There are many things that are synonymous with the concept of JRPGs. Levels, experience, magic, skills, attacks, fleeing, world maps — the list is neverending. Keeping this in mind, one such particular term that is a constant in JRPGs (and other gaming genres as well, to be honest) is equipment. Armor, shields, headwear, boots, greaves, plates, helms — the sheer types of equipment available in most JRPGs are overwhelming, and it can honestly be quite hard to settle upon the best equipment that you can afford. However, when the discussion revolved around equipment, the first thing that every veteran JRPG player thinks about is something pretty obvious, if you've read the title of the article — weapons.
Every JRPG game has its fair share of unique, rare, and ultimate weapons that entice any player willing to go the extra mile to get them. This is especially true for the Final Fantasy franchise, where every entry in the series has its fair share of weapons that most people won't even find unless luck is on their side... or, y'know, they read up on its existence beforehand like pretty much every completionist around. From rare weapons that are there mostly for bragging rights to ultimate weapons that require a fair bit of effort from the player itself, there are many such weapons littered across the Final Fantasy universe. In fact, one can confidently say that some of the weapons featured on this list are still a mystery to the majority of the people that have devoted a sizeable chunk of time towards the series as a whole. So, without further ado, let's take a look at 30 of the rarest weapons in the Final Fantasy series.
30 Zidane's Ultima Weapon (FFIX)
To be more specific about the rarity of the Ultima Weapon, we need to talk about two instances where obtaining this blade is quite harder than usual. The first instance is in Final Fantasy IX, where the Ultima Blade serves as Zidane's — you guessed it — Ultimate Weapon.
This weapon is found through the annoying Chocobo Dive Spot side quest.
You need to use a Dead Pepper near the fourth Dive Spot, which can only be reached on Disc 4. It's a pain to get but is worth it if you really want the best attack output from Zidane.
29 Ultima Blade (FFXV)
Time to move on from the era of the original PlayStation and move over to the latest generation of gaming, which has finally been graced with Final Fantasy XV after what felt like aeons.
The Ultima Blade is the strongest normal weapon for Noctis.
In fact, chances are that you won't even use any other weapon in the game because of the Ultima Blade's ridiculous damage output. By completing Cid's glorified fetch quests and upgrading the Engine Blade, you'll be able to enjoy the power output of the best weapon in the game.
28 Power Staff (FFV)
There are many staffs present across the world of Final Fantasy V that are extremely rare. In fact, one might even say that obtaining these weapons are not worth the hassle, unless you're a psycho who wants everything the game has to offer.
There are three staffs in total that can be quite annoying to get. The first is the Power Staff, which is a rare drop from the Black Warlocks in Castle Exdeath. While it doesn't afflict any damage when used, it does end up casting Berserk on the target.
27 Judgment Staff (FFV)
The second of these three staffs in Final Fantasy XV is the Judgment Staff. As is the case with the Power Staff mentioned above, the Judgment Staff is also obtainable from Black Warlocks. However, it's a rare steal instead of a rare drop.
Black Warlocks aren't the only enemies from which this weapon can be stolen. There are two other enemies that this can be stolen from. The first is the Istory Lythos which can be fought on the World Map itself. Meanwhile, the second enemy from which you can steal this weapon is none other than Exdeath!
26 Staff Of Light (FFV)
The third and final staff from Final Fantasy V is the Staff Of Light. While the two staffs mentioned above could either be received as a drop (Power Staff) or a steal (Judgment Staff), the Staff Of Light can be obtained through both means.
Metamorphs who are defeated in their base form have a rare chance of dropping the Staff Of Light. However, if you want an easier way to obtain this weapon, then it can be stolen from a boss called Halicarnassus.
25 Dragon Whisker (FFIV & FFV)
The Dragon Whisker is a rare whip that can be obtained through rather obtuse means in both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy V. In the case of the former, the weapon can be obtained from dragon-type enemies in the Lunar Subterrane, and is the best weapon of the Whip class in the main game.
Meanwhile, in the case of Final Fantasy V, the Dragon Whisker can be obtained as a rare drop from Stingray — themselves a rather rare enemy. They can also be stolen from Shinryu, although the superboss itself is an imposing challenge.
24 Dragon Lance (FFIV & FFV)
The Dragon Whisker isn't the only weapon with the "Dragon" word attached to it that's a rare weapon — there's another weapon called the Dragon Lance that's common to both games and is quite a valuable find. Similar to the Dragon Whisker, the Dragon Lance in Final Fantasy IV can be obtained from Dragon-type enemies in the Lunar Subterrane and is the best Spear-class weapon in the game.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Lance in Final Fantasy V can be stolen from the Crystal Dragons and Jura Aevis in the Interdimensional Rift's top floors.
23 Striking Staff (FFVII)
The Striking Staff is quite an anomaly in itself. Why, you ask? Because obtaining it at the right time can turn the docile Aerith into the hardest physical hitter in the game, all the way until the initial moments in Midgar come to a close.
The weapon can be obtained for Aerith in the Train Graveyard. By using the "Steal" materia and mugging the rare Eligor enemy found here, the party can steal a staff that can otherwise be bought all the way in Gongaga.
22 Onion Knight (FFX)
The celestial weapons of Final Fantasy X are quite amazing in itself. Trying to find each and every one of them is a fun challenge in itself — with a few exceptions. This is where the Onion Knight weapon of Lulu comes into play, which can only be found after defeating an annoying optional hidden boss called Geosgaeno.
