Editing Dragon Slayer

{{Infobox/Object
|image=Manga E1.png
|ename=Dragon Slayer
|jname=ドラゴンころし
|rname=Doragon Koroshi
|first={{ep|93}} <small>(in-universe)</small> <br/> {{ep|0-1}} <small>(real world)</small>
|creator=[[Godot]]
|users=[[Guts]]
|properties=
* Tempered by the malice of the countless malevolent [[Astral World|astral]] beings it has slain, and therefore capable of wounding profound astral entities{{qref|e220}}{{qref|e222}}
}}
{{quote|It was too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of raw iron.|Description of the Dragon Slayer{{qref|e0-1}}}}
The '''Dragon Slayer''' is the massive sword [[Guts]] has wielded as his signature weapon since surviving the [[Eclipse]].

== Background ==
[[File: Manga E93 Dragon Slayer Forged.png|thumb|left|Godot creates a sword fit to fuck a dragon|alt=]]
As a young man, the blacksmith [[Godot]] lived in a castle town far from the hut he would one day call home. When the castle town's sovereign, a king, sent out a proclamation to all of his vassals to forge a sword capable of killing a [[dragon]], Godot's liege lord entrusted him with the task of doing so. Tired of crafting ornate weapons for nobles who seek elegance in their armaments, Godot took the task seriously, creating the huge, but unusable, Dragon Slayer. Angry at how crude and impractical the Dragon Slayer was, Godot's liege lord threatened the blacksmith's life, forcing Godot to flee the castle town and settle down at his mine.{{qref|e93}}

== Story ==
[[File:Manga E94 Apostle Slain.png|thumb|right|The Black Swordsman slays his first apostle.]]
The Dragon Slayer was kept in storage for years until it is discovered by Guts during a fight against an [[Unidentified Roaming Apostle|unidentified roaming apostle]], where the Black Swordsman wields it with ease and slays the [[apostle]] in two swings, shocking Godot, who thought the sword's weight made it unusable as a weapon.{{qref|e94}} Embarking on a warpath against demonkind afterward, Guts makes effective use of the Dragon Slayer against evil spirits, possessed monsters, and particularly apostles. When Guts returns to Godot's abode two years later, Godot sees the wear and tear the Dragon Slayer has been put through and decides to reforge it.{{qref|e131}}

[[File:Manga E220 Pierced.png|thumb|left|Guts runs the Dragon Slayer through Slan's assumed form.]]
When [[Slan]] manifests a rudimentary form in [[Qliphoth]] to meet Guts, the Skull Knight intervenes and notes that the Dragon Slayer has been tempered by the malice of the countless malevolent [[Astral World|astral]] beings it has slain, and is therefore capable of wounding Slan's assumed form. With this knowledge, Guts runs the Dragon Slayer through Slan, causing the abrupt dissipation of her [[troll]] guts form.{{qref|e221}}

In the bay of [[Vritannis]], during Guts' battle with the [[Kushan]] wizard general [[Daiba]], the Dragon Slayer is imbued with the power of a fire spirit of woe summoned by [[Schierke]]. Guts uses the empowered sword to deal a blazing blast to the [[Kundalini]] aiding Daiba, causing the magical beast's large water form to dematerialize.{{qref|e273}}

== Abilities ==
Given the sword's incredible size and weight, the Dragon Slayer functions more like a bladed maul than an actual sword, though Guts is more than capable of using it to cut through various targets. The sheer momentum of Guts swinging it can tear anyone caught in the attack impact into pieces with one swing; this often is applied to more than one enemy at once, cleaving through multiple foes in a single swing. Even [[apostle]]s in their true forms can barely stand up to the sword, and often have their bones and internal organs heavily damaged by an attack from the weapon. This size and weight also grants the Dragon Slayer some versatility, as Guts has used the broad side of the weapon to squash and flatten several opponents.{{Qref|e0-5}}{{Qref|e98}} The Dragon Slayer's width also allows Guts to use it defensively, in lieu of a shield.{{Qref|e211}}{{Qref|e224}}{{Qref|e257}}

