The Ten Most Badass Fictional Weapons – Listverse
Whose weapon is the coolest of all literary universes is a hotly debated topic. Fanboys and girls from all over the world defend and advocate for their favorites. From Thor's Mjolnir to King Arthur's Excaliber, our favorite fictional heroes wield legendary weapons when they go into battle. Whether they are sidearms, weapons of mass destruction or something in between, these weapons rarely disappoint.
So what's more destructive: a quantum torpedo or a Deathstar blast? Which fandom is the most powerful? From Middle-Earth to a galaxy far, far away and everywhere in between, weapons often make the difference between life and death. So let's focus on the ten most badass fictional weapons.
Related: 10 weapons that belong in science fiction
10 Identity Disks:Tron
The original Tron film premiered in 1982 and was a box office hit. In the 2010s, the film finally got its first sequel. Throughout every incarnation, identity disks have been the weapon of choice for “players” and “programs” alike. These tech weapons have two main functions: a storage container and a weapon.
These drives store the entire being of the digitized user while in the system. The glowing discs are usually worn on the upper back to record everything the wearer sees, hears or experiences. However, they also act as a frisbee-like weapon with a deadly cutting edge. In battle, the discs can be detached to instantly defeat an opponent, making this the device users won't want to use without entering the platform.[1]
9 Excalibur: Various legends of King Arthur
King Arthur's mythical sword has been appearing in every form of storytelling out there for centuries. Robert de Boron's French poem 'Merlin' was the first known story to mention the 'sword in the stone' motif in the late 12th century. In most accounts, Arthur secures the throne of Britain by pulling the sword from the stone. Only the rights holders could do this; therefore, he who wielded Excalibur would be king of England.
There are numerous incarnations of Arthur and Excalibur; in most cases it is a longsword imbued with magical powers. The sword can kill anyone, including gods, immortals and ghosts. Excalibur can also heal and is virtually indestructible.[2]
8 M41A Pulse Rifle: Aliens
The M41A Pulse Rifle is the weapon of choice of James Cameron's Colonial Marines Aliens. It's the essential '80s sci-fi weapon; it looks cool, sounds great and gets the job done. The M41A is light and robust and consists mainly of ultra-light metal precision punches. It has a titanium aluminide alloy outer casing and impact-resistant, temperature-resistant plastics for many of the internal parts.
Sigourney Weaver's Ripley has modified her pulse rifle with an M240 flamethrower to help her dispatch the xenomorphs. The M41A is the best known and most widely used pulse rifle in the US Aliens And Predator universe. Although it does jam occasionally, you can avoid that problem by loading 95 rounds into the magazine instead of the full 99. “If you run out of ammo, it can be swung like a club, even against the Alien Queen at the end of the maritime campaign. This weapon screams badassery.[3]
7 Lightsabers: Star Wars
No fictional weapons list would be complete without galactically famous lightsabers, the weapon of both the Jedi and the Sith. A lightsaber is a laser sword powered by a Kyber crystal. Jedi Padawans and Sith apprentices build their lightsabers as part of their training. Typically, Sith lightsabers are red and Jedi sabers are green or blue; However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
Lightsabers can deflect blaster fire, cut through seemingly any metal, and cauterize wounds as they make them. They are known to remove appendages with ease. According to Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi's lightsaber is their life. He also calls them elegant weapons for a more civilized age. While the lightsaber may be the most famous fictional weapon, it is certainly not the most powerful, despite the destruction a trained Jedi or Sith can wreak with it.[4]
6 Phasers: Star Trek
The most common weapon used throughout the world Star Trek universe, phasers are available in portable, mounted spaceship and planetary formats. Most phasers are classified as particle weapons and fire nadion particle beams. However, some, such as the Ferengi hand phasers, are classified as plasma weapons and fired plasma beams.
