While each game may have a handful of its own unique weapons, the vast majority of the equipment found inFinal Fantasygames shows up repeatedly throughout the series' many entries.The strongest weapons typically vary from game to game, but there are some which find themselves near the top of the rankings time and time again.
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Many of these weapons are based on real-life blades and swords while others are quite literally the stuff of legend. There are one or twotop-tier original weaponsas well, although as is the case throughout the franchise, folklore and mythology play an important role in fleshing out the series' dense lore.
10Death Penalty
First appearing inFinal Fantasy VII, the Death Penalty serves as Vincent’s ultimate weapon andcan be acquired in Lucrecia’s Cave. It’s based on the Colt revolving rifle and while it may not be inherently powerful, it comes with a somewhat unique perk.
The weapon becomes increasingly powerful with each additional enemy that it slays, meaning that it hasalmostlimitless damage potential. Due to the way that damage is calculated in the game, however, there is a theoretical maximum; although even this places it far above all of the other weapons in the game.
9Nirvana
Although the vast majority of the series' most powerful weapons are bladed, there are a couple of incrediblyuseful rods and staffsas well. The most impressive of these is perhaps the Nirvana, which is not only powerful but also offers some very useful perks.
InFinal Fantasy X, it is Yuna’s most powerful weapon and reduces the cost of all spells and summons to just a single MP. The Nirvana is also one of the best weapons for Vanille inFinal Fantasy XIIIwhile also offering an ATB gauge segment and the Nirvana Zeta isthe most powerful White Mage weapon inFinal Fantasy XIV.
8Caladbolg
Based on the legendary Celtic blade of the same name, the Caladbolg is a two-handed greatsword that was said to leave behind a rainbow-like arc when swung. According to legend, it was supposedly so powerful that it could slice the tops off of mountains or cut through an entire army like hot butter.
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Although its appearances throughout theFinal Fantasyseries have been incredibly limited, the Caladbolg serves as Tidus' Celestial weapon in western releases ofFinal Fantasy X. Oncefully powered up with the Sun Crest and Sigil, it’s able to break the damage limit, completely ignore enemy defenses and becomes more powerful when Tidus' HP is full.
7Muramasa
The Muramasa is named after a Japanese swordsmith called Sengo Muramasa. His katana swords were incredibly popular during the Muromachi period and eventually became the blades of choice for Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and his subjects. As time has passed, however, the swords have garnered a reputation for being cursed.
Many believe that the blades exhibit an unquenchable thirst for blood and, in some cases, can even compel their wielders to take their own lives in their attempts to satisfy this craving. It’s for this reason thatthey are often referred to as Demon Bladesand this is also the case in several of theFinal Fantasygames.
6Lightbringer
The Lightbringer is an incredibly powerful sword that is imbued with holy magic. This, and its high attack stats, make it an incredibly effective weapon — especially when up against undead enemies. It’s the most powerful weapon available in bothFinal Fantasy VandFinal Fantasy VIand is up there with the very best in many of the other games that it appears.
Although not quite as powerful, the Deathbringer is not too dissimilar although is imbued with dark magic rather than holy. Its attack stats are usually fairly high, but what makes the blade so deadly is its ability to instantly kill enemies with a single strike. As with other insta-kill attacks in the series though, the chances of it doing so can be fairly low.
5Masamune
Most people consider Goro Nyudo Masamune to have been the greatest Japanese swordsmith of all time. With this in mind, it’s not too surprising that his work would go on to inspireone of the most iconic and deadly weapons in theFinal Fantasyfranchise.
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Its most famous wielder is almost certainly Sephiroth and it was with the Masamune that he so memorably murdered Aerith. Sephirothisn’t the only Square Enix character to have gotten their hands on a Masamune bladethough, with Auron, Zidane, and Cyan having done so in their respective games.
4Zantetsuken
Zantetsuken is the signature weapon of Odin,who himself is based on the Norse god of the same name. The Japanese name for the blade loosely translates to ‘iron slashing sword’ and is typically given to a blade that can slice through iron or steel. This is quite fitting, as in the Final Fantasy series it can cut through just about anything — enemies included.
The sword features in several titles and usually has a chance of inflicting instant death. The odds vary from game to game, although inFinal Fantasy VIthere is a 25% chance. That it can also be equipped by four of the main party members makes it one of the game’s very best weapons despite its attack stats being a little lower than some of the other options.
3Ragnarok
The Zantetsuken may possess the power of the Norse gods, but the Ragnarok takes its inspiration fromthe apocalyptic event that will completely obliterate them all. It has featured in every mainlineFinal Fantasygame with the exception ofFinal Fantasy VIIIandFinal Fantasy XIIIand has insanely high attack stats.
There are several games in which it’s the strongest weapon outright, although it generally tends to rank somewhere amongst the top five. It’s been wielded by the likes of Cecil, Cloud, and Tidus and made its most recent appearance inFinal Fantasy XV.
2Excalibur
Inspired by a magical swordfrom Arthurian legend, Excalibur is said to have granted its wielder immense power. Some say that it even made them invincible. It first appeared in the very firstFinal Fantasygame and has since gone on to feature in all but a handful of the subsequent releases.
More often than not, it is one of the strongest swords available in the games in which it features although occasionally sits just behind Ragnarok in second place. Many of these games also feature a similar-looking blade known as Excalipoor. In stark contrast to its namesake, however, this gag weapon’s attack stats almost always make it the worst sword in its respective games.
1Ultima Weapon
The Ultima Weapon first appeared inFinal Fantasy VIand has featured in most of the games that have followed it. It was created during the War of the Magi around the same time as the magical monster of the same name. As a result, there is often a strong connection between the two.
Defeating this planetary protector is often a requirement for obtaining the sword, which is also referred to as the Atma Weapon in some of the series' earlier titles. It is Cloud’s ultimate weapon inFinal Fantasy VII, Zidane’s ultimate weapon inFinal Fantasy IX,and shares many similarities withSquall’s ultimate weapon (the Lion Heart) inFinal Fantasy VIII.
