SPOILERS FOR FINAL FANTASY VII, ALAN WAKE, AND METAL GEAR RISING
Receiving something from a family member or a superior can be a wonderful event. Sometimes it happens after you've displayed so much potential, and they decide that you're worthy of carrying on their work in the world, or that you're ready to join them. However, in video games...that's not how hand-me-downs really work, for the most part. It's more that things get passed down out of necessity, or that it just happens because of the situation. There are some examples of things being passed down from parent to child, but I had a harder time finding those items for this list. Today, for a unique list, I've decided to look at the eight best times a weapon was passed down from one person to another. The means are almost always different, but the outcome is almost always the same; a new hero is needed. I tried to find as many weapons as I could, but it was hard to come up with good examples sans the ones I had in my head. If there are any others, I apologize for missing them.
The best.
8. The Clicker
The question of whether or not The Clicker is a weapon is there, but I considered it enough of one to include it on this list. After Alan Wake hears so much about Thomas Zane over the course of Alan Wake, he finally reaches The Well-Lit Room, and finds The Clicker inside. Wake thought it was an object from his childhood, but somehow he's now receiving it from Zane.
7. Sam's Blade
While Raiden is able to take all of the weapons from the bosses he defeats in Metal Gear Rising, it is Sam's katana that is the only one willingly passed down to him. First it was given to Sam by his father, after which it was enhanced to be a high-frequency blade. Then, knowing that Raiden would beat him, Sam left a lock on his blade after he passed away so that it would become usable at the right time-when Raiden needed it to face Armstrong.
6. Hidden Blade
There's no set line of Hidden Blades being passed down, as sometimes people are recruited to be assassins, and other times they're born into the creed. Regardless, Hidden Blades are the true weapon of the assassins, and while they're upgraded as time passes, they're still being handed down over hundreds of years.
5. Hero's Bow
We don't know if the same bow and arrow is used by every incarnation of Link, but it is definitely true that some of them are one in the same. In both Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, Link receives the "Hero's Bow", left behind by the Link from Ocarina of Time. The weapon is probably Link's greatest asset in every game sans the Master Sword (or whatever sword is in the game), as it is also useful in solving puzzles. The Links end up using the bow in different ways, differentiating themselves from each other and their ancestors.
4. The Falchion
A weapon used by several Fire Emblem characters from the Akaneia series, the Falchion is a divine sword that is capable of slaying dragons. It is used by the characters Marth, Alm, Chrom, and Lucina to defeat various Fire Emblem antagonists, and is only usable by Ylissean royalty who are pure enough.
3. The Monado
The Monado is my favorite weapon in all of gaming. Originally wielded by the great titan, the Bionis, the Monado lay dormant for eons until it was rediscovered and used again to defeat the Mechon. At the Battle of Sword Valley, the great hero Dunban used the Monado to scrap hundreds of Mechon, but it ended up taking away the use of his right arm. A year later, when the Mechon came back, Dunban was able to use the Monado for only a little bit before it drained him too much and he couldn't use it anymore. After this, the Monado was passed down to Shulk, who picked it up proclaiming that "This time...It's my turn!".
2. Buster Sword
Even though the Buster Sword is associated with Final Fantasy VII's protagonist, Cloud Strife, it was originally wielded by a man named Angeal Hewley, who was a mentor to Cloud's friend Zack Fair. Angeal passed the sword down to Zack, and before Zack passed away (after being killed by Shinra's army), he entrusted the sword to Cloud. It's seen a long and bloodied history.
1. The Master Sword
The Master Sword is not in every Zelda game, but it's in most of them. A weapon forged long before Hyrule was even founded, the Master Sword is known as the "blade of evil's bane"-no one with a heart of malice is able to even touch it. Sometimes, the sword has been tainted, losing some of its power. Other times, it's been sealed away by a Link, leaving it to be found by the next hero. Several Zelda games involve the sword being the main focus of the entire story, and for some the ending focus is Link returning the sword to wherever he had once found it. It's definitely one of the best weapons in gaming, and I hope we get to learn even more about it it in the future.
That's all I have for today...see you all tomorrow.
Peace.