As has been discussed, Bloodborne takes a fairly extreme quality over quantity approach when it comes to weaponry. There are just 26 weapons in all of Bloodborne. As a point of reference, Dark Souls 2 has 41 boss fights while the rest of the Soulsborne franchise is likely to give the player more than 26 weapon choices before they’re an hour into the game.

Because there are few weapons in this game, those that do exist have been designed and placed very deliberately. Figuring out which armament is best while you’re going through your first playthrough can be difficult. Today’s list aims to identify five weapons which are ideal for a first timer.

To clarify, this is not a top five weapons in the game list. That is coming soon. This list will factor in how early and easily a player can access a weapon, how stingy or loose the stat requirements are and, if applicable, the skill curve needed to wield it. Let’s begin.

5. Blade of Mercy

This is definitely the hardest weapon of the list for a newer player to acquire. If you want to get this thing and early as can be, you will have to kill Eileen the Crow, who can be a daunting foe for newer players. Thankfully, for those not looking to square up with the Hunter of Hunters, she can actually be cheesed pretty easily, making Blade of Mercy accessible to even the greenest of players.

One other hurdle players will need to climb is this weapon’s staggering 60,000 Blood Echo cost, which will prove very demanding to meet at the beginning of the game. Once the two prerequisites are in the rearview mirror, though, you’ve got not just a fantastic early game weapon, but one of the better weapons, period, in the entire game. Spoiler alert, look forward to seeing mention of this one when a top 5 weapons list comes out.

4. Threaded Cane

For me personally, this is my starter weapon of choice regardless of the build I’m about to be running. This is one of the three starter weapons players have access to right at the start of the game, and they will automatically have the stats to wield it, making it a night and day journey to acquire compared to the Blade of Mercy.

Unfortunately, I have it set as the lowest ranked of the three starter weapons. The reason isn’t so much that this weapon is objectively inferior as much as it is this list assuming a fairly newer, average, casual player is behind the wheel. The Threaded Cane has the lowest base damage and scaling of the three and the least stagger potential. It takes a clever player to get the most out of this one. If you were looking for a weapon which you swing and swing to just watch a number get bigger and bigger, this is the least preferred of your three options.

3. Saw Cleaver

An iconic classic, this is the weapon seen on the front cover of the very game itself. It takes the middle ground approach between the Threaded Cane and Hunter’s Axe. Early game though, the Saw Cleaver does pull ahead of the three because there are a lot of beast enemies and bosses for the player to deal with early. This weapon has a serrated edge, so it deals slightly more damage to beasts than it does kin or other humans. That’s what makes it ideal early, though expect a very slight drop off in the later game if you choose to take it that far. This is the weapon of choice on World Record speed-runs though, so it clearly doesn’t fall off too badly at all.

2. Ludwig’s Holy Blade

If you’ve come to Bloodborne having enjoyed a Dark Souls game or Elden Ring, if you really liked the Greatsword or some other colossal in those games, the Ludwig’s Holy Blade is for you. This one does require a very small bit of legwork, as it’s only available once the Blood-Starved Beast has been slain. That is a very early game encounter though, as the player could make Blood-Starved Beast just the second boss of their playthrough, using Ludwig’s Holy Blade the rest of the way.

Apart from being the part of a fan favorite greatsword, this weapon is strangely flexible. It has significant scaling in Strength, Skill and even Arcane. As such, even if you don’t know exactly what type of build you’ll be wanting, Ludwig’s Holy Blade is a very safe, productive choice for an early game melee weapon.

Honorable Mentions-

Kirkhammer – The reason this doesn’t make the list is that it is entirely outclassed in every meaningful way by the Ludwig’s Holy Blade. Sadly, this isn’t Elden Ring, there are no Crystallians here, so there is not an instance where having a Strike weapon is particularly advantageous. Even still, the Kirkhammer is as solid as they come, and many of the things said about Ludwig’s Holy Blade can also be said here. The Kirkhammer is a worthy armament to be certain.

Rifle Spear – A bit like the Ludwig’s Holy Blade, this one isn’t immediately available, though it can be had even faster than Ludwig’s can be if the player would like. In return, they get a weapon which is in a similar situation to the Threaded Cane. The Rifle Spear does not have the best raw numbers, but it is wielded in unique ways a clever player will enjoy.

Saw Spear – This is a curious weapon, one with potential, but one which is hard to justify the work needed to get it, even if the work is very minimal. The Saw Spear does have hair-splitting advantages over the Saw Cleaver, but it ultimately doesn’t distance itself enough to be a particular highlight. It is still available right at the start of the game, and many of the things said about the Saw Cleaver do apply here.

1. Hunter’s Axe

This is for certain the simplest, most consistent and most broadly effective early game weapon. It has the highest base damage and scaling of the three starters, it does not get picky and choosy with its preferred prey like the Saw Cleaver can at times, and it has an extremely strong moveset. It has the elements of simplicity seen in the Ludwig’s Holy Blade while being available a bit earlier than it is, thus giving it the nod for topping off today’s list.