Soldier Claymore
A lightweight, two-handed metal weapon forged for Hyrule Kingdom's soldiers, with 9 base attack power and 17 durability.
Key Takeaways
The Soldier Claymore is a decayed, two-handed metal weapon whose main distinction is efficient charge attacks rather than a special damage effect.
Two-handed Soldier’s Gear
The claymore belongs to the Soldier’s Gear archetype and uses a two-handed melee moveset, making its handling distinct from one-handed soldier weapons.
Efficient charge attacks
Its lightweight design reduces the stamina consumed by charge attacks, giving it a practical advantage for sustained spinning or charged attacks.
Decayed base state
The recorded decayed form has a displayed base attack of 9 and durability of 17; these values describe that condition rather than a pristine Depths version.
Common surface availability
Soldier Claymores can be found in areas including Hyrule Field and Eldin Canyon, while pristine versions are obtainable from weapon sources in the Depths.
Metal weapon limitation
Because it is made of metal, the claymore conducts electricity and can attract lightning during thunderstorms, making weather and environmental hazards relevant when carrying it.
A utility-focused choice
Its charge-attack stamina efficiency is its clearest advantage, while its decayed condition and ordinary Soldier’s Gear role make its value depend on durability, Fuse use, and access to a pristine replacement.
Overview
The Soldier's Claymore is a decayed, two-handed metal sword in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Its lightweight construction reduces stamina use during charge attacks, giving this standard Soldier's Gear weapon a practical role in early and mid-game exploration.
Unlike a one-handed Soldier's Broadsword, the Soldier's Claymore commits Link to a two-handed moveset and a broader, heavier sword style. Its defining advantage is not a special elemental effect or unique named ability, but the reduced stamina demand attached to charged attacks. That makes it useful when a player wants to hold a charge longer or use charged attacks more often without treating stamina as the weapon's main limitation.
The weapon's decayed state places it within the ordinary surface-found equipment of Hyrule. Soldier's Claymores can be discovered in areas including Hyrule Field and Eldin Canyon, and the weapon can also matter during side-quest objectives involving statues. These appearances make it a practical part of the general equipment pool rather than a reward defined primarily by a major story milestone or a unique quest identity.
A pristine version exists separately in the Depths. That distinction matters because the pristine and decayed forms should not be treated as one interchangeable stat line: they represent different weapon states and have different progression value. The pristine form is therefore relevant when comparing long-term replacements, while the decayed form remains the version encountered through ordinary surface exploration.
As a metal weapon, the Soldier's Claymore conducts electricity and can attract lightning during thunderstorms. Players should account for that environmental drawback when carrying it in exposed weather, especially because the weapon's two-handed role limits it to a committed melee style. Fuse can extend its usefulness, but the base weapon is best understood as a straightforward charged-attack-oriented claymore rather than a weapon defined by a unique trait.
How to Obtain
- No DLC, NG+, story-mission, or vendor requirement is needed for the ordinary decayed weapon route.
- To make the pristine Soldier's Claymore eligible to appear, break a decayed Soldier's Claymore in the current save before searching the Depths. Neither form is a guaranteed quest reward or known one-per-playthrough item.
- 01Search Hyrule Field and Eldin Canyon for the decayed Soldier's Claymore. It appears as a world weapon pickup or chest loot in these regions; no vendor purchase, boss reward, or mission completion is required.
- 02For a pristine Soldier's Claymore, search the Depths for a Shadow Soldier holding the weapon. Pristine weapon availability follows the Depths weapon-respawn rules and is separate from the decayed surface version.
Availability
No separate mode, DLC, vendor, price, or proficiency requirement is associated with this form.
The intact version appears from weapon-bearing statues in the Depths rather than the ordinary decayed-world pool; its availability is separate from the decayed form.
Mechanics and Handling
The Soldier's Claymore uses the committed, broad-swinging handling expected from a two-handed claymore. Its attacks cover a useful arc in front of Link, but the weapon's larger motions make spacing important: begin swings close enough to connect, while avoiding attacks that leave Link exposed to a faster enemy. It is better suited to deliberate openings than to repeatedly interrupting quick foes.
