred blade has the ability to lock away the remains of a demon.

Only the true hero that is "pure of heart and strong of body" is capable of wielding the sacred blade, and as such, those with tainted hearts cannot even touch this powerful sword. If a hero who is too young to bear the title that comes with the Master Sword withdraws this blade from its pedestal, the Master Sword will seal away the hero's soul and awaken him when the bearer comes of age to wield it.

The Master Sword also acts as a key to gain entrance to the Temple of Light. If the Master Sword is retrieved from its pedestal in the Temple of Time, the portal to the Sacred Realm will open, eventually leading to the Triforce. Additionally, the bearer of the sword can travel through time to some extent by simply thrusting the Master Sword into the Pedestal of Time. The hero is able to travel backwards and forwards through the seven years of his life that were lost when he was kept in the Sacred Realm until he was old enough to hold the sword.

When in the Twilight, the Master Sword itself can be infused with the power of the Sols from the Twilight Realm, allowing it to cut through the dark fog that exists in the realm.

Even in its final form, it is seen in that the Master Sword can further be improved by smithing or magic means. However, after its task is accomplished and the sword returned into its pedestal, it will regain its original shape.

History and Appearances
With history spitting and taking three different paths after the events of Ocarina of Time, the Master Sword itself faces three different fates.

Unified Timeline: Creation and Early History
Prior to the Ocarina of Time, there was only one timeline, in which the events of Skyward Sword, The Minish Cap, Four Swords takes place. This section deals with the creation of the Master Sword and its early historical roles.

Skyward Sword

 * See also: Goddess Sword and Fi

In SS undefined, it is revealed that the Master Sword was originally known as the Goddess Sword, which rested in Skyloft, a floating island above the clouds. After sealing Demise, the goddess Hylia created Fi, an intelligent humanoid spirit who resides in the sword, and gave it the purpose of assisting her chosen hero throughout his journey. Eventually, in order to open the Gate of Time at the Sealed Grounds, Impa explains to Link that he must seek out the three Sacred Flames and purify the sword into their heat. Each time Link bathes the Goddess Sword in one of the flames, the sword is empowered and is physically altered, with Din's Flame tempering the Goddess White Sword into the Master Sword and giving it the power to repel evil. Although it is in the same incomplete state as in The Wind Waker, it holds a sacred force of "tremendous power" considered to be a divine power that was left by the gods of old, and it is also capable of activating the Gate of Time.

In the past, Link's sword is then blessed by Zelda to become the True Master Sword. In the form of the True Master Sword, the damage dealt by a sword strike increases threefold, and the Skyward Strike charges much faster and is colored blue. The sword's appearance also slightly changes, similar to The Wind Waker: the cross-guard extends outwards and turns a brighter shade of purple, the blade takes on a slight bluish luster, and the gem and the Triforce symbol are restored. Additionally, if looked at closely when hilted, or placed in the pedestal in the post-battle cutscenes, the guard forms the shape of a blue Loftwing, with the gem as the beak, and gold detailing as the talons. The Master Sword is used to defeat Demise, whose "residual consciousness" is absorbed into the Master Sword and is sealed away before promising that an incarnation of his hatred would haunt those with the Spirit of the Hero and the blood of the Goddess. Link then relinquishes the sword into a pedestal in the Sealed Grounds and, thereafter, Fi enters the Master Sword to sleep forever.

The Era of Chaos and The Era of Prosperity
Many years after the events of Skyward Sword, there was an era of chaos with wars and fighting over the Triforce that was located in the Sacred Realm. To protect the Triforce, the ancient Sage, Rauru, built over the remains of the Sealed Temple a new Temple of Time, which contained the only entrance to the Sacred Realm, using the Master Sword as a key to accessing the realm. However, the entrance to the Master Sword chamber is sealed by the Door of Time. When the Master Sword was infused into the Pedestal of Time, it sealed that gateway in the hopes of preventing all but the most worthy to reach the Sacred Realm, where the sacred Triforce lies within the Temple of Light. It is said that only the Hero of Time may enter the secret chambers of the temple and draw the Master Sword. If the Hero of Time withdraws the Master Sword from its pedestal, it will once again open the portal to the Sacred Realm, granting access to the Temple of Light.

