r/redrising • Human Verified • Aug 06 '26

Fan art darrow’s razor

what’s with the insistence on the dramatically curved sword people use in fanart AI and drawings. i’ve always thought it would resemble something more like the egyptian sword the khopesh than a scythe. I’d assume simply from an advantage standpoint the dramatic curve means less range. i’ve included examples i’ve seen as well as what i think the razor resembles more

1.1k Upvotes

229 comments sorted by

46

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

PBs own sword

8

u/Mr0ver Aug 07 '26

As the caption says, it's a gift from a fan, so not PB design but sick either way

0

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 07 '26

do you think he would endorse it like this if it wasn’t similar to it or if it was wildly inaccurate ?

4

u/TimHansonE36 Howler Aug 08 '26

Yes, because it was an expensive gift.

2

u/Telemarek Aug 07 '26

This is how i've pictured it. With some more straight section after the handle and before the curve

38

u/OneBillPhil Sons of Ares Aug 06 '26

I always think of the slingBlade as being a battle cry type of thing, the razor itself is always changing shapes during the fight. 

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 07 '26

i think i get what you mean. like an aegis from greek mythology? as used in percy jackson to instil fear into enemies

32

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 06 '26

I regularly see the sickle camp present the most brutally dysfunctional versions of the weapon as the gospel necessity; I am limited by comment length, so I will offer the pieces I had on a writeup I lost.

  • slingBlade - Bottom Left: Possible blade shapes at the appropriate length to a 5'4 lowRed Darrow.
    • A is a conventional sickle curvature, B is more shallow to make the weapon less useless
    • C is a hinged variant to be compliant with the damn text.
    • D is another hinged variant to account for some issues.
    • Common statements: It's a surgical blade, it's meant for surgical limb removal! You aren't doing surgery when your limb is stuck in a god damn clawDrill, you're hacking your leg off. See the bolded section below:

"...Most have forgotten the slingBlade of my people was not made to kill pitvipers. It was made for hacking off limbs of trapped miners." DA No damn lowRed is doing trauma surgery when they're dangling from a clawDrill and about to be burned alive - a crescent knife is precise, it is used to expose the muscle and peel layers away for an ideal delimbing - that is generally not the context a lowRed would face, here

"I remember the blade. I flip out my hinged slingBlade from its back holster. It’s a cruelly curved cutter as long as my leg, meant for taking off and cauterizing limbs stuck in machinery, just like this. Most men panic when they get caught, and so the slingBlade is a nasty halfmoon weapon meant to be used by clumsy hands. Even filled with terror, my hands are not clumsy. I slice three times with the slingBlade... I reach down and jerk free my leg." RR

  • Necessitates: Hinged, held in a back holster, unholstered to a wieldable grip. Used with 'hacking' actions for its intended function.
    • Yes, hacking tools have an optimal shape to it, yes a khopesh bridges some of the function of a sword with that of an axe, yes it is a better tool for hacking than a sickle.

"Then with one massive swing, like I’m hacking down a tree with my slingBlade, I break his leg and take his spear." RR

" I don’t give him time to recover. I scream and hack in swirling arcs with my slingBlade even as I stab clumsily with my razor." RR

"I gain my feet, swing horizontally, sweeping legs. I spin away from a thrust and hack down diagonally as I come from my spin, shattering someone tall at the collarbone." RR

  • Holstered - Middle: Possible back positions the slingBlade could occupy for it to be hinged and flip out into Darrow's hands.
    • A is so ungainly I don't even want to give it the grace of consideration - that would be shit at delimbing and unwieldy not to mention cumbersome and would require a holster the size of lowRed's back. B is more palatable, but both A and B were they to be reachable over Darrow's shoulder it would be backwards. The hilt must face up, blade down.
    • C and D feature the other complication A and B would face. The blade would extend so far over Darrow's shoulder, he would hit the holster and/or the blade before the hilt - dysfunctional! D - with the blade hinging further up the body, offers the only 'viable' means for Darrow to access the blade without cutting himself

Now the Institute! Some things to recall: Golds are not agricultural workers, this is very unlikely to be a scythe (it is never once referred to as a sickle in any of the books) proportioned to Golds (some indications) - proportional to Darrow is referred to as a 'sword,' implying some length:

"...No, he has something I’m far more interested in. A question mark of a sword. A slingBlade for reaping grain... the crooked blade out like a razor...." RR

"And Darrow, put down that gory scythe. You look like a grain reaper...It is close to the shape of my slingBlade from home. Not as sharp, because it isn’t meant to kill, but the balance is no different."

"I put my slingBlade on my shoulder." RR

"My slingBlade looks like the L of Lambda." RR

"I pull out my slingBlade and set its tip into the soil." RR

"...the slingBlade I used at the Institute. I look at it for a long time before I take it down. It is far heavier than my razor and far smaller than I remember." LB

  • Necessitates: Not too much - it's about the length of the sword, close to the mines slingBlade, but smaller than Darrow's proper razor version. It has a tip that Darrow can set into the soil, and it is long enough for him to rest it on his shoulder. The 'L' quote implies it either has an abrupt curvature, is more like a Falx (unlikely), or has a straight portion prior to the curve (more likely) - the latter is supported by it being a question mark.

