Propmaster Tony Swatton of internet show Man At Arms recreated the iconic weapon of the Kingdom Hearts series during its latest episode, forging a real-life Keyblade from solid metals.
Swatton, a lifelong blacksmith who according to the show has created replica weapons for more than 200 films, based his design on Kingdom Hearts artwork he found online. Using these pictures, Swatton determined the Keyblade was 36 inches long from the handle to the ward at the tip of the key.
The handle is made from hand-filed aluminum, while the ward is made from steel and the grip within the handle is crafted from sturdy leather dyed black. The Mickey Mouse charm that typically dangles from protagonist Sora's Keyblade was also made with the utmost care, cut in nickel silver. Swatton also added sharp edges to the blade to make it more dangerous, despite the more rounded-edged look of its in-game counterpart.
Check out the episode posted above for Swatton's full construction method, including a look at how it performs in battle against pottery full of coins, old electronics and ripe melons.