Phantom Blade Zero Best Weapons: Every Weapon Ranked by Class
The best weapons in Phantom Blade Zero ranked from the game files: base Damage, Guard Break, upgrade costs, effect unlocks and Soul Tempering for all 25 weapons.
Phantom Blade Zero has 25 main weapons with combat stats, split into three classes: One-Handed, Dual-Wield and Two-Handed. Instead of ranking them by feel, this guide uses the numbers the game itself stores: each weapon's base Damage and second stat (Guard Break or Status Effects), the upgrade multiplier, what it costs to level, and what Soul Tempering adds.
How weapon power works in the files
Every weapon has a base Damage plus one second stat: Guard Break (how fast you break an enemy's guard) or Status Effects (buildup for Bleed, Frost and similar). Upgrading multiplies attack: the table goes from ×1.1 on the first upgrade row to ×6.9 on the last, and the curve is identical for all 25 weapons. That means a weapon's rank never changes with level — a 324-Damage blade stays ahead of a 288-Damage blade at every upgrade step.
New effects unlock as you upgrade. For every weapon they arrive at weapon levels Lv5, Lv10, Lv15, Lv25, and Lv20 and Lv30 raise the numbers of the Lv10 effect (The Lady's Fan also adds effect text at Lv20 and Lv30). A first playthrough caps weapons at Lv30; each New Cycle raises the cap by 5 levels up to Lv60, according to the game's own upgrade script.
Best One-Handed weapons
One-Handed swords are Soul's starting class. Freezing Chaos, Aureate and Infernal Rouge share the top base Damage of 324. Sanguine starts at 200 but Soul Tempers into Infernal Rouge with 324 Damage, so your first weapon ends up level with the best in its class. Wild Oriole Sword has 294.84 base Damage; its Soul-Tempered entry lists 280.8 Damage and a higher Guard Break.
| Rank | Weapon | Damage | Second stat | Damage ×6.9 (calc.) | Dust to Lv30 | How to get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freezing Chaos | 324 | Status Effects 144 | 2,236 | 358,425 | Story (Crimson Forest) |
| 2 | Aureate | 324 | Guard Break 120 | 2,236 | 358,425 | Story (Mount Soulrend) |
| 3 | Infernal Rouge | 324 | Guard Break 120 | 2,236 | 358,425 | Soul Temper Sanguine |
| 4 | Wild Oriole Sword | 294.84 | Guard Break 104.2 | 2,034 | 310,635 | Boss: Mu Xiaokui, Queen of Iron and Jade; Story (Village of Lu) |
| 5 | Soft Snake Sword | 288 | Guard Break 117.6 | 1,987 | 310,635 | Boss: Wu Lengshuang, the Soft Sword |
| 6 | Jagged Steel | 240 | Status Effects 123.6 | 1,656 | 286,740 | Boss: Jagged Steel, the Frenzied Brute |
| 7 | Tianxuan Bronze Sword | 240 | Guard Break 106.5 | 1,656 | 286,740 | Story |
| 8 | The Fanatic's Broken Blade | 228 | Guard Break 95.8 | 1,573 | 286,740 | Boss: Hua Qianxiao, the Sword Fanatic; Defeat Hua Qianxiao, the Sword Fanatic (Crimson Forest) |
| 9 | Sanguine | 200 | Guard Break 100 | 1,380 | 320,805 | Boss: The Hunt, Hunter of the Order / The Hunt, Sixfold Scythe; Found in Weeping Creek Valley |
Best Dual-Wield weapons
The Lady's Fan has the highest base Damage of any weapon in the game at 340.2, with Guard Break 126. Baishan Stormswords and Sundering Dual Axes follow at 312; Baishan Stormswords trades Guard Break for Status Effects (141.7).
| Rank | Weapon | Damage | Second stat | Damage ×6.9 (calc.) | Dust to Lv30 | How to get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Lady's Fan | 340.2 | Guard Break 126 | 2,347 | 358,425 | Boss: Meng Hua, The Merciful Lady of the Blossom Veil; Story (Mount Soulrend) |
| 2 | Baishan Stormswords | 312 | Status Effects 141.7 | 2,153 | 334,530 | Tale/quest: Illusory Pipa |
| 3 | Sundering Dual Axes | 312 | Guard Break 118.1 | 2,153 | 334,530 | Defeat Heartpiercer, Elite Shadow Warden (Meigu Lake) |
| 4 | Fiend Saws | 302.4 | Guard Break 119.9 | 2,087 | 310,635 | Boss: Mu Xiaokui, Queen of Iron and Jade |
| 5 | Parting Hooks | 288 | Guard Break 117.6 | 1,987 | 310,635 | Defeat Baishan Disciple / Soulclaimer, Elite Shadow Warden (Pangzhen) |
| 6 | Seamless Death | 288 | Guard Break 114.2 | 1,987 | 310,635 | Tale/quest: Pillars of Kunlun |
| 7 | White Serpent & Crimson Viper | 260 | Guard Break 109.7 | 1,794 | 310,635 | Tale/quest: Illusory Pipa |
| 8 | Sanguine Twin | 200 | Guard Break 100 | 1,380 | 320,805 | Story (Weeping Creek Valley); Pickup (Weeping Creek Valley); Zhang's Hideout (Crimson Forest) — 30,000 Dust |
Best Two-Handed weapons
Bonesaw and Crescent Blade lead the Two-Handed class at 312 base Damage. Whiteshadow (307.8) is the Frost option with 144 Status Effects. Scarlet Wraithblade and Outlaw Warblade sit lower on Damage but both have high Guard Break for their tier.