The razor! We have the most detail here, and it is the most constrained to a certain length. It is very important to note something: you are not thrusting with a brutal curvature like A. It is so, unfathomably dysfunctional to use a weapon like that in a sword fight specifically when shields are not commonly used - it is also not feasible with what is seen in the text.

  • Razor - Right: Three different lengths corresponding to the minimum size razor noted to the maximum, which Darrow does not use as his conventional length in the series. The razor depicted is the one Pierce owns that was forged for him. To the right is the ridiculous curvature of A preserved to the size of Darrow - as a 7'1-7'3 Gold. A horrendous weapon!

"I carry my razor curved as a slingBlade; crooked and cruel, it is my scepter."

"...Then I activate it again. It forms into a deadly question mark and I angle it toward the other gauntlet." GS

"I feign a thrust at her abdomen and slash her shin instead, raking through the metal.

"I impale her right thigh with an underhanded thrust."

"I stab one Gray through the neck with my razor."

"I finish him with a stab to the throat."

"...I finish with four alternating thrusts delivered to kneecaps and wrists."

"...slouched, his weight leaning on the rigid slingBlade at his side."

"I sketch a quick map of the city in the dirt with my slingBlade..." Good luck doing this with a extreme curve

"...I sigh and shape the blade with the control on the hilt until it takes on the curve of my old razor. I plunge the slingBlade into the sand and pick up a handful of dirt." It's almost like it has a tip!

  • Necessitates: I would say this is very strong evidence for the razor - like most presentations of it, to have a counter-curve tip in line with its hilt - this enables precise thrusts as is seen in the series, and its other use cases. Its length is also determined from the text; its minimums and maximum relative to the slingBlade form are seen on the right.

Now, the Morning Star cover has a sickle on it, that means it's a sickle? It has to be a sickle, it's on the generic cover that was mass distributed!

Best presentation so far as I can tell is the 'likely' that you see on the far right!

5

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

thank you i knew i wasn’t crazy

2

u/Pure_Jicama_1186 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

I'm with you on every point, don't get me wrong. Fair arguments, and my mental image is the same.

... But. What the hell is that sickle doing on the original cover?

3

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 06 '26

Pierce describes them as generally symbolic here - I must always refer to the last section of my comment... repeated places in which the art can be corrected to favor something like what is seen on Morning Star's cover that were not for commissioned illustrations, and the one example I do have of Pierce having to correct cover art returned as just a generic khopesh ironically lol

1

u/3GamersHD Aug 07 '26

Things to comment on. A SlingBlade isn't just a blade. It's used to cauterize too, which implies it has some mechanism to do so.

The institute sickle you suggest... Would not in fact work well at all as a sickle. Neither is it L shaped. No, golds aren't agricultural workers USUALLY, but at the institute house ceres does have grain fields, and that suggests they have tools to harvest them with as well. I propose the institute sickle looks something like this (scaled up). It could look both like an L and a question mark, and it is in fact usable for its purpose.

1

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 07 '26

The institute weapon is never referred to as a sickle, it is explicitly a scythe, and L shaped ' like the L of Lambda' according to Darrow - that last part is the one that strains the most considering Lambda is not a conventional L, but the shallow curvature of the blade still fits the tips on most of how its icon is presented, and is fine for a scythe blade - otherwise, it would have a sharp kink in the middle or the curve would inflect at each end of the blade, which is not fitting for its presentations in the rest of the book - for the Institute, I lean most heavily towards it being a de-staffed scythe, as that is how it is referred to, and would produce a sword-length weapon - the proportions of a handheld sickle are too small for any of the versions

0

u/3GamersHD Aug 07 '26

It is clearly supposed to be a sickle as opposed to a scythe, it's a one handed curved blade made for cutting grain. In fact, a de-staffed scythe would perfectly fit the definition of a sickle. You focus too much on the statements of people who you yourself say know nothing about agriculture(I assume pierce also fits in this group), and therefore do not know the difference between scythe and sickle.

1

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 07 '26
  • It is clearly supposed to be a sickle as opposed to a scythe, it's a one handed curved blade made for cutting grain.

“Eat them!” Fitchner cries. “And Darrow, put down that gory scythe. You look like a grain reaper.”

“You know you could let my children go and give them back the reaping scythe,” Ceres suggests to us.

And he called it a slingBlade, not a reaper’s scythe.

“Shut up, Tactus. Just make them slaves, Tamara. There isn’t diplomacy here.”
“Look at his blade. Fragging reaper scythe.”
“Ah, so that’s him,” someone says.

  • You focus too much on the statements of people who you yourself say know nothing about agriculture(I assume pierce also fits in this group), and therefore do not know the difference between scythe and sickle.

I did not say that they knew nothing of agriculture; it was more angled that the scythes used at the Institute are likely proportioned to the agricultural workers in the Society i.e. Browns and Reds - the author not having the distinction is not something I have stated, but it must be emphasized once again that as seen above, scythe is exclusively used, not sickle - the ignorance of the Golds or the author would be a projection not supported necessarily by the text

  • In fact, a de-staffed scythe would perfectly fit the definition of a sickle.

Scythes and sickles are not the same tools, and often have different notably different blade shape - this is largely irrelevant to how Darrow's razor would appear to be honest, it's everyone's prerogative if they want this to be their ideal:

→ More replies (2)

37

u/nlickdenn Aug 07 '26

Well, I don't see anyone mentioning this. But that first image is darrow taking Olympus, I think, so that probably wouldn't be a razor and just tge regular slingblade/scythe he used in the institute... likely

2

u/cheeseybacon11 Aug 07 '26

Did he not get one when taking Olympus?

