Great Sword Proficiency

Great Sword Proficiency
Wielding them since he was six years old, Guts (Berserk) defined the norm of wielding great swords larger than him, eventually gaining the strength to wield the massive 400 pound Dragon Slayer, and tear through entire battalions and the demonic Apostles with one swing.
Power/Ability to:	Be a master in wielding great swords.

"H-he can actually swing that sword!?"

― A soldier horrified at Guts' skill with the Dragon Slayer (Berserk)

"He diverted them. He changed the course of the bullets using the tip of his sword."

― Roronoa Zoro commenting on Dracule Mihawk's grace with his Yoru to a Krieg Pirate. (One Piece)

The ability to be a master of wielding great swords. Variation of Enhanced Swordsmanship.

Also Called

• Great Sword Aptitude/Expertise/Intuition/Mastery/Skill/Specialism/Talent
• Greatsword Aptitude/Expertise/Intuition/Mastery/Proficiency/Skill/Specialism/Talent

Capabilities

Users, either innately or through training, are masters of the usage of great swords, allowing them to wield large swords such as the zweihänder, zanbatō, and ōdachi.

Users can take on multiple opponents, breaking through numerous defenses with immense power. Furthermore, with their strength in wielding such large, heavy blades, they can wield great swords with incredible strength, speed, grace, and even subtlety. With the user’s superior knowledge of great swords, they yield a deep understanding on them inside out. They know when to either use their full strength in every strike potential or hold back for a more strategic approach.

If great swords are Medieval European swords, users would also be familiar with or highly proficient in Medieval swordsmanship styles. While there is no distinct fighting style, the central aspect of fighting with great swords focuses on a wide, a level stance, strength, and breaking through defenses. Advanced users can even wield a great sword with only one hand while it usually requires two. Furthermore, can even perform superhuman feats, like slashing with so much force that it creates sharp wind and shockwaves, and wield more esoteric and supernatural variants of great swords, like cursed, divine, or magical versions that have been altered, or even channel their own supernatural abilities through their sword.

Applications

• Attack Movement Manipulation
• Cutting
  • Bisection
  • Decapitation
  • Multi Slash
  • Speed Cutting
    • Dicing
• Defense Bypassing
• Deflection
  • Parrying Mastery
• Enhanced Precision
  • Precise Strike
• Impale
• Physical Attack Reversal
  • Countering Mastery
• Pressure Strike
  • Sword-Pressure Emission
• Quick-Draw Mastery
• Severing with a sword.
• Slash Effect/Projection
  • Air Cutting
  • Cutting Wave
  • Sword Beam Emission
• Speed Strike: Great swords are actually quite fast.

Variations

• Changdao Proficiency
• Claymore Proficiency
• Großes Messer/Kriegsmesser Proficiency
• Miaodao Proficiency
• Ōdachi/Nodachi Proficiency
• Zhanmadao/Zanbatō Proficiency
• Zweihänder Proficiency

Associations

• Enhanced Strength
• Giant Sword Proficiency
• Longsword Proficiency

Limitations

• The size of a great sword might make performing more graceful maneuvers such landing precise strikes or deflecting bullets difficult.
• If the user doesn't possess adequate strength or speed, the sword will be too heavy to wield and make their movements too slow.
• May require a degree of training or exposure.
• May take time to achieve mastery.

