Master Sword

The,   also known as the Blade of Evil's Bane,  the Legendary Sword, the Sword of Legend, the Master Sword of Resurrection, the Sword that Seals the Darkness, and the Sacred Sword, is a recurring legendary Sword in the.

Overview
The Master Sword was originally crafted by the goddess Hylia as the Goddess Sword, and 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 augmented after the Sword received the blessing of Zelda, which transformed the blade into the true Master Sword. Although not always, it is the only weapon that can defeat Ganon in the games it appears in.

The Master 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.

When the Master Sword was originally introduced in artworks of, 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, with the purple grip and purple guard, though in subsequent games and the re-release of , the purple has become more blue or indigo. In, the grip and guard are royal blue as opposed to a deeper color. For the rest of the games, the Master Sword is merely a bastard sword with a narrow and a wide, shallow  that runs almost the entire length of the blade, although in some appearances it has no fuller at all. The Triforce can be seen engraved in the lower part of the blade and yellow gemstone is embedded in the cross guard. It is seen in and SS - that the state of the gem and the cross guard are indicative of the sword's awakening and power. When Link acquires the unawakened Master Sword in and the first form of the Master Sword in SS -, the gem in its cross guard 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 cross guard regains its winged form and the gem its yellow color.

Abilities
The Master Sword's classic ability is the power to vanquish evil. Infused with the sacred flames provided by the Golden Goddesses and blessed with Hylia's power, 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 (in case of The Wind Waker) Should something happen to these Sages, the Master Sword will weaken and lose its might to combat evil.

The sacred blade is also capable of destroying magical barriers and breaking curses that involve powerful, dark magic. In addition, it has the ability to lock away the remains of a demon. The Master Sword can also unleash Skyward Strikes by channeling heavenly energy. Even when low on power, the Master Sword can unleash Skyward Strikes through the use of lightning when it strikes the blade.

Only a 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 can't even touch this 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, as seen in Ocarina of Time. However, if someone that is weak attempts to draw the Master Sword from its pedestal, they will lose their life.

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 be further  improved by smithing or magic means. However, after its task is accomplished and the sword returned into its pedestal, it will revert back its original shape.

The TLoZ: does not appear in, as the original game had the Magical Sword, its precursor. However, a sword closely resembling it can be seen on an artwork referring to in.

is the Master Sword's debut in the Zelda series. It 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. With it, he is able to destroy the electrical barrier that Agahnim had placed in the upper floor of Hyrule Castle. With the Master Sword in hand Link manages to defeat Agahnim twice in the game and, eventually, Ganon. With Hyrule safe from evil, Link places the Master Sword back in its pedestal, never to be used again.

The ALttP: is twice as powerful as the ALttP: and has a longer reach. When at full ALttP:, the ALttP: will also fire a ALttP: when swung. In, the ALttP: can also break NaN Signs.

During the course of the game, Link can actually 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 Cursed 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 enemy in one hit, has a golden blade and green hilt, has the ability to break jars and skull jars (in the GBA remake), and also make a deeper swing sound than 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.

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 OoT3D: 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 became old enough to be the Hero of Time, resulting 7 years have passed. 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 shortly after Link pulled the sword from its pedestal.

After clearing the OoT3D:, 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, Link 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.

The Master Sword makes a reappearance in and, fittingly as the most powerful sword in the game. 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.

The Master Sword in these games is not the actual sword itself, but is simply the Noble Sword upgraded so its power is similar to that of the real Master Sword.

To get the Master Sword, Link must find the Old Woman in South Lynna who will tell the Clock Shop Secret. She instructs the player to dig around the Clock Shop located in Holodrum. The old man inside will ask the player to play a game wherein 12 beasts must be beaten within 30 seconds.

If Link discovers the King Zora Secret after completing the OoS:, a Zora in Hero's Cave will reward him with the Master Sword. However, if Link has already completed the OoS:, then the legendary blade will be found resting in its pedestal in the Lost Woods of northwestern Holodrum.

If Link discovers the Clock Shop Secret after completing the OoA:, the legendary blade will be given to him by the Old Woman in South Lynna. However, if the Secret is discovered before the OoA: is complete, then Link will have to bring the Broken Sword that was given to him by the Old Zora who lives at the Coast of No Return to Patch on top of Restoration Wall for repairs. If the ceremony is successful, Patch will restore the Broken Sword. This will give Link an upgraded version of his sword, depending on what he had when the ceremony began. If Link had the Wooden Sword, Patch's restoration will give him the Noble Sword. If Link had the Noble Sword, the restoration will give him the Master Sword.

