The phrase is also popular in modern gaming and fiction to describe "illegal" or overpowered weapons:
: They were crafted using crucible steel , a high-purity metal with a carbon content so high that the technology to create it wasn't thought to exist in Europe until the Industrial Revolution. The Sword That Shouldn't Exist
The phrase "The Sword That Shouldn't Exist" often refers to the legendary , a group of roughly 170 medieval Viking swords found in Europe. These weapons are considered historical anomalies because: The phrase is also popular in modern gaming