There are a variety of weapons used by Shadowhunters in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Most of these weapons are made with materials capable of killing demons, such as adamas, forged by the Iron Sisters.
Information
Shadowhunters do not use firearms; their basic armaments are hand-to-hand or projectile weapons, which come in several variations and categories. Most of their weapons are forged by the Iron Sisters and Marked with runes to at least be slightly effective against demons.
Shadowhunters usually have a preferred weapons, or weapons they specialize in. Shadowhunters are also trained to battle with weapons improvised from the environment, in the event that weapons are not available, and even without weapons, using only their own body, strength and speed as a weapon.
Institute weapons rooms, Alicante's Armory, and even their hidden caches in churches of different belief systems are often well-stocked with weapons.
Shadowhunters are known to hide weapons in churches for their use in case of emergencies, since some forms of demons can only be killed and fought through a certain method of a belief systems. As long as Shadowhunters cleave to no single religion, all religions will assist in their battle. The weapons are usually hidden by a church's altar, with the Nephilim rune drawn over its hiding place.
Certain elemental weapons are more effective against certain species of Downworlders: faeries are weakened by blessed iron, silver powder and bullets against lycanthropes, holy water, wooden stakes in oak and ash, and religious symbols against vampires, etc.
Varieties
- Seraph blades - the most and primary weapon of the Nephilim that is capable of dealing permanent damage against demons.
- Other bladed weapons - include swords, knives, daggers, etc.
- Blunt weapons - weapons that simply bludgeon with heavy attachments, like maces, axes, hammers, flails, and morning stars, among others. These weapons are usually used as heavy weaponry.
- Polearms - weapons with sharp blades attached to the end of long sticks, such as pikes, spears, lances, and staves, that provide extended reach. These weapons are usually used for defense.
- Exotic weapons - nonstandard, specialty weapons from different cultures. These weapons are: whips, sword canes, throwing stars, chakrams, balisongs, bolas, naginata, kindjal, parasol, and guisarme.obscure weapons of martial arts traditions, household objects modified to double as blades, and so on.
- Aegis - a rare dagger that has been seethed and tempered in angel blood. What few of these were made are kept by the Iron Sisters and may only be borrowed upon request.
- Athame - a ceremonial, double-edged dagger carved with demonic runes, used in demon-summoning rituals to draw blood or carve lines of magical force.
- Ranged weapons - projectile weapons like slings, crossbows, bows and arrows, for long-range fighting.
- Skeptron - the primary weapon of the Nephilim in Edom, in the place of seraph blades.
Specialization
Some notable Shadowhunters with weapon preferences, specializations, or unique weapons used include:
- Alastair Carstairs - spears and daggers
- Alec Lightwood - bow & arrow and feather staff
- Anna Lightwood - electrum-laced whip
- Charlotte Branwell - electrum-laced whip
- Clary Fairchild - Heosphoros (former)
- Cordelia Carstairs - Cortana
- Cristina Rosales - balisong
- Diana Wrayburn - throwing stars
- Emma Carstairs - Cortana
- Hodge Starkweather - chakrams
- Isabelle Lightwood - electrum-laced whip
- James Herondale - throwing knives and gun
- Jem Carstairs - sword cane
- Jessamine Lovelace - electrum-laced parasol
- Jesse Blackthorn - Blackthorn sword
- Julian Blackthorn - crossbow
- Lucie Herondale - throwing axe
- Maryse Lightwood - naginata
- Matthew Fairchild - chalikars
- Robert Lightwood - guisarme
- Sebastian Morgenstern - Phaesphoros
- Thomas Lightwood - bolas/boleadoras
- Valentine Morgenstern - kindjal
- Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs - throwing knives