final fantasy XVI best weapons

Final Fantasy XVI Best Weapons: Ultimate Weapon, Gotterdamerung, More

Clive Rosfield is the protagonist players step into the shoes of in Final Fantasy XVI. This handsome son of the leader of the Kingdom of Rosaria is a mighty hero who is able to wield many large swords to combat his foes, ranging from goblins to straight-up godlike Eikons.

But to do so, he has to have the right weapons, such as the Final Fantasy XVI best weapons below.

What you’ll find in Final Fantasy XVI is that it is a reasonably challenging game. With its immensely fast and deep action combat systems, you want to ensure that you have the best equipment around, or else you will quickly see Clive ripped apart by the massive and powerful foes that you come across.

During my time playing through the entirety of the main story of Final Fantasy XVI and some of the New Game+ playthroughs, I have come up with the Final Fantasy XVI best weapons you should consider using.

Final Fantasy XVI Weapons Tips

Before you start going off trying to find these swords in the game and wield them, there are some key tips you should know about for the best weapons in Final Fantasy XVI:

  • Look everywhere in the game. There are treasure chests, bosses, quests, and more that can give you new weapons. This is a fairly linear game so even spending a small amount of additional time exploring will usually bear fruit.
  • Complete all of the optional content in this game if you can. Like the last tip, always try to complete any bounty hunt marks or side quests you have available while you have them. These can lead to materials and even full-on weapons that you wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
  • When in doubt, go for the attack stat. In general, I find that most of the weapons have the same attack and stagger stats. However, if you find a weapon where one is lower than the other, I would prefer a weapon with more overall attack.
  • Always check every shop you come across and every time you return to the Hideaway and other hub areas. Shop inventory changes constantly, and you can almost always find a new weapon that is better than your current one.
  • Save your gil for almost solely weapons. There is almost no reason to buy potions and the like since you can find them often in the world. Keep your precious gil for new swords.
  • Don’t forget to upgrade your weapons. Even if there are no new swords to use, you might be able to upgrade your current sword and make it better in the meantime. Head to a blacksmith like at Cid’s Hideaway to do so.

Selection Criteria

final fantasy xvi brightburn

When it came to creating the Final Fantasy XVI best weapons list below, I tried to use some rather simple selection criteria this time around. Thankfully, unlike creating the best accessories list, this is one of the most straightforward lists I made for this game.

  • Attack Stat: Attack is by far the most critical part of Clive’s sword. This stat determines the overall damage that he deals with to each enemy. The higher the attack stat, the more damage you deal, the quicker you take down a foe, and the higher up on this list it is.
  • Stagger Stat: The sword that Clive is using also has a stagger stat attached to it. This determines how fast and easily your attacks knock down the stagger gauge, which can make an enemy staggered, which renders them incapable of attacking and makes them take more damage than usual.
  • Base Stats: While there are some swords that can upgrade (more on that in a moment), the base stats of a weapon are the essential parts of one for determining its placement.
  • Upgrade Potential: Not all of the swords are capable of this, but some weapons can upgrade. While the upgrade stats aren’t nearly as vital as the base stats for most players, the ability to get better at least contributes some.
  • Appearance: There isn’t much to the overall stats of swords in this game, so the other factor I like to consider is the visual appearance of the sword. This is more valuable than you might think, especially since this is one of the only ways to change the look of Clive in the game.

Final Fantasy XVI Best Weapons Ranked

Let’s dragoon jump right in and look at the top ten best weapons you can find in Final Fantasy XVI. I should note that some light spoilers are involved with these weapons, but nothing too crazy. They are ranked based on their stats alone.

I will be sure to note not just the stats of the weapon but how you go about claiming it for your inventory. Because even though the best weapon in the game is the most powerful, it is honestly quite hard to get, and you aren’t going to find it on your first play-through of the game. Let’s get started.

10. Excalibur

final fantasy xvi excalibur

  • Attack: 268
  • Stagger: 268

The legendary Excalibur is available in Final Fantasy XVI, and it is one of the better swords for Clive to equip. You can get it at a decent point in the story, not too deep into the main plot, and with only some decent requirements. First and foremost, this is a sword that you have to craft.

