Nioh - Weapons
Nioh's arsenal is split between melee weapon classes, each with its own stance-specific moveset and skill tree, and the ranged weapons William carries for pulling and weakening enemies. Eight melee classes ship with the game and its three DLC chapters (five at launch, then the Odachi, Tonfa and Swit...
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of 12 entries
· updated 2026-09-15
| Name | Type | Description | Stats | Abilities | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katana | Sword | The default and most balanced melee class: fast enough to punish openings, long enough to keep distance, and the only class that carries the full parry toolkit. | Range: Medium Speed: Fast Scaling: Heart / Skill Available: From the start of the campaign | Iai quickdraw attacks from the sheathed stance Parry and backwave counters Reliable high, mid and low stance coverage | Starting weapon class; drops and blacksmith forging throughout the campaign |
| Dual Swords | Paired Swords | Two blades instead of one, traded in for shorter reach and much higher attack speed. | Range: Short Speed: Fastest Scaling: Skill / Heart Available: From the start of the campaign | Very fast multi-hit strings Strong status and element application Sign of the Cross style iai counter | Starting weapon class; drops and forging |
| Spear | Polearm | The longest melee class, built for keeping enemies at the edge of range. | Range: Long Speed: Medium Scaling: Body / Skill Available: From the start of the campaign | Longest melee reach Wide sweeping low-stance attacks Strong thrust pressure against large yokai | Starting weapon class; drops and forging |
| Axe | Heavy Weapon | The slowest and hardest-hitting melee class, built around committed swings that break poise and stagger large enemies. | Range: Short to medium Speed: Slow Scaling: Strength / Stamina Available: From the start of the campaign | High poise and stagger damage Heavy overhead and spin attacks Best class for breaking guarded yokai | Starting weapon class; drops and forging |
| Kusarigama | Chain Weapon | A sickle on a weighted chain, and the most technical melee class in the game. | Range: Short to long Speed: Fast Scaling: Skill / Dexterity Available: From the start of the campaign | Chain swings at range and blade attacks up close Pulling and closing skills Strong crowd control against grouped enemies | Starting weapon class; drops and forging |
| Odachi | Greatsword | Added with the Dragon of the North chapter, the odachi is a long two-handed blade that sits between the katana and the axe: slower than a sword but with enormous arcs and the ability to absorb a hit mid-swing. | Range: Long Speed: Slow to medium Scaling: Strength / Heart Available: Dragon of the North DLC | Very wide sweeping arcs Swing-through attacks that resist interruption Strong reach for a heavy weapon | Unlocked with the Dragon of the North DLC; forged and dropped from that point on |
| Tonfa | Blunt Paired Weapon | Added with Defiant Honor, the tonfa is a pair of short batons built for relentless close pressure. | Range: Very short Speed: Very fast Scaling: Skill / Strength Available: Defiant Honor DLC | Guard-breaking blunt strikes Very fast close-range chains Shove and pressure skills that keep enemies off balance | Unlocked with the Defiant Honor DLC |
| Switchglaive | Transforming Polearm | Added with Bloodshed's End, the switchglaive is a single weapon that changes shape with the stance: a short glaive in low stance, a mid-length blade in mid stance and a long scythe-like polearm in high stance. | Range: Short to very long Speed: Medium Scaling: Magic / Skill Available: Bloodshed's End DLC | Different weapon form per stance Stance switching extends combos and reach Scales with Magic as well as Skill | Unlocked with the Bloodshed's End DLC |
| Bow | Ranged | The quickest ranged option, drawn while standing still and aimed with a reticle. | Range: Long Speed: Medium draw Ammo: Arrows Scaling: Dexterity | Silent single-target pulls Headshot weak-point damage Cheap, plentiful ammunition | Found as loot and forged at the blacksmith |
| Matchlock Rifle | Ranged | The middle ranged weapon: slower to fire than a bow but with much higher damage per shot and better range, making it the tool for opening a boss fight or removing a dangerous ranged enemy before it can act. | Range: Very long Speed: Slow Ammo: Rifle rounds Scaling: Dexterity | High single-shot damage Long-range elimination of ranged enemies Slow reload that has to be planned around | Found as loot and forged at the blacksmith |
| Hand Cannon | Ranged / Siege | The heaviest ranged weapon, effectively a portable cannon that hits for enormous damage at the cost of a very long firing cycle. | Range: Long Speed: Very slow Ammo: Cannon rounds Scaling: Dexterity | Highest ranged damage per shot Interrupts enemy wind-ups Very slow firing cycle | Found as loot and forged at the blacksmith |
| Living Weapon | Weapon System | Not a weapon class but the state that overrides one: when the Amrita gauge is full, William can channel his Guardian Spirit into the equipped weapon, wrapping it in elemental energy and fighting with boosted damage, poise and a spirit-specific effect for as long as the gauge lasts. | Activation: R2 with a full Amrita gauge Duration: Gauge-limited Scaling: Guardian Spirit and Amrita gain | Elemental damage boost Increased poise and reduced stagger Spirit-specific attack effects | Unlocked early in the campaign alongside the first Guardian Spirit |
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