Top 18 Famous Movie Sword Replicas of All Time

Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Kill Bill are wildly different movie franchises, but if there’s one thing that connects them to each other, it’s the legendary swords featured in them. When you see a sword in a movie or a TV show, you immediately understand, even at just a subconscious level, that a sword is a symbol of power, courage, and honor. 

That’s why there are so many swords in movies and why they’re often in the hands of the heroes we admire, so it’s no surprise that many movie and TV show fans want to have a replica of their favorite movie swords.

What’s a Sword Replica?

Replica swords are copies of real or fictional swords that are intended to look like the original. That may seem obvious to you, but the distinction is less clear because of the existence of battle-ready swords. 

Battle-ready swords can either be counted as sword replicas or as the real deal. For example, if we were to have a copy of a medieval sword or Viking sword that functioned like the real thing, it can still be counted as a replica because it wasn’t forged in the correct era. But a samurai sword that is accurate to designs created today and functions the exact same way would be counted as a real sword.

Because battle-ready swords can be counted as a weapon, it’s safer to stick to replica swords, especially if you only need a movie sword for Live Action Role-Playing (LARP) or cosplay. 

12 Most Famous Movie Swords

Hollywood has gifted us with a pantheon of famous swords ranging from the humble machete of Indiana Jones to the massive swords of Highlander. While collecting the original props used in this movie can cost you a pretty penny, you won’t have to worry about going bankrupt with these movie replicas.

Mulan’s Jian Sword

The live-action version of Mulan may have dropped the iconic hair-cutting scene, but at least they kept the sword that was used in it.

In the movie, Mulan uses a straight-edged blade called a jian. The jian is a historic sword with over 4,000 years of history. It dates back to the Shang Dynasty where it was used both as an indicator of the user’s social status and as a weapon. 

For Mulan, it’s a symbol of her family’s legacy and love for each other. 

Wonder Woman’s Sword of Athena

Wonder Woman actually uses two swords in the DC Universe series. The first one was a sword named the God Killer, which was destroyed by Ares in the first movie, and the second was the Sword of Athena.

The Sword of Athena is a short, straight-edged blade with a blue handle that matches Wonder Woman’s attire. Fans believe it was created by Hephaestus, god of the forge, as a homage to the wisdom and power of the goddess Athena. Considering the inspirations of Wonder Woman, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to also theorize that the sword is made of Damascus steel.

Should you get a replica of the Wonder Woman Movie sword, it would make a fine homage to your own wisdom and power. 

Gandalf’s Glamdring Sword

Gandalf’s Glamdring Sword is just one of many Lord of the Rings swords. Unlike the other fantasy swords featured in the Lord of the Rings, however, Glamdring is a large sword that’s more comparable to a claymore than a longsword, a type of medieval sword that most Lord of the Rings (LOTR) swords are based on.

According to LOTR’s lore, Glamdring is a sister sword to the Orcrist Sword of Thorin Oakenshield, making it an Elven sword. Glamdring was once owned by the Elven King of Gondolin, hence the Elven inscriptions on the sword’s crossguard. 

This small detail is what gives Glamdring replica swords their mystical appeal so keep an eye out for it should you purchase one. 

Elendil’s Narsil Sword

The Narsil sword is a classic medieval longsword once owned by King Elendil. The sword is a beautiful shade of silver all throughout and ditches ornamentation in favor of an efficient design. It’s one of those rare fantasy swords that you’ll have no trouble finding both replica and battle-ready copies of.

Of course, Narsil didn’t stay Narsil after it was broken during the final battle against Sauron. It was reforged to create this next Lord of the Rings sword.

Aragorn’s Anduril Sword

Anduril is the reforged version of Narsil. Though the two swords look identical and are made of the same materials, Anduril has a different identity because of the way magic functions in LOTR. 

Narsil is considered a dead sword because it was broken and, following its reforging at the hands of Elven smiths, it became an entirely new sword in the form of Anduril. It makes sense from a narrative perspective since Anduril becomes the sword of Aragorn, the new king of a new kingdom.

Bilbo Baggins’ Sting Sword

The Sting sword may not be the sword of a heroic king, but it is the blade of The Hobbit’s protagonist, Bilbo Baggins. With a name like “Sting” and the knowledge that it’s owned by a hobbit, you might think that the sword is light and thin like a rapier. However, it more closely resembles a Spartan xiphos wielded by King Leonidas in 300.

Like Glamdring, Sting is an Elven sword created in the First Age that Bilbo only found by chance in a troll’s hoard. It later became the sword of his distant cousin, Frodo Baggins. 

The Bride’s Katana

From anime shows like One Piece to films like the Last Samurai, the katana is proof that some movie swords transcend genres and mediums. Surprisingly, one iconic katana sword isn’t even from Japanese media — The Bride’s katana.

The Bride a.k.a Beatrix Kiddo uses a traditional Japanese katana in Kill Bill. In the movie, the blade was forged by Hattori Hanzo, a master swordsmith, who created the Hattori Hanzo sword for Beatrix so that she can kill Bill. 

Because it’s the work of a master craftsman, the Bride’s katana has a few distinguishing features. Firstly, there’s the lion engraved on the top end of the blade. Secondly, it comes with a lacquered black scabbard for the user to store it in. Inclusion of details like these set top shelf replicas apart from bad ones. 

Raya’s Whip Sword

The 2021 film Raya and the Last Dragon is famous for being the first Disney animated film to feature Southeast Asian culture front and center. There’s no better example of this dedication to representation than Raya’s sword.

The wavy shape of the blade may look baffling, but it’s based on a real historical sword used throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines called a kris. Aside from a few stylistic elements like the naga-inspired crossguard, Raya’s whip sword is incredibly accurate to the kris that inspired it.