Charge attacks and stamina use
The weapon's defining handling advantage is its lightweight construction. Holding the attack button for a spin charge attack consumes less stamina than the heavier commitment associated with many other two-handed weapons, allowing more sustained charged attacks before Link must recover. The attack is still a close-range option: it needs room to complete and can miss targets that move outside the weapon's arc.
A charged attack is most useful against grouped enemies, stunned targets, or large enemies whose movement can be anticipated. Against a mobile opponent, a normal swing or a well-timed jump attack is usually less committal than beginning a full spin. The claymore can also be fused with materials, so the resulting attack may add a material-specific elemental, utility, or damage effect without changing its basic two-handed handling.
Reach, commitment, and combat role
As a claymore, the Soldier's Claymore trades the rapid recovery of one-handed weapons for wider attacks and stronger reach within melee distance. Its broad swings can catch several nearby targets, but they do not make the weapon a reliable substitute for a bow at range. Use movement, enemy openings, and the attack's forward-facing arc to control distance rather than relying on uninterrupted attack strings.
The weapon has no ammunition or reload cycle. Its metal construction conducts electricity and can attract lightning during thunderstorms, making it hazardous to carry openly in those conditions. That property is a material interaction rather than an activated weapon skill.
Durability and pristine variants
The decayed Soldier's Claymore has a listed durability of 17 in Tears of the Kingdom. Each successful use contributes to wear, while Fuse can change the weapon's practical lifespan and combat behaviour; the exact result depends on the fused material and should not be treated as a universal bonus. When a fused weapon breaks, the attached material is lost with that weapon.
A pristine Soldier's Claymore found in the Depths is a separate condition of the same weapon family. It follows the same basic moveset and lightweight charge-attack identity, but its condition should be kept separate from the decayed form when discussing durability or other condition-sensitive values.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its lightweight construction reduces stamina consumption during charged attacks, making sustained charge-attack use less demanding than a heavier two-handed weapon would be.
- As a two-handed claymore, it provides a dedicated melee option for players who are willing to give up shield use while attacking.
- Its metal construction makes it compatible with the ordinary Fuse system and gives it a clear equipment identity within Soldier’s Gear.
Weaknesses
- Using it occupies both hands, so Link cannot block with a shield at the same time; this increases the cost of committing to attacks.
- The decayed form has a limited condition compared with the pristine version found in the Depths, so it is not the only Soldier Claymore state worth considering for longer-term use.
- Because it is metal, wielding it during a thunderstorm can attract lightning, making it a poor choice when lightning safety matters.
Best uses
- Use it for charge-attack encounters where conserving stamina is more important than carrying a lighter one-handed weapon.
- Choose it as a straightforward two-handed melee option when shield defense is not part of the plan.
- Look for the pristine Depths version when comparing Soldier Claymore states rather than treating the decayed surface-found weapon as its only form.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and role | Distinctive mechanic | Compared with Soldier Claymore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Claymore | Improved Flurry Rush trait | A stronger choice for players who consistently trigger perfect dodges; Soldier Claymore instead supports lower-stamina charged attacks. | — |
| Gerudo Claymore | Strong Fusion trait | Better suited to maximizing a powerful Fuse material; Soldier Claymore is less dependent on a particular fusion and is more comfortable for charged attacks. | — |
| Knight's Claymore | Desperate Strength trait | More specialized around fighting while Link is badly hurt; Soldier Claymore offers a safer general-purpose role through its lighter charge attacks. | — |
Lore and Design
The Soldier Claymore belongs to the Soldier’s Gear equipment archetype and is described as a weapon originally forged for the soldiers of the Hyrule Kingdom. Its decayed appearance reflects its condition in Tears of the Kingdom, while pristine examples represent the intact form found in the Depths; neither form is presented here as a separate historical weapon identity.
Its documented design emphasis is practical rather than ceremonial: the claymore is made to be comparatively lightweight for a two-handed weapon, reducing stamina consumption during charge attacks. The available material does not establish a named wielder, special story role, developer commentary, real-world inspiration, or broader faction history beyond its connection to Hyrule’s soldiers. Any significance beyond that military origin would be interpretation rather than documented lore.
Trivia
- As a metal weapon, the decayed Soldier Claymore can conduct electricity and attract lightning during thunderstorms. This interaction is shared with other metal equipment, but it creates an environmental risk when the weapon is equipped during stormy weather.