One of the biggest changes between Bloodborne and Dark Souls was the lack of weapon variety in the former...or at least, that's what people assumed to be the case at first glance. A deeper look into Bloodborne's Trick Weapons reveals unique movesets for each weapon, essentially two weapons rolled into one.
Suffice it to say, players have dissected the entire game as they tried to figure out the best weapon possible to take care of the waves of enemies and bosses the player faces in the game. Here are the best weapons for PvE in Bloodborne, ranked as per their effectiveness.
Updated February 25, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: Bloodborne is one of the greatest action-adventure titles on the PS4, with Miyazaki's glorious mind conjuring a dark gothic masterpiece that is filled to the brim with some truly nightmarish creatures and a haunting backdrop that really gets under the player's skin once they figure out more things about this twisted world. The game's enemies can be quite hard to deal with, and here are the best weapons that will make short work of these foes in Bloodborne.
20 Tonitrus
The Tonitrus is a pretty boring weapon, which is saying something given how engaging the vast majority of weapons are in Bloodborne. Its trick transformation is a simple infusion of electricity, which may not be the most exciting thing around.
However, in terms of sheer effectiveness, there's no denying that this weapon can be quite useful in the right hands. Enemies weak to electricity will be pummeled by this mace, with players getting surprised at the deceptively fast speed of a weapon that looks a bit unwieldy.
19 Kirkhammer
The Kirkhammer is one of the coolest weapons in Bloodborne. The weapon doubles as both a sword and hammer, with the transformation being pretty impressive indeed.
Players need to pursue a pretty serious strength build to get the most out of this weapon, but the end result is definitely worth it. Pounding enemies with this hammer while also getting some quick sword hits makes for a great time.
18 Hunter Axe
The Hunter Axe is one of the three starting weapons that players can choose in Bloodborne. This is a strength-focused weapon that is perfect for beginners who want access to knockdown attacks and powerful blows.
The Hunter Axe may not be the most engaging weapon around, but it certainly gets the job done when it comes to the many enemies in this game. It can serve as a trusted companion for quite some time until players get more viable strength weapons further down the line.
17 Beast Cutter
Beast Cutter is one of the best weapons in the game and one of the most overlooked ones as well. Given the sheer number of new weapons that players can experiment around with in The Old Hunters, a weapon that looks like the Saw Cleaver may not be the most appealing prospect.
However, players who decide to give the Beast Cutter a shot will be surprised at just how effective this weapon really is. It hits like a truck and is swift enough to shave off a ton of the enemy's health bar before they even have time to react.
16 Amygdalan Arm
The idea of using the arm of the nightmarish Amygdala creature in battle sounds sickening to many. However, that is simply not a sound reason to discredit the immense power of the Amygdalan Arm.
A person focusing on a pure strength build will find the DPS of this weapon to be truly incredible. If players are willing to invest in this underrated weapon, then they'll definitely find themselves loving the Amygdalan Arm and its damaging moveset.
15 Bloodletter
One of two weapons in the game that scales with Bloodtinge, the Bloodletter is one of the most unique and damaging weapons in the entire game. The fact that it uses the player's health itself to deal extra damage is a point that should be noted as well.
To find this weapon, players need to use the Underground Cell Key to unlock the door that leads to Brador's cell. It's recommended that players take care of this NPC sooner rather than later so that they have to avoid any needless invasions further down the line.
14 Logarius' Wheel
Logarius' Wheel is easily one of the most unique weapons in the entire game. The idea of using raw strength to whack enemies with a big wheel sounds infinitely satisfying, and the Logarius' Wheel definitely doesn't disappoint in this regard.
Players need to either kill Alfred the Vileblood Hunter or give him the Unopened Summons to get the Wheel Hunter Badge. Following this, Logarius' Wheel will be open to purchase for anyone who needs this weapon to complete their Bloodborne PvE build.
13 Boom Hammer
Another weapon from the DLC that ends up being extremely powerful, the Boom Hammer is not a weapon to be taken lightly. It might seem a bit unwieldy, but players who manage to use its explosive attack to great effect will find themselves enjoying one of the most damaging weapons in the entire game.
Players can find this weapon in The Hunter's Nightmare on the corpse of a hunter who is surrounded by explosive traps. Watching enemies be blasted to smithereens with the use of this weapon is quite entertaining indeed.
12 Stake Driver
While the Stake Driver might not have the explosive impact of the Boom Hammer, its attack can still deal significant damage. However, keep in mind that the charged attack of the Stake Driver can be incredibly slow, so timing is of the essence to master this move.
Players who do end up using the Stake Driver will easily find themselves enjoying one of the best weapons in the entire game. To get this weapon, the player needs to either fight or befriend Djura to get the Powder Keg Hunter Badge.
11 Kos Parasite
Players who are pursuing an arcane build should definitely try out the Kos Parasite. With the Milkweed Rune, the Kos Parasite turns into one of the most unique and coolest weapons in the entirety of Bloodborne.