Ocarina of Time
Ten years after the Unification War in which a young Hero of Time is left an orphan in Kokiri Forest, he is sent out on a great quest to help him combat the Gerudo thief known as Ganondorf. To retrieve it from its pedestal, Link must collect the three Spiritual Stones, and play the "Song of Time" on the in front of the Door of Time to open the chamber where it is sealed. Only the one worthy of the title of the Hero of Time can draw the Master Sword; however, since Link was too young to bear such a title, the sacred blade sealed his spirit away in the Chamber of Sages until he came of age to be the Hero of Time. Additionally, because the Master Sword serves as a gateway between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf was able to access the Temple of Light and steal the Triforce after Link pulled the sword from its pedestal.

After clearing the Forest Temple, Link can travel back to his original time by placing the Master Sword in the Pedestal of Time. This becomes necessary as the young hero journeys to awaken the remaining five Sages. Similarly, he can travel seven years into the future by simply taking the sword from its pedestal. Eventually, the young hero confronts the King of Evil and is able to defeat him with the power of the Master Sword along with the help of the Seven Sages. Princess Zelda feels guilt for the Hero of Time having lost his childhood just to save Hyrule and sends him back in time to relive the days he missed and thus creates a new history. Following this, Princess Zelda returns the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time and sealed the entrance to the Sacred Realm.

Ever since the Master Sword was pulled from the Pedestal of Time, it has become analogous with the legend of the Hero of Time.

Downfall Timeline
In a timeline in which the Hero of Time is killed in his final battle with Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, Hyrule eventually goes into a period of decline and starts to diminish over time. The games set in this timeline include A Link to the Past, Oracles of Seasons, Oracles of Ages, Link's Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link.

A Link to the Past
The Master Sword in A Link to the Past is the legendary blade that rests in the Lost Woods of northwestern Hyrule in a pedestal with ancient Hylian inscribed on it. The ancient text says the hero with three symbols of virtue will wield it on cataclysm's eve, reading: "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."

In order to defeat the evil wizard Agahnim that has taken over Hyrule Castle, Link must obtain the Master Sword. However, before the young hero can wield it, he must first acquire the three Pendants of Virtue that are scattered throughout the land. After doing so, he retrieves the sacred blade from the Pedestal of Time within the Lost Woods, defeating Agahnim with it and, eventually, Ganon. With Hyrule safe from evil, Link places the Master Sword back in its pedestal, never to be used again.

During the course of the game, Link can upgrade the Master Sword. Its first upgrade is the Tempered Sword, which is acquired when the Dwarven Swordsmith is reunited with his partner on the outskirts of Kakariko Village. In the tempered shape, the Master Sword is two times stronger than its standard form, has a glowing orange blade and makes a deeper swing sound as opposed to the usual slash sound. Its second and last upgrade is the Golden Sword, acquired by giving the Master Sword or Tempered Sword to the Fat Fairy in the Mysterious Pond of the Dark World within the Pyramid of Power. In the golden shape, the Master Sword is four times stronger than its standard form, killing almost any enemies in one hit, has a golden blade and green hilt, has the ability to break jars and skull jars, and also make a deeper swing sound like the tempered form.

Moreover, Link can obtain the magic of the Bombos and Ether Medallion by holding the Master Sword up into the sky next to certain inscriptions around Hyrule.

Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages
The Master Sword makes a reappearance in the Oracle series, fittingly as the most powerful sword in the game. When combined with the power of the Red Ring, the Master Sword is capable of taking down almost any boss in two to three Spin Attacks. The only way to unlock the Master Sword is to have finished one of the games, and to have started a Linked Game on the opposite game. When a certain secret in the game is found and told to Farore, she will upgrade the Noble Sword Link currently holds into the Master Sword. However, if Link still has the Wooden Sword, the Wooden Sword will become the Noble Sword, and the Master Sword will be found where the Noble Sword would have been.

A Link Between Worlds
The Master Sword in is the same legendary blade from A Link to the Past, which is once again found inside of the Lost Woods, presumably having been left there by the Link from A Link to the Past. Much like in A Link to the Past, the Master Sword is obtained by collecting the three Pendants of Virtue, which are found inside the Eastern Palace, the Tower of Hera and the House of Gales. The Master Sword is the only thing that has the power to break the Barrier surrounding Hyrule Castle, which is necessary for Link to face Yuga atop the castle, and subsequently travel to Lorule for the first time. When obtained, it replaced the previously-used Forgotten Sword.

The Master Sword can be upgraded twice by collecting pieces of Master Ore hidden throughout Lorule. By taking the Master Sword to the Blacksmith in Hyrule with two pieces of Master Ore, he will upgrade it to the Master Sword Lv2. The Master Sword Lv2 is twice as powerful as the standard Master Sword and has a tempered, red blade, making it almost identical to the Tempered Sword from A Link to the Past. When Link collects the remaining two pieces of Master Ore and takes them to the blacksmith in Lorule, he will upgrade the sword again to the Master Sword Lv3. This final upgrade of the Master sword is again twice as powerful, making it eight times as powerful as the Forgotten Sword. It also has a golden blade, making it almost identical to the Golden Sword from the previous game.