Phasers can be set to stun, different intensities, wide beam for multiple targets, and various other tactical effects. At its highest setting, a portable phaser can disintegrate a humanoid life form almost instantly. Phaser weapon technology emerged in the 23rd century and was used by Starfleet as early as 2233. Although Starfleet has developed many alternative weapons, the Phaser remains the most iconic.[5]
5 Mjölnir: Norse Mythology and Marvel Comics
Mjölnir is the warhammer of the Norse god Thor, son of Odin, king of the Norse gods. The hammer has existed in mythology as far back as the 11th century. Thor and Mjolnir reappeared in Marvel Comics in the mid-twentieth century. In these comics and subsequent films, the hammer is a conduit for Thor's powers, allowing him to fly, among other things. Although he is still the god of thunder without thunder, Mjölnir allows him to wield his power more fluidly.
Mjölnir cannot be lifted or moved in any way by anyone unworthy of Thor's power. Mjölnir is enchanted, which gives him some kind of feeling. It can return to Thor of its own accord and be used to summon lightning strikes. This hammer is a devastating weapon and a divine channel.[6]
4 Proton Pack: Ghostbusters
One of the most popular toys of the 80s, the Proton Pack Ghostbusters is one of the coolest weapons ever invented. This weapon is designed for one type of opponent: ghosts. Developed by Drs. Egon Spangler, Ray Stantz and Peter Venkman, it is a backpack-shaped nuclear accelerator with a portable wand attached to it. They create a charged particle beam – composed of protons – fired from the particle launcher (also called the 'neutrona wand').
When the beam comes into contact with a spirit, it can transport the spirit to a containment unit. The ray is also extremely dangerous to the living. When the trio of scientists first 'field-tested' the proton pack, they caused significant damage to the Sedgewick Hotel. As Venkman notes, they're unlicensed nuclear devices, and in the 2016 reboot they simply used them to blow up the bad guys. One thing to remember when using proton packs: don't cross the rivers.[7]
3 Power Ring: DC Comics
The power ring is the most powerful weapon in the vast DC universe. Power rings are available in different colors; most colors have a body, some larger, some smaller and some only one. The Green Lantern Corps is a space police force with thousands of officers and sectors. The Green Lanterns of Earth typically work with the Justice League.
The power ring's most distinctive effect is the generation of green, solid light constructs, mainly weapons, the precise physical nature of which is never specified. The size, complexity, and strength of these constructs are limited only by the willpower of the ring bearer, whatever the wearer imagines the ring will create.
The ring also provides the wearer with a force field that can protect them from the vacuum of space, any known force or projectile weapon, even if they are unconscious at the time. It grants the wearer the ability to fly and travel through space and gives the wearer access to a massive database and sentient AI.[8]
2 The Death Star: Star Wars
The dreaded Death Star played a crucial role in the original Star Wars trilogy. As mentioned in the first film, an armored space station with enough firepower to destroy an entire planet, the Death Star is the ultimate weapon. Although as far as the public knows, only two of these stations were built, the Emperor may have planned to build a fleet of these stations to patrol his Galactic Empire. The Death Star's moon-sized cannon is powered by a giant Kyber crystal, the same type of crystal that powers a lightsaber.
The potential destruction that the Death Star represented was overwhelming, and thankfully both were destroyed shortly after completion. Unfortunately not before the planet Alderran was in ruins. The Death Star has been parodied and referenced in every pop culture medium for the past 45 years, making a strong case for the most iconic fictional weapon ever. There's no arguing with the badassness of a moon-sized space station with a giant cannon.[9]
1 The Neuralyzer: Men in Black
Men in black introduced viewers to a dazzling display of new alien species and technology. While many may be impressed by the big (and sometimes small) guns that have made MIB one of the most popular sci-fi franchises ever, the neuralyzer is… out of this world. Used by MIB agents, it can erase the minds of anyone who sees the flash by isolating and editing certain electronic impulses associated with memory.
Once people are neutralized, they enter a trance that makes their minds susceptible to suggestion. This effect allows agents to replace memories with fictional cover stories and even give them specific instructions. Although the benevolent MIB uses the neuralyzer solely to keep dangerous secrets safe, it has the potential to be one of the most powerful and iconic weapons in the multiverse.[10]