Assassin's Creed Shadows: All Legendary Weapons and Where to Find Them

Location: A reward for killing The Onryo member, The Fool

Perks:

• Increased Adrenaline Gain
• Instantly charge Posture attacks after a Vault

Steel Blossom's Perk isn't as useful as you might initially think. Enemies are left vulnerable after Naoe vaults over them, and immediately hitting them with a posture attack breaks their vulnerable state. You're usually better off hitting a couple of light attacks before performing a finisher, for the sake of maximum damage.

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Location: Inside a Legendary Treasure Chest at Shimagahara Valley (Iga - Otogi Pass)

Perks:

• Increased Adrenaline Gain
• Posture attack remains charged after Dodge

Being able to dodge without cancelling your posture attack charge makes Masked Death a go-to Katana for fights against bulkier opponents, where you rarely have time to fully charge your deadliest strikes.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest at Hiraiyama Fort (Harima - The Warfields)

Perks:

• Increased Adrenaline Gain
• Deal 100% damage to the attacker on Deflect

It's hard to beat Yami no Kage when it comes to damage output. Being able to throw chunks of damage back at your opponent on a successful deflect can almost feel like cheating against lesser enemies, and even elite foes will crumble as long as your timing is down.

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Location: Inside a Legendary Treasure Chest on the unnamed ship fortress off the coast of Osaka (Izumi Settsu - Osaka)

Perks:

• Causes Bleed Buildup
• Affliction Buildup is not lost over time

You can get a lot of extra damage out of Bleed Buildup — especially against elite enemies — and so Bloodshade's unique perk makes it a solid choice of Katana. The fact that the buildup doesn't deteriorate over time can be a big deal in battles with tankier foes, too.

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Location: A reward for defeating The Onryo member, The Fox

Perks:

• Increased Adrenaline Gain
• Instantly charge Posture attacks after using a Tool

This perk takes a little practice to realise its potential, but it's undoubtedly effective. Naoe's tools — the kunai and shuriken in particular — can be effective secondary weapons in direct combat, staggering midrange foes and dealing extra damage where needed. Making wise use of these tools, alongside this weapon, lets you dish out instant charge attacks to maximise your damage output.

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Location: A reward for killing The Onryo member, Wada Koretake (main story)

Perks

• Increased Critical Damage
• + 200% damage on enemy collisions

Death Whisperer is capable of huge damage output under the right circumstances, but actually using the Kusarigama's chain grapple can be tricky. Plus, its unique perk only matters if you're fighting more than one enemy. Situational.

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Location: Inside a Legendary Treasure Chest (a different chest from the locked castle chest) at Kashiwabara Fortress (Omi - Ibu Highlands)

Perks:

• Increased Critical Damage
• Instantly charge Posture attacks when hitting multiple enemies

Featherstorm's perk is great for fighting against groups of enemies, but that also means it's a situational weapon. Ideally, Naoe's penchant for stealth means that you should rarely be seeking fights against multiple opponents.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest at Kashiwara Fort (Iga - Nabari Wilds)

Perks:

• Causes Bleed Buildup
• Trigger Bleed on Entanglement

Bloodletter is a solid Kusarigama that can deal chunks of additional damage through bleeding. The entanglement itself can be tricky to get right — especially if you're having to keep an eye on multiple foes — but against singular opponents, it's a great way to rack up the pain.

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Location: Inside a Legendary Treasure Chest at Sarumaru Shrine (Yamashiro - Little Leaf Glade)

Perks:

• Increased Critical Damage
• Increase Impact on Alternate Attacks

Deathbloom is a decent Kusarigama, packing more of a punch every time you swap between attacking with the sickle and the chain. More impact means more stagger as enemies get close, and that's valuable for a weapon type that already has great crowd control and long reach.

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Location: A reward for defeating The Onryo member, The Wise

Perks:

• Causes Daze Buildup
  
• Posture attacks on Dazed enemies breaks armor

Winds of War's perk never truly gets a chance to shine because of how the game's combat is balanced. Even as Naoe, armor becomes easy to break with just regular charged attacks and counters, so getting a guaranteed break after triggering daze on an opponent won't matter more often than not. There are far better Kusarigamas out there.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest in the Veiled Tumulus (Wakasa - Mount Uchinakao)

Perks:

• Causes Poison Buildup
• Spread Poison Affliction Buildup with Combo Ender

Poison is probably the best status affliction in the game because it forces the enemy to stop everything they're doing and puke. Stone Heart, then, is a solid option for fighting groups. However, combo-ending attacks aren't always easy to pull off unless you've got the time to do so, and you'll need to hit at least a couple of them in order to spread the poison effectively.