Despite its increased strength, the Master Sword Lv2's Sword Beam does the same base amount of damage as the Master Sword. The StreetPass Shadow Links and Gramps, the elderly man in Kakariko Village, are able to wield the Master Sword Lv3. The former can be attributed to the Shadow Links being mere shades, but no explanation is given as to why Gramps can wield the sword.

Child Timeline
This timeline follows the child ending of Ocarina of Time, in which the Hero of Time informs Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule of what will happen if Ganondorf is to be trusted. The games set on this timeline include Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures.

Twilight Princess
The Master Sword in is located deep within the Faron Woods in the Sacred Grove, which are the ruins of the Temple of Time. The blade is said to have once been held by the Legendary Hero.

When Link is permanently turned into a wolf by Zant's magic, Princess Zelda mentions that the Master Sword is the only relic that can break the curse placed on him. Link then ventures to the Sacred Grove and draws the blade from its pedestal, allowing Link to return to his Hylian form. The Master Sword in this game also allows Link access to other numerous hidden temples later in the game, such as the Temple of Time. When Link goes through the Door of Time in the Sacred Grove, he travels back to when the Temple of Time stood tall and before it fell into ruin. Here, Link can briefly thrust the Master Sword in the Pedestal of Time, making a set of staircases appear that lead to an unexplored area of the temple that serves as one of the game's dungeons. The sword's initial locations marks a link between A Link to the Past and, as it resides in the temple's ruins, a place that is notably similar to the sword's resting place in A Link To The Past.

The sword is, in comparison with the shield and the overall height of Link, considerably bigger than in the other 3D releases. Regardless, the general design is consistent throughout them all.

Light-infused Master Sword
In the Palace of Twilight, Link fuses the Master Sword with the power of the Sols. This Light-Infused Master Sword enables Link to defeat most Twilight Monsters in a single blow. The sword is also capable of clearing away the Dark Fog that causes Link to revert back to wolf form. This upgrade is only usable while in the Twilight Realm.

Midna notes that the Sols' light being transferred to the Master Sword is the work of the gods of the Twilight Realm, and that they too are on Link's side.

In the final battle against Ganondorf, Link uses the Ending Blow to thrust the Master Sword into Ganondorf's chest, defeating him. During the ending credits, the sword is shown resting in its pedestal in the Sacred Grove.

Adult Timeline
This timeline follows the adult ending of Ocarina of Time, in which the Hero of Time leaves this timeline behind and Hyrule returns to peace for a time. The games set on this timeline include The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.

The Wind Waker
The Master Sword is predominately referred to as the Blade of Evil's Bane in 's legends and lies in a hidden chamber in Hyrule Castle, deep beneath the waves of the Great Sea. With the Master Sword resting in the Pedestal of Time, the sacred blade serves as a key to seal away Ganondorf's magic, keeping Hyrule frozen in time and all those who inhabit it. However, the Master Sword's use as a key to lock evil away is broken when a young Link unknowingly draws the blade under the direction of the King of Red Lions. In doing so, he unwittingly awakens Ganondorf's army from their ancient slumber and also allows Ganon to use his magic again.

Later, Link learns that since Ganon murdered the Sages of Earth and Wind, Laruto and Fado respectively, the Master Sword's edge has dulled and its power to repel evil has faded. As such, Link must awaken the two new Sages in order to regain that lost power. It is then explained that those Sages are necessary in order to pray to the gods for the Master Sword and the Hero who wields it, to restore its edge, and to keep it glowing with the power to repel evil.

When Link first draws the weakened Master Sword from its pedestal, its guard is curved into the blade rather than extending outward as it once did; moreover, the gem that rests at the base of the blade is black rather than gold, and the symbol of the Triforce is missing. As Link awakens the new Sages of Earth and Wind, the Sages return the power to repel evil to the blade: the guard's original position is recovered with the Earth Sage's prayers, and the gem and the Triforce symbol are restored with the prayers of the Wind Sage. When the sword is fully restored, it glows with the power to repel evil, allowing Link to shatter the magical barrier in Hyrule that impedes his path to Ganon's Tower.

