Raw weapon choice gets you started in Phantom Blade Zero, but upgrading is what keeps your damage relevant as the game escalates. Like most action games in the kung-fu-punk and soulslike-adjacent space, Phantom Blade Zero ties your power progression to finite upgrade resources, which means every point you spend is a decision rather than a formality. Spend well and your preferred weapons stay ahead of the curve; spread yourself thin and you can find your damage lagging exactly when fights get harder. This guide explains how weapon upgrades and leveling tend to work, what to prioritise, and how to keep your power growing at a steady pace without wasting scarce materials. Specific numbers are best confirmed in-game, since a brand-new title's exact values can shift with patches, so the focus here is on durable principles.
How upgrades generally work
Upgrading in Phantom Blade Zero revolves around investing collected materials and currency into improving your gear - typically raising a weapon's effectiveness and, alongside it, your consumables and accessories. The game treats these as interlocking systems: stronger weapons let you end fights faster, better healing keeps you in the fight longer, and supportive accessories round out your build. Because all of this draws on the same limited pool of resources, you are constantly choosing where your next investment does the most good.
The core principle is concentration. It is far better to fully invest in the weapon you actually use than to nudge several weapons up a little. A single strong, reliable weapon changes how every encounter plays out, whereas a spread of half-upgraded options leaves you underpowered everywhere. Decide which weapon is your workhorse early, commit your materials to it, and treat everything else as situational until you have resources to spare.
What to prioritise first
When you are resource-poor in the early game, prioritise the upgrades that most directly keep you alive and winning. In practice that usually means improving your main weapon's damage so your combos actually finish enemies, and making sure your healing and survivability keep pace so a few mistakes do not end a run. A weapon that hits hard but a character who folds to two hits is a fragile combination; balance offence with the means to survive long enough to use it.
As you gain more resources, you can branch out - a second weapon to cover a role your main lacks, accessories that reinforce your style, or consumables that smooth difficult stretches. The key is sequencing: handle the fundamentals that stop you dying first, then layer on the refinements that make you stronger. Rushing to specialise before your basics are solid is how players end up stuck on a wall they could have cleared with a more rounded investment.
| Priority | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Main weapon effectiveness | Ends fights faster; benefits every encounter |
| Survivability / healing | Keeps you alive long enough to apply your damage |
| Second weapon for a missing role | Covers enemies your main struggles against |
| Accessories and refinements | Round out a build once fundamentals are solid |
Managing finite materials
Because upgrade materials are limited, the most common mistake is impulse spending - pouring resources into a weapon you are "trying out" and then wishing you had saved them for the one you settled on. Before committing a chunk of materials, make sure the weapon is genuinely part of your long-term plan. It is fine to experiment with weapons at their base level; just hold off on heavy investment until you are confident.
Gather thoroughly as you play - explore side areas, defeat the enemies worth defeating, and pick up what you find - so you are never short when a good upgrade opportunity appears. Keep a mental reserve for the moments the game spikes in difficulty, since arriving at a tough stretch with materials banked lets you top up your weapon exactly when you need the edge. Our currency and resource farming guide covers how to build that reserve efficiently.
Leveling at the right pace
Progression in a game like this is a pacing exercise. If your weapon feels like it is bouncing off enemies or fights are dragging on far too long, that is usually a sign your upgrades have fallen behind and it is time to invest or to gather more materials before pushing on. Conversely, if everything is dying quickly and comfortably, you can afford to save resources or experiment. Reading these signals keeps you from either over-investing early or hitting a wall underpowered.
Avoid the trap of banking materials forever "just in case." Unspent resources do nothing; a weapon upgraded now makes every fight between here and your next materials easier. The balance to strike is spending enough to stay comfortably ahead of the current challenge while keeping a small reserve for spikes. If you find a particular stretch brutal, a round of upgrades is often a more effective answer than grinding the same fight repeatedly with the same power level.
Upgrades and your build
Weapon upgrades do not exist in isolation - they are one pillar of your overall build, alongside your skills and your secondary tools. A coherent build points all three in the same direction: a fast-aggression style wants an upgraded fast weapon, skills that reward pressure, and secondary tools that extend combos. Upgrading in a way that reinforces your chosen style compounds its effect, whereas scattering upgrades across conflicting ideas dilutes them.
