Coolest weapon from literature?

[shilsen]

Well, here's one that's been missed out, although it's a little metaphysical:

The Discworld Death's scythe.

That thing can cut candle flames in half. It flickers blue because air molecules touch the blade and get split in half.

And yet, it's never been used... the dead leave their bodies after life and death just provides guidance. And anything that can threaten Death is far, far too dangerous for a mere weapon to affect. No, for that you need something even more powerful.

And by definition of 'more powerful than the weapon of an anthropomorphic personification', the most powerful weapon in existance is (SPOILER AHEAD) chocolate. Especially small ones; you know, the kind that have nougat centers or coconut caramel.

And if you don't get that, you obviously don't read enough Terry Pratchett.

Hah! Good to see another Pratchett fan here. Just for the record, Death gets to use the scythe quite often (vs. Mort, against the Auditors on various occasions, etc.). And I'm pretty sure he gets to snip something when a soul leaves the body (at least in some of the novels). And I don't think there can ever be enough Pratchett to read

 

[NoOneofConsequence]

Re: Monkey's Wishing staff

A lot of people have commented on the Brust, but I am surprised no one did about Monkey's Wishing Staff. It was all I ever wanted when I was a kid (okay, that and a sonic screw-driver). I used to run around the back yard swinging a pole over my head and pretending to whistle down pink clouds.
Was Monkey as popular a show in other countries as it was in mine? Or am I showing my age here?

You're showing my age too then.

And yeah, the wishing staff is way cool

 

[jester47]

I think it is good to point out that more often then not the sword in the anvil on the stone and excalibur are not the same sword. The sword in the stone was broken, and excalibur came from the lake.

In all truth excalibur is a weak sword. Essesntially a symbol of state. The real treasure is the scabbard.

I did not think Hrunting was all that great. As described I would say that it was a human bane weapon, whereas the sword that melted was a charged vorpal sword with 2 charges left.

Aaron.

 

[s/LaSH]

Here's a couple of swords I remembered from recent cartoons:

First, Trunks' sword from DragonBallZ. Apparently it has a backstory in a movie somewhere, but it doesn't make sense in the branching timestreams. And it has no special powers (at least in relation to characters who are walking nuclear arsenals), as King Cold found out the hard way. Still, it has to be pretty strong to cut Freezer. It just pales in comparison to the wielder.

Second, the Gold Sword from Shinzo (also known as Mushrambo). Not as well known as DBZ, but pretty cool. Here's a < < < SPOILER > > >: The gold sword was a weapon formed by the celestial beings that kept the Universe safe. It was intended to be used on a being called Lanancuras, who was the corrupt Guardian of the Milky Way. In fact, when Lanancuras got beat up, pieces of the Sun started shaking loose. The Gold Sword was used successfully when Mushrambo was sucked into Lanancuras; he then cut his way out of extradimensional limbo, destroying Lanancuras. Sadly, Lanancuras then rematerialised and when he got hit with the sword again, the sword disintegrated, but it did a fair amount of damage at first. Just for reference, Lanancuras' original form was encased in neutronium or a similar substance and still kicked the butt of characters on a par with super saiyans. His second form was much tougher.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Now thinking about it one cool weapon is Nemo's Nautilus. I guess that is a sub did not think about it.

 

[Kesh]

Gotta go with Excalibur, aka Caliburn, aka Durandal.

Unfortunately, I was mostly raised on a diet of sci-fi, so I haven't read much fantasy outside of the Arthurian legends and Tolkien. And after my sci-fi upbringing, I went straight into horror (thank you, god, for H. P. Lovecraft!). College as an English major didn't leave much room for fantasy, as people have already noted.

Now I might start picking up some more fantasy novels. Right after I finish Neuromancer and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.

help me!...

 

[Welshy]

The Sword of Omens

thats what you need in a battle, a sword that takes about 15 seconds to draw. 10 points for theatrics though.

 

[Soldarin]

What about Mask, the sword Cyric used to kill a god (was it Bane?) in the Time of Troubles.

And me not even being an FR fan. You can't beat a god... ;-)

 

[Ashrum the Black]

Okay, I gotta ask since I've never hear of it before. What is the sword Need and what auther penned it into existence?

Thanks!

 

[apsuman]

Excalibur!

Mjolinor (spelled horrifically wonrg) is great but really, what other weapon bestows upon it's weilder the position of sovereign?


G!