And as always, any perk that focuses on multiple enemies won't benefit you in one-on-one duels.

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Location: In a Legendary Chest, found at Tozuku's Lair (Izumi Settsu - Katano Foothills)

Perks:

• Increased Vulnerable Damage
• Slow down time on Escape Strike

Escape Strike is a useful technique that's great for quickly putting distance between you and your enemy, and Igan Sunset's perk makes it even better. The time dilation isn't particularly impressive in itself and only lasts a couple of seconds, but that can be enough to better position Naoe for her next attack.

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Location: A reward for killing The Onryo member, The Golden Teppo

Perks:

• Increased Vulnerable Damage
• Weakpoint attacks make enemies Vulnerable a second time

Shinobi's Fury is amazing for dealing big chunks of damage to a foe in quick succession. What's more, a second round of vulnerability will often be enough to finish off lesser enemies. This perk synergises really well with the Tanto's natural strengths, making it a great choice.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest in the Ancient Tomb of Nanjo (Yamashiro - Eagle's Nest)

Perks:

• Causes Poison Buildup
• Afflicted enemies are Vulnerable

A perfect choice for poisonous players, Yukimitsu's Revenge is a deadly Tanto. Poison is arguably the best status effect in the game, rendering your enemy completely helpless (for a limited amount of time) once it sets in. Making that same enemy vulnerable for the extra damage is a killer — although you will have to keep your attacks up in order to trigger the poison to begin with.

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Location: A reward for killing The Godai Shinobi member The Godai of Void (located in Omi - Goshiki Outlands)

Perks:

• Increased Vulnerable Damage
• +30% damage on Tagged enemies

A flat 30% increase to damage is huge, and all you have to do is tag the enemy before you fight them. Call of the Void does require a bit of planning to use properly, then — tagging enemies in stealth before engaging in combat — but again, that damage increase is chunky.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest at Takagi Otsuka Fort (Harima - Kanki Burned Fields)

Perks:

• Increased Vulnerable Damage
• +6% damage with consecutive hits

We're not totally sure how Artist's Tear's additional damage is calculated, but it can make a noticeable difference against tougher enemies. That said, you do need to keep up the pressure in order to reap the rewards, and that can be easier said than done against foes who refuse to stagger. Slightly situational, but the damage increase can be clear to see.

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Location: inside the Legendary Treasure Chest in Chasuriyama Kofun (Tamba - Chasuriyama)

Perks:

• Causes Bleed Buildup
• Increased Impact with all attacks

Since Tantos are small, quick weapons that rarely send enemies reeling, Scarlet Fate's perk gives the blade a noticeable kick. It won't suddenly be knocking your foes to the ground, but it locks enemies in place better than its peers — and that can be a big help in a heated fight.

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Location: Inside a Legendary Treasure Chest at the Kuji-kiri in Yamashiro - Eagle's Nest

Perks:

• Increased Adrenaline Gain
• Successful parries push nearby enemies back

Turquoise Zephyr's unique perk is quite useful when you're surrounded, as enemies within range will be knocked backwards (but not down) whenever you pull off a successful parry, giving you some welcome breathing room. However, this perk obviously isn't any help if you're dueling an opponent one-on-one.

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Location: A reward for discovering the identity of The Onryo member, The Mourner

Perks:

• Increased Adrenaline Gain
• Combo Enders are Postured and make enemies vulnerable

Myth Slayer is a strong Long Katana in the right hands. While combo-ending attacks can be difficult to actually perform depending on the type of enemy you're facing (foes who excel at parries, for example, will never let you get more than a couple of strikes in), this unique perk can still have a devastating impact. Fantastic for an aggressive style of play.

