Quick answer: Comparing level-1 card Damage, The Lady’s Fan leads with 340. Infernal Rouge, Freezing Chaos and Aureate are next, each at 324.
The early weapons fall into C tier by these figures, but upgrades keep them strong. The values shown are each weapon card’s base stats at level 1. Rankings use card stats and effects, not results from fights.
Phantom Blade Zero weapon tier list at a glance
How this tier list is ranked
Tier placement starts with Base Damage, then uses the card’s other stat (Guard Break or Status Effects) and finally the weapon’s own arts. When weapons tie, those criteria break the tie in the same sequence.
- S tier: 320 Damage and up
- A tier: 300 to 319 Damage
- B tier: 250 to 299 Damage
- C tier: below 250 Damage
A C tier weapon is still a reasonable pick early on, and upgrades change the picture. For the full roster beyond these rankings, the complete Phantom Blade Zero weapons list covers every weapon.
S tier weapons
| Weapon | Type | Damage | Second stat | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The Lady’s Fan | Dual-Wield | 340 | Guard Break 126 | Mount Soulrend (The Fallen Dream bell) |
 Infernal Rouge | One-Handed | 324 | Guard Break 120 | Soul Temper Sanguine |
 Freezing Chaos | One-Handed | 324 | Status Effects 144 | Reward from Yucong, No. 34 Twisted Puppet, Crimson Forest (Threadbound Great Tree bell) |
 Aureate | One-Handed | 324 | Guard Break 120 | See its guide |
The Lady’s Fan is a Dual-Wield weapon with the highest base Damage of any main weapon. Its card reads: “A bone fan once wielded by Meng Hua before she became The Lady. It channels the powers of Ice, Fire, Lightning, and Chaos. A weapon unlike any other in the Wulin.” You store up to 2 Arcane Sigils and spend them on a Sigil Burst. Fire Ice raises damage and Sha-Chi Depletion for 30 seconds, while Thunder Ice calls lightning down on anyone you Parry for 10 seconds.
Infernal Rouge is a One-Handed weapon obtained through Soul Tempering Sanguine. Bloodline Rebirth saves you from fatal damage by restoring your HP to full and increasing Attack. Your HP then drains until you have lost 50% of Max HP; the effect refreshes at a Bell or when you respawn. Bloodline Awakening changes Soul into Phantom Soul for 10 seconds, greatly boosting Attack and Defense and making each attack release a blade wave.
Freezing Chaos is One-Handed, with Status Effects as its second stat. Hold Block and Heavy Attack to rotate among three modes. Steel has the greatest Attack and Guard Break. Chaos inflicts Chaotic Flame, which can Ignite and drains HP and Sha-Chi. Frost applies Chill, which may progress to Frozen.
Aureate is a One-Handed longsword. Its card reads: “A longsword forged from pure gold, its blade smooth as silk. With it, one can imitate Zuo Shang’s unique Golden Sword Energy.” A Heavy Attack hit inside a combo summons a Living Sword, and 5 embedded swords trigger a Sword Energy Burst. It arrives at the very end of the story, so treat it as a last prize rather than a weapon to plan a run around.
If you want a pick within one weapon type instead, there is a breakdown of the best weapon of each type.
A tier weapons
| Weapon | Type | Damage | Second stat | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bonesaw | Two-Handed | 312 | Status Effects 142 | Mount Soulrend (The Giant’s Lair bell) |
 Crescent Blade | Two-Handed | 312 | Guard Break 118 | Mirage Estate (Training Grounds bell) |
 Sundering Dual Axes | Dual-Wield | 312 | Guard Break 118 | Meigu Lake (White Serpent House bell) |
 Baishan Stormswords | Dual-Wield | 312 | Status Effects 142 | Mandate Encampment (Road to the Training Grounds bell) |
 Whiteshadow | Two-Handed | 308 | Status Effects 144 | Meigu Lake (Whiteshadow’s Fall bell) |
 Fiend Saws | Dual-Wield | 302 | Guard Break 120 | Village of Lu (Puppet Testing Grounds bell) |
Bonesaw is Two-Handed. Its card reads: “Its coarse, jagged teeth have high shield-breaking power. It never grants a swift end to enemies.” Ordinary blocks cost you extra Sha-Chi. In return, the attack right after a parry drains more Sha-Chi, and Savage Finale deals bonus damage to Guard-Broken foes.
