Sacred Gear

*This page contains information from sources yet to be translated.*
*Minor errors or differences may be present.*

Issei wielding his Boosted Gear (Twice Critical form)

**Sacred Gears** (神器セイクリッド・ギア, *Seikuriddo Gia*), also known as **God's Artifacts**, are items with powerful abilities bestowed upon humans by God of the Bible. They are one of the main points of interest in the "*High School DxD*"

## Summary

The original God of the Bible created the Sacred Gears as part of his system to enact miracles on Earth. It has been stated that certain individuals with Sacred Gears have grown to become very powerful and influential and that a large number of the people who have had their names etched into history, were most likely Sacred Gear possessors. There can be more than one Sacred Gear of the same type such as Blade Blacksmith. Sacred Gears can vary from the common Twice Critical, to the rare Sacred Gear Twilight Healing, with the only exception being the Longinus, which are all unique in their own way. If a Sacred Gear is removed from the owner, they would die.

Only humans or human hybrids can be born with Sacred Gears. Angels and Devils can obtain them by resurrecting a human or human hybrid as one of their own. The Fallen Angels have devised a ceremony to extract and possess a Sacred Gear from the original user.

It is possible for an individual to own more than one Sacred Gear at a time. As to why Angels and Devils are never born with them, yet keep them when transformed from humans, is another mystery. One theory is that God never foresaw the new systems of reincarnating Devils and Angels which arose after His death.

## Abilities

Sacred Gears can have a variety of effects, such as Asia's Twilight Healing granting near-instantaneous healing and Siegfried's Twice Critical doubles the power of the user. Yuuto's Sword Birth, for example, can create Demon Swords imbued with different attributes, examples include creating a sword that absorbs holy energy, a sword that devours flame, and a sword that absorbs wind.

Sacred Gears can also adapt and evolve based on their wielder's thoughts, needs, and feelings, gaining abilities or qualities as time passes. This is stated to be the source of Balance Breaker, and suggested to be the source of the transformation into a Sub-Species.

### Balance Breaker

Sacred Gears have an ultimate state of activation called the **Balance Breaker**, which is the most powerful manifestation of the Sacred Gear. Once reached, the Balance Breaker can be entered again far more easily than the first time. An incomplete Balance Breaker can be reached by self-sacrifice on the part of the user, such as when Issei sacrificed his left arm, allowing it to be transformed into a Dragon arm. However, this sacrifice method does not count as a true activation of Balance Breaker. Reaching the Balance Breaker can be triggered by the feelings of its possessor. Balance Breaker is said to be have been never intended, and that it was a flaw in the system created by God.

### Juggernaut Drive

**Juggernaut Drive** is a special ability exclusive only to the Longinus Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing, and is considered to be a forbidden move. The Juggernaut Drive temporarily removes the seal placed on the Heavenly Dragons, and for users that possess insufficient power the Juggernaut Drive will drain the user's life force which is needed to fuel the power, and drive them insane in the process as they cannot handle it.

For other Sacred Gears that have creatures sealed inside (such as the Regulus Nemea), their Juggernaut Drive goes under a different name called **"Breakdown the Beast"** (覇獣ブレイクダウン・ザ・ビースト, *Bureikudaun za Bīsuto*).

The True Longinus has a similar power as well, which unleashes the 'Dying Will' of the God of the Bible called **Truth Idea**.

## Types

### Longinus

Aside from the normal Sacred Gears, there are the Longinus. Longinus are unique top-tier Sacred Gears, each having multiple abilities compared to a normal Sacred Gear which only has one, and has the power to slay Gods. This class of Sacred Gears are also known as the tools that destroy God. There are 13 Longinus in total. However, Azazel has stated that there is the potential for more Sacred Gear to eventually evolve into Longinus, under the right conditions. Also, that Longinus and Balance Breakers were never intended, and are glitches in the system. The Longinus class of Sacred Gears are named for the first Sacred Gear to achieve this level of power, the True Longinus.

### Artificial Sacred Gears

It is possible for artificial Sacred Gears to be created. Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angels and Grigori, has conducted countless research studies on Sacred Gears. He eventually managed to create his own Sacred Gear, the Down Fall Dragon Spear, using the jewel that has Fafnir, one of the five Dragon Kings sealed inside it. Artificial Sacred Gears, however, are inferior to the real ones. The Artificial Sacred Gears that Azazel researched and invented have several limits and side effects some time causes fatigue after their usage and may affect powers and abilities of the wielder if uses them for long periods of time.

