Claymore

Lore & Background

In the world of Secret of Mana, the Claymore is not a weapon of the common soldier. Its broad, double-edged profile and imposing length suggest a lineage of forge-masters who believed that true power in steel demanded both mass and reach. The blade's design prioritizes a single, crushing arc over rapid thrusts, making it a choice for heroes who favor decisive, earth-shaking blows over flurry-based combat. Its weight is no mere stat on a menu; in the hands of a hero, it slows footwork and punishes mistimed swings, demanding the kind of patient, rhythmic combat that the game's turn-based encounters reward.

The Claymore sits near the apex of the sword progression, arriving in the player's inventory only after the heroes have traversed the later, more treacherous regions of the world. By the time one unclips it from a chest in a dim, rune-lit corridor, the lower-tier blades feel like training sticks. Yet it is not without trade-offs: its heft makes it less forgiving for a Mage or Ranger who still needs to dash between enemies, and its attack, while the best a sword can offer, does not quite match the raw damage ceiling of the game's strongest axes or staves. It is, in the end, a statement of identity as much as a tool of war.

Fans of the game often note the Claymore as the weapon that makes the heroes feel most like the classic fantasy warriors of the era—broad-shouldered, unhurried, and utterly committed to the single perfect cut. It is the blade you reach for when you want the screen to shake and the enemy's health bar to simply vanish in one clean arc.

In Their Own Story

The vault in the lower spire was cold, the kind of cold that seeped through boots and settled in the marrow. The hero knelt before the chest, fingers trembling not from fear but from the particular hunger of someone who has carried a longsword through three dungeons and still felt the edge was not enough. The lock gave way with a soft click. Inside, wrapped in faded cloth that smelled of old iron and pine resin, the Claymore lay waiting. It was wider than the hero's forearm. The crossguard alone could stop a fist. Lifting it felt like lifting a verdict. The hero stood, swung it once in the empty dark, and the sound it made—low, resonant, almost a groan of the stone itself—echoed down the corridor for a long time after the hero had already turned and walked back toward the light.

Reader's Guide

The Claymore is a sword-type weapon and can be equipped by any of the three heroes. It carries the highest attack value in the sword tier, making it the go-to bladed option for late-game encounters. Its weight is notably high compared to lighter swords, which reduces the hero's movement speed and can make it feel sluggish in the hands of a Mage or Ranger who still needs to reposition frequently. There is no elemental affinity attached to the weapon itself; elemental effects in Secret of Mana come from spells and the Mana system, not from the blade. The Claymore is acquired from a treasure chest in a late-game dungeon area, not from any shop. It is best paired with heroes who have high Strength or who favor a slow, high-damage playstyle. If you are running a Ranger build that relies on speed and evasion, the weight penalty may make a lighter sword a more practical choice despite the lower attack. For a Warrior or a Mage who has invested in defense and can afford the slower pace, the Claymore delivers the most satisfying single-hit damage any sword in the game can provide.

Did You Know?

• In Secret of Mana, any hero—Warrior, Mage, or Ranger—can equip any weapon type, so a spellcasting Mage can legally swing a Claymore if the player chooses.
• The Claymore's weight penalty is a meaningful trade-off: it reduces the hero's speed, making it a commitment rather than a free upgrade.
• The Claymore is found in a treasure chest rather than a shop, meaning a player who skips chests in late-game areas may never encounter it.
• Despite being the top-tier sword, the game's strongest overall weapons span multiple types (axes, staves), so the Claymore is the best sword but not necessarily the best weapon period.