Season of the Worthy brought many changes to Destiny 2, one of the largest being an overhaul to Swords. Their stats have been reworked, perks have been rebalanced, and their overall power has been increased.

Related: Destiny 2: The Best Rocket Launchers

Thanks to these changes, Swords are one of the most frequently used Heavy weapons in the game for PvE. While some players avoid this archetype due to boss stomps, many tend to avoid Swords since their perk pool is so different. Once you get used to their playstyle, Swords are some of the best weapons in the game, and everyone should have a few good ones. Here are the ten best Swords everyone needs in Destiny 2.

Updated June 23rd, 2022, by Charles Burgar: Season of the Haunted introduced the Heartshadow Sword to the game, a powerful Exotic weapon that has some clear synergies with Void subclasses. We've updated this list to include the Heartshadow Exotic Sword, discussing the advantages of having a weapon that can debuff targets and make you invisible.

10/10 Sola's Scar

How to obtain: Trials of Osiris matches and Engrams.

Sola's Scar is an objectively better version of Temptation's Hook. It uses the same Caster Frame as that Sword, releasing a Solar projectile with its heavy attack. If you pair this Sword with the Wrath of Rasputin mod, it can generate Warmind Cells.

This Sword can roll with some fantastic perks, the most notable being Chain Reaction. Any enemy that dies to your Sword, light or heavy attack, will explode after a short delay. A single heavy attack can clear out a wave of enemies if Chain Reaction is on, making it absurdly good in both PvE and PvP. Sola's Scar can also roll traditional perks like Vorpal Weapon and Assassin's Blade for those that prefer a straight damage increase. If you're good enough to win Trials of Osiris matches, this Sword is definitely worth chasing.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Tireless Blade, Relentless Strikes
  • Column Two: Vorpal Weapon, Chain Reaction, Assassin's Blade

9/10 Quickfang

How to obtain: Legendary world Engrams and focused Umbral Engrams.

As the only non-sunset Lightweight Frame Sword in Destiny 2, Quickfang fulfills a unique role. While equipped, you move and sprint faster than normal, and this Sword's heavy attack is a mobile lunge attack. Since it's a class sword, only Hunters can use it.

Quickfang can roll with some excellent perks. This is the only Sword that can roll with One for All, giving it a massive damage buff if you can hit three unique targets. Assassin's Blade is also still present if you want to use Quickfang to move quickly. The first column also supports perks like Thresh and Energy Transfer.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Relentless Strikes, Thresh
  • Column Two: One for All, Assassin's Blade, En Garde

8/10 Bequest

How to obtain: Deep Stone Crypt raid (Taniks encounter).

Despite Bequest's rather lackluster Adaptive Frame, this Sword is easily one of the best Swords you can use currently. Obtained from the Deep Stone Crypt raid, Bequest has an excellent perk pool and the highest Impact rating out of every Adaptive Sword, meaning it outputs more damage than any other Adaptive Sword.

Related: Destiny 2: Every Adept Trials Of Osiris Weapon, Ranked

Tireless Blade and Surrounded give this weapon a great amount of damage per strike, exceeding what Falling Guillotine is capable of. If you want to use your Sword to kill majors, consider a roll with Assassin's Blade. Bequest is a fantastic choice for all playstyles, and it's quite easy to farm once you get a raid team together.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Tireless Blade, Relentless Strikes
  • Column Two: Surrounded, Assassin's Blade

7/10 Razor's Edge

How to obtain: Iron Banner matches and Engrams.

Falling Guillotine has officially been outclassed. Razor's Edge is the same frame as Falling Guillotine but with far better perks. Wellspring and Chain Reaction is a fantastic perk combination that makes this Sword fantastic at killing hordes of red bars, majors, all while granting ability energy. You can go for a more traditional roll of Tireless Blade and One for All as well. If you're planning to farm Iron Banner anytime soon, keep an eye out for this Sword.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Tireless Blade, Wellspring
  • Column Two: Chain Reaction, One for All, Assassin's Blade

6/10 Heartshadow

How to obtain: Duality dungeon (final encounter).

Heartshadow is a Sword tailored towards Void builds, specifically Nightstalkers. This blade has a heavy attack that unleashes a series of Void projectiles, dealing moderate damage when they make contact with an enemy. Damaging a target with the orb inflicts a 15% Weaken. Heavy attack kills make you invisible.

