soulbound

Soulbound is a term used in fantasy and role-playing contexts to describe a binding between a soul and an object, creature, or magical oath. In games and fiction, a soulbound item is tied to a specific bearer or to a designated soul, often making the binding permanent or difficult to reverse. The concept appears in fantasy literature, mythology, and modern video games as a narrative and gameplay device.

In video games, soulbound usually means the item cannot be traded or transferred to other players. Common variants are bind on pickup, bind on equip, or bind on account. Bind on pickup means the item becomes bound to the first player who loots it; bind on equip binds after being equipped; bind on account can allow transfer among characters of the same account. The mechanic shapes in-game economies, player progression, and item scarcity and can create incentives to complete content or to trade limited items through sanctioned channels.

In fiction and folklore, soul-binding is a magical contract that links a weapon, talisman, or entity to a person or soul. Such bonds often confer power or restriction, require ritual or vow to break, and can be a plot device to explain why an object serves a particular wielder or why it cannot be used by others. In some settings, the bound soul may influence the object’s behavior or present moral dilemmas.

Because the term is used across media, its specifics vary widely between works and games. The core idea is a binding that limits transferability or imposes a personal link, often used to enforce rarity, identity, or narrative stakes.