To do that, you first need to get its design recipe. To unlock that, you’ll want to complete Blacksmith’s Blues II. This is one of the best side quests featuring Blackthorne at the Hideaway. You’ll have to complete the first one to unlock this one.

After you finish this side quest and unlock the ability to craft the Excalibur sword, you’ll need some materials, too. You’ll want to get a Wyrrite, Bomb Ember, Grimalkin Hide, and Scarletite.

Wyrrite is relatively easy to get since most monsters and chests will randomly drop it. However, for the other three parts, you’ll need to complete a few bounty marks or take on enemies, such as the Bomb King, Grimalkin, and Dozmare.

9. Brightburn

  • Attack: 270
  • Stagger: 270

This sword is only marginally better than the Excalibur, so if you already have one or the other, you might not even want to consider switching. After all, this weapon can’t even be upgraded, at least not in the traditional sense, that is. The Brightburn sword is part of the famous Eikon sword lineup.

What this means is that you have to defeat each Eikon to unlock the material for each upgrade version of the sword. For this one, you’ll need the Grindstone sword first, and some Meteorite, which you can get from chests and random monster drops.

In addition, you’ll need one Light Shard, which you can only get from defeating Bahamut. Once you have completed that boss battle in the main story of this game, you’ll be able to head to the blacksmith at the Hideaway and create this weapon, which I highly recommend doing as soon as you can.

8. Rune Blade

final fantasy xvi rune blade location

  • Attack: 275
  • Stagger: 275

The Rune Blade is one of only two weapons on this entire list that you can upgrade. This is because the upgradeable swords in Final Fantasy XVI are rare and especially as you get deeper into the main story. But for this reason alone, you should consider the Rune Blade.

You can only get it once you reach A Song of Hope in the main scenario quest. At this point, you can head to Charon at her shop in the Hideaway and buy this sword from her. Its base stats are good, but nothing too spectacular for players to stop using the Brightburn.

However, the main draw from this sword comes from upgrading it. You can upgrade it not once but twice to get max stats of 295 each. That is impressive considering the massive boost you can get, and it almost rivals the next weapon on this list.

7. Icebrand

  • Attack: 300
  • Stagger: 300

Icebrand is the next in the lineup of Eikon swords. For this one, you’ll need unique material that you can only get when you first begin the Across the Narrow main scenario quest. At this point, so long as you already have Brightburn from before, you can head to the blacksmith and turn it into this sword.

I especially like the overall look of this more ice-focused and extravagant weapon. It will do you well for a solid portion of the story and it is better than the Rune Blade, even at its most maxed out potential. Since you don’t have to do much besides progress the main story for this sword, there’s no reason not to get it.

6. Masamune

final fantasy xvi masamune

  • Attack: 310
  • Stagger: 310

Masamune has a solid samurai weapon design that will make some players want to get it for sure. Thankfully, its stats are solid, and it is quite easy to get in the game, too. You want to progress through the plot until you reach The Shadow Coast much later in the main story.

At this point in time, you want to head to the southwestern corner of the map near the Chronolith that is here. A chest in this area will be near some enemies containing the Masamune sword. Since it is so easy to get, there’s no reason you shouldn’t go out of your way to pick it up while you’re in the area.

5. Everdark

  • Attack: 315
  • Stagger: 315

The Everdark is the next sword in the line of weapons you can craft from defeating the Eikons in this game. As you might expect, this one comes from defeating the Eikon of Dark, otherwise known as Odin. Its stats aren’t considerably higher than the last weapon on this list, but given that it comes directly from the main story, it is worth picking up.

After you defeat Odin in battle, you will receive the material that will let you craft the Everdark at the blacksmith in the Hideaway. You’ll certainly want to do that, too, since it is highly valuable for what it unlocks later in the game.

4. Defender

  • Attack: 320
  • Stagger: 320

The Defender is the only other sword on this list that can be upgraded. To get it, what you want to do is progress through the main story until you reach the Streets of Madness main scenario quest. At this point, you’ll have the chance to buy some items from Goetz, and the sword will be available there.

Its base stats are pretty good, but its actual value comes from the single upgrade you can give it, which turns its stats into 330 and 330. That is honestly better than the next sword on this list, so you could theoretically beat the game with this one.

