Slash Harken

The Slash Harken (スラッシュハーケン) is a wire-guided projectile that is utilized as standard equipment for all Knightmare Frames.

Background
The Slash Harken is a deceptively simple tool, consisting of a tungsten carbide steel spike tip connected to a carbon wire, which is then propelled by a rocket motor. Depending on the ability of a Knightmare pilot, the Slash Harken can make for an important - and potent - weapon. It can be used in numerous ways, varying from offensive to defensive. Often, the Harkens are simply used as a means of transportation via anchoring them in an object and then retracting the cable to rappel upwards, like using a zip line. In the case of the Lancelot's wrist mounted Slash Harkens, the cables can be stiffened and then used like a pole to vault in a given direction. In the Skirmish in Shinjuku Ghetto, Suzaku even used the wires of his machine's Slash Harkens as whips. During the Battle over the Pacific, Kallen was able to balance and grind with her Guren along the wire of an ally's Harken, similar to how a skateboarder grinds along a metal rail. The Slash Harken's tip is usually a blunt object which can vary in shape at the end. In the case of the Guren Mk-II, and later, many of the Black Knights' Knightmares, it uses a two-pronged claw as its Slash Harken tip. This type of Harken is called the "Hien Souga" (飛燕爪牙, lit. Flying Swallow Nail Fang). In the Shen Hu's case, its Harkens were shaped like daggers.

Slash Harkens are usually located in the shoulders, but some Knightmare models change the placement of the Slash Harken to the wrists, such as the Tristan, Shen Hu, and the Lancelot, the latter of which carries pairs both on the wrists and hips. The Vincent series, which were made as mass production versions of the Lancelot, retain the hip-mounted Harkens of their predecessor, but not the wrist-mounted ones. Other variations, typically in those developed by the Black Knights, include the placement of a single Hien Souga-type Slash Harken in the chest, such as the Gekka, Akatsuki, Zangetsu, and the original Guren. The prototype model Gawain and its Britannian successor, the Galahad, even use ten Slash Harkens in place of fingertips. The Shinkirō, the personal Knightmare of Lelouch vi Britannia, which was also based off the Gawain, carried a Slash Harken concealed in each knee; as such, it needed to bend in order to use them. For Kyoshiro Tohdoh's personal Knightmares - his custom Gekka, and later, the Zangetsu - a Slash Harken was also fitted to the pommel of the Brake Sword the units used. The Percival, the personal Knightmare of Luciano Bradley, contained a secret Slash Harken in the horn on its head in addition to the shoulder-mounted ones. The Ikaruga, the Black Knights' flagship, which incorporated technologies salvaged from the Gawain, included three Slash Harkens on each side, complete with Harken Boosters.

As Knightmare technology continued to advance in the series, some Knightmares incorporated special functions into their Slash Harkens. The Shen Hu's can release electrical surges capable of destroying other Knightmare Frames, as well as rotating along with the wrist, allowing them to be used as flails or makeshift shields. The Tristan's are capable of combining and releasing a powerful energy beam, strong enough to contend with the Shen Hu's Baryon Cannon. In the case of the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements, its right arm, which contains its Radiant Wave Surger, was upgraded to function like a Slash Harken, complete with a Harken Booster, while still able to function normally while separated from the unit's main body. Another unique upgrade made for some Slash Harkens are the Harken Boosters, experimental thrusters which increase the speed of the Harkens and can even allow them to change trajectory mid-flight for better versatility. These Harken Boosters were first tested on the original Lancelot, and were later incorporated into its successors, as well as the Ikaruga and the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N.