Here's why Diana leaves her sword at home in Wonder Woman 1984, despite using it later in the timeline. Wonder Woman's DCEU story begins with her departure from Themyscira in 2017's Wonder Woman movie. Prompted by the fateful arrival of Steve Trevor upon Amazonian shores and ominous tidings of war in the world of men, Diana decides to break her mother's policy of non-interference with the outside, and joins Steve on the frontlines of World War I. Before departing her homeland, Diana "borrows" a few expensive trinkets. The rebel princess takes the Lasso of Hestia (otherwise known as the Lasso of Truth), a set of stylish red and blue armor, and a powerful Amazonian shield. She also swipes the fabled God-killer sword left by Zeus himself.
The God-killer is destroyed during the final battle against Ares, with Diana Prince herself revealed as the true "God-killer" but a century or so later in the timeline of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Diana is wielding a new blade, which she subsequently carries into Justice League. This weapon is the Sword of Athena, but its origins in the DCEU remain unknown.
Wonder Woman 1984 takes place between these two eras. Diana is now accustomed to the human world and living a quiet civilian life, but her meeting with the Super Martha Brothers in Batman V Superman is still decades away. In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana is reunited with Steve thanks to the magic of Maxwell Lord and the Dreamstone, but as Lord grows in power and Diana's own abilities begin to wane, she must accept the painful truth over a comforting lie. Aside from Maxwell Lord, Diana also faces off against the green-eyed Barbara Minerva after Lord transforms her into Cheetah. But she does so without the Sword of Athena.
The reasons behind Diana going sword-free in Wonder Woman 1984 range from practical, to thematic, to behind-the scenes. In practical terms, it's possible that Diana simply hasn't obtained the Sword of Athena by the mid-1980s. The DCEU is yet to reveal where the blade came from, with audiences left to assume that, at some point over the years, Diana returned to Themyscira and picked up a replacement for the broken God-killer, before returning to the land of mortals brandishing a brand new weapon.
Additionally, a sword doesn't fit neatly into Diana's superhero alter ego in Wonder Woman 1984. During World War I, there was virtually no separation between Diana and Wonder Woman, since the Amazonian was struggling to acclimatize to her new surroundings and could only be herself. In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana is operating as the classic secret superhero, seemingly wearing her armor under her regular clothes to respond swiftly when called into action. Keeping a superhero suit underneath civilian getup is one thing, but finding somewhere to stash a sword isn't so simple. Diana's way of working in the 1980s simply isn't suited to carrying around bulky weapons, whereas her gauntlets and lasso can easily be kept nearby without raising suspicion.
It's easier to understand Diana's stripped-back equipment configuration when separating the Patty Jenkins and Zack Snyder visions for the character. Purely in the context of Jenkins' Wonder Woman world, Diana lost her sword in 1918 and now fights without one. Question marks are only raised due to the cinematic universe mechanics of the DCEU, where another filmmaker chooses to give Diana a new sword later in her timeline.
However, Diana losing her sword in Wonder Woman 1984 isn't merely due to a lack of pockets - it's a deliberate thematic, creative choice by Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot. Of all the big DC heroes, Wonder Woman is the hopeful, idyllic bastion of virtue, leading humanity to a brighter future by setting an example to strive for. In 1918, Wonder Woman leaves Themyscira as a born warrior, and therefore naturally carries her sword and shield. Only after stepping outside of her island's magical barrier is Diana exposed to the horror and violence of mankind. Because of this, her decision to forego traditional weapons in favor of gauntlets and a lasso is vitally important. Diana despises guns, spares her enemies, and always aims to save everyone, regardless of who they are. This is a far cry from Batman, and even DCEU Superman, who controversially executed General Zod in Man of Steel.
At a 2019 convention (remember those) Gal Gadot explained that Wonder Woman 1984 would take Diana in a less aggressive direction, which meant ditching the tools of war. Following the DC sequel's Christmas day release, Gadot has once again reiterated that her character is a "peacemaker" in Wonder Woman 1984, and isn't looking to fight. The mere act of carrying a sword means Diana would have to use it during the film. Patty Jenkins elaborates (via JoBlo), revealing that Wonder Woman 1984 goes out of its way to ensure that nobody dies, highlighting the more hopeful tone of Diana's 1984 adventure. To fully buy into that ideal of non-violence, leaving the sword behind was Wonder Woman 1984's only option.
By default, Diana's weapon of choice becomes the Lasso of Truth in Wonder Woman 1984 - a far more thematically appropriate accessory for Jenkins' vision of the character. By definition, the lasso ties enemies up and halts their attacks, rather than slicing them in half like the God-killer would. The worst Diana's lasso can do is give someone a nasty lash. It's a far less aggressive weapon for a more optimistic superhero, and the Lasso of Truth becomes even more pivotal during the final clash between Wonder Woman and Maxwell Lord. Instead of cutting off Lord's head or beating him into submission, Diana wraps the Lasso of Truth around his ankle. This action shines a light upon the lies of Lord's Dreamstone wishes, revealing their true nature to the entire world, and forcing Lord to face his demons. Essentially, Diana doesn't defeat her opponent in the traditional sense - her lasso makes Maxwell Lord see the error of his ways and renounce his wishes, saving the world.
The symbolism of Wonder Woman 1984's ending is incredibly important for the character. Diana unites the entire world, and together they do the right thing. Some DC fans might prefer a good, old-fashioned fist fight, but Wonder Woman 1984's resolution resonates far better than Catwoman running over Bane, or Superman snapping Zod's neck. Superhero violence is great, but the old adage of "less is more" certainly applies in Wonder Woman's case. Diana walks into battle armed with only a lasso, and achieves a peaceful, meaningful outcome. A sword might've taken Maxwell Lord's life, but it wouldn't have healed the damage his wishes created.
After proving that the truth is mightier than the sword in Wonder Woman 1984, Diana returns in the millennium with... a massive new sword? In many ways, Diana's changing weaponry highlights the inherent problem with shared universes, especially those with a non-linear timeline. Patty Jenkins sought to make Wonder Woman a more hopeful and loving hero, whereas Zack Snyder tapped into her original warrior-like attributes, and Jenkins' latest effort takes place first, despite being made more recently. Neither filmmaker is "wrong," this is just the inevitable byproduct of such a sprawling, ambitious franchise.
Fortunately, Diana's sword-wielding in Batman V Superman and Justice League can be reconciled with her more peaceful persona in Wonder Woman 1984. Going up against Maxwell Lord and Cheetah, as well as the mass of wishes granted to the people of Earth, Diana finds herself in a situation where mankind is once again turning on itself. This is why Diana chooses to forego killing and aggression - because to solve the conflicts of man with more violence only perpetuates the cycle. Instead, Wonder Woman wants to show humanity a better way, as she does by using the Lasso of Truth in Wonder Woman 1984.
In the modern DCEU era, the game has changed. Diana appears in Batman V Superman going up against Doomsday - a mutant creation from the mind of Lex Luthor, crafted out of a Kryptonian corpse. This is no longer a case of humans fighting among themselves, this is an otherworldly monster coming to dominate and destroy the people Diana has sworn to protect, which means it's time to dust off the old stabber and spill some blood. It's the same story for Justice League, in which Diana opposes Steppenwolf/Darkseid and the Parademons. These are incoming forces that Zeus himself battled in a bygone age. The power of truth isn't going to cut it against these powerful alien invaders. In Batman V Superman, Diana even admits she has "killed things from other worlds before," proving that she can still amp-up the aggression when humanity is in peril from an outside enemy, but she'll happily down tools when saving man from itself, as in Wonder Woman 1984.
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