Video games continue to dominate the entertainment industry year after year. With the most recent success of Black Myth: Wukong, the player can wield many different weapons aside from the magical staff.
Throughout video game history, characters have wielded many different weapons to stand out from one another. Here’s five of gaming’s most iconic weapons that everyone likely knows.
5. DOOM – BFG
The DOOM franchise is iconic as one of the first video games to really nail the first-person shooter genre. Starting from the beginning, the series introduced the BFG as the most powerful weapon in the game.
Players are able to wipe out groups of demons with ease. The weapon’s name is a very clear acronym that was quickly loved by fans. The BFG continues to appear in DOOM games and is always the most powerful weapon.
4. God of War – Blades of Chaos
God of War has continued to please new and old players alike with the recent entries on the PS4 and PS5. However, before Kratos wielded the Leviathan Axe, he donned the Blades of Chaos.
In the hack-and-slash action-adventure games, Kratos would be able to slice through enemies while swinging both blades around. During boss fights, Kratos would kill them with a finisher that was sick and very bloody. The Blades of Chaos would dig into his enemies with zero chance of coming back.
The weapons are so iconic, that Santa Monica Studio brought them back in the new God of War games in 2018. The team couldn’t let players forget where Kratos started from.
#3. Kingdom Hearts – Keyblade
In a bizarre collaboration, Disney and Square Enix could join together to create Kingdom Hearts which has spawned many sequels, spin-offs, and global recognition.
The most iconic weapon of the series is the Keyblade. Wielded by the main protagonist, Sora, his Keyblade is called the Kingdom Key. It’s a sword that resembles a key. The Keyblade’s teeth form a crown with a mini keychain at the bottom of Mickey Mouse’s silhouette.
Even though it’s not the strongest Keyblade in the series, it’s iconic due to its repeat appearances in the franchise. Sora on the Kingdom Hearts box art shows the Kingdom Key on full display. In addition, his addition in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate had to include his Keyblade as a major part of the character’s kit.
#2. Halo – Energy Sword
If you played any amount of Halo in your lifetime, you wanted to find the Energy Sword and kill enemies with it. Although this is a first-person shooter franchise, its most iconic weapon is a melee weapon that requires the player to get up close and personal.
First playable in Halo 2, the player would lunge at their enemy for a quick and easy kill. The weapon would continue to find its way into future installments including Halo Infinite.
The sound effect alone is cool enough to stand the test of time. Similar to the lightsaber from Star Wars, an energy-based weapon in a science fiction series.
#1. The Legend of Zelda – Master Sword
Like all the weapons on this list, you don’t need to play video games to know about them. One weapon that’s the most iconic above them all is the Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda series.
Ironically enough, the weapon does not officially appear in the franchise until The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, the third mainline installment. The Master Sword plays an important role in that game’s story. The weapon has since appeared in nearly every mainline Zelda game alongside spinoff appearances featuring Link.
Despite the weapon being “just a sword,” its power and presence has saved Hyrule and Princess Zelda plenty of times. It’s the most iconic video game weapon because of The Legend of Zelda’s sheer popularity and the weapon’s continuous use in the franchise. It’s even on full display in a handful of Zelda logos.
What’s your favorite video game weapon of all time? Let us know what you think in the comments!