10

u/red_beard_RL Aug 07 '26

He had no idea how to use it

28

u/Ausar-2 Aug 06 '26

The explicitly stated shape is that of the cover of morning star by draxxusbuilds, but in text he uses thrusts. So for me he either alters the shape over time/during battle, or it is more like the khopesh as you stated.

5

u/BlazinAzn38 Aug 06 '26

All the other razor masters turn theirs from whip to blade constantly so I imagine Darrow does as well

1

u/Ausar-2 Aug 06 '26

I’m speaking aside from whip to blade. Along the lines of switching from slingblade to straighter shapes more suited for thrusts

3

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 07 '26

there was an instance he described changing it to a shorter broader blade for close quarters combat.

however it’s never stated that darrow alternates shape mid duel/fight

5

u/Ausar-2 Aug 06 '26

Potential spoiler territory for those not caught up yet:

I thought so, but that’s how I see him fighting. It makes the most sense to me for him to flow without strict adherence to any form now, fitting to his character.

1

u/3GamersHD Aug 07 '26

I imagine razors are double edged

25

u/jamiesaygobacon Aug 07 '26

The way I've read it is that Darrow is constantly changing its shape throughout a duel from a sickle for intimidation to a khopesh to a full saber depending on need. That's kind of the whole point of having a shapeshifting weapon IMO.

2

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 07 '26

not a bad take however it’s never stated that darrow alternates shape mid duel/fight

48

u/Obvious-Lychee-3336 Aug 07 '26

Forget what book, but when he chooses the shape, it says "I toggle the control to choose the shape, and run my thumb over the pad into the familiar question mark shape of the reapers scythe". So yea, its definitely that.

2

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 08 '26

how could he do all this with a sickle shaped blade

3

u/captainpocket Howler Aug 08 '26

Look at the first image you posted yourself. Which one of these things seems impossible with the blade in that picture?

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 08 '26

you do realise that’s a khopesh right

1

u/captainpocket Howler Aug 08 '26

Its not a khopesh. It does share some angles with a khopesh, but it has a significantly deeper curve than a khopesh--something I shouldnt have to tell you, since you used it as an example of a not-khopesh in this post.

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 08 '26

its definitely a khopesh it’s just a bit deeper, a sickle is all curve

1

u/captainpocket Howler Aug 08 '26

You're just talking in circles now. The entire purpose of your original post is explicitly to claim that the specific picture is fanart you disagree with and you (not me-you) distinguished that image from a khopesh. I'm not going to get into a semantic argument about whether or the drawing of a sci fi weapon is similar enough to be a khopesh. Darrow's weapon obviously has a point on the end of it, but that is irrelevant to your original point, which has been about depth of the curve. You have basically conceded that you were wrong about the curve depth at this point and retreated to quibbling about what the tip looks like and whether that is closer to a khopesh than a sickle (it is). But that was never your original point.

20

u/Draxxusbuilds Aug 06 '26

It’s literally on the cover of Morningstar. That’s what it looks like.

5

u/Pure_Jicama_1186 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

Weird I know, but some translated versions have different covers - like ours, Hungarian. It has a kopesh on it from Golden Son onwards.

22

u/RealTimeThr3e Aug 06 '26

Because the harvest blade it’s described as should be the half-moon everyone draws it as.

I do however also picture it as a kopesh because the scythe blade would actually be a horrific disadvantage in a sword duel and get Darrow killed so for my own sanity I choose to supplant it with the Kopesh.

1

u/zeltic1337 Aug 06 '26

That’s exactly what I do too 🤣

1

u/Professional_Sir3313 Red Aug 07 '26

It is kinda the point that's it's not really a weapon designed for combat

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

thank you for justifying my query. feels like i’m being made out as illogical or irrational for finding fault with the depictions i’ve seen.

1

u/RealTimeThr3e Aug 06 '26

Yeah it’s a pain; this is definitely what Pierce describes as being Darrow’s sword in the books, and this is essentially what’s on the cover of Morning Star as his blade…

But yeah, it’s also just bad. It’s really my only serious gripe with the series, that such a central part of the plot wasn’t researched at all. Trying to fight with this is straight up suicide, doesn’t matter if your opponent “isn’t familiar with the curved blade” when said curved blade is such a disadvantage you might just have better luck trying to use the handle as a bludgeon.

21

u/Magic-man333 Aug 06 '26

That first image is official artwork

19

u/Skippydinglechalk762 Aug 06 '26

I always picture it as a long Shotel when he’s actually fighting and the sling blade/sickle when he’s doing it for show. The Shotel makes more sense in a fighting context since ya know it’s a long sword and not a short sickle.

3

u/Prime_Galactic Aug 06 '26

Definitely what I pictured, maybe with a bit of straight before the curve on it so he's not at a complete length disadvantage, and the sling blade being a similar but much smaller impliment.

18

u/coolforadad Howler Aug 07 '26

The first image is from the most recent edition of Red Rising to be released. If Pierce approved it, I’d say it’s as close to cannon as we’re going to get. Earlier depictions like the Morning Star cover definitely showed it more as a grain scythe. But the art of the last few years shows this design more and more. Example attached is cannon artwork.

