Twelve Possessed

The Twelve Possessed (完成形変体刀十二本(かんせいけいへんたいとうじゅうにほん), Kanseikei Hentaitō Jūni Hon, lit. "The Twelve Completed Deviant Blades") were the final twelve of the legendary blacksmith Kiki Shikizaki's Deviant Blades (変体刀(へんたいとう), Hentaitō), of which there were originally a thousand. Years later after Kiki's death, it was rumored that all the previous blades he'd forged were nothing more then mere practice for the Twelve Possessed.

History

During the Sengoku Period, the swords crafted by the blacksmith, Kiki Shikizaki were priceless; so much so that people believed whichever state managed to gather the most "Deviant Blades" was destined to win it all. When the warring finally ended and peace was restored to the lands, the Shogunate would go on to gather almost all of the Deviant Blades, but were unable to acquire the Twelve Possessed. When the Old Shogun proposed the Sword Ban, with the pretext of building the famous Buddha statue in Nara, his true motivations was to gather the Twelve Possessed. However, even so, he simply couldn't obtain the Blades from their owners.

Years later, Togame of the Owari Shogunate set off on another Sword Hunt, alongside Shichika Yasuri, in order to advance her career with the credit of having obtained the famous swords.

Characteristics

The most distinguishing feature shared between all of the Twelve Possessed is that each one has its own unique characteristic. In fact, due to Kiki Shikizaki's eccentricity, some of these "swords" hardly fall under the normal definition of a sword (no matter how generous) yet are still classified as such (e.g. one of them is a literal suit of armor while another is a pair of handguns).

Kiki's design philosophy is that "A sword does not choose who to kill, but it does choose its owner". As such, the Twelve Possessed are only compatible with a select few, with anybody else who tries to utilize them either being unable to harness their full potential or even wield them at all. Because of this, Princess Hitei commented that most of the swords are virtually useless as whatever benefits they might provide do not counterbalance the sheer inconvenience of their particularity.

Perfected Deviant Blades

The Perfected Deviant Blades (完了形変体刀(かんりょうけいへんたいとう), Kanryōkei Hentaitō) are the true goal of all Deviant Blades created. Later on in the story, it's revealed that the Twelve Possessed were created as tests for Kyotouryuu (which was also created by Shikizaki) in order to create the "Ultimate Deviant Blade", with Shichika being the finished product. Hakuhei Sabi's bloodline was also one of Shikizaki's projects, but abandoned it in favor of Kyotouryuu.

List of Blades

Twelve Possessed

Name	Attribute	Description	Owner
Absolute Sword: The Plane (絶刀(ゼットウ)「鉋(カンナ)」, Zettō Kanna)	Sturdiness	Unlike most katana, the blade of the sword is completely straight and is not only the hardest of the Twelve Possessed, but also has the ability to never bend or break. The hilt is neatly decorated with plum flower designs.	Koumori Maniwa
Slash Sword: The Blunt (斬刀(ザントウ)「鈍(ナマクラ)」, Zantō Namakura)	Sharpness	The sharpest blade with the ability to cut through anything, in contrast to its ironic name of "blunt", it was made for unsheathing at incredible speeds. The katana has triangular patterns around its hilt guard and a black sheath.	Ginkaku Uneri
Thousand Sword: The Blade (千刀(セントウ)「鎩(ツルギ)」, Sentō Tsurugi)	Abundance	Comprised of a thousand swords, all of which are counted as one, it is the most numerous blade with the ability to overwhelm its enemy with sheer numbers. What makes them stand out from other swords are their distinctive red sheaths.	Meisai Tsuruga
Thin Sword: The Needle (薄刀(ハクトウ)「針(ハリ)」, Hakutō Hari)	Lightness	The most delicate of the Twelve Possessed, the blade itself is made of glass which gives the sword its light weight but also makes it easy to break if used incorrectly. Both the sheath and its hilt are white and decorated with floral patterns.	Hakuhei Sabi
Pirate Sword: The Armor (賊刀(ゾクトウ)「鎧(ヨロイ)」, Zokutō Yoroi)	Defense	The most defensive blade with the ability to block any kind of attack, especially those with armor-piercing properties. It's modelled after Western armor with numerous blades hidden around it if observed carefully; the armor is also decorated with many references to the ocean, such as a turban shell on the back and a helmet resembling a whale.	Kanara Azekura
Twin Sword: The Hammer (双刀(ソウトウ)「鎚(ソウトウ)」, Sōtō Kanazuchi)	Weight	A large, blunt-looking stone blade, it is the heaviest of the Twelve Possessed with the ability to crush enemies and leave craters in the ground simply by dropping it. The sword can also be held by its tip and used like a crude hammer as well, hence its "twin" title.	Konayuki Itezora
Evil Sword: The Poor (悪刀(アクトウ)「鐚(ビタ)」, Akutō Bita)	Revitalization	A small, yellow, kunai-like weapon; not only does it resemble a lightning bolt, but it also holds electricity within it as well. It is considered the "evilest" of the Twelve Possessed, having the unique ability to rejuvenate the user's body.	Nanami Yasuri
Delicate Sword: The Hairpin (微刀(ビトウ)「釵(カンザシ)」, Bitō Kanzashi)	Humanity	An eight-limbed, solar powered, clockwork mechanical doll capable of functioning on its own. It is the most humanoid blade with the ability to think by itself and adapt situations on the fly. It wears a kimono and tall black shoes, each of its four arms hold a sword and it has an extra one hidden inside its mouth. Its appearance, made in the image of its creator's lover, changes according to the situation; becoming more menacing.	Biyorigou
King Sword: The Saw (王刀(オウトウ)「鋸(ノコギリ)」, Ōtō Nokogiri)	Purity	A wooden sword that, unlike the others, doesn't have any of the poison found in Kiki's blades. It is the purest blade with the ability to cure the effects of the poison the other swords have on their owners. A small, floral mark and yellowish streak on the sword identifies it as Nokogiri.	Zanki Kiguchi
True Sword: The Scale (誠刀(セイトウ)「銓(ハカリ)」, Seitō Hakari)	Honesty	A sword with no blade, it is not meant to "cut" anyone other than its owner. The sheath is black and decorated with orange floral patterns, and a wreath of those flowers encircle the top part of the sheath. It is the most trustworthy blade with the ability to weigh the user's heart.	Rinne Higaki
Poison Sword: The Gilt (毒刀(ドクトウ)「鍍(メッキ)」, Dokutō Mekki)	Poison	A black, jagged katana decorated with iridescent designs and gives off a dark, cloudy aura. This blade originally has no owner as it was found inside of a crystal-like spire. It is the most poisonous blade with the ability to corrupt the user as it contains a part of Kiki's conciousness within.	Houou Maniwa
Flame Sword: The Gun (炎刀(エントウ)「銃(ジュウ)」, Entō Jū)	Automation	A pair of pistols (one a blue, six-chambered revolver and the other a red, semi-automatic with eleven bullets), each is decorated with a long, flowing mane with a bead on its end. It is the most automatic blade with the ability to consecutively shoot down enemies from a distance.	Emonzaemon Souda

