Summary
Hadesis one of themost exciting roguelikes to come outin the past couple of years, featuring memorable characters and a variety of items and upgrades to spice up each playthrough. One of the most important aspects ofHadesis the selection of weapons that Zagreus can equip, each one giving him a different playstyle.
While each weapon has its benefits and advantages, some weapons are clearly better than others. For most ofHades, players will want to diversify their choices in weapons, but if they’re trying to break a record or get past that tricky boss, they may want to rely on a weapon that is sure to do well. Here’s a quick ranking of all the weapons available in the game.
Updated July 28, 2025 by Blaise Santi: Hades 2 has only recently debuted in Early Access, but it’ll be a while before it comes to consoles like its predecessor. For now, console gamers will still have lots of time to make it through the Underworld unscathed as Zagreus, wielding one of six weapon types.
However, some players may find themselves attached to certain weapons without really considering what the others have to offer beyond their standard attacks. Take a look at the tables below for in-depth info on what each weapon offers in terms of its Aspects and Upgrades, and maybe give something you haven’t tried yet in Hades a fair shot.
Strike, Combo, Dash-Strike, Nova Smash, Hallowed Ground (Aspect of Arthur)
Aspects
Zagreus (Attack/Move Speed), Nemesis (Bonus Critical Chance), Poseidon (Cast Damage), Arthur (Aura Damage Reduction)
Upgrades
Breaching Slash, Cruel Thrust, Cursed Slash, Dash Nova, Double Edge, Double Nova, Flurry Slash, Hoarding Slash, Piercing Wave, Shadow Slash, Super Nova, World Splitter, Greater Consecration
Stygius is the first weapon that Zagreus is able to use: a basic longsword with a balanced moveset. It is well-rounded, sporting both decent damage and speed. However, it also does not shine particularly brightly in either department, making it rather middle-of-the-road. Stygius’s biggest weakness is thatit lacks range, forcing Zagreus to engage with enemies in close combat. While the Piercing Wave upgrade can remedy this, the player can’t count on being able to get that particular upgrade in every playthrough.
Stygius’s upgrades overall are underwhelming, and so are its aspects. The Aspect of Poseidon, for example, is only really good for cast-based builds. And while Excalibur’s Hallowed Ground can save the player from a tough pinch, it doesn’t do much to increase Stygius’s damage potentialdespite being a Hidden Aspect. While Stygius is a decent weapon to use, all of the weapons that Zagreus obtains later simply outclass it in many aspects.
Unlock all other weapons, pay 8 Chthonic Keys
Attacks
Fire, Dash Attack, Reload, Bombard, Beam Attack (Aspect of Lucifer), Hellfire (Aspect of Lucifer)
Zagreus (Bonus Max Ammo), Eris (Bonus Damage), Hestia (Empowered Shot Damage), Lucifer (Hellfire Blast Damage)
Flurry Fire, Ricochet Fire, Spread Fire, Explosive Fire, Delta Chamber, Piercing Fire, Triple Bomb, Rocket Bomb, Targeting System, Hazard Bomb, Cluster Bomb, Seeking Fire, Concentrated Beam, Flash Fire, Triple Beam, Eternal Chamber, Greater Inferno
Exagryph is the last weapon that Zagreus can unlock, and it’s an extremely unique one. It’s essentially a rifle that rapidly fires bullets, and can also launch a bomb that deals damage in an area. It can do a lot of damage quickly, but it is hampered by the fact thatit needs to be reloaded rather frequently. While the Delta Chamber upgrade can remove this reload requirement, it is again not something the player can count on consistently attaining.
Exagryph’s biggest problem is that it can berather slow on the damage-dealing side. While Exagryph’s aspects can provide a variety of interesting bonuses, none of them really resolve this main problem. The Aspect of Eris does boost Exagryph’s damage a fair amount, but not to the level of other weapons. However, Exagryph is verygood at clearing large groups of enemies, especially with its special attack. Several upgrades alsoboost the special’s ability to deal spread damage.
Pay 3 Chthonic Keys
Bash, Bull Rush, Throw, Dash-Strike, Heavy Bash (Aspect of Beowulf), Heavy Throw (Aspect of Beowulf), Dragon Rush (Aspect of Beowulf)
Zagreus (Attack Damage), Chaos (Bonus Shields), Zeus (Blitz Disc), Beowulf (Dragon Rush)
Dread Flight, Sudden Rush, Pulverizing Blow, Dashing Wallop, Explosive Return, Minotaur Rush, Breaching Rush, Charged Shot, Charged Flight, Empowering Flight, Dashing Flight, Ferocious Guard, Unyielding Defense
Aegis holds theunique ability to block attacks, allowing Zagreus to reduce the damage done to him. Additionally, it possessesquick melee attacks and a ranged attack to deal with faraway enemies. While throwing the shield will cause Zagreus to lose his ability to attack for a while, this can be circumvented byequipping the Aspect of Zeus, which allows Zagreus to attack even after throwing his shield.
