Checked Nov 3, 2026Launch version · PC and PS5Based on 5 sources
Our Phantom Blade Zero tier list ranks all 29 weapons. Jagged Steel, Baishan Stormswords, Whiteshadow, Crescent Blade and Freezing Chaos are the weapons most sources put at the top. Jagged Steel is the one to build first: you find it in the first area and its bleed carries boss fights to the end.
Jagged Steel comes from Weeping Creek Valley, one of the first areas, and all five sources put it in their top two tiers. Every hit builds bleed, and once Soul Tempered it builds bleed through blocks too. Equip the Livingwood Talisman for Puppets, Phantoms and Golden Body enemies, which do not bleed.
Also worth upgrading earlyOutlaw Warblade
a two-hander from Crimson Forest whose hits heal you, which saves medicine early on.
Also worth upgrading earlyBaishan Stormswords
dual swords from Mandate Encampment that paralyze and stay strong into the late game.
Best weapon pairs
StormswordsWarblade
Stormswords for paralysis and damage, the Warblade to heal and break shields.
Jagged SteelWarblade
a one-hander and a two-hander use different upgrade metals, so both reach full level early.
StormswordsSerpent & Viper
two dual-wield weapons: lightning burst plus a spinning blade that keeps groups away.
Phantom Blade Zero tier list explained
SS tier — Best weapons
Jagged Steel
One-Handed · Status
Found in Weeping Creek Valley (240 base damage). Attacks fill a bleed gauge that bursts for damage and interrupts the enemy.
Soul Tempering with the Iron Butcher Mask lets bleed build through blocks. Puppets, Phantoms and Golden Body enemies need the Livingwood Talisman.
Freezing Chaos
One-Handed · Status
Unlocked in Crimson Forest after beating a set boss with the Blazing Edge (324 base damage).
Switches between fire, steel and frost stances. Strongest when you keep swapping, which is also what makes it hard to play.
Infernal Rouge
One-Handed · Damage
The starting Sanguine, Soul Tempered with the Bastion of Mó Mask from the Loong Pillars (324 base damage).
Fast and easy combos, and Bloodline Awakening restores half your HP once when you would die.
Tianmiao · Wild Oriole
One-Handed · Damage
Wild Oriole Sword Soul Tempered with the Supreme Order Token (281 base damage).
A second blade joins most special moves, so it plays almost like dual-wield; Opening Strike marks enemies on a weapon swap.
Crescent Blade
Two-Handed · Damage
Found in Pangzhen (312 base damage). Slow, but every swing takes a big chunk of HP and Sha-Chi.
Its counter stance cancels boss attacks, and Qinglong Form adds Qinglong Cleave to finish off groups.
Whiteshadow
Two-Handed · Status
Reward from the Acolyte quest at Meigu Lake (308 base damage), which also counts toward the Perfect Ending.
A light two-hander that builds chill and freeze, even on Puppets that ignore most ailments. Soul Tempering lets chill build through blocks.
Baishan Stormswords
Dual-Wield · Status
Found in Mandate Encampment (312 base damage). Normal attacks fill a wind gauge and Sha-Chi attacks a thunder gauge.
With both full, Baishan’s Blessing raises attack for 20 seconds and opens Lightning Storm; thunder can paralyze.
S tier — Excellent
Aureate
One-Handed · Damage
Only available after the Perfect Ending, so it is a New Game+ weapon (324 base damage).
Sha-Chi hits launch golden swords into the target; five swords trigger a Sword Energy Burst.
Soft Snake Sword
One-Handed · Defense
Found in Mandate Encampment (288 base damage).
At level 5 holding guard no longer costs Sha-Chi, and Counterstrike punishes timed blocks. Harder to use than most weapons here.
Wild Oriole Sword
One-Handed · Damage
Earned by finishing the Village of Lu (295 base damage). Agile, with a ranged blade-wave special.
Soul Tempering turns it into Tianmiao · Wild Oriole.
Sanguine
One-Handed · Damage
Soul’s starting sword (200 base damage): simple, reliable combos that carry you into the mid game.
Upgrading it teaches a skill to every one-handed weapon, and Soul Tempering turns it into Infernal Rouge.
Wooden Sanguine
One-Handed · Defense
A wooden sword with the lowest base damage of any weapon (160).
Ranked for its guard break in early parry-focused boss fights; pair it with a stronger damage weapon.
Outlaw Warblade
Two-Handed · Defense
Found in Crimson Forest (240 base damage). Hits heal Soul, which saves medicine in the early game.
Its Sha-Chi combos cost HP, and it breaks shields well.
Scarlet Wraithblade
Two-Handed · Damage
Dropped by Hua, Deadly Betrothed in Weeping Creek Valley (240 base damage).
Finishers grow Spider Lilies that drain enemy Sha-Chi, so it breaks whole groups; less reliable on mobile bosses.
Armybreaker
Two-Handed · Damage
Found in Pangzhen (288 base damage). Its special is a charge that keeps spending Sha-Chi to chain interrupts.
Good guard break and gap closing for an aggressive mid-game build.
Juggernaut
Two-Handed · Defense
Found on the Mountain of Imprisonment (288 base damage).
Successful parries stack Red Edge, which powers its charged heavy attacks.
Blazing Edge
Two-Handed · Status
Sanguine Reach Soul Tempered with the Flaming Grip from the Loong Pillars (312 base damage).
Enough Sha-Chi hits set the blade on fire for burn damage, and a Remnant Spark sends out a flame pillar.
Bonesaw
Two-Handed · Status
Found on Mount Soulrend (312 base damage). A slow, heavy multi-hit bleed weapon.
Soul Tempering raises its damage as the bleed gauge builds, especially against bosses.