Known Users

Anime/Manga/Aeni/Manhwa

• Akatsuki Ousawa (Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero)
• Guts (Berserk)
• Zodd (Berserk)
• Asta (Black Clover)
• Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)
• Kenpachi Zaraki (Bleach)
• Retsu Unohana (Bleach
• Akiko Yosano (Bungo Stray Dogs)
• Tohka Yatogami (Date A Live)
• Various armed Digimon (Digimon)
• Dabura (Dragon Ball)
• Veronica Lautreamont (Dragonar Academy)
• Gray Fullbuster (Fairy Tail)
• Ichinose Zenmaru (Gamaran)
• Guido-Gon (The Haunted House/Shinbi Apartment)
• Victoria (Hero Killer)
• Alucard (Hellsing)
• Siegfried (High School DxD)
• Vasco Strada (High School DxD)
• Xenovia Quarta (High School DxD)
• Yuuto Kiba (High School DxD)
• Tōga (InuYasha)
• Inuyasha (InuYasha)
• Sesshōmaru (InuYasha); briefly
• Tengen Uzui (Kimetsu no Yaiba)
• Earth (Konjiki no Gash!!/Zatch Bell!)
• Zeon Bell (Konjiki no Gash!!/Zatch Bell!)
• Seiji/Sage Date (Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors)
• Chōjūrō (Naruto)
• Darui (Naruto)
• Killer B (Naruto)
• Kisame Hoshigaki (Naruto)
• Obito Uchiha (Naruto)
• Suigetsu Hozuki (Naruto)
• Tsukado (Naruto)
• Zabuza Momochi (Naruto)
• Arlong (One Piece)
• Charlotte Cracker (One Piece)
• Dracule Mihawk (One Piece)
• Trafalgar Water D. Law (One Piece)
• Haru Glory (Rave Mastery)
• Uta the Eternal (Rave Master)
• Tak Se'Yeoung (Rooftop Sword Master)
• Yoh Asakura (Shaman King)
• Makoto Maruta (Shingan no Yuusha)
• Isami Kondo (Shuumatsu no Valkyrie/Record of Ragnarok)
• Yui (Sword Art Online)
• Madoka Mawari (Tenjho Tenge)
• Shion (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)
• Omega Prime (Transformers: Robots in Disguise 2001 TV series)
• Minsu Kim (The Warrior Returns)
• Fu Inubozaki (Yuki Yuna is a Hero)

Cartoons/Comics

• Striga (Castlevania TV series)
• Slade Wilson/Deathstroke (DC Comics)
• Sword of Gotham (DC Comics)
• Xanthe Zhou/The Envoy (DC Comics)
• Davion (Dota: Dragon's Blood)
• Boy Blue (Fables)
• Al Simmons/Spawn (Image Comics)
• Thokk/Battle Beast (Image Comics)
• Beta Ray Bill (Marvel Comics)
• Freya/Frigga (Marvel Comics)
• Illyana Rasputin/Magik (Marvel Comics)
• Lin Lie/Swordmaster (Marvel Comics)
• Lady Sif (Marvel Comics)
• Krysta (No One Left to Fight)
• Megatron (Transformers: Prime)
• Optimus Prime (Transformers: Prime)
• Prima (Transformers: Prime)

Literatures

• Claymore Wielders (Redwall)
  • Rakkety Tam MacBurl
  • Wild Doggy Plumm

Live Action Television Series

• Ryotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider Den-O (Kamen Rider Den-O); via Liner Form
• Tsukasa Kadoya/Kamen Rider Decade (Kamen Rider Decade); via Final FormRide: Blade Blade
• Gentaro Kisaragi/Kamen Rider Fourze (Kamen Rider Fourze); via Cosmic State
• Kouta Kazuraba/Kamen Rider Gaim (Kamen Rider Gaim)
• Takatora Kureshima/Kamen Rider Zangetsu (Kamen Rider Gaim); via Kachidoki Arms
• Sento Kiryu/Kamen Rider Build (Kamen Rider Build)
• Sougo Tokiwa/Kamen Rider Zi-O (Kamen Rider Zi-O)
• Ryo Ogami/Kamen Rider Buster (Kamen Rider Saber)
• Users of the Powered Builder Buckle (Kamen Rider Geats); via the Gigant Sword Buckle
  • Kaima Todoroki/Kamen Rider Seeker
• Tristan de Bois (Merlin)
• Cereza/Makoto Aizen/Ultraman Orb Dark (Ultraman series)
• Gai Kurenai/Ultraman Orb (Ultraman series)