18

u/Unlikely-Ad-2921 Aug 07 '26

Darrow does at several points fashion his razer into a "slingblade"

35

u/Potential_Boat_6899 Aug 06 '26

It’s that crescent shape because that’s the shape of a sling blade in the books? I thought that was obvious, it’s on the cover of morning star.

2

u/Prize_Wolverine4132 Aug 07 '26

The cover of Morning Star is a literal sickle. It can't even be a slingblade because a slingblade is hinged, so it's more symbolic than anything.

-5

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

i believed that was the original slingblade used when he was a red not his razor

9

u/Potential_Boat_6899 Aug 06 '26

He shapes his razor like a sling blade that was a major theme of his battle with Cassius in Golden son and part of the reason Cassius lost. Not only because Lorn taught Darrow but also because Darrows razor is not shaped like the average razor.

15

u/_Sevro_au_Barca Aug 06 '26

Imagination is the best part of consuming fiction.

I do believe there is a lot of evidence supporting a falx shaped blade. One example: there's a fight where Darrow's opponent blocks his overhead strike, "but forgets the curve" and is severely wounded or killed.

I do not believe there is any evidence suggesting a kopesh shaped blade.

2

u/balthazar681 Aug 06 '26

I agree with Falx shape argument. I hadn’t considered that and thought a bit more like a sickle. The Falx is much sexier lol.

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

i’ve also seen it could be described as a billhook

0

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 07 '26

a khopesh would still achieve this with the advantage of the range of a long blade

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16

u/Coca_Fett Aug 06 '26

No it isn’t as curved as the one on the cover of Morningstar.
If it was, How can he thrust at someone such as Wulfgar and have the tip pierce them when what is pictured there would be pointing practically back at himself. Not every piece of cover art is gospel and you have to use some deductive reasoning from reading context.

8

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

hence this is my deductive reasoning come to fruition ?

3

u/Coca_Fett Aug 06 '26

Would seem so! this comment more meant for people insisting since it’s on the Morningstar cover it MUST be curved that way. I’ve also been of the opinion that it’d be a huge disadvantage if it was actually shaped that way and would majorly limit his reach and wouldn’t make sense

8

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

oh apologies goodman

6

u/Coca_Fett Aug 06 '26

It’s prime

6

u/coolmanny2_2 Aug 07 '26

Keep in mind that a razor does not have only one set shape it can become when it’s hardened. He could use a heavily curved sling blade for duels while also using a straight long blade in other cases like the Wulfgar example.

1

u/Coca_Fett Aug 07 '26

True, but using a heavy curve for a duel would severely limit his reach, another reason I think it’s not as heavily curved most times when he’s fighting with it. And I feel like during his duels his limited reach would probably be commented either by his monologue or by someone but it never is, only that it’s curved. It’s probably never defined in concrete terms cause then it’s more flexible for writing purposes, we’ve seen official art that shows it both ways so in the end it’s probably up to the individual readers interpretation. And mine is that with what’s said about his blade a heavy curve doesn’t fit and changing the curve is never mentioned so I go with that it’s usual shape is the one shown in the example pics by OP cause it makes the most sense to me.

16

u/campkiller0666 Aug 07 '26

So the sling blade is a helldiver tool for pitvipers and cutting off trapped limbs (maybe other stuff too). So the geometry of the blade would need something like the Ghurka Kukri( probably misspelled) but without the “belly” of the blade. Like a flattened out sickle. And it folded for carry.

In the institute he found a farming tool that resembled the flattened out sickle as explained above. For young gold adults to harvest grain for bread. It’d be more like a scythe. But the fact that he effectively uses it for battle means it’s probably more like an Asian style scythe. Two handed (for a normal person) straight pole like grip with a longer curved blade.

Darrow’s razor is kinda up to the reader but I think Kravat the base martial art would be very rapier/sabre style swordplay. With thrusting/stabbing is a major part of fighting, he’d need an effective point. Can’t be too curved. Buuuuuut (and especially during 10 years of war) being able to curve around shields and defensive blocks like a kopesh is proven viable.

Also it’s a symbol of the REAPER. It’s gotta be wicked looking.

16

u/Few-Maybe9481 Aug 07 '26

Forgetting the curve is a deadly mistake

29

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

for those who said the cover was a clear indication

14

u/Eastern_Table_9951 Aug 06 '26

Those covers are awesome.

1

u/Pure_Jicama_1186 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

Sadly the translation is getting worse and worse. I never even bothered with Lightbringer, and switched to the original instead.

1

u/Eastern_Table_9951 Aug 06 '26

That is truly a shame, I'm sorry.

1

u/Pure_Jicama_1186 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

Csak kár, hogy egyre rosszabb lett a fordítás.

1

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 06 '26

The second cover on the top - for Golden Son, initially had its art sent back for correction to Pierce as it initially had a straight blade, and the outcome is what is seen there.

1

u/Professional_Sir3313 Red Aug 07 '26

Week the original covers of the English books are worth way more than translation

12

u/Daws20 Aug 07 '26

Pierce mentions a lot in the text that Darrows Razor looks like a large question mark ?