Unfortunately, the player might not have all the time in the world to try this weapon out, since the Kos Parasite is obtained after defeating the hardest boss in the game — the Orphan of Kos. However, players who put in the effort will find themselves enjoying an excellent weapon to support their Bloodborne PvE build.
10 Beast Claw
Due credit must be given to the Beast Claw for arguably being the most fun weapon to use in the game. The weapon itself might not be that great of a combat asset, but pairing it up with the Beast Embrace rune can turn the game into a wholly unique affair.
With the Beast Claw, the player will gain Beasthood with each hit, allowing them to hit for massive damage...while simultaneously being vulnerable to being one-shotted as well. It's a playstyle that will keep gamers on the edge of their seats and turn every encounter in Bloodborne into a nerve-wracking yet adrenaline-infusing battle.
Not that most encounters weren't like that already...but the Beast Claw ups the ante by just that much. It can be obtained in The Hunter's Nightmare by defeating a hunter who wields the same weapon.
9 Saw Cleaver/Saw Spear
There's a reason why the Saw Cleaver has been featured so heavily in Bloodborne's marketing — it's easily the best starting weapon by a country mile, scales nicely with most builds, and has a variant in the form of the Saw Spear that favors people who are focusing more heavily on Skill instead of Strength.
With the Saw Cleaver or Saw Spear, the player gets serrated damage as well, which damages beasts more by 20%. Given the fact that most tough enemies in the starting areas are beasts, the player will have more leeway to make mistakes and learn from them without being overly punished. It's easily a weapon that most players can use throughout the game without facing any problems whatsoever.
The Saw Cleaver can be obtained at the very start of the game, while the Saw Spear is obtained in the sewers after some searching.
8 Blade Of Mercy
The Blade Of Mercy is truly a one-of-a-kind Skill weapon... or at least it was before The Old Hunters barged in with a massive set of amazing weapons that dwarf the original by quite a margin.
That being said, one can't deny how awesome it is to use Blade Of Mercy in combat. Its two-handed mode allows players to unleash eight unique attacks with their R1 combo — more than any other weapon in the game. Obtaining this weapon does require players to finish Eileen the Crow's questline, which can be quite challenging indeed since players will be required to fight the hardest NPC in the entire game — the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst.
7 Ludwig's Holy Blade
Most people might be groaning upon seeing this weapon on the list, but one can't deny that Ludwig's Holy Blade is a great Quality-build weapon that can be massively useful in combat, whether in PvE or PvP.
The only reason why it doesn't rank all that high in the list is that it definitely loses style points for being the most overused weapon in the entire game. Players who want to make the most of this weapon for their Bloodborne PvE build should definitely purchase the same after obtaining the Radiant Hunter Sword Badge.
6 Church Pick
The Church Pick is the first weapon from the DLC to make this list, and what a weapon it is. This trick weapon turns from a piercing sword into a scythe-like weapon in the blink of an eye, making for some interesting combat scenarios.
It deals massive damage and is an easy recommendation for anyone who wants to pick up an interesting weapon to use in a second playthrough. Players need the Underground Cell Key so that they can unlock the door and fight the hunter who wields this weapon in The Hunter's Nightmare.
5 Holy Moonlight Sword
The Holy Moonlight Sword is easily one of the coolest weapons in the game. While it does require some investment in Arcane, the end result is more than worth it.
Using the weapon in its transformed state and watching it massacre enemies with its ranged attacks will always be entertaining. To use this weapon as a part of a player's Bloodborne PvE build, they'll need to defeat the best boss in the game — Ludwig.
4 Chikage
For players who are pursuing a mixture of Skill and Bloodtinge, there's no weapon that's better than the Chikage. The untransformed state is great in its own right, but it's the transformed state that truly shines as one of the most powerful and coolest transformed trick weapons in Bloodborne.
While this transformed state does take some life from the player, the massive increase in damage — especially with high Bloodtinge — is a thing of beauty. Players can obtain this weapon to complete their Bloodborne PvE build by joining the Vilebloods and buying this weapon for 50,000 Blood Echoes.
3 Burial Blade
For a weapon as great as the Burial Blade, it's a shame that most players only get a whiff of it after defeating the final boss in the game... or the penultimate boss, depending on what choices the player has made in their playthrough.
The Burial Blade has massive range and damage, at the cost of speed — an odd mix for a Skill weapon.
2 Rakuyo
Lady Maria wields one of the coolest-looking weapons in the game, and it's a given that players would want to test this weapon out as well. However, the act of getting this blade is perhaps one of the hardest challenges in Bloodborne.
Fighting the two Giant Fishmen to get this blade is an achievement in itself, and the weapon that players get is easily one of the best Skill weapons in the game.
1 Whirligig Saw
It would be impossible to talk about the best PvE weapons in Bloodborne without mentioning the stagger king. The Whirligig Saw easily has the highest DPS in the entire game, to the point where players might feel that it's downright broken.
One can't deny how satisfying it is to permanently stunlock a boss and watch them fall without even putting up much of a fight.
Bloodborne is available on PlayStation 4.