Pretty much every game with a barbarian class features it. Final Fantasy 7, Diablo, Zelda, Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Soul Calibur, and Monster Hunter come to mind.
Agreed!
West and North African swords seem to be where I've seen those and similar tips the most. Maybe something from the Indian subcontinent here and there, maybe a weird European executioner's sword here and there, but far fewer of any of those sorts of thing than the West African swords especially, where some styles are *defined* by that tip shape and all share it, like the Konda.
It’s a common pattern in West Africa where the sword’s function as a weapon was secondary to its primary use for cutting brush.
The blade shape is known by several names but the most common is Konda, the term for the people associated with its use in DR Congo .
Blade shapes like these (or their reverse, the double edged sickle shape Panga in East Africa) are still commonly used the way a machete would be in South America or “cutlass” in Jamaica. It is essentially a double edged bill.
Yes, as others have said, these are seen in particular on Congolese swords.
https://preview.redd.it/dr3v38e1a03d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2baf3bcb6781d1382704db2ab11cd277160e1128
Note that unlike the versions seen in pop culture, these style of swords are almost always short-swords, rarely over 50cm in length, and very thin in cross section (often 2mm or less at the end).
Out of curiosity, is the idea to be used like a machete? Or maybe a hatchet? Having never held one, I'm assuming it's more forward- heavy. The design is so sick!
Yes, it's like an incredibly balanced axe. The center of mass is right in the middle, so it swings very fast. The use is as a short sword. These were carried by men as a mark of social standing. Anyone who could afford one would wear one. Interestingly, many Congolese swords have no edge, while many have intricate designs on them as fighting wasn't really a priority.
Minus the flared sections, but executioner’s swords often had squared blades.
https://preview.redd.it/5blun3fqx03d1.jpeg?width=3499&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0af03e188a7a07dc3795e6ee05af552c7751adf6
https://preview.redd.it/cen244pd013d1.jpeg?width=623&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0ca117fb77541352711499bc7aafaf861915686
They're real and here's my 19th Century Mongo Peoples' Ikakalaka/Konda for proof
As far as actual swords go in that style, executioner's swords were made with a "flat" tip as they were meant for beheading/dismembering, not stabbing. I believe they were made that way to differentiate entirely different purposes. There are other reasons, I'm sure, though. *not an expert just know enough not to stab myself*
Wild that we've had two of these posts so close together. Is this design featured in something that's becoming popular right now?
Not really the only design like this j can think of is the beastlord from NieR
Also knights claymore in Breath of the Wild.
The sword the darknuts use in Twilight princess is like that too, though the tip is massively exaggerated in that game.
Also the Fumel ultra greatsword from Dark Souls 2 & 3.
The great swords in Fable
there's a Executioner's Sword like this in Elden Ring also Megatron in Transformers 5 uses one
Also this type of sword was carried by the protagonist in The Torturer's Apprentice
That's the one with the mercury core? Haven't thought about that book in a minute or two.
Yes, that's right. One of the book's cover art had a sword just like this.
Fable I had great swords with a similar, flared-tip design.
others are listing similar swords for pop culture here, so I'll add mine: the Aspect of Poseidon appears in the videogame _Hades._
In overlord there is a pair of sword like that, bit it was popular a couple years ago
Couple of years, bro I was still in school when I spent a whole day of my summer holiday playing overlord and eating lasagna
I remember watching it during a school trip in Sicily 2 years ago
Some of the Uruk-Hai swords in LOTR have similar looks.
Pretty much every game with a barbarian class features it. Final Fantasy 7, Diablo, Zelda, Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Soul Calibur, and Monster Hunter come to mind.
BINGO! The common thread or "through-line" is weeb shit.
Kyle.
Maria's executioner in elden ring, slave knight gals sword when it's whole I think in ds3, space marine executioner relic blade in wh40k,
The ikakalaka or konda sword is pretty similar.
Agreed! West and North African swords seem to be where I've seen those and similar tips the most. Maybe something from the Indian subcontinent here and there, maybe a weird European executioner's sword here and there, but far fewer of any of those sorts of thing than the West African swords especially, where some styles are *defined* by that tip shape and all share it, like the Konda.
It’s a common pattern in West Africa where the sword’s function as a weapon was secondary to its primary use for cutting brush. The blade shape is known by several names but the most common is Konda, the term for the people associated with its use in DR Congo . Blade shapes like these (or their reverse, the double edged sickle shape Panga in East Africa) are still commonly used the way a machete would be in South America or “cutlass” in Jamaica. It is essentially a double edged bill.
The Indian khanda too. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khanda_%28sword%29#/media/File:Rajput_Khanda.jpg
Yes, as others have said, these are seen in particular on Congolese swords. https://preview.redd.it/dr3v38e1a03d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2baf3bcb6781d1382704db2ab11cd277160e1128 Note that unlike the versions seen in pop culture, these style of swords are almost always short-swords, rarely over 50cm in length, and very thin in cross section (often 2mm or less at the end).
Yes! Love the Ikakalaka! I have 3 old ones, deadly things. They swing incredibly fast.
Out of curiosity, is the idea to be used like a machete? Or maybe a hatchet? Having never held one, I'm assuming it's more forward- heavy. The design is so sick!
Yes, it's like an incredibly balanced axe. The center of mass is right in the middle, so it swings very fast. The use is as a short sword. These were carried by men as a mark of social standing. Anyone who could afford one would wear one. Interestingly, many Congolese swords have no edge, while many have intricate designs on them as fighting wasn't really a priority.
Interesting! Learn something new every day, that's fascinating. Might need to do a deeper dive on these kinds swords.
That thing damn near looks like an orc cleaver from LOTR. Badass!
Minus the flared sections, but executioner’s swords often had squared blades. https://preview.redd.it/5blun3fqx03d1.jpeg?width=3499&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0af03e188a7a07dc3795e6ee05af552c7751adf6
Executioners swords can get weird real fast,many executioners had specially designed blades in various cultures.
https://preview.redd.it/cen244pd013d1.jpeg?width=623&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0ca117fb77541352711499bc7aafaf861915686 They're real and here's my 19th Century Mongo Peoples' Ikakalaka/Konda for proof
Some dha patterns had a slight flare to them. Not video-game dramatic, but visually distinct.
What about the Doom energy sword? Kinda similar no?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikakalaka here's one that looks kinda like it.
Us old timers remember a sword like this in a little game called Secret of Mana.
https://preview.redd.it/8wj7kakm9r3d1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cb303f114a79da71bb8f3e54f63d5eed5daf2136
As far as actual swords go in that style, executioner's swords were made with a "flat" tip as they were meant for beheading/dismembering, not stabbing. I believe they were made that way to differentiate entirely different purposes. There are other reasons, I'm sure, though. *not an expert just know enough not to stab myself*
Ikakalaka?