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Location: A reward for defeating all of the Kurai Eikyou and returning to the quest giver (the weapon can then be found via another map marker)

Perks:

• Increased Adrenaline Gain
• Riposte makes enemies Vulnerable

Whisper of Muramasa is a lethal Long Katana in the right hands. Yasuke's Riposte ability isn't always easy to pull off depending on the opponent, but this weapon makes the technique extremely powerful, forcing your foe into a vulnerable state on top of dealing heavy damage. An outstanding weapon for any players who have mastered the Riposte.

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Location: A reward for killing The Onryo member, The Naginata (main story)

Perks:

• Increased Critical Damage
• Stack +10% damage on next hit with each block

Getting the most out of this weapon requires a defensive playstyle where you're blocking rather than parrying. While you can rack up some really impressive damage bonuses with Sage's Reach, you're often better off just using parries and retaliating that way — especially against lesser foes.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest at Kashiwabara Fortress (Omi - Ibu Highlands)

Perks:

• Increased Critical Damage
• First strike makes enemies Vulnerable every 8 seconds

Time-Honored Crescent has a lot of potential, particularly in longer fights. Being able to force a foe into a vulnerable state every eight seconds can have a sizeable impact on your overall control of the battle — and this is especially true of fighting an opponent one-on-one.

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Location: A reward in the Animus Project, The Legacy (Level 4)

Perks:

• Increased Critical Damage
• Increased Impact on Shoulder Tackle

Yasuke needs a bit of room to break into a full sprint, and so his shoulder tackle isn't always a viable option. That said, the tackle can really send enemies flying with this perk, often knocking them straight to the ground where they're left defenceless — so it becomes a great way to open combat. Not a bad weapon, all told, but perhaps a bit situational.

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Location: A reward for completing the side quest The Tournament in Yamato - Yoshino

Perks:

• Causes Bleed Buildup
• +35% Bleed Buildup on successful Parry

Vengeful Foe is a powerful Naginata that's an absolute Bleed Buildup monster if you're skilled at parrying. A huge 35% chunk of the bleeding status on every parry is crazy in conjunction with the buildup that's already accumulated from normal attacks.

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Location: A reward for defeating the Kurai Eikyo member, The Messenger (this organisation is unlocked through the main story) in Yamato - Nara Heartland

Perks:

• Causes Poison Buildup
• +100% of an Adrenaline Chunk on Affliction trigger

Shade of Blight's perk is actually somewhat exploitable with effective usage of Yasuke's Naginata abilities. Abilities that hit an enemy multiple times, like Onslaught, can do enough damage to trigger poison, which basically means that you can restore the Adrenaline Chunk you just spent — like an infinite combo. This strategy may not always work out depending on the opponent, but it still makes for a strong weapon.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest at Kajimiya Cemetery (Omi - Mount Hiei)

Perks:

• Increased Vulnerable Damage
• Instantly charge Posture attacks by alternating attack types

Venom Pillar is a brutal weapon when used correctly. Given the Kanabo's already guard-breaking power, this perk lets you steamroll almost any type of opponent, and partially negates the weapon's slow attack speed. The only catch is that you'll have to get used to the timing of switching between, and charging, light and heavy blows in order to trigger the instant posture attacks.

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Location: A reward for defeating The Onryo member, The Ox

Perks:

• Increased Vulnerable Damage
• Breaking Armor spreads shrapnel dealing 100% damage

This perk sounds cool, but it's ultimately very situational. Not all enemies wear armor, and the shrapnel effect only matters if you're fighting against multiple opponents. The damage can wreck groups of enemies if you make sure to target armored foes first, though.

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Location: A reward for defeating the Kurai Eikyou member, The Katsuragi Agent (found in Yamato - Katsuragi)

Perks:

• Increased Vulnerable Damage
• Attacks cannot be interrupted

The Kanabo is already a devastating type of weapon, and so being able to swing without ever being interrupted makes it... well, even more devastating. This stops pesky foes from breaking your momentum — an important factor in using a Kanabo effectively — letting you tear through whole groups of enemies with the correct positioning. The only problem is keeping an eye on your health — you'll still take damage, and if Yasuke isn't reacting to incoming blows, you might not even notice your health bar melting away.

