Highlights

  • Blood Rage from Dead Island 2 is a devastating melee weapon that can quickly bleed targets and spread its bleeding effects to nearby foes. It is found in a safe at the beach and boasts the perk Infectious, making it very effective at inflicting Bleed.
  • Chikage, a fan-favorite weapon in Bloodborne, is particularly powerful for a Bloodtinge build. Unlocked via the Cainhurst Badge, it becomes even deadlier when transformed with the player's blood, offering wide, sweeping attacks and scaling with Bloodtinge stat.
  • Elden Ring's Rivers of Blood is a katana drenched in blood, carrying a powerful curse. It is a top choice for a Blood Loss build, as it offers effective build-up in the status and has an exclusive Skill, Corpse Piler, which deals additional Fire damage and helps with Blood Loss.

Video game weapons come in all shapes and sizes. There are the realistic guns of military shooters like Call of Duty. The sillier acid-infused ones of Borderlands. Then there are even more absurd ones. A unique – and distinctly peculiar and creepy – variety is the blood weapon, rather a common trope. These are forged from, imbued with, or in some way utilize, the blood of the user (or someone/thing else).

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From the biggest franchises like Final Fantasy and Castlevania to lesser-known titles like Soul Sacrifice, a variety of titles have featured blood weapons. The very best ones are extremely powerful, have very useful effects, or both. Sometimes, an entire build can even be focused around them. Here are some of gaming’s greatest blood weapons.

10 Blood Surge: Diablo 4

Diablo 4 Blood Surge ability being activated

Unleash A Tide Of Blood On Groups Of Ghoulish Foes In An Instant

What Makes It So Good?

  • An early staple of the Necromancer’s kit
  • Particularly potent against groups of foes
Diablo 4
$56 $70 Save $14

Released
June 6, 2023
Developer(s)
Blizzard

The Diablo series, very often, is about one thing: Eradicating huge groups of horrific creatures as quickly as possible before your character is overwhelmed. It follows, then, that it’s helpful if your chosen character has access to some nice crowd control abilities early on.

Blood Surge is a Core skill for the Necromancer class, which drains blood from enemies before unleashing a blood nova. Adding Enhanced Blood Surge to the mix also heals your character in the process, while Paranormal Blood Surge offers the chance for Overpower if players can use it consistently. The skill is limited, however, by its reliance on having multiple targets, meaning that it won’t perform to its potential against bosses.

9 HRG Vampire: Killing Floor 2

Killing Floor 2 HRG Vampire being used in a room full of enemies

Boosting The Healer’s Damage Numbers In Bloody Style

What Makes It So Good?

  • A unique and spectacular weapon
  • Has both offensive and defensive utility

Supportive players in team shooters are often considered to have something of a passive role. They don’t tend to get the kills that win games (even though they’re instrumental in keeping their team in fighting shape so they can do so). They’re typically more lightly-armed as a result, but sometimes, they get access to intriguing weapons unique to them. One such weapon is the HRG Vampire.

Amid the grisly carnage that is the typical Killing Floor 2 session, a Field Medic is an invaluable ally. One of this class’s higher-tier weapons (tier 4) is the HRG Vampire, a large weapon that fires Crystal Spikes. It consumes the blood from foes and then spits it back out in a great, grotesque clump, also healing allies. It’s a unique, fitting, and rather useful weapon, but it can be unwieldy and isn’t a huge damage dealer.

8 Draupnir Spear: God Of War Ragnarok

God Of War Ragnarok Kratos receives Draupnir Spear

Reinforced With The Blood Of The Mightiest Being Of All

What Makes It So Good?

  • Impressive range and powerful abilities
  • Kratos’ new ultimate weapon

Really, Kratos needn’t concern himself with the concept of ultimate weapons. He’s demonstrated that he’s more than capable of tearing some of the strongest beings in existence apart with his bare hands. Still, he’s done some gloriously disgusting work with the likes of the legendary Blades of Chaos too. Now he has a new favorite weapon: the Draupnir Spear.

