Unlike most of theFinal Fantasygames before it,Final Fantasy 13not only changed a few things in the battle system but also in how weapons are customized. Instead of just having to buy weapons, players were able to upgrade them in a new way. Just because a weapon has higher stats doesn’t mean it’s the best.
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With the perks the weapons have inFinal Fantasy 13, players are forced to plan out what kind ofbuild they want for each character. It can be a little tricky trying to figure out which weapon to get or what weapon is worth investing in. Some of the materials to upgrade them can be pricey or hard to find, but the end result is worth the time.
Update Jun 25, 2025, by Sarah Prado:When it comes to weapons in Final Fantasy XIII, the ultimate weapons are only received if players upgrade their weapons and have the materials to do so. It’s all going to depend on the players and what role they want each party member to specialize in. The weapons listed here are the starting forms and are ones that are worth investing time and materials into. It’s best if players pick one or two roles for the characters to focus on and then pick a weapon that will benefit them and the rest of the group in battle.
Lightning/Claire Farron
Blazefire Saber
Because Lightning is such awell-balanced fighter,her starting weapon is one of the best for her. The Blazefire Saber haswell-balanced statsthat wouldbenefit all of her roles. The downside of it is that itdoesn’t have any special abilities or passives. If it’s not a problem for players, this weapon is a pretty good one and cheap to upgrade.
Axis Blade
This weapon will keep Lightning’s Strength and Magic even, but its stats are okay at best. However, what makes the Axis Blade great is that ithas the Attack: ATB Charge passivewhich willgive Lightning some ATB charge back every time she attacks an enemy.This essentially turns Lightning into a speed demon and pretty much keeps her attacking constantly.
Lionheart
Not to be confused withFinal Fantasy 8’s ultimate weaponfor Squall Leonhart. Lightning’s Lionheart weapon doesn’t have the best stats compared to her other weapons, but it does have some good special abilities and passives. It has theGestalt synthesized abilityand theQuick Stagger trait. With these two, this weapon is one of the best ones in the game.
Gladius
The Gladius is perfect for players wanting Lighting’s main role to be Commando. This weapon willincrease her Strengthto pretty high numbers. The downside of this weapon is that itdoesn’t have any special abilitiessimilar to Blazefire Saber. However, it does haveBoostsynthesis ability whichincreases the ATB gauge charge even more.It’s a good investment if players don’t mind this, but it can be a little expensive to upgrade.
Hope Estheim
Hawkeye
Hope is probably the strongest mage in the whole team. If players are looking to max outhis Magic power, the Hawkeye weapon is the best as it has thehighest magic stat.It doesn’t have any special traits, but it does have theMagic Defensesynthesized ability. It willdecrease any magic damage Hope receivesdepending on the level the weapon is.
Otshirvani
The Otshirvani is decent in stats and raises Hope’s Magic pretty close to Hawkeye, though not quite as high. It does, however, have theSiphon Boost passive abilitywhich will increase the ATB gauge recovery from Siphon abilities. It also has theBoostsynthesis ability so it’ll help Hopemove a little fasterin battle.
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Vidofnir
This weapon is also agood choice for Hope. He’s one of the best Synergists in the game and this weapon willincrease the duration of his defensive buffs. It alsoincreases his Magic power, but not as much as the Hawkeye weapon. If he’s being used as a Synergist more than his other roles, this weapon will be the best choice for him.
Ninurta
The Ninurta is well-balanced in stats, but they’re pretty low compared to Hawkeye or Vidofnir. However, if players are struggling to keep Hope alive against enemies with strong physical attacks, this weapon comes in handy. This has thePhysical Defensesynthesis ability which willreduce any physical damage Hope takes.Though its stats are okay at best, this weapon is worth having around just in case.
Sazh Katzroy
Spica Defenders
Sazh has some of the best spells as a Synergist, such as Haste. These pistols willincrease the duration of offensive buffs. Since most of his spells are offensive, this weapon would greatly benefit him and the party. The downside of this weapon is that itdoesn’t increase his stats much.
Procyons
These don’t offer much in terms of stats for Sazh, but do come with some pretty sweet abilities that are exclusive only to him. The Procyons have theStagger Maintenancepassive ability whichincreases the time when enemies are Staggered.Despite its okay stats, this weapon is great to have as other party members can easily pick up where Sazh slacks.
Antares Deluxes
These weapons willincrease damageand have theChain Bonus Boostability. This comes in handy because it will make the Chain Bonus increase a lot faster and pairs up with Sazh’s Haste spell amazingly. It alsoincreases all of his stats and gives him more balance buildsimilar toLightning and her Blazefire Saberweapon.
