Whether you’re into Final Fantasy cosplay or just love video games, you can build a 3D printed replica of Cloud Strife’s “Buster Sword”.

Fans of classic role-playing games are surely excited about the Final Fantasy VII remake announced at E3 this week. The original game was released way back in 1997, and in all this time one question remains unanswered. How can a little guy like Cloud Strife lift a huge broadsword that’s as big as himself? And even fight with it?

The iconic ”Buster Sword” made its first appearance in Final Fantasy VII. Since then, it’s shown up in several other entries in the series, plus the Kingdom Hearts franchise. It’s a signature artifact in video game history, and many folks who dabble in Final Fantasy cosplay have even 3D printed it for themselves.

On My Mini Factory, maker Luka Verigikj has created a 3D printed version of the broadsword which is stupidly big at 6 feet long, and the blade itself approximately 1 foot wide. There are two holes near the handguard; one is a slot for Materia (for casting magic), the other a slot where Cloud clips the sword onto his back.

Construction

The print consists of 15 parts. You have to assemble the sword yourself, so you should have some basic understanding and experience of constructing items. Any cosplayer should be able to handle the assembly. The construction system is quite easy to use; just some glue and sandpaper are required.

If the Buster Sword really was constructed in stainless steel, it’s unlikely that you’d be able to lift it. But thanks to 3D printing, you can reproduce it in plastic with a low infill, which makes the sword a lot lighter.

If you want to adjust the size to something more manageable, you can scale the files accordingly. And if you send the files to a professional 3D printing service, you can also choose from a range of materials like steel, brass, copper… or even gold and platinum (if you’ve just won the lottery).

How to get the Buster Sword

If you have access to a 3D printer, you can print out the sword yourself. You can download the files for free at My Mini Factory. As an alternative, you can order the parts through any 3D printing service (like Shapeways, Sculpteo or i.Materialise).

If you want to get the best price, you can upload these files to our 3D Printing Price Comparison.

The All3DP verdict

The Buster Sword is a super awesome prop for gaming fans, sword lovers, and Final Fantasy cosplay. Make no mistake, this is “the big one”.