Video Games

• BlackRose (.hack)
• Cutter (Arknights)
• Flamebringer (Arknights)
• Hamelin "Scavenger" (Arknights)
• Hellagur (Arknights)
• Hoederer (Arknights)
• Quartz (Arknights)
• Sideroca (Arknights)
• Skadi (Arknights)
• Surtr (Arknights)
• Talulah Artorius (Arknights)
• Taurus (Astral Ascent)
• Takumi Atsuta (Battle Moon Wars)
• Destined One (Black Myth: Wukong); via Ebon Flow and Umbral Abyss
• Macaque Chief (Black Myth: Wukong)
• Yin Tiger (Black Myth: Wukong)
• Es (BlazBlue/XBlaze)
• Hakumen (BlazBlue)
• Kagura Mutsuki (BlazBlue)
• Ragna the Bloodedge (BlazBlue)
• Greatsword users (Brawlhalla)
• Dark Cacao Cookie (Cookie Run: Kingdom)
• War (Darksiders)
• Dante (Devil May Cry)
• Nero (Devil May Cry)
• Sparda (Devil May Cry)
• Angeal Hewley (Final Fantasy VII series)
• Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII series)
• Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII series)
• Zack Fair (Final Fantasy VII series)
• Auron (Final Fantasy X)
• Tidas (Final Fantasy X)
• Highlanders (For Honor)
• Kensei (For Honor)
• Warmongers (For Honor)
• Zhanhu (For Honor)
• Claymore wielders (Genshin Impact)
• Executioner (Girls' Frontline)
• Kratos (God of War)
• Zeus (God of War)
• Narmaya (Granblue Fantasy)
• Jixuanyuan (Honkai Impact 3rd)
• Kiana Kaslana/K-423 (Honkai Impact 3rd); as the Herrscher of Flamescion
• Murata Himeko (Honkai Impact 3rd)
• Noire/Black Heart (Hyperdimension Neptunia)
• Magnus (Kid Icarus: Uprising)
• Saix/Isa (Kingdom Hearts)
• Kirby (Kirby series)
• Impa (The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors)
• Director Phobos (Madness: Project Nexus)
• Player (Madness: Project Nexus)
• Various Tower Guards (Madness: Project Nexus); except the Yellow Tower Guard
  • The Blackguard
  • Blue Tower Guards
• Edge (Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope)
• Giant Sword users (Monster Hunter)
• Assassin (Shadow Fight)
• Bolo (Shadow Fight)
• Captain (Shadow Fight)
• Gregor "Gizmo" Weisswald (Shadow Fight)
• Greta Weisswalf (Shadow Fight)
• Helga (Shadow Fight)
• King of the Legion (Shadow Fight)
• Kraken (Shadow Fight)
• Marcus (Shadow Fight)
• Ronin (Shadow Fight)
• Shadow (Shadow Fight)
• Shadow's Descendant (Shadow Fight)
• Homura (Senran Kagura)
• Ikaruga (Senran Kagura)
• Murakumo (Senran Kagura)
• Yomi (Senran Kagura)
• Nightmare (Soulcalibur)
• Siegfried Schtauffen (Soulcalibur)
• Ōdachi-class touken danshi (Touken Ranbu)
• Swordsmachines (Ultrakill)
  • Agony
  • Tundra
• Hyde Kido (Under Night In-Birth)
• Nanase (Under Night In-Birth)
• Yuzuriha (Under Night In-Birth)
• Arthas Methril (WarCraft)
• Ultra V (War Of The Monsters)

Web Animations/Comics

• Jesus (Madness Combat)
• Kenta Daisuke (No Need For Bushido)
• Iron Gakki (Ordeal)
• Roy Greenhilt (The Order of the Stick)

Gallery

Anime/Manga/Manhwa

With a hand faster than the human eye can see and over 300 hundred years of sword skill, Zodd (Berserk) is one of the world's greatest swordsmen,...

...capable of single-handedly slaughtering 50 Hawks with a broadsword.

Asta (Black Clover) wielding the Anti-Magic sword, Demon-Slayer Sword to face down magical foes by negating their powers.

Unlike most Shinigami/Soul Reapers, Ichigo Kurosaki's (Bleach) superior swordsmanship was honed and completely self-taught through sheer combat experience, which allowed him to fight equally with Kenpachi Zaraki, one of the most powerful Zanjutsu masters of Soul Society.

Whether its defensive or offensive, Claymores (Claymore) are all-powerful and highly skilled masters of their signature giant sized namesakes...

...Said to be the strongest Claymore to ever have existed, Teresa of the Faint Smile could easily kill and completely slaughter the strongest Awakened Beings to the point they called her a monster...

...Due to the fact she was very strong, Priscilla could fight hordes of Yoma with her Yoki completely suppressed...

...Ophelia's technique Rippling Sword vibrates her arm so fast it appears motionless.

Tohka Yatogami (Date A Live) wielding her Halvanhelev, a powerful blade which can destroy a city and the mountains behind it with a single swing at full power.

AncientGarurumon (Digimon) wielding his Two Greatswords.

EmperorGreymon (Digimon) wielding his Ryugoken.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode (Digimon) wields the almighty Omega Blade.

Knightmon (Digimon)

Mervamon (Digimon) wielding the Olympic Kai Great Sword.

VictoryGreymon (Digimon) wielding his giant sword Dramon Breaker.

Dabura (Dragon Ball)

Alucard (Hellsing) in his true form wields a great sword...

