Final Fantasy - Weapons Guide

Best Weapons in Final Fantasy I
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Because it’s a much more simple game than later entries in the series, the weapon system in FF1 is likewise much more simplistic. There are fewer weapons overall, and while they do fit into a few basic categories, such as:

The weapon types don’t have much of an effect. Each individual weapon can be equipped by certain character classes and jobs - though this varies based on the weapon, not on the category.

Is there a Best Weapon in FF1?

Among all this, is there a best weapon in FF1? Well… yes and no. There is absolutely a best, most powerful weapon in the game - but it’s very limited and difficult to access.

With that said, we can also note some other weapons that are particularly useful and worth having in your inventory:

1. Masamune

Masamune is hands-down the best weapon in FF1. It’s unique in that it’s not just a hugely powerful sword, but it can be used by any character, regardless of class. That means you can even turn a White Mage healer into a powerful physical attacker. The Masamune is found as loot, but only in the game’s final dungeon.

2. Excalibur

Excalibur is the second-best weapon in the game. Another sword, you can only obtain it if you get the rare Adamantite item from the Flying Fortress Dungeon, then trade it to the blacksmith in Mt. Duergar.

3. Long Sword

The best sword you can simply buy over-the-counter in a store is the Long Sword, which can be bought in Melmond for 1500 Gil. However, there are plenty of better swords available as loot.

4. Black Belt/Master

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t worry about weapons for your Black Belt/Master. There are a couple of Nunchaku they can equip, but the Monk classes don’t have the same weapon-based progression as the other jobs. Soon enough they'll do more damage bare-handed than they would with a weapon.

5. Black Mage/Wizard

If you’re sticking to traditional Mage weapons for your Black Mage/Wizard, the best weapon is the Spellbinder, a powerful staff with a useful special effect.

6. Weapons Against Undead

There’s quite a lot of undead enemies in this game, including a couple of significant FF1 bosses. A few weapons, such as the Sunblade sword and Light Axe, are more effective against the Undead, and therefore particularly useful against several bosses and in several dungeons.

Final Thoughts

With these notes given, and keeping in mind that this weapon guide only covers the content in the NES original and HD Pixel Remaster (any extra weapons from PS1/PSP/GBA etc, such as Ultima Weapon, are not in those versions), you should chase those weapons as a priority.

However, honestly, you should always just buy the next best weapon available to you. It isn’t really tenable in FF1 to target all the best weapons from early on. In fact, getting the best weapons in FF1 is often about economy - you’ll also need money for spells, items, and armor - so it’s about budgeting for the best overall party setup.

Final Fantasy Weapon list: all FF1 weapons
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Below, we list every weapon in the base version of the first Final Fantasy. The new HD Pixel Remaster version of FF1 is also based on the NES original, so this is also the weapon list for that game.

We’ve broken it down by category: Swords, Daggers, Axes, Hammers, Nunchaku, and Staff-type magic weapons.

Swords

Daggers

Axes

Hammers

Nunchaku

Staff / Staves