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This spear isn’t a blood weapon in the more conventional sense. Rather, the Lady of the Forge created it in Svartalfheim for Kratos, who added some of his own blood into the mix. The weapon is, as such, a part of him: It contains his essence, and perhaps it’s this that allows him to use such incredible abilities with it. It has a focus not only on ranged attacks, but on AoE slams and offering the chance to manipulate the stagger mechanic. The only real downside of the spear is that Kratos has a limited time in which to utilize it.

7 Shadow Whip: Castlevania - Lord Of Shadow Series

Castlevania Lords Of Shadow 2 protagonist wielding Shadow WhipA Dark And Deadly Vampire Killer

What Makes It So Good?

  • A versatile and formidable weapon
  • A symbol of the blood manipulation abilities of Dracula himself

In the Castlevania series, Dracula often appears as a final boss armed with a wide range of supernatural powers. The Castlevania: Lord of Shadows games see him armed with perhaps his most intriguing weapon of all: The Shadow Whip.

A sort of nefarious counterpart of the series’ iconic Vampire Killer, the Shadow Whip is not a weapon carried in a conventional way, but a physical creation Dracula can magically call on when needed. It’s made from nothing other than the blood of the count himself. It can be augmented with the ability to deliver combos, launch foes to juggle them and extract enemies’ power in order to utilize it. Despite its utility, it’s rather lesser-known, and serves in the Lord of Shadows games more as Dracula’s basic ability.

6 Sanguine Demonshot +: Soul Sacrifice

Soul Sacrifice protagonist confronts Magusar

A Blood Weapon In The Most Literal And Horrific Sense

What Makes It So Good?

  • Short bursts of (potentially) very high DPS indeed
  • An endgame weapon worthy of the designation
Soul Sacrifice

Released
March 7, 2013
Developer(s)
JapanStudio , Marvelous

One of the unique elements of PS Vita action RPG Soul Sacrifice Delta is the ability to save or sacrifice opponents on their defeat, thereby altering your character's stats (survivability is boosted by saving and offensive power by sacrificing). From the range of magical attacks available, Blood spells can deal very high damage, and Sanguine Demonshot+ is the most potentially powerful of all. Acquired by sacrificing antagonist Magusar and boosted through fusion with Saint’s Offering (L), it can be a deadly shotgun of sorts.

If the player can get close to a foe and stick there as they repeatedly fire, they’ll be impressed with the damage potential here. They’ll need to be wary too, though, because Blood spells drain HP with each use so healing effects are vital.

5 Blood Sword: Final Fantasy 9

Final Fantasy 9 Steiner obtains Blood Sword from Queen Stella

A Frightening Final Fantasy Throwback With Niche Power

What Makes It So Good?

  • Can heal Steiner as he uses the Attack command
  • Offers the unique Sword Art, Darkside
Final Fantasy 9

Released
July 7, 2000
Developer(s)
Square Enix

Steiner is, if his hilarious clanking armor didn’t tip you off, a classic Final Fantasy Knight. However, he gets a weapon typical of the Dark Knight.

The Blood Sword can be acquired quite early in the adventure, given to the party by Queen Stella after taking four Stellazio to her home in Treno. This weapon has the unique effect of restoring Steiner’s HP by exactly as much as he deals with Attack, every time (except against Undead foes). It also teaches him the Sword Art Darkside, which allows deals Shadow damage in exchange for some HP. Though it can be very helpful, the Attack value of the sword is a mere 24.

4 Evelyn: Bloodborne

Bloodborne Hunter holding Evelyn in Cainhurst Castle

A Crucial Gun For A Bloodtinge Build

What Makes It So Good?

