[Top 10] Dead Cells Best Melee Weapons

Updated:

05 Jan 2024

10. Broadsword

In Dead Cells there are two kinds of melee weapons, ones that attack quickly and scale with Brutality, but deal less damage per swing and have a shorter range, or Survival-scaling weapons that swing slowly but deal a lot of damage to everything in its path! The Broadsword falls under the latter option, essentially being a giant hunk of metal that cleaves through everything but doesn’t leave a clean cut. No gimmicks, no frills, sometimes all you need is a really big sword!

Why the Broadsword is great

The second and third hits in the Broadsword’s three hit combo are always critical, but with how much power is in each strike you probably won’t need more than two swings!
Dead Cells takes some inspiration from Dark Souls, and the Broadsword is a weapon that feels like it was ripped straight out of a FromSoftware game
It might be slow, but with how many ways you get to freeze, stun, slow down, or just go around your enemies you’ll have ample opportunity to create an opening

How to get the Broadsword

Found outside the door to the Promenade of the Condemned after completing the tutorial

9. Cursed Sword

Chances are if you have this blueprint you probably haven’t unlocked it yet, or even put any cells into it, but let me make the case for the Cursed Sword. Sure, you might die in one hit while you’re using this thing, but so will anything else this dangerous blade comes in contact with! Curses are risky, but always come with rewards that are worth it, so you better believe that an item that leaves you cursed indefinitely will have something that makes it worth your while!

Why the Cursed Sword is great

In exchange for cursing you, the Cursed Sword deals critical hits on each swing, attacking quickly and dealing massive damage with every hit for some of the best DPS in the game
There are ways to stop the curse from killing you. The Ice Armor protects you from a single hit with each use, and the Diverse Deck’s 4th card, Foresight, protects you from one hit after killing eight enemies
With the Damned aspect you’ll take and deal double damage instead of dying to a single hit, which makes the Cursed Sword completely overpowered

Where to find the Cursed Sword

Drops after beating Conjunctivitis for the third time

8. Rhythm n’ Bouzouki

Many strategies in Dead Cells feel like they have a rhythm to them, but with the Rhythm n’ Bouzouki that’s taken a bit more literally. The Rhythm n’ Bouzouki is a survival scaling melee weapon that deals critical hits if you attack when the weapon glows, and deals damage in a massive radius if you stay in time for 3 hits. It might take some practice, but if you can hit every note on the Rhythm n’ Bouzouki nothing can even get close to you!

Why the Rhythm n’ Bouzouki is Great

One of the most unique items in the game, potentially very powerful but relies on your timing to make use of it
Your third hit in the combo repeats if you keep playing the rhythm and has some of the best range out of any melee weapon, attacking in a wide radius around the player
The Rhythm n’ Bouzouki’s wide attack radius makes it great for dealing with large groups of enemies, and having a crit condition that depends on the player’s skill means you can reliably damage bosses as well

How to get the Rhythm n’ Bouzouki

Drops from Giant Ticks in the Morass of the Banished

7. Pure Nail

There’s a handful of items in Dead Cells that were borrowed from other games, one of which is the Pure Nail from Hollow Knight. The weapon itself works almost identical to its counterpart in the original game, being able to attack quickly in any direction, bounce off enemies, and attack while you’re moving. This makes the Pure Nail a very responsive weapon and gives you an incredible range of motion and freedom to move however you like

Why the Pure Nail is great

Deals a critical hit when attacking upwards or downwards, but since that depends on your input it’s basically a crit on demand
The Pure Nail’s attacks have a short attack animation and low cooldown, making it a great option to use with an off hand weapon
You can pogo off of enemies by jumping over them and landing a downward hit, and you can use this to damage bosses while staying out of their range

Where to find the Pure Nail

Found in a lore room in the Prisoner’s Quarters

6. Meat Skewer

The Meat Skewer is a strange weapon, but a powerful one. Its first attack dashes past enemies, and follows it up with some quick attacks that deal crits from behind, leaving your targets on their toes as they lose track of what direction you’re coming from. At first it might feel weird, but once you get the hang of its quirks it’s a lot of fun to use and surprisingly viable!

Why the Meat Skewer is great

Just like when you roll, you’re briefly invincible while you dash through enemies, meaning you can use the Meat Skewer to dodge and attack at the same time!
The Meat Skewer’s very fast attack speed and ability to dash behind your opponents ends up confusing a lot of your enemies, they won’t know where you are or where you’re coming from!
You can dash through almost everything, with only a handful of enemies you can’t get behind, and depending on your route you might not even run into them

Where to find the Meat Skewer

Unlocked after completing 10 daily challenges

5. Flint

Previously I explained the difference between Brutality and Survival scaling melee weapons, but what if an item is both? You’d have the Flint, a split Brutality and Survival scaling melee weapon that can either attack quickly or charge up an attack for a more powerful strike, sending out a flaming trail similar to the one used by Sweepers and The Concierge. With the Flint in your arsenal, you can take one of the most frustrating attacks in the game and use it against your enemies!

