Swords are, undoubtedly, one of the most popular weapons in fiction. Longswords, shortswords, bastard swords, dual-wielding swords, swords with a blade on each end, and really big swords. That last one is especially popular. Plenty of people have gone into the impracticality of using such large, heavy weapons, but I want to offer a defense of it.
So, how practical are giant swords? Well, let’s look at a couple of staple examples from videogames. Those being Final Fantasy 7’s Buster Sword and Monster Hunter’s Great Sword class. And boy howdy, are they big.
Now, going by real world standards, these are terribly impractical. They’re too big, too heavy, and their biggest value in combat is probably that once they start moving, they aren’t going to stop easily. Good for preventing a parry, not so much for trying to redirect a swing. The amount of strength required to swing it in the first place can’t be discounted though, so really, you’re looking at a weapon that’s best suited for attacking stationary targets, when you have the freedom to wind up.
Let’s take a moment to consider Cloud’s buster sword. And Cloud himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVcdnaUolo4&ab_channel=TenkuWarriors
He’s extremely strong, and uses the sword as though it weighs next to nothing. Of course, given the size of it, that’s far from the case. Following the simple law of F=MA, given the speed at which he swings it along with the weight of it, we can see that he’s outputting some massive force with every swing, and attacking quite frequently at that. Far beyond human limits in the real world, but certainly effective in the world of Final Fantasy.
We must also consider the historical usage of the sword, that being against human opponents. Hunting animals has more often relied on ranged weapons or, at the very least, using a spear. I’ve certainly never heard of somebody taking a rapier on a deer hunt before. In these fictional settings, adversaries stray from being human. Battles with large monsters or machines aren’t out of the ordinary. Smaller, lighter blades may lack the force necessary to do effective damage to such adversaries.
This is, I believe, part of the reason for the massive weapons of Monster Hunter. While the humans of the series certainly have a great deal of physical ability, they lack the superhuman strength and speed of characters like Cloud Strife. At least, they don’t have the same extent of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KpqVOF2Sso&ab_channel=ZombieHeadz
Looking at the way a hunter uses a Greatsword, we can see that these are a lot bigger than Cloud’s Buster Sword. While slower, the strongest moves use gravity and/or existing momentum to add to the swing, alongside the hunter putting their weight into the attack as well. Something used in the Greatsword style that wasn’t used by Cloud is the addition of blunt attacks to the arsenal. Strikes with the side of the blade, kicks, and shoulder tackles are utilized to add variety to a hunter’s moveset, and as a faster method of attacking than swinging the huge blade around. The Greatsword is also a very slow weapon, and its usage centers on finding the right timing to land one or two powerful attacks. Only when a monster has been stunned or otherwise disabled is the time right for consecutive strikes.
I want to address a couple common points to round things out. First off, defense. An advantage of these giant blades is that they can function like a shield with the right positioning, handily blocking attacks directed at the wielder. The size of these weapons offers an advantage here, covering a large percentage of the body from assault. There’s also the matter of durability to consider. These big, heavy, sturdy weapons don’t have the same risk of breaking as smaller arms. While they may dull and become more akin to clubs, that’s perfectly fine for their design. They already have the weight to back it up, and they can be sharpened and maintained when the time is right to do so.
Those’re my thoughts on Big Swords. Impractical in real life, but they have their uses and advantages in the right work of fiction. Superhuman wielders can put the extra mass and weight to good use, while the strength and durability can be an asset to others.