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A significant part of the Final Fantasy franchise is that over its 35-year history, it has a wealth of memorable weapons across the various entries. Some weapons have only appeared once or twice but remain impressive, and quite a few have appeared in nearly every game since their first appearance.
Final Fantasy has some genuinely terrific weapon designs. Though these are not the most potent in the franchise, they are among the most iconic designs that even people who don’t play RPGs might recognize.
What makes a Final Fantasy weapon iconic?
When it comes to these weapons, the writer focuses on the mainline entries in the franchise. They do not have to be equippable in those titles to count, either.
For example, Gilgamesh brings a collection of swords with him into Final Fantasy XII, which counts for those particular weapons.
While these are not all incredibly powerful swords, some are among the top-tier, end-game weapons for the game in which they’re featured. Nonetheless, when someone thinks of Final Fantasy weapons, there’s a good chance that one of these blades will show up in the conversation.
5) Brotherhood (FFX, FFXII)
This weapon is the writer’s favorite design out of the whole franchise. While it’s only been in a pair of mainline entries, it has a truly iconic design.
The blade that Wakka gave to Tidus early in Final Fantasy X, the longsword, also has a hook on end, similar to a hook on a fishing line.
The constant moving water and bubbles under the blade’s surface are mesmerizing and are one of the coolest things about the sword.
It’s seemingly made entirely of water or perhaps has water trapped under the blade. It appears across several side games, but Gilgamesh has a fake version in Final Fantasy XII.
4) Excalibur (Nearly every FF game in existence)
Throughout the history of Final Fantasy, one weapon is almost a sure thing, no matter what: Excalibur. It’s appeared in Final Fantasy 1-12 and virtually all of the secondary games as well. It’s a mighty sword and typically also features the Holy element.
In many cases, it’s one of the last swords dropped in the game. In FFVI, it drops off of Goddess, one of the final bosses, and in FFIV, it’s forged from the legend sword and a slab of adamantite.
It’s not always an equippable weapon (in particular, FFVII, FFVIII), but it’s always a measure of greatness to wield it.
3) Ultima Weapon (FFVI, FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, FFX, FFXIII)
Occasionally known as the Atma Weapon, the Ultima Weapon is often the most potent weapon in any game it’s in. It’s also a powerful boss!
Or at least it has the potential to be. In a few instances, the Ultima Weapon deals damage based on the current HP of the wielder. So at 9999 HP, it’s absolutely monstrous damage.
On the other hand, it’s incredibly weak with low HP. As an interesting bit of trivia, the FFX weapon for Tidus, Caladbolg, was initially called “Ultima Weapon” in Japan but was changed in the English localization.
It’s a massive, iconic blade that draws its power from its wielder.
2) Gunblade (FFVIII, FFXII, FFXIII, FFXV)
While this writer is personally not keen on the Gunblade, he cannot deny that it’s an iconic, memorable sword across the franchise. Originating in Final Fantasy VIII, wielded by Squall and Seifer, they’re visually gorgeous.
A long blade with a gun’s trigger down at the end, they also always feature a gun barrel somewhere in the design.
The gun/sword hybrid would originally not fire projectiles, but this would change in FFXIII. Lightning’s version of the weapon could be used at range and in melee, making it far more versatile.
Gunblades are exotic weapons and are only wielded by incredibly skilled swordsmen. In Final Fantasy VIII, they had an interesting feature of being able to use timed hits to deal guaranteed critical blows. They also had a 255% accuracy, so even while Blind, the player can still land hits.
The weapon varies wildly across games it is featured in, but one thing is for sure: It is a genuinely iconic weapon.
1) Buster Sword (FFVII, FFIX, FFXII)
Honestly, the Cloud’s Buster Sword is synonymous with the series, even if it’s not in a wide array of games in the franchise. It’s a ridiculous, over-the-top, gigantic sword that debuted in Final Fantasy VII, but it became a hit with fans worldwide.
Other swordsmen also wielded it in other titles, but Cloud is the man people often think of when it comes to the Buster Sword. It’s seldom the best weapon, but it’s often remembered fondly.
A blade that’s well over five feet long it’s also typically 1 foot wide. The design gets more intricate in later releases, and in FFVII Remake, it’s clear that the blade attaches to Cloud’s back via a magnet.
In Final Fantasy IX, it has a cameo in a shop in Lindblum. A weapon similar to the Buster Sword can be examined.
Gilgamesh also uses the fake Buster Sword in FF XII. It’s a design that has endeared itself to fans of the series, even if it’s typically just a huge, ridiculous weapon.
Other honorable mentions deserve to be mentioned, such as the Zantetsuken (Scimitar), Apocalypse, Masamune, and Gilgamesh’s Excalipoor. There are so many powerful and iconic weapon designs in the franchise that it can be hard to narrow it down to just a few.
However, these are among the most iconic when it comes to this franchise.
Note: This article reflects the author’s views.
