All Available Weapons in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Given the specifics of this installment in the series, not everyone knows what questions to ask to better understand the game. It all comes down to how long to beat Assassin's Creed Shadows, when in reality, we should be discussing more nuanced aspects.

The full list of all available weapons in Assassin's Creed Shadows will give you a deeper understanding of the contrast embedded in the duality of the main protagonists in this game.

The cover for the material was created from a screenshot of YOUSUKE YUKIMATSU | Boiler Room Tokyo. Both Yasukes made a splash this year!

All Weapons Types in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows weapons include traditional katanas, heavy kanabo clubs, and even ranged options like bows and teppo rifles. The following is a list and the best weapon peaks for each of the two main characters.

The weapons in Assassin's Creed Shadows are distinct for each protagonist, with Yasuke wielding powerful, heavy weapons and Naoe utilizing swift, stealth-based arms. Below is a comparative list of all weapons available to both characters:

Despite their differences, all weapons in the game adhere to historical accuracy and feature upgrade paths that enhance their effectiveness in combat.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows introduces a dynamic dual-character system, where each protagonist wields unique weapons suited to their combat style. That is why when reviewing each of them, you should mention Assassin’s Creed Shadows the best weapon choice, and the description of the combat units, respectively.

Yasuke’s Weapons

Yasuke is a formidable warrior, built for direct combat and raw power. As a samurai of African descent, he wields heavy weaponry designed for open battles, favoring brute force over agility. His fighting style makes him one of the slowest Assassins in the series, but what he lacks in speed, he makes up for with overwhelming strength and resilience. Playing as Yasuke is like commanding an unstoppable force – deliberate, unyielding, and deadly.

Best Weapon Choice:

• Long Katana
• Bow

This combination gives Yasuke a perfect balance of offense and adaptability. The Long Katana delivers devastating melee strikes, ideal for one-on-one duels and cutting through armored enemies. Meanwhile, the Bow provides a ranged option, allowing him to engage foes from a distance when closing the gap isn’t an option. With these weapons, Yasuke can dominate the battlefield, handling both close-quarters and long-range threats with ease.

Long Katana

A longer version of the traditional katana, this weapon allows Yasuke to deliver powerful slashes, easily cutting through armored foes and making quick work of enemies in duels.

Long Katana – Claw of the Dragon

The Claw of the Dragon is a finely crafted katana designed for precision duels, making it an excellent choice for one-on-one combat. This weapon grants a +35% damage boost when facing a single enemy, allowing for devastating strikes against isolated opponents. Its sharp, balanced blade ensures swift and fluid attacks, making it ideal for skilled swordsmen who rely on speed and technique.

How to Obtain: Can be purchased from the in-game store for 450 Helix Credits.

Long Katana – Cerulean Glitch

Grants +100% Adrenaline Chunk on ration use but restores no health. Ideal for aggressive fighters who rely on abilities over healing.

Unlock: Reach Rank 18 in the Legacy Shadows Project.

Long Katana – Claw of the Tides

Instantly charges Posture attacks when landing a Posture attack. Perfect for relentless dueling.

Location: Legendary chest near Uchinakao Burrows (Mount Uchinakao, Wakasa).

Long Katana – Crimson's Edge

The bleed effect instantly kills enemies with 2 or fewer Health Segments. Ideal for finishing weakened foes.

How to Get: Defeat Sanada Masatoyo in a duel during the "Nobutsuna's Students" side quest.

Long Katana – Flowing Peace

Removes 1 Health Segment from enemies after breaking their armor, making it a strong choice for prolonged fights.

How to Get: Assassinate Tsuchi-Gumo during the "Hunters of Kyonyo" side quest.

Long Katana – Lethal Lotus Petal

Has a 50% chance to instantly kill enemies below 2 Health Segments when poisoned, making it deadly for sustained poison builds.

How to Get: Found in the Miyanoue Fort legendary chest (Miki, Harima).

Long Katana – Loyal Traveler

Sheathed Attacks are Postured and make enemies Vulnerable, allowing for more strategic strikes and increased damage potential.

