Kenshi is dangerous even by the usual standards of post-apocalyptic deserts. Roving beasts, bandits, bonedogs, slavers, ninjas, and other enemies prowl the wasteland, looking for anyone they can rob, eat, or kidnap. A well-equipped and well-trained adventurer stands a chance against these dangers. An ill-prepared one not so much. Whether traveling alone or with a full militia at one's back, the choice of armament can make the difference between coming home and night or bleeding out in the sand.

RELATED: Longest Open World Games (According To HowLongToBeat)

The choice of what weapon to wield is largely a matter of personal taste. Polearms, swords, and axes all have their advantages, and the needs of a solitary merchant are far different from the needs of the leader of a bandit company. Even with these differing needs, there are some basic considerations that matter to every weapon-wielder: the strength and speed of the weapon, of course, as well as any advantage it may have against a particularly hated foe. Here are the best melee weapons Kenshi has to offer.

Updated on October 4, 2022, by Patrick Armstrong: Kenshi doesn't believe in hand-holding. That fact is divisive among players since it can be more than a little jarring to be tossed into a sprawling open world with no real direction. The benefit of this decision, however, is that the player has almost unprecedented freedom. The player has as much control over what they wield as where they go and who they befriend. Being a samurai of the post-apocalyptic wastes is a challenge, but at least players have a variety of lethal (and non-lethal) options when it comes to meeting that challenge. With new players discovering the wonders (and difficulty) of Kenshi every day, it pays to take a good look at its weapons.

11 Meitou Heavy Jitte

The Meitou Heavy Jitte is well-named, with requiring a staggering 104 Strength to use properly. Like the regular Jitte, the Heavy Jitte deals only Blunt damage, stunning rather than killing enemies. For bloodthirsty players, this is a negative, since the player will need to swap to a secondary weapon if they want to end their enemies’ lives.

Murder is only one possible goal in the great sandbox game that is Kenshi, however. Stunning enemies with nonlethal damage is actually preferable in certain situations. If the player wishes to subdue a bounty target, however, taking them alive in order to claim their reward, the Heavy Jitte can be an excellent choice.

10 Meitou Polearm

While the Polearm doesn’t have the best damage around, it excels in other areas that make it worth considering for specialized uses. Its +50% damage buff against animals makes cleaning up wildlife easy, and with an impressive Reach of 28, the player will be able to keep themselves out of harm’s way while staying in the fight.

RELATED: The Best Open-World Games With Female Protagonists

The main disadvantage is its -6 penalty when fighting indoors. Because of this significant debuff, the player will want to avoid interior battles at all costs. As long as the fight can be brought outside, however, the player should have no problem keeping their enemy at bay in most situations.

9 Foreign Saber

Though the Foreign Saber might have a bad reputation among the people of Kenshi’s desert wasteland, it shouldn’t have a bad reputation among players. The Foreign Saber is a solid choice for players who want something with a defensive edge, given that this isn't exactly an open world free of combat.

Though the Desert Saber has the edge over its Foreign counterpart against Skimmers and Spiders, the Foreign Saber is a better weapon overall. Mixing decent cutting damage with high defense, the Foreign Saber might not be the best weapon in the game, but it holds its own more often than not.

8 Meitou Naginata

A polearm, the Naginata has the length to strike enemies at a distance but is also surprisingly fast for its length. The Meitou-version of the weapon can be found on Crab Queen. Though its blunt damage is lacking, the cutting damage and reach of the Meitou Naginata put it in almost the same class as the Falling Sun. One must simply be careful of where one wields it, as the Naginata suffers high penalties for indoor combat, something new players must keep in mind.

7 Meitou Moon Cleaver

RELATED: Biggest Innovations To Open-World Games

This bizarrely-shaped weapon is the cleaver of choice for several factions and key NPCs, including the Preacher Cult, Blackshifters, and Cannibal Grand Wizard. It has inventory dimensions of 2x9 and can therefore only be equipped as a primary weapon. Thanks to its unusual shape, it does better blunt damage than usual but worse cutting damage, while still scoring high in armor penetration and damage to robots.

6 Exile Plank

The Exile Plank is a unique version of Plank that can be found in the possession of the Gorrillo Bandits and in certain ruins. As a Heavy Weapon, the Exile Plank won't fit in a standard inventory and must instead be equipped or placed in a backpack. It might be simple and ugly looking, but the Exile Plank gets the job done with high blunt damage. Enemies will wish they had more than a med-kit.

5 Meitou Topper

RELATED: Classic Open World Tropes That Aren't Around Anymore

A hybrid of the sabre and katana, the Topper has a reach similar to that of a Nodachi and is quick to boot. Despite its former popularity amongst mercenaries, the Topper has now fallen out of favor. The Meitou Topper can be found on Rhinobot in Ashland Dome II. Its blunt damage might be close to non-existent, but its cutting damage more than makes up for it.

4 Meitou Paladin's Cross

This sacred weapon is the symbol of the paladins. The Paladin's Cross deals exceptional damage to robots. The Meitou version of this weapon can be found on Holy Lord Phoenix. Though weak against humans and animals, the Paladin's cross decimates robots, which can be particularly useful with certain mods.

3 Meitou Katana

RELATED: Games With Great Open Worlds (But Disappointing Stories)

The katana is all but ubiquitous in the world of Kenshi and is arguably the game's most iconic weapon. Lightweight, fast, and powerful, the katana is useful whether the player has 10 hours in the game or 1,000. The Meitou Katana can be found on Emperor Tengu. A large debuff against robots and utter lack of blunt damage is matter up for basically everywhere else with the katana.

2 Meitou Fragment Axe

The Meitou Fragment Axe is a heavy and extremely powerful bludgeoning tool. The Meitou version can be found on Esata the Stone Golem or Mukai the Mountain. As a Heavy Weapon, the Meitou Fragment Axe won't fit in a standard inventory and must instead be equipped or placed in a backpack. It takes a strong character to wield it,the Meitou Fragment Axe offers massive blunt damage, which is all it needs.

1 Falling Sun

Heavy Weapons in Kenshi share something in common, which is extreme damage potential. Yet Falling Sun has an advantage over other Heavy Weapons: it is both faster and lighter, enabling the user to both swing it and ward off blows faster. It has inventory dimensions of 2x10 and can therefore only be equipped as a primary weapon. As a Heavy Weapon, the Falling Sun won't fit in a standard inventory and must instead be equipped or placed in a backpack.

Kenshi is available on PC.

MORE: Best Open-World Games With The Most Immersive Historical Settings