Weapons are used by Nier to fight and defend himself in NieR. Only one-handed swords are available for the first half of the game. Then, in the second half of the game, two-handed swords and spears can be collected and used. Each weapon type has special properties and a unique attack set, including different special attacks and dodge maneuvers. All weapons can be charged, at the start, middle, or end of a combo to initiate a strong charge attack that deals more damage or hits a wide area. The swing speed of a weapon is influenced by its weapon type and its weight.

List of Weapons[]

One-Handed Swords[]

This is the fastest type of weapon, with a 5-hit base combo, which hits in a wide area in front of him. However, they also deal the least damage and, due to the low weight, have the least force behind them. The ground special attack is a quick thrust that deals no damage, but makes guarding opponents stumble backward leaving them open for attacks. When used while airborne, the special attack lets Nier crush his sword with force into the ground beneath him, damaging everything close to the impact. This attack is also known as "Skull Crusher". If Nier attacks out of a dodge, he will perform a horizontal slash.

Icon	Name	Lv.	Attack Power	Magic Power	Guard Break	Armor Break	Knockback	Weight
	Nameless Blade	1	100	0%	30	100	7%	Light
		2	112	10%	30	100		Light
		3	152	20%	30	102		Light
		4	204	30%	30	103		Light
	Lily-Leaf Sword	1	123	20%	30	100	9%	Light
		2	146	30%	50	101		Moderate
		3	187	40%	50	102		Moderate
		4	250	60%	70	103		Heavy
	Nirvana Dagger	1	106	0%	50	100	8%	Moderate
		2	125	10%	50	101		Moderate
		3	160	20%	50	102		Moderate
		4	213	40%	50	103		Moderate
	Moonrise	1	109	10%	50	100	5%	Moderate
		2	128	10%	50	101		Moderate
		3	165	20%	50	103		Moderate
		4	217	40%	10	104		Moderate
	Rebirth	1	115	10%	10	101	5%	Very Light
		2	132	10%	10	102		Very Light
		3	169	30%	10	103		Very Light
		4	221	40%	10	104		Very Light
	Earth Wyrm's Claw	1	142	30%	90	101	8%	Very Heavy
		2	163	40%	90	102		Very Heavy
		3	209	50%	70	103		Heavy
		4	271	60%	50	105		Moderate
	Blade of Treachery	1	139	20%	70	102	9%	Heavy
		2	179	30%	70	103		Heavy
		3	231	40%	70	104		Heavy
		4	255	50%	70	106		Heavy
	Beastbain	1	172	40%	70	101	9%	Heavy
		2	221	50%	70	102		Heavy
		3	282	60%	70	104		Heavy
		4	313	70%	70	106		Heavy
	Faith	1	147	20%	10	104	8%	Very Light
		2	189	30%	30	103		Light
		3	240	40%	30	105		Light
		4	266	50%	50	108		Moderate
	Ancient Overlord	1	194	30%	10	104	5%	Very Light
		2	245	50%	10	105		Very Light
		3	271	50%	10	106		Very Light
		4	283	50%	10	108		Very Light
	Phoenix Dagger	1	240	50%	50	90	8%	Moderate
		2	300	70%	50	90		Moderate
		3	332	70%	50	91		Moderate
		4	346	80%	50	98		Moderate
	Labyrinth's Whisper	1	112	10%	90	106	11%	Very Heavy
		2	128	10%	90	113		Very Heavy
		3	147	20%	90	113		Very Heavy
		4	313	60%	90	123		Very Heavy
	Fool's Embrace (15 Nightmares)	1	200	30%	90	105	11%	Very Heavy
		2	277	50%	90	111		Very Heavy
		3	289	60%	90	111		Very Heavy
		4	400	80%	90	118		Very Heavy
	Iron Pipe	1	179	30%	30	103	7%	Light
		2	179	30%	30	103		Light
		3	217	40%	30	106		Light
		4	266	50%	30	109		Light
	Kainé's Sword	1	999	0%	330	220	7%	Extra Heavy
		2	999	30%	330	220		Extra Heavy
		3	999	60%	330	220		Extra Heavy
		4	999	100%	330	220		Extra Heavy
	Virtuous Contract (4 YoRHa)	1	150	0%	50	86	7%	Moderate
		2	270	0%	10	86		Very Light
		3	420	0%	10	86		Very Light
		4	570	0%	10	93		Very Light
	Cruel Oath (4 YoRHa)	1	150	0%	50	86	7%	Moderate
		2	270	0%	10	86		Very Light
		3	420	0%	10	86		Very Light
		4	475	40%	10	93		Very Light

Two-Handed Swords[]

Two-Handed Swords deal the most damage of all weapon types. They hit everything around Nier in a wide area, but are also the slowest due to their immense weight. Nier can barely swing these giant weapons around, struggling to keep them in motion, resulting in a slow, heavy-hitting, 3-hit combo that is highly effective against groups of enemies. Due to the sheer power behind each of these attacks, they break the guard of blocking enemies easily. This class' special attack is a spin attack that inflicts a 2-hit attack on nearby enemies. The air special attack also performs the "Skull Crusher", but with a lot more force. When used after a dodge, Nier does a slow, upward slash.