How to Get: Found inside a legendary chest to the west of Kamikura Shrine (Kumano Sanzan, Kii).

Long Katana – Myth Slayer

Combo Enders are Postured and make enemies Vulnerable, offering an opportunity to deliver decisive blows and finish encounters with deadly precision.

How to Get: Decide the fate of The Mourner during the "The Wheel Unmasked" main story mission.

Long Katana – Turquoise Zephyr

Successful parries push nearby enemies back, allowing you to control the battlefield and create space during combat.

How to Get: Found inside a legendary chest near the Kuji-Kiri spot (Eagle's Nest, Yamashiro).

Long Katana – Whisper of Muramasa

Riposte makes enemies Vulnerable, enabling you to exploit their weakness after a perfectly timed counter.

How to Get: Complete the "Kurai Eikyou" side quest.

Naginata

A polearm with a katana-like blade, the naginata is ideal for crowd control, offering superior range and sweeping attacks.

Naginata – Lustrous Pearl

Postured Combo Ender knocks down enemies, giving you the advantage to control the flow of battle and follow up with powerful attacks.

How to Achieve: Assassinate the Clifftop Yamabushi as part of the "Yamabushi Imposters" side quest.

Naginata – Ornate Bone Naginata

Restore 8% Health on hitting poisoned enemies, allowing you to sustain yourself in prolonged battles against toxic foes.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Naginata – Celestial Blade

Blocking automatically parries incoming regular attacks, allowing for seamless counterattacks with perfect timing.

How to Achieve: Defeat Yuki No Kata in a Duel as part of the "Nobutsuna's Students" side quest.

Naginata – Cerulean Nexus

Increased Impact on Shoulder Tackle, allowing you to knock back enemies with greater force and disrupt their positions.

How to Achieve: Reach rank 4 of the Legacy Shadows Project.

Naginata – Sage's Reach

Stack +10% damage on the next hit with each block, rewarding precise defense with devastating offense.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Naginata during the "Showdown in Sakamoto" main story mission.

Nagianta – Shade of Blight

+100% of an Adrenaline Chunk on Affliction trigger, granting you rapid adrenaline recovery for more powerful abilities.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Messenger as part of the "Kurai Eikyou" side quest.

Naginata – Time-Honored Crescent

First strike makes enemies Vulnerable every eight seconds, allowing you to exploit their weaknesses in quick succession.

How to Find: Found inside the Kashiwabara Fortress legendary chest (Ibu Highlands, Omi).

Naginata – Vengeful Foe

+35% Bleed Buildup on successful Parry, enabling you to deal persistent damage to enemies after a perfect counter.

How to Achieve: Complete the "The Tournament" side quest.

Kanabo

A massive club studded with metal, the kanabo is perfect for breaking through enemy armor. While slow, it delivers devastating blows that stagger enemies.

Kanabo – Boulder Fall

Attacks cannot be interrupted, allowing you to deliver unstoppable strikes even in the heat of battle.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Katsuragi Agent as part of the "Kurai Eikyou" side quest.

Kanabo – Daybreak's Fury

Breaking Armor spreads shrapnel, dealing 100% damage and enhancing your attacks with explosive force.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Ox during the "Broken Horn" main story mission.

Kanabo – Eikyo Kanabo

Next Posture attack is charged instantly after blocking an attack, allowing for rapid retaliation and punishing foes.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Kanabo – Kaen Kanabo

Adrenaline Chunk per enemy alerted by a Brutal Assassination, fueling your abilities with each alert and enhancing your combat potential.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Kanabo – Phantom Fist

Charge Posture attacks faster, allowing you to quickly unleash devastating blows after each defensive stance.

How to Achieve: Defeat Hozoin In'ei in a Duel as part of the "Nobutsuna's Students" side quest.

Kanabo – Rage of Red Mist

+100% of an Adrenaline Chunk after Armor Break, ensuring you gain adrenaline quickly for more powerful abilities.

How to Find: Found inside a legendary chest southwest of Grave of Buried Hopes (Genbu Highlands, Yamashiro).

Kanabo – Woe's Fog

+20% Daze Buildup after a block, allowing you to disorient enemies and set them up for a follow-up strike.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Silver Trader as part of the "Silver Smugglers" side quest.