When Guts activates his [[Berserker Armor]], his resulting inhuman physicality and ferocity allow him to use the Dragon Slayer to significantly greater effect. Standard apostles are slain in a matter of seconds, and other even larger enemies are cut down just as easily, sometimes in droves. With such superhuman strength behind it, the Dragon Slayer's cutting power becomes considerable; while wielded by a Berserker Guts, it is capable of breaking through [[Grunbeld]]'s cannon fire-repelling shield,{{qref|e226}} and even the corundum skin of the dragon-apostle's true form, which is said to be stronger than steel.{{qref|e227}}

Due to having been used to slay countless apostles, [[Pseudo-Apostle|pseudo-apostles]], and other malevolent astral entities, the Dragon Slayer has been tempered by the malice of such beings. As a result, the sword has become more effective against monsters and evil spirits, capable of wounding even profound entities such as the [[Sea God]]{{qref|e326}} and the assumed forms of members of the [[God Hand]].{{qref|e221}}

== Creation and Conception ==
[[File:BTP Brandished Dragon Slayer.png|thumb|right|The Dragon Slayer in ''Berserk: The Prototype'', notably used one-handed by Guts.]]
[[Kentarou Miura]] originally had the idea for an Asian male with a Japanese sword and a gimmick on his left hand to run around in a setting like medieval Europe; after much thought, he decided the right ideas were the Dragon Slayer and [[Cannon Arm|prosthetic cannon arm]]. Miura has admitted that he originally hit upon the idea of a massive sword merely as a gimmick to attract readers.{{qref}}<!-- Needs a source. What interview(s)? --> Moreover, he has noted that though large swords were featured before ''[[Berserk (Manga)|Berserk]]'' in series such as ''Guin Saga'' and ''Pygmalio'', he feels they were merely drawn big; that they never carried an appropriate weight behind them or invoked realistic reactions upon being swung. With the Dragon Slayer, Miura wanted to give the impression that someone with the physique of a pro-wrestler may be able to swing it once or twice, and so he gave much consideration to how much muscle his main character would need in order to swing such a sword.<ref name="BOG interview">''[[Berserk Official Guidebook]]'' [[Interviews#Berserk Official Guidebook Interview (2017)|interview]]</ref>

In an original design of Guts, his signature weapon was a katana rather than the massive Dragon Slayer. In ''[[Berserk: The Prototype]]'', the Dragon Slayer bears a slightly different design, with the blade tapering outward toward its hilt to form something resembling a crossguard. Additionally, Guts only wields the Dragon Slayer with his right hand, never wielding the sword with both his right hand and left mechanical arm.

== Notes ==
* The Dragon Slayer is the only weapon shown thus far to wound a member of the [[God Hand]] in any capacity. However, the Skull Knight states that his [[Skull Knight's Sword|Sword of Beherits]] can "entomb" them.{{qref|e221}}
* A common misconception stemmed from manga fan translations is that the Dragon Slayer was once used to kill an actual [[dragon]]; it has yet to be used to do as much. The manga does, however, feature an image of a decapitated dragon's head in [[:File:Manga V3 Cover.png|volume 3's cover art]], and a bisected one when Godot initially describes the sword.{{qref|e93}} Additionally, it is used by Guts to decisively overpower the dragon-apostle [[Grunbeld]].{{qref|e227}}
* Guts has wielded oversized swords since the age of six. At nine years old, he wielded a bastard sword during his first castle siege. In the years following, he graduated to a longsword, which he killed an enemy general with. At fifteen, Guts uses an oversized two-handed sword to kill [[Bazuso]].
* The Dragon Slayer has never been properly wielded by anyone besides Guts. It takes two [[Holy Iron Chain Knights]] just to lift it after Guts is captured, and [[Isidro]] finds himself pinned beneath it after trying to lift the weapon.{{qref|e141}}
* In the [[Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage|Dreamcast game]] based on the series, it is nigh-impossible to swing the Dragon Slayer in tight corridors without it bouncing off the wall to little effect. In the [[Berserk: Millennium Falcon Hen Seima Senki no Shō|PS2 game]], this is not an issue; most of the action takes place outdoors, while the few indoor or underground areas that Guts goes into are spacious enough for him to use the Dragon Slayer to full effect.

== References ==
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