The ability to possess peak human mastery in wielding and using swords. Variation of Peak Human Combat Mastery.
Also Called[]
- Peak Human Swordplay
- Peak Species Swordsmanship/Swordplay
- Peak Human/Species Sword Aptitude/Expertise/Intuition/Mastery/Proficiency/Skill/Specialism/Talent
- Peak Human/Species Swordsman/Swordswoman/Sword-Fighter
- Adept/Expert/Gifted/Intuitive/Master/Professional/Skilled/Specliazied/Talented Swordsman/Swordswoman/Sword-Fighter
Capabilities[]
Users, either innately or through training, possess incredible mastery and ability in wielding a sword, a bladed melee weapon intended for cutting or thrusting, beyond that of the average person but in the realms of realistic skill and proficiency without nearing or reaching superhuman capabilities. They can also wield a sword with incredible expertise allowing them to perform feats like fight larger groups of opponents, deal damage to their foes without killing them, or hold their own in a conflict or against deadly opponents.
Applications[]
- Attack Movement Manipulation
- Cutting with a sword.
- Deflection
- Dual Wielding
- Impale with a sword.
- Physical Attack Reversal; counter an enemy's attacks and use their own strength against them.
- Peak Human Precision
- Quick-Draw Mastery
- Severing with a sword.
Variations[]
Levels[]
- Peak Human Swordsmanship
- Enhanced Swordsmanship
- Supernatural Swordsmanship
- Absolute Swordsmanship
Associations[]
- Broken Weapon Proficiency
- Enhanced Swordsmanship
- Peak Human Combat Mastery
- Intuitive Aptitude
- Knife Proficiency
- Mortal Physiology
- Training Regimen
- Slayer
- Supernatural Hunter
Limitations[]
- Outmatched by swordsmen of superhuman caliber.
- A user may be heavily reliant on sword-based combat and can be vulnerable if their swords are destroyed or taken away.
- May be limited to close-range combat, which can have difficulty against opponents that can fight at a distance.
- May require a degree of training or exposure.
- May take time to achieve mastery.
Known Users[]
See Also: Implausible Fencing Powers and Master Swordsman.
Anime/Manga/Aeni/Manhwa/Manhua[]
- Jeong Sangu (Auto Hunting With My Clones)
- Azumi (Azumi)
- Various Characters (Bamboo Blade)
- Casca (Berserk)
- Kyosuke Munakata (Danganronpa 3)
- Goblin Slayer (Goblin Slayer)
- Yu Geunjin (Reality Quest)
- Ha Dowan (Reality Quest); via Swordsmanship Bestowal
- Saeko Busujima (Highschool of the Dead)
- Various Characters (The Heroic Legend of Arslan)
- Various Sword Wielders (Kingdom)
- Various Characters (Samurai Champloo)
- Kamiya Kaoru (Rurouni Kenshin)
- Myojin Yahiko (Rurouni Kenshin)
- Various Samurai/Ronin (Vagabond)
- Various Characters (Vinland Saga)
- Various Characters (The Eminence In Shadow)
Cartoons[]
- Finn the Human (Adventure Time)
- Anne Boonchuy (Amphibia)
- Sasha Waybright (Amphibia)
- Trevor Belmont (Castlevania)
- Snake Eyes (G.I. Joe)
- Storm Shadow (G.I. Joe)
Comics[]
- Travis Kidd (American Vampire)
- Miho (Sin City)
- Bruce Wayne/Batman (DC Comics)
- Ra's Al Ghul (DC Comics)
- Slade Wilson/Deathstroke (DC Comics)
- Katana (DC Comics)
- Oilver Queen/Green Arrow (DC Comics)
- Jason Todd/Red Hood (DC Comics)
- Damian Wayne/Robin (DC Comics)
- Knight (Knight of the Abyss)
- Dane Whitman/Black Knight (Marvel Comics)
- Tony Masters/Taskmaster (Marvel Comics)
- Various Characters (Usagi Yojimbo)
Literature[]
- Knights of the Round Table (Arthurian Legends)
- Boris Jineman (Children of the Rune: Winterer)
- Yevgnen Jineman (Children of the Rune: Winterer)
- Peter Pevensie (Chronicles of Narnia)
- Edmund Pevensie (Chronicles of Narnia)
- Conan the Cimmerian (Conan the Barbarian)
- The four strongest mercenaries in the Six Nations Alliance of Heid (Karsearin: Adventures of a Red Dragon)
- Seton Sarasnein (Karsearin: Adventures of a Red Dragon)
- Largo Apacain Ereisne Deteirostyn (Karsearin: Adventures of a Red Dragon)
- Ludwig fon Sarasnein (Karsearin: Adventures of a Red Dragon)
- Arya (Inheritance Cycle)
- Brom (Inheritance Cycle)
- Eragon (Inheritance Cycle)
- Murtagh (Inheritance Cycle)
- Galbatorix (Inheritance Cycle)
- Aragorn (Lord of the Rings)
- Boromir (Lord of the Rings)
- Faramir (Lord of the Rings)
- Eddard "Ned" Stark (Game of Thrones)
- Jamie Lannister (Game of Thrones)