Before a big materials investment, ask whether it supports the build you are actually playing. If you are leaning into a particular style, the weapon that enables it deserves priority over a flashier option that does not fit. Our skill tree and build guide explains how to align your skills with your weapon choices so your upgrades pull their full weight.
Respecs and second guesses
Many modern action-RPGs let you reclaim or redistribute some of your investment, and if Phantom Blade Zero offers any such flexibility it changes how cautious you need to be - check the in-game systems to see what can be undone. Where you can respec or recover materials, you can afford to experiment more boldly, knowing a wrong turn is not permanent. Where investments are locked in, lean conservative and commit only to weapons you are sure about.
Either way, do not let fear of a wrong choice paralyse you. The worst outcome in a game built on finite resources is hoarding them so carefully that you play underpowered the whole way through. Make considered decisions, keep a reserve for difficulty spikes, and accept that a slightly imperfect investment in a weapon you enjoy still beats a perfect plan you never act on.
Upgrades across a full playthrough
It helps to think of upgrading not as a one-time setup but as a steady relationship you maintain across the whole game. Early on, your investments are about survival and getting a reliable weapon online. In the mid-game, as more materials flow in and your style settles, you refine - deepening your main weapon, bringing a second up to standard, and smoothing out weaknesses the early game exposed. By the late game, you are polishing a build you understand well, topping up for the hardest content rather than making foundational choices. Recognising which stage you are in keeps your spending appropriate to the moment instead of over-investing early or under-preparing late.
This staged view also protects you from two classic traps. The first is front-loading everything into a weapon you later abandon, leaving you short when your real main emerges. The second is treating upgrades as finished once your first weapon feels strong, then falling behind as enemies scale up around a static build. A healthy upgrade habit is continuous: whenever your income allows and your current power feels stretched, invest a little more into the gear you actually use. Spread across a full playthrough, that steady drip of improvement keeps you comfortably ahead of the curve without ever demanding a dedicated grind, and it makes the late-game spikes feel like challenges rather than walls.
Skipping the climb
The upgrade climb is satisfying in its own right, and earning your power step by step is a big part of why these games are rewarding. But some players returning for a replay, or short on time, prefer to skip straight to a fully developed character so they can focus on the combat and the spectacle rather than the grind.
If that is you, a Phantom Blade Zero modded save on the Phantom Blade Zero services hub can provide an already-upgraded starting point. It is an optional convenience aimed at replays and completionists; for a first experience, growing your power through smart upgrading is the most satisfying path - and this guide is your map either way. However you get there, understanding how to spend resources wisely is what keeps your arsenal sharp.
Related Phantom Blade Zero guides
- Phantom Blade Zero best weapons guide
- Phantom Blade Zero currency & resource farming
- Phantom Blade Zero skill tree & build guide
- Phantom Blade Zero boss guide
- Phantom Blade Zero beginner tips
Frequently Asked Questions
How do weapon upgrades work in Phantom Blade Zero?
You invest collected materials and currency to improve your gear - typically your weapons, consumables and accessories. Because resources are finite, the system rewards concentrating investment on the weapons you actually use rather than spreading it thin.
What should I upgrade first?
Prioritise your main weapon's effectiveness and your survivability so you can both deal damage and survive long enough to use it. Branch out to a second weapon and accessories once your fundamentals are solid.
Should I save my upgrade materials?
Keep a small reserve for difficulty spikes, but do not hoard. Unspent materials do nothing; a weapon upgraded now makes every fight easier. Spend enough to stay ahead of the current challenge while banking a little for tough stretches.
Why does my weapon feel weak?
If fights drag or your weapon seems to bounce off enemies, your upgrades have likely fallen behind. Gather materials and invest, or confirm your build is coherent - a round of upgrades often solves a wall faster than repeating the same fight.
Can I skip the upgrade grind?
You can earn your power through normal play. If you would rather start with an already-upgraded character for a replay or to focus on combat, a modded save on the Phantom Blade Zero hub offers that, though earning upgrades yourself is the most rewarding route for a first run.