To obtain the Master Sword if Patch repairs the Broken Sword into the Noble Sword, the player will need to use the Clock Shop Secret given to them by the Old Woman. By taking her secret back to Oracle of Seasons and obtaining the Master Sword in that game, they will get a new secret. This secret can be given to Farore in Oracle of Ages, and the player will then obtain the Master Sword.

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, once wielded by the Hero of Time. 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 Hero of Winds 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 full magic again.

Later, Link learns that since Ganon murdered the original 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: his friends Medli and Makar. 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 TWWHD:.

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 permanently destroyed by the massive waves.

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 and, as it resides in the temple's ruins, a place that is notably similar to the sword's resting place in. 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.

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 monsters of Twilight 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.

[[SS -]]

 * 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, 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. Once blessed, it possesses the Light Force. 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 cross-guard extends outwards and turns into 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 it is in a hilt, 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 Master Sword in is the same legendary blade from, which is once again found inside of the Lost Woods, presumably having been left there by the Link from. Much like in, the Master Sword is obtained by collecting the three Pendants of Virtue. One of the Pendants is given to Link by Princess Zelda, and the others are found in 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. 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.

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.

10,000 years prior to the events of, a Hero wielded the BotW: and sealed BotW: away within BotW: using the its power. The BotW: was also wielded by the BotW: one hundred years before he awoke from the BotW:. During BotW:'s first BotW:, "BotW:", the royal speech that BotW: recites states that the BotW: is bound to the Hero of Hyrule and always aided him whether "skyward bound", adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight." In BotW:'s third BotW:, "BotW:", BotW: asks BotW: if he can hear the BotW: speaking to him. During BotW:'s 17th BotW:, "BotW:", BotW: is greatly wounded and the BotW: is in poor condition. After BotW: awakens her sealing power to save BotW: from a BotW:, BotW: collapses in exhaustion. The Master Sword speaks to BotW:, informing her what she must do to save both BotW: and BotW:. After putting BotW: in the BotW: for his one hundred year slumber, BotW: takes the BotW: to its BotW: in BotW:, where she promises that BotW: will return for it.

After BotW: awakens 100 years later, the BotW: still remains in the BotW: beyond the BotW:. During his journey, BotW: may come across several rumors pertaining to its location. Upon reaching the BotW:, BotW: has to walk a certain path that leads to the BotW:. There, the BotW: rests on its BotW:. When BotW: approaches it, BotW: will inform him that if a person who is deemed weak attempts to draw the BotW:, they would surely lose their life. BotW: must have at least 13 NaN Hearts to be able to draw the blade from its resting slumber.

The BotW: has a base strength of 30 damage; however, its holy power is awakened in the presence of evil. While BotW: is inside a BotW:, near NaN Guardians, or in proximity to BotW:, the blade glows with a blue aura. In this state, the BotW:'s power is doubled to 60. Unlike all other NaN Weapons, it runs out of energy temporarily after a certain amount of uses instead of breaking. It is unusable in this state and will regain its energy after 10 minutes. While in the awakened state, the BotW:'s energy lasts much longer, enduring approximately 11,400 damage before needing to recharge. Also unlike most other weapons, the BotW: cannot be thrown. Instead, it can fire a BotW: when the 'R' button is held and released if BotW: has full health. The BotW: inflicts 10 damage on NaN Enemies, and its range is increased by the total amount of NaN Heart Containers that BotW: has obtained. Firing a BotW: will also slightly reduce the BotW:'s BotW:. The BotW: appears and functions like the Series: from SS -, with BotW: sending off a blue disc of energy from the BotW: after charging it in the air. After completing the BotW: from DLC pack, the BotW: will be awakened permanently, and using the BotW: will no longer affect its BotW:.

Being made of metal, the BotW: will attract BotW: if it is equipped during a BotW:, and it will likewise conduct BotW:. Unlike other NaN Weapons, however, it can not be knocked out of BotW:'s hands or dropped, nor can it be hung on a BotW: in Link's House. It also does not burn when exposed to BotW: or a BotW:.