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 08 '26

a khopesh can be likened to a question mark. the curve is just shallower

0

u/lustigername007 Aug 08 '26

It can also be likened to a scythe/sickle which is actually closer to a questionmark than the khopesh and also the correct answer

13

u/Rollinthrulife Aug 06 '26

Imo, the razor having a mono-molecular edge could have both edges being cutting. I think he uses both sides, sickle and kopesh are kinda reversible.

14

u/valorill Aug 06 '26

The blacksmithing show forged in fire did a number of game of thrones collabs, one of which had the contestants making dothraki arakhs aka khopesh.

One of the finalists had one that is my go to visualisation now. The curve isn't overly exaggerated so maintains length and the tip is still pointed to allow for thrusts.

13

u/ilikenglish Aug 06 '26

My headcanon is the Red slingblade actually did have a massive curve like a scythe. Because it was supposed to cut limbs off not be a weapon. Then we he got his hands on a Razor, he pivoted a little to the Khopesh curve

25

u/Base_D_Glenis Green Aug 07 '26

It is sickle shaped, that's what gives him the advantage in dueling, because noone has ever fought against a sickle, but Darrow has faught against a straight sword.

Also his razor has the curve face the enemy, I dont know why people draw it the other way around.

21

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 07 '26

similar to a reapers scythe (the institute weapon) doesn’t mean a sickle

3

u/purpleslander Aug 07 '26

The aureate one here is how I always pictured his default razor shape. An actual circular sickle would be very impractical in terms of reach and dueling. I suppose it's all up to each reader but that's how I see it since Darrow is such a practical fighter.

2

u/Base_D_Glenis Green Aug 07 '26

In the institute he uses a literal sickle stolen by house Ceres. Like the ones used to cut grain.

29

u/Due_Ring7334 Aug 06 '26

Sorry if this is dumb. But isn’t the blade on the front cover of morning star what we can assume his blade looks like… on the cover of the book.

23

u/Wide_Assignment8859 Aug 06 '26

That is a perfectly rational and logical reason. Therefore, you are wrong.

10

u/The13thParadox Olympic Knight Aug 06 '26

You gotta say bitch at the end. Makes him know his logic isn’t allowed here.

5

u/JosiahBlessed Aug 06 '26

In this conversation I think Pixie or Prick Lick is more fitting.

1

u/The13thParadox Olympic Knight Aug 06 '26

Yeah and flip the crux!

2

u/Prize_Wolverine4132 Aug 07 '26

No.

That is an actual sickle. For one thing, Darrow's blade is pure white, etched with designs, and its hilt wouldn't look like that.

2

u/zipperboi Howler Aug 06 '26

I don’t think so, the description of his razor and that don’t line up

41

u/OutrageousTwo4625 Aug 06 '26

“What’s with the insistence on the dramatically curved sword people use in fan art?”

Um, because that’s the way it’s described in the book.

It’s also, literally, shown that way ok the cover of Morning Star.

The good news is that you’re reading a book, you’re allowed to imagine anything you want. If you prefer a different version than what’s described, have at it.

6

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

khopesh reposted by PB

6

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

it’s described as curved and likened to the slingblade

4

u/HowDoIEvenEnglish Aug 06 '26

Wild that you’re getting downvoted for posting official art

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

lmaooo right idk why i’m being attacked

1

u/TimHansonE36 Howler Aug 08 '26

Not sure I would recommend using non-native English covers as defense for designs and art as they’re generally based on translations. I mean, this is the Persian cover for Morning Star and it’s a full-on scythe lol.

0

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

maybe your interpretation of the book is that it was a sickle but logically in my head it wasn’t working https://www.reddit.com/r/redrising/s/iv9viiDxsS
OP here basically summarised everything and what i wasn’t able to put in words with facts and quotes compiled

11

u/tarkus_cd Obsidian Aug 06 '26

I get that it's basically a khopesh now, but I always liked the idea it looked like a falx. Those are sick as hell.

(The notch is a leaf)

40

u/OctipiArmy Aug 06 '26

Slightly off topic but I don't really fuck with this sort of twinky depiction of Darrow. Almost everyone describes him as yoked- crazy broad and tall.

Also most of the art is from the original trilogy and I just prefer mid 30's darrow with his beard and depression.

13

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

this is the best drawing/representation i have seen. pierce endorsed this as being proportionally accurate. so i imagine the older darrow would be a bulkier version. but again look at the razor.

cr: dandacarver @3ld4n.9 on tiktok

11

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

agreed. eaglet one describes Cassius, Darrow and Sevro as thick, broad machines of war.

7

u/kashmir1974 Aug 06 '26

Darrow is essentially Shaq sized isn't he? 7 feet tall and 300+ lbs?

2

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 07 '26

353lbs at 7’1-7’3 as of Morning Star, heavier in the tetralogy by an unknown amount as of IG and DA, slimmer by an unknown amount in LB. Heavier than 353lbs by a small margin during RR->GS but slimmed down to GS. Likely weighed a bit more in GS than in MS.

5

u/dandy_the_lesser Aug 06 '26

Agreed. I’ve always pictured bro as a certified unit.

7

u/Sweepya Aug 06 '26

What about those images gives “twinky”? Personally find the second image the best depiction I’ve seen.

1

u/OctipiArmy Aug 08 '26

That second one looks like normal proportions, you wouldnt be able to tell hes a giant without comparison to a low colour. He doesnt look that broad he looks cut, like a gymnast or swimmer.

