When firearms began to neutralize the armored protection noble knights from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, the need for large, heavy swords that effectively amounted to sharp clubs that battered as much as it hacked became increasingly unnecessary.  As such, swords that were lighter and quicker became deadly, especially when you could neutralize an opponent’s armor with spare pistol tucked in your belt.  Fencing rapiers were developed as a result of all this, and they are, arguably, the deadliest swords ever used.  That seems like a grandiose statement, but when you consider that it doesn’t take much training and effort to maim and kill with these weapons, and you compare the sheer utility of the rapier to the magnificent Japanese katana sword, which was never meant for blocking as the rapier was, perhaps you’ll understand how potent the rapier was.  It was sharp, it was elegant, and it was light and easy to wield, even by women.  The 17^th Century Swept Hilt Rapier is an excellent example of this kind of weapon.  Light, quick, easy to wield, and easy to train, featuring a beautiful hilt guard to protect the hand, one good flick with this weapon could spell death to any unprotected opponent.  When you see swashbuckling films of the silver screen with cinematic sword duels such as in The Three Musketeers, you get an idea of how easy and elegant these weapons truly were, and then compare that to a samurai film and you might see the distinct difference in the style of combat that might bring a better understanding why the rapier is the deadlier weapon.