Master Sword

The Master Sword a weapon used by Link in many of the Legend of Zelda games. It has the power to banish evil itself, and can also be used to travle back in time in Ocarina of Time.

Skyward Sword
In Skyward Sword, it is revealed that the Master Sword was originally known as the Goddess Sword, which rested in Skyloft, a floating island above the clouds. After sealing Demise, the goddess Hylia created Fi, an intelligent humanoid spirit who resides in the sword, and gave it the purpose of assisting her chosen hero throughout his journey. Eventually, in order to open the Gate of Time at the Sealed Grounds, Impa explains to Link that he must seek out the three Sacred Flames and purify the sword into their heat. Each time Link bathes the Goddess Sword in one of the flames, the sword is empowered and is physically altered, with Din's Flame tempering the Goddess White Sword into the Master Sword and giving it the power to repel evil. Although it is in the same incomplete state as in The Wind Waker, it holds a sacred force of "tremendous power" considered to be a divine power that was left by the gods of old, and it is also capable of activating the Gate of Time.

In the past, Link's sword is then blessed by Zelda to become the True Master Sword. In the form of the True Master Sword, the damage dealt by a sword strike increases threefold, and the Skyward Strike charges much faster and is colored blue. The sword's appearance also slightly changes, similar to The Wind Waker: the cross-guard extends outwards and turns a brighter shade of purple, the blade takes on a slight bluish luster, and the gem and the Triforce symbol are restored. Additionally, if looked at closely when hilted, or placed in the pedestal in the post-battle cutscenes, the guard forms the shape of a blue Loftwing, with the gem as the beak, and gold detailing as the talons. The Master Sword is used to defeat Demise, whose "residual consciousness" is absorbed into the Master Sword and is sealed away before promising that an incarnation of his hatred would haunt those with the Spirit of the Hero and the blood of the Goddess. Link then relinquishes the sword into a pedestal in the Sealed Grounds and, thereafter, Fi enters the Master Sword to sleep forever.

Ocarina of Time
Ten years after the Unification War in which a young Hero of Time is left an orphan in Kokiri Forest, he is sent out on a great quest to help him combat the Gerudo thief known as Ganondorf. To retrieve it from its pedestal, Link must collect the three Spiritual Stones, and play the "Song of Time" on the Ocarina of Time in front of the Door of Time to open the chamber where it is sealed. Only the one worthy of the title of the Hero of Time can draw the Master Sword; however, since Link was too young to bear such a title, the sacred blade sealed his spirit away in the Chamber of Sages until he came of age to be the Hero of Time. Additionally, because the Master Sword serves as a gateway between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf was able to access the Temple of Light and steal the Triforce after Link pulled the sword from its pedestal.<

After clearing the Forest Temple, Link can travel back to his original time by placing the Master Sword in the Pedestal of Time. This becomes necessary as the young hero journeys to awaken the remaining five Sages. Similarly, he can travel seven years into the future by simply taking the sword from its pedestal. Eventually, the young hero confronts the King of Evil and is able to defeat him with the power of the Master Sword along with the help of the Seven Sages. Princess Zelda feels guilt for the Hero of Time having lost his childhood just to save Hyrule and sends him back in time to relive the days he missed and thus creates a new history. Following this, Princess Zelda returns the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time and sealed the entrance to the Sacred Realm.

Ever since the Master Sword was pulled from the Pedestal of Time, it has become analogous with the legend of the Hero of Time.

Child Timeline
This timeline follows the child ending of Ocarina of Time, in which the Hero of Time informs Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule of what will happen if Ganondorf is to be trusted. The games set on this timeline include Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures.

Twilight Princess
The Master Sword in Twilight Princess is located deep within the Faron Woods in the Sacred Grove, which are the ruins of the Temple of Time. The blade is said to have once been held by the Legendary Hero.

When Link is permanently turned into a wolf by Zant's magic, Princess Zelda mentions that the Master Sword is the only relic that can break the curse placed on him. Link then ventures to the Sacred Grove and draws the blade from its pedestal, allowing Link to return to his Hylian form.

The Master Sword in this game also allows Link access to other numerous hidden temples later in the game, such as the Temple of Time. When Link goes through the Door of Time in the Sacred Grove, he travels back to when the Temple of Time stood tall and before it fell into ruin. Here, Link can briefly thrust the Master Sword in the Pedestal of Time, making a set of staircases appear that lead to an unexplored area of the temple that serves as one of the game's dungeons. The sword's initial locations marks a link between A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time, as it resides in the temple's ruins, a place that is notably similar to the sword's resting place in A Link To The Past.

The sword is, in comparison with the shield and the overall height of Link, considerably bigger than in the other 3D releases. Regardless, the general design is consistent throughout them all.

In the Palace of Twilight, Link fuses the Master Sword with the power of the Sols. This Light-Infused Master Sword enables Link to defeat most Twilight Monsters in a single blow. The sword is also capable of clearing away the Dark Fog that causes Link to revert back to wolf form. This upgrade is only usable while in the Twilight Realm.

Midna notes that the Sols' light being transferred to the Master Sword is the work of the gods of the Twilight Realm, and that they too are on Link's side.

Some fans believe that during the boss battle against Puppet Zelda, the light infusion of the sword gives it the ability to repel projectile attacks being sent at Link in order to damage the foe. However, there is no evidence to support this as the Master Sword was perfectly able to do this in previous games without the light infusion. In fact, this ability of repelling these evil attacks could be part of the sword's "power to repel evil". The most likely answer is simply because the sword is highly reflective due to the fact the Empty Bottles can be used for the same purpose in a few games of the series.

