AT: "xx"
The Doctor heroically wielding Freya's sword
A sword is a type of bladed weapon with one or both sides of the blade for sharpened for cutting. Many types of sword also have sharp points for thrusting. The blades of the great majority of practically useful swords are either straight or simply curved. Swords are known to have been used in Human, Vulcan, and Klingon history.
Swords are mentioned in The Minstrel Boy, Jerusalem, and The Fall of Kang. (TNG: "The Wounded"; DS9: "Explorers", "Second Sight")
Medieval knights used swords as one of their main weapons, (TNG: "Qpid") as did the Vikings. (VOY: "Heroes and Demons")
In the alternate reality, Sulu used a retractable sword to fight Romulans. (Star Trek)
Sulu showed his skill with a fencing blade during the polywater intoxication. (TOS: "The Naked Time")
A gladius on 892-IV
On the planet 892-IV, swords were still used in every day life, the police and guards carried gladii as a second weapon. They were also used in gladiatorial combat and for executions. Captain Kirk was almost executed with a Roman gladius by the Master of the Games on live Empire TV. (TOS: "Bread and Circuses")
When the Beta XII-A entity had the crew of the USS Enterprise fight against Kang's men, most of the weapons were turned into swords. Scott had a claymore, Chekov had a gladius, Sulu a Japanese katana, and Kirk an 18th century cutlass. (TOS: "Day of the Dove")
Captain Picard was an expert in European-style fencing, a sport which involves light, slim-bladed and blunted swords; protective clothing is worn which makes the activity almost risk free. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris")
In 2372, Miles O'Brien described the Battle of Clontarf as being "like the Battle of Britain, only with swords." (DS9: "Bar Association")
In early 2375, O'Brien and Worf reminisced about "Geordi waving that sword around" in The Three Musketeers holoprogram nine years earlier. (DS9: "Image in the Sand")
Types of swords
Three swords on the wall, owned by Marla Aster in her home.
- Claymore
- Cutlass
- Gladius
- Katana
- Long sword
- Nausicaan sword
- Rapier
- Retractable sword
- Sword of Kahless
- Sword of Stars
- Yan
Swordfights
In 2268, after being captured on planet 892-IV, to try and force Kirk to surrender his crew, Proconsul Claudius Marcus forced Doctor McCoy and Spock to fight on television against gladiators. Spock's opponent instantly tried to kill him, however as McCoy's had adopted the planet's new religion, he was unwilling, until the Master of the Games forced him to. Toward the end it looked like McCoy was going to lose, however in the nick of time Spock defeated his opponent and used the Vulcan nerve pinch to disable McCoy's. (TOS: "Bread and Circuses")
Later in 2268, after the Beta XII-A entity altered some of the matter on the ship to create primitive weapons, several sword fights broke out between the crew of the Enterprise and Kang's crew, notable ones including the Klingons battling their way out of containment, them taking engineering, and the final fight in engineering.
In the final fight, Kirk used inter-ship beaming to get to engineering to try and convince Kang to stop the fighting, but Kang was so filled with rage that he attacked, and the two collided with imitation gladii. As they did, McCoy and Spock led several guards to engineering, the two of them managed to fight their way through, but left the crewmen in combat with the Klingons.
Kang and Kirk continued to battle, but just as he got Kang at a disadvantage, Kirk told him how they were being used, and convinced him the fight was pointless, realizing the truth, Kang followed Kirk's action, and dropped his sword, he then ordered his men to cease fire, as did Kirk. (TOS: "Day of the Dove")
In 2367, as part of Q's Robin Hood scenario, the senior staff of the Enterprise-D were mostly given long swords. After saving Captain Picard from his execution, the crew took on Guy of Gisbourne's knights, while Picard took Gisbourne himself, although originally it seemed that Gisbourne would win, with him remarking "I'll have you know I'm the greatest swordsman in all of Nottingham!" Picard did win, and killed Gisbourne, shortly after replying, "very impressive. There's something you should know, I'm not from Nottingham!" (TNG: "Qpid")
In 2367, Duras used a sword to defend himself during a duel with Worf initiated under the Klingon Rite of Vengeance. (TNG: "Reunion")
In 2371, after Harry Kim's holoprogram was invaded, by a photonic based life form which kidnapped several crew men in response to them unintentionally kidnapping other photonic life forms, they sent The Doctor in. Upon first meeting Unferth he was attacked by the warrior, although barely able to lift the sword, he saved himself by changing his mass, so the blade went right through him. Later after Unferth killed Freya, he was attacked by Unferth again, who tried to cover his crime by blaming The Doctor, however this time, as The Doctor was filled with rage at the death of one he loved, he easily defeated Unferth with Freya's sword. (VOY: "Heroes and Demons")