In NBC sci-fi series HEROES, Adam Monroe is the same Takezo Kensei from feudal Japan who has the ability to regenerate his body making him almost immortal. He's like the Highlander MacLeod hybrid minus the Scottish accent and kilt. In Japanese history, Takezo Kensei is actually a revered hero - the word "Kensei" is a title which literally means "Sword Saint". Takezo Kensei lived his life as a swordsman who fought dozens of battles to protect the people of Japan and their freedom. In the TV hit series, Hiro Nakamura came to idolize Takezo from bedtime stories read by his father when he was a child.


Legend has it at a time when Japan was facing the threat of an impending war, Takezo found a sword frozen in the snow with mystical powers that helped him focus his strength and courage. To learn more of the sword's secrets and save Japan, he went to meet the Dragon of Kiso Mountain and asked for his help. The Dragon agreed but only in exchange for the love of his life. Takezo was deeply in love with a princess but he knew Japan would fall if he did not make this sacrifice. He finally agreed and the Dragon taught him everything he needed to know. With the knowledge and skills learned, Takezo became Kensei - a sword saint and won a great battle which saved the people of Japan.


After the battle, the Dragon came to Kensei’s palace to claim his prize but Kensei refused to surrender the princess. Instead he cut out his own heart, handed it to the Dragon and said, “My love is in here. Take it.” And then he died. The Dragon was deeply moved to see that Kensei was willing to sacrifice himself for his people and his true love. Impressed with Kensei's true and righteous virtue, the Dragon revived Kensei’s heart and breathed fire-life back into his corpse. Given a second chance, the Takezo dynasty went on to rule Japan with valor and love for a hundred years. Pretty nice folklore if I may say so.


There is a licensed reproduction of the HEROES Takezo Kensei Movie Sword Replica by United Cutlery. The sword reproduction is meticulously detailed and crafted with tempered, hand-forged high-carbon blade just like the actual TV prop. This stunning sword has an overall length of 42" and blade length of 28.5". It features a genuine leather wrapped handle, genuine rayskin covered grip, and solid brass helix ornaments. The widely-known emblem is inscribed onto the handle in gold. The movie sword includes a wooden shoulder scabbard and display stand. This adult collectable sword is individually laser serialized to ensure authenticity. Last checked, the sword was on 54% discount and avid collectors will know this is a bargain considering UC products are known to be pricey. Now you can save the world and your wallet at the same time.


If there are no stocks available or you prefer a cheaper alternative, check out the HEROES Takezo Kensei Movie Sword Replica from Heavenlyswords. Last checked, it was below USD100.

The Halo Energy Sword replica from the infamous console game Halo is one futuristic looking sword. Personally I'd rather call it a dagger but democracy means follow the majority. I was at an electronic store when I saw the Halo 3 video preview, and it was awesome. Really trying hard not to get that console cause I was once a PC Game addict. Still fresh in my mind are the 4 hours sleep days everytime a great game was launched, though having a day job which sometimes stretched late into the night didn't do much to stop me.


Since I'm not a Halo addict (yet), I dug for more info on the sword. Learned some old science along the way and refueled my games addiction even more. The Halo Energy Sword which is also known as the Plasma Sword is a close-quarter Sangheili melee weapon. It is mainly used by Zealot Sangheili in Halo 2 although Special Operations Elites have also been known to employ it in close-quarter combat. The Energy Sword is also one of the main weapons favoured by the Arbiter, whose race helped create the weapon.


The Energy Sword's plasma is conveniently shaped into a blade-like form by a magnetic-field generator built into the weapon's handle. The blade has two points due to the magnetic properties of the weapon where two poles need two points (bet you don't learn these from a light-saber). The hot energy of the blade can cut through most armor, so it's no surprise to cut an opponent in half with one sweep.


In Halo : Combat Evolved, if the Elite drops the Energy Sword, a fail-safe mechanism triggers and deactivates the magnetic field without dispensing the plasma, consuming the handle and thus destroying the weapon. In Halo 2, a similar fail-safe feature is active when not wielding the weapon directly. The handle must be under constant pressure from the wielder in order to be activated so that the weapon can be stored safely.