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Location: A reward for defeating The Silver Trader (found in Wakasa - Mount Uchinakao)

Perks:

• Causes Daze Buildup
• +20% Daze Buildup after a Block

It's hard not to feel as though this perk would be more worthwhile if it was triggered on parries, but it's still decent. +20% buildup is chunky, and as long as you're fighting an enemy that doesn't spam unblockable moves, you should be dazing them all day long.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest in Makino Kurumazuka Kofun (Izumi Settsu - Yawata Plains)

Perks:

• Extend Clear Mind duration by 5 seconds

Clear Mind is already a seriously strong ability for Bow users, and increasing its duration by five whole seconds lets you deal a lot of extra damage — especially if you're a headshot wizard.

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Location: Inside a Legendary Treasure Chest in Azuchi Hyotanyama Kofun (Omi - Suzuka Foothills)

Perks:

• Charged arrows automatically become Posture Shots

Heartspiller is a powerful Bow because of its perk, letting you stagger enemies with ease as long as you're charging your shots (and getting them on target). Great for holding off two or three foes at a time.

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Location: A reward for progressing through the main story, after killing The Onryo member, The Naginata

Perks:

• Special Ammo instantly triggers its affliction on a Headshot

Last Breath can be a shockingly effective Bow if you're scoring headshots and you've got enough special ammo to go around. Being able to instantly activate bleeding or poison makes for a very strong perk, and you might even end up saving ammo since you're not having to hit the same enemy with multiple arrows.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest at Inariyama Garrison (Harima - Mount Kasagata)

Perks:

• Retreating Shot pushes enemies back

Not a terrible perk, but its usefulness really hinges on your style of play. Most players will find that drawing a melee weapon as enemies close in is almost always the safer bet, instead of trying to squeeze out a bit more distance. Still, this perk lets you back off with ease — especially if you're up against more than one opponent.

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Location: A reward for defeating the Kurai Eikyou member, The Tsutsui Agent (found in Yamato - Koriyama)

Perks:

• Instantly charge arrows

Dragon's Breath is a straightforward but very strong Bow. Instead of having to hold down the trigger to charge your arrows, the effect is instant because of this weapon's perk. Charged shots do more damage and are better at staggering enemies. A fine choice for any Bow user.

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest in Takagi Kofun (Harima - Kanki Burned Fields)

Perks:

• Drastically reduce reload time

Death's Bloom takes next to no time to reload — at least in comparison with other Teppos — and so it's an easy recommendation for anyone with a penchant for long range combat. It's hard to go back to another Teppo's standard reload speed after taking this weapon for a spin.

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Location: Inside a Legendary Treasure Chest at a small shrine called Kamikoga's Ippon Sugi (Omi - Ado River Valley)

Perks:

• Chamber two bullets instead of one

Patient Harbinger's perk effectively removes one of the Teppo's main weaknesses. Being able to fire two shots without reloading means you can probably take out two enemies as long as you're scoring headshots. A really good choice for Teppo enthusiasts.

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Location: A reward for defeating the Kurai Eikyou member, The Akiyama Agent (found in Yamato - Uda Matsuyama)

Perks:

• +5% damage per meter of distance

Repeating Fate is a great Teppo for opening a fight, since you'll ideally want to be at a good distance to get the maximum damage output on your first shot. Obviously, this weapon's perk is borderline negated when you're up close to your foes — but then why would you be using a Teppo in that situation anyway?

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Location: Inside the Legendary Treasure Chest at Genbao Fort (Wakasa - Mount Uchinakao)

Perks:

• Supress firing noise

Yasuke isn't your stealthy character — that goes without saying — but this perk makes Teppo-based stealth a surprisingly viable style of play. With your shots making way less noise (it's not completely silent, it should be noted), you can sneak your way through enemy territory, scoring one-hit kill headshots as you go thanks to the Teppo's impressive damage output.

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Location: Inside a Legendary Treasure Chest at a Viewpoint in Wakasa - Lake Suigetsu

Perks:

• Bullets ricochet to nearby enemies

Hero's Message is a difficult weapon to judge because the perk seems inconsistent. Sometimes, when you shoot at an enemy in a group, you'll see the bullet ricochet around and do some really nice additional damage. It can be devastating against lesser foes.

However, as alluded, the ricochet doesn't always trigger, and we don't know whether this is some kind of bug, or whether there's a hidden calculation that we don't quite understand.

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