| “ | Will certainly attack. Deflects, then sends damage back. |
„ |
| ~ Initial description |
| “ | Slices through evil's veil. Counterattacks when assailed. |
„ |
| ~ Description after the second Zangetsu fight |
The Sword of Mathildis is a Sword exclusive to Aurora Mode in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. It is a part of Aurora's basic equipment and a vital tool in reaching her true ending.
History[]
The Sword of Mathildis is one of few items that Aurora retains when she finds herself in the world of Bloodstained, along with the Light Ray skill and her friend Igniculus. Its name comes from the Mathildis Forest in the kingdom of Lemuria, which is also the source of the sword's magical powers. Although the sword serves as one of Aurora's main weapons, she is unaware of its true capabilities for most of her adventure.
Early on, Aurora encounters the demon hunter Zangetsu, who attacks her under the mistaken assumption that she is an enemy. She wins the battle and does not meet him again until much later, when she has grown back into an adult. After she defeats him for the second time in battle, he recognizes her as an ally and gives her advice through a haiku. In order to lift Gebel's curse, she must fight him until the moon in the background turns red, then use her sword to slice it in two. Although Zangetsu's explanation does not change the Sword of Mathildis from an in-universe perspective, trying to cleave the moon in the throne room will not work until he has told her to do so. The sword's description in her menu also changes to highlight its ability to unmask evil.
Aurora follows Zangetsu's advice and thereby reveals Gremory, the demon who was controlling Gebel. Gebel is freed of Gremory's control but quickly turns into crystal and dies. Aurora follows Gremory into the Garden of Silence, where she uses the Sword of Mathildis to cleave an identical blood-red moon, revealing Gremory again and forcing her to leave behind a portal to the Den of Behemoths.
Appearance[]
The Sword of Mathildis is a simple sword in a medieval European style, with a black, cross-shaped hilt and a wide blade.
Gameplay[]
The Sword of Mathildis is a melee weapon that Aurora wields differently as the story progresses. It is impractically large for Aurora as a child at the start of the game, so she attacks by swinging it over her head and into the ground like how Miriam would handle a greatsword; if she is attacking in mid-air, the slash continues below her in a half-circle. After she defeats Valac and grows back into an adult, this attack is replaced by a one-handed swing in front of her. This swing can be performed more rapidly but has a relatively short range and no longer reaches above or below Aurora.
The sword can be used for the Helmsplitter and Parry techniques regardless of Aurora's stature, though both are slightly different from Miriam's equivalents. The Helmsplitter is instead performed by pressing the attack button in the middle of a backstep and costs 40 MP to use. The Parry costs no MP and has the same effect as Miriam's Eleventh Hour. The sword recovers MP for every successful attack on an enemy. Equipping Oengus greatly increases the damage dealt by a successful parry.
When used on Gremory, all hits dealt by the sword are critical. Unlike the Zangetsuto, however, it only hits once per strike.
Trivia[]
- Mathildis is a feminine name that translates to "strength in battle" in Latin. It is a befitting description for a sword with versatile abilities that reflect Aurora's growth. Other variants of this name include Mathilde, Mahthilt, Mafalda and Matilda, a popular girl's name.