Nightblood

Nightblood
Type	Weapon
Creators	Shashara, Vasher
Owners	Vasher, Szeth
World of Origin	Nalthis

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"Nightblood" redirects here. For The eventual sequel to Warbreaker, see Nightblood (book).

“You cannot tempt the hearts of men who are pure, Nightblood.”

—Vasher

Nightblood is a sentient sword on Nalthis. It was created through the experiments of Vasher and his associates, the Five Scholars.

Though it was speculated that Hoid wields Nightblood when on Roshar acting as the King's Wit, it's now confirmed that his blade is not Nightblood.

Nightblood has, somehow, traveled to Roshar. The sword was given to Szeth after Jezrien's Honorblade was taken from him.^{[clarification needed]}

Creation

Nightblood was created in a collaboration between Vasher and Shashara. It took a thousand Breaths and a very difficult visualization to Awaken steel. After much deliberation, the Command that was decided on was "Destroy evil." Unfortunately, a recently sentient sword has no concept of what evil is. The Breaths it inherited decided "evil was someone who would try to take the sword and use it for evil purposes, selling it, manipulating and extorting others, that sort of thing."Template:Annotation ref

The first hours of Nightblood’s life are imprinted upon it, and it cannot get rid of the concepts it learned during that time, such as Denth being fond of it and Shashara being alive. It is, however, very capable in some ways, able to grow and learn, although it cannot overwrite its initial experiences, ideas and memories. So in its mind, Denth will always be pleased with it, Shashara will always be alive, and Vasher will always be friends with the both of them.Template:Annotation ref

Vasher decided the knowledge of how to Awaken steel was far too dangerous and when Shashara didn't agree, he felt it was better to kill her than risk the knowledge getting out.

Powers and Characteristics

Nightblood is sentient, but lacks a human context for its intelligence. Time has no meaning for it, nor can it well understand the dynamic aspect of human personalities. It can speak into Vasher's mind, as well as Vivenna's, and reads their surface thoughts whether they want it to or not. Though he thinks so, Nightblood doesn't need to sleep.

When its clasp is undone and even a bit of its blade shows, it leaks an inky smoke. The smoke is the Breaths that it has absorbed from its victims, twisted and fouled, leaking back out.Template:Annotation ref Those it defines as "evil" feel drawn to possess it; once an "evil" person picks Nightblood up, the sword amplifies the wielder's bloodlust causing him or her to slaughter anyone nearby and then commit suicide with the blade.

Nightblood can more easily influence and is better able to communicate with people who are mentally unhinged.Template:Annotation ref

A "good" person, someone who wouldn't want to use Nightblood for evil purposes, feels sick in Nightblood's vicinity. This sensation of nausea is suppressed if the user has drawn Nightblood and had his or her breath drained. It is of note that Szeth makes no mention of any sensation of nausea or lust for the sword upon encountering Nightblood.

Even while still in its scabbard, once Nightblood is unclasped every part of it is a deadly weapon that--literally--yearns to kill evil-doers. It can smash bones and even run a man through. Once drawn, Nightblood becomes incredibly powerful. Its voice becomes overpowering. Lifeless that it touches disappear in a puff of smoke and stone also disappears when struck. It is not shown whether living humans struck by Nightblood's blade would disappear like the Lifeless or would die in some other way, but one would assume even a minor cut by Nightblood would result in instant death.

So long as Nightblood is unsheathed, it drains the Breath from its wielder, drawing Breath faster the longer it is used. Vasher claims that if it drained all the Breath from him he would die; this would also happen to not-Returned wielding Nightblood unsheathed.