| Rank | Weapon | Damage | Second stat | Damage ×6.9 (calc.) | Dust to Lv30 | How to get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bonesaw | 312 | Status Effects 141.7 | 2,153 | 334,530 | Source not in the files |
| 2 | Crescent Blade | 312 | Guard Break 118.1 | 2,153 | 334,530 | Story (Mirage Estate) |
| 3 | Whiteshadow | 307.8 | Status Effects 144 | 2,124 | 358,425 | Boss: Blizzard Blademaster |
| 4 | Armybreaker | 288 | Guard Break 114.2 | 1,987 | 310,635 | Defeat Cavalrybane, Elite Shadow Warden / Faceless Lancer (Pangzhen) |
| 5 | Juggernaut | 288 | Guard Break 114.2 | 1,987 | 310,635 | Story |
| 6 | Scarlet Wraithblade | 240 | Guard Break 117.1 | 1,656 | 286,740 | Story (Weeping Creek Valley) |
| 7 | Outlaw Warblade | 240 | Guard Break 106.5 | 1,656 | 286,740 | Defeat Jing Ye, the Outlaw (Crimson Forest) |
| 8 | Sanguine Reach | 200 | Guard Break 100 | 1,380 | 320,805 | Story (Weeping Creek Valley); Pickup (Weeping Creek Valley); Zhang's Hideout (Crimson Forest) — 30,000 Dust |
Soul Tempering: what it costs and what it adds
Every weapon can be Soul Tempered once for 5,000 Remnant Dust plus one specific item. Most unlock a new trait; the three Sanguine weapons transform into a new weapon instead. The Soul Tempering item is the real gate: several come from bosses or Tales.
| Weapon | Soul Tempering item | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Sanguine | Bastion of Mó Mask | Infernal Rouge — Soul Tempers into Infernal Rouge, the heirloom weapon of the Bastion of Mó. |
| Jagged Steel | Iron Butcher Mask | Open Wounds — Attacks still build the enemy's Bleed Gauge even when blocked. Has no effect on Puppets, Golden Bodies, or Phantom Bodies. |
| Sanguine Twin | Chaos Twin Daggers | Shadowless Edge — Transformed through Soul Tempering into Shadowless Edge. |
| Sanguine Reach | Flaming Grip | Blazing Edge — Transformed through Soul Tempering into Blazing Edge. |
| Scarlet Wraithblade | Embroidered Shoes | Lingering Grudge — Attacking enemies within [Red Spider Lilies] builds their [Red Flower] Gauge. Filling the gauge triggers an explosion. |
| The Fanatic's Broken Blade | Fanatic's Obsession | The Fanatic's Drunken Sword — Hua Qianxiao's broken blade has been fully reforged. Its damage no longer falls off over distance. |
| Outlaw Warblade | Six Paths Warrant | Ruthless Outlaw — The longer Recoverable HP is retained, the greater the increase in damage dealt, up to 25%. |
| White Serpent & Crimson Viper | Serpent's Memory | Hundred-Knot Serpents — When recalling Crimson Viper with [Stance] + [Heavy Attack], summon [Hundred-Knot Serpents] to attack. The longer the Crimson Viper short blade remains away from Soul, the more [Hundred-Knot Serpents] are summoned. |
| Tianxuan Bronze Sword | Bronze Essence | Effortless Action — Even while Guard-Broken, hold [Stance] to block at the cost of a small amount of HP. |
| Parting Hooks | Song of Parting | Foretelling Strike — Parrying an enemy's Blue-flash Attack with [Stance] automatically triggers [Counter]. |
| Sundering Dual Axes | Honed Blacksteel | Tiansha Twin Calamities — The [Baleful Aura] Gauge now has 2 tiers. Once the first tier is full, buildup continues into the second. |
| Armybreaker | Alloyed Steel | Relentless Rush — Rush attacks become more powerful and cannot be interrupted. The next attack performed after a rush is also more powerful. |
| Soft Snake Sword | Dancer's Ribbon | Final Gambit — Hold [Heavy Attack] to consume all Sha-Chi and unleash a fluid series of rapid sword strikes. The more Sha-Chi consumed, the more powerful the attack. |
| Baishan Stormswords | Baishan Headband | Unending Storm — [Lightning Storm] pulls enemies in and builds both the Wind Gauge and Thunder Gauge for each enemy hit. |
| Juggernaut | Restored Ritual Cauldron | Unfading Sunset — [Crimson Wheel Slash] no longer consumes [Red Edge] when it hits an enemy marked with [Bandit-Slayer Mark] . |
| Seamless Death | Jade Mask | Ringstorm — Increases the number of [Flying Rings] thrown by all moves. |
| Fiend Saws | Heel Reinforcement Part | Endless Fiend Form — After Fiend-Aura Erosion erupts on an enemy, all attacks against them become unblockable for 3 seconds. |