Crescent Blade is Two-Handed. Build charge with Block and Heavy Attack to activate Qinglong Form, which lasts 30 seconds; while it is active, Qinglong Cleave can kill weaker enemies in one hit.
Sundering Dual Axes is Dual-Wield. Striking with Light Attack charges the Baleful Aura Gauge. Once full, the gauge grants increased damage and Sha-Chi Depletion for 20 seconds, and Heavy Attack combos can throw the axes.
Baishan Stormswords is Dual-Wield. Activate both the Wind Sword and Thunder Sword to gain Baishan’s Blessing, which increases Attack for 20 seconds. Combining Block with Heavy Attack unleashes Lightning Storm.
Whiteshadow is Two-Handed. Its attacks inflict Chill and fill the Frozen Gauge. The Power Surge, White Shadow’s Frosthowl, freezes each enemy it strikes.
Fiend Saws is Dual-Wield. Every hit builds Fiend-Aura Erosion, which erupts when full. The Fiend Form Power Surge makes all your attacks unblockable for 10 seconds.
B tier weapons
| Weapon | Type | Damage | Second stat | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wild Oriole Sword | One-Handed | 295 | Guard Break 104 | Village of Lu (Puppet Testing Grounds bell) |
 Parting Hooks | Dual-Wield | 288 | Guard Break 118 | Pangzhen (Dockside Warehouse bell) |
 Soft Snake Sword | One-Handed | 288 | Guard Break 118 | Mandate Encampment (Path of the Baishan’s Fall bell) |
 Armybreaker | Two-Handed | 288 | Guard Break 114 | Pangzhen (Marketplace bell) |
 Juggernaut | Two-Handed | 288 | Guard Break 114 | Mountain of Imprisonment (Commander’s Platform bell) |
 Seamless Death | Dual-Wield | 288 | Guard Break 114 | Mountain of Imprisonment (The Lady’s Shrine bell) |
 White Serpent & Crimson Viper | Dual-Wield | 260 | Guard Break 110 | See its guide |
Wild Oriole Sword is One-Handed. Spend Sha-Chi with Block plus Heavy Attack to enter Oriole Song for 10 seconds. While it lasts, every Heavy Attack fires a blade wave.
Parting Hooks is Dual-Wield. Its card reads: “The hooks trace arcs like waning moons. They can assume a Guard Stance to turn defense into offense and have high shield-breaking power.” The Guard Stance counters melee attacks, and the stronger the incoming hit, the stronger your counter.
Soft Snake Sword is One-Handed. Guard Stance uses no Sha-Chi, and dodges become sidesteps. To deflect a hit back, press Block and Heavy Attack just before it lands.
Armybreaker is Two-Handed. Soul rushes forward either when you switch to this weapon or when you deflect a Blue-flash Attack. Formation Breaking Art strips a substantial amount of an enemy’s Sha-Chi.
Juggernaut is Two-Handed. Parrying builds Red Edge stacks; at maximum stacks, Heavy Attack uses them to perform Crimson Wheel Slash. Its Power Surge marks enemies, making them take more damage and Sha-Chi Depletion.
Seamless Death is Dual-Wield. Its card reads: “A pair of uncanny ring blades whose strikes flow with effortless fluidity. They can be hurled to claim lives in an instant.” Reaping Rings backs Soul away and sends tracking Flying Rings at the target.