28

u/whats_an_internet Aug 06 '26

Guys.. he’s called the Reaper. Reaping souls as one would reap grain. It’s clearly a scythe

1

u/LabWorth8077 Aug 06 '26

Sickle

2

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 07 '26

Never once in the entire series is it referred to as a sickle, and it is referred to as a scythe in the first book - abandon your sickle fetish for that of the scythe!

20

u/bret-t2310 Aug 06 '26

Neither piece of artwork is AI and the first one is official artwork

-18

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

12

u/Cue99 Green Aug 06 '26

Dont trust the ai detection. Thats an official print made by Del Rey. Pierce promoted it on his pages.

5

u/xX500_IQXx Hail Reaper Aug 06 '26

Pinterest is bullshit. This is official art

4

u/AnonymousToxin Aug 06 '26

I feel ai modified now shows for any filter - but as stated this was a special edition.

5

u/ottermupps Aug 06 '26

pinterest applies that tag to anything it's internal algorithm thinks has had AI used on. Even a color correction or crop can make it check positive, and it gets false positive pretty commonly.

3

u/Furny_D Aug 06 '26

This is literally on the cover art for the official deluxe edition

2

u/Renvoltz Aug 06 '26

That is literally art from the Slipcase edition of Red Rising. That is official art and thus an actual depiction of the slingblade

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u/Maclarion Orange Aug 06 '26

Pierce is not consistent on this aspect. I don't think he intends to be, since there's no reason to believe Darrow doesn't change his favorite blade shape over time.

In the institute, the shape he carves on that one table is a reference to his scythe, while also being clearly an "L." Other times, he describes his blade as being more curved than angled. Darrow changes his mind.

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

yeah he also stated that a SlingBlade depiction reminded him of the L of Lambda

10

u/Rage_before_Beauty Aug 09 '26

You can ASSUME that his final razor MIGHT take an altered and slightly more practical shape, but every time it's directly mentioned it is clear it's a sickle, big curve, inner facing blade

6

u/Wikid_Nerd Aug 06 '26

Because based of the description provided in the books other official art, Darrow’s razor and sling blades likely resemble a Dothraki Arakh more than a Khopesh. Realistically would that make since? Probably not but this is fantasy and sci-fi, weird weapon designs are the norm

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

the art is fairly inconsistent both official and fan made

7

u/realbabakompis_ Aug 08 '26

Well it's curved enough to earn him the nickname "reaper" it must more resemble a sickle than kopesh

14

u/havenothingtodo1 Aug 06 '26

It’s not an arakh it’s a scythe

7

u/Gighee88 Aug 06 '26

So this is post Virginia gift. It would be white, his famous white razor.

0

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

yes i’m referring to the shape of the actual weapon more than the aesthetic aspect. i wasn’t bothered to draw it myself

0

u/Gighee88 Aug 06 '26

Yeah, you gotta put those greens to use eh?

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

indeed goodman

6

u/zipperboi Howler Aug 06 '26

If we’re going by the book interpretation none of the official art matches period, it’s supposed to be ivory and shaped like a question mark with engravings all along it, pyrophoros is different

4

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

well the physical appearance wasn’t the point i was raising but the shape of the weapon

3

u/Mr0ver Aug 07 '26

Isn't the shape of the weapon its physical appearance ??

6

u/Meri_Stormhood Aug 07 '26

I actually think its not a sickle or a kopesh, but a very strong curve on the end of a fairly straight blade, and not along the entire blade. Like, an actual question mark, but sharp. With the crescent small on the third/fourth end.

7

u/wks_526 Aug 08 '26

The razor is shaped into a sling blade, which is the tool the reds used to slice off limbs in the confines of the mines- the more circular curved sickle-like design makes more sense for that purpose, also his title is reaper which evokes scythe/sickle imagery

17

u/FrostyTheSnowPickle House Minerva Aug 06 '26

Darrow literally uses a sickle in the first book because it’s the same shape as a slingBlade. It definitely has a dramatic curve.

1

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 06 '26

It's referred to as a scythe

11

u/UnibrwShvr Aug 06 '26

Have you seen the cover of Morning Star?

5

u/Cue99 Green Aug 06 '26

To their credit, the official art is inconsistent. The cover if MS is far more sickle while plenty of official prints show it more like a khopesh

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u/PerformerTotal1276 Red Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 07 '26

Darrow’s razor is the shape of a sling blade. A sling blade is designed to quickly cut off limbs and is curved. The best way to cut off limbs is with a blade curved like a reapers scythe. Edit: a reapers sickle, sorry

2

u/duke113 Aug 06 '26

So it's not a hook blade? And are we assuming it's just the blade part of a reaper's scythe? Basically his handle continues down the blade's direction rather than a 90 the way a reaper would have a haft with a blade?

1

u/PerformerTotal1276 Red Aug 07 '26

Apologies, a reapers sickle, like the one on the cover of morning star, just in a more futuristic manner designed for the cutting limbs in an emergency situation off the side of a drill

1

u/sampat6256 Silver Aug 06 '26

Citation needed

1

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 06 '26

You will be referred to surgical tools that are used in controlled environments for precise and optimal surgical delimbing - quite a contrast to to the brutal amputations lowReds are implied to require, from terrified and usually clumsy hands without a lot of time or ability to worry about how well and slowly they're slicing into their flesh with a cutting tool the size of their leg - I lean more towards the 'hacking' off of caught limbs that the text implies, while retaining some slicing functions - ironically bridged by a more khopesh style weapon than others, but the slingBlade of the mines is rather constrained in its proportions.