| Bonesaw | Craftsman's Tool Kit | Prey on the Mighty — When fighting boss-level enemies, [Bloodsaw] Gauge buildup rate is increased. While in [Bloodsaw], Bleed Gauge buildup rate is also increased. |
| Crescent Blade | Statue of the Loyal Hero | Sundering Stroke — Switching to this weapon or parrying an enemy's Blue-flash Attack grants [Qinglong Form]. |
| Freezing Chaos | Primordial Chaos Vessel | Threefold Resonance — Using [Threefold Shift] greatly increases damage dealt and Sha-Chi Depletion for 5 seconds. |
| Whiteshadow | Boy's Worn Outfit | Deepening Frost — Attacks still build the enemy's Frozen Gauge even when blocked. |
| The Lady's Fan | The Lady's Crown | Dark Sigil Burst — Greatly enhances all [Sigil Burst] effects. Sustained [Sigil Burst] effects last twice as long. |
| Aureate | Broken Lóng Body | The Grand Design — After triggering [Sword Energy Burst], gain [Grand Design Empowerment], greatly empowering the phantom weapon summoned by the next [Grand Design] skill: Phantom Firearms: Increases the number summoned to 5. |
| Wild Oriole Sword | Supreme Order Token | Tianmiao · Wild Oriole — During [Heavy Attack] combos, Mu Tianmiao's sword is wielded alongside the Wild Oriole Blade for dual-sword attacks. While [Oriole Song] is active, the Tianmiao Sword unleashes more powerful blade waves. |
Upgrade costs to Lv30
Weapons fall into 5 cost bands for the first 29 upgrades: 286,740 Dust, 310,635 Dust, 320,805 Dust, 334,530 Dust, 358,425 Dust. The late-game weapons (Freezing Chaos, Whiteshadow, The Lady's Fan, Aureate, Infernal Rouge) sit in the most expensive band and also double the Solvent requirement. Materials step up from the Lv10 → Lv11 upgrade (Polished metals, Concentrated Solvent) and again from Lv20 → Lv21 (Flawless metals, Universal Solvent); see upgrade materials for where to buy them and Remnant Dust for farming.
Weapon achievements
Several achievements ask you to trigger a weapon-specific move, so they double as a checklist of weapons worth trying. Steam unlock rates range from 5.8% to 80.7%:
| Achievement | Requirement | Steam global % |
|---|---|---|
| The Rusted Blade | Inflict Blood Loss with Jagged Steel | 80.7% |
| A Drunken Dream | Use Fanatic's Broken Blade to enter the [Drunk] State | 30.6% |
| Bloodless Victory | Use Soft Snake Sword's [Serpentine Reversal] to deflect an enemy attack | 9.2% |
| The Flame Within | Use Infernal Rouge to unleash [Phantom Blade] | 9.6% |
| The Blade's Thirst | Use Outlaw's Warblade to unleash [Bloodthirst Frenzy] | 55.7% |
| Snow and Frost | Use Whiteshadow to freeze an enemy | 9.7% |
| Sundering Stroke | Use Crescent Blade's [Qinglong Cleave] to instantly kill an enemy | 7.5% |
| Delayed Blast | Use Fiend Saws to trigger [Fiend-Aura Erosion] | 33.9% |
| Perfectly Linked | Use Seamless Death to land consecutive Flying Rings on a locked-on enemy | 5.8% |
| Baishan Tempest | Use Baishan Stormswords to unleash [Lightning Storm] | 13.1% |
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Guide FAQ
What is the best weapon in Phantom Blade Zero?
By base Damage, The Lady's Fan (340.2, Dual-Wield) is the strongest weapon in the files, followed by Freezing Chaos (324), Aureate (324), Infernal Rouge (324). Because every weapon uses the same upgrade multiplier, that order holds at every level.
What is the best One-Handed weapon?
Freezing Chaos, Aureate, Infernal Rouge share the top One-Handed Damage of 324. Sanguine reaches the same 324 after Soul Tempering into Infernal Rouge.
What is the max weapon level in Phantom Blade Zero?
Lv30 on a first playthrough. The game script raises the cap by 5 levels per New Cycle (30 + 5 × Cycles, up to 6 Cycles), so the upgrade table tops out at Lv60.
How much does Soul Tempering cost?
5,000 Remnant Dust plus one weapon-specific item for every weapon. The Sanguine weapons transform (Sanguine → Infernal Rouge, Sanguine Twin → Shadowless Edge, Sanguine Reach → Blazing Edge); the others gain a new trait.
Can you reset weapon upgrades?
Yes. Per the in-game tutorial, holding the upgrade button reverts a weapon to Lv1 and refunds materials and Remnant Dust; the Weapon Reforge Talisman (2,000 Dust from Quick Hand Zhang) is the item for it. One upgrade prompt warns that some upgrades cannot be reverted, so read it before confirming.