Of course, no sword can actually turn into a whip, but you can still get your own replica of Raya’s sword.

The Sword of Gryffindor

The Sword of Gryffindor didn’t get as much screen time as the other fantasy swords on this list, but it’s still a beautiful blade that would look amazing in a cosplay or on a wall mount.

The Sword of Gryffindor is an ancient blade that originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor, the founder of Hogwarts’ Gryffindor house.  It was created by goblins, hence the intricate details on the handle and blade. 

If you’re a fan of Arthurian legend and Harry Potter, you’ll love the Sword of Gryffindor for its obvious references to King Arthur and his Excalibur. Namely, that the sword can only be pulled out of the Sorting Hat by a “true Gryffindor”. 

Conan the Barbarian’s Atlantean Sword

For a show that’s decidedly set in a medieval-like era, Conan the Barbarian’s Atlantean sword is the most unrealistic fantasy sword on this list so far. 

The Atlantean sword is a claymore sized sword that was once wielded by an Atlantean king before it was discovered by Conan during one of his adventures. Its design is geared for use by someone with Conan’s level of strength since the unsharpened portion above the handguard can be held to let the user exert more force in each stab. 

Snake Eyes’ Katana

Many G.I Joe fans love Snake Eyes because of his cool character design and equally cool samurai sword. The young ninja soldier was trained by the Arashikage clan to wield throwing knives and katanas alike from an early age.

Eventually, Snake Eyes earned the heirloom katana of the Arashikage clan. The katana features a clean, curved edge with a serrated section just above the handguard. This section lines up with a symbol of the Arashikage clan on the inner portion of the blade.

Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber

All of the earlier movie swords are cool, but none of them come close to the legendary status of Star Wars’ lightsabers. As Obi-Wan Kenobi puts it, it’s an elegant weapon that uses a bright, hot beam of plasma in place of a metal blade. 

We’re still a long way from creating lightsabers, but there are a ton of lightsaber vendors who sell both replica and battle-ready lightsabers. 

6 Most Famous TV Show Swords

Famous swords don’t just come from movies, they’re prevalent in TV shows as well. Though most TV show swords are from animated series like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, swords also show up in live-action series such as the Walking Dead where Michonne uses a katana to cut down daywalkers.

She-Ra’s Sword of Protection

The story around She-Ra’s Sword of Protection varies depending on which series you’re watching. In the original She-Ra: Princess of Power, the Sword of Protection transforms Adora into She-Ra, but in the She-Ra and the Princesses of Power reboot, we learn that the sword is merely a tool and that the power of She-Ra lies within Adora herself.

Another discrepancy between the original and the reboot is what the Sword of Protection looks like. In the original, it has a more triangular shape while the reboot’s sword merely has a stylized crossguard. That said, both have a blue gemstone at the center of the sword.

He-Man’s Power Sword

He-Man’s sword of power blends sci-fi with fantasy by having a somewhat believable yet monochromatic design that makes it look like a spaceship. Like the Sword of Protection, the Sword of Power allows Prince Adam to transform into He-Man.

The sword has been redesigned a few times due to the number of He-Man adaptations so if you’ve always wanted a replica Sword of Power, you may want to get one now before Netflix makes a reboot with a new version.

The Red Power Ranger’s Sword

Power Rangers has had dozens of iterations and every now and then, a few of them show the Rangers using a sword to vanquish enemies. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers did it the most and created the classic Red Ranger’s Power Sword.

The Red Ranger’s Power Sword is a stylized longsword with a phoenix-inspired crossguard. It looks a little like She-Ra’s Sword of Protection in the reboot and like it, it gave the Red Ranger the power boost he needed to defeat evil.

Geralt’s Silver and Steel Swords

Whether you’re a fan of the show, books, or video game, you’ve doubtless entertained the idea of having Geralt’s swords.

Everybody’s favorite cynical witcher uses a steel and silver sword to fight monsters and humans who stand in his way. Though the swords differ in material, they both resemble the longswords of the Middle Ages and have leather wrapped handles because how else are you going to behead a gryphon comfortably?

If you do get a copy of Geralt’s swords, remember: It’s steel for humans, silver for monsters.

Finn’s Golden Sword of Battle (a.k.a Scarlet)

Finn changes swords several times throughout Adventure Time, but his signature sword and the one that shows up on the opening sequence of the show is always the Golden Sword of Battle. 

Since the name is a mouthful, Finn took to calling the sword Scarlet, a sign of how much he loves the sword. If the chips and scratches are to go by, Scarlet has gone through a lot, but it still shines as bright as the first day Finn got it. 

Should you buy a replica of Finn’s sword, though, you’re going to want to pick an “aged” version of Scarlet to show that you’ve gone through your own adventures. 

Jon Snow’s Longclaw Sword

Longclaw was Jon Snow’s sword for most of the Game of Thrones series, however, it originally belonged to House Mormont which you may recall is the family of Lady Lyanna Mormomt. So, how did it end up in his hands? Jeor Mormont, who was serving in the Night’s Watch with Jon, gave him the sword after swapping the bear sigil on the pommel for a direwolf. 

Longclaw is an understated sword that actually looks like it could be a real-life noble family’s heirloom. It has a long, straight edge and an unornamented crossguard. Overall, the sword favors comfort and efficiency over style making this a great sword to purchase both a replica and battle-ready version of.

Conclusion

The beauty and strength of the sword transcends genres and mediums. It doesn’t matter if it’s a show, a movie, or a work of literature — swords are a great visual shorthand for telling audiences that a hero is brave and/or powerful. If these are qualities you’ve learned to value through your favorite shows and movies, you can get your own replica movie swords from a quality replica sword maker.