Bow

A large, powerful longbow that allows Yasuke to take down enemies from a distance. Though slower to use than melee weapons, it provides a stealthy ranged option.

Bow – A Thousand Cuts

Shots to legs knock enemies down, giving you control over the battlefield and creating openings for follow-up attacks.

How to Achieve: Assassinate Akumu as part of the "Winter Raiders" side quest.

Bow – Blood Rain

100% chance to loot arrows from dead bodies, ensuring you never run out of ammunition during intense combat.

How to Achieve: Defeat Nagano Saemon in a Duel as part of the "Nobutsuna's Students" side quest.

Bow – Blush of the Earth

Extend Clear Mind duration by 5 seconds, allowing you to maintain focus and gain the upper hand in longer encounters.

How to Find: Found inside the Makino Kurumazuka Kofun legendary chest (Obama, Wakasa).

Bow – Dragon's Wrath

Instantly charge arrows, enabling you to unleash powerful shots without delay.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Tsutsui Agent as part of the "Kurai Eikyou" side quest.

Eikyo Bow

+25% damage to the next shot after a successful hit, rewarding precision and encouraging skilled follow-up shots.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Bow – Funeral Pyre

Retreating Shot pushes enemies back, giving you the ability to create distance while maintaining offensive pressure.

How to Find: Found inside the Inariyama Garrison legendary chest (Mount Kasagata, Harima).

Bow – Last Breath

Special Ammo instantly triggers its affliction on a Headshot, making precise shots even more devastating.

How to Achieve: Complete the "Requiem for Rokkaku" main story mission.

Teppo Rifle

A musket-like firearm that delivers high-impact shots capable of penetrating armor. However, its slow reload time makes it best used as a secondary weapon.

Teppo – Cascading Fear

Kill enemies below 25% Health on Headshots, ensuring swift and efficient takedowns with precise aim.

How to Find: Found inside a legendary chest near Namikiri Fudosan Shrine (Genbu Highlands, Yamashiro).

Teppo – Dark Burst

Shoot multiple bullets in a single shot, allowing you to hit multiple enemies or deliver a powerful burst of damage.

How to Achieve: Defeat Asari Nobutane in a Duel as part of the "Nobutsuna's Students" side quest.

Teppo – Death's Bloom

Drastically reduce reload time, allowing for rapid follow-up shots and maintaining continuous pressure in combat.

How to Find: Found inside the Takagi Kofun legendary chest (Kanki Burned Fields, Harima).

Teppo – Hatou Teppo

50% chance that bullets are not consumed, giving you a chance to save ammo and extend your offensive capabilities.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Teppo – Patient Harbinger

Chamber two bullets instead of one, allowing for increased firepower and more shots before reloading.

How to Find: Found inside a legendary chest near Kamikoga's Ippon Sugi shrine (Ado River Valley, Omi).

Teppo – Repeating Fate

+5% damage per meter of distance, rewarding you for engaging enemies from afar with increased damage.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Akiyama Agent as part of the "Kurai Eikyou" side quest.

Teppo – Wave of Wasps

+4% Critical Chance with Abilities, boosting your ability to land critical hits while using special moves.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Teppo Expert as part of the "Genzaburo's Soldiers" side quest.

Naoe’s Weapons

Naoe is a highly skilled shinobi, excelling in agility, stealth, and precision-based combat. Unlike Yasuke’s brute-force approach, Naoe relies on speed and calculated strikes to eliminate enemies before they even realize she’s there. Her quick reflexes and mastery of assassination techniques make her the deadliest shadow on the battlefield, capable of dispatching foes in an instant and disappearing just as quickly.

Best Weapon Choice:

• Shinobi’s Fury Tanto
• Kusarigama

This selection maximizes Naoe’s strengths as an assassin. The Shinobi’s Fury Tanto is a top-tier weapon with high posture damage and an exceptional double weak-point attack, making it perfect for quick eliminations. It’s also available early in the game, allowing Naoe to maintain an advantage in assassination missions. Meanwhile, the Kusarigama adds versatility, giving her a mix of mid-range control and devastating close-quarters strikes. With these weapons, Naoe can execute flawless stealth kills and dominate in fast-paced combat scenarios.

