Why must it be a sword, especially in eastern cultivation, namely the jian sword?

[expentio]

Swords (and smaller bladed weapons) are pretty standard weapons a character can always carry around, and may even sit down with. Something bigger, like a spear would have to be put aside indoors. You need to ask yourself how they get through the doorstep, or interact within boundaries in daily life. Even outdoors it would be cumbersome long-term.
Yet, just coming from pure combat practicality, I'd definitely prefer a halberd or glaive. Range always helps in fights.

 

[BearlyAlive]

Swords were the symbol of wealth and power in most cultures: An overly intricately forged piece of sharp metal, as much for show as for use. It screamed "I got prestige" more than most other things.

But yeah, swords are overrated, unless you only use them to UBW or shoot them as arrows. In which case you're a try-hard.

 

[LesserSarcasm]

What i find even more irritating is swords cutting through armor, like armor and weapons are in an arms race, if the armor doesnt work why wear it. They dont even use half swording or pomelbashing or other weapons (maces club) or techniques specifically for anti armor. Just cut through like thin paper.

 

[Worthy39]

Well, here's the thing. Swords were made because they work, and they work well. Try writing an exciting clash with a pair of nunchucks, or a spear. It's not easy. Swords generally have the most versatility, they can be used for defense, you can wield a shield with lighter swords, pretty much any blow can be fatal, you can use two swords, they have various levels of range, and they're well known throughout the world, so people like them.

Other weapons are significantly harder to write in more cinematic situations. Imagine trying to have a sick fight with the main antagonist, and instead of finishing them off with a slash, you bonk them on the head with a stick. That's just not as exciting. Now, there are plenty of other good weapons, don't get me wrong. But the saying goes "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", and I doubt swords will ever go out of style.

 

[Arkus86]

Swords are the real world ubiquitous, full sized weapon. While the spear and its big brother the polearm dominate on the battlefield and in places where someone is standing guard, swords are the weapons that nobles and mercenaries alike (depending on local laws) will simply have on them at almost all times. They may feel overused in fiction, but this is a reflection of reality.

Also, note that I said full-sized weapons. Daggers, of course, were everywhere. But daggers were also necessary tools of life, and all other things being equal, a man with a sword beats a man with a dagger, even if the man with the dagger would generally be considered the better fighter.

Staffs have their place too of course, but usually as an option for someone who is traveling. Have to deal with a staff all the time is about as bad as having to deal with a spear; if you are not going to use a staff as the tool it is, you are probably not carrying it around in case you need to use it as a weapon.

That said, once magic enters the field, you may have more options. If you world includes the ability to store and summon a weapon with barely a thought, you can potentially summon the most useful weapon for the circumstance, assuming you have one stored. A polearm in a crowded area with lots of non-combatants nearby is a bad idea, but a fast blade like a rapier is a good choice, along with a parrying dagger or shield, depending on other circumstances.

And of course, at sufficient range, one should be using a bow. Remember, a bow was a samurai's *first* weapon in a battle. Their blade was only drawn once the enemy was too close. And they fired from horseback with specialized longbows that were fired from the bottom third.

Flails and maces do have their place on the battlefield, but mostly for use against metal armor and such. Against flesh and cloth, you want a sharp blade. So what type of fight are they in? Are they fighting monsters? Spears/polearms when you have the room, swords when you don't, unless they have thick hide, in which case you might want an axe, or if they have large, hard scales, you might want a mace or a flail.

Team work is also good here. I have a fight sequence where one person plants the butt of his polearm against the monster charging them, and once it is impaled, struggles to hold it in place long enough for another person to wail on it's head with falcatas. While they are swords, the distribution of their weight and mass gives them some of the same impact as an axe or a mace.

So, the favored weapon of your protagonist should entirely depend upon the 1) circumstances of their life, 2) the circumstances of the fight, and 3) the consequences of how magic interacts with weapons and weapon choices in your world. If your punch can hit someone with a fist of air from 30' away, you are not as worried about whether or not you have a sword.

While the usefulness of different weapons in different situations is one thing, you can't forget the matter of skill. A protagonist could carry multiple weapons with them for any situation, but unless they are a martial genius or have been training for decades, they could master maybe two or three, the rest would be dead weight. And that's before talking about show weapons like nunchucks, which would be more dangerous to you and your allies, than your enemy.

 

[Zagaroth]

While the usefulness of different weapons in different situations is one thing, you can't forget the matter of skill. A protagonist could carry multiple weapons with them for any situation, but unless they are a martial genius or have been training for decades, they could master maybe two or three, the rest would be dead weight. And that's before talking about show weapons like nunchucks, which would be more dangerous to you and your allies, than your enemy.

Once you have athleticism and basic martial prowess done, the differences between basic weapons becomes smaller.

A knight was expected to be a master of sword, lance, mace, flail, bow (for hunting), and unarmed combat to the point of being able to wrestle and throw another knight when both were wearing full suits of plate armor. Oh, and most of these are mastered for both on foot and on horseback, which requires different techniques.

A samurai was a master of at least two separate types of sword (it might be 3, I am not certain here), a master of archery both on horseback and on foot, and I believe they were expected to be masters of the naginata as well. I would not be at all surprised if I am missing some here.