- Syrio Forel (Game of Thrones)
- Bronn (Game of Thrones)
- Jon Snow (Game of Thrones)
- Khal Drogo (Game of Thrones)
- Sandor "The Hound" Clegane (Game of Thrones)
- Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane (Game of Thrones)
- Brienne of Tarth (Game of Thrones)
- Jorah Mormont (Game of Thrones)
- Daario Naharis (Game of Thrones)
- Arya Stark (Game of Thrones)
Live Television/Movies[]
- Clippers (Into the Badlands)
- Sunny
- Zypher
- Nathaniel Moon/Silver Moon
- Barons (Into the Badlands)
- Quinn
- Minerva/The Widow
- Jacobee
- Koji Shimazu (John Wick: Chapter 4)
- Caine (John Wick: Chapter 4)
- Zero (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
- Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Will Turner (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- James Norrington (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Hector Barbossa (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Edward Teach/Blackbeard (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Angelica Teach (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Armando Salazar (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
- Sam Winchester (Supernatural)
- Zorro (Zorro)
Video Games[]
- Peko Pekoyama (Danganronpa 2)
- Kris (Deltarune)
Web Animation/Comics/Series/Original[]
- Doraleous (Doraleous and Associates)
- Sir Walken (Doraleous and Associates)
- Garen (Skylark)
- Agatha Knightsbane (Skylark)
- Various Characters (The Order of the Stick)
- Various Characters (No Need For Bushido)
Gallery[]
Anime/Manga/Aeni/Manhwa[]
Trained in the art of both battōjutsu and kenjutsu since she could walk, Azumi (Azumi) is easily one of Japan's greatest masters of swordplay, her skills have often been called as the absolute achievement of bujutsu as she has fought, humbled, and killed numerous opponents with her abilities.
Raised and trained since his youth, Hilmes (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) is a powerful master swordsman with abilities and skill on par with a Marzbān...
...his skills nearly overwhelming Daryun, a former Marzbān and one of the most powerful warriors in Pars, while enraged...
...disarm and force Kishward to wield one sword...
While a master tactician, Narsus (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) is also a master swordsman with expectational swiftness and power in his sword skill as he blitzes two opponents in a second.
As a Marzbān, Sām (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) is a master swordsman with decades of experience as he easily kills enemy soldiers in seconds...
A Marzbān, Kishward (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) is a swift and deadly dual wieldier as he kills enemy soldiers...
Trained and fostered by his father, Zandeh (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) is a powerful swordsman on par with a Marzbān.
One of the greatest masters in the Qin Military and central plains, Ri Shin (Kingdom) is an extraordinarily skilled master swordsman despite being completely self-taught from the result of over thousand sparring matches and vast fighting experience from numerous battlefronts...
...with just a wooden sword, he showcased his prowess as he blew away thugs within a single hit...
...after surviving his fights, he would hone his skills after starting his military career. Fighting against multiple Wei infantry soldiers...
...deflected arrows fired by a member of the Ten Bows of China, the greatest archers throughout the central plains,...
...dueled and defeated a Wei general with his Hi Jump Slash technique all during his first time on a true battlefield and war campaign...
...his abilities allowing him to wound Hou Ken, a Bushin (Martial God) and the first member of the Three Great Heavens...
...eventually breaking through his limitations as he fought Rin Ko the Flying Spear of Ren Pa, the deadliest member of the Four Heavenly Kings and experienced more and more fierce situations while facing deadlier opponents...
...the culmination of which along with his martial prowess as a commander and warrior enabling him to kill the likes of Man Goku, a far more experienced swordsman...
...single-handedly take on elite soldiers like the Ri Boku Army in a whirlwind of strikes and slashes...