Katana

Naoe’s katana is her primary melee weapon, featuring an inverted grip that allows for defensive parries and fluid attack sequences.

Katana – Carved Bone Katana

Gain +100% Critical Chance after not attacking for 5 seconds, rewarding patience and strategic timing in your attacks.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Katana – Bloodshade

Affliction Buildup is not lost over time, allowing you to maintain pressure on enemies for longer durations.

How to Find: Found in a Legendary Chest on a ship off the coast of Osaka (Osaka, Izumi Settsu).

Katana – Dragon's Edge

Unleash energy to create an area of effect on hit with Dodge Attacks, striking multiple enemies at once.

How to Achieve: Assassinate the Two-Faced during the "Topple the Traitor" main story mission.

Katana – Cerulean Arc

Gain +100% of an Adrenaline Chunk on ration use, but no health is regained, trading sustenance for power.

How to Achieve: Reach rank 18 of the Awakening Shadows Project.

Eikyo Katana

Significantly extend the Perfect Deflect window, making precise counters easier to execute.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Katana – Eye of the Dragon

Deliver +35% increased damage when facing a single enemy, making duels and one-on-one encounters more lethal.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Katana – Masked Death

Maintain a fully charged Posture attack after a Dodge, allowing for seamless counterattacks.

How to Find: Found in a legendary chest in Shimagahara Valley (Otogi Pass, Iga).

Katana – Snakebite

Swiftly instantly charge Posture attacks after using a Tool, allowing for quick and powerful strikes.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Fox during the "The Performer" main story mission.

Katana – Steel Blossom

Gracefully instantly charge Posture attacks after a Vault, enabling fluid and aggressive combat maneuvers.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Fool during the "Lost Honor" main story mission.

Katana – Violent Night

Relentlessly trigger Poison on Deflect, turning enemy attacks against them with deadly precision.

How to Achieve: Assassinate Yuki Onna as part of the "The Yokai" side quest.

Katana – Yami no Kage

Effortlessly deal 100% damage to the attacker on Deflect, punishing their aggression with precise counters.

How to Find: Found inside the Hiraiyama Fort legendary chest (The Warfields, Harima).

Kusarigama

A sickle attached to a chain with a heavy metal weight on the other end, the kusarigama is versatile, enabling close-range slashes and wide-reaching heavy attacks.

Kusarigama – Death Whisperer

Dramatically increase damage by +200% on enemy collisions, making each strike with your chain weapon even more devastating.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Wounded during the "Heads Will Roll" main story mission.

Kusarigama – Bloodletter

Trigger Bleed on Entanglement, causing continuous damage to enemies caught in your chains.

How to Find: Found inside the Kashiwara Fort legendary chest (Hijiyama, Iga).

Kusarigama – Deathbloom

Increase Impact on Alternate Attacks, allowing you to deal more damage with your versatile chain weapon moves.

How to Find: Found inside a legendary chest to the north of Sarumaru Shrine (Little Leaf Glade, Yamashiro).

Kusarigama – Eikyo Kusarigama

Unlock the ability to press R1 or R2 after a Dodge to trigger a Quick Strike, seamlessly transitioning from defense to offense.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Kusarigama – Featherstorm

Instantly charge Posture attacks when hitting multiple enemies, allowing for rapid and devastating follow-up strikes.

How to Find: Found inside a legendary chest in Kashiwabara Fortress (Ibu Highlands, Omi).

Kusarigama – Kaen Kusurigama

Significantly +135% damage when surrounded by 2 or more enemies, turning your chain weapon into a devastating force in tight situations.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Kusarigama – Ocean's Grip

Increase +60% damage on enemies over 3 meters away, giving you enhanced long-range capabilities with your chain weapon.

How to Achieve: Assassinate Lopo Cruz as part of the "The Pirate Alliance" side quest.

Kusarigama – Stone Heart

Spread Poison Affliction Buildup with Combo Ender, allowing you to weaken multiple enemies simultaneously with your finishing moves.