This weapon creates an interesting gameplay loop of using a heavy attack, light attacking five times, then heavy attacking again. The damage is about on par with most Legendary Swords, yet the utility of this weapon cannot be overstated. Being able to go invisible after a kill is extremely powerful for solo Lost Sector and dungeon runs, and the debuff you inflict can be useful in Master or GM content. Lament and Black Talon are arguably better if you're willing to use your Exotic slot on a Sword, but Heartshadow is a fantastic pick if you're making a Void build.

5/10 Hero Of Ages

How to obtain: Grasp of Avarice dungeon

Inspired by Myth, Hero of Ages is a medieval Sword that's been infused with some serious space magic. This Vortex Frame is the only of its kind, capable of rolling with Demolitionist and Chain Reaction simultaneously. The Sword kills and Chain Reaction explosions will both give grenade energy, perfect for certain builds.

If add-clear Swords aren't your style, Hero of Ages can also roll with Relentless Strikes and One for All to assist with taking down majors and bosses. It won't beat Lament or Black Talon for single-target boss DPS, yet its incredible add-clearing potential makes Hero of Ages one of the best Swords you can currently farm for.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Demolitionist, Relentless Strikes
  • Column Two: Chain Reaction, One for All

4/10 Half-Truths

How to obtain: Xur's Treasure Trove

The Energy Sword from the Halo franchise has made it into Destiny 2. Well, half of the Sword made it. Half-Truths is an energy blade in the Adaptive archetype, and it features some of the strongest perks we've seen on a Sword thus far.

Related: Halo: The Most Powerful Weapons, Ranked

Half-Truth's ace up its sleeve is Eager Edge, a perk that increases sword lunge distance upon immediately switching to your Sword. This lunge distance is immense, extending further than Worldline Zero's Exotic perk. Skating with Swords is finally back for all classes, even Hunters.

As an actual Sword, Half-Truths is a fantastic option. Duelist's Stance and Assassin's Blade make for an excellent workhorse weapon that can kill majors with ease. If you don't use your Sword that often, keep your eyes open for a roll with Tireless Blade and Harmony. If you like Swords at all, you should consider farming for a good Half-Truths roll.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Duelist's Stance, Tireless Blade
  • Column Two: Eager Edge, Assassin's Blade, Harmony

3/10 Black Talon

How to obtain: Exotic Engrams found through Xur or world drops.

Black Talon is one of the strongest Exotics in Destiny 2. It combines the high damage of Swords with the safety of most ranged weapons.

While this weapon is a rare drop in any activity, Black Talon provides a level of damage and safety that no other Sword can match. This weapon's heavy attack fires Void projectiles that track targets. Its Catalyst also grants a buff similar to Counterattack after players block an attack. Season of the Chosen did nerf Swords, but it's hardly noticeable on Black Talon due to how much damage it dishes out. If you don't own Lament, Black Talon is a fantastic alternative.

2/10 The Other Half

How to obtain: Xur's Treasure Trove (low drop chance)

If you couldn't tell, this is the second half of the Halo Energy Sword, complementing the Half-Truths Sword you normally receive from Xur's Treasure Trove. Both Swords might look the same, but The Other Half rolls with far more powerful perk combinations than its Arc cousin.

This Sword rolls with Eager Edge in its first column instead of the second column, letting you utilize this Sword's absurd mobility alongside a damage perk like Vorpal Weapon. The second column is fantastic, giving you options like Vorpal Weapon, Frenzy, and Whirlwind Blade. If you don't mind using something besides Eager Edge, Relentless Strikes and Duelist's Trance are good options. Just about every roll is good on this Sword, somewhat making up for the weapon's only downside: its rarity. Good luck getting this to drop from Xur's Treasure Trove.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Eager Edge, Relentless Strikes
  • Column Two: Frenzy, Whirlwind Blade, Vorpal Weapon

1/10 The Lament

How to obtain: Complete the "Lost Lament" quest. Requires Beyond Light ownership.

Falling Guillotine can't match the raw damage output that Lament has, an Exotic chainsword that was pulled straight from Warhammer 40K and placed into the Destiny universe.

Holding the block button will cause Lament to rev up, causing light attacks to unleash a flurry of deadly attacks that accumulate stacks of Banshee's Wail. Get this buff to x9, then use a heavy attack to expend every charge, dealing a ludicrous amount of damage to whoever is near you. This Sword is good enough to kill raid bosses or the toughest Nightfall Champions with little issue. And when paired with ample damage resistance or healing, you can use this weapon in GM Nightfalls and even raids. You won't find a better Sword than Lament.

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