The unique Halo Energy Sword replica from GreyEagle is a twin Stainless Steel Blade coated with titanium plating to give it a rainbow finish electric look. The rainbow color reflecting off the blade is claimed to vary with the angle of light. Pretty cool idea to mimic the Plasma look, I guess it's something like the holographic sticker on my sedan's oil filter (supposedly prove it's not some cheap filter from Taiwan). I did come across a less pricey replica which received bad feedback from a buyer who complained the rainbow colour staying the same even if the sword was upside-down. In my opinion even if the rainbow thing is there initially, I wouldn't count on the shine to last forever. The Energy Sword replica from GreyEagle has an overall length of 27.5" and handle width of 10". The handle is made using custom-molded gray plastic and can be hung on a hardwood plaque that comes with the sword replica. It's a nice looking piece but if they could make the blade near the handle wider and bigger, it would look more like a sword.

Kenshin Himura is the popular character from the Rurouni Kenshin manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Watsuki designed Kenshin to be the physical opposite of Hiko Seijuro, a character that appeared in his first one-shot manga - 'Crescent Moon in the Warring States'. Seijuro was later introduced into Rurouni Kenshin as Kenshin's mentor and master.


The manga setting takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. Kenshin Himura is a legendary assassin known as 'Hitokiri Battosai' or 'Battosai the Slayer'. At the end of the Bakumatsu, he became a wandering samurai, wielding a Sakabato. The term Sakabato literally means 'reverse blade sword' which is a unique type of Japanese sword. The normal Japanese Katana favoured by the samurai has the outwardly-curved side of the blade sharpened, the Sakabato is sharpened on the opposite inwardly-curved side. This is why it is known as a reverse blade sword. It is non-lethal until it's turned over. Although many Sakabato replicas have been reproduced, it is purely a brainchild of Nobuhiro Watsuki and no such sword has ever been recorded in history.


A fan of the Shinsengumi, Watsuki designed the characters based on real Shinsengumi members and other historical icons from the Bakumatsu period. In actual Japanese history, the Four Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu (Bakumatsu Shidai Hitokiri) was a term given to four samurai during the Bakumatsu era. The four samurai were Kawakami Gensai, Kirino Toshiaki (also known as Nakamura Hanjiro), Tanaka Shinbei, and Okada Izo. Kenshin Himura's character was loosely taken from Kawakami Gensai. The four samurai were warrior elites who opposed the Tokugawa shogunate and later supported the Meiji Emperor. Along with the title of Hitokiri, they were also called 'The Four Butchers' (Shidai Nikuya) or 'Heaven's Punishment against enemies of Imperial restoration' (Teikoku Fukki no Teki ni Taisuru Tenchu).


The first sword replica featured here is the functional version. The elegant Rurouni Kenshin Reverse Blade Sword replica (Sakabato) from SwordDemon is constructed from one fine piece of high-carbon steel and buffed to a low polish finish. The Sakabato sword replica has an overall closed length of 40.75", overall opened length 39.25", blade length 27.5" and blade thickness 0.3". If you've always wondered what a reverse blade look like, check out the image below. Isn't that a sight for sore eyes? Unlike a conventional Katana, the reverse blade has its sharp edge on the inside-curve of the blade, which in the image is the top edge with a visible Hamon (temper pattern). Due to the razor-sharp edge, this sword should not be used by children and caution is highly recommended.


The outward-curve of the full tang blade is blunt, shown in the image as the bottom edge. You can see the bottom edge has a wide Shinogi (blade ridge) decorated with an even deep Hi (groove). Notice the entirely different Kissaki (blade point) at the blade tip. The Tsuba (guard) has a simple and elegant round design, just like the anime. The Tsuka (handle) has been created with traditional Samurai components and uses authentic Same (rayskin cover for Tsuka) with a real Ito (braid) wrapped cloth handle. With the antiqued Fuchi (collar on hilt) and Kashira (pommel), the full tang Sakabato makes a stunning addition to your Katana collection. You don't see a reverse blade sword everyday right?


The sword has been reproduced under the specifications of the Rurouni Kenshin anime series' and mangas. Included with the Rurouni Kenshin Reverse Blade Sword replica (Sakabato) is a black cotton sword bag and wooden Saya (scabbard) coated with a high-gloss black finish. Last checked, the Sakabato sword replica was on 49% discount, a bargain for Kenshin fans.


If you are looking for a decorative sword, then the 40" Rurouni Kenshin Reverse Blade Sword Replica (Sakabato) from RoyalArm is a good choice. The sword replica has an overall length of 40", handle length 10.5" and blade length 27.5". The blade is made of 440 Stainless Steel with a slightly sharpened edge. The Saya (scabbard) is lacquered in glossy black paint and stamped with a golden Japanese Kanji. Both guard and pommel have an antique silver finish.