...with great proficiency, able to match Anderson's swordplay effectively.

Siegfried (High School DxD) wielding the legendary great demonic sword Gram.

Vasco Strada (High School DxD) is legendary for his swordsmanship with Durandal and was able to demonstrate the same mastery with a modern recreation the Durandal II.

Xenovia (High School DxD) wielding the legendary great holy sword Durandal.

Tōga (InuYasha) is legendary for his skills with his fang shaped great sword Tessaiga.

Inuyasha (InuYasha) armed with the giant fang shaped katana of his father, the Tessaiga.

Zeon Bell (Konjiki no Gash!!/Zatch Bell!) generates a blade of lightning magic with the Sorudo Zakeruga spell.

The youngest in his generation to be a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Chōjūrō (Naruto) is a master swordsman with his 'Hiramekarei...

...to form various chakra blades and weapons for combat.

As a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kisame Hoshigaki (Naruto) wielded his chakra devouring great sword, Samehada/Shark Skin with extreme proficiency.

Tsukado (Naruto) is a master and powerful swordsman and is able to coat his sword in chakra to enhance its power to smash through his enemies'....

...weapons with a single slash and even cut through...

...thick rock effortlessly and leave a large gash in the ground.

Claiming that his sword "never cut a second time", Zabuza Momochi (Naruto) wielded the great Severing sword Kubikiribōchō'...

...as he was capable of decimating numerous opponents with a few slashes.

.Thousand Arms", Charlotte Cracker (One Piece) effortlessly wields his one-of-a-kind huge longsword Pretzel which can even bypassed and cut through Monkey D. Luffy's Gear Fourth's Armament/Busoshoku while also cutting his arm.

As the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk (One Piece) wields one of the 12 Supreme Grade Blades, Yoru, a sword...

...with subtly but great enough strength to deflect bullets with a simple turn...

...and destructive power, as he projects a giant Flying Slash Attack with his Kokuto Issen/Black Blade Brandish/One Flash.

Uta the Eternal (Rave Master) wields his 100-foot long-sword.

Yoh Asakura (Shaman King) armed with his gigantic double medium Over Soul, Spirit of Sword.

Yui (Sword Art Online) wielding the two-handed great sword Object Eraser.

Madoka Mawari (Tenjho Tenge)

Whenever the need called for it, Omega Prime (Transformers: Robots in Disguise 2001 TV series) can utilize the full energy of the Matrix of Leadership and shape it into the powerful Matrix Blade.

Shion (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime) uses her Gorikimaru to wipe out an Orc army.

Fu Inubozaki (Yuki Yuna is a Hero)

Cartoons/Comics

Striga (Castlevania TV series)

Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, the Terminator (DC Comics)

Sword of Gotham (DC Comics)

Xanthe Zhou (DC Comics)

Davion (Dota: Dragon's Blood)

Boy Blue (Fables)

Al Simmons/Spawn (Image Comics)

Thokk Battle Beast (Image Comics)

Beta Ray Bill (Marvel Comics) with the Twilight Sword.

Freya/Frigga (Marvel Comics)

Illyana Rasputin/Magik (Marvel Comics) is a master at wielding a greatsword called the Soulsword.

Lin Lie/Swordmaster (Marvel Comics) wielding the Sword of Fu Xi.

Lady Sif (Marvel Comics)

Krysta (No One Left to Fight)

Optimus Prime (Transformers: Prime) with the Star Saber.

Live Action Television Series

Ryotaro Nogami/Kamen Rider Den-O Liner Form (Kamen Rider Den-O) with the DenKamen Sword.

Gai Kurenai/Ultraman Orb (Ultraman series) wields his signature Orb Calibur.

Video Games

Cutter (Arknights)

Flamebringer (Arknights)

Hamelin "Scavenger" (Arknights)

Hellagur (Arknights)

Hoederer (Arknights)

Quartz (Arknights)

Sideroca (Arknights)

Skadi (Arknights)

Surtr (Arknights)

Talulah Artorius (Arknights)

Taurus (Astral Ascent)

Macaque Chief/Umbral Abyss (Black Myth: Wukong)

Yin Tiger/Ebon Flow (Black Myth: Wukong)

Es (BlazBlue/XBlaze)

Hakumen (BlazBlue)

Kagura Mutsuki (BlazBlue)

Ragna the Bloodedge (BlazBlue)

Dark Cacao Cookie (Cookie Run: Kingdom)

The Dark Knight, Sparda (Devil May Cry) was the most powerful demon swordsman ever known, having defeated his former master Mundus along with his entire armies of demons alone.