Fiend Saws
Dual-Wield · Damage
From the third phase of the Mu Xiaokui fight at the end of the Village of Lu; touch all her ribbons before the fight (302 base damage).
Fiend Form makes every attack unblockable for 10 seconds, with extra damage on guard-broken enemies.
White Serpent & Crimson Viper
Dual-Wield · Damage
Dual swords (260 base damage); one blade can circle Soul as a barrier that hits everything nearby.
From level 25 the power surge stays active after a weapon swap, which makes it a strong second weapon.
Parting Hooks
Dual-Wield · Defense
Found in Pangzhen (288 base damage). Guard Stance blocks automatically and turns attacks into counters.
High risk, high reward: Black Flash attacks only become parryable at level 25.
Seamless Death
Dual-Wield · Damage
Found on the Mountain of Imprisonment (288 base damage).
Dodges leave an afterimage that fires back when hit, and the special is ranged, which keeps you safe against hard bosses.
Shadowless Edge
Dual-Wield · Damage
Sanguine Twin Soul Tempered with the Chaos Twin Daggers (324 base damage).
Shadow Form summons a copy of Soul with your attack and guard break, roughly doubling damage while it lasts.
Sundering Dual Axes
Dual-Wield · Damage
Found at Meigu Lake (312 base damage).
Normal attacks build Baleful Aura for more damage and lingering hits; getting interrupted loses the bonus.
A tier — Good
The Fanatic’s Broken Blade
One-Handed · Damage
Found in Crimson Forest (228 base damage). Soul drinks to get tipsy or drunk, which gives his attacks long reach.
Drinking leaves him open, so it takes setup; Soul Tempering turns it into The Fanatic’s Drunken Sword.
The Fanatic’s Drunken Sword
One-Handed · Damage
The Broken Blade Soul Tempered with Fanatic’s Obsession (260 base damage).
Drinking restores Sha-Chi and opens the ranged attack, with no damage loss at range, and the power surge adds an auto-dodge.
Tianxuan Bronze Sword
One-Handed · Defense
Found in the Village of Lu (240 base damage), with high guard break for a one-hander.
Blocking costs less, but normal parries are disabled.
Sanguine Reach
Two-Handed · Damage
Found in Weeping Creek Valley (200 base damage). Long reach that handles groups.
Upgrading it teaches a skill to every two-hander, and Soul Tempering turns it into the Blazing Edge.
Sanguine Twin
Dual-Wield · Damage
Found in Weeping Creek Valley (200 base damage). Fast, easy dual-blade combos with short reach.
Upgrading it teaches a skill to every dual-wield weapon, and Soul Tempering turns it into the Shadowless Edge.
Make your own Phantom Blade Zero tier list
Starts from our ranking. Drag weapons between tiers (or tap one, then tap a tier), then save a PNG or copy a link.
Phantom Blade Zero tier list FAQ
Who is the best weapon in Phantom Blade Zero?
Jagged Steel, Freezing Chaos, Infernal Rouge, Tianmiao, Crescent Blade, Whiteshadow and Stormswords sit at the top of our Phantom Blade Zero tier list. Jagged Steel, Baishan Stormswords, Whiteshadow, Crescent Blade and Freezing Chaos are the weapons most sources put at the top. Jagged Steel is the one to build first: you find it in the first area and its bleed carries boss fights to the end.
Which weapon should I use first in Phantom Blade Zero?
Jagged Steel comes from Weeping Creek Valley, one of the first areas, and all five sources put it in their top two tiers. Every hit builds bleed, and once Soul Tempered it builds bleed through blocks too. Equip the Livingwood Talisman for Puppets, Phantoms and Golden Body enemies, which do not bleed. Also worth upgrading early: Warblade, a two-hander from Crimson Forest whose hits heal you, which saves medicine early on; Stormswords, dual swords from Mandate Encampment that paralyze and stay strong into the late game.
What do the tiers mean?
SS: carries any team and is worth building first. S: excellent, a core pick for most teams. A: strong in the right team or with investment. B: usable, but outclassed by higher tiers for now. C: niche; build only if you like the weapon. Weapons are rated for a full playthrough with upgrades and Soul Tempering. Most weapons are viable; the tiers say which ones carry boss fights with the least effort.
How is this tier list made?
We compare the current rankings of 5 guide sites (Maxroll, TheGamer, Game8, Push Square and KeenGamer), all rating the same thing: main weapons for a full playthrough, launch version. Each weapon gets the middle rating of the 5. When the sites disagree by two tiers or more, we show each site's rating instead of hiding it. We re-check after every new weapon or balance patch.
How many weapons are in Phantom Blade Zero?
There are 30 main weapons: one-handed, two-handed and dual-wield. Five of them only appear when you Soul Temper another weapon, such as Sanguine turning into Infernal Rouge. They have their own stats and moves, so we rank them separately. Phantom Edges, the secondary weapons, are not on this list.
Why are Infernal Rouge, Blazing Edge and Aureate ranked by so few sources?
They come at the very end of the game or after the Perfect Ending, so most guides written in launch week had not tested them yet. We rank them from the sources that have and re-check every few days.
Why do some weapons show a number?
This is an early Phantom Blade Zero tier list. Phantom Blade Zero came out on 28 October, and the late-game and tempered weapons are only on one or two sources so far, so we rank each weapon from the sources available, even a single one, instead of leaving it out. The number on a portrait is how many sources rank that weapon yet. We re-check every few days and move to a full three-source consensus as soon as enough sources exist.
When will this tier list be updated?
It was last checked on Nov 3, 2026, against the launch version on PC and PS5. The next full check is at the next source check on 6 November, and we also re-check whenever a new weapon is released. The checked date at the top of the page always shows how current the ranking is.
Serpent & Viper