Why the Flint is great

The Charged attack is powerful and the flaming trail is good for clearing out groups of mobs, but the uncharged attack has a fast animation and low cooldown, making the Flint a very versatile weapon
Your flaming trail can ignite oil, but won’t thaw out frozen enemies, making it great for synergies
If you have the Tentacle, you can use that to close the gap between enemies while you’re charging

Where to find the Flint

Drops after beating The Concierge for the first time

4. Gold Digger

The Gold Digger is a Survival scaling melee weapon that’s better when you’re rich. Seriously, when you have more than 12000 gold, the Gold Digger evolves into a better weapon that deals critical damage with each hit! That might sound like a lot, but if you save your gold you can easily get that much before you reach your first boss, and besides, the Gold Digger also gives you 10 gold with each hit to help you get there faster. With the Gold Digger, you’ll be a triflin’ fiend indeed

Why the Gold Digger is great

Works better on higher difficulties. On normal difficulty you won’t get that 12000 gold until late into your run, but if you’re playing with Boss Cells you can easily get that much within your first two biomes
After evolving, every hit counts as critical, so you can use it with Instinct of the Master of Arms to recharge your skills very quickly
The 10 gold you get with each hit works with Porcupack, so you can use it to trigger Dagger of Profit crits

Where to find the Gold Digger

Drops from Gold Gorgers in The Bank

3. Valmont’s Whip

Dead Cells has never been shy about it’s Castlevania influence, hell it has an entire DLC called “Return to Castlevania”, but this tribute in particular is one of the earliest and best nods to the classic series! Valmont’s Whip is a tactics/brutality scaling melee weapon that can’t be blocked by shields or enemies, and deals a critical hit when you hit an enemy with the very end of the whip. With these effects you can pierce through every single target and deal guaranteed crits if you position yourself right, making Valmont’s Whip a very powerful all-rounder!

Why Valmont’s Whip is great

It ignores shields, meaning you can safely attack enemies who use them like Shieldbearers or Thornies
If you position yourself right, you can make every hit a critical hit. I recommend using an item that can freeze or stun enemies alongside the whip to make the most out of this
Valmont’s Whip is one of the few melee weapons that scale with Brutality and Tactics, giving you more options for the kind of build you want with it

Where to find Valmont’s Whip

Drops from Disgusting Worms in the Toxic Sewers

2. Panchaku

Initially introduced in The Bad Seed DLC’s animated trailer but only added to the game in the 3.0 update, the Panchaku is a recent addition to Dead Cells that’s already become iconic. I mean, just look at it, it’s a pair of frying pan nunchucks, that’s awesome! It’s similar to another item, the Vorpan, with both weapons dealing crits when you face your target, but where the Panchaku differs is its speed. It’s fast, really fast, and when the combo gets going you turn into a whirlwind of critical hits!

Why the Panchaku is great

Most melee weapons have a 3 hit combo, but the Panchaku has a whopping 10 hit combo! At first it swings incredibly quickly, but at the end it deals slower, more powerful strikes
In the middle of its combo the Panchaku can deflect projectiles. Not exactly a reliable way to parry, but if you’re already swinging you don’t have to worry about incoming spam
I’d be lying if I said this weapon’s fun factor isn’t part of why it’s so high. Powerful as it is, I just like hearing that crit sound clip over itself while watching The Beheaded dance

Where to find the Panchaku

Hidden in a lore room in the Prisoner’s Quarters

1. Hattori’s Katana

You know the anime trope where a swordsman sheathes his blade and 2 seconds later it cuts whatever he was up against right in two? That’s basically what Hattori’s Katana does. It’s one of the few items in the game with two separate movesets, you can either tap the attack button to quickly swing the katana, or you can hold it down to dash past your enemies and deal a critical hit to every single one! Either of these moves are good enough on their own to justify a spot on this list, but they come together to make a weapon that’s very smooth and responsive, but also powerful and versatile. Hattori’s Katana excels in every possible metric you can judge a melee weapon by, earning it the title of Best Melee Weapon in Dead Cells!

Why Hattori’s Katana is great

The hitboxes for this weapon are very generous, with the standard attack it’s hard to notice but your range is slightly longer than what it looks like, and with the dash attack you have a wide enough vertical range to hit mobs on the ceiling while you’re on the ground
Even if you have to hold it down, it doesn’t take long to charge up a dash. You can use this powerful move just as quickly as the standard hits
There are a few advanced techniques you can use with the dash attack. You can cancel the dash with a roll to have it ready immediately, or pair it with the Grappling Hook or Assault Shield to add an extra hit

Where to find Hattori’s Katana