# Weapons so cool and badass they were virtually characters. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483 "2009-11-30T16:30:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/41 "2009-11-30T22:48:25Z")
The Sandman’s Gun in _Logan’s Run_ (the book, not the movie). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/42 "2009-11-30T22:49:29Z")
The Soft Weapon in Larry Niven’s short story of that name. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/43 "2009-11-30T22:50:31Z")
The Hanzo sword in _Kill Bill._ ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/44 "2009-11-30T22:51:03Z")
Gort ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/45 "2009-11-30T22:52:44Z")
Roland’s “sandalwood-grips” pistols from Stephen King’s _The Dark Tower_ series. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/46 "2009-11-30T22:54:54Z")
Anyone remember a chainsaw and leatherface in _The Texas Chainsaw Massacre_? That chainsaw had a huge bar and was very bad ass. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/47 "2009-11-30T23:01:33Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > The wild boy’s knife-edged boomerang in _The Road Warrior_. In that vein, I give you…[_this._](http://www.lastinterceptor.com/ReplicaStats/images/black/Rep4.jpg) And in another…[_this!_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z33-qOXOWS4&feature=related) Don’t act like you don’t know which ship I’m talkin’ about here. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/48 "2009-11-30T23:07:53Z")
How about some real (well, more real than most) ones? [Curtana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtana) and [Durendal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durendal). A few names from history for you Marathon and Halo fans. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/49 "2009-11-30T23:20:49Z")
> [@](#): > > … > +1 Deathstar > … Whoa, as if the Deathstar wasn’t bad enough, now they’re enchanting it? And I thought my planet was safe, with its DR/magic. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/50 "2009-11-30T23:24:53Z")
The Wave Motion Gun. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/51 "2009-11-30T23:28:24Z")
> [@Bootis](#): > > **Army of Darkness** > This.. is… [my BOOM Stick](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMb1XHqlyn4)! Is that more bad or less bad than the chainsaw in **Evil Dead II**? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/52 "2009-11-30T23:47:04Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > The Blade that was Broken, aka Narsil, aka Anduril, aka The Flame of the West. If we’re talking Tolkien, Gurthang is much more of a character. Hell, it talks. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/53 "2009-11-30T23:54:29Z")
If Doc Ock’s tentacles could be called “weapons” then…those. Each one seeemed to have its own personality. Along those same lines, those scanning spiders from **Minority Report**. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/54 "2009-12-01T00:00:18Z")
BFG 9000 from the Doom video games. (and the movie too I guess…) ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/55 "2009-12-01T00:05:21Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > The Glaive from Krull. Wasn’t used much in the movie but every boy in my elementary school wanted one. Damn! You beat me to it! I was disappointed it wasn’t used much in the movie when I saw it as kid. (in the theater, yes I’m old) and dismayed that it was destroyed by the end. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/56 "2009-12-01T00:19:29Z")
[Vera, from _Firefly_](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/lostncybr/Fire%20Fly/FireFly%20TV%20show/Jayne%20Cobb%20-%20Jayne/Jaynes%20TV%20Guns/Jaynes%20TV%20Vera/vera-large.jpg). [The Doomsday Machine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doomsday_Machine_(TOS_episode)). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/57 "2009-12-01T00:19:43Z")
The Green Destiny sword in _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon._ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/58 "2009-12-01T00:21:36Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > [The Doomsday Machine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doomsday_Machine_(TOS_episode)). I thought you meant the Doomsday Machine from _Dr. Strangelove._ (Never appears on-screen, but, wow! What a weapon!) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/59 "2009-12-01T00:27:26Z")
The [Gyrojet](http://davidszondy.com/future/war/mba_gyrojet.htm) – real-life experimental rocket-gun, proved impractical, but it appeared in the Bond film _You Only Live Twice._ ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483/60 "2009-12-01T00:28:43Z")
_Terminus Est_, the blunt-tipped executioner’s sword from _The Book of the New Sun_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-so-cool-and-badass-they-were-virtually-characters/519483.md?page=4)