...duel Hou Ken, the most physically strongest Great General in Zhao, in a contest of strength...
...knocking the huge man back with his strike...
...and used his Freedom form, the foundation of his swordsmanship during his duel with Gaku Haku Kou.
The strongest swordswoman of her generation, Kyou Kai (Kingdom) is one of the greatest swordplay masters in the Warring States Era, her skills and abilities earning her the reputation as the Inhuman Swordswoman due to her fearsome talent in Shiyuu swordsmanship and monstrous combat strength as the Hi Shin Unit's strongest sword master...
...exhibit total control of her sword, Ryoku Sui as she skillfully cut Shin's clothing without harming him in the blink of an eye...
...while already a fearsome master, she can take her abilities to even greater heights whenever she uses and enters her Priestess Dance, Clan Shiyuu’s scared dance form born from centuries of refinement with the use qi manipulation and the human body’s meridian qi channel points...
...having mastered the technique with expert skill as she destroyed the swordsmen assassins, Clan Gouma...
...single-handedly annihilated the Kai Shi Bou Army’s elite unit of giant soldiers...
...split Jo Shou's forearm along with his head in half with her back turned without even looking at him with an inhuman level of precision...
The greatest swordswomen of the western mountains, Yo Tan Wa (Kingdom) is an incredible dual-wielding master, being the best in the entire realm of the Mountain Tribes...
..., delivering instant and quick deaths to anyone who challenges her with a simple wave of her blades while living up to her title as the King of Death…
...easily defeat some of the most elite and skilled swordsmen in the Mountain Realms like her right-hand man and comrade, Bajio as children...
...decimating entire battalions of mounted soldiers like a speeding bullet while getting serious.
Capable of decimating entire armies with the strange sound of Faru Faru, Tou (Kingdom) is one of the greatest sword masters in the series...
...the second-generation master of Rasen, a very unique and powerful form of swordsmanship, he overcame the weakness of the sword in terms of reach as he easily slays polearm wielding opponents with little effort...
...deflected a strike from Hou Ken...
...and demonstrates an incredible amount of speed and finesse as he overwhelms an experienced warriors like general Rin Bu Kun with a flurry of strikes.
A genius swordsman in comparison to Shin, Mou Ten (Kingdom) emphasizes a masterful form of precision with versatile ability in his swordsmanship...
...targeting his opponent's vital areas before they can even reaction with high-speed thrusts...
...and deflect death blows, like a sword strike from Kou Yoku with extraordinary versatility as he shows off uncanny reflexes.
While only showing it through his various torture methods, Kan Ki (Kingdom) was an unpredictable master swordsman with his self-taught erratic sword style, having honed it from his years as a former bandit leader...
...and bisect a man in half with impressive strength.
Living up to his moniker as a Swordplay fanatic, Suu Gen (Kingdom) is an incredibly skilled expert swordsman as he is one of the strongest sword masters in the Hi Shin Unit...
...and still remains an incredible master despite the loss of his right eye years ago...
Honed from his days as a bandit leader and outlaw, Na Ki (Kingdom) was a master swordsman with expert ability in swordplay and surprise attacks, being one of the best amongst the Kan Ki Army and Hi Shin Unit's commanders.
Kyou Rei (Kingdom) is an immensely skilled master swordswoman with powerful potential, having attained a near superhuman level of mastery of Clan Shiyuu's sword style as her generation’s current Shiyuu.
Shi Ryou (Kingdom) is the best swordswoman amongst the Ou Sen Army’s commander as she wields her twin dao blades with immense physical strength and whispering speed...
...blitzing entire battalions of the elite Ri Boku Army’s soldiers as she breaks through their harden formations with astonishing speed...
...overwhelmed Earl Kou, a veteran of numerous battles and one of the largest men of Ri Boku’s vassals, with each one of her strikes.
While not as potent as Shin, Ei Sei (Kingdom) is well trained and versed in the Qin Military's standard swordsmanship…
..., having beheaded the assassin Jo Kan with a single strike...
...show off his draw speed while wounding his little brother's forearm...
One of the greatest swordswomen of her generation and the previous era of the Warring States, Kyou (Kingdom) was a supremely powerful master swordswoman as she killed enemy generals and commanders with incredibly ease in her youth...
Known as the Blade of the Mountain King, Bajio (Kingdom) is an extremely powerful and skilled dual-wielding swordsman as he is one of the best in the Mountain Realms...
