For casino game design, many familiar symbols will keep showing up on different slot machines. A good example of this is iconic symbols like cherries, the lucky seven and the BAR. Behind the popular game symbols there lies a particular reason for their usage, like how many cultures regard the number seven as being lucky. Symbols with meanings, therefore, help attract players to games, and some have just stuck around throughout the ages because of being instantly recognisable.

There’s an interesting vocabulary of game symbols in use in casinos, many of which draw on cultural and historical meanings, plus tap into the comforting feeling of nostalgia. A couple of the interesting symbols which continue to be used in modern designs are the knife and the sword. Just browse any casino reviewed, say, by an expert site Legacasino which offers more info on leading UK gambling operators and their game libraries, and you will find out that there are numerous slot games featuring the knife and the sword symbols. But which symbol wins out in the popularity contest? And how are the knife and sword used within video slots?

The Symbolism Behind Them

Swords are typically high-paying symbols when used on slots. Historically, in gaming, they have represented things like power, honour, high value, destiny and justice. Because of this, you will most commonly find them used in fantasy-themed games that feature characters like kings and heroes, and are often used as wild or scatter symbols.

In contrast, the knife is a lesser-seen symbol in slots, and there is a direct and obvious reason why. A short blade isn’t seen as being as powerful as a long blade like a sword, so in slot games, knives typically have lower-paying values. Thematically, shorter blades like knives and daggers crop up in horror, heist, survival and pirate-style slots, and represent things like stealth, ambush, risk and hidden power.

In Game Action

The Sword and the Grail Excalibur game features arguably the most famous sword in history. Created by Play’n GO, the Arthurian-themed video slot features characters like King Arthur himself, Lady Guinevere and Merlin. The Excalibur sword is used as the scatter symbol, and at least three of them trigger the free spins feature, which is represented by the Round Table Wheel, where up to a 100x multiplier can be scored.

Sword of Shogun from Thunderkick also uses the sword to great effect, tapping into the Ancient Japanese theme. The game has a visually zen-like feel to it and features expanding symbols, while there is a basic sword symbol which can return a win of up to 2x the bet. The slot’s main feature is the Samurai Sword, which is the game’s wild/scatter symbols. The elegant sword acts as a wild in the base game, and at least three of them on a spin trigger the bonus game feature, which could lead to 25,200 x bet max wins.

The best-known slot that prominently features a knife symbol is probably Belle the Blade Hunter (Bullshark Games) – blades, daggers and other edged weapons are central to both the theme and the high‑paying symbols. Belle is a blade‑wielding heroine moving through a forest where she hunts wolves, as well as other threats. Belle’s arsenal, including daggers and other blades, is part of the premium symbol set on the reels. Landing 5 horns, cleavers, axes, bows, or the other sharp-bladed weapon pays 2.5x to 10x the bet.

Pirate Golden Age from Pragmatic Play features a pirate. His weapon is controversial—some say it is a small sabre, others say it is a knife. Landing 3, 4 or 5 of them on a spin will return either 2.5x, 2.75x or 30x the bet, respectively. The item has a more limited presence and again is a perfect example of the shorter blade weapon representing lower-value payouts in slots.

It’s generally a lot harder to find a knife in slots, but there’s a character called Two-Knife in Dead Rider’s Trail, while Pirate Respins has a low-paying cutlass symbol. The feature character in Belle The Blade Hunter carries a short blade, plus there’s also a separate dagger symbol in play, which is a low-paying base game symbol.

The Clear Distinction

There is a clear distinction between the utilisation of the sword and the dagger in the modern age of iGaming, particularly within the theming of video slot games. Swords just ooze authority and epic power in games, and are, therefore, used far more prominently in iGaming. They are often tied to bonus mechanics because of this, and swords sit well alongside classic slot icons like fruits and sevens. Knives, in their turn, appear more as niche elements in broader weapon or adventure themes rather than standalone icons.