The Champion's Blade is the eponymous sword of the Fire Emblem: Hasha no Tsurugi manga. Forged from the bones of an Archdragon, it is wielded by the manga's protagonist Al.
Profile[]
The Champion's Blade was forged by the Archdragons as a means of countering their own power in the event that it was ever missused. This was stated by the Archdragon Melitha as she lay dying after having been struck by an arrow while fleeing captivity of the Black Bone Clan with her young son Al and and former clan member Magough. Melitha, upon her death, transformed her own body into the sword and left it in the care of Magough to one day give it to Al. He would would spend the following years tempering it.
Magough one day is seen polishing the blade as Al is shown to be training. After demonstrating a technique to and encouraging Al, the boy enquirers about the blade and whether or not Magough once used it. Magough denies this, saying that he could never wield it, and that only the strong can do so. Al then asks if the sword was meant for him, which Magough affirms that if he is able to obtain true strength, he could one day wield it.
Al would come to obtain that Champion's Blade near the end of the war with Bern, but only after returning to his childhood home and encountering Niime who helps him discover some of the truth to his past. He would then use the blade in his second battle with Zephiel after the latter breaks Al's third sword, this allowing him to parry a powerful attack by Zephiel and even damage him somewhat.
Al would use the Champion's Blade one final time in his battle against the Black Bone Clan's leader Audamorze as well as his father who was at the time being controlled. After severely wounding his father, and turning into a dragon as a result, Audamorze would steal Al's draconic power using a ritual involving the Eight Legendary Weapons and transform into a dragon himself. Al was unable to land a blow on the newly transformed Audamorze, and was nearly crushed by him until Tiena intervened with the Legendary Weapon Aureola, though it had no effect. Upon reaffirming his resolve to defeat Audamorze, Al was visited by his mother whose spirit resided with the Champion's Blade and was summoned by his heart's resolve. She informs him that since an Archdragon's power is derived from despair, that the Champion's Blade's power is the same and questions whether the cycle of despair would ever end if one used despair to crush despair. She then tells him that despite being created by Archdragons, no one has ever seen the blades true power, but believes that he can unlock it with the power of his strong heart. Before disappearing she tells him to make his heart one with the Archdragon whose bones the Champion's Blade is made from.
Al does this, focusing, before finally unleashing a mighty blast of energy from the Champion's Blade, which destroys Audamorze creating a great light that envelops Al.
Al reappears within a space inside the Archdragon, where the Champion's Blade guides him until he is harassed by specters of despair as well as Audamorze, which Al destroys with the sword. He is then confronted by the bones of the Archdragon and chooses to relinquish the sword back to it.
Trivia[]
- The Champion's Blade is Al's fourth Sword in the manga, as all others break throughout the course of the story.
- Al's first sword breaks when he attempts to fight a dragon in the first volume.
- Al's second sword, is broken by Zephiel during their first encounter in Missur.
- Al's third sword, as stated above, is again broken by Zephiel in their second and final encounter at Bern Castle.
- Though made for the purpose of slaying Archdragons, it's effectiveness against other tribes is unclear. Though, given the stated power of the Archdragons, it is possible the sword could overcome any lesser dragons anyway.
- While the Champion's Blade is not one of the Legendary Weapons of Elibe, it has shown to have power on par with or even surpassing them, potentially riveling the Binding Blade.
- In his second encounter with Zephiel, now wielding the Binding Blade and Eckesachs, Al is able to use the Champion's Blade to parry the Binding Blade, even damaging Zephiel.
- After having gained the power of an Archdragon, Audamorze is destroyed by a single blast from the sword after Al taps into its true power. This is after Audamorze takes a direct hit from Aureola and suffers no visible damage.
- As stated by Melitha, none have ever witnessed the true power of the Champion's Blade. This indicates that its real power comes from something other than despair, the source of an Archdragon's powers. This may also indicate that an Archdragon's power comes from something other than dispair, given it is made from their bones.
- While it is never directly stated, it is possible that the Archdragon whose bones were used to create the Champion's Blade was Melitha herself. However, it is also not stated how she retained a humanoid form were this the cases.
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