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24/03/2025: After collecting additional gear for Naoe and Yasuke, more of the best AC Shadows weapons have been added to each character's section so you can grab them for yourself.
Thanks to Assassin's Creed Shadows' dual protagonists, getting your hands on the best weapons takes twice as much work. Naoe and Yasuke have different approaches to combat and, naturally, use different weapons. The shinobi favours agility, choosing from katanas, tantos, and kusarigama, while the samurai warrior gets long katanas, naginatas, war clubs, and even ranged weapons.
Like recent games in the series, Shadows also has a fully-fledged loot system, with weapon quality, tons of stats, accessories, and even unique legendary gear. You can then pair these with the best Assassin's Creed Shadows armour to make builds that suit Naoe and Yasuke's unique approaches.
Best Assassin's Creed Shadows weapons
The best weapons in Assassin's Creed Shadows are all legendary quality since these have higher stats and more powerful, unique effects that the standard random weapons don't have.
While this means good loot is few and far between, you can at least guarantee you get them. Plus, since gear generally scales to your level when acquired, and you can upgrade weapons and armour to your current level easily, it's simple to keep your equipment strong as you progress.
Keep in mind that every legendary weapon also has an engraving slot that you'll unlock alongside the weapon, which you can use to add a buff to another weapon back at the blacksmith. These can improve everything from your damage to your health and adrenaline regeneration. This is crucial as you can combine the perks of two strong weapons in the same category to create fantastic synergies.
Best Naoe weapons
Naoe has a total of 24 legendary weapons across her three weapon types, but the best ones are:
Weapon | Type | Source | Effect | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Masked Death | Katana | In a legendary chest in Shimagahara Valley in Otogi Pass, Iga | Posture attack remains charged after Dodge | Lets you use heavy, posture-breaking attacks without slowing down your flow |
Yami no Kage | Katana | In a legendary chest in Hiraiyama Fort in The Warfields, Harima | Deal 100% damage to the attacker on deflect | Deflecting is key to mastering the katana, and Yami no Kage turns this defensive move into a weapon |
Dragon's Edge | Katana | Assassinate the Two-Faced during the Topple the Traitor quest in Yamashiro | Create an area of effect on hit with dodge attacks | Lets you deal with groups of enemies much easier, Naoe's greatest weakness |
Masamune's Thorn | Tanto | In a legendary chest in Nochiseyama Castle, Wakasa | Double assassinations remove an extra health segment | Makes assassinating higher-level enemies and tougher enemy types much easier |
Igan Sunset | Tanto | In a legendary chest in Tozuku's Lair in the Katano Foothills, Izumi Settsu | Slows down time after using Escape Strike | Great for giving you a second to breathe and reengage during your combo |
Shinobi's Fury | Tanto | Assassinate the Golden Teppo | Weakpoint attacks make enemies vulnerable a second time | While you'll mainly use a tanto for double assassinations, this tanto improves its main combo |
Kaen Kusarigama | Kusarigama | Bought from the Exchange | +135% damage when surrounded by two or more enemies | Kusarigama are best used when surrounded, so this weapon makes it even easier to wipe out groups |
Eikyo Kusarigama | Kusarigama | Bought from the Exchange | Press light or heavy attack after a dodge to trigger a quick strike | Quick and easy extra damage when reacting to enemy attacks |
Best Yasuke weapons
With Yasuke having five weapon types, he has 40 legendary weapons to collect. The best ones are:
Weapon | Type | Source | Effect | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Myth Slayer | Long Katana | Deal with The Mourner in The Wheel Unmasked quest in Omi | Combo enders and posture attacks make enemies vulnerable | Turns Yasuke's basic katana combos into overwhelming block breakers |
Whisper of Muramasa | Long Katana | Complete the Kurai Eikyou quest in Yamato | Counterattacks make enemies vulnerable | Counterattacks are already a strong tool in your arsenal, and this causes follow-up attacks to be even stronger |
Claw of the Tides | Long Katana | In a legendary chest in Uchinakao Burrows, east of Sotomo Gate, Wakasa | Charge a second posture attack instantly by executing it as the first one lands | Posture attacks deal bonus damage and can open enemies up to combos in return for a short charge period. This lets you quickly land two back-to-back |
Sage's Reach | Naginata | Assassinate The Naginata in the Showdown in Sakamoto quest in Omi | Stack +10% damage on your next hit after each attack blocked | A strong damage increase for no extra effort? What's not to love |