The TotK: is damaged by the Gloom upon Ganondorf's revival, leaving it corroded and damaged beyond repair. Though Link recovers it when he awakens on the Great Sky Island, its base strength is dropped to 1, making it less powerful than even a Tree Branch. It vanishes in a sphere of light shortly before Link leaves the Great Sky Island, where it is recovered by Zelda.

The repaired Master Sword can be found embedded in the head of the Light Dragon. However, Link must have at least two full Stamina Wheels to pull the sword out or the dragon will fling him off.

Discrepancies
Until the release of SS -, 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, 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. This notion that the Master Sword was forged to protect the Triforce is supported by the fact that Hylia (The first wielder of the Goddess Sword) was the Triforce's guardian.

Both the English and Japanese manuals of describe that the Master Sword was forged by the people of Hyrule, and not necessarily by the Ancient Sages. It isn't until that Princess Zelda officially mentions that the Ancient Sages crafted the Master Sword.

SS -, 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 metaphorically claims that the Master Sword "sleeps again, forever" after Link places it back in its shrine in the Lost Woods.

In, the Hero of Light can obtain the Master Sword from the Lost Woods during week 4. During previous weeks, a Soldier blocks the entrance to its resting place. The Master Sword is the most powerful Sword in the game. When at full health, it can shoot Sword Beams. During the ending of the game, the Hero of Light, alongside Princess Zelda and Aginah, return the Master Sword to its pedestal.

(Ishinomori)
In the, 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 Mario-kun
In chapter 4 of volume 4, and  are sent to the world of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. During the adventure, Yoshi is turned into a shield and Mario is in possession of a sword called "Mushroom Sword". Later, when fighting Agahnim, Mario receives from some s that power-up the Mushroom Sword into the "Master Mushroom Sword"  with which Mario is able to defeat the sorcerer.

Later, in chapter 3 of volume 13, Mario is visiting a future timeline where Bowser won and Mario's descendant is now the janitor of a museum about his ancestor's adventures. appears and attacks Mario. Mario's descendant hands him the Master Mushroom Sword, that was kept as a relic to pass down generation after generation, and defeats Ludwig with it.

In, the Master Sword is Link's main weapon.

Animal Crossing series
The Master Sword in its pedestal is an obtainable furniture item in the in several games in the, in which it can be placed as decoration in the player's house or the houses of s. In the series's  games,  is based on its appearance in , as is its  from . In , the sword and pedestal are based on their appearance in. In  they are based on the appearance in SS -.

The Master Sword reappears as Link's primary weapon in. It can also be obtained as a Trophy.


 * }

The Master Sword is one of Link's weapons in, 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.

The Master Sword is both Link's and Toon Link's main weapon in. The Subspace Emissary shows a cutscene where Link pulls out the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time in the middle of a forest when he is first introduced.

The Master Sword appears in 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 comment on it.

&
In  &, Link uses the Master Sword as part of his tricks. The Master Sword also can be seen resting in a pedestal in Hyrule Castle on Hyrule Circuit. Touching the three crystals that appear before the MK8D: activates the dash panel ramp which allows drivers to go through and perform a trick.

The Master Sword, combined with the Hylian Shield, appears as one of Link's unlockable weapons in. It is obtained by completing "The Sacred Sword" Scenario in Legend Mode. It performs similarly to Link's Hylian Sword moveset, although with a base attack power of 300, being much more powerful than most obtainable Swords. It also performs a wider and faster Spin Attack combo than the other Swords. After completing the "A War of Spirit" Scenario, Link can fire Sword Beams with certain combos at full health. It is of the Light element.

Unlike other weapons, the Master Sword is one-of-a-kind and multiples cannot be obtained from weapon drops. In it has one Skill known as Evil's Bane, which is unlocked after collecting all Level 1, 2 and 3 Weapons found in Scenarios in Legend Mode and in the Adventure Map in Adventure Mode and then accumulating 25,000 KOs with the Master Sword. In and, it has two Skills, one being Evil's Bane, and the other being Exorcism. In and, Evil's Bane is unlocked in the same manner as in , but the KOs requirement is lowered to 10,000. In, Exorcism requires unlocking all of the Level 4 Weapons found in the Twilight Map and the Temina Map in Adventure Mode and then accumulating 25,000 KOs with the Master Sword while in , all Weapons, including the Multi-Element Weapons, must be collected but the KOs required is lowered to 15,000. The Evil's Bane Skill increases the Master Sword's base attack power by 200 and, in, also unlocks the Legendary seal for other Warriors' weapons that have that Skill available. In and, the Exorcism Skill unlocks the Legendary seal and also increases the Master Sword's base power by an additional 400 points, bringing the total to 900. Unlocking the Evil's Bane skill awards the "True Master Sword" Medal in, while Exorcism does this in and.

