Best Weapons in TotK — Top Melee Weapons & Fuse Combinations
Best Weapons in TotK — Maximum Damage Guide
Weapon damage in TotK comes from two sources: the base weapon attack stat and the fused material's bonus. The highest DPS weapons combine a high-base weapon with the highest-attack fusion material. This guide ranks the best options at each stage of the game.
How Weapon Damage Works
Total weapon attack = Base weapon attack + Fuse material attack bonus
Example: Royal Claymore (41 base) + White-Maned Lynel Saber Horn (+55 fusion) = 96 total attack
Both components matter. A weak base weapon with a great fusion is worse than a strong base weapon with the same fusion.
Best Fusion Materials (Sorted by Attack Bonus)
| Material | Attack Bonus | Source | |----------|-------------|--------| | White-Maned Lynel Saber Horn | +55 | Silver Lynel (drops as weapon) | | Gibdo Bone | +25 | Queen Gibdo, regular Gibdo (Depths) | | Lynel Horn (Blue-Maned) | +30 | Blue-Maned Lynel | | Lynel Horn (regular) | +20 | Red/Brown Lynel | | Black Bokoblin Horn | +16 | Black Bokoblin | | Dragon Fang (any) | +20 | Any elemental dragon | | Hinox Toenail | +15 | Hinox |
Bottom line: White-Maned Lynel Saber Horn fused to a high-base weapon is the highest melee damage available outside the Master Sword.
Best Base Weapons
Two-Handed (Highest Damage Per Swing)
Royal Claymore (41 base attack)
- Best craftable two-handed base weapon
- Drops from Black Lizalfos, Silver enemies, Hyrule Castle chests
- Combined with Lynel Saber Horn: 96 total attack — one charge swing per stagger cycle
Mighty Lynel Crusher (36 base)
- Dropped by Lynel enemies
- Heavy club type — slower but massive per-hit damage
- Lynel Horn fusion: ~86 total attack
Great Thunderblade / Flameblade (35 base variants)
- Elemental two-handers with decent base attack
- Adding fusion on top of existing elemental damage creates strong elemental builds
One-Handed (Best Balance)
Royal Broadsword (36 base attack)
- Most balanced one-handed option
- Found in Hyrule Castle chests, elite enemy drops
- Fast attack speed + high base = good DPS against fast enemies
Eightfold Longblade (40 base)
- One of the highest base one-handers
- Found in specific Depths locations
Savage Lynel Saber (32 base)
- Carried by Silver Lynels — take it after defeat
- Good when used with the Saber's fast attack animation
Spears (Best Reach + Mounted Combat)
Royal Halberd (26 base attack)
- Longest reach melee weapon
- Good for mounted combat and safe fighting
- Fuse Lynel Horn for competitive total attack despite lower base
Lightscale Trident (22 base)
- Zora special weapon — bonus damage in water, fast animation
- Pairs well with Shock Arrows and water-adjacent fights (Mucktorok, Sidon-related)
Best Weapon by Tier
Early Game (First 3 Temples)
Best available: Knight's Claymore or Soldier's Broadsword fused with any Hinox Toenail or Bokoblin Horn
- Knight's Claymore: 28 base + Hinox Toenail (+15) = 43 total
- Find Knight's weapons by defeating elite Bokoblin/Lizalfos groups at camps and caves
Upgrade path: Prioritize reaching Lynels for their dropped weapons. Even a Red Lynel drop is a major upgrade over Knight's tier.
Mid Game (Temples Completed)
Best available: Lynel weapons from defeated Lynels + Gibdo Bone fusion
- Mogma Mitts + Silver Bokoblin Horn fusion: competitive if Lynels are avoided
- Best mid-game target: Blue-Maned Lynel weapons — attack boost weapons that outlast most alternatives
End Game (All Temples + Depths Explored)
Best combination: Royal Claymore (41 base) + White-Maned Lynel Saber Horn (55 fusion) = 96 total attack
With Attack Up Level 3 food + Fierce Deity/Barbarian armor: 96 × 1.6+ = ~153 effective attack per swing
Alternative endgame: Master Sword after pulling from Light Dragon — the beam attack and 30+ base attack with elemental bonus make it competitive overall despite lower raw fused attack.
Weapon Durability and the Fuse Economy
All weapons break eventually. The metagame strategy:
- Hoard high-base weapons — save Royal/Knight tier weapons for boss fights
- Use weaker base weapons for regular exploration — fuse junk materials to trash weapons
- Save best fusion materials for best base weapons — don't fuse Lynel Horns to a Bokoblin Club
- Depths run = refill — the Depths has excellent weapon drops and fusion material caches
Special Mention: Master Sword
The Master Sword deserves its own note:
- Base attack: 30 (but effectively higher with beam damage at full health)
- Advantage: Charges after 10 minutes of real time (approximately 50–100 swings) — infinite durability over long sessions
- Best use: Consistent fights where you don't have excess fusion materials; long-session grinding
- Get it: Pull from the Light Dragon's forehead after collecting all Dragon's Tears memories
Related Guides
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
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