  • Capable of great damage with high Bloodtinge
  • Certainly rewards that niche investment
bloodborne
Bloodborne

Released
March 24, 2015
Developer(s)
From Software

A gun, for many Bloodborne fans, is just a means of setting up Visceral Attacks. It won’t do much damage without significant investment in Bloodtinge, rather a forgotten stat. The game’s Firearms shoot bullets infused with blood, and this is perhaps the strongest one of all. It'll prove a huge boon in the game's dark fantasy world.

9:45
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Those who enjoy Bloodtinge builds and the small pool of main weapons that benefit from them, though, know the power of an upgraded Evelyn. Its fantastic scaling with the stat means that you’ll be able to take down foes from a distance very well. It’s an unusual build that requires heavy investment to reach its potential, and a Firearm won’t do all the work by itself, but the Evelyn is probably the game’s best choice with a Bloodtinge character. Be sure to collect it from Cainhurst Castle, or acquire the Cainhurst Badge there so you can buy it.

3 Blood Rage: Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2 character obtains Blood Rage Legendary Dagger

A Legendary Dagger With A Legendary Ability To Bleed Targets

What Makes It So Good?

  • A potentially devastating melee weapon
  • Will quickly bleed targets on hit and can even spread its bleeding effects to nearby foes
Dead Island 2
$35 $70 Save $35

Released
April 21, 2023
Developer(s)
Dambuster Studios

Dead Island 2 is another title that focuses heavily on pure combat carnage. Fortunately, the player can arm themselves with a wide range of vicious weapons. In the Dagger category, there’s perhaps no choice deadlier than the Blood Rage. It’s a blood weapon in the fact that it makes heavy use of enemies’ blood, if not in a strictly conventional sense.

Blood Rage is found in a safe in the sand, at the beach of the Santa Monica Pier. To open it, players need to obtain the key, which is held by an unfortunate zombie named Dante. Blood Rage boasts the perk Infectious, which means that nearby opponents can also bleed when you strike a target. A further boon is Superior Melee Puncturator, making the dagger very effective at inflicting Bleed. Its power is only tempered by the fact that it’s very short-ranged.

2 Chikage: Bloodborne

Bloodborne Hunter holding Chikage at the Hunter's Dream

A Blade That Transforms In Deadly Style When Imbued With Blood

What Makes It So Good?

  • Probably the number one fan-favorite weapon for a Bloodtinge build
  • Blood gives it devastating power when transformed

Having already celebrated the elegant, formidable, blood-bullet-firing Evelyn, it would be remiss not to also cover its trusty partner: the Chikage. This sword is also unlocked via the Cainhurst Badge (given on joining the Vilebloods), and as befits the Vileblood theme, its damage potential revolves around the Bloodtinge stat.

In its standard form, it’s quite a conventional Thrust weapon, mostly scaling with Skill. When transformed, however, the player’s own blood empowers it with wide, sweeping attacks and sole Bloodtinge scaling. With high Bloodtinge, it’s very powerful indeed, but it does drain the Hunter’s health and force a bit of an awkward build.

1 Rivers Of Blood: Elden Ring

Elden Ring Tarnished swinging Rivers Of Blood

Perhaps FromSoftware’s Best Blood-Themed Katana Yet

What Makes It So Good?

  • Arcane investment can boost its Blood Loss to incredible levels
  • Its exclusive Skill, Corpse Piler, offers good range and versatile damage
Elden Ring
$40 $60 Save $20

Released
February 25, 2022
Developer(s)
From Software

Elden Ring’s Rivers of Blood is, perhaps, a bit of a cliche. It’s a katana with a blade drenched in blood, and which carries a powerful curse (courtesy of the Lord of Blood, Mohg). Much more importantly, though, it’s very strong. Previously held by Bloody Finger Okina, it can be acquired by defeating Okina at the Church of Repose.

A premiere choice for a Blood Loss build, Rivers of Blood offers effective build up in the status, further boosted with Arcane investment. Corpse Piler, which only this blade has access to, is a series of strikes that also helps with Blood Loss, and deals additional Fire damage. It’s a weapon with a lot of potential, but which still affords the player some versatility in their build.

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