El'druin

"My master's notes only mention two angelic weapons. One, is El'druin, a weapon belonging to Tyrael. Good luck getting him to let go of it."

- The Curator

El'druin, the Sword of Justice, is the sword of the archangel Tyrael.

Lore
"You cannot stand before El'druin!"

- Tyrael

El'druin is said to be the symbol of justice itself. By all accounts El'druin is a unique weapon, capable of cutting through any foe or substance in existence. However, some believe that the blade's edge cannot pass through or harm any being of righteous intent. The sword can destroy demonic seals.

Additionally, the sword has the ability to generate a small shield of some kind and protect its wielder from corruptive forces that would otherwise harm other mortals. It also appears to have a degree of sapience. Only those with a righteous heart can wield the blade, and will not aid its user if used in anger. It carries angelic resonance, and is large enough to be carried with two hands.

El'druin, in a sense, is part of Tyrael himself. It is tied to his being, regardless of what form he takes, whether it be angel or mortal. Even if Tyrael were to somehow become a full fledged human, El'druin would remain tied to him.

El'druin can sustain a mortal, allowing them to survive without food or water. It can purge mortals of corruption.

A replica of El'druin hangs above the entrance of the Courts of Justice.

History
Tyrael wielded El'druin throughout the Great Conflict, but lost it when he was forced to destroy the Worldstone.

Sword of Justice
El'druin ended up in Aranoch and was tracked down by Shanar, who had followed its angelic resonance. She was ensnared by the blade and while it sustained her, forced her to stand guard over it until the arrival of Jacob.

At some point afterwards, El'druin called the mortal Jacob to its resting place. Jacob took up the blade himself and utilized it against his foes.

Return to Tyrael
When Tyrael returned to the High Heavens after reforming his essence, twenty years after the Worldstone's destruction, he summoned El'druin to his side. At this point in time, it still belonged to Jacob, who was left despondent at the sword's disappearance. But after Tyrael renounced his angelic status and descending upon Sanctuary as the Fallen Star, El'druin shattered into three pieces as he fell, and the three pieces landed in a Khazra Den in the Fields of Misery, in the Drowned Temple near the Festering Woods, and in the fishing village of Wortham. Because El'druin was tied to his being, Tyrael's physiological capabilities diminished and most of his memory was lost. While searching for the pieces of the sword, Tyrael's allies made an enemy of the evil witch Maghda and her Dark Coven, who sought to claim the sword for her master Belial.

The sword was made whole once more by the Horadric arts of Deckard Cain, his last act before succumbing to the wounds he suffered during his torture at the hands of Maghda and the Coven. When the hero rescued the mortal Tyrael from the Coven and returned the sword to him, both his mind and body were restored, and he wielded the weapon from that moment forward. Tyrael notably used El'druin to shatter the demon gate at Arreat Crater, and to destroy the demonic corruption barring the heroes' path to the Crystal Arch and their final confrontation with Diablo.

Later, when attempting to seal the Black Soulstone away, Tyrael was forced to use the sword against Malthael, now the Angel of Death. Unfortunately, the sword had no effect, as Malthael's actions were deemed to be righteous, and/or because Malthael existed in a state between life and death and could not be harmed by physical beings.

Trivia

 * An El'druin replica was released in March, 2014.


 * An El'druin keychain is available for purchase.


 * The renders for El'druin have changed markedly from Diablo II to Diablo III, as well as between different concept arts. This is best seen in the in-game flashbacks and trailers. In Diablo II, El'druin looks like a regular sword with a standard hilt and straight edge, while in Diablo III its hilt has a large sunburst pattern with a blue gem at its center and an odd-shaped blade.


 * Sometimes, the gem on El'druin's hilt will glow brightly.