The Sword of Truth as seen in the SoT novels
- “This damn sword!”
- ―Richard Rahl[src]
The Sword of Truth is the weapon wielded by the Seeker of Truth. The sword is watched over by the First Wizard when there is no Seeker to wield it. Although it has very powerful magic, the most important thing to remember is that it is only a tool, and does not make the Seeker. The sword has the power to cut through anything that is perceived by the Seeker as the enemy.
Manipulation of anger
- “Righteous anger can be an extraordinary thing to behold.”
- ―Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander[src]
The Sword of Truth's power comes from the righteous anger of its wielder, and glows red when this anger turns to rage. However, the sword can also be turned white should the user gain control of their anger and wield the blade with heart full of love and forgiveness. Only during this state can the sword be used to slay an innocent.
In order to use the blade, the wielder must be able to release their anger. The Sword of Truth causes a wielder who kills without releasing their anger the insufferable agony of fully realizing that they destroyed life.
After many years of usage, the sword's manipulation of the Seeker's anger wears the Seeker down, and eventually turns the wielder into a shadow of his former self. Only the true Seeker, the one who can turn the blade white, is immune to this phenomenon and remains as he is.
The true Seeker of Truth, the only one capable of turning the sword's blade white, is Richard Rahl. Richard does not need the sword in hand to call upon its power, for the sword's power is just a mirror image of his own.
Additional powers
The Sword of Truth has many additional powers. The memories of its past wielders, when unlocked by the true seeker, teach him the "Dance with Death" that is characteristic of life, death, war, and magic. It is also capable of sending subtle magical signals to its wielder, more than once warning Richard Rahl to avoid Kahlan Amnell's Confessor's touch. It can deflect certain forms of magic proven in the book, namely wizard's fire and magical lightning, and a time worm spell called Chainfire, but may be able to do more.
The Sword of Truth is the key to the Boxes of Orden. When held over a box, the blade turns either white or black. By striking the box over which the blade turns white, the wielder can gain the power of Orden. The implication of the prophecies is that the Sword was made for this purpose and, therefore was made for Richard who was prophesied to be the one to unlock the power of Orden.
In addition, it is also likely that the sword is unable to be damaged or destroyed by any normal means, as it is still in perfect condition even after thousands of years of use.
ABC Studio's interpretation of the Sword for "Legend of the Seeker" (Note - On ABC Studio's version of the sword, it has "truth" written on the blade rather than the hilt.)
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Known Wielders of the Sword
- Merritt (Creator of the Sword and First Seeker of Truth)
- Magda Searus (Used in defense of Merrit)
- Samuel (Pretend Seeker)
- Richard Rahl
- Kahlan Amnell (Wielded in battle)
- Leo Dane (Temporary Seeker)
Known Possessors of the Sword of Truth
Behind the Scenes
The Sword of Truth has different magical characteristics in the Legend of the Seeker television program than it does in the novels. The program does not describe the sword's magic with as much detail as the books do, but several things have been revealed so far. First, the sword feeds on anger to make its wielder powerful. Second, it allows its wielder to fight with the strength of many men. And third, it can cut through nearly anything. The sword glows red when the Seeker's anger turns to rage.