After making his way to the top of the tower, Link, with the help of Princess Zelda, fights against Ganondorf using the Master Sword's power. To deal the final blow, the young hero thrusts the sacred blade into Ganondorf's forehead, which causes the King of Evil to completely turn into stone. Hyrule is then flooded by the wishes of the King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, leaving the Master Sword impaled in Ganon's skull as the forgotten kingdom is destroyed by the waves.

Discrepancies
Until the release of Skyward Sword, the origin of the Master Sword was never seen and only alluded to in what could be considered legends that were corrupted by oral tradition; mistranslations from Japanese have further clouded the facts. For instance, according to the English manual of A Link to the Past, after Ganon entered the Golden Land and obtained the Triforce, the people of Hyrule forged a sword resistant to magic, which could even repulse powers granted by the Triforce. The seven Sages searched for one worthy of wielding the Master Sword, but never found such a person, leaving them, with the aid of the knights of Hyrule, to seal away Ganon instead. Although the mistranslated English manual states that the Master Sword was not created until after Ganon invaded the Golden Land, the Japanese manual states that it was forged long before the Imprisoning War. The location of the blade was already forgotten by the time of the Imprisoning War, and no hero was found worthy of wielding it.

Both the English and Japanese manual of A Link to the Past describe that the Master Sword was forged by the people of Hyrule, and not necessarily by the Ancient Sages. It isn't until Twilight Princess that Princess Zelda mentions that the Ancient Sages crafted the Master Sword.

Skyward Sword, which takes place at the beginning of the Zelda Timeline, reveals the complete origin of the Master Sword, revealing that it was forged into its well-known current form from being the Goddess Sword created by the goddess Hylia.

The ending of A Link to the Past claims that the Master Sword "sleeps again, forever" after Link places it back in its shrine in the Lost Woods, but Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, and A Link Between Worlds, each set after this game, show Link once again taking up the Master Sword, indicating that this line was merely metaphorical.

The Oracle series also complicates matters by introducing Master Swords that are created by sharpening Link's Noble Swords, either by a mysterious old man or by King Zora. These blades clearly have different origins and capabilities than the blade of legend, and likely only share the name due to their physical resemblance.

A Link to the Past comic
In the A Link to the Past comic, Sahasrahla's Wife elaborates on part of the Master Sword's history: she tells of ancient scrolls that speak of the prosperous people who once inhabited the land of Hyrule. According to the scrolls, they made many powerful weapons, including the ultimate treasure, the Master Sword, crafted specifically to resist evil power and which now rests in the Lost Woods. Link begins his quest to search for the Master Sword after Agahnim kidnaps Princess Zelda to cast the third and final incantation on her and thus break the seal that binds Ganon to the Dark World. Before Agahnim is able to take her away, Zelda reveals to Link that only the Master Sword can harm Agahnim. The young hero eventually finds Sahasrahla, and although the old man is puzzled as to how someone so young like Link could be searching for the Master Sword, he tells Link he must recover the Pendants of Virtue to claim the legendary weapon. After acquiring the three Pendants of Virtue, Link heads out to the Lost Woods and retrieves the legendary weapon out of its pedestal.

Link, now confident with the power of the Master Sword, heads out to battle Agahnim atop Hyrule Castle. Sahasrahla contacts Link and tells him not to trust all his power in the Master Sword, for even the legendary blade cannot harm Agahnim's body. Link attacks him anyway, but the Master Sword passes right through the evil wizard, which causes him to turn around and paralyze Link by only looking at him. Agahnim then casts Zelda into the Dark World, which causes for Link's rage towards Agahnim begins to channel through the Master Sword since the young hero and the legendary blade are as one. Agahnim and Link begin to battle, and after Sahasrahla reveals to the young hero that the Master Sword was also forged to repel evil magic, Link uses the sword to turn back Agahnim's magic against him and successfully defeat him.

Link also uses the Master Sword to battle against Ganon, which he uses to stun the King of Thieves while Zelda delivers the final blow with the Silver Arrow. With Hyrule now at peace, Link returns the Master Sword to its pedestal in the Lost Woods. The comic's final scene shows the Master Sword overgrown by foliage as it sleeps, waiting for a new bearer when disaster befalls Hyrule again.

Super Smash Bros. Series
In the Super Smash Bros. series, Adult Link and Toon Link wield the Master Sword in battle. In, the Master Sword can be obtained as a trophy in the Lottery or picked up in a stage of Adventure Mode or All-Star Mode. The Subspace Emissary from shows a cutscene where Link pulls out the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time in the middle of a forest when the young hero is first introduced.