Many main characters are some form of combat expert; I would expect them to reach similar broad levels of expertise.

If they are not combat experts, then spear and sword are simply the best, most broadly applicable weapons for them to learn and master in most circumstances, which brings us back to the explanation for OPs complaint about swords being everywhere. If you can only learn one weapon, those are the two you pick from.

Show weapons (which were usually developed from improvised weapons of convenience, so that an 'unarmed' person's tool or equipment could become a surprise weapon) are indeed unrelated to normal weapons. They require specific techniques where normal reflexes would screw you up.

 

[LesserSarcasm]

Once you have athleticism and basic martial prowess done, the differences between basic weapons becomes smaller.

A knight was expected to be a master of sword, lance, mace, flail, bow (for hunting), and unarmed combat to the point of being able to wrestle and throw another knight when both were wearing full suits of plate armor. Oh, and most of these are mastered for both on foot and on horseback, which requires different techniques.

A samurai was a master of at least two separate types of sword (it might be 3, I am not certain here), a master of archery both on horseback and on foot, and I believe they were expected to be masters of the naginata as well. I would not be at all surprised if I am missing some here.

Many main characters are some form of combat expert; I would expect them to reach similar broad levels of expertise.

If they are not combat experts, then spear and sword are simply the best, most broadly applicable weapons for them to learn and master in most circumstances, which brings us back to the explanation for OPs complaint about swords being everywhere. If you can only learn one weapon, those are the two you pick from.

Show weapons (which were usually developed from improvised weapons of convenience, so that an 'unarmed' person's tool or equipment could become a surprise weapon) are indeed unrelated to normal weapons. They require specific techniques where normal reflexes would screw you up.

There is a reason spear dominates history, its much easier to use, train someome to use, cheaper to make and RANGE IS KING. There are several travelling advantages the spear offers over a sword aswell.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

especially in Eastern Cultivation stories using Jian swords.

Simple really. Ignoring everyone here who glossed over this and immediately went for only Japan. Because it was a specific weapon with specific connotations. If you look at swords of that era the jian was specifically a noble weapon similar to smallswords were to high-ranking officials at the Napoleonic era. Most used implements were the dao and sabres when the primary weapons were no longer available to a soldier.

As to why swords more specifically? Because the stories tend to not be about war. So, larger weapons like polearms are ignored. This happens even if it would make more sense used against beast, monsters, demons, etc.

Axes were less western axes and more a polearm with flair. And, are traditionally regulated for a vagabond-like character that joins the protagonist if not an outright bandit.

Maces suck and I will die on this hill!

I'm surprised you haven't seen bows. They are represented more often than the other weapons.

They tend to fight against other people more often than not. Other weapons are less practical. Even if something like a staff would still make sense.

 

[AYM]

Honestly, I am bigger fan of spear and bow than Sword, sword is over used atp.

Saber could never

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Maces suck and I will die on this hill!

The "ball and chain" mace takes a LOT of training and was meant to be used by foot troops against mounted foes. The "spiked club" mace is more intimidating and best used from horseback (kind of like a polo club). For years I had these two mixed up, but we sell both at work....
On foot, a morning star (basically a longer, heavier mace) is better than either, and has better reach than most swords. Also can be used one or two handed.

 

[Zagaroth]

There is a reason spear dominates history, its much easier to use, train someome to use, cheaper to make and RANGE IS KING. There are several travelling advantages the spear offers over a sword aswell.

On the battlefield, absolutely, and the same with a guard post or the like. And if you are traveling, then you can keep it on your horse, or use it as a staff/walking stick if on foot.

But they would be an absolute pain to carry around inside a city or castle. 'Everyday wear' was a sword (for those of the right status) because you just have it on your hip.

And again, having access to storage/retrieval magic changes these dynamics.

 

[CrazyFirstChapter]

What jian sword bro?, jian means sword in Mandarin
I have read tons of cultivation novel where the mc uses spear or only fists.

just to differentiate swords because even though jian means sword, it doesn't mean people know what kind of sword it is, that's why I made it called jian sword (even though it's a strange name)

on the Chinese stories, the usage of jian has its own philosophical purpose. I can't really articulate it better, but it's more of a symbol of mastery.

If we're talking about the Western swords, on the other hand, it's just your local author keep using swords as the hero's weapon, on top of the setting being, you guessed it, medieval.

Back on the Chinese side, you can make your character uses a Dao—which is a single-edged sword, though if I get this right, it's a soldier's weapon.

on the Chinese stories, the usage of jian has its own philosophical purpose. I can't really articulate it better, but it's more of a symbol of mastery.

If we're talking about the Western swords, on the other hand, it's just your local author keep using swords as the hero's weapon, on top of the setting being, you guessed it, medieval.

Back on the Chinese side, you can make your character uses a Dao—which is a single-edged sword, though if I get this right, it's a soldier's weapon.

How should I explain it? The author should be a little creative in making a story about why it has to be a sword (is it a trend or is it easy to make a story about it), until there is a dao of swords or land of swords (but I'm just a reader so what else can I do?) and yes I know that swords symbolize wealth and nobility because of how many materials are needed to make them, unlike ordinary spears.

