- The Curator(src)
El'druin
El'druin, the Sword of Justice, is the sword of the archangel Tyrael.
Lore[]
El'druin is said to be the symbol of justice itself.[1] By all accounts El'druin is a unique weapon, capable of cutting through any foe or substance in existence. However, some believe that the blade's edge cannot pass through or harm any being of righteous intent.[2] The sword can destroy demonic seals.[3]
Additionally, the sword has the ability to generate a small shield of some kind[4] and protect its wielder from corruptive forces that would otherwise harm other mortals. It also appears to have a degree of sapience.[5][6] Only those with a righteous heart can wield the blade,[7] and will not aid its user if used in anger.[1] It carries angelic resonance,[8] and is large enough to be carried with two hands.[9]
El'druin, in a sense, is part of Tyrael himself. It is tied to his being, regardless of what form he takes, whether it be angel or mortal. Even if Tyrael were to somehow become a full fledged human, El'druin would remain tied to him.[10]
El'druin can sustain a mortal, allowing them to survive without food or water.[11] It can purge mortals of corruption.[12]
A replica of El'druin hangs above the entrance of the Courts of Justice.[1]
History[]
Tyrael casts El'druin at the Worldstone
Tyrael wielded El'druin throughout the Great Conflict,[2] but lost it when he was forced to destroy the Worldstone.[13]
Splintered Souls[]
"It cannot be so. I have watched you. Whatever you have done...you have always striven for justice. Justice requires sacrifice... and, sometimes... retribution."
"It's your sword. Can't you make it listen?"
"No. I... see now. Your soul has been... poisoned. By breaking the shards. Denying evil their power. It has changed your very essence. And El'druin...disagrees."
- The Shard-seeker and Tyrael(src)
Tyrael and El'druin
After the Worldstone was destroyed, El'druin resided in the Gully of Madness, waiting for those brave enough to seek it.[6] The Shard-seeker—guided by Tyrael's spirit, located the sword but were unable to wield it. El'druin rejected them, as their soul had been poisoned by destroying shards of the Worldstone. At Tyrael's urging, they carefully bundled the sword and took it out of the gully.[14]
Crucible of Justice[]
- The Shard-seeker(src)
The Shard-seeker struggles to wield El'druin
After returning from the Dreadlands, the Shard-seeker was still unable to wield El'druin, as the sword continued to reject the adventurer due to their corruption. With the sword in hand, the Shard-seeker travelled to the Cold Isles[15] to cleanse their impurity, and therefore, be worthy to wield El'druin.[16]
Sword of Justice[]
El'druin ended up in Aranoch and was tracked down by Shanar, who had followed its angelic resonance. She was ensnared by the blade and while it sustained her, forced her to stand guard over it until the arrival of Jacob.[8]
At some point afterwards, El'druin called the mortal Jacob to its resting place. Jacob took up the blade himself and utilized it against his foes.[1]
Return to Tyrael[]
When Tyrael returned to the High Heavens after reforming his essence, twenty years after the Worldstone's destruction,[17] he summoned El'druin to his side.[7] At this point in time, it still belonged to Jacob, who was left despondent at the sword's disappearance.[1] But after Tyrael renounced his angelic status and descending upon Sanctuary as the Fallen Star, El'druin shattered into three pieces as he fell,[18] and the three pieces landed in a Khazra Den in the Fields of Misery, in the Drowned Temple near the Festering Woods, and in the fishing village of Wortham.[19] Because El'druin was tied to his being,[10] Tyrael's physiological capabilities diminished and most of his memory was lost. While searching for the pieces of the sword, Tyrael's allies made an enemy of the evil witch Maghda and her Dark Coven, who sought to claim the sword for her master Belial.
The sword was made whole once more by the Horadric arts of Deckard Cain, his last act before succumbing to the wounds he suffered during his torture at the hands of Maghda and the Coven. When the hero rescued the mortal Tyrael from the Coven and returned the sword to him, both his mind and body were restored, and he wielded the weapon from that moment forward.[19] Tyrael notably used El'druin to shatter the demon gate at Arreat Crater,[20] and to destroy the demonic corruption barring the heroes' path to the Crystal Arch and their final confrontation with Diablo.[21]
Tyrael wielding El'druin against Malthael
Later, when attempting to seal the Black Soulstone away, Tyrael was forced to use the sword against Malthael, now the Angel of Death.[4] Unfortunately, the sword had no effect, as Malthael's actions were deemed to be righteous [22], and/or because Malthael existed in a state between life and death and could not be harmed by physical beings.[23]
In-game[]
El'druin is featured as a quest item in the Crucible of Justice update of Diablo Immortal. Though it cannot directly be used in battle, it boosts the damage done by ultimate abilities.
The Sword of Justice is an eternally powerful weapon, especially wielded against those who prey upon the innocent. Use it to bolster your damage when your Ultimate Ability is active.
Trivia[]
The El'druin replica
- An El'druin replica was released in March, 2014.[24]
- An El'druin keychain is available for purchase.[25]
- The renders for El'druin changed markedly from Diablo II to Diablo III, as well as between different concept artwork. This is best seen in the in-game flashbacks and trailers. In Diablo II, El'druin looks like a regular sword with a standard hilt and straight edge, while in Diablo III its hilt has a large sunburst pattern with a blue gem at its center and an odd-shaped blade. In Diablo Immortal, the art style of III is used.
- Sometimes, the gem on El'druin's hilt will glow brightly.
Images[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Storm of Light
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Book of Cain
- ↑ Diablo III, Act III, Siegebreaker
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 2013-08-21, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Opening Cinematic. YouTube, accessed on 2013-08-31
- ↑ Sword of Justice
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 2023-12-06, SPLINTERED SOULS CONVERGE IN THE SOUTHERN DREADLANDS. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2023-12-18
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Book of Tyrael
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sword of Justice: Issue 2
- ↑ Diablo III: Wrath
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 2013-10-22, El'Druin. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2013-10-22
- ↑ Sword of Justice: Issue 3
- ↑ Sword of Justice: Issue 4
- ↑ Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Ending Cinematic.
- ↑ Diablo Immortal, Open Revolt
- ↑ 2024-09-05, Temper Yourself in the Crucible of Justice. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2024-09-07
- ↑ 2024-09-09, Diablo Immortal | Crucible of Justice Cinematic | Major Update. YouTube, accessed on 2024-09-11
- ↑ Diablo III, Act II, Unexpected Allies
- ↑ Diablo III, Act I, Sword of the Stranger
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Diablo III, Act I
- ↑ Diablo III, Act III
- ↑ Diablo III, Act IV
- ↑ 2013-08-23, Diablo III Reaper of Souls Interview with Josh Mosqueira GC2013. YouTube, accessed on 2013-08-31
- ↑ Diablo III, Act V
- ↑ Diablo III El'Druin The Sword of Justice Prop Replica, Entertainment Earth. Accessed on 2014-01-15
- ↑ Diablo III El Druin Keychain. J!NX, accessed on 2015-04-11