Several weapons in Phantom Blade 0 sit behind more than a boss kill. Fiend Saws and Wild Oriole Sword require Mu Xiaokui's full encounter, while Whiteshadow sends you after four Acolyte Masks before its boss is accessible. Soul can carry two main weapons at once, so finding another blade gives you a new moveset to pair with your current choice. Use the tables below to locate each weapon, then check the extra unlock steps and upgrade rules before committing materials.
How do main weapons work?
Main weapons determine Soul's regular attacks, combos, and weapon-specific techniques. You can switch between your two equipped main weapons during combat. Their three categories offer different starting points, although individual perks can change how a weapon plays.
| Weapon type | General strengths | Early example |
|---|---|---|
| One-handed | Balanced damage and attack speed | Sanguine |
| Dual-wield | Fast attack strings with lighter individual hits | Sanguine Twin |
| Two-handed | Powerful strikes, generally with slower attacks | Sanguine Reach |
Each main weapon has standard combos and Sha-Chi combos, which consume energy. Charging its weapon meter gives you access to Power Surge, an unblockable ultimate technique. Phantom Edges occupy a separate role as secondary weapons, including ranged weapons and summoning equipment.
If you're still choosing your first weapon pair, the Phantom Blade 0 beginner's guide covers early equipment choices and upgrade planning.
Phantom Blade Zero Guide: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them
Where can you find the main weapons?
The 21 weapons below include default equipment, free pickups, boss rewards, and weapons tied to optional encounters. Pengzhen is the city containing Cavalrybane's marketplace fight and Soulclaimer's northeastern docks encounter.
One-handed weapon locations
| Weapon | How to unlock | Effect | Power Surge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wooden Sanguine | Available during the tutorial | No innate special perk | Wooden Blade Flurry: A rapid sequence of slashes |
| Sanguine | Available by default | Its level 5 perk, Chi-Infused Blade, boosts damage for 40 seconds | Sweeping Blade: Rapid sword strikes |
| Jagged Steel | Defeat Jagged Steel, the Frenzied Brute, near the Rusted Pavilion bell in Weeping Creek Valley | Attacks build Bleed | Jagged Steel Rampage: Slashes that rapidly build Bleed and trigger blood loss |
| The Fanatic's Broken Blade | Defeat Hua Qianxiao, the Sword Fanatic, in the Crimson Forest | Bottomless Drink changes Soul's state and enables flying sword attacks | Drink Until Dawn: Changes effect depending on whether Soul is sober, tipsy, or drunk |
| Freezing Chaos | Defeat Yu Cong, the No. 34 Puppet, through the Triple Threat quest associated with the Crimson Forest | Switches among Steel, Chaos, and Frost forms | Chaos Erosion: Attacks using all three forms |
| Tianxuan Bronze Sword | Defeat Master Bi Yuan of the Tianxuan Sect in the Village of Lu | Blocking consumes less Sha-Chi, but standard parrying is disabled | Greatness Without Form: Greatsword strikes with mid-to-long-range knockback |
| Wild Oriole Sword | Complete Mu Xiaokui's three-phase encounter in the Village of Lu after interacting with all five ribbons | Oriole Song makes heavy attacks produce a rending blade wave for 10 seconds | Wild Oriole Sword Art: A sustained flurry of sword strikes |
| Soft Snake Sword | Defeat Wu Lengshuang, the Soft Sword, in the Mandate Encampment | Timed Serpentine Reversal redirects an incoming blow; Guard Stance consumes no Sha-Chi | Wild Serpent Dance: Becomes stronger when activated just before an enemy attack lands |
Dual-wield weapon locations
| Weapon | How to unlock | Notable effect | Power Surge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanguine Twin | After meeting Yu'er in the forest, follow the path to the weapon rack | Its level 5 Chi-Infused Blade perk boosts damage for 20 seconds | Dual Blade Flurry: A rapid twin-blade sequence |
| White Serpent and Crimson Viper | Defeat Bai Chilian at the end of the Crimson Forest chapter; receive the weapon after waking in the Village of Lu | Twin Serpent Dance supports a looping combo; low-HP enemies can be executed at range | Twin Serpent Frenzy: Coordinated strikes with both blades |
| Fiend Saws | Complete Mu Xiaokui's three-phase encounter after interacting with all five Village of Lu ribbons | Hits build Fiend-Aura Erosion, which erupts to drain HP when full | Fiend Form: Grants unblockable attacks for 10 seconds and increased damage against guard-broken enemies |
| Parting Hooks | Defeat Soulclaimer at Pengzhen's northeastern docks | Guard Stance automatically blocks and counters attacks, except black-flash moves | Peerless Hooks: Performs the weapon's martial technique |
