Overview
Emma wields three weapon types in Beast of Reincarnation, each supporting a different approach within the game's hybrid combat system. Her primary weapon is a lightweight katana for melee combat, supplemented by a bow for ranged engagements and a crossbow confirmed during the February 2026 State of Play broadcast. All three weapons work in conjunction with Koo's Blooming Arts through the parry-to-FP resource loop, and each weapon type corresponds to one of Emma's three skill trees: close-range (katana), long-range (bow and crossbow), and stealth (which enhances assassination techniques across all weapon types).
Weapon selection is not merely cosmetic or situational in Beast of Reincarnation. It shapes the combat experience. A player who invests in the long-range skill tree and equips tracking projectile Spirit Stones will play a different game than one who invests in close-range parry mastery with parry-stacking stones. The weapons are the physical expression of these build choices.
Katana
The katana is Emma's primary weapon and the centerpiece of her combat identity. Described as lightweight, it enables fast, fluid melee combat built around three core actions:
Technique | Description |
|---|---|
Slashing | Fast melee combo attacks that form the foundation of Emma's offensive output. Katana combos can be chained together for sustained damage, and the lightweight design allows rapid recovery between attack strings. Different katanas found through exploration may alter combo properties, timing, and damage distribution. |
Parrying | Timed defensive maneuvers that deflect incoming enemy attacks. The parry is the single most important combat action in the entire game. Each successful parry generates FP (Fuel Points) that powers Koo's Blooming Arts, and simultaneously triggers Spirit Stone compounding bonuses that amplify Emma's stats. Mastering the parry timing is the key to unlocking the full depth of the combat system. |
Deflecting | Redirecting projectiles and heavier attacks that cannot be parried in the traditional sense. Deflection provides a defensive option against attack types that would otherwise require dodging, keeping Emma in melee range where her katana is most effective. |
Multiple Katanas
Multiple katanas with unique specialized bonuses can be discovered through exploration of the game's wide district levels. Each katana offers different stat distributions and potentially different combo properties, giving players meaningful reasons to experiment with different blades as they progress.
The existence of multiple discoverable katanas ties weapon acquisition directly to exploration investment. Players who thoroughly explore each district, using Emma's plant abilities to reach hidden areas via vine grapples, bridges, and wall climbing. Will have access to a wider selection of katanas. This creates a positive feedback loop between exploration and combat power: more exploration yields better weapons, which make further exploration easier and more rewarding.
Different katanas likely complement different skill tree investments. A katana that boosts parry timing windows pairs naturally with close-range tree builds, while one that enhances stealth damage supports stealth-focused approaches. This makes katana selection another layer of the game's build-crafting system, alongside Spirit Stones, skill trees, and Blooming Arts mods.
Bow
The bow is a ranged weapon that fires elemental arrows. It supports players who prefer long-range engagement and synergizes directly with the long-range skill tree. Elemental arrows provide varied tactical effects beyond simple damage. They allow Emma to exploit enemy weaknesses, apply status effects from a safe distance, and control the battlefield without entering melee range.
Ranged combat with the bow represents a different approach to Beast of Reincarnation's combat system. While the core parry-to-FP loop rewards melee engagement, the bow enables players to deal consistent damage from range, relying on Koo's area denial Blooming Arts to keep enemies at bay rather than parrying their attacks directly. This approach generates less FP per second than aggressive parrying but compensates with superior safety and tactical flexibility.
Crossbow
The crossbow was confirmed during the February 12, 2026 State of Play trailer, where it was shown in action alongside air combos and plant ability aerial launches. Like the bow, the crossbow fires elemental bolts for ranged combat, providing an alternative ranged option with a likely different firing cadence, damage profile, and tactical niche compared to the bow.
The existence of two ranged weapons (bow and crossbow) suggests that ranged-focused builds have meaningful sub-specialization options. The bow may favor rapid, lighter shots at longer range, while the crossbow may deliver heavier, more impactful bolts at shorter range (or vice versa). Both weapons benefit from long-range skill tree investments and tracking projectile Spirit Stones, but their individual characteristics likely favor different engagement strategies.
Elemental System
Both the bow and crossbow use elemental ammunition. Arrows and bolts respectively. While the full range of elements has not been detailed, the elemental system provides tactical depth to ranged combat. Different elements likely interact with different enemy types in distinct ways: some Malefacts may be weak to certain elements while resistant to others, incentivizing players to maintain a diverse elemental arsenal.
The elemental system also interacts with Blooming Arts mods. A confirmed mod generates additional FP when attacking burning enemies. Suggesting that fire elemental arrows or bolts can trigger this effect, creating a synergy loop between ranged weapons and Koo's ability fuel system. Other elemental interactions likely exist but have not been confirmed.
Koo's Charms
While not weapons in the traditional sense, Koo's equipment system uses Charms equippable items discovered through exploration that provide unique passive effects. Charms function as Koo's equivalent of Emma's Spirit Stones, customizing his capabilities and complementing the player's overall build strategy.
The Charm system ensures that both characters in the duo have equipment-based progression. While Emma's weapons and Spirit Stones shape her direct combat performance, Koo's Charms shape how his Blooming Arts and passive abilities function. Together, the two equipment systems provide deep customization that rewards exploration and experimentation.
Weapon Selection and Build Identity
The three-weapon system interacts with every other customization layer in Beast of Reincarnation to create distinct build identities. A close-range katana build with parry-stacking Spirit Stones and close-range skill tree investment plays as a fast-paced melee action game. A long-range bow and crossbow build with tracking projectile stones and ranged tree investment plays as a tactical shooter with companion support. A stealth build that uses all three weapons situationally (katana for assassinations, bow for silent ranged kills, crossbow for heavy targets) plays as an infiltration game with combat flexibility.
This weapon diversity supports the game's three difficulty modes. Players struggling with Story Mode can lean into ranged weapons for safety, while Hard Mode players may find that the katana's parry-stacking rewards justify the risk of close-range engagement. The weapons are not just tools. They are the primary interface through which players interact with the combat system, and choosing which to prioritize is one of the game's most fundamental decisions.