Next month, From Software's Lovecraftian masterpiece Bloodborne will turn five years old, and fans have continuously flooded the streets of Yharnam searching for a means to "transcend the Hunt" over the course of that half-decade. Just like Dark Souls, Bloodborne is brutally difficult and will chew timid players alive. You have to get aggressive, you have to "git gud," and you have to find a powerful weapon.
That's where we come in, good Hunter. Today, we're going to analyze some of Bloodborne's best weapons. Some of these trick weapons will be much harder to obtain than others. So keep your favorite playstyle in mind as you search for your worth in the waking world.
Updated by Caleb Bailey on March 7th, 2020: Bloodborne features a staggering 30+ Trick Weapons and Firearms for players to use on The Hunt. It's hard to tell which weapons are worth your time and Bloodechoes without a more complete picture of what's on offer. Today, we decided to dive back in to dig up a few more of the best weapons from Bloodborne's base game as well as The Old Hunters DLC.
15 Ludwig’s Rifle
We're not sure why this firearm is called Ludwig's Rifle; with its limited range, high damage, and usage of pellets over bullets, we ought to call this thing Ludwig's shotgun. Nevertheless, this firearm should be on every trigger-happy Hunter's wishlist. It's essentially an upgraded version of the Hunter Blunderbuss, with a tighter spread that works wonders at medium-to-long-range.
To get your hands on this broomstick, you'll need to find the Radiant Sword Hunter Badge - which is located in the Cathedral Ward, after you defeat that the creepy, gangly-armed Bloodstarved Beast. Combine Ludwig's Rifle with Bonemarrow Ash, and you'll have one of the most effective firearms in the game - if you have enough Bloodtinge, that is.
14 Bloodletter
Have you ever touched another's Hunter's bloodstain only to see them brandish a nasty looking mace and commit Seppuku with it? Well, the weapon that those mad lads and ladies are using is called the Bloodletter - a DLC weapon that scales off of Strength and Bloodtinge.
To activate this weapon's Trick Mode, you'll have to plunge the Bloodletter into your stomach! Should you survive, you'll find that your gnarly one-handed mace has turned into a massive, two-handed barbed club. The Bloodletter also features a devastating AOE attack while it's in Trick Mode; mash the Hell out of that L2 button and blast your foes away with Frenzy damage!
13 Cannon
Many of the weapons in Bloodborne are extremely nuanced and take hours to understand, let alone master. The Cannon isn't one of those weapons; you pick up this enormous firearm, aim it at whoever or whatever is in your way, and you shoot. Then, you cackle like a maniac as you send even the largest foes in Bloodborne flying around like ragdolls.
To get your hands on this portable WMD, you'll need to travel to the Forbidden Woods. Once there, head inside of the dilapidated windmill, and climb up a few ladders until you find this thing tucked away up top. Due to its relatively high Strength and Bloodtinge requirements, we recommend pairing the Cannon with the Bloodletter.
12 Boom Hammer
When From Software first announced The Old Hunters DLC, there as only one question on everyone's minds; which new weapons will the game developers add to the game? On October 15th, 2015, From Software dropped the first official trailer for The Old Hunters expansion. About one minute and three seconds into this trailer, viewers beheld the ungodly power of the Boom Hammer for the first time.
This crude weapon is a distant relative to the Tonitrus who's damage also scales off of Strength and Arcane. While Tonitrus excels at shocking foes to death, the Boom Hammer gives Arcane Hunters an explosive Trick Weapon that doubles as a bludgeoning tool. Snag this baby from The Hunter's Nightmare, pump up Strength and Arcane as you can, then drop the hammer on any foes you encounter on The Hunt.
11 Rakuyo
For several months, Pure Skill Hunters didn't have very many End-Game weapons to choose from; they'd either have to stick with the Threaded Canes or Saw Cleavers that they've wielded for most of their runs, or they'd have to bend over backward to get the Blades of Mercy. Everything changed when The Old Hunters introduced the Rakuyo to Bloodborne.
Shortly after defeating Lady Maria, Hunters can journey to the Fishing Hamlet and obtain her weapon for themselves. These twin blades are two of the most powerful, elegant, and effective weapons in the game - regardless of which Mode they're in. In the right hands, the Rakuyo can decimate every foe in Bloodborne - including other Hunters in PvP.
10 Saw Cleaver
Oh no, we're not joking: the Saw Cleaver is one of the best weapons in Bloodborne. It's flexible, fast, and free! A Hunter can choose the Cleaver at the start of their run and use it all the way through with little incident. Whether you're fighting a single foe or a massive mob, this weapon's got you covered.
The Cleaver scales well with Strength and Skill. As a bonus, Hunters can also coat it with any of the item buffs in the game. Eventually, you'll want to move on when you reach Bloodborne's endgame. But even if you choose to keep maining the Cleaver, you could do much worse.
9 Beast Claw
Let's start off with a weapon that completely defeats the purposes of hunting in the first place. Once upon a time, the Beast Claw use to be a nifty little tool that primarily aided in Wolverine cosplays. Then The Old Hunters DLC released and gave us the Beast's Embrace rune - fundamentally changing the way weapon the Beast Claw works!
The enhance Claw gives users faster attacks, unpredictable moves, and gradually increases Beasthood. The caveat is that you have to turn into the very beasts we've been hunting from the get-go! Aside from taking a hit to your looks, your defense drops the higher your Beasthood rises. You can also only find the Claw in a Chalice Dungeon.
8 Kos Parasite
Here's another weapon that's cosmically missing the point of what it means to be a Hunter. The Kos Parasite doesn't look like much on the surface. Indeed, it's not particularly effective in the wrong hands. However, should you possess the Milkweed rune, you'll transform into a giant piece of cauliflower with cosmic power!
