Summary
One of the best parts aboutthe Monster Association arcinOne Punch Manwas the aspect of all-out war between the heroes and the villains of the series. The reason why this is a good thing is because of the sheer scope and scale of the conflict, almost every single member of the main cast got their moments to shine, causing many interactions between characters that we had never seen before and amazing moments for the others that we had.
One such character that got a great moment in the limelight was the fan-favoriteS-Class hero, Atomic Samurai. Despite being hailed as one of the top heroes and one of the strongest people on Earth, we hadn’t seen much of him in action after he helped to defeat Melzargard in Alien Conquerors arc towards the end of season 1 ofOne Punch Man. In the Monster Association arc, Atomic Samurai comes into contact with the legendary Sun Blade, which propels him to even greater levels of strength.
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What is the Sun Blade?
Most of what we know about this weapon is deliberately kept vague and mysterious as the blade itself was only a matter of discussion for a short while in the series when it was initially used by Atomic Samurai. As for what is known about the Sun Blade, it is a verymysterious and powerful weaponthat is ancient and was made very long ago by a mysterious race of people who lived on a continent that sunk into the ocean. These people apparently had the power and skill required to make multiple powerful weapons.
During the Monster Association arc, we found that the leader of the Council of Swordsmen, Nichirin, was in fact in possession of the blade all this time and was concealing it until he found someone worthy enough for him to entrust the weapon to. The way that it was sealed was in a pocket dimension created by Nichirin that was accessed through his pearl necklace, that can be used as a sort of storage once it has been taken off.
What makes this blade special is the fact that it has a spirit residing within it. This allows for the Sun Blade to telepathically link with those who wish to wield it, ensuring the strength of the wielder while simultaneously judging whether or not they’re evenstrong enough to use it in the first place. This creates a very powerful link between the weapon and the wielder, increasing their efficiency and strength within the battle.
The way to activate the Blade and get it to assess you as worthy is no easy feat. This requires the wielder to not only reachthe pinnacle of swordsmanshipbut also of concentration as they have to put every fiber of their being to even be able to unsheathe the sword. Utmost strength, concentration and power are required to use the Sun Blade, which in turn gives the user incredible levels of power.
However, all this power also comes at a cost. Though extremely effective, this Blade cannot be wielded for more than just a small amount of time, as seen when Atomic Samurai was left completely exhausted after only using the sword for a few moments.
Feats of the Sun Blade
The only feats of the Sun Blade that we know are the ones we have seen undertaken by Atomic Samurai in the Monster Association arc, though the legend of the weapon implies far greater feats yet to be seen. As the heroes were all facing certain death at the hands ofmultiple Dragon Level threats, Atomic Samurai’s usage of the Sun Blade was able to do some significant damage to the monsters, although very briefly.
With the Sun Blade in hand, Atomic Samurai was able to completely dispel Homeless Emperor’s biggest orb of light with only one slash, which is very impressive as his smaller orbs can easily take down many high-ranking heroes. Other than this, he was also able to slash off the arm of Golden Sperm, aDragon Level threatknown for its strength and durability.
The Future of the Weapon
As of the latest events of the manga, it has been made clear that Atomic Samurai himself will be the head of the Council of Swordsmen as Nichirin has stepped down to give him the position. In doing so and reinvigorating the council, the group has set out to achieve the goals that the council has presumably had for decades; finding the Moon Blade andbecoming the Sword Saint.
One massive part of the legend of the Sun Blade is that it was a weapon that was not created in isolation, as there was another far more elusive sword made along with it called the Moon Blade. The current location of the Moon Blade is a complete mystery and the goal of the Council of Swordsmen is that they have to find it. When any one person is in possession of both the Sun and Moon Blades at the same time, they become theultimate swordsman called the ‘Sword Saint’. Though there currently aren’t any leads about what this means, it’s safe to assume what it is.
Despite its overwhelming power, the Sun Blade is something that can only be used for a few seconds at a time as it asks too much of the wielder. This aspect of using the sword has led many in the community to believe that while using both blades in tandem, all the drawbacks of the Sun Blade are mitigated and the wielder then has the power to use the full strength of both Blades for as much time as they require. This state is something that only a master swordsman can achieve bypossessing both blades, a task that Nichirin entrusted to Atomic Samurai to complete after giving him the Sun Blade.
Despite the little we know of it and its elusive sister sword, the Sun Blade is an extremely powerful weapon that is probably the strongest in the entire series. Though Nichirin passed the blade down to Atomic Samurai who was only able to use it for a few seconds in the Monster Association arc, it has cemented its place as a legendary weapon in the world ofOne Punch Man.