| Baishan Stormswords | Defeat Yubi, the No. 21 Swordfighter Puppet, in the Mandate Encampment during the Illusory Pipa quest line | Standard and Sha-Chi combos build separate Wind and Thunder gauges | Baishan Wind-Thunder Slash: Repeated strikes imbued with wind and thunder |
| Sundering Dual Axes | Defeat Heartpiercer in the White Serpent House at Meigu Lake | Normal combos build Baleful Aura; Sha-Chi combos throw axes that latch onto enemies | Tiansha Reaving: A sequence of vicious slashes |
| Seamless Death | Defeat Jade-Face in the Mountain of Imprisonment | No innate special perk | Reaping Rings: Creates distance and throws tracking rings |
Two-handed weapon locations
| Weapon | How to unlock | Notable effect | Power Surge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanguine Reach | Collect it from the weapon rack beside Forge at the Weeping Creek Valley Outpost | Enhanced heavy attacks reward keeping Sha-Chi nearly full | Longblade Chain Strikes: Repeated longblade swipes |
| Scarlet Wraithblade | Find and defeat Hua, Deadly Betrothed, through the hidden route near Weeping Creek Valley's Sha-Chi Tower | Heavy combos leave Red Spider Lilies that slow enemies, drain Sha-Chi, and explode after 3 seconds | Rouge Bloodstorm: A slash that creates Red Spider Lilies |
| Outlaw Warblade | Defeat Jing Ye, the Outlaw, in the Crimson Forest | Successful standard attacks restore HP; heavy attacks spend some of Soul's HP | Bloodthirst Frenzy: Pins a target and drains blood to restore HP |
| Armybreaker | Defeat Cavalrybane in Pengzhen's marketplace | Switching to it or parrying a blue-flash attack triggers a short forward rush | Formation Breaking Art: Slashes that heavily deplete enemy Sha-Chi |
| Whiteshadow | Collect four Acolyte Masks, access the Discordance route through western Meigu Lake, and defeat the Blizzard Blademaster | Attacks build Chill and Frozen | Whiteshadow's Frosthowl: An area slash that freezes enemies it hits |
| Juggernaut | Defeat Bi Feng, the Giant Saber Commander, in the Mountain of Imprisonment | Parries build Red Edge stacks, which a heavy attack consumes when full | Bandit-Slaying Rampage: Applies Bandit-Slayer Mark, increasing damage and Sha-Chi depletion against marked enemies |
Which weapon unlocks need extra steps?
Finding Scarlet Wraithblade's hidden boss
Scarlet Wraithblade requires a detour near the Sha-Chi Tower in northern Weeping Creek Valley. Search the tower's machinery area and the opening around its base, then follow the sliding route across broken wooden bridges.
- Descend through the opening and slide along the bridge route.
- Clear the enemies in the area below.
- Climb the stairs to reach Hua, Deadly Betrothed.
- Defeat Hua to obtain Scarlet Wraithblade.
There is no bell checkpoint in Hua's hidden area. A failed attempt means repeating the approach, so account for that route when preparing for the fight.
Phantom Blade Zero Guide: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them
Unlocking both Mu Xiaokui weapons
Fiend Saws and Wild Oriole Sword share the same requirement: interact with all five of Mu Xiaokui's ribbons in the Village of Lu. Those interactions unlock the additional phase needed for the full encounter.
The complete fight contains three phases. Two involve Mu Xiaokui herself, while the other pits you against Jade Dancer and Iron Fiend together. Finish that expanded encounter to obtain both weapons.
Reaching Whiteshadow through Meigu Lake
Whiteshadow has the longest prerequisite chain among these weapon unlocks. First, collect the four Acolyte Masks from hidden bosses. Then head to the ice-covered shoal on the western side of Meigu Lake.
- Bring all four Acolyte Masks to the western shoal.
- Enter the Discordance realm accessed there.
- Follow the mountain path to its end.
- Defeat the Blizzard Blademaster to obtain Whiteshadow.
Meigu Lake itself is reached through Pengzhen's northeastern docks. The lake also provides the route deeper into the Mountain of Imprisonment, where Juggernaut and Jade-Face's dual-wield weapon become available.
Following the weapon-related quests
Freezing Chaos comes from Yu Cong, the No. 34 Puppet, a secret boss tied to Triple Threat. Baishan Stormswords comes from Yubi, the No. 21 Swordfighter Puppet, whose encounter belongs to the Illusory Pipa quest line in the Mandate Encampment. Keep those quest objectives in your collection plan rather than expecting both weapons along the main story path.
Which weapon perks change how you fight?
Bleed and lifesteal depend on your target
Jagged Steel gains much of its value through Bleed buildup. Outlaw Warblade instead restores HP through successful standard attacks and its blood-draining Power Surge. Both have target restrictions that matter more than their raw damage values.
