Best Early Game Weapons in Persona 3 Reload (P3R)

Equipment is just as important as studying in Persona 3 Reload, otherwise you’ll be harmless during your Tartarus explorations during the night. Here are the best weapons you can bring to Tartarus early into the game in Persona 3 Reload.

The Best Weapons for Early Game in Persona 3 Reload (P3R)

Most equipment comes from Tartarus or buying from the Police Station early on, but you probably won’t stick to the same weapons since it won’t take long before you get better options. These are some of the best choices you’ll have for the game’s early stages. Namely the first two months.

Protagonist

To be quite honest, the Protagonist’s equipped Persona is more important than his actual weapon. You should do well if you’ve been raising/fusing your Personas early.

1 – Fudo Masamune

The best sword you can get from the Paulownia Mall Police Station after the first Full Moon. There’s not much to say here since it’s basically a stat stick.

2 – Iron Edge

A cheaper option to the alternative below, even though it also doesn’t grant anything special.

3 – Long Washikazi

Found at Tartarus Floor 17 (requires 3 Twilight Fragments). Moderate boost to all stats, and you can hold on to it for a good portion of the second Block if you’re short on money.

Yukari

Yukari has the most alternative options out of all characters other than the Police Station. Even so, she’s more of a caster most of the time, so sometimes a good passive is enough.

1 – Toy Bow

Obtained by completing Request 12. A completely free weapon with above-average stats that you can hold on to until June, when you’ll inevitably find something better either at Tartarus or at the Police Station.

2 – Poison Arrow Bow

Found inside a chest in Tartarus Floor 11 (requires 3 Twilight Fragments to open). Despite its lower weapon, it’s also a free weapon that can carry you through the whole first batch of floors and still be relevant later due to its Poison effect.

3 – Shigetou-Umi

Bought at the Paulownia Mall Police Station. It has better stats but no special effect. Good if you just want to pump up your attack.

Junpei

Junpei has some good weapons early, but his options are as simple as himself.

1 – Juzimaru

Found on Floor 36. The first big weapon you can get to Junpei from Tartarus is a great choice for him, so don’t sleep on it. You also require it for Request 7, so you probably getting it either way.

2 – Greatsword

Bought from the Police Station. Junpei usually just wants more attack, so this is usually enough for him, even without a passive.

3 – Bastard Sword

Bought from the Police Station. Again, Junpei doesn’t need much early on other than raw, pure stats, so getting this early is very okay.

Akihiko

Ahikiko sadly doesn’t get many options early before he gets a free weapon later. But if you’re using him before it happens, your only option is (you guessed it) visiting the Police Station beforehand.

1 – Bladefist

The best (and most expensive) option is from the Police Station. No passives but a good attack to make up for it.

2 – Sonic Fist

Also from the Police Station. If you enjoy the Fear passive, this might be a better choice than the above, especially if you want to save some money for now.

You’ll start getting better weapons once you get access to the Maiyodo Antiques shop on July 18. But until then, you should do well with what you have regardless of the difficulty you choose.

When to Upgrade/Buy Gear in Persona 3 Reload

The best time to buy gear in P3R is either when you’re losing battles or just after you’ve hit a Tartarus roadblock. The logic behind this is simple: You’ll find a lot of good loot in Tartarus through exploration alone, especially if you grind levels. We don’t recommend buying most of your gear but instead finding it naturally through exploration.

When buying gear, look at the secondary effects instead of the stat numbers themselves. Effects on items are far more valuable than numerical increases. Prioritize effects that synergize well with your party. Make sure to buy gear only on Mondays, as that’s when sales happen.

You’ll also want to prioritize evasion gear like shoewear and accessories. Evasion early on in Persona 3 Reload is utterly broken. Getting this stat as high as possible makes many combat encounters a breeze. We recommend keeping your shoewear updated as often as possible and making it the first thing you upgrade, followed by accessories.

Of course, if you’re buying gear, odds are you’ll need a lot of money. We have a guide on how to make money fast in Persona 3 Reload, which will give you the edge you need to succeed in this game.