Starfield best melee weapons

Looking for the best melee weapons in Starfield? Melee-only playthroughs have long been a fun way to play Bethesda's Fallout games, and the same is true for their latest RPG, Starfield. With many blades and other things to bash your enemies with scattered across the Settled Systems, though, it can be hard to know which are the best.

In this guide, we'll break down the best melee weapons in Starfield, including what makes them so strong and where to find them so that you can get your hands on them with ease.

Starfield best melee weapons

Below, you'll find our list of the best melee weapons in Starfield:

1. UC Naval Cutlass
2. Tanto
3. Wakizashi
4. Syndicate Enforcer
5. The Last Priest

Even better, many of these weapons can be found very early on in your playthrough. The first four can all be found after your first visits to Akila City and Neon, with only the Last Priest eluding you until later in the main story.

Below, we'll break down everything you need to know about each of these weapons, including how to get them all.

5. UC Naval Cutlass

The UC Naval Cutlass is one of the earliest melee weapons you'll get your hands on in Starfield, and it's a respectable early-game weapon. The UC Naval Cutlass does 20 damage with each swing, but its real strength comes from the ability to spawn with the Furious perk. Furious is one of the best melee weapon perks, as it adds extra damage with each consecutive swing.

As we mentioned, you should get your hands on a UC Naval Cutlass early on in Starfield's main story. That's because you'll almost immediately be tasked with clearing out a group of Spacers on Kreet, many of which will wield the UC Naval Cutlass. You can also purchase it from Rowland Arms, a weapons merchant near the entrance to Akila City.

4. Tanto

The Tanto is a huge upgrade over the UC Naval Cutlass, offering a huge 60 damage with each swing. It also swings at a similar speed, so its just a damage boost with no tradeoff. It can also spawn with the Med Theft perk, which gives human enemies the chance to drop extra med packs when they die.

You can purchase a basic Tanto from Rowland Arms, near the entrance to Akila City. If you want to grind for a Tanto with better perks, then try picking off Crimson Fleet pirates and loot their bodies to hopefully get your hands on one.

3. Wakizashi

Another upgrade, the Wakizashi is a katana that you can get your hands on fairly early in Starfield. It does slightly more damage than the Tanto, making it an obvious upgrade as you progress through the story.

To get the Wakizashi, jet over to Neon in the Volii system. There, you can head to Ebbside and enter Madame Sauvage's Place to start the Audition quest. Within, speak to Andrea and ask to join the Strikers.

Andrea will take you to meet Briggs, who will then task you with making a move against their rival gang, the Disciples. Complete this task, and then return to Briggs to officially join the Strikers. This will give you access to Hatchet, a Strikers merchant who sells the Wakizashi weapon.

2. Syndicate Enforcer

The Syndicate Enforcer is a unique Sword that you can get in Starfield, and its the first unique melee weapon on this list. It comes with two perks: Berserker, which makes it deal more damage if you aren't wearing armor, and Lacerate, which gives it a chance to inflict your target with a bleed effect with each swing.

Since the Syndicate Enforcer is unique, that also makes it a little harder to find. To find it, head to Neon and enter Ebbside. Then, find Frankie's Grab + Go, a local store, and pickpocket the Seokguh Syndicate Keycard from Franchesca Moore. Then, use the nearby door to enter her side room and use the freezer door to find the Seokguh Syndicate Hideout.

Within, head upstairs and use the air duct vents to find an emergency door, which you can open by shooting it with a gun or laser cutter. Then, continue through the server room and head down into the nearby lab, where you'll find a bright yellow container. The Syndicate Enforcer is hidden inside.

1. The Last Priest

The Last Priest is a unique version of the Va'Ruun Painblade, and it's the best melee weapon in Starfield. It does 62 damage, similar to the Tanto and Syndicate Enforcer, but it also comes with the Elemental perk. Elemental makes The Last Priest randomly deal either Corrosive, Poison, Radiation, or Incendiary damage with each swing, which will help you exploit any enemy weaknesses.

To get The Last Priest, you must reach the Unearthed main mission and choose to side with the Hunter. Then, the Hunter will give you a quest called Infinity's End, in which you are told to kill Keeper Aquilus in the Sanctum Universum Church in New Atlantis. Complete this quest by killing the Keeper, or at least convince the Keeper to hide and then convince the Hunter that she is dead, and you'll get The Last Priest as your reward.

That wraps up our guide on the best melee weapons in Starfield. Make sure to also take a broader look at the best weapons in Starfield, and you can also check out our list of the best ships in Starfield. If you're struggling to make your melee playthrough work, you can also check out our list of the best builds in Starfield.