Video game characters have been equipped with their signature weapons ever since they started getting actual names rather than names describing what they do, like how Mario was once known as Jumpman. Throughout the several decades that video games have existed, weapon options in video games have greatly expanded.
While most of the time, these weapons are simply inanimate objects that do what they're supposed to, sometimes they gain some level of sentience due to either some magical or supernatural intervention, technological advancements, or just because they were created that way. But which of these talking weapons are the best?
10 Agni And Rudra - Devil May Cry 3
Agni and Rudra are a pair of demon bosses that Dante fights against In Devil May Cry 3. Once he defeats them, they take their true forms as a pair of swords. Although they can still talk as if they were in their demon forms, Dante prefers they be quiet if they want to serve as his weapons.
According to the first volume of the Devil May Cry Drama CD, this vow of silence doesn't last long, as Dante sells them to Enzo Ferino since they've constantly been annoying him. Agni and Rudra are also interesting in that they aren't aggressive toward humans like most demons, instead preferring to be polite.
9 Star Dragon Sword - Suikoden
The Star Dragon Sword is a weapon from the Suikoden series whose true origin is a mystery, but it's supposedly an incarnation of the Night Rune, one of 27 true runes that serve as the origin of the Suikoden universe.
In the first two games, the Star Dragon Sword helps the character Viktor defeat the antagonist Neclord, while in the third game, Viktor has passed the sword along to a character named Edge. As a talking weapon capable of saving the world, it seems like the Star Dragon Sword would have a noble personality, but it is actually narcissistic and pretentious, expecting to be coddled by its wielder.
8 M0RQ - Borderlands The Pre-Sequel
Based on Robin Williams' alien character Mork from the short-lived Happy Days spin-off sitcom Mork & Mindy, M0RQ is an obtainable shield in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. A legendary shield, M0RQ has high elemental resistance and increases the player's health.
Unfortunately, it has a low shield capacity, so using it properly may depend on both the player character and the current situation they're in. For some players, the repeated lines of dialogue that the M0RQ says could probably become annoying quite fast, so it's not recommended for those who prefer their weapons to be silent or aren't big fans of Robin Williams.
7 Steve - Dark Cloud
Steve is a slingshot from the Level-5 JRPG Dark Cloud who has the appearance of a tiny human man. When aimed at various enemies, Steve provides helpful information about their weaknesses in an amusing manner.
Steve isn't a powerful weapon, but he can be upgraded to Super Steve, which may be a Dragon Ball reference since he gains blonde hair and blue eyes just like the Saiyans do in the series when turning into their Super Saiyan form. Super Steve also gives the player more helpful information on enemies than he did in his previous form, so he's worth upgrading despite his lack of strength.
6 Caliburn - Sonic And The Black Knight
First appearing in Sonic And The Black Knight, Caliburn was formerly King Arthur's sword Excalibur before the former was corrupted by evil due to his obsession with the power of immortality, which was given to him by Excalibur's scabbard.
After Excalibur had been corrupted and became Deathcalibur, it somehow split itself into the four sacred swords, including Caliburn, that protect Camelot from the scabbard's evil influence. Caliburn is also the only one of the sacred swords with the ability to speak, and unlike many other talking weapons in video games, he is polite and respectful towards others and does not appreciate rudeness.
5 Johnson - Shadows Of The Damned
Johnson is Garcia Hotspur's transforming talking weapon in Shadows Of The Damned. He's a former demon who was cursed and banished for some unknown reason prior to the events of the game, and Garcia won him in a bet at some point.
The weapons that Johnson can turn into include a staff, a revolver, a shotgun, and more, although he also has the ability to turn into a motorcycle for transportation purposes. In No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Back, Johnson returns as Eight Hearts, the main character in Serious Moonlight, after being given what was left of Garcia's power after an assassination attempt.
4 Transistor - Transistor
The titular weapon in Transistor is an interesting and confusing futuristic broadsword that can change Cloudbank, the city setting of the game, in whatever way the wielder chooses. The main character of the game, Red, was originally targeted to be integrated into the weapon, but an ally of hers (only known as Unknown) was integrated instead, protecting Red during the process.
After his integration into the Transistor, he serves as a kind of guide for the game, helping Red learn about the many functions of her new weapon - even if she doesn't realize how it can be used as a tool until near the end of the game.
3 Exor - Super Mario RPG
In Super Mario RPG, Exor is a giant talking sword as well as one of the members of the antagonist group known as the Smithy Gang. It also serves as a gateway between two separate dimensions. Exor is responsible for destroying the Star Road and splitting it into several pieces that the party needs to collect throughout the game.
After the party has collected all the pieces, they face Exor in battle since it serves as one of the bosses, although Exor is not the penultimate boss despite seeming like it could be. Despite this, Exor's role still cements it as one of the most memorable characters in the game.
2 Grimoire Weiss - Nier
Grimoire Weiss is a magical book in Nier that assists the titular main character in fighting enemies throughout the game. Weiss is one of 13 grimoires, or medieval spell books, created from experiments of the distant past - although only two other Grimoires are revealed in the story.
At first, Weiss seems a bit arrogant like other talking weapons, but over time he shows that he has a valuable amount of knowledge and wisdom. Grimoire Weiss' English voice actor Liam O'Brien (Akihiko Sanada in Persona 3) helps bring the character to life and gives him a voice that works perfectly with his personality.
1 Fi - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Fi was once the spirit of the Goddess Sword in The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword, who assisted Link on his adventure before becoming the mysterious voice of the Master Sword. While she doesn't technically speak as some other talking weapons do, she can communicate with Link by using telepathy.
Fi has many practical abilities as well, including but not limited to; providing Link with information on his surroundings, translating messages obtained from Goddess Crests, and a Dowsing ability that can be used to track down treasure or important characters. Although Fi speaks robotically, she can still comprehend human emotions, making her more than just some annoying assistant like those in other Zelda games.