Sordward: the Galar noble who declared war on the legend

He isn't attacking the throne; he's attacking the legend. Sordward belongs to Galar's old nobility and claims descent from the line that ruled the region before anyone else. Backed by his younger brother Shielbert, he wants to get his hands on the country's two Legendary Pokémon to have his rights recognized, even if it means turning Pokémon into giants in the middle of the stadiums.

Contents

• The Noble, His Younger Brother and a Disputed Crown
• The Slumbering Weald Relics, Taken by Force
• The Stadium Tour
• The Motive: A Story That Slipped Away from Them
• When the Legendary Refuses the Role
• Surrender, Abdication, Then Patronage
• Sordward at a Glance
• Frequently Asked Questions

The Noble, His Younger Brother and a Disputed Crown

Sordward is a Trainer from the Galarian nobility, and he presents himself as a direct heir of the region's founding kings. His younger brother Shielbert never leaves his side: in their exchanges, every line from the elder is instantly echoed and topped by the younger, to the point that the two men work like a single character speaking with two voices.

The character wears his allegiance on his head, since his improbable hairstyle is shaped like a sword. The detail isn't random: the brothers split the two versions of the game between them, and it's Sordward who seizes the Rusted Sword in Pokémon Sword, while Shielbert gets his hands on the Rusted Shield in Pokémon Shield.

The stated goal is as simple as it is outrageous: take control of Galar's two Legendaries to have the family's rights to the throne recognized. Zacian and Zamazenta aren't allies to win over in his eyes, but living proof to turn against those who celebrate them.

The Slumbering Weald Relics, Taken by Force

The two brothers first show up at the altar in the Slumbering Weald, right after the battle between Hop and the brand-new Champion. There they declare themselves heirs of the first dynasty and grab both legendary relics, on the grounds that they rightfully belong to them.

In the same breath, they also tear into the book by Sonia, the one that documents the place of the two Legendaries in the region's stories: in their eyes, the work is nothing but a pack of fabrications. The dialogue even specifies that they bought it, read it cover to cover, then gave it a zero-out-of-five-star review online.

The duel that follows settles nothing. The player beats their opponent and recovers the stolen artifact, but the other brother wins against Hop, keeps his own, and the two nobles make off with half the loot. Sordward's documented team brings together Doublade, Sirfetch’d, Golisopod and Bisharp, four Pokémon whose imagery revolves around the blade.

The Stadium Tour

What follows takes the form of a methodical campaign. In Turffield, the brothers force a Tsareena to Dynamax and the stadium takes the hit; once the giant has been calmed down by the player, Hop, Piers and Milo, they reappear to announce that the other stadiums will get the same treatment, and that they intend to reveal the true nature of the two Legendaries.

Hulbury and Motostoke follow, then Sonia's lab, where the brothers come to collect the Wishing Stars. Beaten in a Double Battle by the Champion and Hop, they still leave with the stones: the researcher's new assistant was working for them and had been spying on her work since the day she arrived.

Stow-on-Side, Ballonlea, Circhester and Hammerlocke each get a giant Pokémon of their own in turn. It's this trail of damage that ends up giving them away: Sonia tracks the two brothers down to the Energy Plant at Hammerlocke Stadium, and the group forces its way in.

The Motive: A Story That Slipped Away from Them

In the Energy Plant, the noble blocks the way and finally lets slip the real reason. Until then, the two brothers had been celebrated as the descendants of the original royalty — until the two Legendaries' role in the Eternatus affair made them the saviors of Galar and pushed the family into the background.

That's where the plan comes from: publicly prove that Zacian and Zamazenta aren't the heroes Sonia describes. To do so, the brothers intend to expose them to the Galar particles contained in the stolen Wishing Stars, then unleash them on the region in front of the very people who revere them.

The final setup changes depending on the version. In Pokémon Sword, Sordward guards the elevator while his brother summons Zamazenta at the top of the tower; in Pokémon Shield, the roles are swapped and he's the one calling Zacian up there, with the stolen artifact serving as bait.

⚔️ Galar's two Legendaries have their own section: check out the Legendary Pokémon.

When the Legendary Refuses the Role

The battle he fights at the foot of the tower has only one purpose, buying time, and he loses it. The Legendary Pokémon's cry then rings out through the Energy Plant: the summoning has worked, and the stolen relic has done its job.

The order to ravage the region doesn't have the hoped-for effect. The summoned Legendary turns against the one who called it, and it takes the player, Hop and the other Legendary Pokémon to calm it down; the creature flees, and Hop recovers the artifact and sets off after it.

That leaves one Legendary facing two terrified nobles. In Pokémon Sword, it's Sordward who begs the Pokémon to spare his brother; the player gets the two men left alone, before battling and then catching the creature right in front of them.

Surrender, Abdication, Then Patronage

The battle teaches them a lesson. The two brothers admit their wrongs, congratulate the player on the victory and turn themselves in to Piers, intending to repair what they broke.

They turn up again at the Slumbering Weald altar, escorted by Piers and Leon. They watch the duel between the player and Hop, offer a proper formal apology, then announce that they are giving up their claim to the throne on the grounds that only the player deserves to rule over Galar. They then set off on a tour of the region to apologize to its residents, still under watch.

Their change of heart is confirmed at the Galarian Star Tournament: the two brothers sponsor it as patrons and present this support as their way of making amends for the harm they caused. They also take part, get knocked out in the first round every time, and squabble over the player as a teammate, with Sordward going so far as to offer his hair as a sword.

Sordward at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who is Sordward in Pokémon Sword and Shield?
  A Trainer from the Galarian nobility who claims to descend from the founding kings. With his younger brother Shielbert, he arrives on the scene after the new Champion is crowned and tries to control Zacian and Zamazenta to assert his rights to the throne.
• Why does he go after Zacian and Zamazenta?
  Because their role in the Eternatus affair made them the saviors of Galar and called the two brothers' royal status into question. Sordward wants to prove they aren't the heroes described in Sonia's book.
• What changes between Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield?
  The two brothers swap roles. In Pokémon Sword, Sordward seizes the Rusted Sword, then blocks access to the elevator at Hammerlocke Stadium while Shielbert summons Zamazenta. In Pokémon Shield, he's the one who calls Zacian to the top of the tower.
• What is Sordward's team?
  Four Pokémon are documented for him: Doublade, Sirfetch’d, Golisopod and Bisharp. He readily presents them as a stable with an impeccable pedigree, far superior to his opponents'.
• What happens to the two brothers after their defeat?
  They turn themselves in to Piers, apologize publicly, give up their claim to the throne in favor of the player and travel across Galar to offer their apologies. They later reappear as patrons of the Galarian Star Tournament, where they get eliminated in the first round.

In short

Sordward isn't an enemy who wants to destroy Galar: he's an heir who rejects the official version of history. His crusade against a book leads him to make Pokémon swell up in most of the region's stadiums, until a Legendary reminds him who's really in charge. He ends up as the patron of a tournament he never manages to win, knocked out in the first round, and as convinced as ever of his august superiority.