Quick answer: Heartrend Pipa is a Phantom Edge found in Village of Lu, near the Puppet Testing Grounds bell, as a reward or pickup in the world. The map below shows its pin.
Where to find Heartrend Pipa
Heartrend Pipa is in Village of Lu, near the Puppet Testing Grounds bell, as a reward or pickup in the world. Rest at that bell before heading to the pin. The Village of Lu interactive map marks every bell in the region along with the Heartrend Pipa pin; click the pin to see its details. The same bell is also the closest one to the Fiend Saws pin.
As a Phantom Edge, Heartrend Pipa is a secondary weapon. You use it with the Phantom Edges button, and it costs Remnant Spark. The full lineup of weapons and Phantom Edges is in the Phantom Blade Zero weapons list.
Heartrend Pipa item description and lore
The item card describes it this way:
“A replica pipa with a clear, mournful tone that rends the heart. Its music can release Sonic Blades sharp enough to cut through anything.”
Its lore line reads:
“An exquisite pipa once wielded by Musician Puppet Yuzan.”
Heartrend Pipa is a separate item from the Broken Illusory Pipa story item. If you want the background on that one, it has its own Broken Illusory Pipa page.
Heartrend Pipa arts
Heartrend Pipa carries six arts. Button names appear in brackets, exactly as the game writes them.
| Art | Unlocks | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Illusory Pipa | Tempering art | “The Chord’s reforged Illusory Pipa. Grants the ability to dispel Phantom Barriers and control weaker enemies.” |
| Sonic Blade | Base art | “Blue Sonic Blades deal damage and inflict Sha-Chi Depletion. Unblockable. Red Sonic Blades deal increased damage. Unblockable and ignore all Damage Reduction.” |
| Evasive Pluck | Weapon level 5 | “After dodging with [Run]+[Dodge] or [Run]+[Dodge], immediately press [Phantom Edges] to quickly release [Sonic Blades].” |
| Ringing Steel | Weapon level 10 | “Lv. 1: Slightly increases Sha-Chi Depletion dealt by Blue Sonic Blades and damage dealt by Red Sonic Blades. Lv. 2: Moderately increases Sha-Chi Depletion dealt by Blue Sonic Blades and damage dealt by Red Sonic Blades. Lv. 3: Greatly increases Sha-Chi Depletion dealt by Blue Sonic Blades and damage dealt by Red Sonic Blades.” |
| Harmonic Shift | Weapon level 15 | “After dashing forward with [Run]+[Dodge] or stepping back with [Run]+[Dodge], immediately press [Phantom Edges] to unleash a [Sonic Blade].” |
| Formation-Breaking Song | Weapon level 25 | “Hold [Block]+[Phantom Edges] to sit and continuously play the pipa, unleashing a barrage of Blue and Red Sonic Blades. Continuously consumes Remnant Spark” |
An art with a weapon-level requirement becomes available when the Phantom Edge reaches that level. For instructions on forging, see the weapon upgrade walkthrough.
What Heartrend Pipa is good for
Heartrend Pipa’s music releases Sonic Blades. Blue ones inflict Sha-Chi Depletion, and red ones hit harder and ignore all Damage Reduction. Both are unblockable. As you level it, the pipa adds an evasive pluck off your dodges and the Formation-Breaking Song, a seated barrage of Blue and Red Sonic Blades that keeps draining Remnant Spark while you play. For how it stacks up against other early options, check the best weapons early on.
