Scimitar (sword)

''This article is about the recurring weapon. For the recurring weapon type, see Sword (Weapon).

The Scimitar is a weapon that appears in various games in the Final Fantasy series.

Final Fantasy
In the original Final Fantasy, the Scimtar can only be purchased in Pravoka and be used by most of the fighting characters in the game. In the Dawn of Souls version, as with most items, the Scimitar is cheaper than in the original release.

Final Fantasy VI
In Final Fantasy VI, the Scimitar is one of the most powerful weapons in the game. It was renamed Zantetsuken for the Advance release. It has 208 attack power and has a random chance of inflicting instant death, even against undead foes. When combined with Relics that allow for multiple attacks, the Scimitar is a weapon of mass destruction against most random encounters.

The Scimitar can be won from the Blue Dragon or from the Collesium by betting the Lightbringer. The sword can be used by Terra, Cyan, Edgar, and Celes.

Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII's rendition of the Scimitar appears not as a sword, but as one of Cid's lance-typed weapons. The weapon can only be found in a chest at the Submarine Docks at the Underwater Reactor. It is a very useful weapon in the game as it offers Triple materia growth, which only this and Cloud's Apocalypse sword can have.

Etymology
The word scimitar does not refer to a single weapon but rather a set of swords that are all referred to as scimitars. Most of these weapons originated in the Middle East and all share some common characteristics.

The blade is curved and sharp primarily for slashing attacks rather than stabbing. The blades all tend to be thicker near the hilt of the weapon thus allowing more speed during a slash and control although the blade itself is not particularly heavy.

The first historical references to a weapon similar to a scimitar occur in 1800 BC as the Khopesh "sickle-sword" appeared to be a weapon used to fight against the Egyptians. The Khopesh was used heavily during the time period in Egypt known as the new kingdom.

In Medieval times, scimitars (in the form of Saifs and Kilij) were heavily used in warfare in the Turkish and Arabian lands.