Sokka's sword



During the time Sokka spent training with Piandao, he crafted his sword using ore from a recently fallen meteorite ("Sokka's Master"). The weapon is able to cut through various metals with little to moderate effort, and has a distinctive dark hue that can be attributed to the material from which it was forged. Sokka seems to have bonded with it in a similar fashion as had taken place with his boomerang, having given it the nickname "space sword".

Description


Sokka's sword is a jian, or a chinese straight sword. The blade is approximately 70 centimeters long and 4 centimeters wide, with the grip measuring about 20 centimeters long. If it is anything like a real-world jian, the sword is light and flexible, weighing less than one kilogram. The black blade of the weapon originated with the sword's composition of meteoric iron. The sheath is simple, presumably wooden, dark brown and straight, adorned with a gold-plate inlay about midway down its length. The sheath's tip is rectangular, a typical trait in its chinese real-world counterpart (but uncommon in European swordmaking tradition). A stylized White Lotus symbol made of gold filigree adorns the sheath-tip (another is etched into the end of the grip). Although Sokka probably doesn't realise it, this identifies his weapon as the work of a member of the Order of the White Lotus.

The sword seems to be like any other jian in terms of general physical properties. However, it was made by a great master of the art and thus is likely qualitatively superior. Also, it was made specifically for Sokka, who took part in the making process, and is therefore "attuned" to him. No mystical connection is made by this, rather it means the sword is just the perfect sword for Sokka. Finally, the unusual material, according to Piandao, gives the sword unique properties, namely exceptional durability and keenness. The sword is seen to be able to cut through thick layers of steel and other materials. In all, it is likely one of the best melee weapons in the world of Avatar.

Use
Jian fencing, or "the Way of the Sword" is an ancient martial art, probably the oldest true swordfighting art in the world. Chinese swordfighting focuses on the harmony of the sword and the fighter (or as Piandao says, "[think of the sword] more like an extra long, really sharp arm"), favoring light and supple swords strong enough to withstand combat, but wieldy enough not to hinder the fighter. While eastern and western swords never really met in combat, a lot of /western/ historic fiction romanticizes chinese swordfighting as an elegant, deadly, superior art. However, it is true that in the eastern tradition, being a master of the sword entailed much more than just fighting. Just as the unarmed martial arts, the way of the sword was seen as more of a world-view than just a fancy way to swing a weapon. Essentially, what Piandao teaches Sokka about a warrior's skills and abilities is very much true of the real-world way of the sword.

History


In the beginning Sokka hardly knows how to hold a sword properly. But he has a great natural talent and progresses very fast, being able to beat the butler, Fat, who's likely had years to train with Piandao, after a single day. Three days into his apprenticeship, Sokka receives his sword from Piandao and blows his Fire Nation cover deliberately, prompting Piandao to instigate a (fake) duel to the death to get Sokka to do his best as a sort of final test. Sokka performs exceptionally, being able to hold off Piandao himself for an extended period. During this fight he shows just how much he has learned about the way of the sword in just a few days, showing great resourcefulness and the ability to recognize and exploit every advantage. Piandao eventually beats him, but is greatly impressed by his progress and says that Sokka has the potential to one day be an even greater master than him. High praise indeed, as Piandao is considered the greatest swordmaster in Fire Nation history.

Sokka leaves Piandao's tutelage to help Aang on his quest to save the world from Ozai and starts putting his new skills to use shortly thereafter. It should be noted that Sokka has no qualms about using his sword in untraditional ways, such as to haul supplies on the end of it ("The Puppetmaster"), use it and even wager it in scams (though this is done without permission) ("The Runaway") or poke people with the scabbard ("The Firebending Masters"). He however prizes the sword very much, second probably only to his boomerang, his oldest weapon, given to him by his father Hakoda. He is later seen fighting with the sword in "The Day of Black Sun, Part 1: The Invasion" and "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse", as well as in the Sozin's Comet finale.

When the comet arrived, Sokka, along with Toph and Suki, went to stop the airship fleet from burning the Earth Kingdom to the ground. They eventually managed to ground all of the airships by commandeering one and crashing it into the others, then jumping ship and damaging the rudder of another to collide with the remaining ships (while Aang destroyed Ozai's personal flagship). Sokka and Toph got separated from Suki and were forced on the run by a crew of the vessel they were piggybacking at the time. They almost fell to their death, but Sokka managed to halt their fall by burying his sword into the airship's outer hull as a grapnel hook, breaking a leg in the process. Sokka and Toph were stranded on a platform outside the airship, about to be done away with by firebenders, and Sokka sacrificed his boomerang and then his sword, throwing them at the planks supporting the Firebenders. This saved their lives long enough for Suki to rescue them with the last airship, but neither the sword nor the boomerang came back, plummeting to the ground in Wulong Forest. It remains unknown whether Sokka ever found them again or simply made or bought new ones, though the possibility exists.

Real Life Connections
Swords forged from meteorite iron have a long history, both in the real world and in fiction. It is believed that meteorite iron was the first iron ore used by civilization, before the development of mining to retrieve terrestrial iron. King Tutankhamun was entombed with a meteorite-iron dagger on his breast.
 * Meteorite iron swords are mentioned by Tolkien as having mystical powers and being able to cleave through normal blades. (Túrin Turambar, from the Silmarillion, uses one of several dark-iron swords forged from meteoric metal.)
 * In the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, Martin the Warrior's broken sword is re-forged by Boar the Fighter using meteorite ore.
 * In David Eddings' Belgariad novels, the Sword of The Rivan King was made from meteorite ore that the God Belar brought down to the earth.
 * Attila the Hun, was said to wield a one handed long sword, called the "Sword of Mars", which was crafted from a meteorite, and named after the Roman god of war, who was said to have blessed the sword.
 * In the Eragon series of books (known as the Inheritance Cycle), all of the Dragon Riders' swords are forged from a metal (called brightsteel in the books) coming from a particular meteorite. Combined with a special forging process this makes them nearly indestructible.


 * The knife Abraham attempted to use to sacrifice his son, Issac, was said to have been forged from "iron from heaven," possibly referring to a meteorite.

There are a number of examples of meteorite blades in anime as well; perhaps the most well-known of these is Zantetsu-ken, the sword of Ishikawa Goemon XIII in the Lupin III animé, which is also known to be able to cut through almost any ordinary object. The Filipino comic book character Panday also has a meteorite-metal sword.

Other examples of meteorite metal in popular culture are listed on the TV Tropes Thunderbolt Iron page.

Trivia

 * Sokka's sword and sheath, as well as Piandao's sword and sheath, are designed based upon real swords owned by Sifu Kisu. Kisu is the martial arts consultant for the show's creators, and he was the reference for Piandao.
 * Sokka's sword is a Jian (Chinese straight sword). It is now part of his standard armament, along with his boomerang and club. In later episodes, he has affectionately named it "Space Sword".
 * The bottom of the hilt contains the symbol of the Order of the White Lotus.
 * Sokka's sword is made of the same material as Toph's arm bracelet.
 * The concept of a sword being made out of a meteorite was derived from the ancient Mongolian legend of Timur.