Masamune (weapon)



The Masamune, also known as Masmune, is a weapon that has appeared in numerous titles in the Final Fantasy series. It is usually one of the most powerful katanas or swords and is often found late in the game.

Final Fantasy


The Masamune is the strongest sword in the game's original version, and along with the Ultima Weapon, it can be used by all classes. It is found on the air floor of the Chaos Shrine. It provides 56 Attack, 50 Accuracy and 40 Critical.

Final Fantasy II
The Masamune is the most powerful sword in the game.

It can be found in a treasure chest in a secret room in Pandaemonium, or as the top prize of the minigame available while on board the Snowcraft. It provides 150 Attack, 90% Accuracy and 4% Evade, and when used as an item, will cast Haste XI. It is located on the fifth floor of Pandemonium in a hidden room on the right wall of the most upper right room.

Final Fantasy III
Also called "The Mystic Weapon", the Masamune can be found in Eureka, wherein it is the strongest regular Dark-elemental sword. Kunoichi must be defeated in order to obtain it. It provides 132 Attack and +10 Agility.

Final Fantasy IV


The Masamune is Edge's ultimate weapon, acquired by defeating the Ogopogo in the Lunar Subterrane. It has a sister sword named the Murasame. However, in the Game Boy Advance port, stronger swords can be obtained. In the non-3D versions, it provides 65 Attack and 49 Accuracy, while in the 3D version, it provides 60 Attack, 120 Accuracy, +1 Strength and +3 Speed. In all versions, when used as an item, it casts the Haste spell. This weapon is metallic.

On the Easy Type version, it was renamed to Magic Sword Masamune.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
The Masamune is Edge's second strongest katana, with the Mutsunokami only slightly surpassing it. It possesses 65 battle power, boosts Speed by 3, and casts Haste when used as an item. It is dropped from Ahriman in the Depths of the True Moon.

Final Fantasy V


The Masamune is one of the legendary Sealed Weapons acquired in the Sealed Castle. It is the sealed katana, and its user always goes first in battle. It provides 107 Attack and 15% chance for Critical Hits. Only Samurai and Freelancers can equip this weapon.

Final Fantasy VI


The Masamune was renamed the Aura until the Advance version's release. Although it is used by Cyan Garamonde, it is not his ultimate weapon, and several Masamunes can be obtained. It is automatically equipped on him after defeating Wrexsoul in Cyan's Soul. It can be stolen from Yojimbo and won from the Dragon's Neck Coliseum by betting the Murasame. It has an attack power of 162, and enables the Bushido and Runic commands. In the Advance port, the Esper Gilgamesh uses the Masamune as one of his attacks.

Final Fantasy VII
The Masamune is Sephiroth's signature weapon: an oversized Japanese Nodachi. Said to be the only one able to effectively use it, Sephiroth wields the Masamune across all of his appearances throughout the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy IX
The Masamune is a thief sword equipped by Zidane. However, it is not his ultimate weapon. It is synthesized in the Black Mage Village after returning from Terra for 16,000 gil, a Zorlin Shape and an Orichalcon.

The Masamune appears as two katana connected at the hilt. It provides 62 Attack, teaches the ability Sacrifice, and inflicts Doom when used with the Soul Blade skill, making it a useful weapon when battling Yans.

Final Fantasy X
The Masamune is Auron's Celestial Weapon found at Mushroom Rock Road, requiring the Celestial Mirror to obtain. Unlike other versions, it resembles a western sword more than a Japanese blade.

It requires Mars Crest and Mars Sigil upgrade. Fully upgraded, the Masamune has the abilities Break Damage Limit, Triple Overdrive, First Strike and Counterattack. Upgrading the Masamune with the Mars Crest allows Yojimbo to break the damage limit.

Like all Celestial Weapons, Masamune ignores target's Defense. The Masamune is unique in dealing more damage the lower Auron's HP is. This makes it the only Celestial Weapon that can exceed 100% damage.