In the final battle against Ganondorf, Link uses the Ending Blow to thrust the Master Sword into Ganondorf's chest, defeating him. During the ending credits, the sword is shown resting in its pedestal in the Sacred Grove.

Adult Timeline
This timeline follows the adult ending of Ocarina of Time, in which the Hero of Time leaves this timeline behind and Hyrule returns to peace for a time. The games set on this timeline include The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.

Wind Waker
The Master Sword is predominately referred to as the Blade of Evil's Bane in The Wind Waker's legends and lies in a hidden chamber in Hyrule Castle, deep beneath the waves of the Great Sea. With the Master Sword resting in the Pedestal of Time, the sacred blade serves as a key to seal away Ganondorf's magic, keeping Hyrule frozen in time and all those who inhabit it. However, the Master Sword's use as a key to lock evil away is broken when a young Link unknowingly draws the blade under the direction of the King of Red Lions. In doing so, he unwittingly awakens Ganondorf's army from their ancient slumber and also allows Ganon to use his magic again.

Later, Link learns that since Ganon murdered the Sages of Earth and Wind, Laruto and Fado respectively, the Master Sword's edge has dulled and its power to repel evil has faded. As such, Link must awaken the two new Sages in order to regain that lost power. It is then explained that those Sages are necessary in order to pray to the gods for the Master Sword and the Hero who wields it, to restore its edge, and to keep it glowing with the power to repel evil.

Downfall Timeline
In a timeline in which the Hero of Time is killed in his final battle with Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, Hyrule eventually goes into a period of decline and starts to diminish over time. The games set in this timeline include A Link to the Past, Oracles of Seasons, Oracles of Ages, Link's Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link.

A Link to the Past
The Master Sword in A Link to the Past is the legendary blade that rests in the Lost Woods of northwestern Hyrule in a pedestal with ancient Hylian inscribed on it. The ancient text says the hero with three symbols of virtue will wield it on cataclysm's eve, reading: "The Hero's triumph on Cataclysm's Eve wins three Symbols of Virtue. The Master Sword he will then retrieve, keeping the knights' line true".

In order to defeat the evil wizard Agahnim that has taken over Hyrule Castle, Link must obtain the Master Sword. However, before the young hero can wield it, he must first acquire the three Pendants of Virtue that are scattered throughout the land. After doing so, he retrieves the sacred blade from the Pedestal of Time within the Lost Woods, defeating Agahnim with it and, eventually, Ganon. With Hyrule safe from evil, Link places the Master Sword back in its pedestal, never to be used again.

During the course of the game, Link can upgrade the Master Sword. Its first upgrade is the Tempered Sword, which is acquired when the Dwarven Swordsmith is reunited with his partner on the outskirts of Kakariko Village. In the tempered shape, the Master Sword is two times stronger than its standard form, has a glowing orange blade and makes a deeper swing sound as opposed to the usual slash sound. Its second and last upgrade is the Golden Sword, acquired by giving the Master Sword or Tempered Sword to the Fat Fairy in the Mysterious Pond of the Dark World within the Pyramid of Power. In the golden shape, the Master Sword is four times stronger than its standard form, killing almost any enemies in one hit, has a golden blade and green hilt, has the ability to break jars and skull jars, and also make a deeper swing sound like the tempered form.

Moreover, Link can obtain the magic of the Bombos and Ether Medallion by holding the Master Sword up into the sky next to certain inscriptions around Hyrule.

Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages
The Master Sword makes a reappearance in the Oracle series, fittingly as the most powerful sword in the game. When combined with the power of the Red Ring, the Master Sword is capable of taking down almost any boss in two to three Spin Attacks. The only way to unlock the Master Sword is to have finished one of the games, and to have started a Linked Game on the opposite game. When a secret in the game is found and told to Farore, she will upgrade the Noble Sword Link currently holds into the Master Sword. However, if Link still has the Wooden Sword, the Wooden Sword will become the Noble Sword, and the Master Sword will be found where the Noble Sword would have been.

A Link Between Worlds
The Master Sword in A Link Between Worlds is the same legendary blade from A Link to the Past, which is once again found inside of the Lost Woods, presumably having been left there by the Link from A Link to the Past. Much like in A Link to the Past, the Master Sword is obtained by collecting the three Pendants of Virtue, which are found inside the Eastern Palace, the Tower of Hera and the House of Gales. The Master Sword is the only thing that has the power to break the Barrier surrounding Hyrule Castle, which is necessary for Link to face Yuga atop the castle, and subsequently travel to Lorule for the first time. When obtained, it replaced the previously-used Forgotten Sword.

The Master Sword can be upgraded twice by collecting pieces of Master Ore hidden throughout Lorule. By taking the Master Sword to the Blacksmith in Hyrule with two pieces of Master Ore, he will upgrade it to the Master Sword Lv2. The Master Sword Lv2 is twice as powerful as the standard Master Sword and has a tempered, red blade, making it almost identical to the Tempered Sword from A Link to the Past. When Link collects the remaining two pieces of Master Ore and takes them to the blacksmith in Lorule, he will upgrade the sword again to the Master Sword Lv3. This final upgrade of the Master sword is again twice as powerful, making it eight times as powerful as the Forgotten Sword. It also has a golden blade, making it almost identical to the Golden Sword from the previous game.

Despite its increased strength, the Master Sword Lv2's Sword Beam does the same base amount of damage as the Master Sword. The StreetPass Shadow Links and Gramps, the elderly man in Kakariko Village, are able to wield the Master Sword Lv3. The former can be attributed to the Shadow Links being mere shades, but no explanation is given as to why Gramps can wield the sword.