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Y'all knew a She-Ra sword examination thread was coming, right? https://twitter.com/SwordShitposts/status/1019042419440926720
Whoops. I shifted that account to private so let's replied the new She-Ra sword thread out here.
Hey. Is kind of She-Ra 2018 day, so let's talk about #SheRa's sword for a little bit.
And yes, I know there have been variations on her sword design in comics and what not, but the 1985-1986 cartoon version is the iconic one, the other versions are variants and kind of one offs that never achieved the cultural recognition of the original.
And part of that was because they didn't stray far enough from the original design to be memorable on their own. They're gilded replicas.
Nice, but never iconic in the same way.
Nice, but never iconic in the same way.
Speaking of iconic, it's worth noting that She-Ra's and He-Man's swords in the 80s were identical, except Adora's had a big blue gem.
In story, this can be attributed to their status as twins & the interconnected nature of thier powers.
In reality, it was cheaper for toy molds.
In story, this can be attributed to their status as twins & the interconnected nature of thier powers.
In reality, it was cheaper for toy molds.
It's always struck me as a really strange sword design.
There has always been, especially with He-Man, a barbarian inspired undertone to the entire power up Adora and Adam take on.
The sword... isn't very much that.
There has always been, especially with He-Man, a barbarian inspired undertone to the entire power up Adora and Adam take on.
The sword... isn't very much that.
It starts out thick and heavy looking near the hilt like it should be a weighty, slow moving two handed or hand and a half sword.
It even has a heavy ricasso (unsharpened section of the blade) just above the hilt that should be used as a secondary grip on a heavy sword...
It even has a heavy ricasso (unsharpened section of the blade) just above the hilt that should be used as a secondary grip on a heavy sword...
Something that's kind of a staple of the northern European barbarian sword tropes.
But that's where it goes strange. It was animated, so I get the very simplistic, unadorned design. That's practical for animation.
The one handed hilt in combination with the ricasso is fine.
The sword blade tapering off into a much thinner, more delicate
The one handed hilt in combination with the ricasso is fine.
The sword blade tapering off into a much thinner, more delicate
silhouette as soon as it exits the ricasso with a sharply pointed tip is where it gets weird.
It's two completely different sword concepts mashed together.
It's two completely different sword concepts mashed together.
From the ricasso to the pommel it's built like a heavy hitting, slow swinging, basher barbarian sword.
From the end of the ricasso to the tip of the blade, it's built like a fast moving cut and thrust or lighter long sword.
From the end of the ricasso to the tip of the blade, it's built like a fast moving cut and thrust or lighter long sword.
Even the heavy ricasso area would keep the the bulk of the sword's weight and it's center of balance focused just above the hilt, around the gem.
It would help it be a very fast moving sword best used for swift thrusting moves instead of long, slow slashing and bashing swings.
It would help it be a very fast moving sword best used for swift thrusting moves instead of long, slow slashing and bashing swings.
From what I recall from the 80s cartoon, the sword is used like a barbarian sword, a lot of telegraphed, heavy hitting swings. Not speedy cut and thrust.
It's not a bad design, but it is strange in context.
It's not a bad design, but it is strange in context.
It's just weird and incongruous.
It also makes it strange for any character to complain about the weight of it because while that giant ricasso would make the sword heavier than it needs to be, the placement of that weight would make it take much longer to notice the extra heft.
It also makes it strange for any character to complain about the weight of it because while that giant ricasso would make the sword heavier than it needs to be, the placement of that weight would make it take much longer to notice the extra heft.
But hey. 80s cartoons were there mostly to sell us toys. It worked, and I have a deep abiding and nostalgic love of He-Man and She-Ra.
As a life long sword girl, especially She-Ra.
As a life long sword girl, especially She-Ra.
Which brings us the the reboot by Netflix, helmed by
@Gingerhazing http://ew.com/tv/2018/07/16/she-ra-see-photos-noelle-stevenson/
@Gingerhazing http://ew.com/tv/2018/07/16/she-ra-see-photos-noelle-stevenson/
I've been eagerly waiting to see the new character designs and to see how the iconic sword might be reimagined over 30 years later.