The damage formula is:
 * (130 - [100 * Auron's current HP ÷ Auron's Max HP]) ÷ 60

Early concept artwork shows an unnamed, unused NPC wielding an unused early version of the Masamune. This character resembles Paine from Final Fantasy X-2.

Final Fantasy X-2
Auron's Masamune is wielded by Rikku when she is wearing the Dark Knight dressphere.

Final Fantasy XI
Available to players since June 2010 as one of the Abyssea expansion's Empyrean Weapons, the Masamune is the Great Katana class Empyrean Weapon, and therefore only used by Samurai. As with other Empyrean Weapons, the Masamune can now be upgraded to its elevated Level 99 (Afterglow) version, far more powerful than the base weapon. The creation of Empyrean weapons utilizes the Magian system of weapon upgrade, requiring players to amass dozens of rare drop items from powerful Notorious Monsters in the Abyssea zones and utilizing the Voidwatch battle system.

Masamune is particularly revered by the playerbase for its colossal base damage, its large Strength modifier, and its devastating Weapon Skill "Tachi: Fudo", which furthermore causes the weapon to become temporarily even stronger. Additionally, weapons upgraded to their Afterglow form become capable of imbuing allies with this specific ability, temporarily increasing the strength of their weapons as well.

There is also a rather less powerful Ninja-only katana, the Hochomasamune.

Final Fantasy XII
The Masamune is the ultimate katana acquired by completing the Gilgamesh Hunt. It requires the Masamune license for 155 LP to eqiup. The Masamune is also available for purchase in the bazaar, where it is known as the "Master-Crafted Blade". It can be bought for 350,000 gil after selling Gemsteel x2, Orichalcum x3 and Mallet x2.

While its Attack power of 93 is less than those of Zodiac Spear and Tournesol, the Masamune can be a devastating weapon when equipped with Genji Gloves due to the Masamune holding a high combo rate of 40%, which the Genji Gloves enhance to 70%. All katana have 2.39s charge, and 1.2s action time, making them average when it comes to attacking speed.

In the International Zodiac Job System version, the Masamune is found in the Lhusu Mines in the area where Gilgamesh is encountered for the second time; it is possible to acquire it while still fighting him. It is not available in the bazaar. The Masamune can only be equipped to the Mononofu job class, and its license costs 130 LP. It has a slightly stronger version called Masamune I (マサムネ I) that is identical to the Masamune in appearance but is a 1H sword instead of a katana. The Masamune I will be available for purchase in the bazaar by selling the Gemsteel x2, Orichalcum x3, and Mallet x2.

The Masamune has a 40% combo rate, which is an allusion to the weapon in the original Final Fantasy, which had the critical rate of 40%. The Masamune from the first Final Fantasy weapon only has the critical rate due to the Critical Hit bug, which appears to have been deliberately preserved in all later remakes of the original Final Fantasy. By assigning the stat to the Final Fantasy XII weapon, the "bug" is perpetuated further.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Masamune is Gilgamesh's special attack, dealing heavy melee-type damage to one foe.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Masamune is mentioned in the Brain Blast quiz in Academia 400 AF, which mentions that Masamune is known as the world's best weaponsmith that designs and creates the finest swords known to man.

Gilgamesh wields a Masamune in downloadable battle, dealing heavy damage with it. In the Final Fantasy XIII-2 Ultimania Omega it is revealed that Gilgamesh found it from a poisoned river in Doma, referencing Final Fantasy VI.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Masamune is a long sword that boosts strength and provides the Hard Hitter ability that increases the rate of interrupting enemies with attacks at the cost of lowering the speed of the ATB gauge.

Final Fantasy XV
The Masamune has started appearing in promotional material as a downloadable pre-order bonus for those who purchase the game from the official website before its September 30, 2016 release. Said materials offer sparse information regarding the weapon's capabilities: "The legendary sword Masamune is back, specially redesigned for FINAL FANTASY XV. Add it to your arsenal and cut your enemies down to size."

Final Fantasy Tactics
The Masamune has an attack power of 18 and a weapon defense of 15%. The katana's Iaido ability is called Ethereal Embrace, granting the Regen and Haste statuses. The Masamune cannot be bought.