Lengthened Horizon | Naginata | In a legendary chest in Amanohasidate, Yamba | Press either attack button as your first hit lands and the second will be postured | Creates a simple opening combo for great damage, working well with the naginata's longer melee range |
Patient Harbinger | Teppo | In a legendary chest in Hikidan-jo Ruins in Lake Suigetsu, Wakasa | Load two bullets each time you reload | Makes up for the teppos main drawback by letting you unload volleys more often |
Death's Bloom | Teppo | In a legendary chest in Takagi Kofun, Harima | Reload times are reduced | Does what it says on the tin and simply speeds up the teppos incredibly slow reloads. Pairs well with Patient Harbinger's engraving |
Dark Burst | Teppo | Kill Asari Nobutane in the Nobutsuna's Students quest | Each shot fires multiple bullets | Makes teppos much more efficient while also quickly bursting down enemies in (technically) a single shot. Pairs well with the engravings from Death's Bloom or Patient Harbinger |
Last Breath | Bow | Complete the Requiem for Rokkaku main quest after Showdown in Sakamoto | Special ammo instantly triggers its affliction on a headshot | Improves arrow efficiency and lets you apply status effects much quicker |
Falcon's Eye | Bow | Collect all nine crests to complete the Collection of Crests quest | Posture shots fire multiple arrows | Lets you condense a barrage of arrows down into a single shot to burst down tough enemies |
Boulder Fall | Kanabo | Assassinate the Katsugari agent in the Kurai Eikyou quest in Yamato | Attacks can no longer be interrupted | Makes it even easier to overwhelm the enemy's defence with this heavy club |
Venom Pillar | Kanabo | In a legendary chest in Kajimiya Cemetery, Omi | Alternating attack types causes posture attacks to charge instantly | Creates a simple combo for the kanabo that speeds up heavy attacks to keep the pressure on your enemy |
Eikyo Kanabo | Kanabo | Bought from the Exchange | Next posture attack is charged instantly after blocking an attack | Makes up for a kanabos biggest flaw: the speed |
Best weapon types in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Both Naoe and Yasuke have a variety of different weapon types, and these are more distinct than ever this time around. Why? Because each weapon type now has its own skill tree that provides new abilities and effects.
Naoe's weapon types
Naoe can use the following weapon types:
- Tanto: The tanto is a quick, close-range weapon. You need a tanto to be able to use the double assassination skill.
- Kusarigama: An agile chained blade designed to cleave through groups of enemies.
- Katana: A versatile blade that deals high damage with each hit.
Naoe has a much more limited weapon selection, in large part due to her stealthy playstyle. You're not really supposed to be discovered, after all. Of her three weapon types, I recommend using a tanto and katana in your loadout. While the kusarigama is great for applying status effects and taking out groups of enemies (which will likely be the case if you've been detected), I found that its sweeping attacks sometimes attracted even more guards.
The katana deals more single-target damage while being versatile enough to handle groups discreetly. On the other hand, the tanto is the only weapon that can do double assassinations so it's a must-have for stealth.
Yasuke's weapon types
Yasuke can use the following weapon types:
- Long Katana: A hard-hitting sword designed for duelling.
- Kanabo: Slow clubs that pack one hell of a punch.
- Naginata: Glaives with a long reach and wide sweeps.
- Bow: Fast-firing and more stealthy ranged option.
- Teppo: A slow and clunky rifle that deals high damage per shot and has crowd-control potential.
Being the frontline soldier, Yasuke has a whole armoury of weapons up his sleeves, including ranged weapons. I recommend using a long katana and a bow or teppo for your loadout. Yasuke is a brute on the battlefield and these weapons perfectly compliment his approach.
The long katana has high single-target damage and faster attacks than clubs, making it an excellent pick for most fights, especially bosses and elites. It even has a skill that can heal you, conserving your rations. Kanabo are also strong melee weapons, though I prefer the versatility of the katana for duelling. If I'm not using a ranged weapon in my second slot, then I'll often be using a kanabo instead.
Further setting the samurai apart from his shinobi counterpart, Yasuke has ranged weapons. As much as I love the idea of using the teppo rifles (and they have some really fun abilities), they're sadly pretty bad, largely due to the incredibly slow reload speed. The bow is fast, quiet, and just as deadly thanks to its strong weapon skills. The one exception to this is the legendary teppos. When combining various legendary engravings, you're able to make a rifle that reloads fast and deals massive damage.
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