...emphasizing his stoic, quiet nature along with his monstrous strength as a berserker, his style of swordplay embodies him perfectly as he performs swift and casual slashes while destroying his opponents with sheer brutality.
The self-proclaimed "greatest swordsman" of the Bird Fang Tribe, Shuumen (Kingdom) is a swift swordsman, being one of the fastest attackers in the Mountain Realms.
The third strongest in the Mountain Realms, Katari (Kingdom) was the greatest swordsman in the Mera Tribe's history, his prowess rivaling that of Yo Tan Wa and Bajio. By himself, he was able to decimate entire battalions of opponents with blinding strikes.
With skills rivaling that of her late older brother, Kitari (Kingdom) is, in her own words, the Mera Tribe’s second-best sword master...
..., with beyond normal speed she wields her tribe's signature crooked sword with deadly precision as she targets her opponent's vulnerable spot which she spectacularly demonstrated during her duel with Bunen as she crippled him with each swing of her sword while turning the huge man into literal pieces.
Despite his old age and retirement from active service, Shou Bun Kun (Kingdom) is a master of the Qin Military's standard swordsmanship, having been the one to teach Ei Sei during his youth.
While quite weak in terms of power and strength, Heki (Kingdom) is a proficient swordsman trained in the Qin Military's standard swordsmanship of the Soldier Caste, having managed to wound an opponent like Sa Ji and fight off enemy soldiers.
While preferring to fight his battles with more tactical approaches, Ri Boku (Kingdom) is a master swordsman with a decade's worth of experience from countless battlefields...
..., demonstrating his skill during a brief bout with Shin as he countered and overpowered him...
Taught and trained in swordsmanship by Ri Boku in his youth, Kei Sha (Kingdom) is master swordsman with a great amount of power and strength in his swordsmanship...
..., just by swinging his sword he could deliver powerful strikes capable of breaking and bending an iron spear...
...and nearly killed Shin, a master swordsman himself, as he pushed the young commander to the limit during their duel.
Fuuon (Kingdom) is an incredibly skilled master swordsman, being one of the strongest swordsmen in Seika and the Shi Ba Shou Army...
...having held his own against Kyou Rei, the Shiyuu and second strongest swordswoman of the Hi Shin Unit, as he managed to lend a wound on her during their duel.
Fu Tei (Kingdom) wields his twin blades with considerable flashy and exceptionally speed as always baiting his opponents...
..., dispatching the Hi Shin Unit's 100-Man commanders Ryuu Sen and Den Yuu within seconds during the Battle of Sai...
...and demonstrated his quick-witted reflexes and precision as he targeted Shin's exposed areas during their duel.
While the weakest in the Ri Boku Army, Kaine (Kingdom) is a capable swordswoman as she possesses the ability to wield dual swords in combat...
A master Martial Artist, Gaku Haku Kou (Kingdom) possessed incredible ability as a swordsman, wielding his Moon Blade with versatile.
While having been shown to a master wielder of the podao, Ko Chou (Kingdom) also showed a respectable amount of skill as a swordsman as he killed multiple members of Clan Shuuma, elites of the Kan Ki Army, during his suicidal last stand.
With monstrous skill in swordplay, Rin Ko (Kingdom) was the resident master swordsman amongst Ren Pa's Four Heavenly Kings...
...easily slaughtering elite infantry soldiers of Ou Ki Army while breaking through their defenses...
...and managed to land a blow on the Ou Ki, Monstrous Bird himself back during his days as a general for the state of Zhao...
...still retaining his finesse and proficiency as he completely decimated the mounted soldiers of the Mou Gou Army...
...brushing aside the elite soldiers of the Gyoku Hou Unit while in the midst of overwhelming their captain, Ou Hon with quick-witted slashes...
...counterattacked both Shin and Ou Hon's attack while dodging their combo flanking...
...crippled Shin's arm with monstrous precision...
...and even after the loss of his fingers, he was still a deadly master in wielding only one of his swords...
One of the most talented swordsmen in the Warring States Era as he’s always ready to strike down his opponents like Thunder, Kou Yoku (Kingdom) is a master swordsman specializing in heavily offense-oriented combat...
...frequently using his powerful strength behind each one of his strikes...
...and with extreme proficiency, he wields the legendary Bakuya Sword, one of the five treasured swords of Chinese History, which is said to be a demonic sword...