### Sub-Species

**Sub-Species** are Sacred Gears that have taken on a unique characteristic because of the thoughts and feelings of the wielder. They are more powerful than the normal form of the same Sacred Gear, and will sometimes gain a new ability as well. Sometimes, both the Sacred Gear in its normal state, as well as the Balance Breaker will be a Sub-Species, like Siegfried's for example. Other times, however, only the Balance Breaker will be a Sub-Species, such as Yuuto's Blade Blacksmith. Even Longinus can gain a Sub-Species Balance Breaker like Cao Cao's True Longinus' *Polar Night Longinus Chakra Valdine* or Sairaorg's Regulus Nemea's *Regulus Rey Leather Rex*.

Issei has been told by Azazel that he should develop a Sub-Species for Boosted Gear. This suggests that Sub-Species can be made both intentionally and unintentionally.

## Sacred Gear Categories

### State Change Sacred Gears

**State Change Sacred Gears** are a type of Sacred Gears that changes the state of a user or another person/object. It can vary from doubling one's own power to halving the power of others. There exists a sub-category of state change Sacred Gears called **Recovery Sacred Gears**, which heal wounds.

Known Sacred Gears of this type are:
* Boosted Gear
* Divine Dividing
* Telos Karma
* Twice Critical
* Procellarum Phantom

### Recovery Sacred Gears

**Recovery Sacred Gears** are sub-category of State Change Sacred Gears. It allows the user to heal wounds or restore another person's health. Due to their usefulness and rarity, Recovery Sacred Gears are highly sought after by all factions.

* Sephiroth Graal
* Twilight Healing
* Holy Resuscitation

### Creation Sacred Gears

**Creation Sacred Gears** are a type of Sacred Gear that allows the user to create matter/objects out of nothing.

Known Sacred Gears of this type are:
* Annihilation Maker
* Sword Birth
* Blade Blacksmith
* Scouting Persona

### Defensive/Counter-Based Sacred Gears

**Defensive/Counter-Based Sacred Gears** are a type of Sacred Gear that focuses mainly on defense and countering the attacks of the opponent.

Known Sacred Gears of this type are:
* Mirror Alice
* Night Reflection
* Sturdy Saint
* Twinkle Aegis

### Attribute/Elemental Sacred Gears

**Attribute/Elemental Sacred Gears** are a type of Sacred Gear that incorporates different elemental attributes in its ability.

Known Sacred Gears of this type are:
* Zenith Tempest
* Incinerate Anthem
* Absolute Demise
* Nereid Kyrie
* Unknown Dictator
* Variant Detonation
* Flame Shake
* Sterling Blue
* Sterling Green
* Freezing Archaeopteryx

### Time/Space-Based Sacred Gears

**Time/Space-Based Sacred Gears** are Sacred Gears that have the ability to manipulate time and/or space.

Known Sacred Gears of this type are:
* Forbidden Balor View (Aeon Balor)
* Gravity Jail
* Dreamlike Curse

### Barrier/Sealing Sacred Gears

**Barrier/Sealing Sacred Gears** are Sacred Gears that have the ability to create barriers or seal an opponent or ability.

Known Sacred Gears of this type are:
* Dimension Lost
* Innovate Clear
* Trick Vanish
* Applause Wall

### Independent Avatar Sacred Gears

**Independent Avatar Sacred Gears** are Sacred Gears that takes the form of a living-like creature that moves and acts of its own free will and instincts.

Among the embodiment-type Sacred Gears, these Sacred Gears themselves have its own individual consciousness and instinct, as the wielder can command the Sacred Gear from a distance. Because of its nature, it often mimics a living thing, and the embodied beast-type Sacred Gears can also eat like a living creature. Independent Avatar Sacred Gears that manipulate energy can make a huge amount of energy take a humanoid form, using it as a puppet. The embodied Sacred Gear can be made to not be visible to ordinary Humans, and it can disappear or assume a smaller form that makes it easier to lead daily life than the true appearance.

The advantage is that the user can issue instructions from a safe place away from the battlefield, but at the same time, the risk that the user is vulnerable is greater than other Sacred Gears, so the user is often physically weak. In the case of the beast-type, if the Sacred Gear is attacked, damage may accumulate and it will be impossible for it to continue to fight, or for the beast to be sealed with a unique technique.

It is said that it is necessary to go into the depths of the Sacred Gear and the soul of the sealed creature in order to enhance the ability, but there is a danger that if there is a chance, that the user could be replaced by consciousness within the Sacred Gear.

