We are culturally attuned to swords being objects of mysticism and magic. The cruciform shape of the medieval weapon connects it with the cross of Christianity and makes it a spiritual emblem, reinforced by its metaphorical use in religious literature: the Bible itself and later doctrinal works, most notably Bernard of Clairvaux's De consideratione and Pope Boniface VIII's Bull Unam Sanctum, both of which espoused papal power through the metaphor of there being two swords. The magical sword is a strong image in the popular imagination, thanks in no small part to the Lord of the Rings, in which named swords, of power and pedigree almost as strong as the magical rings, are wielded by hero and villain alike. Whether it be Narsil, the sword used by Isildur to cut the ring from the finger of Sauron, and whose fragments were re-forged into Andúril to be the sword of Aragorn as Isildur's heir, or Sting, the weapon found by Bilbo Baggins, whose blade glows blue in the presence of orcs and goblins, Tolkien's weapons are invariably ancient, forged by elves or dwarves in earlier ages, and imbued with the magical cunning of those eldar people.

Other fantasy writers have followed suit, equipping their characters with swords of power and potency. Tolkien's contemporary, C.S. Lewis, gives a named sword – Rhindon – to Peter Pevensie in his Chronicles of Narnia. In more modern literature their powers can be complex. The sword of Michael Moorcock's anti-hero Elric of Melniboné – Stormbringer – is one of a number of demons in sword form, having the ability to drink the soul of any it strikes, feeding the vitality and energy to Elric and imparting a bloodlust that leads the tragic figure to attack friends and lovers against his will. Terry Brooks’ Sword of Shannara forces its wielder to face the full truth about themselves. If they can accept their failings, flaws, and shortcomings they are able to wield the weapon. That ability to force people to acknowledge the truth can be used to destroy anyone ‘evil’ enough. Even the Harry Potter series has its magical sword – the Sword of Gryffindor – which is Goblin-made and able to absorb any substance that will make it stronger, such as Basilisk venom.