How to Get the Best Weapons

This is a guide on how to obtain the best weapons in NieR Replicant (Remake/PS4). Including weapons from the Boyhood Arc (early game) to the Adulthood Arc (mid to late game), as well as a ranking of the best weapons by type.

How to Get the Best Weapons

Best Weapons in Boyhood/Adulthood

Boyhood (Early Game)

Weapon	How to Obtain / Stats
Lily-Leaf Sword	Purchase from the weapon shop in the "Protagonist's Village" - Can be purchased for 2400G - Best cost performance - For those who want to fight mainly with magic
Earthwyrm's Claw	Purchase from the weapon shop in "Facade" - Can be purchased for 8400G - Relatively easy to upgrade to Lv4 - Heavy at first, but becomes normal when upgraded - For those who want a balanced fight
Beastbain	Purchase from the weapon shop in the "Protagonist's Village" - Can be purchased for 16800G - Powerful even without upgrades - For those who want to solve everything with money

The strongest weapon in the Boyhood arc is "Beastbain," but it requires a lot of effort to earn the money. If . If you upgrade them, they will serve as your main weapon until you clear the Boyhood arc.

Adulthood (Mid to Late Game)

Weapon	How to Obtain / Stats
Phoenix Spear	Purchase from the weapon shop in "Facade" - The most recommended weapon type - Can be purchased for 37400G - Extremely high attack power
Phoenix Dagger	Purchase from the weapon shop in "Seafront" - The next recommended weapon type after spears - Can be purchased for 36200G - Its appeal is that it's an easy-to-use one-handed sword - High levels of magic and attack power
Phoenix Sword	Obtained in the garden of the "Shadowlord's Castle" - A powerful weapon type, but has a strong quirk - A weapon dropped in a dungeon - Slow attack speed - The highest damage per hit

From the Adulthood arc, you can choose from three types of weapons: one-handed swords, two-handed swords, and spears. The strongest weapons are the Phoenix series. A charming point is that both attack power and magic power are high, and all but the two-handed sword can be obtained right after the start of the Adulthood arc.

Strongest Weapons When Using DLC

Weapon	How to Obtain / Stats
Virtuous Contract	4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - Exceptional performance - Usable from the very beginning of the Boyhood arc
Virtuous Dignity	4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - Has the highest attack power among spears - The drawback is that its magic power is 0 - Usable from the very beginning of the Adulthood arc
Virtuous Treaty	4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - The highest attack power of all weapons - The drawback is that its magic power is 0 - Usable from the very beginning of the Adulthood arc

Best in Class for Each Weapon Type

The three weapons above have the highest specs in their respective weapon classes, and if you can get them, they are the weapons you should prioritize using. It is recommended to use "Virtuous Contract" in the Boyhood arc, and in the Adulthood arc, choose one of the three above according to your preference.

Kainé's Sword

Weapon	How to Obtain / Stats
Kainé's Sword	Obtained at Kainé's house in "The Aerie" (After clearing Ending E) - Has the highest attack and magic power - Easy to upgrade, so it can be used immediately - Its only drawback is that it's very heavy

A one-handed sword with the highest attack power, obtained after clearing Ending E. It has no drawbacks other than its heavy weight, and can mow down enemies. Since you can't get it without clearing the game at least 4 times, its drawback is that there's not much use for it by the time you obtain it.

Strongest Weapon Rankings by Type

One-Handed Sword Strongest Ranking

One-Handed Sword	How to Obtain / Stats
Kainé's Sword [Hall of Fame]	Obtained at Kainé's house in "The Aerie" (After clearing Ending E) - Has the highest attack and magic power - Deals damage comparable to a two-handed sword despite being a one-handed sword - Weapon upgrades are also relatively easy - Obtained in the very late game - Lv4 Attack 999 / Magic 100
Virtuous Contract [1st Place]	4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - Exceptional balanced performance - Usable from the very beginning of the Boyhood arc - Lv4 Attack Power 475 / Magic 40
Virtuous Oath [2nd Place]	4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - Has top-tier attack power - Usable from the very beginning of the Boyhood arc - The drawback is that its magic power is 0 - Lv4 Attack Power 570 / Magic 0
Phoenix Dagger [3rd Place]	Purchase from the weapon shop in "Seafront" - Can be purchased for 36200G - High levels of magic and attack power - Lv4 Attack 346 / Magic 80

Two-Handed Sword Strongest Ranking

Two-Handed Sword	How to Obtain / Stats
Virtuous Treaty [1st Place]	4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - The highest attack power of all weapons - The drawback is that its magic power is 0 - Usable from the very beginning of the Adulthood arc - Lv4 Attack 999 / Magic 0
Phoenix Sword [2nd Place]	Obtained in the garden of the "Shadowlord's Castle" - Slow attack speed - The highest damage per hit - Obtained in the very late game - Lv4 Attack 760 / Magic 50
Fool's Lament [3rd Place]	Reward from "15 Nightmares" - A two-handed sword with the highest attack power - Be careful as it is very heavy - Lv4 Attack 999 / Magic 80

Spear Strongest Ranking

Spear	How to Obtain / Stats
Virtuous Dignity [1st Place]	4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - Has the highest attack power among spears - The drawback is that its magic power is 0 - Usable from the very beginning of the Adulthood arc - Lv4 Attack 836 / Magic 0
Phoenix Spear [2nd Place]	Purchase from the weapon shop in "Facade" - Can be purchased for 37400G - Extremely high attack power - Lv4 Attack 721 / Magic 80
Dragoon Lance [3rd Place]	Purchase from the weapon shop in "Facade" - Can be purchased for 30000G - Relatively easy to upgrade to Lv4 - Lv4 Attack 693 / Magic 80

Criteria for the Strongest Weapons

Evaluations are for Lv4 weapons

NieR Replicant has a weapon upgrade system. This article evaluates weapons at their maximum upgrade level, Lv4, so please note that the evaluation may not match for weapons at Lv3 or below.

Focused on High Attack Performance

When determining the strongest weapons, the key factors are high attack power and magic power. We evaluate the weapons that are likely the strongest to use, comparing them within their weapon type and at different stages of the game.

Ease of Use is Also Considered

High attack performance does not simply mean high attack or magic power. Of course, those are important factors, but we also consider the attack speed affected by weight, and may raise the evaluation of weapons that are easy to fight with.