Phantom Blade Zero has 12 one-handed weapons: 9 base and 3 Soul Temper forms. One-handed weapons are the most balanced: fast combos, good parrying and the Phantom Execution, which you unlock by raising the Sanguine to level 10 and works for the whole family.
One-handed weapons by stage of the game
When you can get each one
All one-handed weapons and how to get them
| Weapon | How to get it | Area | What makes it special | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jagged Steel | Mini-boss Jagged Steel the Frenzied Brute | Weeping Creek Valley | Causes bleed (doesn’t affect puppets or wraiths) | Valley and Crimson Forest |
| The Fanatic’s Broken Blade | Hua Qianxiao | Crimson Forest | Drinking activates drunken states with ranged hits | Valley and Crimson Forest |
| Sanguine | Starting weapon (chapter 1) | Weeping Creek Valley | At level 10 it unlocks the Phantom Execution for every one-handed weapon. It tempers into Infernal Rouge | Valley and Crimson Forest |
| Wooden Sanguine | Prologue starting weapon | Prologue | Unblockable flurry; at level 15 a perfect dodge restores Sha-Chi | Valley and Crimson Forest |
| Wild Oriole Sword | Northwest pier of the Village of Lu, after Mu Xiaokui | Village of Lu | Marks enemies. Missable: pick it up before leaving the area | Village of Lu and Pangzhen |
| Tianxuan Bronze Sword | Master Bi Yuan | Village of Lu | Blocking costs less Sha-Chi, but you can’t parry | Village of Lu and Pangzhen |
| Freezing Chaos | Yucong, No. 34 Twisted Puppet | Bosque congelado | Three forms: steel, chaos and frost | Encampment, Meigu, Imprisonment and Estate |
| Soft Snake Sword | Wu Lengshuang | Mandate Encampment | Counter that parries and returns; guard with no Sha-Chi cost | Encampment, Meigu, Imprisonment and Estate |
| The Fanatic’s Drunken Sword | Soul Temper of The Fanatic’s Broken Blade with the Fanatic’s Obsession | Pangzhen (Myst) | Forged form of The Fanatic’s Broken Blade | Encampment, Meigu, Imprisonment and Estate |
| Infernal Rouge | Tempering the Sanguine with the Bastion of Mó Mask | Pangzhen (Myst) | Tempered form of the Sanguine; keeps its special state active (Vandal, a Spanish guide, recommends it against the True Lóng) | Encampment, Meigu, Imprisonment and Estate |
| Tianmiao Wild Oriole Sword | Soul Temper of the Wild Oriole Sword with the Supreme Order Token | Pangzhen (Myst) | Forged form of the Wild Oriole Sword | Encampment, Meigu, Imprisonment and Estate |
| Aureate | Zuo Shang, the Order’s Shadow Sovereign (true ending) | Mount Soulrend | Summons golden longswords | Final stretch |
Watch out for the Wild Oriole Sword and the Soft Snake Sword: they have a deadline. Check the conditions in the full weapon list.
Why can’t I parry with the Bronze Sword?
The Tianxuan Bronze Sword is a blocking weapon: it greatly reduces the Sha-Chi cost of blocking, but it doesn’t let you parry, as its description says. It isn’t a bug, although more than one player on the Steam forum thought so. To parry blue flashes, switch to your other weapon.
How to get the most out of them
- Raise the basic one to level 10: the Sanguine unlocks the family execution for every one-handed weapon.
- Combine them with another family: you carry two main weapons and switching restores all your Sha-Chi; the stowed weapon goes on cooldown.
- Power Surge: each weapon has its own (L2) and it spends 1 Sha-Chi Essence.
- Family accessory: the Quick Hand Pendant gives +10% damage with this weapon type.
See also how to upgrade and temper weapons, the Phantom Edges and the best builds.
Frequently asked questions
How many one-handed weapons are there?
12: Wooden Sanguine, Sanguine, Jagged Steel, Tianxuan Bronze Sword, The Fanatic’s Broken Blade, Wild Oriole Sword, Soft Snake Sword, Freezing Chaos, Aureate, Infernal Rouge, The Fanatic’s Drunken Sword, Tianmiao Wild Oriole Sword.
Which is the best one-handed weapon?
There is no official damage figure. Choose by your playstyle: check what makes each one special in the table and combine it with a weapon from another family and with the accessories that boost it.
