Highlights

• Bloodborne is considered one of the greatest video games, with a Gothic and Lovecraftian theme that offers an immersive and intense gaming experience.
• Choosing a Quality build in the game allows players to optimize their offensive capabilities by leveling up any two stats that improve damage.
• Different weapons in Bloodborne have unique strengths and playstyles, such as the Saw Spear with its versatility, the Beast Cutter for crowd control, and the Church Pick for high damage output when used correctly.

When one talks about some of the greatest video games on the PlayStation 4, it goes without saying that Bloodborne would definitely be mentioned in this conversation. Miyazaki's foray into the realm of Gothic and Lovecraftian themes has brought forth an absolute gem of a title, with a fittingly oppressive atmosphere and some of the most intense gaming moments of all time. Players truly need to figure out a proper build to opt for so that they can take care of the horrors in the dream with little to no issues.

Most people can choose to opt for a Quality build, which can make the most of two unique stats to optimize the damage that can be dealt. While most people consider only Skill and Strength to be leveled up for a Quality build, the fact of the matter is that a Quality build can be a mix of any two stats that improve the offensive capabilities of a character. So, a person opting for a Quality build would do well to keep the following weapons in mind if they wish to make the most of their Bloodborne experience.

Updated on November 25, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: Bloodborne is one of the greatest video games ever made. It speaks volumes that many people still consider this game to be FromSoftware's magnum opus despite all the success their other titles have received, like Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Miyazaki has done a great job of letting players enjoy games that treat them like adults, pitting them against the odds over and over again. Players have to be really careful how they approach Bloodborne, and having a great weapon that goes with their build goes a long way in ensuring their survival. This list has been updated to include some more information about the best Bloodborne builds, including each weapon's stats and subheadings that give a brief summary of each weapon at a glance.

14 Saw Spear

The Spear Variant Of The Starting Weapon Featured On The Cover

The Saw Spear is one of the best weapons in the game. It has serrated damage in both forms and lets players attack enemies from range in its transformed state. It's a weapon that can carry players all the way to the endgame due to just how amazing its potential is, being viable in almost every combat scenario in the game.

While this weapon prioritizes Skill above everything else, the Saw Spear does benefit from a few points into Strength as well. While not necessary, investing in both stats means that players can maximize the total damage of this weapon, especially when players hit the hard cap for Skill in the game. It's pretty similar to the Saw Cleaver in most ways, with their movesets being virtually identical.

13 Beast Cutter

Essentially A Strength-based Variant Of The Threaded Cane

The Beast Cutter is a pretty simple weapon to use. It's essentially a version of the Threaded Cane that uses Strength to scale instead, although the effects of upgrading Skill as well are pretty substantial on a fully upgraded version of this weapon.

It might not be the most glamorous weapon in the game, but the effectiveness of the Beast Cutter shouldn't be ignored, regardless. It's a highly powerful weapon that can decimate most enemies while allowing for a decent level of crowd control as well. The moveset can be a bit tricky to get used to, but anyone who is coursing through The Old Hunters DLC should be pretty adept in the game by this point.

12 Church Pick

A Unique Weapon From The DLC That Is Amazing In The Right Hands

The Old Hunters DLC was absolutely jam-packed with some of the best weapons in Bloodborne. One such weapon that players absolutely love to use in the game is the Church Pick. Using this weapon in its transformed state and investing in the right stats can let players dish out an insane amount of damage!

The Church Pick scales primarily with Skill, followed by Strength. Ideally, a hunter that has reached the hard cap for Skill and the soft cap for Strength can dish out some truly impressive damage with this weapon. In its transformed state, the Church Pick can absolutely wreck enemies. The damage output is immensely high, and spending a bit of time to understand how this weapon's moveset works is well worth it!

11 Beasthunter Saif

A Simple, Fun-To-Use Weapon Like The Saw Cleaver/Spear

The Beasthunter Saif is arguably the most aggressive weapon in the game, allowing players to close distances in a flash and absolutely decimate enemies with powerful attacks. Most enemies won't be able to deal with the flurry of this amazing weapon if the player knows the moveset of this weapon inside-out.