Icon	Name	Lv.	Attack Power	Magic Power	Guard Break	Armor Break	Knockback	Weight
	Kusanagi	1	295	20%	170	121	10%	Light
		2	339	30%	170	127		Light
		3	571	40%	170	131		Light
		4	659	40%	170	136		Light
	Axe of Beheading	1	364	40%	230	122	20%	Heavy
		2	418	30%	230	130		Heavy
		3	700	40%	230	132		Heavy
		4	807	40%	230	137		Heavy
	Fang of the Twins	1	312	20%	170	126	20%	Light
		2	358	30%	200	139		Moderate
		3	595	40%	230	146		Heavy
		4	686	50%	230	164		Heavy
	Vile Axe	1	384	40%	200	129	25%	Moderate
		2	442	30%	230	144		Heavy
		3	729	40%	280	147		Very Heavy
		4	841	50%	280	148		Very Heavy
	Beastlord	1	329	20%	230	122	20%	Heavy
		2	378	30%	230	136		Heavy
		3	620	40%	230	145		Heavy
		4	715	50%	230	161		Heavy
	Iron Will	1	200	0%	120	136	25%	Very Light
		2	389	30%	320	165		Extra Heavy
		3	633	40%	320	182		Extra Heavy
		4	730	50%	320	215		Extra Heavy
	Phoenix Sword	1	400	30%	200	96	15%	Moderate
		2	646	40%	200	98		Moderate
		3	715	50%	200	100		Moderate
		4	760	50%	200	132		Moderate
	Labyrinth's Song	1	223	10%	280	156	25%	Very Heavy
		2	257	10%	280	168		Very Heavy
		3	295	20%	280	178		Very Heavy
		4	860	60%	280	209		Very Heavy
	Fool's Lament (15 Nightmares)	1	400	30%	280	130	25%	Very Heavy
		2	730	50%	280	146		Very Heavy
		3	760	50%	280	148		Very Heavy
		4	999	80%	280	189		Very Heavy
	Virtuous Treaty (4 YoRHa)	1	300	0%	200	91	10%	Moderate
		2	540	0%	120	93		Very Light
		3	840	0%	120	95		Very Light
		4	999	0%	120	125		Very Light

Spears[]

Spears are in-between the other two weapon types in terms of speed and damage. They deal more damage than one-handed swords at the cost of speed, but deal less damage than two-handed weapons. Their base combo consists of 3-thrust attacks that have a long reach, but very little width to the left or right. It's also impossible to change the attack direction mid-combo, making it difficult to deal with groups of enemies. Both specials result in a very useful rapid charge attack, that has a huge reach and goes through enemies. After a dodge, spears perform a horizontal swing, their only means of hitting an area outside of their special attack. Since the charge attack covers a lot of ground, Nier can use it in combination with forward dodges to travel around far quicker than by running (Special Attack -> Dodge -> Dodge -> Special Attack...).

Icon	Name	Lv.	Attack Power	Magic Power	Guard Break	Armor Break	Knockback	Weight
	Transience	1	221	20%	80	104	8%	Light
		2	254	30%	80	105		Light
		3	312	40%	80	107		Light
		4	368	50%	80	109		Light
	Spear of the Usurper	1	364	40%	50	107	10%	Very Light
		2	418	50%	80	108		Light
		3	510	60%	100	109		Moderate
		4	600	70%	100	109		Moderate
	The Devil Queen	1	234	20%	100	107	14%	Moderate
		2	268	30%	120	108		Heavy
		3	325	40%	120	110		Heavy
		4	383	50%	150	110		Very Heavy
	Sunrise	1	384	40%	100	107	14%	Moderate
		2	442	50%	120	108		Heavy
		3	531	60%	120	110		Heavy
		4	625	70%	150	111		Very Heavy
	Beastcurse	1	247	20%	120	107	12%	Heavy
		2	284	30%	120	109		Heavy
		3	339	40%	120	111		Heavy
		4	399	50%	120	113		Heavy
	Captain's Holy Spear	1	467	50%	120	109	14%	Heavy
		2	553	60%	120	110		Heavy
		3	652	70%	150	111		Very Heavy
		4	693	80%	150	115		Very Heavy
	Dragoon Lance	1	300	30%	100	110	14%	Moderate
		2	353	40%	120	110		Heavy
		3	416	50%	120	112		Heavy
		4	442	60%	150	116		Very Heavy
	Phoenix Spear	1	490	50%	100	91	10%	Moderate
		2	576	60%	100	92		Moderate
		3	679	70%	100	93		Moderate
		4	721	80%	100	104		Moderate
	Labyrinth's Shout	1	168	10%	150	120	14%	Very Heavy
		2	192	10%	150	126		Very Heavy
		3	221	20%	150	125		Very Heavy
		4	460	60%	150	135		Very Heavy
	Fool's Accord (15 Nightmares)	1	300	30%	150	111	14%	Very Heavy
		2	416	50%	150	118		Very Heavy
		3	433	60%	150	118		Very Heavy
		4	600	80%	150	132		Very Heavy
	Virtuous Dignity (4 YoRHa)	1	220	0%	100	86	8%	Moderate
		2	396	0%	50	87		Very Light
		3	616	0%	50	88		Very Light
		4	836	0%	50	99		Very Light

Trivia[]

• All spears have a lightning aura.
• Phoenix Spear has the highest initial attack power on level 1 out of any weapon, with 490 damage.
• At max level, the strongest weapons for each type are Kainé's Sword, Fool's Lament/Virtuous Treaty and Virtuous Dignity (Phoenix Spear without DLC). With 999 attack power, the first and second are also the most powerful in the entire game.
• Many of the weapons were originally owned by Caim from Drakengard, under a different name. When the final battle in Drakengard's Ending E ensued, his weapons were scattered across the land, to be found centuries later by Nier.
• In the original game, Weapon Stories were originally going to be in it before they were cut and were instead listed in Grimoire Nier. They were later added back in NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139....