Bloodborne breaks away from the traditional Dark Souls formula. Hunters are faster and rely more on dodging than blocking. Combat in Bloodborne is much faster than in previous Souls games, and there are new weapons to use.
In Bloodborne, weapons typically have two forms, giving you more options with a single weapon. You can even switch your weapon’s form mid-combo to change its abilities and damage potential based on your needs.
10. Saw Clever
The Saw Clever is the game’s main weapon and one of your first choices when picking your starting gear. It may not have long reach or powerful strikes, but its fast attacks can help you regain lost health quickly.
The quick, smaller attacks work well for short combos that let you escape and dodge away from speedy bosses. Its second form is a bit slower but deals more damage.
9. Kirkhammer
The Kirkhammer is special because when you’re using just the sword part of it, the rest of the hammer is on the hunter’s back, and it’s almost as big as the character. Even though it’s one of the slower and bulkier weapons, it’s still amazing to watch hunters move and fight with something so huge.
The Kirkhammer is best when you have a lot of strength, and it’s great for delivering heavy blows that can stagger smaller creatures. Its sword form is also quick and effective, so it’s useful for dealing with faster enemies. This weapon can transform into one of the biggest ranges of forms, going from a fast standard sword to a massive human-sized hammer.
8. Rakuyo
The Rakuyo rewards skill and suits players who prefer a fast-paced playstyle. When used with one hand, it deals decent damage, and when wielded with both hands, it transforms into a sword and dagger for dual-wielding.
Although the two-handed form doesn’t offer a significant increase in attack damage, its rapid attacks in combos result in higher overall damage output compared to the one-handed style. Additionally, it excels at dealing with groups of enemies thanks to its spin attack.
7. Tonitrus
The Tonitrus in Bloodborne mainly relies on the arcane for its power. Unlike previous games, magic isn’t as prominent here, but it can still work well as a build. When it transforms into its second form, you can use it with one hand.
In its second form, the Tonitrus gets a boost in bolt damage. The buff happens quickly and doesn’t use up any stamina or stop its regeneration. When it’s buffed, the weapon deals more bolt damage to enemies and becomes even more effective if your arcane stat is higher.
6. Ludwig’s Holy Blade
Ludwig’s Holy Blade starts as a one-handed sword, but when combined with the sheath on the hunter’s back, it turns into a greatsword. This weapon relies on strength, skill, and arcane for its power. It’s versatile and useful in many character setups, especially in the early game, and can become incredibly powerful later on.
The greatsword form is a large weapon that can stagger most medium-sized foes with certain attacks. Surprisingly, despite its size, it doesn’t slow you down as much as the Kirkhammer and has a faster attack animation.
5. Simon’s Bowblade
The Bowblade is special because it lets players shoot from a distance while holding their weapon in a different way. Usually, when weapons are in their alternate form, you need both hands and sometimes you have to put away your firearm.
But with the Bowblade, you can shoot it like a bow and use quicksilver bullets. Plus, its damage gets stronger if you’re skilled in blood tinge. When you upgrade it, it can become really powerful, dealing great damage in the late game because it scales with both strength and skill, getting an ‘S’ rating.
4. Holy Moonlight Sword
The Holy Moonlight Sword is a weapon that appears in the Souls series, and it has two forms. In its regular form, it’s a medium-sized greatsword that relies on strength, skill, and arcane abilities.
In its second form, it transforms into a more distinct version surrounded by a blue aura. In this form, it deals significantly more arcane damage and can shoot quicksilver bullets for ranged attacks. These ranged attacks unleash a powerful blue arc of arcane energy that hits enemies in front of the player, dealing very high damage.
3. Whirlgig Saw
The Whirlgig Saw relies mostly on strength but also benefits from skill and arcane. When using it one-handed, it has straightforward attacks that make it a good option among one-handed weapons in the game.
However, it truly shines in its second form, where it transforms into a dual buzz saw on a pole. In this form, it deals massive damage and offers various attack options depending on your needs.
Its most powerful move lets you see through enemies in front of you, dealing extremely high consecutive damage, making it perfect for taking down bosses who momentarily stop moving.
2. Hunter Axe
Even though you can pick the Hunter Axe when you begin the game, it stays good all the way through. It gets stronger with more strength, and it hits pretty fast for how much damage it does.
The axe has two forms, and both are really handy. The two-handed one is great for dealing with lots of enemies because it can knock them around. If you’re in a tight spot or want to push an enemy away, its charged attack is perfect.
1. Chickage
The Chickage is a rare weapon that’s a bit tricky to get since it’s only found in an optional area of the main game. What makes this weapon special is that it becomes more powerful as your blood tinge stat increases, and you can enhance it to reach an “S” ranking.
When your blood tinge is really high, both your sword and firearm become incredibly strong, making it easier to focus on just one skill for both weapons. However, its two-handed form slowly saps your health, but the damage it deals more than makes up for it. If you have enough vitality, you’ll often defeat most monsters before you have to worry about gradual health loss.