You've just beaten your first real boss in Final Fantasy XV, and Cor Leonis hands you a sword that looks like it belongs in a museum. It glows. It feels heavy. You swing it once, and suddenly Noctis is gasping for air while his HP bar bleeds out like a stuck pig. That’s the reality of the Final Fantasy XV Royal Arms. They aren't just "cool swords." They’re basically a high-stakes gambling mechanic disguised as legendary loot.
Most people treat these thirteen relics like standard RPG upgrades. You find a new one, you equip it, you hit stuff. But if you do that in FFXV, you’re going to spend half your time in the "Danger" state. These weapons are the souls of the Lucian kings, and apparently, those kings were pretty stingy because using their gear literally drains Noctis's life force.
Honestly, the game doesn't do a great job of explaining how to actually live with these things. It just tells you they're powerful. But power in Eos comes with a massive "fine print" section that most players ignore until they're face-down in the dirt during a hunt.
The Health Drain Problem No One Prepares For
Every single swing of a Royal Arm costs you HP. It’s not a suggestion; it’s a flat tax. If you’re spamming the attack button with the Sword of the Wise, you’re basically committing slow-motion suicide. This is why so many players drop them in favor of the Ultima Blade or even just basic elementally infused gear.
But here’s the thing. You don't necessarily use Royal Arms to hit things.
You use them for the stat sticks. Even when they’re just sitting in your four active weapon slots, they grant massive passive buffs. The Axe of the Conqueror, for example, is a clunky, slow mess of a weapon that leaves you wide open to every goblin in a ten-mile radius. However, just having it equipped boosts your Strength by a staggering amount.
Strategic players treat the weapon wheel like a build-sheet. You might keep the Shield of the Just in a slot purely for the massive boost to HP and Defense, even if you never actually raise the shield to block an attack. It’s about the "hidden" numbers.
The Stat Meta
If you look at the Sword of the Mystic, it gives you a decent bump to magic and strength. But the real kicker? It fires projectiles during warp-strikes. If you’re playing a hybrid build, this is your bread and butter. Then you have the Scepter of the Pious, which actually scales its damage based on your Magic stat rather than Strength. If you’ve been eating meals that boost Magic and wearing the Oracle Leaf earring, the Scepter suddenly hits harder than almost anything else in the game.
It’s about synergy. Using the Bow of the Clever is usually a disaster because its damage is mediocre, but if you trigger Ignis's "Overwhelm" technique while holding the bow? Noctis turns into a machine gun. The damage scaling during that specific animation bypasses a lot of the usual drawbacks.
Where to Find the Weapons (And Which Ones to Skip)
There are 13 in total. You’ll get several just by following the main plot—the game basically forces them on you so you can progress the story. But the best ones? They’re tucked away in corners of the map that the main quest line doesn't even whisper about.
The Star of the Rogue is hidden in the Myrlwood, a dungeon that’s easy to drive right past. It’s a multi-hit throwing star. It’s fast. It’s chaotic. It also drains your HP faster than a leaky bucket because every single hit of the star counts as a "swing" that costs health.
Then there’s the Blade of the Mystic, found in the Tomb of the Mystic after a fairly annoying boss fight. Most people get this one and immediately bench it. Don't. Its real power is the self-buff it applies after a specific attack combo. It increases your Strength significantly for a short window.
- Sword of the Wise: First one you get. Good for warp-strikes, mediocre for everything else.
- Axe of the Conqueror: Found in Keycatrich Trench. Huge Strength boost. Never actually swing it unless the enemy is knocked down.
- Bow of the Clever: Balouve Mines. This dungeon is terrifying if you're under-leveled, but the bow is a niche masterpiece for Magic-heavy builds.
- Swords of the Wanderer: Greyshire Glacial Grotto. Dual blades that merge into a spear. Great for aerial combat, but again, watch that HP.
The Shield of the Just is perhaps the most unique. You find it in an open-air tomb—no dungeon required. It turns Noctis into a tank. You can’t parry in the traditional sense, but you can enter a defensive stance that recovers HP for the whole party. In a game that’s usually about fast-paced slashing, it’s a weird, slow, but incredibly effective tool for staying alive during high-level hunts.
