The Tower of London will host a replica of the protagonist’s sword from the newly-released Final Fantasy game in a new exhibition.
The video game sword will be housed alongside the Royal Armouries – the UK’s national collection of arms and armour – for a month.
It coincides with the release of the latest instalment in the popular fantasy game franchise, Final Fantasy 16, on June 22.
The replica of protagonist Clive Rosfield’s sword, called Invictus, was crafted over a number of months by swordsmith Tod Todeschini, and until July 19 will be housed alongside weapons formerly owned by Kings throughout history.
“It’s thrilling to see the historic art form of sword crafting continue to thrive in the video game space and what better way to celebrate this than by displaying this exclusive sword from Final Fantasy 16 alongside the Royal Armouries collection of arms and armour,” said Emma Mawdsley, Keeper of Tower Armouries.
“We are always looking at ways to engage new audiences with our collections across the Museum’s three sites, so we’re very excited to welcome fans of the franchise and gamers alike to the Royal Armouries in the Tower of London.”
Mr Toseschini, who created the sword, said the task of making a digital sword into reality was “sizeable”.
“I knew from the very start, this was not going to be an ordinary sword and [would be] challenging in every way,” he said.
“But I’m very pleased with the finished sword and proud that it will be available for the fans to view alongside the Royal Armouries collection in the Tower of London.”
The latest game in the Final Fantasy universe takes gamers to the realm of Valisthea and tells the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua.