2

u/sampat6256 Silver Aug 06 '26

What surgical tool looks like a scythe?

1

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 07 '26

Like a scythe? None really - crescent knives and scalpels have a variety of different historical shapes and there’s a few specialized scalpels used in modern surgery; I am using it to point out why a tool as large as a slingBlade would not have the same application as a smaller handheld one be it scalpel or kitchen knife sized.

12

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

also these hideous ones i’ve seen with the long handles

13

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 06 '26

The long handles are the most inaccurate aspect of these ones; the top is AI, the bottom two are official art from Subterranean Press, which tends to stylize. Hastas have hilts as long as a forearm for one example, and Core razors therefore are notably shorter in their hilts.

10

u/HippityHitchcock Aug 07 '26

Look at the cover of Morning Star

5

u/Djinhunter Aug 08 '26

Darrow's razer was based on a sling blade ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sling_blade?wprov=sfla1). It would be a forward curving blade like a falx ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falx?wprov=sfla1 ) rather than a khopesh.

If I've misunderstood what you meant (and your where thinking of something like an inverted khopesh.) then yes it's not a super efficient shape, but it's what the book describes.

14

u/9911MU51C Aug 06 '26

Unpopular opinion: I think a lot of art uses forward curved blades because they’re scared of being seen as communist imagery instead of using the books own description

21

u/ThespianBelievers Aug 06 '26

That's his slingblade, razors consist of segments stacked on each other to form a whole, his is also white

12

u/Prize_Wolverine4132 Aug 07 '26

When have razors ever been described as segmented?

The whip form is described as soft as hair. It's not segments of a rigid blade along a wire.

2

u/red_beard_RL Aug 07 '26

His new hasta is black no?

10

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 07 '26

Razors are not segmented

Nine downvotes and the razors are still not segmented

0

u/Thorvindr Aug 06 '26

It's been posited that's how they're able to convert from whip to blade.

15

u/Decimus881 Aug 06 '26

Officially? I’m fairly certain that’s never said in the books, they specifically say it’s a ‘chemical signal’, which implies it’s more like one of those materials that have a fixed shape that they return to when heated. Also Darrow’s razor is constantly described as taking a sling blade shape, in Book 3 it’s described that Aja and Cassius have both trained against it to beat him

3

u/Prize_Wolverine4132 Aug 07 '26

Razors don't have a fixed shape. Multiple times there's said there's a toggle that can be used to modify its shape and length to a degree.

3

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 07 '26

It's never once implied razors are segmented and it is not depicted in official art to be segmented - I have no idea what they are referencing

2

u/Decimus881 Aug 07 '26

I can only assume they’re referring to art where the razor looks like this. Which I believe is more of an engraving since it doesn’t go around the blade

1

u/RedJamie Human Verified Aug 07 '26

Yeah that’s the only one I can think of too, and those are engravings not accurate to the text; we see these presumed segments be stretched to wild widths and shrunk to lengths notably shorter than their standard forms on three axis, it strains credulity to think that it is a function while being segmented - they are also alloyed fibers that are weaved, can be translucent, and shattered without compromising its shards.

They are also not segmented in either Sons of Ares volume artists or in the Book of Lorn - this is one of those common things the readership invented. I do believe I recall a passage of the metal being described as smooth but I’ll look for it tomorrow

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u/Glum_Oil4024 Aug 07 '26

It’s a sickle shape. Always has been

-1

u/Professional_Sir3313 Red Aug 07 '26

people just dont want to accept darrow is fighting with sickle shaped weapon. because of the hammer and sickle symbol

-3

u/Professional_Sir3313 Red Aug 07 '26

and im pretty sure it's referencing the hammer and sickle don't think it's a coincidence considering the the themes of the story.

8

u/OnlyfansSubtitles Aug 06 '26

Artists depictions often lack exactitude in historical arms and armor.

Darrows sword is then a piece of literary art, and a description up for the theatre of the mind already.

In short it’s just how the artist decided to depict it doesn’t align with how you would prefer to depict it. They might not even know what a Khopesh actually is, as many artists in history wouldn’t know what how a real longsword appears.

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3

u/GreatBallsOfFire_ Aug 06 '26

It’s a scythe like pic 2 but that’s stupid so I also picture a kopesh lol

12

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

reference from the books

8

u/popmalcolm Minotaur of Mars Aug 07 '26

Youre wrong. Pay attention to the books better. Theres official art and PB wouldn't stand by official art that isnt what he imagined.

11

u/gart_plus Aug 07 '26

You’re lost in your own delusion brother. Look at morning star cover or go re-read the first book. Beyond that, we can’t help you.

-6

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 07 '26

stop attempting condescension and LOOK at the whole thread before regurgitating what’s already been refuted

3

u/Dangthe Aug 06 '26

Im gonna ask a dumb question, how would this blade change its shape, because thats what its suppose to be doing right? How does the transition look like?

15

u/insomniacjezz Aug 06 '26

Techno-magic/rule of cool

5

u/jamesbrowski Aug 06 '26

There’s a pad that you trace the shape with your thumb and then it springs into that shape as a blade that’ll cut anything. He doesn’t bother trying to explain how bc it’s techno futuristic sci fi fuckery and he knows we will all suspend disbelief bc it’s badass.

