When it comes to console role-playing games, the Final Fantasy franchise is king. The original was released in 1987 and since then the series has produced fifteen installments, with Final Fantasy XV releasing November 29th, along with countless spinoffs. Although the game’s name harkens images of a sword and sorcery fantasy title, the game also throws a bit of science fiction into the mix.
Over the years, the Final Fantasy franchise has been known for its unforgettable list of characters and settings. Still, although Final Fantasy has created a world rich with Moogles and magical crystals, the thing that really motivates players to continue playing is the hope of getting their hands on some pretty impressive weapons. Some weapons that have been introduced into the Final Fantasy world have become so iconic that they have become just as recognizable as the characters that drive the stories.
So without further ado, here are the 15 Most Iconic Final Fantasy Weapons that players can’t get enough of.
15. Save the Queen
The Save the Queen is most commonly depicted as a knight sword or holy sword in the Final Fantasy franchise, although it has taken on the form of different weapons in other games. The weapon made its first appearance in Final Fantasy Tactics for the Sony Playstation where its description reads, “A knight's sword given as a symbol of an oath of fealty.” It is commonly associated with the Paladin class for its holy attributes as well as its defensive properties.
In Final Fantasy Tactics it is the weapon wielded by Meliadoul Tengille of the Knights Templar before she teams up with Ramza and his squad. The weapon was further popularized in Final Fantasy IX, also for the PlayStation, and was the personal weapon of General Beatrix.
Since then, the sword has been featured in Final Fantasy X, XI, XII, and XIII. The sword became so popular, in fact, that it was added into remake versions of Final Fantasy III and VI as ultimate weapons you can acquire.
Only in Final Fantasy VIII does it take on the form of one of Quistis’ whips, rather than a sword. Still, it remains Quistis’ most powerful weapon in the game.
14. Blitzball
In Final Fantasy X, Tidus and Wakka are professional athletes in a popular sport known as Blitzball. Much like Quidditch in the Harry Potter series, the game is widely popular in the world of Final Fantasy X and resembles a kind of underwater soccer. Named after the game itself, the Blitzball is the official ball of the sport. It is a spherical ball, much like a soccer ball, that’s covered with a thick, studded hide. Although the ball appears to be light and hollow, its density is such that it neither floats nor sinks, allowing it to stay in stasis while underwater.
A professional Blitzball player is capable of performing some amazing trick shots, but Wakka proves that, when in danger, the Blitzball can be used as a weapon as well. He uses the Blitzball to attack enemies from a distance and, as upgrades his Blitzball, it goes from looking less like something you’d find on the playing field to more like something you’d find on the battlefield. As the weapon upgrades, Wakka outfits the ball with spikes and blades. It’s probably safe to say that these enhancements are almost certainly not regulation, but then again, what ref wants to argue with a guy throwing around his own personal murder sphere?
13. Death Penalty
Sometimes a sword just won’t cut it-- or wait-- you get the idea. The world of Final Fantasy isn’t all shields and daggers; some characters prefer some firepower at their side. Case in point, the Death Penalty.
The Death Penalty, also known sometimes as the Death Penalties, was first introduced in Final Fantasy VII and was Vincent Valentine's most powerful firearm.
Visually, the weapon is based on the Colt revolving rifle. Later when Vincent returns in the Final Fantasy VII spinoff Dirge of Cerberus, the Death Penalty resembles more of a Heavy Metal inspired hand cannon.
The Death Penalty makes other appearances throughout the Final Fantasy franchise. In Final Fantasy XI, Corsair sports the weapon, which looks more like a giant blunderbuss. Admiral Merlwyb of Final Fantasy XIV is also equipped with the Death Penalty. The gun is also the strongest gun you can acquire in Final Fantasy Dissidia.
12. Mage Masher
The Mage Masher is not a weapon that many will recognize from a lineup of Final Fantasy weapons, but fans of the series certainly know it by name. The Mage Masher is often portrayed as a dagger, and although it's never the strongest weapon, it always proves to be rather useful.
Like the name suggests, the Mage Masher is particularly effective against enemies that wield magic. This is because the Mage Masher is infused with the Mute spell which causes enemies to lose their voice. No voice, no magic. Take that away from a mage, and they become nothing more than a target with a pointy hat and a stick.
The Mage Masher has made many appearances throughout the Final Fantasy franchise. Some version of the weapon has been almost guaranteed in every entry in the series since it first appeared in the original Final Fantasy. The Mage Masher proves that the size of a weapon is not the only thing that can leave your enemies speechless.
11. Magitek Armor
In Final Fantasy VI, a war ravages the world and makes magic a rare, almost extinct, ability. With much of magic lost to humanity, they turn to steampunk-like technology as a substitute. Despite this, the powerful Gestahlian Empire seeks to reclaim the power of magic by capturing magical creatures known as Espers. By extracting these creatures' abilities and merging them with technology, they are able to create Magitek Armor.
