Sword emoji
⚔️ for battle and rivalry, 🗡️ for a single blade: copy both here.
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What the sword emoji means
⚔️ (crossed swords) means battle, rivalry, “fight me”, sports matchups and fantasy games; a team-versus-team post almost always carries it. 🗡️ (dagger) is a single blade for stealth, betrayal (“stabbed in the back”) and fantasy loot. 🛡️ (shield) is defence and protection, 🏹 the bow and arrow, 🥷 the ninja. Both swords are text-style symbols with variation selectors, so they may render plain in some apps.
Unicode name: crossed swords · U+2694 U+FE0F · Emoji 1.0 (2015) · group: Objects.
How people use it
- Matchups: Team A ⚔️ Team B
- Gaming and fantasy: ⚔️🛡️🐉
- Rivalry: “fight me ⚔️”
- Betrayal: 🗡️
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Use it for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| crossed swordsU+2694 U+FE0F | Battle, rivalry, versus | May render plain | |
| daggerU+1F5E1 U+FE0F | Dagger; stealth, betrayal | May render plain | |
| shieldU+1F6E1 U+FE0F | Shield; defence | Pairs with ⚔️ | |
| bow and arrowU+1F3F9 | See the bow emoji guide |
Two crossed swords: the ⚔️ emoji
The crossed swords emoji shows two swords crossing at an angle. Crossed swords have long been a symbol of a duel, a battle, or a contest between two sides. When you send ⚔️, it can suggest that clash — whether it is a sports rivalry, an online game matchup, or a playful “fight me” challenge.
Crossed swords appear on coats of arms and military insignia, and in messaging the ⚔️ emoji carries that weight: it is less about a single weapon and more about conflict between two opponents. For a versus scenario, the crossed swords emoji can be shorthand.
Chat examples
Real messages with ⚔️, and a reply that fits.
fencing class ⚔️
en garde
🗡️ dungeon night
bring dice
🛡️ defend the group chat
always
Questions people ask
What does ⚔️ mean?
Crossed swords: a battle, a matchup or a rivalry. It is the “versus” emoji.
Is there a knife emoji?
🔪 kitchen knife exists as a separate object; 🗡️ is the dagger.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
