I love reading up on which weapons are great, their pros and cons, and figuring out the best way to utilize them in gameplay. So here I’ve organized some of the best FF6 weapons worth snagging in your playthrough. Not everyone can use every weapon, but you can obtain a Relic called the Merit Award which will allow the user to equip any weapon in the game. I’ll also notate which characters can use which weapons, to help you find just what you’re looking for. Many here are drops, some need to be stolen, and some need to be wagered in the Dragon Neck Coliseum.
15. Impartisan
Starting us off is The Impartisan. At first glance it’s a very weak weapon, with a power of 1. But the Impartisan is part of a special set of equipment (the others being the Tortoise Shield, Saucer and the Reed Cloak) that have the lowest stats… until your character gets the Imp status. While this does remove the ability to cast magic, the spear becomes super powerful. And the rest of the equipment maxes out your battle power, as well as your physical and magical defense! Being a spear, it will also benefit from the use of Jump. And Shadow or GoGo can cause fantastic damage by throwing this spear, too. Location: Drop from Tyranosaur; steal from Greater Mantis. Useable by: All characters except Umaro.
14. Assassins Dagger
While this little beauty doesn’t have the highest attack power, it does have a 25% chance of inflicting Instant Death. Which is always nice. This can be utilized to great effect by adding the Master’s Scroll as a relic, using multiple hits to boost the chances of taking out the enemy. It also gives a nice little boost to Magic, Speed, and Evade. Location: Cave to the Sealed Gate; Wager Valiant Knife Useable by: Locke and Shadow
13. Sword Breaker
A higher damage dagger with a +30% boost to evasion! And useable by a lot more party members. Because this weapon is available for purchase, you can make great use of it by adding a Genji Glove as a Relic, boosting the Evasion bonus even higher. Location: buy from Maranda (World of Ruin); Steal from Amduscias, Vector Chimera; Wager Assasin’s Dagger Useable by: Locke, Shadow, Relm, GoGo Strago
12. Magus Rod
For the spellcasters we have this tasty little weapon. The physical attack is pretty high, but you’ll be wanting this more for the +7 boost to magic, and the 30% magic evade. The Magus Rod makes for a very good spellcaster weapon of choice, really whoever is your main magic user. And if you’re using GoGo as an extra spell caster, this is always good option to arm them with. Location: Dropped by Earth Dragon; Wager Healing Rod Useable by: Strago, Relm, GoGo
11. God Hand
Here we have Sabin’s best weapon, and what a name for it! Capable of dealing huge amounts of physical damage alone, it also comes with the Holy element. So it packs a punch. Those of you playing the SNES version of this game will have to make due with the Tiger Claws, definitely powerful weapons in their own right, but not quite matching the God Hand. These do edge them out in later versions. The God Hand will also boost the wearer’s Stamina by +3 and Strength by +7. Location: defeating Earth Dragon in the Dragon’s Den Useable by: Sabin
10. Fixed Dice
Setzer’s best weapon, and perhaps the most broken weapon in the game. The dice are a ranged weapon that’s thrown at the enemy. The damage is calculated as the dice value, multiplied by the user’s level, and then doubled. Getting triples multiplies the damage again with the face value of one of the dice; this also pairs with the Master’s Scroll for multiple attacks. You get this near the end game, and there’s a common strategy to raid Kefka’s Tower early to obtain them. Location: Kefka’s Tower Useable by: Setzer
9. Longinus
Considered the best spear for Edgar, the Longinus boosts strength with a +7, and speed and stamina by a +3 respectively! The only real downside to this weapon is that it doesn’t grant Jump bonuses. Which is a huge shame, as it is an absolute power house otherwise. Location: Drop from Storm Dragon in the Dragon’s Den; wager Gungnir Useable by: Edgar
8. Holy Lance
Another very powerful spear well worth tracking down. Its base power may not be as great as the Longinus, but this does have a lovely couple of little bonuses. It has a 25% chance of casting Holy, and it does double damage rather the 1.5 on a Jump. Better than what other spears can dish out! It also comes with a +3 to magic, which can benefit a party member when you need someone to be both a physical attack and a caster. Location: Drop from Holy Dragon; Wager Murakumo Useable by: Edgar, Mog
7. Radiant Lance
The Radiant Lance is the most powerful Spear in the game (apart from the GBA release). Boasting massive attack power and buffs to your strength(+3), magic(+3), speed(+2) and stamina (+1). I’d suggest never leaving home without it. Coupling this with the Dragoon Boots and Dragon Horn will result in a devastating physical beat-down on your foes. Location: Drop from Demon Useable by: Edgar, Mog
6. Excalibur
Not be confused with Excalipoor, a joke weapon which is legit in the game. Excalibur, however, is anything but a joke! As a Holy elemental sword, it combines high attack power, boosts to strength, speed (+2 respectively), and magic and stamina (+1 respectively). It also grants you +20% evasion. Though it’s gotten late in the game, it can shore up any weaknesses your team might possess. Location: Drop from Goddess Useable by: Terra, Locke, Edgar and Celes
5. Gladius
A holy elemental dagger. And specifically, one that most of the party is able to use! This is fantastic against enemies, especially the undead, and finds itself particularly useful in the hands of Locke. It ranks so highly on this list due to its elemental attribute, attack power, and the number of characters that can utilize it. Location: Ancient Castle Useable by: Terra, Locke, Edgar, Celes, Shadow, Mog, Strago, Relm, GoGo, and Setzer
4. Ultima Weapon
A powerful weapon representing the apex of raw damage… with the caveat of needing full health to do so! Yes, while it does have the capability to deal some of the most devastating damage in the game, it’s held back by its parameters. The damage calculations are a bit in-depth. But essentially when your max HP is high and you’re at full health, you’ll do some awe-inspiring destruction. However, you may be spending a lot of your actions ensuring your health is topped up and buffs are always going. Location: Cave to the Sealed Gate; Steal from Rest Useable by: Terra, Locke, Edgar, Celes
3. Ragnarok
Heading into our top three, we have Ragnarok! To obtain this weapon you have to make a choice in the World of Ruin: Ragnarok the sword, or Ragnarok the Esper. Choosing the sword makes it more difficult to learn the Ultima Spell, but it does have some great bonuses. It gives high boosts to stats across the board, including evasion and magic evasion! The only real downside is it takes 20 MP per attack. But it does mean this weapon’s attack will be a critical hit! Location: Narshe in the World of Ruin, have Locke pick the lock of the weapons shop Useable by: Terra, Locke, Edgar, Celes
2. Zantetsuken
This name is known throughout the series as Instant Death! And this weapon does have the ability. It may not have quite as high of damage output as, say, Ragnarok or Ultima Weapon. But the chance of causing Instant Death, even to an undead monster? This is undoubtedly deserving of the second spot on this list. Cyan also has access to this, meaning he can become an engine of destruction for your party. Especially if you give him Haste! Location: Defeat Blue Dragon Useable by: Terra, Locke, Edgar, Celes, Cyan
1. Lightbringer
And the number one pick for best FF6 weapon: Lightbringer! If you didn’t choose to take Ragnarok as a sword, you’ll sadly miss out on this legendary blade. It gives solid +7’s to all stats and an incredible 50% boost to both Evasion and Magic Evasion! Want something more? It also randomly casts Holy with attacks. Like Ragnarok, the Lightbringer absorbs 20 MP per attack to make each attack a critical. A small price to pay. And despite the MP drain, this sword is unmistakably the very pinnacle of weapons at your disposal. And once you get it, the sacrifice you have to make feels totally worthwhile. Location: Wager Ragnarok Useable by: Terra, Locke, Edgar, Celes