White Serpent & Crimson Viper is Dual-Wield and ranks at the bottom of B tier for Damage. Use Block with Heavy Attack to send Crimson Viper circling Soul. Execute can perform a ranged execution against a distant enemy with low HP.
C tier weapons
| Weapon | Type | Damage | Second stat | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Scarlet Wraithblade | Two-Handed | 240 | Guard Break 117 | Reward from Hua, Deadly Betrothed, Weeping Creek Valley (Flesh Lily Fields) |
 Jagged Steel | One-Handed | 240 | Status Effects 124 | Weeping Creek Valley (Rustblade Pavilion bell) |
 Tianxuan Bronze Sword | One-Handed | 240 | Guard Break 106 | Village of Lu (The Lady Grounds bell) |
 Outlaw Warblade | Two-Handed | 240 | Guard Break 106 | Reward from Jing Ye, the Outlaw, Crimson Forest (Outlaw Trap bell) |
 The Fanatic’s Broken Blade | One-Handed | 228 | Guard Break 96 | Reward from Hua Qianxiao, the Sword Fanatic, Crimson Forest (Pangzhen Bridge Overlook bell) |
 Sanguine Twin | Dual-Wield | 200 | Guard Break 100 | Weeping Creek Valley (First Meeting with Yu’er bell) |
 Sanguine Reach | Two-Handed | 200 | Guard Break 100 | Weeping Creek Valley (Outpost bell) |
 Sanguine | One-Handed | 200 | Guard Break 100 | Soul’s own weapon from the start |
 Wooden Sanguine | One-Handed | 160 | Guard Break 94 | Prologue only |
Scarlet Wraithblade is Two-Handed and has more Guard Break than the other early weapons, putting it at the top of C tier. Heavy Attack combos plant Red Spider Lilies that slow foes and drain Sha-Chi; after 3 seconds, the lilies explode.
Jagged Steel is One-Handed. Its slashes cause Bleeding and advance the Bleed Gauge toward Blood Loss. Bleed has no effect on Puppets, Golden Bodies or Phantom Bodies.
Tianxuan Bronze Sword is One-Handed. Its card reads: “A bronze sword, masterful in its simplicity. It offers high Shield-Breaking power when attacking and rock-solid defense when blocking.” It lowers the Sha-Chi cost of blocking, but you lose the ability to parry.
Outlaw Warblade is Two-Handed. Every hit in a Standard Combo drains life, with a greater drain while Recoverable HP is available. This effect does not work on Puppets, Golden Bodies or Phantom Bodies.
The Fanatic’s Broken Blade is One-Handed. Drinking makes Soul Tipsy and turns attacks into Flying Sword strikes that lose damage over distance.
Sanguine Twin is Dual-Wield and the quickest of the Sanguine family. Its Power Surge, Dual-Blade Flurry, cannot be blocked.
Sanguine Reach is Two-Handed, with broad sweeping attacks suited to taking on groups.
Sanguine is One-Handed. It is Soul’s own blade and the one Soul Tempers into Infernal Rouge.
Wooden Sanguine is One-Handed. Soul used this wooden practice blade in his youth.
Phantom Blade Zero weapons made by Soul Tempering
Three of the Sanguine weapons turn into new ones through Soul Tempering, which also adds a new art.
- Sanguine becomes Infernal Rouge, ranked in S tier above.
- Sanguine Reach becomes Blazing Edge.
- Sanguine Twin becomes Shadowless Edge.
Compare Phantom Blade Zero weapons at the same level
Weapon card stats increase with level, so tier comparisons apply only at equal levels. At level 5, Sanguine Twin has 280 Damage and 140 Guard Break, exceeding White Serpent & Crimson Viper and all C tier weapons at level 1.
An upgraded weapon in a lower tier can overtake a higher-tier weapon that has not been upgraded. Compare their cards at the same level before switching. At bells, use Remnant Dust and materials to upgrade weapons.