Like the Beast Claw, players receive a brand new moveset and a monstrous makeover. What gives Kos Parasite the edge over the Claw is the special attacks players can use; press L2 and unleash a devastating AOE attack that melts unwary foes! With enough points in Arcane, a Kos Parasite wielder can one-shot most players and a few bosses! Possibly the biggest drawback to this weapon is its means of acquisition and you'll have to get the Parasite from Kos himself. "No mercy for slimy thing!"
7 Tonitrus
Are you looking to make an Arcane build but don't want to sacrifice your humanity? Well, have no fear for the Tonitrus is here! To get this bad boy, you can either find it in Yahar'gul or buy it after obtaining the Spark Hunter Badge. Getting the Tonitrus won't be easy either way. But for your trouble, you'll get a weapon that can carry Arcane builds through most of the game.
The Tonitrus' moveset is fast and fluid. Its electrical properties also utterly wreck Kin-type foes. Unfortunately, this weapon breaks easily and can't be buffed with any other items. Certain enemies will also laugh off attacks from the Tonitrus, causing it to lose out to more versatile weapons.
6 Whirligig Saw
Speaking of more versatile weapons, let's all give a heartfelt Hunter's Salutation to the Whirligig Saw! Deemed 'the Pizza Cutter of Justice' by the Bloodborne faithful, the community fell in love with this weapon when the first Old Hunters trailer dropped. Read the comments from any of those videos and you'll see fans frothing at the mouth over this stylish trick-weapon.
Thankfully, Whirligig Saw lives up to the hype! This weapon does excellent Serration damage in its transformed mode. It's also pretty nifty in its base state as well. As a drawback, you can't use your firearms while two-handing this baby. So if you like to parry opponents, the 'Pizza Cutter of Justice' might not be for you. Either way, you'll stumble across it in The Hunter's Nightmare.
5 Ludwig's Holy Blade
At the middle of this list is a middle-of-the-road weapon that was severely over-used in its heyday. Ludwig's Holy Blade is one of the best options for Strength and Quality (Strength/Skill) builds in the game. But if you develop your Hunter poorly, this weapon essentially becomes your only viable option.
LHB has plenty of pros; both of its forms are great, it does decent damage, and it can receive all the buffs! However, LBH doesn't excel in any single field. Heck, you can't even get any of its stats to S no matter how many times you upgrade it. Still, this is the closest you'll get to using the Buster Sword in Bloodborne. Find the Radiant Sword Hunter Badge to obtain this blade.
4 Holy Moonlight Sword
The Holy Moonlight Sword is LHB's older, sexier sibling that lives in the Hollywood Hills and works a seven-figure job. If you're interested in making a Strength/Arcane build that's got more of a magical slant to it, here's your Huckleberry. If you're concerned about the lack of S's on this weapon's stat sheet, disregard all that - the HMS supersedes trivial things odds and numbers!
In its base state, it's a one-handed claymore that your Hunter will sling over his shoulder like a boss. Once transformed, the HMS unleashes its ultimate power! With the press of a button, you can start slinging laser beams around at the cost of your Quicksilver bullets. Tap L2 and lash out with a destructive thrust that can floor some of the toughest foes in the game! The fact that it's a DLC weapon and drains utterly Quicksilver bullets are the MHS's only real downsides. Also, you have to beat Ludwig to get it - which is far easier said than done.
3 Simon's Bow Blade
Throughout the Old Hunters DLC, you encounter a man named Simon numerous times. Unlike almost every other NPC in the game, Simon is level headed, friendly, and sane. Should you befriend him, the two of you will work together to uncover the mystery of The Hunter's Nightmare. Unfortunately, Simon will perish in the process at the hands of the Brador. When the times comes, Simon will give you his Bowblade before he passes away.
Simon's Bowblade is one of the fastest and most versatile weapons in Bloodborne. Hunters can switch between ranged and melee combat on the fly - keeping foes off balanced with the press of a button. For Skill/ Bloodtinge builds, this will be one of your prime endgame options. It's not the most damaging weapon in Bloodborne, but it's one of the most sophisticated. In the right hands, Simon's Blade can effectively cripple bosses and shred through other Hunters in PvP.
2 Evelyn
FromSoftware intentionally designed Bloodborne to discourage overly defensive play; shields suck, healing options are limited, and firearms do piddling amounts of damage. Or at least they do near the beginning of the game. Should a player commit to a Bloodtinge build and stock up on Bonemarrow Ash, firearms can be quite devastating.
Even with the Old Hunters DLC taken into account, Evelyn is the reigning queen of Bloodborne's firearms. She outclasses and out scales all of the other guns in the game by a mile. Load her up with Bonemarrow Ash, and you can genuinely shoot any of the game's bosses to death! Even if you aren't using a Bloodtinge build, Evelyn is worth keeping as your offhand weapon. Travel to the Cainhurst Castle and fight your way through its denizens to obtain this beauty.
1 Chigake
The Chikage is probably the only other weapon in Bloodborne that's arguably more sophisticated than Simon's Bowblade. Both the Chikage and SBB encourage Hunters to switch between their modes frequently. These two weapons also scale very well off of Skill and Bloodtinge - making them great compliments to one another.
However, the Chikage is a very demanding weapon. Once transformed, this blade begins siphoning health from its wielder! The damage bonus that the transformed Chikage provides is incredible. But an unwary Hunter might accidentally kill themselves in the middle of a heated fight! Once you master this weapon, you'll be able to rack up insane amounts of damage. That being said, the Chikage demands that you use it in a specific fashion. Commune with the Vilebloods and receive this blade as your reward.