The Aspect of Zeus is especially powerful, since the thrown shield creates a Blitz Disc that moves very slowly, creating great potential for dealing tremendous damage over time.Combine this with powerful boons like Doom-granting effects(particularly the Merciful End boon, which allows Deflect effects to immediately trigger Doom), and Aegis can become an extremely potent weapon. Without these, Aegis’s damage potential is not very high, but it can be a wonder with the right boon choices.
Pay 4 Chthonic Keys
Strike, Combo, Dash Attack, Spin Attack, Throw, Serpent Slash (Aspect of Guan Yu), Crackling Skewer (Aspect of Guan Yu)
Zagreus (Special Damage & Speed), Achilles (Post-Rush Bonus Damage), Hades (Punishing Bonus Damage), Guan Yu (Life Total & Life Gain
Extending Jab, Chain Skewer, Breaching Skewer, Vicious Skewer, Exploding Launcher, Massive Spin, Quick Spin, Flurry Jab, Charged Skewer, Serrated Point, Flaring Spin, Triple Jab, Winged Serpent
Varatha is one of thefastest weapons in the game. Its special is a powerful ranged attack, and its spin attack gives it a strong area attack to deal with multiple mobs. Add to that its naturally long range and its powerful dash strike, and a strong case can be made for calling Varatha one of the best weapons in Hades.
Unfortunately, Varatha does have several that hamper its usefulness. One of them is itslack of useful aspects.Many of them are gimmicky,such as the Frost Fair Blade, which cuts Zagreus’s life in exchange for a draining spin attack. Another weakness is that Varatha’s spin attack requires a charge to reach its full potential, making it less useful compared to other area attacks, such as Stygius’s Nova Smash. Still, these weaknesses are minor compared to Varatha’s many strengths.
Fire, Dash Attack, Volley Fire, Power Shot
Zagreus (Critical Attack Chance), Chiron (Max Shots), Hera (Ammo Drop Time), Rama (Shared Suffering Damage)
Twin Shot, Sniper Shot, Explosive Shot, Flurry Shot, Piercing Volley, Perfect Shot, Relentless Volley, Triple Shot, Charged Volley, Chain Shot, Point-Blank Shot, Concentrated Volley, Repulse Shot
Coronacht is likely one of the first weapons Zagreus will unlock, and it provides an extremely different playstyle from Stygius. It is Zagreus’s first ranged weapon, and it is rather simple. Zagreus can hold the attack to shoot farther away and use its special to release a volley of arrows in a wide area. It is a decent ranged weapon, but it israther slow and not very good at dealing damage fast.
However, the Aspect of Chiron changes things considerably.Zag’sAttack will turn all arrows fired by the Special into homing arrows, turning a wide-ranged special attack into a devastating shotgun.Add a boon effect like Doom or Hangoveror an upgrade like Relentless Volley or Concentrated Volley, and Coronacht can cause life bars to melt like butter. Even without the Aspect of Chiron, players can still simulate a similar effect by releasing the volley at point-blank range, causing all arrows to hit the same foe.
Unlock the first four weapons, pay 8 Chthonic Keys
Pummel, Rising Cuitter, Dash-Strike, Dash-Upper, Swipe (Aspect of Gilgamesh)
Zagreus (Dodge Chance), Talos (Magnetic Attack & Cast Bonus), Demeter (Bonus Special), Gilgamesh (Maim Damage)
Breaching Cross, Rolling Knuckle, Long Knuckle, Draining Cutter, Concentrated Knuckle, Explosive Upper, Flying Cutter, Rush Kick, Quake Cutter, Kinetic Launcher, Heavy Knuckle, Colossus Knuckle, Rending Claws
The Twin Fists of Malphon can appear quite unassuming. Their range is rather short, even when compared to Stygius. However, it is thefastest weapon in the game, able to deal a flurry of blows before the enemy can react. The Twin Fists have incredible aspects as well,especially when powered up by Titan Blood. Zagreus’s personal aspect gives him innate dodge; the Aspect of Talos allows its special to draw enemies in and debuff them at the same time; and the Claws of Enkidu provides aspecial that makes foes take an extra burst of damage,similar to Doom’s effect.
The Twin Fists really shine when combined withthe Merciful End Duo boon. With the right setup, Malphon can stack Doom effects with regular effects and trigger immediately with a Special, creating a deadly combination that can cause huge amounts of damage even to bosses. While Merciful End can be used with any weapon to decent effect, it reaches its maximum potential when used with Malphon. The Twin Fists are the best weapon for anyone wanting to deal huge amounts of damage quickly.