Pleiades Hi-Powers
This weapon is a bit of a gamble, because it will greatly reduce Sazh’s HP. To make up for this, it provides a massiveincrease in Strengthwhich can make Sazh a strong Commando. It does have theDamage Reductionsynthesis ability which helps a little, but it’s still a risk. Sazh’s HP is the second-highest in the game, but fans should give him accessories that’ll help balance out the HP loss if they opt for the Pleiades Hi-Powers.
Oerba Yun Fang
Dragoon Lance
With Fang being the strongest physical attacker, she needs a weapon that will help her boost her raw strength. The Dragoon Lance increasesher physical attack strengthto amazing levels and cements her asthe main Commando. The downside of this weapon is that it willweaken all of her magic spells, Saboteur abilities included. If players are wanting to make her a very strong physical attacker, this lance is the one for Fang.
Pandoran Spear
This spear is pretty well-balanced, but it doesincrease Fang’s Magic power a little more.If players are wanting Fang to lean more towardsbeing a Saboteur,but without sacrificing too much physical Strength, the Pandoran Spear is it. It has theImproved Debilitationpassive ability whichincreases the success rate of Debilitation type abilities,which Fang specializes in.
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Taming Pole
If Fang is being used as both a Commando and a Saboteur, the Taming Pole would be the best choice. It’s verywell-balancedwhen it comes to increasing Fang’s stats. It has theRandom Instant Chainability, which gives the playera chance to instantly fill the enemy’s Stagger gauge. The only downside of this weapon is that it has the Stagger Lock effect, but this can always be balanced by another character.
Bladed Lance
Like Lightning, Fang’s original weapon is not a bad investment. Its stats are relativelywell-balancedbut it does lean a little more towards Strength. HerStrength won’t be as highas the Dragoon Lance, but the Bladed Lance ischeaper to upgrade.
Oerba Dia Vanille
Belladonna Wand
Vanille is just as strong as Hope when it comes to being a mage, but she is the best Saboteur in the group. If players are wanting to use her Saboteur abilities totheir max potential, the Belladonna Wand is the best staff to equip. This staff has theImproved Debuffingpassive ability whichincreases the success rate of debuff abilities. Since she’s the only one in the group that can cast Death spell, this staff would benefit her the best.
Pearlwing Staff
For anyone wanting Vanille to havehigh raw Magic power,the Pearlwing Staff is the one to have. It will greatly reduce her Strength, but her physical attacks are pretty weak to begin with so it’s not a huge loss. This weapon is all about increasing her Magic, so if players are wanting Vanille to focus more on being a Ravager, this staff is worth investing in.
Healer’s Staff
If players are wanting Vanille to focus more on healing, the Healer’s Staff would be best to equip. It has theImproved Cure passivewhich increases spell recovery amount which meansstronger heals. Vanille would be a slightly better choice for a healer since she has higher HP than Hope.
Rod of Thorns
The Rod of Thorns is a little more situational, but some players might find a use for it. Vanille’s Strength and Magic will be the exact same and the stats are okay. However, this weapon has theMagic Defensesynthesis ability which willreduce the damage Vanille receives from magic attacks.If players are seeing that Vanille is dying pretty quickly (her HP is pretty low), this weapon could help out a little in keeping her alive.
Snow Villiers
Umbra
Snow is the most powerful Sentinel in the group and has the highest HP. Umbra willincrease his HPeven more and make him a veryuseful tank in battle. This weapon also has theImproved Ward effect, which gives Snow and the partyhigher defense from area of effect attacks.If players find themselves in a fight with AoEs, having Snow in the party wearing this can help make the battle a little easier.
Paladin
The Paladin is another great weapon for Snow if players want to have him focus on being a Sentinel for the group. It has theImproved Guardpassive ability which helps him when heuses Guard abilities since it’ll reduce damage.This is a great one to have until players get Umbra, but it’s not a bad weapon overall.
Power Circle
If players are wanting to use Snow more as a Commando than in his other two roles, the Power Circle is a great weapon for him. Maxing out this weapon willincrease his strengthto match Fang’s strength. This weapon alsoreduces physical damagethat Snow takes in battle. It can also befound early in the gamewhich will make Snow pretty powerful early on compared to other party members.
Feymark
Despite being more of a Sentinel and Commando, Snow is actually a pretty good Ravager. The Feymark willgreatly reduce his Strength,butgreatly increase his Magicpower. However, it also has theUltimate Magicsynthesis ability, which makes himimmune to magic attacks, though this comes at the cost ofonly being healed by Eidolons or items.If players don’t mind this, it’s a pretty good weapon to have around.
Final Fantasy 13was released on June 16, 2025, and is available on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android, and iOS.
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