This guide covers recommended weapon upgrades and how to upgrade them in Nier Replicant. It also includes information on the best weapons to upgrade and where to upgrade them.
Recommended Weapons in Part 1
| Weapon | How to Obtain / Performance & Evaluation |
|---|---|
 Kainé's Sword | 4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - Exceptional performance - Usable from the very beginning |
| Beastbain | Purchase from the weapon shop in "Protagonist's Village" - Can be purchased for 16,800G - Powerful even without upgrades - For those who want to solve everything with money |
Kainé's Sword
*Values from Lv1 → Lv4 are listed
| Image | How to Obtain | |
|---|---|---|
| Install 4 YoRHa (Free DLC) | |
| Attack Power | Magic Power | Weight |
| 150→475 | 0→40 | Medium→Very Light |
| Required Upgrade Materials | Recommended Farming Method |
|---|---|
| Rusted Clump×1 | Fishing in the Desert (Sardine) |
| Goat Hide×1 | Goat(Harvest) |
| Crystal×2 | Barren Temple(Gather) |
| Iron Ore×4 | |
| Silver Ore×3 | Desert(Gather) |
| Gold Ore×2 | |
| Moldavite×1 | |
| Amber×2 | Purchase in Façade(6000G) |
| Large Gear×1 | SG-01(Drop) |
Usable from the Very Beginning
A weapon that can be used from the very beginning just by installing the free DLC. By upgrading it, its Attack Power reaches the highest level and its Magic Power also increases, making it a top priority weapon to upgrade.
Beastbain
*Values from Lv1 → Lv4 are listed
| Image | How to Obtain | |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase from the weapon shop in "Protagonist's Village" | |
| Attack Power | Magic Power | Weight |
| 172→313 | 40→70 | Heavy→Heavy |
| Required Upgrade Materials | Recommended Farming Method |
|---|---|
| Iron Ore×47 | Barren Temple(Gather) |
| Pyrite×2 | |
| Crystal×1 | |
| Elaborate Machine×2 | Large Shade (Turret)(Drop) |
| Machine Oil×1 | SF-11(Drop) |
A Powerful Weapon Available from the Beginning
Since it can be purchased in the Protagonist's Village, it's a weapon that can be easily obtained as long as you save up money. It's very easy to use as its performance is high even at low upgrade levels.
Recommended Weapons in Part 2
| Weapon | How to Obtain / Performance & Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Virtuous Contract | 4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - Highest attack power among all weapons - The drawback is its 0 Magic Power |
| Virtuous Dignity | 4 YoRHa (Free DLC) - Available for free - Has the highest attack power of all spears - The drawback is its 0 Magic Power |
| Phoenix Spear | Purchase from the weapon shop in "Façade" - Can be purchased for 32,400G - Extremely high attack power - Lv4 Attack 721 / Magic 80 |
| Phoenix Sword | Obtained in the garden of the "Shadowlord's Castle" - Slow attack speed - Highest damage per hit - Obtained in the final stages of the game - Lv4 Attack 760 / Magic 50 |
Virtuous Contract
*Values from Lv1 → Lv4 are listed
| Image | How to Obtain | |
|---|---|---|
| Install 4 YoRHa (Free DLC) | |
| Attack Power | Magic Power | Weight |
| 300→999 | 0→0 | Medium→Very Light |
| Required Upgrade Materials | Recommended Farming Method |
|---|---|
| Rusted Clump×1 | Fishing in the Desert (Sardine) |
| Goat Hide×1 | Goat(Harvest) |
| Crystal×2 | Barren Temple(Gather) |
| Dented Metal Plate×3 | Purchase in Junk Heap(750G) Junk Heap(Wooden Crate) |
| Severed Cable×5 | SF-11(Drop) |
| Titanium Alloy×1 | P-32(Drop) |
| Memory Alloy×2 | |
| Moldavite×1 | Desert(Gather) |
| Amber×2 | Purchase in Façade(6000G) |
Two-handed Sword with 999 Attack
A two-handed sword with the highest attack power among all weapons. Upgrading it significantly increases its attack power and changes its weight to "Very Light". Although its Magic Power is 0, it has the potential to compensate for that, making the benefits of upgrading it very high.