Known Sacred Gears of this type are:
* Canis Lykaon
* Regulus Nemea
* Absolute Demise
* Incinerate Anthem
* Four Fiends
* Freezing Archaeopteryx

### Sealed/Contract Sacred Gears

**Sealed**/**Contract Sacred Gears** is a generic term for Sacred Gears that have sealed a powerful creature inside them. These Sacred Gears are powerful, but if the creature inside the Sacred Gears isn't awake or if it's inactive, the user will only be able to use the minimal abilities of the Sacred Gear. As the user increases their ability, they will come closer to the sealed creature as they will be able to benefit from the sharpening of their senses and bringing them closer to resembling the creature sealed inside, but on the other hand, they will required to pay something important to the sealed creature as a price for the increased power.

While originally God of the Bible forcibly sealed the sealed creatures in the Sacred Gears, newer Artificial Sacred Gears are created by the user having a powerful creature voluntarily sealing themselves into Sacred Gears under the condition of being payed a price for their service.

Known Sacred Gears of this type are:

* Boosted Gear
* Divine Dividing
* Regulus Nemea
* Canis Lykaon
* Four Fiends
* Down Fall Dragon Spear
* Ragnarök Earth Berserk
* Twinkle Aegis

### Vritra's Sacred Gears

**Vritra's Sacred Gears** are the Sacred Gears that have a part of the soul of the Dragon King, Vritra sealed inside of them. Vritra's Sacred Gears are considered Trap-type Sacred Gears.

Known Sacred Gears of this type are:

* Absorption Line
* Blaze Black Flare
* Delete Field
* Shadow Prison

## List of Sacred Gears

### Longinus

 * Boosted Gear
 * Incinerate Anthem
 * Sephiroth Graal
 * Zenith Tempest

### Other

* Aegis Mineralization

**B**:
* Blade Blacksmith

**C**:

**D**:
* Dreamlike Curse

**E**:

**F**:
* Flame Shake
* Freezing Archaeopteryx
* Four Fiends

**G**:
* Gravity Jail
* Holy Resuscitation

**I**:

**J**:

**K**:

**L**:

**M**:
* Mirror Alice

**N**:
* Night Reflection

**P**:

**Q**:

**R**:

**S**:
* Staring Blue
* Staring Green
* Sturdy Saint
* Sword Birth
* Strategy Trap

**T**:
* Trick Vanish
* Twice Critical
* Twilight Healing

**V**:
* Variant Detonation

**W**:

**X**:

**Y**:

**Z**:

## Enhancements

### Chaos Break and Chaos Drive

A special doping for Sacred Gear made from the blood of the original Satans, created by the Hero Faction with the help of the Old Satan Faction. The doping, called **Chaos Break**(魔人化カオス・ブレイク, *Kaosu Bureiku, lit. Demonization*), allows the Sacred Gear to undergo **Chaos Drive** (業魔人カオス・ドライヴ, *Kaosu Doraivu*), in which the Sacred Gear (and Holy/Demon Swords) fuses with the user while transforming the user into a monstrous form. The names are taken from the Balance Breaker and Juggernaut Drive.

In Volume 12, it is stated that after the first use, each subsequent Chaos Break will reduce the user's lifespan. The injection is capable of giving the user a massive power-up at the cost of their bodies deteriorating to the point that even Phoenix Tears won't be able to heal them.

## Trivia

* Recovery-type Sacred Gears are said to be the rarest type of standard Sacred Gears due to their power to heal individuals without paying a price, as healing magic is considered the most difficult to learn and master, as well as higher tier healing requiring a price for its use.
* Juggernaut Drive was originally stated to be a special ability which was exclusive for Sacred Gears with powerful *creatures* inside. Though in Volume 11, it was changed to a special ability exclusive for Sacred Gears with *Dragons* residing in them (Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing). For other Sacred Gears with other creatures residing in them, a new name was given, called Breakdown the Beast.
* Creatures sealed within Sacred Gears are shown to still be able to communicate with other beings as well as other sealed creatures and speak through each others Sacred Gear after their respected hosts came close to each at a certain distance.
	+ There is a special training where a Sacred Gear possessor send their consciousness inside of their Sacred Gears, letting them acquire new abilities, which was noted as Issei entered his Boosted Gear to find a power different from his Juggernaut Drive. This is noted be a unique exception due to the Longinus such as Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing being contract-type Sacred Gears, with sealed being inside them.
* In Volume 4, Azazel claims that the Sacred Gear system is incomplete due to the unforeseen deaths of both God and the original Four Great Satans which left "bugs" such as the Balance Breaker and Longinus behind.
	+ According to Loki and Sun Wukong, the manifestation of the Longinus and Balance Breaker may not have been a "bug" like Azazel had originally theorized, but rather a deliberate choice by the God of the Bible, to prepare humans against incursions of other mythological factions.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ishibumi's Blog
2. ↑ Light Novel Volume 7
3. ↑ Light Novel Volume 16