Others

Name	Attribute	Description	Owner
Imaginary Sword: The Rasp (虚刀(キョトウ)「鉋(ヤスリ)」, Kyotō Yasuri)	No Sword	Deemed the Perfected Deviant Blade by Kiki Shikizaki, it is Kyotouryuu itself that is considered the sword, with Shichika being the finished product after generations of training. Shikizaki considered that the key to perfecting a sword is to abandon the sword completely.	Shichika Yasuri
Whole Sword: The Rust (全刀(ゼントウ)「錆(サビ)」, Zentō Sabi)	Every Sword	A prototype for the Perfected Deviant Blade that Kiki Shikizaki eventually abandoned in favor of Kyotou Yasuri. Similarly to Kyotouryuu, the blade itself is a technique passed down the Sabi bloodline, allowing them to use any rod-shaped object as a sword. It is practically the opposite of Kyotouryuu.	Hakuhei Sabi
Clear Sword: The Iron (透刀(トウトウ)「鉄(テツ)」, Tōtō Tetsu)	Transparency	One of the 1000 Deviant Blades created before the Twelve Possessed. It is the most transparent sword, capable of passing through any object. It therefore has the ability to slash only what it wants to slash, passing through any kind of armor or wall.	-

Translation

In the Vertical translation of Katanagatari, the names of the Twelve Possessed were translated as such:

• Zetto the Leveler
• Zanto the Razor
• Sento the Legion
• Hakuto the Whisper
• Zokuto the Armor
• Soto the Twin
• Akuto the Eel
• Bito the Sundial
• Oto the Cured
• Seito the Garland
• Dokuto the Basilisk
• Ento the Bead

Gallery

Absolute Sword: Plane

First Owner, Koumori Maniwa

Slash Sword: Blunt

Second Owner, Ginkaku Uneri

Thousand Sword: Blade

Third Owner, Meisai Tsuruga

Thin Sword: Needle

Fourth Owner, Hakuhei Sabi

Pirate Sword: Armor

Fifth Owner, Kanara Azekura

Twin Sword: Hammer

Sixth Owner, Konayuki Itezora

Evil Sword: Poor

Seventh Owner, Nanami Yasuri

Delicate Sword: Hairpin

Eight Owner, Biyorigou

King Sword: Saw

Ninth Owner, Zanki Kiguchi

True Sword: Scale

Tenth Owner, Rinne Higaki

Poison Sword: Gilt

Eleventh Owner, Houou Maniwa

Flame Sword: Gun

Twelfth Owner, Emonzaemon Souda