Memory Alpha
Register
Advertisement
Memory Alpha
Multiple realities
(covers information from several alternate timelines)
Gladius

A gladius on 892-IV

A sword was a type of bladed weapon with one or both sides of the blade sharpened for cutting. Many types of sword also had sharp points for thrusting. The blades of the great majority of practically useful swords were either straight or simply curved. Swords were known to have been used in Human, Vulcan, and Klingon history. One who was skilled in the use of a sword was called a swordsman. (TNG: "Qpid")

Swords are mentioned in "The Minstrel Boy", "Jerusalem", and "The Fall of Kang". (TNG: "The Wounded"; DS9: "Explorers", "Second Sight")

Sword

The Doctor heroically wielding Freya's sword.

Medieval knights used swords as one of their main weapons, (TNG: "Qpid") as did the Vikings. (VOY: "Heroes and Demons")

The Kalar of Rigel VII wielded swords in combat. In 2254, Captain Christopher Pike, later speaking about his experience on this planet, said to Doctor Phil Boyce that he should have sensed trouble when he saw the swords and the armor. Instead, he became trapped in a fortress and had to fight one of the Kalar warriors. (TOS: "The Cage", "The Menagerie, Part I")

Georgiou's sword at Burnham's throat

Emperor Georgiou's sword at Burnham's throat

In the mirror universe, Terran Emperor Philippa Georgiou had a sword that she carried with her in a sheath. (DIS: "The Wolf Inside", et al.) In the throne room of the ISS Charon in 2257, she removed the sword from its sheath while about to execute Michael Burnham for treason, but, moments later – when Burnham confessed to being from a parallel universe – Georgiou put the weapon back in its sheath. (DIS: "Vaulting Ambition") When Gabriel Lorca and his followers found the throne room abandoned, Georgiou's sword was discovered by Lorca near the emperor's throne. The weapon was thereafter used by Lorca, including in a battle with Georgiou. However, she ultimately used it to stab him in the back, with the blade protruding through his chest, before she removed it from his body. The weapon was left aboard the Charon when, moments later, she was beamed aboard the USS Discovery. (DIS: "What's Past Is Prologue")

Georgiou actress Michelle Yeoh helped Property Master Mario Moreira design this sword. (AT: "The Wolf Inside") Moreira ultimately thought it was the toughest prop created for the mirror universe. Although Yeoh was highly familiar with swords, she was less familiar with the type of sword that was crafted for the emperor. "We designed a broadsword for her, not something she's used to using," explained Moreira. "The weight was a lot different than what she was into." One day, the test sword was arriving to the set just as Yeoh was ending her day's work there. (AT: "What's Past Is Prologue") Moreira drove to an airport with the sword, just as Yeoh was about to board an airplane. (AT: "The Wolf Inside", "12") The sword was in his passenger seat while he hurriedly drove to the airport, rushed into the building and went to the check-in. He later recalled, "'I […] just said, 'I don't want to alarm you, but I have a sword. I have to meet an actor that's arriving here. Is there a private room we can do a sword test?' And it was amazing, but they were like, 'Oh, yeah, sure. We got a little boardroom over there.' Like, they didn't even blink. It was, like, not even a hesitation. It was like, 'Oh, okay. I guess this happens every day, guys run into the airport with swords.'" (AT: "What's Past Is Prologue") Once he caught up with her, the sword was analyzed by Yeoh. "She held it and was like, 'No, this isn't right,'" Ted Sullivan related. Yeoh wanted the shaft slightly altered, so that the handle would be adjusted too. Upon hearing that this had happened, actress Mary Chieffo and After Trek host Matt Mira thought it was "very cool." (AT: "The Wolf Inside") Moreira, though, found it had been an amusing experience. (AT: "What's Past Is Prologue")

In the alternate reality, Sulu used a retractable sword to fight Romulans. (Star Trek)

Scott with a claymore

Scott with a claymore

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")

When Trelane chased Captain Kirk, Kirk disarmed Trelane and broke his cutlass. (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos")

When Q appeared to the crew of the USS Enterprise-D in 2364 for the first time, he was dressed as a 16th century sea captain and wearing a sword. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")

In 2372, Miles O'Brien described the Battle of Clontarf as being "like the Battle of Britain, only with swords." (DS9: "Bar Association")

Romulan sword hilt

The hilt of a sword used by members of the Romulan Rebirth movement

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")

While performing anomaly consolidation duty on the USS Cerritos in 2381, Ensign D'Vana Tendi found a broken sword among the items Doctor Migleemo had earmarked for disposal. (LD: "The Spy Humongous")

Members of the Romulan Rebirth movement carried ornate swords inscribed with the Romulan language, while the Qowat Milat wielded a different type of sword called a tan qalanq. (PIC: "Absolute Candor")

Types of swords[]

Asters swords

Three swords on the wall, owned by Marla Aster in her home

Swordfights[]

Adrev duels Picard

Adrev dueling Picard

In 2268, after being captured on the 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 intraship 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, Duras used a Klingon sword to defend himself during a duel with Worf initiated under the Klingon Right of Vengeance after the council member slew K'Ehleyr. He lost the duel and was killed by Worf. (TNG: "Reunion")

Later that year, 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 2371, after Harry Kim's Beowulf holoprogram was invaded by a photonic lifeform which kidnapped several crewmen in response to them unintentionally kidnapping other photonic lifeforms, The Doctor was sent 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")

External links[]

Advertisement