Outlaw Warblade also needs restraint with heavy attacks. They remove some of Soul's HP and replace it with recoverable HP. Its standard-attack healing is a flat amount, so increasing Soul's maximum HP does not increase the healing received per hit.
Defensive weapons have different trade-offs
Tianxuan Bronze Sword reduces Sha-Chi consumption while blocking, but its Natural Order effect disables standard parrying. Its level 25 perk, All Things Converge, adds a counterattack alternative. That makes the upgrade investment part of the decision, rather than a small bonus after choosing the sword.
Other weapons reward specific defensive actions:
- Parting Hooks: Press heavy attack and block together to enter Guard Stance. It automatically blocks and counters, but black-flash moves bypass that protection.
- Soft Snake Sword: Press heavy attack and block together just before impact to trigger Serpentine Reversal. Its dodges become sidesteps, and a perfect dodge enables consecutive dodges.
- Juggernaut: Parries build Red Edge. Once the blade turns red at full stacks, use a heavy attack to spend them on Crimson Wheel Slash.
- Armybreaker: Switching to the weapon triggers its short rush, as does parrying a blue-flash attack.
Phantom Blade Zero Guide: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them
Managing the Fanatic's drinking states
The Fanatic's Broken Blade changes its attacks through Bottomless Drink. Press heavy attack and block together to enter the tipsy state, restoring Sha-Chi and replacing attacks with flying sword attacks. Their damage falls with distance, and the tipsy state normally ends after 15 seconds.
Its Drink Until Dawn Power Surge depends on your current state:
| Current state | Power Surge result |
|---|---|
| Sober | Performs Flying Sword Flurry and enters the tipsy state |
| Tipsy | Enters the drunk state for 20 seconds, increasing Flying Sword damage and automatically dodging attacks, but limiting mobility and preventing blocking |
| Drunk | Performs another Flying Sword Flurry without consuming a charge, then returns Soul to the sober state |
Drinking leaves Soul vulnerable during the activation. The Fanatic's Broken Blade offers range and unusual defensive benefits, but demands more setup than Sanguine's straightforward level 5 damage buff.
Spending gauges and temporary forms
Baishan Stormswords rewards using both combo types. Standard combos build Wind, while Sha-Chi combos build Thunder. With both gauges full and their associated effects active, Baishan's Blessing increases attacks for 20 seconds. Triggering Lightning Storm spends those effects early.
Fiend Saws builds Fiend-Aura Erosion through hits, with the effect lasting 20 seconds. Its separate Power Surge transformation, Fiend Form, lasts 10 seconds. Activating Power Surge again during that form performs a stronger attack without consuming another charge, but immediately ends the transformation.
Freezing Chaos uses heavy attack and block to cycle forms while attacking. Steel has the highest attack and Guard Break, Chaos applies flame that drains HP and Sha-Chi, and Frost applies Chill and can freeze a target. Choose the form for its effect rather than treating the changes as cosmetic.
Sundering Dual Axes activates Baleful Aura for 20 seconds once its gauge fills, increasing damage and Sha-Chi depletion. White Serpent and Crimson Viper instead supports a looping sequence by alternating heavy attack plus light attack with heavy attack plus block. Its blade-spinning technique drains Sha-Chi quickly, so leave room for defense.
For the underlying resource and counter systems behind these techniques, use the Sha-Chi, parry, and Ghoststep combat guide.
How do you upgrade and reforge main weapons?
Unlocking perks with Forge
Meet Forge at the Weeping Creek Valley Outpost to begin upgrading weapons. Each weapon is upgraded individually, and additional perks unlock at levels 5, 10, 15, and 25. Upgrades can also expand its available techniques and forms.
Upgrade materials are tied to progression. Materials needed to reach a weapon's maximum level appear near the end of Soul's adventure, so finding a weapon early does not mean you can immediately unlock every perk.
Recovering materials through reforging
Reforging through the forge menu resets a weapon's level and returns its invested Remnant Dust and upgrade materials. Refunds are free through weapon level 10; higher-level resets require a Weapon Reforge Talisman.
Use that refund system to move resources when a new moveset suits you better. Trying Sanguine, Sanguine Twin, and Sanguine Reach before investing beyond level 10 lets you compare the three weapon categories without spending a Reforge Talisman on those early resets.
Soul Tempering with Myst
Soul Tempering unlocks around Chapter 4 when you reach Pengzhen and speak to Myst. It requires a weapon-specific material and Remnant Dust, and can grant altered effects, substantial bonuses, or a different weapon form.
Keep Forge's refundable upgrades separate from Myst's permanent enhancements when planning your equipment. For more help with Soul's equipment and progression, visit the Phantom Blade 0 guide collection.