3. Ragnarok

final fantasy xvi ragnarok

  • Attack: 325
  • Stagger: 325

Ragnarok’s base stats may be less than the last sword at full strength, but it has so much more value than just its stats. This sword is a requirement for obtaining some of the better swords on this list, in a way, so you might as well go through the trouble of obtaining it in the first place.

To get it, you’ll need to complete Blacksmith’s Blues IV, the fourth and final side quest in Blackthorne’s optional Hideaway storyline. This is a wonderful side quest chain, and it rewards you with the Ragnarok weapon upon completion. This is essentially a free sword you can beat the game with, so there is no reason not to get it.

2. Gotterdammerung

  • Attack: 375
  • Stagger: 375

For those of you who are playing Final Fantasy XVI for the first time, this is your best weapon right here. Though there is, technically, another sword that is better than it, you won’t see that weapon in your first play of the main story.

Instead, the best weapon for you is the Gotterdammerung, which is much better than anything that came before it, with 375 stats across the board. It is a challenge to unlock this weapon, but it is ultimately worth it for what you are able to do with its impressive stats.

First and foremost, you have to craft this weapon. To get its recipe, you need to complete Blacksmith’s Blues IV, which you likely already did if you were aiming for the Ragnarok weapon. Once you do that, you’ll need to craft the sword using three materials: Darksteel, Primitive Battlehorn, and Orichalcum.

You can get all three of these from hunt marks, so I recommend completing the Atlas, Prince of Death, and Gobermouch marks to get these materials and obtain the best weapon in the base game.

1. Ultima Weapon

final fantasy xvi ultima weapon

  • Attack: 700
  • Stagger: 700

At the end of the day, there is a sword that outpaces everything else and is ultimately the best sword in all of Final Fantasy XVI. That is none other than the Ultima Weapon, but you can’t even unlock it until you play the game through New Game Plus.

That is why its stats are so incredibly high at 700 each, which is nearly double that of the Gotterdammerung on your first play-through. Once you are on a New Game Plus run and picked Final Fantasy Mode, you will then be able to craft this weapon.

There are three materials you need for making this weapon: the Utterance of Creation, which you should already have, the Reforged Everdark, and the Reforged Gotterdammerung. For the latter two, you need to do what you did before by making those swords after defeating Odin and then the other after completing Blacksmith’s Blues IV.

Once you have all three, you can head to the blacksmith and create the Ultima Weapon, which is literally the ultimate weapon in all of Final Fantasy XVI.

FAQs

Question: What is the Best Sword in Final Fantasy 16?

Answer: The best sword in Final Fantasy 16 is the Ultima Weapon. There is no competition when it comes to this sword. It has 700 attacks and staggers stats, which no other sword is possibly able to compete with. If you want the best weapon in this entire game, this is the one to use.

Question: How do You Get Ultima Weapon FF16?

Answer: To get the Ultima Weapon in FF16, you need first to beat the entire game all the way through.

Start a second play-through on New Game Plus using the Final Fantasy Mode and then obtain the Everdark Reforged and Gotterdammerung Reforged through the same means as before. At that point, you’ll be able to craft the Ultima Weapon.

Question: What is the Best Srmor in Final Fantasy 16?

Answer: The best armor in all of Final Fantasy 16 is the Ouroboros set. This includes the Ouroboros belt and The Sons of Ouroboros vambraces. You can get both of these relatively late into the game, and they will give Clive Rosfield the best possible defensive stats to complement your weapon of choice well.

Check Out Other Types of Equipment in the Final Fantasy Series

The swords that Clive uses in Final Fantasy XVI are varied and exciting. What I really like about the swords is the level of detail and changes that each of them has from one another.

This is also one of the only ways to personalize Clive’s appearance to your liking since you can’t change how his armor looks manually.

But I also appreciate some of the simplicity when it comes to the weapons in this latest mainline Final Fantasy game. Pretty much if the stats are better, you can pick it up and start using it.

You don’t generally have to worry too much about additional bonuses or the like, for better or worse, that make some swords radically better than others.

But swords are only one slim part of the overall equipment that exists in the various Final Fantasy games out there. If you want to know more about the armor, summons, and other parts of the game that exist for players to collect in other titles, be sure to check out the full equipment guide here.

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