Given how fast this weapon is, it wouldn't be a surprise that it scales the most with Skill. Of course, as is the case with most weapons on this list, investing in Strength can also reap great rewards as well!

10 Tonitrus

A Mace That Can Be Infused With Electricity

The Tonitrus is the only weapon in the game with innate Bolt damage — a boon in a game where many bosses and enemies are quite weak to Bolt damage.

However, the Tonitrus isn't the fastest weapon, nor is it the most interesting to use. People going for a Strength and Arcane build are better off using this weapon as a backup instead of mowing through the entire game with it.

When fully upgraded, this electric mace gets B-tier scaling in Strength and D-tier in Arcane. This clearly shows that it favors bulkier builds, though can be a great secondary weapon for Quality builds who need to bring the thunder. It should be noted that the Tonitrus' Bolt damage is not a flat-buff but scales with one's Arcane stat, meaning that despite the low scaling, this aspect of one's character should not be ignored in favor of investing mostly in Strength.

9 Stake Driver

A Simple Weapon With An Incredibly Powerful Charge R2

The Stake Driver makes this list simply because of the massive damage it can dish out with a transformed R2 charge attack.

While this might technically be the only reason to even think about using this weapon, a relatively fast moveset and the versatility of this weapon certainly make it an interesting tool in any hunter's arsenal.

As the Stake Driver gets C-tier scaling in Strength, Skill, and Arcane when upgraded to the max, it can be a great weapon for a multitude of different Quality builds. The moveset includes a variety of slashing attacks intermixed with thrusting ones and even a deadly overhand smash with its charged attack. The latter is so powerful that its damage output is comparable to a visceral attack.

8 Hunter Axe

A Staring Weapon Perfect For Beginners

The Hunter Axe might favor Strength over everything else, but there's no denying that the only way to maximize the damage of this weapon is to dump some points into other stats as well. The end result is a reliable weapon that has a pretty versatile moveset and can absolutely decimate foes if used correctly.

When fully upgraded, this axe-turned-halberd gets B-tier scaling in Strength as well as D-tier in Skill. However, players are usually surprised to find that it gains C-tier scaling in Arcane, meaning that it is much better to put points into Arcane over Skill for a quality build utilizing this weapon. The versatile combos and long reach make this a deadly ally against beasts, Kin, and even other hunters.

7 Beast Claw

A Fast-Paced Weapon That Transforms Players If Equipped With The Beast's Embrace Rune

The Beast Claw is easily the most entertaining weapon to use on this entire list, ramping up the tension of every combat encounter while making the player feel like a damage-dishing machine at the same time.

Coupling this weapon with the Beast's Embrace rune will completely change the appearance of the player and give them a permanent Beasthood meter. A buffed offense at the cost of a reduced defense with every hit can completely change the play style of the hunter.

As one would expect, the moveset of this claw weapon, both with and without Beast's Embrace, is savage and primal. Players can unleash a flurry of strikes that can easily stagger many enemies before they have a chance to dodge or counterattack. Although the Beast Claw favors Strength, gaining C-tier scaling in this stat, it also gets D-tier in both Skill and Arcane when fully upgraded.

6 Saw Cleaver

The Main Focus Of The Game's Marketing And A Very Reliable Weapon Indeed

There's a reason why most Bloodborne players absolutely love the Saw Cleaver and its not-too-distant cousin. The weapon was featured heavily in the game's marketing, and players who decided to stick with this weapon for their playthrough enjoyed the benefits of swift and damaging attacks that decimate most foes with ease. This was especially true for Beasts, who would receive 20% more damage due to the weapon's Serrated nature.

At the maximum upgrade level, the Saw Cleaver receives C-tier scaling in both Strength and Arcane, as well as D-tier in Skill. Alongside the Hunter Axe, it is one of the strongest weapons for Quality builds that can be acquired from the start of the game due to its ease of use and damage output. It differs from its fellow starting weapon by allowing the wielder to still use a firearm even after it is transformed into its trick mode for even more options in combat.

5 Simon's Bowblade

An Excellent Weapon For PvP Combat

One of the more unique weapons on this list, Simon's Bowblade is a memorable weapon mainly due to the manner in which it's received in the DLC... if the player progresses with Simon's quest, that is.