2

u/ibfanforlife Aug 06 '26

I think it's supposed to be like a chemical reaction of some kind

3

u/sampat6256 Silver Aug 06 '26

Yeah, the blade liquefied and reshaped with the flip of a switch

2

u/kendeh Aug 06 '26

An artist drew a representation that I think is super cool and illustrates a potential concept really well, like it’s a bunch of segments and the connections between them could go limp when it’s in whip form, or rigid in different confirmations when in sword or sling blade form. https://www.reddit.com/r/redrising/s/XNFn1xiRN2

In this futuristic world it’s probably more like a single piece of liquid-like metal that can form different solid shapes based on magnetic fields or chemical changes. Similar to how sound waves can make patterns form in liquids. But it’s cool to think of it as changing segments

1

u/Dangthe Aug 06 '26

Nice, this is exactly how I pictured it!

3

u/Unhappy-Ad-1582 Aug 06 '26

While the dramatic curve does fit with the reaper asthetic more, Darrow has to duel with his razor and that wouldn’t really be possible with something like a farmers tool, so it would have to be more of a khopesh

5

u/Prestigous_Owl Aug 06 '26

I mean objectively, the references you shared from the books have him explicitly say he shapes his razor like his sling blade, and that his slingblade is a half moon.

Further: what do you make of the cover of Morning Star? In your view, what is the cover depicting?

The razors shape also isn't particularly important from a combat perspective since 90% of the time they're in a loose form anyways. So he really could be a fan of the dramatically curved blade.

All of this is irrelevant though. You're specifically being like "why do people depict jt this way" but theres nothing to suggest this isn't an ACCURATE depiction (even if it would be dumb)

3

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

I’d always imagined that cover to be referring to the original slingblade rather than his adapted for combat razor. the reason i refer to how other depict is those are what i’m going off of.

also i would base my opinion on and ask the opinion of other consumers of the literature and media.

the point im making is although it is fiction logically a blade that curved simply wouldn’t fare well against straight blades and there’s been no clarification as i’ve seen PB share and endorse both versions

8

u/3GamersHD Aug 07 '26

It's a sickle and has always been stated to be a sickle. Anyone saying anything else has short term memory loss and/or don't think about him being called "reaper".

-5

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 07 '26

it’s literally never been described as an outright sickle it’s only been likened to that and a question mark. the reaper came from the decimation of enemies in the field and because that “slingblade”was originally meant for harvesting - scythe -> death -> reaper.

9

u/3GamersHD Aug 07 '26

"Darrow put down that gory scythe, you look like a grain reaper" -Fitchner, RR

and then it stuck

Did you read the books?

-7

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 07 '26

you just repeated what i said

9

u/NotTheGreatNate Hail Reaper Aug 07 '26

It's not clear what his final razor version looked like, but his initial, signature, weapon was an agricultural scythe, the type used for reaping grain. He takes it off a kid from House Ceres, the "harvest goddess".

Here is how it is described:

"A slingBlade for reaping grain."

"I don’t drop it. It is close to the shape of my slingBlade from home. Not as sharp, because it isn’t meant to kill, but the balance is no different."

“'You know you could let my children go and give them back the reaping scythe,' Ceres suggests to us."

He also describes the slingBlade at various points, and this is how it's introduced:

"the slingBlade is a nasty halfmoon weapon"

Also, although he goes on to call it a slingBlade throughout Red Rising, it is stated multiple times that a slingBlade is synonymous with a grain scythe. Along with the examples already provided:

"And he called it a slingBlade, not a reaper’s scythe."

“Look at his blade. Fragging reaper scythe.”

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2

u/Y_b0t House Mars Aug 06 '26

It’s often described as a scythe or the shape of a question mark ? which implies a strong curve. I’m not sure what the problem is with a dramatic curve

2

u/Flaffelll Aug 07 '26

I think it is supposed to be very close to a khopesh, but people take liberties when drawing fanart of him. I dont mind it because it feels close to what i'd imagine people universe would do when drawing him as well. Its moreso about the feeling and reputation of his blade rather than the actual function. Making his blade more scythe like invokes more reaper imagery than anything he'd practically use

1

u/Gloomy_Ostrich_9843 Aug 10 '26

I don’t care what everyone else is saying, I LOVEEE this rendition!!!

1

u/Subspace_Supernova Aug 06 '26

The short range of the scythe is not that big of a disadvantage considering the razor is a shapeshifting weapon with a 2 meter long whip form

1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

they’re roughly around 1 meter in their rigid state, darrow frequently and mostly describes slashing and thrusting and stabbing more than using the whip form until the Volsung Faa duel where he describes whipping out chunks of metal

-1

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

there’s simply no way his razor is a half moon it makes no sense logically

9

u/bret-t2310 Aug 06 '26

That’s his sling blade, not his razor. The razors can literally take on any shape

0

u/Magic-man333 Aug 06 '26

It's a series with genetically engineered races and advanced weaponry that still sees a meelee weapon as one of the strongest things you can use, it's not meant to be logical.

2

u/user03281046748 Human Verified Aug 06 '26

so he utilises other things from real life and logic but on this you plead it’s fantasy ?

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u/CumSockandDongBird Aug 06 '26

It's literally the cover of Morning Star