10 Best Swords in Destiny 2

Human Made

Kody is our expert Destiny 2 and shooter genre writer. He lives in Oregon.

Swords in Destiny 2 have become the go-to power weapons in PvE and the Crucible. Ever since Season of the Worthy, they’ve continuously been retooled and adjusted with new stats, perks, and damage buffs. With Beyond Light’s release, Bungie appeared to go all-in on sword design, unveiling some incredible new weapons that quickly took over the game’s meta.

Are these new swords a cut above the rest? Let’s find out by looking at the best swords in Destiny 2.

10 Best Destiny 2 Swords

A few things up front — there aren’t that many swords in Destiny 2, and most of them were sunsetted going into 2021. Your choice between what’s left is crucial since not every sword (looking at you, Worldline Zero) holds up in a fight.

So, for this list, we tried to stick to currently available swords when possible. Due to the limited number of swords in the game, the second half includes mostly sunsetted weapons.

Without further ado, here are our top ten sword choices in Destiny 2.

1. The Lament

The Destiny 2 best sword overall

Why is it one of the best? This chainsaw sword is one of the most powerful Exotics in the history of Destiny. It’s an anti-barrier sword that allows you to rev it up by blocking a handful of attacks followed by two to three light attacks of your own. This lets you unleash a devastating heavy attack that can eviscerate powerful enemies, Guardians and potentially take out a quarter of a boss’s health bar.

It requires you to get up close to use, but with Tireless Blade and Revved Corruption, you can continuously heal yourself while diminishing ammo consumption. And on top of all that, the quest to get it is one of the most in-depth and fun Exotic missions in recent memory.

What’s it good for? PvE, Gambit, and Crucible. You just need to learn how to block effectively.

How do I get it? Complete the Lost Lament Exotic Quest.

2. Falling Guillotine

The Destiny 2 best Legendary sword

Why is it one of the best? Falling Guillotine served as the legendary precursor to The Lament. It may be the strongest legendary power weapon in the game and is perfect for crowd control or walloping boss’s in PVE events. This is due to the Vortex Frame, which allows you to unleash a continuous heavy spin attack that bypasses shields and knocks back enemies.

Augment this further with Tireless or Whirlwind Blade, and try to roll an option that includes Surrounded to achieve the highest damage output possible.

What’s it good for? PvE and Gambit thanks to the heavy spin attack.

How do I get it? Acquire it as random rolls from Umbral Engrams or by completing difficult world encounters.

3. Temptation’s Hook

The Destiny 2 best sword for PvP

Why is it one of the best? This is the PvP-oriented twin of Falling Guillotine. Both weapons became popular simultaneously but play incredibly differently, with Temptation’s Hook pushing you to work from a distance. The Caster Frame functions like Vortex Frame but allows you to unleash a Void-tinged projectile at enemies that can bypass shields.

It includes the same excellent perk pool of Guillotine, meaning that Surrounded, Whirlwind Blade, and Tireless Blade are up for grabs.

What’s it good for? PvP and Gambit thanks to the long-range elemental heavy attack and quick movement speed.

How do I get it? Acquire it as random rolls from Umbral Engrams or by completing difficult world encounters.

4. Black Talon

The Destiny 2 best Exotic sword

Why is it one of the best? If you like to play defensively, Black Talon is your best option. The guard stat on this sword is unreal, and it includes the same elemental long-range slash of Temptation’s Hook. It comes equipped with Tireless Blade and Tempered Edge to help match the damage output and ammo consumption of other top options on this list.

This sword’s real value is unlocked once you acquire the Catalyst, which allows you to store blocked energy and turn it into enhanced damage. The only drawback is that it consumes an Exotic slot, and Temptation’s Hook does much of the same but with options for rerolls.

What’s it good for? PvP and Gambit thanks to the guard and projectile capabilities.

How do I get it? Acquire it as a random Exotic Engram drop or by purchasing from Xur when available.

5. Honor’s Edge

The Destiny 2 best sword for uppercuts

Why is it one of the best? This Adaptive Frame sword allows you to bypass shields with a swift uppercut. With the Flash Counter perk, you can actually disorient enemies for a short time. Pair this with Energy Transfer to build up class abilities upon successful guards, effectively turning this weapon into a Bloodborne-esque parry machine. This doesn’t make it especially useful for Crucible but does make you a valuable defensive player in every other game type.