The versatility of this weapon is what makes it such a useful asset in both PvE and PvP — the untransformed state uses Skill for its damage, while the transformed bow hits foes at range using Bloodtinge. It's this versatility that makes the Bowblade such an excellent weapon indeed.

What stands out the most about this unique weapon is that it gets colossal boosts from its S-tier scaling in both Skill and Bloodtinge at the highest upgrade level. This allows it to be an incredibly deadly weapon for Quality builds who have invested in these stats. Furthermore, its blade form is swift while the trick mode in the form of a greatbow can launch arrows that have a greater impact than even a literal Cannon.

4 Ludwig's Holy Blade

A Fan-Favorite PvE Weapon

While it might be the most overused and boring weapon on this list, there's no denying the fact that Ludwig's Holy Blade is an excellent weapon to use, especially for beginners.

The high damage of this weapon coupled with an easy-to-handle moveset makes Ludwig's Holy Blade the easiest recommendation for any Bloodborne player that's pursuing a Quality build.

This longsword and greatsword hybrid gets satisfying B-tier scaling with three stats: Strength, Skill, and Arcane when fully upgraded. The easy-to-use longsword moveset allows one to get in quick hits while being able to dodge about the area to avoid enemy attacks, while the hefty trick mode allows the player to almost always come out on top while trading damage.

3 Chikage

A Sword That Uses The Player's Lifeforce To Grow In Strength

The Chikage is undoubtedly one of the coolest weapons to use in Bloodborne. The fact that this weapon is found in what is arguably one of the best areas of the game is enough of a plus as is, and that's just a small taste of what the weapon can afford to players with a good build.

While the blade does scale well with Skill, it's the transformed state that makes this blade such a viable weapon. Hitting L2 powers up the weapon with the player's life essence and deals increased damage based on how many points have been invested in Bloodtinge. A decent Skill and Bloodtinge build can use this weapon to deal some massive damage.

The aptly named Chikage, which means "blood shadow" in Japanese, is one of the very few weapons that scale with all four of the core offensive stats. However, it gains the most from its S-tier scaling in Bloodtinge and B-tier scaling in Skill at its highest upgrade level. Since Bloodtinge damage in Bloodborne is neither a physical nor elemental damage type, very few enemies are resistant to it, meaning that the Chikage is a great weapon to use against almost any foe. To top it all off, it also applies the Rapid Poison effect to targets slashed by its wicked edge.

2 Holy Moonlight Sword

The Legendary Blade That Is Attained After The Game's Best Boss Fight

It was only a matter of time before this legendary weapon would appear on this list. The Holy Moonlight Sword is easily one of the best weapons in Bloodborne, and the fact that one of the best bosses in the game uses this legendary blade makes it all the more coveted in the Bloodborne fandom.

Any player who is investing in Arcane along with either Strength or Skill will find this to be a viable option, although it's highly recommended to pursue a Strength and Arcane build to get the most out of this weapon.

With B-tier scaling in Strength and an impressive A-tier with Arcane when fully upgraded, the Holy Moonlight Sword is appropriately powerful for being this FromSoftware game's equivalent to the Moonlight Greatsword made famous by the Dark Souls series. In its trick mode, it can launch waves of energy synonymous with its heritage by using heavy attacks, making this greatsword simultaneously capable of ranged attacks as well as devastating melee ones.

1 Burial Blade

Gerhman's Iconic Scythe That Obliterates Enemies

The weapon wielded by Gerhman tops this list as one of the best weapons for a Quality build. The Burial Blade does have higher scaling with Skill rather than Strength, but investing 25 points in the latter is still highly recommended to maximize the damage of this weapon.

Investing in this weapon allows the player to enjoy one of the most entertaining weapons in the game, coupled with massive reach and the ability to clear out mobs of enemies with the greatest of ease.

Gaining B-tier scaling with both Skill and Arcane when fully upgraded allows Quality builds to take advantage of this scythe's speed, reach, and power. Its initial form is a curved sword great for carving foes up close, while its scythe form possesses the range and moveset that can let players reap the blood from their foes as easily as harvesting wheat.