Virtuous Dignity
*Values from Lv1 → Lv4 are listed
| Image | How to Obtain | |
|---|---|---|
| Install 4 YoRHa (Free DLC) | |
| Attack Power | Magic Power | Weight |
| 220→836 | 0→0 | Medium→Very Light |
| Required Upgrade Materials | Recommended Farming Method |
|---|---|
| Rusted Clump×1 | Fishing in the Desert (Sardine) |
| Goat Hide×1 | Goat(Harvest) |
| Crystal×2 | Barren Temple(Gather) |
| Dented Metal Plate×3 | Purchase in Junk Heap(750G) Junk Heap(Wooden Crate) |
| Severed Cable×5 | SF-11(Drop) |
| Titanium Alloy×1 | P-32(Drop) |
| Memory Alloy×2 | |
| Moldavite×1 | Desert(Gather) |
| Amber×2 | Purchase in Façade(6000G) |
High Attack Among Spears
Its attack power at max upgrade is 836, the highest of all spears. The upgrade materials are also relatively easy to gather, making it one of the top priority weapons to upgrade.
Phoenix Spear
*Values from Lv1 → Lv4 are listed
| Image | How to Obtain | |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase from the weapon shop in "Façade" (Part 2) | |
| Attack Power | Magic Power | Weight |
| 490→721 | 50→80 | Medium→Medium |
| Required Upgrade Materials | Recommended Farming Method |
|---|---|
| Gold Ore×6 | Desert(Gather) |
| Moldavite×1 | Purchase in Seafront(5000G) Desert(Gather) |
| Giant Egg×2 | Protagonist's Village(Gather) |
| Eagle Egg×1 | The Aerie(Gather) |
| Black Pearl×5 | Seafront(Gather) |
| Stopped Wristwatch×1 | Armored Shade(Drop) |
High Attack and Magic
A weapon with exceptionally high Attack and Magic Power, making it easy to maximize the potential of spears, which have a high attack rate. The difficulty in gathering upgrade materials is a drawback, but the benefit of upgrading it to the maximum level is significant.
Phoenix Sword
*Values from Lv1 → Lv4 are listed
| Image | How to Obtain | |
|---|---|---|
| Obtained in the garden of the "Shadowlord's Castle" | |
| Attack Power | Magic Power | Weight |
| 400→760 | 30→50 | Medium→Medium |
| Required Upgrade Materials | Recommended Farming Method |
|---|---|
| Gold Ore×9 | Desert(Gather) |
| Moldavite×1 | Purchase in Seafront(5000G) Desert(Gather) |
| Giant Egg×2 | Protagonist's Village(Gather) |
| Eagle Egg×2 | The Aerie(Gather) |
| Black Pearl×5 | Seafront(Gather) |
| Elaborate Machine×1 | Large Shade (Turret)(Drop) |
Highest Attack Weapon
A weapon with particularly high attack power and very high damage per hit. Since it can only be obtained in the final stages, it can only be upgraded from the second playthrough onwards, but it is still well worth upgrading.
How and Where to Upgrade Weapons
Upgraded at the brothers' shop in the Junk Heap
Weapons can be upgraded at the brothers' shop in the "Junk Heap". Make sure to have the necessary materials before visiting.
Clear Junk Heap in Part 1
Weapon upgrades become available after clearing the story in the "Junk Heap" during Part 1. If you want to upgrade weapons early, prioritize completing this area.
Unavailable in the Early Part 2
In the early stages of Part 2, you cannot go to the Junk Heap and cannot upgrade weapons. Remember that upgrading at the Junk Heap is unlocked after clearing the Barren Temple.
