Masamune vs. Buster Sword

[slimcloud]

i like both swords now coz masamune is quick and agile,but on the other hand the buster sword looks awesome

[Tiny Bronco]

Masamune is very quick. Sephiroth can make that thing fly. My favorite FF7 clip is of The Midgar Solem Speared on a tree by Sephiroth. So creepy yet you admire his power.

[jessek705]

Origins of the Masamune Blade

The Masamune has appeared in several Final Fantasy games, going all the way back to the first installment. In a number of these instances, such as in Final Fantasy V, the Masamune ranks among the most powerful of weapons. As it appears in Final Fantasy VII, the Masamune takes on a whole new signifigance. Instead of being merely another equippable sword, the Masamune is the signature weapon of the central villan, Sephiroth.

The Masamune takes its name from actual swords made by Goro Nyudo Masamune (1288 - 1328), who lived during Japan's Kamakura Era and is considered by many to be the finest Japanese swordsmith of all time. Masamune's blades are incredibly rare in this day and age, and are considered national treaures in Japan.

The reputation of Masamune's swords is such that they are associated with a warrior who is internally peaceful and calm, as opposed to the swords of Muramasa (another famous Japanese swordsmith), which were described as bloodthirsty and evil. There is a legend where a Masamune sword and a Muramasa one are placed in a stream. In the stream, Muramasa's sword cuts a floating leaf clean in half, while a second leaf abruptly changes course when coming near Masamune's sword, bypassing it altogether.

When playing FFVII, one may notice that when Sephiroth pierces Aeris with the Masamune, there is no blood. Despite the legend recounted above, there were undoubtedly practical concerns at work in the creation of this FMV—not only would Square have wanted to avoid a "Mature" rating, but blood is also not exactly the easiest thing to animate, particularly for a studio which (at the time) was only just moving into the medium of 3D computer animation. There's also the matter of Tetsuya Nomura's character design for Sephiroth, which shows what looks like a large red stain on the Masamune's blade; evidently, within the game itself, blood drawn by the sword is probably implied.

Other Japanese Swords in FFVII

Two other swords with Japanese names that make appearances in Final Fantasy VII are equippable weapons for Cloud: the Murasame and the Yoshiyuki.

Murasame's name comes from Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, a 106-volume novel by Kyokutei Bakin written during the Edo period. The Hakkenden is a very famous story in Japan, and it's influence can be found in a number of modern Japanese media. In this novel, the Murasame is a sword used by Inuzuka Shino, one of the story's eight heroes.

As for Yoshiyuki, there have been a few swordsmiths by that name, but I haven't been able to find any that are very distinctive in Japanese history. In fact, Yoshiyuki seems to be a common name in Japan, so it would be difficult to link one particular person by that name to Cloud's sword in FFVII.

[Tiny Bronco]

How heavy would Cloud's sword be compared to Sephiroth's Masamune?

[jessek705]

well clouds oversized sword would have to wiegh probably 50 times more then sephy's sweet blade the masamune

[Tiny Bronco]

If I were a Shinra Soldier and saw Cloud coming at me with that thing..... Runnnn!!!
I wonder were Zak got it from. Maybe we'll find out in FF7CC.

[Zeromus_X]

Originally Posted by Tiny Bronco

If I were a Shinra Soldier and saw Cloud coming at me with that thing..... Runnnn!!!
I wonder were Zak got it from. Maybe we'll find out in FF7CC.

you know, i've never really thought of that. that would be an interesting tidbit to find out...hm...

[Tiny Bronco]

It would be very nice to know the Buster Sword's origions. I've always wondered how a Shinra Soldier could stand up to Cloud instead of running away. I admire them.