As the second son of the Dark Knight Sparda, Dante (Devil May Cry), with his trusty Rebellion, has immense prowess as a demonic swordsman that surpass even his father's...

...his own Swordmaster Style being able to match his twin brother, Vergil's Dark Slayer Style.

Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII series) is extremely skilled at wielding great swords such as his signature Buster Sword,...

...the Hardedge,...

...the Twin Stinger,...

...the Fusion Sword,...

...and the Ultimate Weapon.

Auron (Final Fantasy X)

Highlanders (For Honor)

Kensei (For Honor)

Warmongers (For Honor)

Zhanhu (For Honor)

Executioner (Girls' Frontline)

Narmaya (Granblue Fantasy)

Murata Himeko (Honkai Impact 3rd)

Kiana Kaslana/K-423 (Honkai Impact 3rd) as the Herrscher of Flamescion.

Saix/Isa (Kingdom Hearts)

The Blackguard (Madness: Project Nexus)

Director Phobos (Madness: Project Nexus) with his Binary Sword.

Ikaruga (Senran Kagura)

Murakumo (Senran Kagura)

Yomi (Senran Kagura)

Assassin (Shadow Fight)

Bolo (Shadow Fight)

Captain (Shadow Fight)

Gregor "Gizmo" Weisswald (Shadow Fight)

Greta Weisswald (Shadow Fight)

Helga (Shadow Fight)

King of the Legion (Shadow Fight)

Kraken (Shadow Fight)

Marcus (Shadow Fight)

Ronin (Shadow Fight)

Nightmare (Soulcalibur)

Siegfried Schtauffen (Soulcalibur)

Swordsmachines (Ultrakill)

Agony and Tundra (Ultrakill)

Hyde Kido (Under Night In-Birth)

Nanase (Under Night In-Birth)

Yuzuriha (Under Night In-Birth)

Web Animations/Comics

Jesus (Madness Combat) is extremely good at using the Binary Sword he stole from Phobos.

Andrea Thomas (Ordeal)

Iron Gakki (Ordeal) can wield his giant sword with ease.

Roy Greenhilt's (The Order of the Stick) greatest talent is without a doubt his abilities with the sword...

...During combat, he often fights entire swarms of enemies at once using Great Cleave...

...outfight Miko Miyazaki, who had previously bested the Order, when it came to swordsmanship alone when she became a fallen paladin...

...and mastered the Spellsplinter Maneuver, a fighting technique that allows one to interrupt a caster's spell, even if the caster is casting defensively.

Videos

Fights & Demonstrations

Getsuga Tenshou

Devil May Cry 1 HD- Dante vs Nero Angelo-2

Devil May Cry Anime EP 10 - Dante vs Spardas Disciples -DUB- -720p--2

Devil May Cry 3- Special Edition Dante VS Vergil Final Boss Battle-2

Pretty duel Vergil vs Dante - Stylish gameplay showcase Cinematic Cut - Devil May Cry 5 DLC-2

Devil May Cry 5 Dante Vs Urizen (Final Form) - S-Rank - Devil Hunter-2

Berserk Guts vs Snake Master - DUB ENGLISH-2

Guts Vs. Zodd 1(Berserk 1997)-2

Casca and Guts vs Silat Full Fight - Berserk The Golden Age Arc III (English Dub)-2

The Last Order- FFVII Zack & Cloud vs Sephiroth

Final Fantasy VII Advent children Complete Cloud vs Sephiroth-2

Final Fantasy 7 Remake - Cloud Solo Combo Montage-2

Dragon Knight and Slylark vs Frühling (possessed by Terrorblade) Part 2- Dota 2- Dragon's Blood-2

Zoro vs Mihawk - One Piece-2

Mihawk Attacks Whitebeard - Onepiece Eng Sub-2

Mihawk Introduction in One Piece live action Netflix-2

Kin of the Stained Blade - Spirit Blossom 2020 Cinematic - League of Legends

Why you don't fight NPC's

Analysis & Discussions

The Enduring Appeal of Final Fantasy 7's Characters-2

The Impact of Final Fantasy 7- The Game that Changed Everything-2

The Beauty of Asta (Black Clover)-2

Greatswords are the Best Weapon in Elden Ring - Elden Ring All Greatswords Breakdown-2