Delving into Gaming and Anime with BudK

By Desiree Weeks

There’s honestly never been a better time to be an anime and video game fan. In recent years, there’s been a wave of great new media to enjoy along with revivals of older, beloved gems. There has also been a continued interest in cosplay and the perpetual search for the most accurate replica pieces.

Obviously there’s far more than I can mention in just one blog, so I picked some of my favorite series that pair perfectly with BudK’s vast selection of gaming and anime swords.

The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda is a video game series that I personally love and has made a global impact on the gaming community. It’s instantly recognizable and has led to some of the best video games in history since its introduction in 1986. Most recently, fans have been able to enjoy the huge open world provided by both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

The series has produced several recognizable items over its lifespan and one of the most notable is the Master Sword. It first appeared in A Link to the Past in 1991 and has found its way into several other games, including the two most recent Legend of Zelda games. It’s used repeatedly to take out Ganon, the series’ main antagonist, and is instantly recognizable with its distinct handguard.

Nier: Automata

A fun fact about me is that I love a good RPG and when I bought Nier: Automata in 2017, I was taken aback by its beautiful storytelling and stunning art design. It takes place during a war between alien created Machines and human created androids with a focus specifically on YoRHa androids 2B, 9S, and A2.

2B quickly became one of my new favorite characters based both on her storyline and her overall look which, of course, includes a cool sword. Her sword is called Virtuous Contract and is described in the game as “a white blade used by samurai of the east.”

I remember thinking at the time that this game would be perfect for an anime and that has since become a reality. Nier: Automata Ver1.1a released this year and is well worth your time.

Demon Slayer

A relatively recent anime that has taken the community by storm is Demon Slayer. It was named Anime of the Year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2020 and, while the same could be said for other anime, I personally feel it has some of the best swords I’ve seen.

For those unfamiliar, Demon Slayer is set in a world with man-eating demons and focuses on a teen boy named Tanjiro Kamado. Tanjiro sets out on a journey for vengeance and to find a cure for his sister Nezuko, leading him to join the Demon Slayer Corps. Demon Slayers are armed with a Nichirin blade that turns a specific color and adapts specifically to its owner. This means that there are several amazing swords featured in both the manga and anime.

While I do appreciate Tanjiro’s black Nichirin sword, one of my personal favorites is Shinobu Kocho’s sword. As she doesn’t possess the strength to decapitate demons, she has a modified sword that injects a lethal poison into the demons. I just truly appreciate the ingenuity.

I recommend going into this series with little to no spoilers so you can feel all the emotions without knowing what to expect next.

One Piece

When you’re talking about an anime that has a ton of episodes, I can almost guarantee that One Piece comes up. With more than 1,000 episodes, it clearly made an impact. The show follows Monkey D. Luffy who is searching for “One Piece,” a treasure that will make him the next Pirate King. As with many anime main characters, Luffy has a unique ability. He accidentally eats a Gum-Gum Fruit, a devil fruit that gave him the properties of rubber.

Obviously, I’m quite the fan of swords and Luffy’s right-hand man Roronoa Zoro has some cool ones. One of my personal favorites is Shusui. It’s one of the finest swords in the New World and is capable of incredible destruction. If you ever find yourself with more than 420 hours to spare, One Piece is an anime to check out.