What’s it good for? PvE and Gambit due to the disorienting abilities.

How do I get it? Acquire it as a random Legendary Engram drop.

6. Bequest

The Destiny 2 best sword for PvE

Why is it one of the best? In another world, Bequest would be the best. It has incredible base stats and high damage output but lacks some of the core benefits from our top three choices. However, it has a diverse perk pool to roll from and may be the best option for speed-based swordplay, especially with Assassin’s Blade.

Bequest is unfortunately stuck in the middle right now, but hopefully, we’ll see an updated version in the near future.

What’s it good for? PvE and Gambit, purely based on the high damage output.

How do I get it? Acquire it by completing encounters in the Deep Stone Crypt Raid.

7. Negative Space

The Destiny 2 best generalist sword

Why is it one of the best? At one point, Negative Space was the go-to sword option. It served as the archetype for every sword moving forward due to the generalized base stats and perk pool. It includes the likes of Tireless and Whirlwind Blade but lacks any true specialization that makes the top options so useful.

Right now, it still works as a close-range weapon that can complement your Kinetic and Energy weapon builds. Just know that you’ll have to sacrifice some of the more common abilities found in other swords if you do.

What’s it good for? PvE, Gambit, and Crucible as a complimentary generalist weapon.

How do I get it? Acquire it as a random world drop.

8. Goldtusk

The Destiny 2 best sunsetted sword

Why is it one of the best? Goldtusk was one of Bungie’s first attempts at developing class-specific weapons. Available only for Hunters, it may be the only option out there that players can run as their primary weapon, thanks to how extensive your ammo capacity can be. Besides that, the base stats are reasonable, and it includes some of the better perks available to swords.

What’s it good for? Goldtusk was one of Bungie’s first attempts at developing class-specific weapons. Available only for Hunters, it may be the only option out there that players can run as their primary weapon, thanks to how extensive your ammo capacity can be. Besides that, the base stats are reasonable, and it includes some of the better perks available to swords.

How do I get it? Currently sunsetted.

9. Night Terror

The Destiny 2 best farmable sword

Why is it one of the best? Originally farmable through the Lecturn of Enchantment, Night Terror isn’t really anything special at first glance. The stats are a bit mediocre, and the perk pool is somewhat shallow, but the Adaptive Frame helped make bypassing shields a regular thing. At the time, it was worth continuously acquiring to push for specific perks and stats, but right now, it may be somewhat outclassed if you’re lacking Tireless and Whirlwind Blade.

What’s it good for? PvE thanks to the easy farming options (before sunsetting).

How do I get it? Currently sunsetted.

10. Throne-Cleaver

The Destiny 2 best offensive sword

Why is it one of the best? This sword feels like it was built with Titan abilities in mind. It’s slow but powerful. The Aggressive Frame allows you to execute an AOE slam attack that can be powered up if you have full super energy available. Keep in mind that it’s a classic Destiny 2 weapon, meaning that the perk pool is really limited, and the base stats are focused on one core attribute.

It’s a high-damage option that can put you at risk when up close. But it’s still fun to use in-game modes that disregard your level cap.

What’s it good for? PvE and Gambit for taking down Major enemies and boss health.

How do I get it? Currently sunsetted.

Best Mods for Swords in Destiny 2

Your choice of sword mod entirely depends on what you’re playing and the type of perks available. Accuracy and speed aren’t really a concern, but the overall damage output is. To keep things simple, these are the sword mods we recommend working with.

Surrounded Spec: Increase the damage of the Surrounded perk. Maintains bonus damage once enemies disperse.
Boss Spec: Increase damage against bosses and vehicles.
Rampage Spec: Increase the duration of Rampage.
Backup Mag: Increase magazine size

You Have My Sword

Once a kiss of death for Guardians, the best swords in Destiny 2 have slowly evolved into unique and powerful weapons that allow you to dominate in close quarters combat.

Be sure to let your Fireteam know which swords they should be using by sharing this article on your favorite social channels. For the latest Destiny 2 coverage, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the know.

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