Magitek Armors are basically giant, steam-powered Hulkbusters that have the ability to shoot magic instead of bullets. Like many of the technological creations throughout the Final Fantasy franchise, Magitek Armor was created by the engineer Cid, a common recurring character within the Final Fantasy series. The Gestahlian Empire eventually uses these giant mechs to rule the world with a literal iron fist.
Although primarily seen in Final Fantasy VI, versions of Magitek Armor can also be found in Final Fantasy XIV.
10. Ragnarok
“Common blades are drawn to begin battles. Ragnarok is drawn to end them.”
This is the description given to the Ragnarok in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift and it couldn’t be more accurate. Ragnarok is another recurring weapon in the Final Fantasy franchise. The sword is named after the event in Norse mythology known as Ragnarok, which is similar to the biblical Apocalypse. It marks a time when all the gods use Earth as their personal boxing ring and duke it out to the bitter end, taking all of humanity with them. Eventually, the world is then renewed by two human survivors, starting the cycle of life all over again.
Much like the Save the Queen, Ragnarok is a blade commonly wielded by Warriors and Knights. It makes a number of appearances throughout the Final Fantasy series. It was first seen in Final Fantasy III, where it’s found in the Eureka dungeon, guarded by Guardian. Since then it has made an appearance in virtually every other title, although the name was changed to the Crystal Sword in the Super Nintendo US release of Final Fantasy IV (known as Final Fantasy II in the states). Ragnarok can also be used as a summon in Final Fantasy VI.
Due to the popularity of the blade, the weapon was included in various remakes of the original Final Fantasy. It was also added to the PSP and iOS versions of Final Fantasy II where it’s the most powerful weapon in the game.
9. Brotherhood
The Brotherhood may not be the most powerful weapon in Final Fantasy X, but it certainly is the prettiest.
The blade acts as Tidus’ trademark weapon which appears on the cover of the Playstation 2 release, and for good reason, the blade is a work of art.
Resembling the tide coming in, the blade looks like it’s made of pure sea water. The shape is a cross between a harpoon and a fishing hook meant to go deep sea fishing for hunchback whales. The handle looks like it was crafted by an artist, with its draconic design and red sash flowing off the end.
The sword is given to Tidus by Wakka. It used to belong to Wakka’s brother Chappu, who left the sword behind to join the Crusaders and fight against Sin. The sword is named not only because Tidus reminded Wakka of his brother, but also to symbolize the bond of brotherhood between the two characters.
8. Zantetsuken
There are many powerful swords in the Final Fantasy franchise, but few are worthy of a god.
The Zantetsuken is one such weapon. It’s the signature weapon of Odin as well as the name of his signature attack. Zantetsuken translates to Iron-Cutting Sword and is described in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles as, “A sword that cuts through anything.”
The sword is often shown as a huge curved blade similar to a scimitar. When Odin is summoned, he can brandish the blade, slicing enemies in two and immediately killing anything on the screen.
The weapon has also found its way into the hands of select mortal characters in Final Fantasy as well. In later translations of Final Fantasy IV, the Zantetsuken can be equipped by Terra, Edgar, Cyan, or Celes. The blade gives the wielder a 25% chance to immediately kill their enemy. The blade is also taken by Gilgamesh in Final Fantasy VIII during a battle between Seifer and Odin. After the battle, Gilgamesh can be summoned, giving him a chance to wipe out any group of enemies immediately. Gilgamesh also uses a fake version of the blade in Final Fantasy XII.
7. Auron’s Katana
Much like Brotherhood and Tidus, Auron’s Katana is basically an extension of his personality. In Final Fantasy X, Auron acts as a teacher to the rest of the squad, passing on his years of knowledge as a guardian to the rest of the squad. Like many samurai, Auron believes in honor and carries himself in a way that demands respect. Like many seasoned warriors, he walks softly and carries a big stick-- except in this case his “stick” happens to be a giant katana.
Describing this weapon as a katana is not doing it justice. It’s more like 80 pounds of hardened steel forged into the shape of pure death. The weapon looks like it could cut a tank in half like a laser through butter. More impressive than the sheer size of the sword is Auron’s ability to carry it in one hand!
Auron can be seen using his blade in true samurai movie fashion during his Banishing Sword overdrive attack, where he takes a swig of sake from his jug and spits it on his blade before delivering a fatal blow.
6. Gunblade
Few weapons in the Final Fantasy series are as ingenious as the Gunblade from Final Fantasy VIII. The weapon is used both by the main hero Squall Leonhart and his rival Seifer Almasy. It’s a hybrid weapon, combining the cutting blade of a sword with a revolver for a handle. Despite its look, the Gunblade is used primarily for close quarters combat-- if you consider eight feet of forged steel “close”. The revolver doesn’t actually fire bullets, but rather creates a burst of flame when triggered. This is used to create an explosive impact during a strike-- as if being impaled wasn’t bad enough.
