The (German for "two hander", also called Bidenhänder or Bihänder), is a massive two-handed sword, designed to capitalize on brute force and shock effect, at the expense of finesse.

While implemented in Germany in the 14th century, it gained renown during the 16th century as the hallmark weapon of the German Landsknechts from the time of Maximilian I. They were allegedly used by the front lines of the Landsknechte, where they would be used to hew through the opposing pikemen and spearmen whose spears presented a difficult barrier for normal weapons and cavalry.

The Zweihänder could be up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long from the base of the pommel to the tip of the blade, with a 4 to 5 foot (1.2 to 1.5 m) blade and 1 to 1½ foot (30 to 46 cm) hilt. The weight could range between 2.8 and 5 kg.

Some were shorter, though. Earlier versions in particular often had an overall length of about 5 feet (1.5 m), weighing in at as little as 1.5 kg.

Guards could be plain or ornate, while hilts usually ended with heart or pear shaped heavy pommels. When it originally debuted, in the 14th century, the construction was very similar to that of a scaled up longsword.

Occasionally a blunted portion of the forte, the ricasso (often covered with leather) at the base of the blade allowed a hand to be placed above the upper guard to "shorten the grip" and make the weapon faster. By the 16th century a second smaller upper guard was forged into the blade rather than the hilt, to protect this hand hold.

Two-handed swords made for combat use are actually quite light, often between 3 and 5 pounds (1.5 and 2.5 kg), while ceremonial Zweihänders weighed up to 16 pounds (7 kg). Even so, with the mass distributed over a length of close to two metres, effective use would have required considerable strength. The swords have hilt-mounted side-rings and enlarged cross-guards of up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) across. Along the blade, some 10 to 20 centimeters (4–8 inches) from the upper guard, Parierhaken ("parrying hooks") shaped like lugs or flanges acted as a guard for the ricasso to prevent other weapons from sliding down the blade. These could be used in the attack of an opponent.