Buster Sword



The Buster Sword (バスターソード, Basutāsōdo) is an iconic symbol from Final Fantasy VII, that has since appeared in several other games in the series. It serves as Cloud Strife's main weapon, and was wielded before him by Zack Fair and Angeal Hewley. The Buster Sword is classified as an enormous broadsword (though it has more in common with a Zweihander). From tip to handle, it is approximately 5 feet long, with a single-edged, enormously wide blade. Its broad hilt sports a swirling motif, and there are two holes on the blade near the hilt, often mistaken for Materia "slots", but are in fact used to attach the sword to a harness on Cloud's back.

The Buster Sword is famous not only for being Cloud Strife's weapon, but its unique appearance, especially its massive size. It is possibly one of the best known swords in the Final Fantasy series, along with the Gunblade, Masamune, Excalibur, Ultima Weapon, Brotherhood, and others.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
The Buster Sword was originally the property of Angeal Hewley, Zack Fair's mentor. Angeal used it as little as possible to prevent it from damaging. It was created for him by his adoptive father when he first entered SOLDIER. Zack inherits the Buster Sword from Angeal after being forced to defeat him in his Angeal Penance form. Angeal spoke of the sword as a symbol of his honor. Zack seems to view it more as idealistic symbol of the honor of a SOLDIER, even though he uses it with significantly greater frequency than Angeal he admits to usually hitting with the blunt side. Zack issues the broadsword to Cloud after Zack willingly fights for his life to save both Cloud and himself. In doing so, he passes on to his friend his dreams of being a hero and his pride as a member of SOLDIER, telling Cloud that he is the proof that Zack lived.

Final Fantasy VII
The Buster Sword is Cloud's first sword in the game. Though it quickly becomes outclassed by new equipment, it is a unique weapon in the fact that it is one-of-a-kind and that it cannot be sold. No matter what sword the player is using, the Buster Sword will appear in Cloud's hand during cutscenes and in the Motorcycle minigame.

In the load menu for Final Fantasy VII, the Buster Sword appears sticking out of the ground surrounded by a black background.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Cloud uses his own multi-part broadsword, with Buster Sword being used as a grave marker, stuck into the ground on to mark the spot where Zack died, similar to its appearance in the load menu of Final Fantasy VII. Due to the much clearer graphics in AC, details such as swirling patterns on the hilt and scratches on the blade from 3 generations of use have become apparent for the first time. Also, it appears to be covered in rust from its time as a grave marker in the elements of the wasteland. Ironically, this peaceful usage of the sword brought about what Angeal feared would happen had he used the sword for battle in the first place. By the end of Advent Children Complete Cloud moves the sword to the Sector 5 Church.

In early footage of Advent Children, before the First Tsurugi was designed, Cloud can be seen fighting with the Buster Sword against Kadaj. The fight is identical to a portion of their battle in the completed film, albeit slowed down considerably.

Final Fantasy IX
A weapon very similar to Buster Sword can be found in a weapon shop in Lindblum. If Zidane inspects it, he will give a reference to "a spikey headed guy" who wielded a sword like it, most likely Cloud.

Final Fantasy X
A Buster Sword is part of Tidus' equipment on the game disc. However, it is never actually seen in the game and can only be found by looking at the game's internal code.

As shown, the sword has a somewhat slanted hand guard at the base of the blade than the canon form.

Final Fantasy XII
Gilgamesh uses a fake Buster Sword, along with many other iconic swords from other Final Fantasy games. The Kanji character on the sword means "replica," or "fake." It also has four materia slots instead of two.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
The Buster Sword is a sword-class weapon that can be wielded by three classes: Soldier, Warrior, and Dragoon. It is a weaker sword and does not compare with the power of Buster Swords in previous games. It teaches the ability Mindbreak.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
The Buster Sword re-appears in the sequel, with similiar attributes, and can still be wielded by the Soldier, Warrior, and Dragoon jobs, as well as the new Spellblade job. It now teaches the Blood Price ability to the new job as well.

Dissidia Final Fantasy
The Buster Sword appears both as Cloud's weapon for his normal form, and as an equippable weapon, unique to Cloud as well.

Non-specific appearances
Since the Buster Sword is Cloud's default sword, the non-specific appearance of this sword is directly related with the appearance of Cloud in other games, like Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring, the Itadaki Street Series and Chocobo Racing. The exception is in Final Fantasy Tactics, where Cloud is disarmed until he acquires the Materia Blade at Bervenia Volcano, a sword that looks like the Ultima Weapon.

Kingdom Hearts series
Cloud wields a Buster Sword wrapped in bandages when he fights in the Olympus Coliseum.

The Keyblade Metal Chocobo vaguely resembles the Buster Sword, as it is a long, heavy, metal weapon based upon long reach and powerful attacks with two holes in the blade near the hilt. It is won by defeating Cloud in the Olympus Colosseum, and only appears in Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories.

Trivia

 * A full-scale model of the Buster Sword was built to celebrate at the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete press screening party in the Sony Building in Tokyo.
 * Tetsuya Nomura has stated in "The Reunion Files" for Advent Children that he used to refer to the Buster Sword as "the Giant Kitchen Knife" due to how he originally envisioned it.