The Armiger Unleashed Factor
If you’re playing the Royal Edition or have the Royal Pack DLC, the conversation around Royal Arms changes entirely. There’s an accessory called the Founder King’s Sigil.
Once you have all 13 weapons and this sigil, you unlock Armiger Unleashed. It’s a complete mechanical overhaul. It turns the game into a high-speed character action title like Devil May Cry. You get combos. You get finishers. Most importantly, you get a way to use the power of the Royal Arms without the constant, nagging fear of your HP hitting zero.
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Without Armiger Unleashed, the Royal Arms are situational tools. With it, they are the definitive way to play the game. The "Legacy of the Lucii" becomes more than just a lore point; it becomes a combat system that rewards timing and rhythm rather than just holding down the circle button and hoping for the best.
Why the Trident of the Oracle is Different
Technically a Royal Arm, but it belongs to Lunafreya’s bloodline. It creates after-images of Noctis that keep attacking after he moves. If you’re trying to break enemy appendages (like those stubborn Catoblepas tusks), the Trident is your best friend. It’s one of the few Royal Arms that feels genuinely "safe" to use because the damage-to-utility ratio is so high.
Practical Tactics for the Average Player
Look, if you aren't a speedrunner, don't try to main these weapons. Use them as "finishers" or for their stat boosts.
Keep a standard weapon—like a high-end katana or the Balmung sword—as your primary damage dealer. This stops the constant HP drain. Use your Royal Arms for Warp-Strikes only. A Warp-Strike with the Sword of the Father deals massive damage and can often break an enemy’s guard in one hit. Once they're staggered, switch back to a normal weapon to finish the job.
Also, get used to the "Menu Swap." It’s a bit tedious, but switching your equipped Royal Arms based on the boss you’re fighting is the difference between a 20-minute slog and a 2-minute breeze. If a boss is weak to projectiles, the Star of the Rogue or the Bow of the Clever should be in your active slots for the stat buffs, even if you’re mostly using spells.
The Gear That Saves You
If you’re committed to using Royal Arms, you need the Megaphone for Gladio (it boosts the party's HP recovery) and the Black Choker for Noctis. These items help mitigate the "bleeding" effect of the weapons. You can't stop the HP cost, but you can make sure you’re regenerating fast enough to compensate.
Eating the Scientia Style Sushi or any meal that grants "Regen" is also mandatory. Honestly, if you're going into a dungeon with Royal Arms and you haven't eaten a meal cooked by Ignis, you're just asking for a Game Over screen.
The Reality of the "Ultimate" Weapons
There’s a common misconception that getting all 13 Royal Arms makes you invincible. It doesn’t. In fact, for a lot of players, it makes them more vulnerable. The game expects you to master the "blink" (perfect dodge) and the parry system to survive.
The Royal Arms represent the burden of the King. It’s a narrative theme that actually translated into gameplay—Noctis is literally dying to save his world. Every time you swing the Mace of the Fierce, you’re seeing that theme in action. It’s heavy, it’s painful, and it’s powerful.
Next Steps for Your Playthrough
If you’re currently mid-game, stop what you’re doing and go find the Shield of the Just. It’s located west of the Disc of Cauthess in a sub-region called Thommels Wood. There’s no boss. You just walk up and take it. The defensive boost alone will make the next five chapters significantly less frustrating.
After that, head to the Balouve Mines in Leide. You don't need to kill the level 50 boss at the end if you’re low level; you can actually sneak around and grab the Bow of the Clever if you’re careful.
Finally, check your inventory for the Founder King’s Sigil at the Statue of the Founder King near the entrance to Insomnia once you have all 13. Even if you don't like the "health drain" mechanic, Armiger Unleashed is worth the effort—it’s the most fun you can have with the combat system, period. High-level hunts like the Adamantoise or the various "Menace" dungeons become a lot more manageable when you have the full power of the kings at your fingertips.