Swords are the real world ubiquitous, full sized weapon. While the spear and its big brother the polearm dominate on the battlefield and in places where someone is standing guard, swords are the weapons that nobles and mercenaries alike (depending on local laws) will simply have on them at almost all times. They may feel overused in fiction, but this is a reflection of reality.

Also, note that I said full-sized weapons. Daggers, of course, were everywhere. But daggers were also necessary tools of life, and all other things being equal, a man with a sword beats a man with a dagger, even if the man with the dagger would generally be considered the better fighter.

Staffs have their place too of course, but usually as an option for someone who is traveling. Have to deal with a staff all the time is about as bad as having to deal with a spear; if you are not going to use a staff as the tool it is, you are probably not carrying it around in case you need to use it as a weapon.

That said, once magic enters the field, you may have more options. If you world includes the ability to store and summon a weapon with barely a thought, you can potentially summon the most useful weapon for the circumstance, assuming you have one stored. A polearm in a crowded area with lots of non-combatants nearby is a bad idea, but a fast blade like a rapier is a good choice, along with a parrying dagger or shield, depending on other circumstances.

And of course, at sufficient range, one should be using a bow. Remember, a bow was a samurai's *first* weapon in a battle. Their blade was only drawn once the enemy was too close. And they fired from horseback with specialized longbows that were fired from the bottom third.

Flails and maces do have their place on the battlefield, but mostly for use against metal armor and such. Against flesh and cloth, you want a sharp blade. So what type of fight are they in? Are they fighting monsters? Spears/polearms when you have the room, swords when you don't, unless they have thick hide, in which case you might want an axe, or if they have large, hard scales, you might want a mace or a flail.

Team work is also good here. I have a fight sequence where one person plants the butt of his polearm against the monster charging them, and once it is impaled, struggles to hold it in place long enough for another person to wail on it's head with falcatas. While they are swords, the distribution of their weight and mass gives them some of the same impact as an axe or a mace.

So, the favored weapon of your protagonist should entirely depend upon the 1) circumstances of their life, 2) the circumstances of the fight, and 3) the consequences of how magic interacts with weapons and weapon choices in your world. If your punch can hit someone with a fist of air from 30' away, you are not as worried about whether or not you have a sword.

Your explanation is what I've been looking for, it makes perfect sense and this is what always makes me think twice about reading fantasy stories. And maybe I'm tired of stories about MCs using swords to the point where I even memorize their finger styles or sword arrays hahaha

What i find even more irritating is swords cutting through armor, like armor and weapons are in an arms race, if the armor doesnt work why wear it. They dont even use half swording or pomelbashing or other weapons (maces club) or techniques specifically for anti armor. Just cut through like thin paper.

It's normal. If it's a fantasy story, we have no choice but to throw away our common sense so that we don't think too far into the story.

Saber could never

Saber or sabre is a different category from sword and saber itself is included in the blade category. It doesn't make sense at all?

Well, here's the thing. Swords were made because they work, and they work well. Try writing an exciting clash with a pair of nunchucks, or a spear. It's not easy. Swords generally have the most versatility, they can be used for defense, you can wield a shield with lighter swords, pretty much any blow can be fatal, you can use two swords, they have various levels of range, and they're well known throughout the world, so people like them.

Other weapons are significantly harder to write in more cinematic situations. Imagine trying to have a sick fight with the main antagonist, and instead of finishing them off with a slash, you bonk them on the head with a stick. That's just not as exciting. Now, there are plenty of other good weapons, don't get me wrong. But the saying goes "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", and I doubt swords will ever go out of style.

I imagined it and it was funny but it wouldn't be funny when the protagonist actually smashes his opponent's head with a stick, especially a heavy stick. Brain shards will go everywhere.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Saber or sabre is a different category from sword and saber itself is included in the blade category. It doesn't make sense at all?

You want to be really confused - I thought I had a handle on the differences between a "saber" a "cutlass" and a "rapier" ... until I visited a museum in New York with hundreds of them.
There is a LOT of crossover between the terms (and they are ALL considered forms of sword - including the original Bowie knife, by the way, which is kind of halfway between a cavalry saber and a short sword, and is really just a honkin' big hunting knife for all intents and purposes).

 

[Tetrahedron]

How should I explain it? The author should be a little creative in making a story about why it has to be a sword (is it a trend or is it easy to make a story about it), until there is a dao of swords or land of swords (but I'm just a reader so what else can I do?) and yes I know that swords symbolize wealth and nobility because of how many materials are needed to make them, unlike ordinary spears.

is it a trend or is it easy to make a story about it

A bit more on the latter, but stay with me, because the usage of swords in fiction makes every battle cooler and more intense rather than using spears or halberds or even glaives. There's a clear reason why Hollywood kept showing medieval battles as something like a mass dueling field and not as messy and bloody as you may realize. While yes, some theaters like in 6th century Arabia or Japan before the inventions of Katana and the likes or even during the Antiquity, they use swords, mostly arming/knightly swords, which is a standard issue battlefield backup weapon. Get too close and they'll switch weapons.