Today we got enough images to put the new sword design together.
Today we got enough images to put the new sword design together.
Because it's kind of part of what I do here, I threw together a rough sketch of the overall design based on what we see in the promotional images.
(Thread originally posted July 16, 2018, so I'm adding official images too.)
(Thread originally posted July 16, 2018, so I'm adding official images too.)
To start, that sword is huge.
It's a big ole overhead basher of a sword great for beating an opponent to a pulp even if they are wearing armor.
It's just that big and heavy.
It's built proportionally like a barbarian sword.
It's a big ole overhead basher of a sword great for beating an opponent to a pulp even if they are wearing armor.
It's just that big and heavy.
It's built proportionally like a barbarian sword.
Which actually delights me.
It's always been the implication that the sword is heavy and unwieldy without the magical strength power up if Greyskull and there's always been a hint of barbarian heritage to the concept.
This sword silhouette actually delivers on that.
It's always been the implication that the sword is heavy and unwieldy without the magical strength power up if Greyskull and there's always been a hint of barbarian heritage to the concept.
This sword silhouette actually delivers on that.
Now it does NOT have a functional ricasso.
All that pretty artistic crosspiece around the blue gem is where the ricasso should be, but it's too fancy and slick looking to really function as one.
All that pretty artistic crosspiece around the blue gem is where the ricasso should be, but it's too fancy and slick looking to really function as one.
Add that to the hilt is still one handed, that is a point against the design because you really will need the power of Greyskull to swing that hulking piece of metal.
I've held swords in this weight class and basic size ratio.
They're so SOOOO fun in concept, but they're also stupidly heavy.
They're so SOOOO fun in concept, but they're also stupidly heavy.
Which as much as I love them doing the thing, they definitely only really work in fantasy cartoon land. Which is fine, because that is what this sword is designed for!
I do want to give a lot of credit for that fancy hilt crossguard though.
All the wing-like decoration has smooth, rounded edges. Folk like to put sharp tips all over designs like this, and what that creates is things the wielder is going to be constantly poking themselves on OR
All the wing-like decoration has smooth, rounded edges. Folk like to put sharp tips all over designs like this, and what that creates is things the wielder is going to be constantly poking themselves on OR
is going to snap off when coming into contact with other stuff during combat creating shrapnel. They've created a pretty and decorative hilt design that is not also a death trap for your fingers.
Kudos.
Seriously. Thank you so much for not doing the thing.
Kudos.
Seriously. Thank you so much for not doing the thing.
Unlike your typical barbarian sword, which had little to no crossguard bar, putting more focus on a functional ricasso, this sword design has a significant crossbar that continues the round edged wing design and also sweeps back instead of forward.
In a sword fight, this design would direct an opponent's weapon to slide down and away from the sword (not trapping it up against the edge while also guarding the fingers and knuckles of the wielder.
Since they've forgone a ricasso, this is the smart design move.
Since they've forgone a ricasso, this is the smart design move.
The gold rounded edges wings and heart design for the hilt is a very young girl friendly design that yells barbarian princess with the soft edges & subtle heart design reiterating the idea this is one of the good guys.
Plus the overall whole design echoes the gold insignia on She-Ra's chest both in the 80s version and this new iteration. That's a nice tie in both ways and also makes the sword look more cohesive to her overall design.
(Something the original design lacked.)
(Something the original design lacked.)
Nit picks aside, I think it's a fun and good design for a cartoon sword.
I think it has a lot of potential to become an iconic sword because it's different from the old but doesn't lose the iconic concepts by tying back into She-Ra's iconic chest plate designs past & present.
I think it has a lot of potential to become an iconic sword because it's different from the old but doesn't lose the iconic concepts by tying back into She-Ra's iconic chest plate designs past & present.
I'm gonna give it at least another week past the release of the final season, and I will give my thoughts on the other sword design. I have things to say about it, and how much I fucking love what they did there.
I will correct myself on this thread that was written before s1 released, the new She-Ra sword is actually more of a hand-and-a-half than single-hand hilt.
