Amidst the havoc wreaked through Forbidden Valley by the Nemesis creature, take your seat aboard the giant swinging blade to slice through the air...
Amidst the havoc wreaked through Forbidden Valley by the Nemesis creature, take your seat aboard the giant swinging blade to slice through the air...
| Theme Park | Alton Towers |
|---|---|
| Park Area | Forbidden Valley |
| Type | Pirate Ship |
| Audience | Thrillseekers |
| Opened | 1980 (as Pirate Ship) 15 March 1997 (as The Blade) |
| Manufacturer | Huss |
| Model | Pirate Ship |
| Extras | Fastrack |
The Blade
The Blade is a pirate ship style ride in Forbidden Valley, which takes the unusual approach of being modelled after a large metal cutting blade instead of the more usual nautical boat theme.
The ride is from Huss and, despite the blade-like theming elements, is still essentially a fairly standard pirate ship ride.
It sits in a pit formerly occupied by Alton Towers' famous Thunder Looper rollercoaster, meaning The Blade can look deceptively short and un-thrilling from a distance. However, on board guests are in for all the usual swinging forces and air time filled fun.
Originally, The Blade was known as the Pirate Ship and sat in the Springfield Centre (now X-Sector) when it arrived in the park in 1980. With the impending arrival of Oblivion, it was moved to Forbidden Valley in 1997 and became The Blade.
The Blade ride entrance
Sharp blade
Guests waiting for their ride to begin
The Blade swinging through the Alton Towers air
Swinging ship
The Blade sits in a pit in Forbidden Valley
The Blade was briefly removed at the end of the 2019 season fuelling speculation that it was gone for good, but it returned in 2020 having undergone a thorough refurishment.
