Starfield: 6 BEST Melee Weapons

There are a total of 9 known Melee weapons. You must utilize Melee weapons for close-range combat if your primary and secondary weapons are running low on ammo.

There are some decent choices for it in Starfield. This guide will discuss the best Melee weapons for your builds.

Important Read: Starfield Best Weapons

Best Melee Weapons 

Below, I will list all my picks of melee weapons and comparison for their stats:

Melee Weapon	Best for	Damage	Mass	Value
Va’Ruun Painblade	Best Melee Weapon for Close-Range Combat.	62	1.8	11260
Wakizashi	Best Katana Melee Weapon.	49	1.35	6140
Tanto	Best Effective Melee Weapon.	40	0.45	3075
Osmium Dagger	Best Melee Weapon for Stealthy Assassinations.	28	2.7	2395
Barrow Knife	Best Melee Weapon for Higher Damage.	22	0.34	1220
UC Naval Cutlass	Best Melee Weapon for Stylish Combats.	20	1.4	935
Rescue Axe	-	17	1.4	650
Combat Knife	-	16	0.36	505
Ripshank	-	12	0.4	365

Comparison Table.

1. Va’Ruun Painblade

Best Melee Weapon for Close-Range Combat.

• Damage:62
• Mass: 1.8
• Value: 11260

The Va’Ruun Painblade is a close-range melee weapon with the highest physical damage stats, but it’s heavy. As long as you stay within your backpack’s mass limit, its weight won’t be an issue.

Consider the Va’Ruun Painblade for stealthy area clearance, as it can take down enemies in fewer hits, simplifying combat.

To obtain it, explore multiple systems and planets, or use console commands on the PC platform with the item ID.

If you picked the Wanted Trait at the character creation phase, you will deal more damage with Va’Ruun Painblade and most likely one-shot them.

How to Get: After your character reaches level 5, visit any nearby vendor to purchase it for 11260 Credits.

2. Wakizashi

Best Katana Melee Weapon.

• Damage: 49
• Mass: 1.35
• Value: 6140

Wakizashi is a Katana-styled Melee weapon that can be utilized to slice enemy necks. It is an S-tier weapon that stuns the enemies as you swing this weapon at them. It is preferable against opponents that carry heavy weaponry, as they won’t stand after getting hit by Wakizashi.

How to Get: Players can randomly find it by looting chests or from the bodies of dead NPCs.

3. Tanto

Best Effective Melee Weapon.

• Damage: 40
• Mass: 0.45
• Value: 3075

Tanto is a bronze-colored short sword that has two swinging animations. It is a great Melee weapon to grab at earlier levels, as 40 Physical Damage is enough to eliminate opponents with two or three hits.

Note that you will need to load yourself with consumables if you are depending on dominating with Tanto.

4. Osmium Dagger

Best Melee Weapon for Stealthy Assassinations.

• Damage: 28
• Mass: 2.7
• Value: 2395

Osmium Dagger is an A-tier Melee weapon designed specifically for stealth gameplay. Its 28 Physical Damage can destroy opponents, as you can swing the daggers multiple times while wasting less time.

Unfortunately, I found it pretty heavy as the mass of 2.7 will take up a lot of space in your backpack. Therefore, get rid of other heavy items, such as extra helmets, to create space.

5. Barrow Knife

Best Melee Weapon for Higher Damage.

• Damage: 22
• Mass: 0.34
• Value: 1220

The military-designed Barrow Knife is to be used when your rifles have less ammo in them. It is one of the best Melee weapons that has a negligible mass of 0.34 while dealing significant Physical Damage of 22.

Players can buy it from their nearby store merchants for 1220 Credits, which is cheap.

6. UC Naval Cutlass

Best Melee Weapon for Stylish Combats.

• Damage: 20
• Mass: 1.4
• Value: 935

UC Naval Cutlass is a fancy long knife that bears a mass of 1.4, which takes some space in your bag. Players must pair this Melee weapon with a quick-fire rate weapon that can lower the health bar of opponents to 20% or less.

Next, you can whip out the UC Naval Cutlass and swing it on the enemy’s face to eliminate them in combat. It is considered one of the best melee weapons in Starfield.

Why Others Were Not Chosen?

1. Rescue Axe: Its moderate damage and mass, make it less appealing compared to other options with higher damage and more efficient inventory management.
2. Combat Knife: Its relatively lower damage output of 16 doesn’t make it the optimal selection for players prioritizing quick and efficient enemy eliminations.
3. Ripshank: With the lowest damage of 12, it may not be as effective in high-level encounters. 

What Would I Recommend?

I recommend prioritizing the Va’Ruun Painblade and the Wakizashi as the two best melee weapons. The Va’Ruun Painblade stands out for its exceptional damage output, making it highly effective for quick and stealthy area clearance. Its potential one-shot capability with the Wanted Trait adds an extra layer of lethality, providing a versatile choice for various combat scenarios.

On the other hand, the Wakizashi offers a strategic advantage with its high damage and stunning effect. This katana-styled melee weapon not only delivers substantial damage but also incapacitates enemies during combat, making it an excellent choice against formidable opponents.

By combining the Va’Ruun Painblade for raw damage and the Wakizashi for tactical advantage, players can create a well-rounded melee combat strategy.

Also, Check Out:

• Starfield: Best Faction 
• Starfield: Best Backgrounds
• Starfield BEST Traits