The long, manueverable necks of Swanna, which they use to maneuver their beaks for pecking, have often been compared to swords, In addition to their battles recalling the great samurai masters, they possess remarkable flexibility, and their thick feathers and a strong bone structure allow them to endure the blows of real swords. In some ways, however, spears or pikes are a better comparison, for the neck is not bladed like a Skarmory's and the Swanna must rely on their beaks to deal actual damage.
This fact, however, means that Swanna battles for dominance last longer and look far more impressive than actual sword fights, so their choreography is often used to replicate them on stage and in Pokestar Studios. Very few historical matches, even between elite samurai, can match the Swanna in either the beauty or length of the battle, although most of them would have had little difficulty going around their necks to defeat a Swanna in combat.
Swanna matches are thought to have originated as competition for mates, but this purpose has long since become secondary; females will participate in this combat with males, and all species will watch in admiration. Although highly beautiful and ritualized – traits which have made Swanna long prized in pokemon contests – the objective of their clashing necks, beaks, and water attacks is ultimately victory. It is the biology of the Swanna, not their penchant for showmanship, which makes these matches last so long, but showmanship has a great deal to do with making them battle in the first place. For although the Swanna certainly seek victory once they begin to fight, they fight for adulation and will fly long distances together in search of an audience before beginning to spar; Swanna consider a triumph to mean nothing without witnesses.