Every hero needs a weapon. Whether it’s the Master Sword (退魔の剣) in Zelda or the legendary blades in Elden Ring, the kanji 剣 is your first step to understanding your inventory in any Japanese RPG.
剣
ken (Chinese reading / ON) — tsurugi (Japanese reading / KUN)
sword / blade
The Anatomy
Look at the right side of the character: 刂. This is the radical for “knife” or “sword”. Whenever you see those two vertical strokes, something sharp is nearby. The left side represents the sound and a traditional double-edged blade.
Gaming Connection
In games like Final Fantasy or Monster Hunter, you’ll often see this kanji in weapon names.
- 聖剣 (Seiken) — Holy Sword.
- 魔剣 (Maken) — Magic/Cursed Sword.
Side Quest: Sword kanji in your Inventory
Open your favorite RPG in Japanese. Look for the 刂 radical in your weapon list. Can you find the 剣? Challenge: Draw it 5 times focusing on keeping the two right strokes sharp and straight!
