Regardless of whether it happened in 500 BC or today, war has always been brutal—homes burned, people slaughtered, and warriors suffering physical and mental harm. Below are some of the most brutal weapons capable of injuring even the fiercest ancient warriors.
The Pata Sword was used in India during the 17th and 18th centuries. The blade is attached to a metal glove and measures between 25-110 cm. The Pata is employed for cutting and stabbing rather than slashing, proving highly effective against cavalry. Warriors wielding the Pata also carried shields, axes, or spears.
Urumi or flexible sword originated in Southwest India around 300 BC. It is one of the most unusual ancient weapons ever invented. The Urumi can have up to 32 thin, flexible steel blades, each measuring 120-167 cm. This weapon is not only dangerous to opponents but also to the user. While the Urumi may not be as lethal as traditional swords, it can inflict serious wounds. This type of weapon is highly effective for defense, especially against multiple adversaries. Warriors must undergo years of training to wield it safely, and well-trained fighters can use two Urumis simultaneously.
Haladie is a double-edged curved dagger attached to the same handle by Indian warriors. Each blade is 22 cm long. Some Haladies feature a third blade attached to one side of the handle. The Haladie is used primarily for stabbing opponents and was a weapon of the ancient Indian warrior class.
Ancient Indian warriors used the Chakram from the 5th century BC onwards. These circular steel weapons have sharpened outer edges and a diameter ranging from 12-30 cm. With the Chakram, warriors could throw it at targets over 100 meters away, capable of severing an opponent’s arm or throat.
Zhua, also known as the flying claw, was invented by ancient Chinese in the 6th century AD. The iron claws are attached to a rope or chain, extending up to 15 meters. Some claws feature a spring mechanism that allows them to grip and tear flesh from opponents.
Roman Gladius is a weapon used by Roman gladiators, consisting of a steel tube worn on the forearm, with a crescent-shaped blade sharpened on both sides. This weapon is used to block opponents’ strikes and then counterattack swiftly. Even the slightest impact from a Roman Gladius can inflict severe injuries.
Mambele is a curved dagger used for throwing, originating from Central Africa. The dagger is 55 cm long and has four blades, capable of inflicting various wounds. In close combat, African warriors use the Mambele as a dagger, but it is primarily thrown at enemies from a distance of 9 meters.
Katana is a legendary Japanese sword measuring 60-80 cm, capable of piercing through a person’s body like a kitchen knife through warm butter. The Katana is regarded as the best cutting weapon in military history. The first Katana swords were forged in the 13th century.
Macuahuitl is an Aztec sword, invented in the 10th century. Measuring 1 meter long and 75 mm wide, it is essentially a wooden stick with obsidian blades about 3 cm long attached. The Macuahuitl was the standard close-combat weapon used by Aztec Eagle and Jaguar warriors. Obsidian cuts through human flesh better than surgical knives. Interestingly, it was used to defeat rather than kill opponents, as the Aztecs needed prisoners for their sacrificial rituals.
Axe that can fell trees, very simple and cheap to make. It was a part of the daily life of medieval farmers. However, in the hands of the Vikings, this tool became a fearsome weapon, gaining popularity in Europe during the 10th century. The Dane Axe has a 1.2-meter-long shaft and is used with both hands. Vikings devastated battlefields with these brutally simple weapons, capable of easily decapitating opponents with a single strike.
Chu Ko Nu is one of the most famous unusual weapons from China. This crossbow is often likened to the “machine gun” of ancient Chinese soldiers. According to Chinese legends, the inventor of this crossbow was Zhuge Liang. For this reason, the repeating crossbow is also known as Zhuge Crossbow, widely recognized in the West by its transliteration as Chu Ko Nu. Its operation principle inherits from modern automatic weapons, designed to automatically load arrows into the firing groove, significantly reducing the downtime between shots for archers. This weapon can fire up to 10 arrows within 15 seconds, several times faster than a conventional crossbow. The rapid firing rate makes the repeating crossbow a terrifying long-range weapon on the battlefield.
Al-Rammah is the medieval prototype of the torpedo developed by Syrian scientist Hasan al-Rammah in the 13th century. It is a metal-clad vessel filled with gunpowder, guided by a primitive missile towards enemy ships. Researchers are uncertain about the effectiveness of such a torpedo in military action, but its operational principle is quite impressive.
“Beehive” is a weapon of mass destruction from China. The beehive consists of hexagonal tubes containing 30 arrows. The tubes expand at the ends to assist in dispersing the arrows when the beehive opens. The arrows can be ignited or poisoned and are launched simultaneously with high accuracy at enemies.
Atlatl is a spear-throwing weapon from the Stone Age, a precursor to the later bow. One of the oldest killing weapons in the world, it is quite primitive, consisting merely of a stick with a spear attached to one end. The small darts loaded into a flexible wooden stick can be thrown much farther due to the lever principle than those thrown by hand. They were used from the late Paleozoic era, about 15,000 years ago.
Kakute is a spiked ring from Japan, a type of finger weapon used by ninjas. The Kakute can easily be disguised as ordinary rings, and their numbers can increase before combat. The spikes are often coated with poison and made of copper (or iron), making them a fearsome weapon for ninjas.
Sodegarami is a type of “hook” (or “slave-binding rope”) weapon from Japan used by samurai and Edo period guards. This weapon is non-lethal, although it is covered with spikes. The primary purpose of the Sodegarami is to take down lawbreakers and hold them down for as long as necessary.
