Phantom Blade Zero Wiki

The Phantom World is the fictional martial arts setting of the Phantom Blade series, based on Ming dynasty China with steampunk, occult, and dark fantasy elements.

The Phantom Blade series traces back to Rainblood: Town of Death, a solo RPG Maker project from 2008 that launched Soulframe Liang's career and S-GAME studio.

Phantom Blade Zero uses a semi-open, seamlessly interconnected map structure inspired by pre-Elden Ring Souls games rather than a single open world.

Phantom Edges are secondary sub-weapons in Phantom Blade Zero, activated via R2 to add ranged attacks, crowd control, or burst damage to Soul's combat toolkit.

Ghost Steps (Ghostep) are a core defensive counter-mechanic in Phantom Blade Zero, triggered by successful parries and dodges against color-coded enemy attacks.

Phantom Blade Zero launches September 9, 2026 on PS5 and PC, with a 12-month PS5 console exclusivity window.

Phantom Blade Zero draws on Ming dynasty China, wuxia film traditions, and real kung fu choreography to build its 'kungfupunk' aesthetic.

Mu Tianmiao, known as the Patriarch, is the founder of The Order and Soul's adoptive father. His murder is the inciting event of Phantom Blade Zero.

Phantom Blade Zero's Combo Chain system uses two-button inputs, weapon switching, and Sha-Chi management to create deep martial arts combat.

A pair of bladed rings (chakrams) in Phantom Blade Zero that act as homing projectiles, with a shadow-step dodge effect and acrobatic melee/ranged versatility.

Weapon guide for Jagged Steel in Phantom Blade Zero, a serrated blade that stacks bleeding damage over time.

Boss guide for Commander Cleave in Phantom Blade Zero, a curved blade specialist with delayed and erratic attack patterns.

A pair of dual short swords created by Forge and modeled after Sanguine — prioritizing agility and speed, with a throwable projectile finisher for executing weakened enemies from range.

A sledgehammer Phantom Edge obtained by defeating Coppermaul — deals shockwave AoE damage and can smash through weakened floors and walls to unlock hidden paths.

No. 13 of the Order's arsenal — a flexible snake sword that excels at parry and deflection, obliterating enemy Sha-Chi gauges through ripostes. Belongs to the Seven Judgments' leader.

Profile of S-GAME, the Shanghai-based studio developing Phantom Blade Zero, covering its founding by Soulframe Liang as a 4-person team, growth to 140+ developers, Tencent investment, and evolution from Flash games to console development.

A labyrinthine town location in Phantom Blade Zero showcasing ray-traced lighting, baked lighting with selective ray-traced shadows, and septuple meter music by Caisheng Bo.

Guide to Hellwalker Mode in Phantom Blade Zero, one of three NG+ difficulty modes (Wayfarer, Gamechanger, Hellwalker) where enemy AI learns player patterns and bosses gain new moves.

The ultimate ability system in Phantom Blade Zero — each weapon has a unique Power Surge that costs one Sha-Chi Essence point and lands direct hits regardless of enemy defense.

The color-coded enemy attack system in Phantom Blade Zero — blue flash Brutal Moves can be blocked or parried, red flash Killer Moves must be dodged, both can trigger Ghostep with perfect timing.

Phantom Edge guide for Man-Cutter in Phantom Blade Zero, an oversized axe that charges from dodge and sprint for devastating running attacks.

Phantom Edge guide for Night Owl in Phantom Blade Zero, a teak longbow with charged precision shots.

Phantom Edge guide for the Savage Axe in Phantom Blade Zero, a heavy axe with charged strikes that deal massive Sha-Chi damage.

Soul's signature primary blade in Phantom Blade Zero — a mysterious metal sword that carries the weight of a cleaver, fills the Bleeding meter to trigger Hemorrhage, and has an alternate polearm form.

Overview of the Seven Judgments in Phantom Blade Zero, the elite swordsmen group led by the Decree who use the Big Dipper formation and undergo the marionette transformation.

Boss guide for Tie Sha the Frenzy in Phantom Blade Zero, a village area boss from the Gamescom 2024 demo.

Boss guide for the Chief Disciple of the Seven Stars in Phantom Blade Zero, a corrupted puppet fighter with a two-phase battle.

Boss guide for the Red Wraith in Phantom Blade Zero, an agile combatant who joins the Coppermaul fight and requires precise Ghostep counters.

Profile of Leng Tu, a returning character from the Rainblood saga who appears in Phantom Blade Zero.

Profile of Mu Xiaokui, daughter of the Order's founder, childhood friend of Soul, skilled warrior, and playable protagonist in Phantom Blade: Executioners.

Profile of Zuo Shang, the main antagonist of Phantom Blade Zero, former best friend of Soul and a master strategist within the Order.

Complete timeline of Phantom Blade Zero's pre-release events from its December 2023 PS Showcase reveal through S-PARTY 2025, Gamescom 2025 with 60+ demo stations, and the September 2026 release.

Overview of Phantom Blade: Executioners, the 3D mobile action game by S-GAME featuring four playable protagonists including Mu Xiaokui, serving as a prequel and proving ground for Phantom Blade Zero.

Profile of Soulframe Liang (Liang Qiwei), the Tsinghua and Yale-educated architect turned game director who founded S-GAME and created the Phantom Blade series.

Overview of Phantom Blade Zero's motion capture and choreography pipeline, including Kenji Tanigaki's involvement, Master Yang's martial arts team, and the weapon-specific discipline approach.

Overview of the wuxia genre in Chinese literature and cinema, its core themes and conventions, and how Phantom Blade Zero draws from and subverts wuxia traditions.

Lore and narrative analysis of the 66-day countdown in Phantom Blade Zero, the poison-driven deadline that structures the game's story, its series roots, and numerological significance.

Complete overview of the Order, the secretive espionage organization at the center of Phantom Blade Zero's narrative, including its hierarchy, internal politics, and the power vacuum after the Patriarch's assassination.

Overview of the Kung Fu Punk aesthetic coined by S-GAME for Phantom Blade Zero, described by director Soulframe Liang as 'a traditional kung fu story told with new clothes, new timing, and a global camera angle.'