However, that's not all — to upgrade this weapon to the max, you need to dodge a whopping 200 lightning bolts in the Thunder Plains... consecutively. At this point, you might either ragequit, resign yourself to your fate, or just ignore this weapon altogether.
21 Danjuro (FFXII)
In the original version of Final Fantasy XII, the best dagger that one could possibly get was the Danjuro. The method to obtain this weapon is painstakingly hard — one needs to find a Larva Eater, one of the rarest enemies in the game, and bank their hopes upon the 3% chance each fiend has to drop the dagger.
There is a way to spawn multiple Larva Eaters and defeat them in a row to increase your chances of obtaining this dagger. However, the method is complex and pretty easy to screw up, making it all the more frustrating to obtain this weapon.
20 Gastro Fork (FFIX)
An ultimate weapon shouldn't be all that hard to obtain if it's for an optional character... right? Wrong. In the case of Quina from Final Fantasy IX, it must be said that obtaining her Gastro Fork is a test of your patience.
The first thing you need to do is catch a whopping total of 99 frogs, which is already a tall order in itself. However, after this is done, you need to participate in an optional boss fight with a character that has the highest HP in the entire game.
Oh, joy.
19 Knife (FFIV)
You might understandably be somewhat confused to see something like a knife present in a list about rare Final Fantasy weapons. However, don't get the wrong impression — Sheila's kitchen knife is perhaps the best un-equippable weapon in the game.
This weapon can be obtained during a side-quest where the party goes out of its way to get the Sylph summon. It pits the party against enemies that can afflict some bad status effects, so constant vigilance on the player's part is a must.
18 Caladbolg (FFX)
Another one of the Celestial Weapons from Final Fantasy X makes the list. This time, it's the Caladbolg — Tidus' Celestial Weapon. Again, the process to obtain this weapon is quite arduous and annoying to boot.
Basically, you need to get a perfect Chocobo Run in the Calm Lands. What do we mean by perfect, you mean? Simple — the time you clock in needs to be 00:00. Yep, you legit need to finish below a single freakin' second. While this is definitely possible, it's incredibly annoying to do so.
17 Lightbringer (FFVI)
One of the best swords one can equip in the entire game, the Lightbringer is an incredibly powerful weapon that can be missed in Final Fantasy VI if the player unwittingly performs certain actions without any knowledge of the consequences.
To obtain the Lightbringer, one needs to procure the Ragnarok first and then bet it in the Coliseum. While duplicates of the Ragnarok and the Ultima Weapon can be obtained near the endgame, the same can't be said for Lightbringer since the act of betting Ragnarok can't be accomplished.
16 Artemis Bow (FFIV)
The rarest — and most powerful — bow that can be found in Final Fantasy IV is a drop in the last dungeon of the game, the Lunar Subterrane. Perhaps the most unique thing about the Artemis Bow is the manner in which it can be dropped.
Basically, the party needs to fight a monster party that consists of both the Moonmaiden and Dark Sage. Only by successfully encountering and defeating this particular monster party will the player have a chance of obtaining this powerful weapon.
15 Wyrmhero Blade (FFXII)
A powerful sword that every Final Fantasy XII player should strive to get, the Wyrmhero Blade can be obtained by trading in three badges that can be obtained from completing their respective sidequests.
Completing the Den Of The River Lord part of the fishing minigame nets the Lu Shang's Badge. Felling the superboss Yiazmat — a tall order in itself — will get you the Godslayer's Badge. The final badge — the Omega Badge — is obtained from another superboss called Omega Mark XII.
14 Staff Of Silence (FFIV)
If you want your mage to be decked out with the best staff possible, then going for the Staff of Silence is your best bet. To obtain this weapon, the first thing you need to do is traverse the Passage of the Eidolons.
After embarking and reaching this place, the next thing that you must do is fight a summoner-type enemy, such as — no points for guessing this one — the Summoner. If the stars are on your side, then the Staff of Silence will be dropped.
13 World Champion (FFX)
It's kinda weird that Wakka uses a blitzball weapon to fight his enemies, but to the credit of his Ultimate Weapon, the World Champion actually looks like something that will dole out considerable damage to his enemies — although holding the weapon itself might self-inflict some damage.
However, if you aren't a huge fan of the blitzball minigame, then you can kiss your chances of upgrading this weapon goodbye. After all, the only way to do so is to play a considerable amount of blitzball and win the league multiple times.
12 The Remaster's Namesake: A Spear (FFXII)
In the original version of the game, obtaining the Z Spear is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish. Basically, there are four chests present in the game that you must not open. Otherwise, the Z Spear will disappear from the Necrohol of Nabudis. The only other way to obtain this weapon is to bank on a 1/1000 chance that it might appear in a treasure chest in Henne Mines.
This rarity is negated in the new versions, where obtaining the Spear is way easier.
11 Godhand (FFX)
Rikku's celestial weapon is the Godhand, and — as is the case with most celestial weapons on this list — powering it up is a major task that can prove to be quite irritating. Thankfully, the scale of irritation experienced is a bit less, especially when compared to the methods involved in upgrading the other weapons.
Basically, the steps involved in powering up this weapon involves the Red Light, Green Light mini-game that one needs to play with the Cactuars in Bikanel Desert. This is not exactly frustrating, although it is slightly repetitive.