Master Sword
| Master Sword | |
|---|---|
 The Master Sword as seen in Super Mario Maker 2 | |
| First appearance | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991, The Legend of Zelda series) Super Smash Bros. (1999, Super Mario-related media) |
| Latest appearance | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023, The Legend of Zelda series) Super Mario Maker 2 (version 2.0) (2019, Super Mario-related media) |
| Effect | Turns Mario into Link. (Super Mario Maker 2) |
The Master Sword is a recurring weapon originating from the The Legend of Zelda franchise. It is the legendary sword capable of repelling and sealing evil ones who will try to steal and use the Triforce for their designs. Waiting to be pulled out of its pedestal, only a hero who has proven their worth can use it, with the sword choosing and accepting the wielder as its master.
In crossovers with the Super Mario franchise, the Master Sword appears along with its wielder, Link, in games such as the Super Smash Bros. titles and Mario Kart 8, in addition to appearing as a standalone power-up in Super Mario Maker 2.
History
Super Mario-kun
While the Master Sword itself does not appear in Super Mario-kun, a Mushroom-themed sword that parodies the Master Sword appears instead.
Super Smash Bros. series
Link wields the Master Sword in all Super Smash Bros. games, along with Toon Link in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and up. They use the sword in a multitude of moves, mostly those that are standard attacks. As of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Link's Master Sword is able to fire Sword Beams when Link uses his forward smash at 0%.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
The Master Sword appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a trophy, which can be obtained when it appears at random in one of the game's single-player modes.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Master Sword plays a small role during the Adventure mode of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It awaits the player in a pedestal at the center of the Sacred Land, though Cloud must be awoken before reaching it. Once pulled from its pedestal, the sword emits a glow that dispels the darkness shrouding the northern part of the land, making it accessible.
WarioWare series
The Master Sword appears as the focus of the Ocarina of Time microgame in WarioWare: Smooth Moves. To win the microgame, the player must make Young Link pull the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Temple of Time. If the microgame is won, Young Link will either turn into his adult form, an old man, or a Cucco. This microgame returns in WarioWare Gold.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
In Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Master Sword rests in the Pedestal of Time at a crossroad inside Hyrule Castle in Hyrule Circuit. It acts as a Spin Boost Pillar, but it is initially inaccessible. On the track leading to the sword, there are three Spin Boost Pillars with crystals inside that, when all three are activated, cause the sword to rise up from the pedestal along with a Dash Panel ramp appearing that allows racers to go through the sword and receive a Spin Boost. Additionally, in his Skyward Sword costume, Link pulls out the Master Sword during two of his Jump Boost animations and his animation for being selected. The design of the Master Cycle bike is based on that of the Master Sword.
Super Mario Maker 2
The Master Sword was added in the version 2.0 update in Super Mario Maker 2, where it serves as a power-up only available in the Super Mario Bros. style, obtainable as an alternate form of the Super Mushroom. When the item comes out of a ? Block, it plays the "item appear" sound effect from the Disk System version of the original game. When the item is collected, it plays the "item get" sound effect from the same game and turns players into Link, enabling him to use his shield to block enemies and projectiles, bombs to hit switches and blow up blocks, and a bow and Silver Arrows to collect items or attack enemies. He is also able to use the sword to hit enemies, and use a dash attack with said sword and a down thrust in similar fashion to a Ground Pound. Unlike most power-ups, Link cannot break Brick Blocks except when using bombs for unknown reasons. In multiplayer mode, Mario turns into red Link, Luigi turns into green Link, Toad turns into blue Link and Toadette turns into purple Link, matching the Link colors from The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. In night ground levels, Link's bombs will sprout legs and walk in the direction they were thrown. The sprite of the Master Sword power-up is an edited version of the White Sword from the original game.
In a similar vein to Superball Mario and SMB2 Mario, when using the Master Sword in the ground, sky, forest, underwater, desert, and snow themes, the music is replaced by the overworld theme from The Legend of Zelda; in the underground and Ghost House themes, the game's dungeon theme plays; and in the airship and castle themes, the game's Death Mountain theme plays. Several sound effects are also replaced with those from The Legend of Zelda. The boss theme sound effect while under the Master Sword's effect is the battle theme from the Disk System version of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, while the final boss sound effect is Shadow Link's battle theme from the same game. The bonus game theme uses an 8-bit remix of the horse race music from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and the Peaceful theme uses an 8-bit remix of the Great Fairy music that first appeared in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (also used in many The Legend of Zelda games in the file selection menu).
Once Link beats a level, Zelda's rescue theme from the original game plays, albeit with a slightly lower tempo. In castle-themed levels, Link holds a Triforce shard after touching the Axe, with the "Triforce collected" theme from the original game playing. The death theme from the original game plays when Link falls in a pit; however, Link lacks a "defeated" sprite, similar to Costume Mario from Super Mario Maker.
Music
 Ground Theme - used in the Ground, Underwater, Desert, Snow, Forest and Sky themes | File info 0:30 |
| Underground Theme - used in the Underground and Ghost House themes | File info 0:30 |
| Castle Theme - used in the Castle and Airship themes | File info 0:30 |
| Bonus Music | File info 0:30 |
| Boss | File info 0:30 |
| Final Boss | File info 0:30 |
| Peaceful | File info 0:30 |
Profiles
Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy
| Name | Image | Game | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Sword | 
|
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 11/98 |
The Master Sword varies a bit between titles in the Legend of Zelda series, but it's generally the most powerful blade that Link can carry. It's a magical weapon that can be wielded only by a true hero, and, as its name implies, it's the weapon of choice in decisive battles. At the end of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link returned it to its stone pedestal. |
Gallery
Link wielding the Master Sword in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Link holding the Master Sword in Mario Kart 8
Link holding the Master Sword in Mute City in Mario Kart 8
Link wielding the Master Sword in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Banner for the Super Mario Maker 2 2.0.0 update announcement on Play Nintendo
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | マスターソード[?] Masutā Sōdo |
Master Sword | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 大师之剑[?] Dàshī zhī Jiàn |
Sword of Master | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 大師之劍[?] Dàshī zhī Jiàn |
Sword of Master | |
| Dutch | Meesterzwaard[?] | Master Sword | |
| French | Épée de légende[?] | Legend's Sword | |
| German | Master-Schwert[?] | Master Sword | |
| Italian | Spada suprema[?] | Supreme Sword | |
| Korean | 마스터소드[2] Maseuteo Sodeu |
Master Sword | |
| Portuguese (NOE) | Master Sword[1] | - | |
| Spanish | Espada Maestra[?] | Master Sword |
External links
References
- ^ Nintendo Portugal. (December 2, 2019). Super Mario Maker 2 - A Master Sword, novas peças para níveis e muito mais! (Nintendo Switch). YouTube. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ 한국닌텐도 공식 채널 (December 3, 2019). 슈퍼 마리오 메이커 2 무료 업데이트 Ver. 2.0.0. YouTube. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