The Masamune is wielded by one of the game's antagonists, Marquis Messam Elmdore, and must be stolen from him. It may also be Thrown by high-level enemy Ninjas, meaning the player can catch it with the Sticky Fingers ability equipped.

In the remake, Elmdore has the Safeguard ability, preventing his equipment from being stolen, but the sword can still be stolen from a Samurai working for Celebrant Bremondt Freitberg, and is still thrown by high-level Ninjas. It can also be obtained via Rendezvous.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
The Masamune is a standard weapon wielded by Ninjas and Assassins. It teaches Oblivion to both classes, and provides +65 Attack. It can be bought at Muscadet for 25,000 gil, as a Clan Level-Up Reward, or stolen during the missions "Materite Now!" and "Free Muscadet!".

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
The Masamune is a weapon wielded by Ninjas, Parivirs, Assassins, Chocobo Knights and the Heritor. It can be obtained by selling a Moon Ring, Clear Sap, and Spider Silk at the bazaar. It teaches Oblivion to Ninjas and Assassins.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
The Masamune is an artifact that boosts its possessor's Strength by 5, making it one of the most powerful Strength-boosting artifacts. It can be obtained by defeating the Iron Giant at Mount Kilanda, cycle 3 or later.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
The Masamune is one of the strongest weapons for Clavats along with it's twin sword, the Murasame. It raises the players ATK by 160. The scroll used to make this is called Foreign Weapon.

The Final Fantasy Legend
The weapon Masmune has a sword icon before its name. It can be found on the outside of the Tower, guarded by Su-Zaku2. It has 50 uses, and the damage formula for Masmune is base on Strength.

Final Fantasy Legend III
The weapon is called Masmune in the game and it has a mystic sword icon before its name. It is one of the four Mystic Swords. It can be found in the Crevasse, though it is a simple sword with a curse and goes by the name Muramas. The curse is removed and renamed by Masa the weapon artist on board the Talon. It grants +100 Attack, the second strongest Mystic Sword in the game and +170 to Cyborg HP. Like the other Mystic Swords, it deals Mystic-elemental damage against bosses and does not cause physical damage, a common late-game resistance.

Final Fantasy Legends: Toki no Suishō
While not appearing formally in the game, the Masamune is wielded by the Onion Ninja in his artwork.

Dissidia Final Fantasy
The Masamune as seen in Final Fantasy VII is Sephiroth's weapon of choice. The Masamune also appears as an equippable weapon exclusive to him. The Masamune gives 64 ATK, increases all damage by 10%, and can be equipped at Level 95.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
The Masamune is once again featured as the weapon Sephiroth wields in battle. Vaan wields the Final Fantasy XII version of the blade in his EX Mode. It is also one of the eight weapons Gilgamesh uses randomly when attacking, and Gilgamesh's version borrows its appearance from Sephiroth's Masamune, albeit with a slightly shorter blade, possibly as a reference to Gilgamesh's Final Fantasy XII appearance, where he used fake versions of weapons from previous games. When he uses it, it produces more EX Force than usual.

As an equippable weapon, the Masamune remains as an exclusive weapon for Sephiroth, being now a level 90 weapon with a 63 ATK Bonus, a 34 BRV bonus, and a 1 DEF penalty, and now it only increases all damage by 7%.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call
Sephiroth wields the Final Fantasy VII version of the Masamune in his character model.

Final Fantasy All the Bravest
Masamune grants +10 to Attack. It can be equipped by Samurai, Ninja, and Auron.

Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring
Sephiroth can wield the Masamune during battle.

Kingdom Hearts series
In ' and ', two, the and the , are modeled after Sephiroth and Auron's respective versions of the Masamune.

The One-Winged Angel is won by defeating Sephiroth in the at  ( version only), and the Guardian Soul is won by defeating Hades in the Underworld after freeing Auron from his control. Sephiroth also wields his original Masamune when fought as a boss.

Etymology
Masamune Masamune Масамунэ Masamune