Thanos' double-bladed sword is a source of debate among MCU fans, but only a few concrete facts are known. Here's a look at Thanos' weapon.
Thanos and his sword have served as the subject of ongoing debate among Marvel fans since the weapon's prominent appearance in Avengers: Endgame. While The Infinity Stones are well-documented, the sword itself remains surprisingly shrouded in mystery. With Thanos' role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe essentially concluded, further canonical information may not be forthcoming. Though the debate continues, there are some confirmed facts to at least provide a starting point.
One thing that's very clear is that Thanos' sword is one of the most powerful weapons in the franchise. In fact, Thanos uses it to sheer off the top of Captain America's supposedly "unbreakable" shield in Endgame, which is a big part of why the weapon remains such a hotly debated topic. The material it's made of remains undefined, as does any formal name for it. Most of what fans know comes from Endgame itself, as well as the weapon's unique design and composition.
What Is the Name of Thanos' Double-Edged Sword?
Officially, the sword has no name. The MCU fan wiki refers to it as "The Double-Edged Sword," as does the marketing material surrounding it. It's possible that Thanos never gives it a name in canon, and it's hard to imagine mistaking it for anyone else's weapon. The two blades sit on either end of the handle, perfectly balanced to match his twisted scheme to murder half of all life. In a flashback scene from Avengers: Infinity War, he gives a similar twin-bladed knife to a young Gamora, whom he's just orphaned.
The weapon doesn't exist in the comics, though it has a very strange comic-book origin. Co-creator Jim Starlin spoke to Digital Spy about it during Endgame's 2019 release, indicating that it was inspired by the infamous "Thanos-Copter" from Spidey Super Stories #39 (Nick Sullivan, Michael Siporin, Jim Salicrup, Win Mortimer and Mike Esposito). Thanos attacks Hellcat in the vehicle while using it for the Cosmic Cube she's carrying. The comic line was based on Spider-Man's appearances on the kids' educational TV show The Electric Company at the time and, as such, was aimed at younger readers. The Double-Edged Sword is intended as a more menacing homage to one of the character's goofier moments.
What Substance Is Thanos' Sword Made From?
The real mystery starts with the metal the sword is composed of, which remains undefined as of this writing. Marvel fans have different theories, of course, and the sword's devastating effects provide a comparative basis for Marvel's other super metals. The key moment comes in Endgame's vaunted climax when the Double-Edged Sword damages Captain America's shield. Visually, it helps to punctuate Steve Rogers' seeming last stand just before the cavalry arrives.
The shield is made of vibranium, which is billed as the strongest metal on Earth. The shield is damaged only by other objects made of vibranium, such as Black Panther's claws, which damages it during the events of Captain America: Civil War. According to the commentary track on the Endgame Blu-Ray, Thanos' sword comes from somewhere off-world, making it stronger than vibranium and quite a number of other things as well. Thor's weapons can't scratch them, for instance. Thanos' sword could thus be made of adamantium, which also seems unlikely. In the case of adamantium, the MCU could be preparing that particular metal for the likes of Wolverine.
Canonically, adamantium is a man-made mineral, which wouldn't explain the sword's presence in Thanos' hands. In light of that, the most likely option -- from the perspective of the comics, at least -- is Dargonite, a metal from the 26th century that first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy #18 (Jim Valentino, Steve Montano, Evelyn Stein and Ken Lopez). There are few concrete details, save that it's capable of cutting through adamantium, and it's associated with Thor, which means it may stem from the Uru metal that comprises his weapons. That would let the MCU define it more clearly, as well as providing further context to the sword.
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