The weapon was designed by Tetsuya Nomura. Nomura wanted a way to add more interactivity to the game’s turn-based combat, allowing the player to take more control of the battle. He designed the Gunblade so players could time a button press, triggering a critical hit and inflicting more damage as a result.
At the time Nomura was into to silver accessories and thought a silver revolver would work nicely with his character design. Still, looking back on it, Nomura says the blade has an odd appearance.
It would seem cosplayers around the world disagree.
5. Excalibur
The Excalibur is a storied blade throughout the Final Fantasy series. This holy knight sword is representative of nobility and purity, and in many cases is one of the strongest weapons a player will acquire in any Final Fantasy game.
Named after the fabled weapon of King Arthur, this sword made its first appearance in the original Final Fantasy game. It could be obtained by finding the legendary metal Adamantite and giving it to the Dwarven Smith. The Smith fashions Excalibur, a weapon that can only be wielded by a knight who possesses the attributes of all the elements in the game. As a result, most monster are weak to it.
A special version of the sword exists in Final Fantasy IX. It's available only to those who reach the end of the game in under 12 hours. Accomplishing this gives Steiner access to the strongest weapon in the game.
4. Excalipoor
When it comes to greatness everyone wants a taste, and with a sword as legendary as the Excalibur there were bound to be imitators. The Ecalipoor is an identical version of the famous greatsword and the basis for one of the biggest cons you’ll encounter in the Final Fantasy series. In games such as Final Fantasy V, the stats on the weapon appear to be very high, but take this piece of junk into battle and you’ll find that you'd be better off fighting with a butter knife. Excalipoor is the ultimate lemon, limited to dealing only 1 hp of damage.
The sword made its first appearance in Final Fantasy V when Gilgamesh, thinking he had found Excalibur, attempts to use it in battle. Upon finding out that the legendary sword is a fake, Exdeath banishes Gilgamesh for being a complete idiot.
The joke has been continued in many other Final Fantasy games since then. Calling upon Gilgamesh as a summon always comes with the chance he’ll pull out this famed forgery, wasting your time in the process.
3. Masamune
The Masamune is a renowned katana with a history that stretches back as far as the original game. It’s named after the famed Japanese blacksmith, Masamune Okazaki, who is often regarded as Japan’s greatest swordsmith. In the original game, it was the strongest weapon you could receive with a learning curve that allowed any class to equip it.
Although a version of the sword has been featured in just about every Final Fantasy game there is, the most famous iteration of the sword has to be the signature weapon of everybody’s favorite villain, Sephiroth. He debuted with it in Final Fantasy VII and is the only person who can effectively use the weapon.
Sephiroth’s Masamune almost demands that you fight in a space no smaller than a football field. The sword is estimated to be anywhere between 6 to 8 feet long, making it just slightly taller than Shaquille O'Neal and almost certainly a better candidate to play Steel.
2. Ultima Weapon
Since its debut in Final Fantasy IV, the Ultima Weapon, also known as the Atma Weapon, has served as the Bentley of Final Fantasy weapons. It’s often the strongest weapon you can acquire, but unlike most powerful weapons, the Ultima Weapon draws its power from the user, scaling with the character’s stats rather than having a set strength. This oftentimes makes the Ultima Weapon the best choice for high-level characters.
The Ultima Weapon has taken on different forms in the Final Fantasy franchise, both as a weapon and as a beast. Acquiring the Ultima Weapon usually requires that you defeat a living embodiment of the weapon.
To reflect that the blade draws its strength from the user, versions of the weapon change their look and shape depending on the status of the character. In Final Fantasy IV, the sword looks much like Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber and the size of the blade grows depending on the amount of HP the character has. In Final Fantasy VII, the large crystal blade changes color from clear to blue.
1. Buster Sword
It’s hard not to put Cloud’s Buster Sword on the top of any list of Final Fantasy weapons. The giant sword has become almost as recognizable to the Final Fantasy series as Link’s Master Sword is to the Zelda franchise. When Final Fantasy VII came to the Sony PlayStation in 1997, it brought in a whole new fan base to the franchise, perhaps because the cover art showed this massive slab of steel strapped to the back of the main hero, Cloud Strife.
Looking at the weapon, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. Just like Sephiroth’s Masamune, the sword is absurdly large; probably weighing three times as much as the person swinging it. The hilt of the sword looks as if it can’t possibly support the weight of its massive blade. Still, the crude, almost industrial design of the Buster Sword makes it a truly intimidating weapon to behold and a fan-favorite that has made its way into more than one Final Fantasy spinoff.
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Don't miss the long-awaited release of Final Fantasy XV coming November 29th!