The Lore You Know: Masamune

In the late 13^th century and early 14^th century there was a particular Japanese man who went by the name Masamune. He was particularly renowned as the best sword smith ever to live, and created many masterful pieces of work. Masamune’s skill was legendary – literally – and so it is no surprise that his name entered Japanese folklore. Being a series native to the land of the rising sun and so heavily based on mythos from around the world, it is little wonder that every Final Fantasy game to date references the legendary sword smith, attaching his name to the most powerful of swords.

There is one particular legend regarding Masamune and his student, Muramasa. Muramasa was a fine sword smith, and thought himself comparable to his master, so he challenged Masamune to see which of them could make the ultimate sword. They worked tirelessly and once they were complete, it was time to begin the test.

To test which sword was greater, the two men would suspend their blades with the sharp edge facing the current. Muramasa's sword, the Juuchi Yosamu, sliced everything that flowed towards it; fish, leaves floating down the river, the very air which blew on it. Masamune was impressed with his student’s work and lowered his sword, the Yawarakai-Te, into the creek and waited. Not a leaf was cut, the fish swam right up to it, and the air hissed as it gently blew by the blade. Muramasa began to scoff at his master for making such a dull blade. Masamune smiled, retrieved his sword, dried it, and then sheathed it.

A monk, who had been watching them, walked over and bowed, before explaining what he had seen: “The first of the swords was by all accounts a fine sword, however it is a blood thirsty, evil blade, as it does not discriminate as to who or what it will cut,” the monk said. “It may just as well be cutting down butterflies as severing heads. The second was by far the finer of the two, as it does not needlessly cut that which is innocent and undeserving."

While the Masamune appears in all Final Fantasy games, it is only occasionally accompanied by the Muramasa. This reinforces the fact that the Masamune is by far the better of the two. The item description of the Muramasa also typically references the blood thirsty qualities of the original man’s creation.

Describing the Masamune as it appears in each game throughout the series would be redundant; the sword is extremely powerful, and is often associated with the Holy element. Though it comes in many different shapes and styles, the Masamune’s most famous Final Fantasy iteration is from the seventh installment.

Sephiroth wields the Masamune and is said to be the only person on the planet with the ability to do so. The sword itself is between six and eight feet long, and requires incredible physical strength to wield. It is a symbol of Sephiroth’s immense power, and contrasts with his personality, which is more akin to that of Muramasa than the holy sword. During the brief time Sephiroth appears in the party, the Masamune is shown to have six Materia slots in three linked pairs, zero Materia growth, a Hit rate of 255, an Attack power of 99 and a 100% critical hit rate. These stats are also highly representative of Sephiroth’s ferocious battle prowess.

The Masamune is one of the greatest swords ever constructed inside the Final Fantasy universe, and its real world counterpart – the man Masamune – is the most famous sword smith to ever live. We can look forward to seeing its continued presence in Final Fantasy, in the hands of heroes and villains alike. I leave you now with a very important warning: stay away from the pointy end!