Soulcalibur II
The Master Sword is one of Link's weapons in Soulcalibur II, and it can be used with either the Hylian Shield or the Mirror Shield. Since it is Link's most familiar sword, the Master Sword in conjunction with the Hylian Shield is considered to be Link's most balanced weapon.

Nintendo Land
The Master Sword appears in Nintendo Land as well. It is one of the 200 prizes that can be won using the coins at the game on the top of the central tower located in the middle of the plaza. Upon touching the prize in the plaza using the touch screen or simply jumping into it, Monita will make the following comment:

Creators
The exact creation of the Master Sword is shown in detail during Skyward Sword; despite this, however, a discrepancy exists in regards to who made the sword. In-game events show that Link (and to a lesser extent, Fi and Zelda) were responsible for creating it; however, a statement made by Princess Zelda in claims that the Master Sword was "crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages." To explain these differing accounts, several fan-based explanations have been put forward.


 * Corruption over time: the most basic explanation simply says that the exact details of the blade's reforging were distorted through history, to the point where Link, Fi, and Zelda's involvement was entirely forgotten and the ancient sages were given credit for the deed. This would be supported by the fact that Rauru (one of the ancient sages) rebuilt the temple in which the sword resided and turned it into a key to the Sacred Realm; these great deeds could certainly cause the average person to identify Rauru and his comrades as the makers of the blade, as well, particularly with the period of warfare that occurred shortly before this, which likely caused the exact records and knowledge of the time to be lost.
 * The sword's makers became sages: this explanation puts forward the idea that, after the events of Skyward Sword, Link and Zelda were given the title of sages, thus giving a grain of truth to the assertion that sages made the sword. However, evidence for this idea is scanty, and Zelda is noted to have started the Royal Family of Hyrule, likely with Link as her husband. This would seem to indicate that the two could not be sages, already having other duties to perform. Moreover, though a later incarnation of Zelda would become a sage, no other incarnations have been confirmed to have done the same; while no incarnation of Link has ever been identified as being a sage.
 * The sages made the Goddess Sword: this explanation claims that the sages of Hylia's era (who were perhaps the original sages) were the ones who forged the Goddess Sword for her to wield. The Goddess Sword would later become the Master Sword, meaning that, in a roundabout manner, the Master Sword was indeed "crafted" by the ancient sages, even if they were not ultimately involved in its final transformation. This idea presupposes that there were, in fact, sages even in Hylia's era, a fact that is not confirmed during Skyward Sword; it is, however, somewhat implied by the presence of the symbols of the sages on the ceiling of the Sealed Temple's vestibule.

Trivia

 * The Master Sword is a signature symbol of the Zelda series, being displayed in title logos such as in A Link to the Past and appearing as Link's main weapon in other games like Soulcalibur II and the Super Smash Bros. series.
 * A weapon known as a Master Sword appears in Fire Emblem: Monshou no Nazo, released shortly after A Link to the Past. While it bears the same name and is a powerful weapon, it has a very different appearance to the weapon from the Zelda series. It also appears in the DS remake, and in Fire Emblem: Thracia 776, where it's appearance is closer to that of the Zelda blade.
 * The Snake Killer from For The Frog The Bell Tolls is quite similar to the Master Sword. The Snake Killer was pulled from the ground in an area called the "Ice Cave", and was necessary to defeat the final boss, Delarin, who was a snake. An ancient tablet regarding the Snake Killer had this inscribed on it: "When thou seeth thy true friend, the golden sword shalt awaken." When the spring bell had rung, and Richard turned back into a human, the Snake Killer begins to glow, and Prince Sable uses the sword to slay Delarin.
 * At the end of Skyward Sword, because of the time travel involved, the Goddess Sword and Master Sword exist simultaneously. The Master Sword is within the Sealed Temple while the Goddess Sword is up in Skyloft.
 * In Four Swords Anniversary Edition, completing the Realm of Memories unlocks the Master Sword as Link's new sword. However, Link remains divided into four even after obtaining the sword, which implies that this sword is not the same as the true Master Sword, merely an upgrade of the conventional Four Sword. It is interesting to note that the Four Sword's original form, the Picori Blade, greatly resembled the Master Sword.
 * In the A Link to the Past manga, it is said that the Master Sword was made by the Wise Men by instruction of the Gods.
 * In most 3D Zelda games, the Master Sword is actually too long to be drawn from a sheath mounted on the wielder's back. Instead, Link draws it normally, but the final third of the blade simply passes through the sheath, with the speed of the animation hiding the inaccuracy.