The quest to tameWild Hearts’ feudal Japan-inspired world is ridden withmassive Kemono monstersthat demand the best weapons, armor, and traps to defeat them. From swords and staffs to bows, cannons, nodachi, and other traditional Japanese weapons, there’s something for every kind of player to enjoy.
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Despite there being only eight weapons in the game, the nature and progression of Wild Hearts’ hunts can make it tricky to find a reliable setup that deals consistent damage throughout the entirety of a fight. To help narrow things down, look no further than the best weapons in Wild Hearts ranked from least to most effective.
8Hand Cannon: Too Hot To Handle
Despite having one of the highest damage outputs in the game,the Hand Cannonis arguably the worst weapon in Wild Hearts due to a handful of glaring issues with its design. The first is its immense bulk, which can make the Hand Cannon feel unwieldy at times.
Along with that, the Hand Cannon is prone to overheating and has a limited ammo reserve. In the event the Hand Cannon overheats, it will momentarily stop working, leaving you exposed for a brief period. Considering how much else there is to keep track of during a given hunt, this weapon can be far too involved for most players.
7Nodachi: Patience Is Key
The Nodachi is another heavy-ranged weaponthat can prove challenging for most players to master due to its staggering size and slow attack speed. While it has the potential to deal massive amounts of damage with just a simple three-hit combo, this can prove challenging against fleet-footed foes.
This is due to the Nodachi’s reliance on your character’s movement to successfully chain together powerful special attacks and combos. As such, it requires a more thorough understanding of positioning and a higher level of situational awareness than many of the other weapons in Wild Hearts.
6Bladed Wagasa: The Forecast Calls For Pain
Without a doubt, one of the most visually-striking weapons in the game,the Bladed Wagasa resembles an umbrella adorned with razor-sharp blades along its edge. This design makes it light and easy to handle, ensuring you can get in and out of a fight with ease.
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On top of that, the Bladed Wagasa’s attacks all center on rapid bursts of damage while parrying and dodging to fill the weapon’s gauge bar. Doing so reveals more potent special attacks that will rip through monsters. The only real downside to this weapon is its steep learning curve, which requires many hours of practice to master fully.
5Maul: Great For Pummeling
Positioned as the heaviest melee weapon in the game,the Maul is a giant hammer designed for pummeling enemiesinto submission. It offers decent range, mobility, and damage despite having a negative impact on your character’s overall movement speed.
With that said, the Maul can be absolutely deadly in the right hands, especially after it transforms to its next stage, which increases both damage and range while extending the Maul’s handle to allow you to perform special attacks. Like several other entries, it requires a lot of practice to get down the correct timing for all of its attacks.
4Bow: Dependable At A Distance
When it comes to ranged damage in Wild Hearts,the Bow will be your best option for dealing reliable and consistent damageover a hunt. This is done by alternating between two different hold stances—horizontally and vertically.
Changing between stances will not only influence the trajectory of your projectiles but also determine the kind of arrow your character fires—fast-firing Haya arrows (horizontal) or cluster Otoya arrows (vertical). Combine this with a built-in mechanic for improving the bow’s accuracy, and you have one of the most dependable weapons in the game.
3Claw Blade: Fast And Fierce
Prioritizing mobility above all else,the Claw Blade is a 2-in-1 weapon setup combining a grappling hook and a lethal blade. The pair works in tandem to form the lightest close-range melee weapon in the game, capable of landing swift strikes in the blink of an eye.
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This puts the Claw Blade a cut above the rest as you can quickly run around enemies and even take to the sky while delivering a flurry of hits within a short span of time. However, this does come at the cost of the claw blade dealing significantly less damage per hit than the rest of Wild Hearts’ weapons.
2Karakuri Staff: Versatile Above All Else
Regarded as one of the most flexible and well-rounded weapons in the game,the Karakuri Staff can prove useful in a wide variety of situationsdue to its clever design that allows it to transform into five alternate forms: Giant Shuriken, War Pike, Long Staff, Juggernaut Blade, and Twin Fang.
Each one opens up new possibilities as you can mix and match different attacks to deal consistent close-range damage to your target. While this makes the Karakuri Staff quite versatile, it’s also among the more complex weapons in Wild Hearts and will take some time to fully grasp it.
1Karakuri Katana: A Blade For Any Occasion
Edging its way past the Karakuri Staff to secure the top spot,the Karakuri Katanais likely the first weapon you’ll use whenstarting your adventurein Wild Hearts. As a beginner’s weapon, it’s meant to be fairly intuitive while providing plenty of room for complex combos and techniques as you become more familiar with the game.
Furthermore, the Karakuri Katana strikes the perfect balance between weight and power while excelling at light to heavy attacks at close-range. If that wasn’t enough, it has the power to turn into a whip-like blade, flaming sword, and other alternate forms to deal increased damage.