...while also managing to stop Tou's famous Faru Faru sword strike while forcing the veteran to not only block his respective strike but use both of his hands to do it...
...and single-handedly fought against the Great General level veteran's Rasen, an extremely advanced form of swordsmanship, while enraged.
Gen'U (Kingdom) is an incredibly powerful master as a former Great General of a fallen state, showing his impressive swordsmanship when he easily killed a Wei General in a single strike.
While he hasn't shown the full scope of his skills, Ordo (Kingdom) is a proficient swordsman as he beheaded an elite commander from Ou Sen Army in a single strike.
As chief of assassination and execution for Ketsu Shi's Faction, Sa Ji (Kingdom) was a master swordsman...
...bisecting a grown man not just once...
Extremely skillful in swordsmanship, The Goblin Slayer's (Goblin Slayer) skills emphasize pragmatism, effectively improvising with any swords or blades he can get his hands on...
...swiftly slaying multiple goblins at once with masterful dexterity...
...aim at their vitals with stealthily precision like an assassin when ambushing them...
Despite their clashing styles, Mugen (in red) and Jin (in blue) (Samurai Champloo) are equally proficient with a sword…
…Ostensibly developed by himself, Mugen's champuru kendo is based on breakdancing combined with highly unorthodox swordplay…
...Unlike Mugen, who uses improvisation and adaptation to win, Jin's Mujushin kenjutsu is an orthodox style relies on technical skill, on which he is extremely proficient.
Cartoons[]
Comics[]
Snake_Eyes (G.I. Joe)
Trained by the nonconformist martial artist Katsuichi, Miyamoto Usagi (Usagi Yojimbo) is a master of his former teacher's unorthodox style of swordsmanship that defies the conventional techniques of the more mainstream kenjutsu...
..., having mastered Iaijutsu...
...and Niten Ichi-ryū style like his namesake.
One of the greatest swordsmen of his times, Nakamura Koji (Usagi Yojimbo) was a magnificent kenjutsu master, always seeking to improve his style and hone his skill by challenging many opponents with live steel...
Said to be the most powerful swordswoman in the series, Inazuma's (Usagi Yojimbo) ability with a sword was almost all-natural talent, with ferocity and skill that were unmatched...
..., easily cutting apart a drunk's clothing without harming him...
...kill multiple opponents during one of her daily assassination attempts with unbelievable speed as she lives to her alias, lightning...
After undergoing training with many of the world's finest martial arts teachers and Natas, Green Arrow (DC Comics) became very proficient with a sword, though it is not his preferred weapon of choice.
Damian Wayne/Robin (DC Comics) is a profound swordsman with the expert ability of a master having been trained by his mother and the League of Assassins in the way of the sword since he could walk.
Acknowledged by various masters of swordsmanship and swordplay as the one of, if not the greatest swordsman in the world, Dane Whitman/Black Knight (Marvel Comics) wields the Ebony Blade the cursed magical sword of his family with the finesse of a master...
...while practicing his swordsmanship, he can utilize his blade's uncanny ability to slice through anything...
...with skillful proficiency as he finely slices through a boulder without disturbing the outer appearance until he wants it to...
Due to his photographic reflexes to perfectly copy any sword technique he saw, Tony Masters/Taskmaster (Marvel Comics) is one of the greatest swordsmen alive, having replicated the European swordsmanship of Black Knight and Japanese Kenjutsu of the Silver Samurai into his own swordsmanship.
Literature[]
Live Television/Movies[]
One of the most skilled and feared assassins in the world, Caine (John Wick: Chapter 4) is extremely skilled in wielding his cane sword...
A master of bladed weaponry, Dean Winchester's (Supernatural) swordsmanship skills have allowed him to successfully kill numerous counts of supernatural monsters.
Considerably capable in swordplay, Sam Winchester's (Supernatural) skill with bladed weaponry has allowed him to skillfully defeat and kill supernatural monsters.
Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean) is a legendary sword fighter with the only ones who can fight him on equal terms and/or surpass him in a sword fight is the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow.
Video Games[]
Web Animation/Comics/Series[]
The resident master swordsman of the Order of Stick, Roy Greenhilt's (The Order of the Stick) greatest talent is without a doubt his abilities with the sword...
...defeated 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[]
Demonstrations[]
Fights & Feats[]
Analysis & Discussions[]
What Are the Differences Between IAIDO & KENDO? The History of the Two Katana Martial Arts of Japan-2