Fans are patiently waiting for the The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launch, all the while learning fan theories and creating impressive works of art. An example of such work is a stained glass version of the Guardian Sword++, the most improved version of the weapon of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Breath of the Wild is of course chock-full of weapons of all kinds, but this one translates particularly well into stained glass, thanks to the vibrancy of its design. The stained glass version of the sword shimmers beautifully in the sun, refracting the light in the background. Creator that apiercedotter “fell in love” with Breath of the Wild after “buying my Switch Lite when the lockdown started, with what little savings I had,” he told Polygon via email. “I was hesitant because it was already a few years old, but I decided to give it a try, and I couldn’t be happier with my choice.”
He started this project in anticipation of the launch of the game’s sequel. “Of course I was very excited when I heard about the release of Tears of the Kingdomand I couldn’t think of anything else,’ he said. “So while I was working on my last stained glass project, the arch of Genshin effect, this weapon came to mind. I thought the stained glass aesthetic would go really well with it.”
Photo: apiercedotter
When he shared his creation on Reddit, things moved quickly went viral. A number of commentators also joked about the durability of weapons – perhaps a stained glass sword would even be more durable than the in-game version of the weapon?
It took a piercedotter about a week to make the stained glass sword, from the days when it was necessary to “design the pattern” – to make sure it was sturdy enough to really hold up once it was made – and “picking the colors, making sure I had the right glass sheets”, as well as all the cutting, grinding and soldering. Cutting the most curved parts also proved a challenge. “Some of them can take three to four it takes tries before you get it right!” he said. He’s been working with stained glass for less than a year now and trying to recreate other weapons from video games and anime.
In Breath of the Wildcan Link get the Guardian Sword after defeating a Guardian scout. But to get the Guardian Sword++, Link needs to beat the “A Major Test of Strength” trial in a Shrine, which means defeating a Guardian Scout IV – one of the more deadly enemies you’ll find in these kinds of dungeons .
Just don’t try to fight with the stained glass, even if it seems tempting. “I didn’t even think about how fragile it was while I was making it,” said apiercedotter. “If anyone buys it, please don’t swing it into battle against invisible Bokoblins.”