Gunblade (weapon type)

The Gunblade is a recurring weapon in the Final Fantasy series, first appearing in Final Fantasy VIII. It is an original weapon: a fusion of the Sword and Gun, thus the name "Gunblade". The Final Fantasy VIII Gunblades could not actually fire projectiles, although the release of gases from the expended gunpowder needs to go somewhere, accounting for the muzzle flash visible during a triggered slash. Although never visible, some sort of ventilation bore must be present at the tip of the blade, otherwise the explosive force of the triggered round would destroy the weapon from the inside out, possibly injuring the wielder. Later versions in other games, like in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy XIII, have changed these weapons to work as both a gun and a blade, although they seem to be more of a gun with blades on them, rather than a sword with a firing mechanism.

Combat Style
Although used like any normal sword, triggering a round sends a shockwave through the blade, creating a devastating vibration effect as the weapon passes through an opponent. In Dissidia Final Fantasy, Squall's combat is greatly refined beyond the normal slashes seen in Final Fantasy VIII, incorporating the use of the Gunblade's recoil for a unique style; using the Heel Crush and Rough Divide techniques, Squall triggers a round while holding the Gunblade behind him, the recoil quickly pushing him forward. Using the Beat Fang technique, Squall thrusts the blade into the enemy, only to trigger a round (which also damages the enemy), the recoil of the shot pushes the blade back, where Squall immediately thrusts again, repeating the process several more times.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
During the attack on Junon, Zack Fair is attacked by copies of Genesis Rhapsodos wielding a large rocket launcher/sword hybrid. These type of Genesis copies later appears in many missions.

Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-
Weiss the Immaculate uses two lever-action katana/revolver hybrids that are similar to Gunblades in battle against Vincent. These katana are capable of long-range fire albeit in single bursts, similar to a shotgun or rifle.

List of Gunblades:
 * Earth
 * Heaven

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Yazoo and Loz both use two ornate Gunblades called the Velvet Nightmare in the film. Despite the fact that they are officially considered Gunblades, they do not possess any true cutting ability and are used only as guns, although they do possess a blade running along the top of the barrel, and a smaller blade along the bottom forming the front end of the trigger guard. However, their sturdy steel structure still make them very useful for blocking Cloud's sword strikes.

Final Fantasy VIII


In its first appearance, was the weapon of choice for Squall Leonhart and his rival; Seifer Almasy. It was a sword with a fire mechanism, such as a pistol (as with Seifer's Hyperion) or revolver (as with Squall's Revolver), which serves as the hilt for the blade. Despite its name, it could not be used as an actual gun, meaning it didn't fire projectiles, and could therefore only be used in melee combat, making it more like a gun supplementing a sword than a blade supplementing a firearm, e.g. a bayonet on a rifle. The firing of the Gunblade's chambers induced a tremor in the blade, causing it to deal additional damage to whatever it struck. Below is a list of the Gunblades present in the game.

There are seven gunblade types/models available for Squall to use throughout the game, plus Seifer's own model, they are:


 * Revolver


 * Shear Trigger


 * Cutting Trigger


 * Flame Saber


 * Twin Lance


 * Punishment


 * Lion Heart


 * Hyperion

Final Fantasy X-2
Though not appearing in the finished product, designs for an unused class showing Yuna wielding a dagger sized gunblade can be found in the game's Ultimania guide among numerous other potential classes.

Final Fantasy XII
In Final Fantasy XII, Gilgamesh has the Revolver Gunblade amongst his collection of Legendary Weapons. However, like all his swords, it is slightly different, having an image of a Chocobo printed on the blade, no trigger and lacks the chain and Griever symbol.

Final Fantasy XIII
This unique weapon has the ability to transform between Gun-mode and Blade-mode. Possessed by Lightning in Final Fantasy XIII this weapon is capable of both melee and long-range properties. It has a holster that swings behind the back of the wielder for the weapon to rest.

Parasite Eve II
A gunblade makes an appearance in Parasite Eve II as a weapon that the gorilla like Number 9 uses. Upon his defeat Aya can use the weapon as one of her secret weapons if certain objectives are met. It was aptly named "Gunblade," and was an amalgamation of a shotgun with a high-frequency particle blade. The player could aim and fire shots with its primary fire, but could also attack at close-range using the blade as the secondary fire, also pressing the primary fire button at the right moment to deal additional damage during the slash.

Gunblades in Popular Culture

 * In the fanmade CG movies Dead Fantasy, Rinoa Heartilly weilds a black gunblade called the Vanishing Star. It possesses a revolver handle like Squall's gunblade but features a different blade with a white feather and the words Vanishing Star inscribed upon it. Upon further inspection, the Gunblade has two triggers (as noted on Monty Oum's deviant) and an actual gun barrel atop the weapon's blade, as well as exhaust port's on the blade itself, suggesting that it can be used as ranged weapon as well. On said gun barrel, the words All Existence Denied are inscribed: a direct quote of Ultimecia on Final Fantasy VIII ' s last battle. Rinoa is seen wielding it one handed in a similar style to the chinese Dao sword. When not in use it has a belt holster that it can attach to on the wielder's hip.


 * In Dion Roger's popular Dion Roger's Rinoa concept design of Rinoa, Rinoa is seen wielding this gunblade which possesses a shotgun handle and a Griever etching on the blade. It has been dubbed the Shotgunblade by Dion Roger when commenting on the art's design.