How to Find: Found inside the Veiled Tumulus legendary chest (Obama, Wakasa).

Kusarigama – Winds of War

Posture attacks on Dazed enemies break armor, enabling you to shatter defenses and deal decisive damage.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Wise during the "Darkness Falls" main story mission.

Tanto

Naoe wields a tanto alongside her hidden blade, making for lightning-fast attacks and assassination-focused gameplay. This combination allows her to chain deadly combos and perform mid-combat executions.

All weapons in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows can be upgraded, customized, and mastered to suit different combat scenarios, whether in open battles or stealth assassinations.

Tanto – Artist's Tear

Increase +6% damage with consecutive hits, rewarding precise and continuous strikes.

How to Find: Found inside the Takagi Otsuka Fort legendary chest (Kanki Burned Fields, Harima).

Tanto – Cerulean Flux

Instantly charge Posture Attacks after using Abilities, allowing for rapid follow-ups after special moves.

How to Achieve: Reach rank 4 of the Awakening Shadows Project.

Tanto – Hatou Tanto

Deploy a Smoke Bomb after landing a Weakpoint Attack, giving you an opportunity to vanish and reset.

How to Obtain: Purchase from the Store for 450 Helix Credits.

Tanto – Igan Sunset

Slow down time on Escape Strike, giving you an edge to maneuver and react in tight situations.

How to Find: Found inside a legendary chest in Tozuku's Lair (Katano Foothills, Izumi Settsu).

Tanto – Call of the Void

Deal +30% damage to enemies marked with a Tag, amplifying your damage against targeted foes.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Godai of Void as part of the "The Godai Shinobi" side quest.

Tanto – Masamune's Thorn

Remove +2 Health Segments with a Double Assassinate, allowing you to recover more health while executing quick eliminations.

How to Find: Found inside the Nochiseyama Castle legendary chest.

Tanto – Scarlet Fate

Gain increased Impact with all attacks, making every strike more powerful and effective.

How to Find: Found inside the Chasuriyama legendary chest (Chasuriyama, Tamba).

Tanto – Scarlet Fate

Enhance Impact with all attacks, boosting the force and effectiveness of your strikes.

How to Find: Found inside the Chasuriyama legendary chest (Chasuriyama, Tamba).

Tanto – Shinobi's Fury

Weakpoint attacks make enemies Vulnerable a second time, opening them up for even more devastating follow-up strikes.

How to Achieve: Assassinate The Golden Teppo during the "Defensive Position" main story mission.

Tanto – Warrior's Garden

Shadow Piercer now removes 2 Health Segments on impact, increasing its lethality with each strike.

How to Achieve: Assassinate Masatoshi Nakahara as part of the "The Betrayers" side quest.

Tanto – Yukimitsu's Revenge

Enemies afflicted with status effects become Vulnerable, allowing you to capitalize on their weakness.

How to Find: Found inside the Ancient Tomb of Nanjo legendary chest (Eagle's Nest, Yamashiro).

Assassin’s Creed Shadows How to Get Weapon Guide

Screenshot credit: Game8

All weapons in Assassin’s Creed are obtained in various ways, but no excessively difficult methods are required – overall, just play the game!

AC: Shadows allow players to switch between Yasuke’s powerful melee weapons and Naoe’s stealthy assassin tools, creating a varied combat experience.

You'll get some at the beginning, but running around with one katana the whole game won't work. Weapons in Assassin’s Creed Shadows can be acquired in various ways:

1. Story Progression. Many weapons unlock naturally as you progress through the main story.
2. Merchants. Shops across the game world offer weapons and upgrades for purchase.
3. Enemy Drops. Defeating high-ranking enemies can yield rare weapons.
4. Side Quests. Some of the strongest weapons are rewards for completing optional content.
5. Exploration. Hidden locations contain unique weapons waiting to be discovered.

Each character’s weapons in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, are crafted to enhance their unique fighting styles, with Yasuke specializing in raw power and Naoe focusing on precise strikes! By mastering the weapons of each character, players can adapt their approach, choosing between Yasuke’s forceful combat or Naoe’s stealthy, calculated attacks.