In the Legend Mode Scenarios, after obtaining the Sword, Link becomes cocky and overconfident in his abilities. In "A War of Spirit", while Link goes to face Cia at the Temple of Souls, she uses his overconfidence against him by using the darkness in his heart to create Dark Links to fight him repeatedly. With the aid of his allies, he is able to overcome these threats, and the bond shared between them awakens the True Power of the Master Sword. From that point, at full health, Link can fire Sword Beams with certain combos. After Link defeats Ganon in "Liberation of the Triforce", he returns the Master Sword to its pedestal at the Temple of the Sacred Sword to rest.

The twenty-forth puzzle in the Picross series and the sixteenth puzzle in the Mega Picross series depict the MNPTP:.

Like in, both Link and Toon Link use the Master Sword.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Master Sword is available exclusively in the Nintendo Switch version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It can be obtained from either scanning an amiibo related to, or through finding it in a Treasure Chest near Paarthurnax at the Throat of the World.

Super Mario Maker 2
The, introduced in the Ver. 2.0.0 update, is a special power-up exclusive to the Super Mario Bros. style. When collected, Mario is transformed in Link from The Legend of Zelda and is able to make the hero's typical moves such as deploying and picking up bombs, swiping his sword to defeat enemies, shooting arrows (in multiple direction), using the shield to stop enemies' projectiles, and can also do a Down Thrust and a Dash Attack, even though they were moves introduced in later installments.

The Master Sword Link-Mario uses is in the style of the other swords from the original game. A much more modern 8-bit depiction of the sword in its pedestal is sometimes shown in the intro screen.

The Master Sword is used by both Link and Toon Link in. When Link's damage is at 0%, he is capable of firing Sword Beams from the Master Sword by performing his Forward Smash attack.

In, the HWAoC: is first seen in the HWAoC:, "HWAoC:", where HWAoC:, HWAoC:, HWAoC:, the four NaN Champions, and HWAoC: go to the pedestal, only to be blocked by HWAoC:. HWAoC: summons four NaN Hollows to battle HWAoC:. HWAoC: is drawn near the HWAoC: and pulls it out when his old sword breaks. HWAoC: then engages in a fight against HWAoC:, summoning his NaN Hollows. Once he is beaten, he admits how strong the HWAoC: is.

The HWAoC: initially has an attack power of 51.

Trivia

 * In, according to the original Japanese text, the Master Sword was only sealing Ganondorf's minions and not his magic, as can be observed in-game.
 * The Master Sword is a signature symbol of, being displayed in title logos such as in and appearing as Link's main weapon in other games like  and the  games.
 * A weapon known as a appears in ', released shortly after . While it bears the same name and is a powerful weapon, it has a very different appearance to the weapon from  series. It also appears in the DS remake, and in ', where its appearance is closer to that of the Zelda blade. It also appears in  under the ownership of Reinhardt: Thunder's Sword, where it is called "Meisterschwert."
 * The Snake Killer from  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 SS undefined, 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.
 * and are the only games in which the Series:, already seemingly at its full power (as opposed to its powered-down appearances in, SS -, and ), can be permanently upgraded to deal more damage.
 * In, 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, it is said that the Master Sword was made by the Sages by instruction of the Gods.
 * While the Master Sword is usually used in one hand, it is large enough to be used with two hands.
 * In, the gem and round area above the grip of the Master Sword are engraved with boxlike symbols reminiscent of Hylian. In , the symbols were removed from the gem, and the cross guard engravings were replaced with the represented by equivalent characters from the . The exceptions are 'j' and 'v', for which there are no Greek equivalents; other characters are used instead.
 * Although many Zelda games heavily suggest the Master Sword to be the ultimate weapon in their storyline and is normally required to defeat Ganon, in terms of actual gameplay, weapons stronger than the mighty sacred sword exist; The Biggoron's Sword, Silver Arrows, and Light Arrows are some known examples in the series to be more powerful than the Master Sword in raw strength. Plus, in A Link to the Past, it can be optionally upgraded to be more potent than it normally is.

Gallery
Master-Schwert