A simple class that’s also the most reckless, there’s a skill curve to the best Terraria melee weapons. Instead of hiding behind a staff or bow, you are charging face-first into danger, trading your health bar for glorious damage. It is the class for anyone who loves brute force, big crits, and feeling like a walking blender.
Getting up close and personal isn’t just about swinging blindly. Terraria’s melee arsenal is surprisingly diverse, ranging from oversized swords that cleave through entire boss arenas to yoyos, spears, boomerangs, and flails that control space. In true Terraria fashion, melee does not necessarily mean you need to be in the thick of the action. Plenty of the best blades sling projectiles across the screen when you jump from Pre-Hardmode to Hardmode, letting you play safe while keeping that melee identity.
Pre-Hardmode
Terragrim
- Damage: 17
- Knockback: 3
- Critical chance: 4%
- Speed: 25 (Fast)
Terragrim is the ultimate pre-boss jackpot. Found rarely in Enchanted Sword Shrines, it attacks at a speed so absurd that the modest damage stat barely matters. It is not craftable, it is not guaranteed, and it may never appear in your world, but if you are fortunate enough to stumble across one, it changes everything.
This blade’s rapid swings chew through enemies before they can touch you, and against early Terraria bosses like Eye of Cthulhu, you’ll feel untouchable. Terragrim is not a weapon you plan for; it’s a sword that happens to you, but it is the clearest example of the sandbox game rewarding exploration with outrageous power spikes.
Volcano
- Damage: 40
- Knockback: 6.5
- Critical chance: 4%
- Speed: 40 (Very Slow)
Forged from Hellstone mined in the Underworld, the Volcano, otherwise known as the Fiery Greatsword on handheld platforms, is your midgame bruiser. It swings slowly but covers a huge arc, letting you tag multiple enemies at once while also applying the On Fire debuff for steady damage over time. Few pre-Hardmode swords feel as hefty in hand, and the extra reach gives you confidence against mobs that like to close space quickly.
More than just a strong weapon, Volcano is also a crucial ingredient in Night’s Edge, itself the definitive pre-Hardmode sword. Even if you do not lean on it long term, crafting one is a natural step in melee progression. Think of it as a stepping stone and a statement that you are ready for Terraria’s tougher encounters.
Sunfury
- Damage: 64
- Knockback: 6.75
- Critical chance: 11%
- Speed: 45 (Very Slow)
Sunfury is the most damaging melee weapon you can grab in Pre-Hardmode, full stop. Found in Shadow Chests or fished up from Obsidian Lock Boxes, this fiery flail swings through walls, pierces multiple enemies, and inflicts the On Fire debuff in addition to its initial smack. It makes quick work of events and bosses alike, letting you hold your ground instead of constantly dodging.
Unlike the Volcano, Sunfury also keeps you at a safer distance. The extended flail chain allows you to swap out tankiness for the best Terraria accessories that boost damage, since you will not always be face-to-face with enemies. It is the definition of dominance before Hardmode, making the Wall of Flesh fight far less intimidating.
Hardmode
Terra Blade
- Damage: 85
- Knockback: 6.5
- Critical chance: 4%
- Speed: 18 (Very Fast)
Terra Blade turns melee into safe pressure. Forged from True Excalibur, True Night’s Edge, and the Broken Hero Sword, it fires a green wave on every swing, giving you full melee scaling while landing hits at range. The handling is crisp, the DPS is reliable, and it feels heroic from the first craft.
Use it to tidy post-Plantera progression, to farm Eclipse drops, and to steamroll events while you build toward endgame fragments. It is the Swiss Army Knife of melee weapons, blending crowd control with boss focus without asking for fancy setups, and just one of many ingredients for the best sword in the game.
Solar Eruption
- Damage: 105
- Knockback: 6.75
- Critical chance: 4%
- Speed: 20 (Very Fast)
Solar Eruption is a pillar craft that bends the rules in your favour. The flaming chain pierces, lingers, and hits through walls while applying the Daybroken debuff for even heavier damage over time than On Fire. Reach, safety, and uptime combine into a tool that trivializes many late fights.
Thread it through blocks to shred crowds and tag bosses from apparent safety. It is outstanding for events and pillar clearing, where cover and density would normally slow you down. Few melee picks match its blend of control and sustained damage.
Zenith
- Damage: 190
- Knockback: 6.5
- Critical chance: 14%
- Speed: 30 (Average)
Existing between satisfying and showboating, Zenith is the victory lap. Crafted from a collection of ten iconic blades, including Terra Blade, Starfury, Seedler, Meowmere, Star Wraty, Influx Waver, The Horseman’s Blade, Bee Keeper, Enchanted Sword, and the humble Copper Shortsword, it summons a storm of swords that chews through anything on screen. The performance is outrageous, and the animation feels like a reward for the entire journey.
Use it to close out moons, events, and farming with total authority. Zenith is deliberate excess, which is exactly the point. If you have assembled the lineage, you have earned the strongest toy in the sandbox.
Melee in Terraria is a journey from crude but satisfying swings to screen-filling spectacles. Pre-Hardmode gives you a taste of variety with blades that drop stars, flails that scatter mobs, and Night’s Edge as the badge of progress. By Hardmode, your kit transforms into legendary blades and celestial crafts that let you fight from safety without ever losing the melee identity.
The appeal is simple. Compared to all other Terraria weapon types, you are always in the thick of it, standing toe to toe with bosses rather than hanging back. Every upgrade feels like a tangible power spike, and the final reward in Zenith is a pure celebration of everything you have built. If you enjoy high stakes, close calls, and the satisfaction of carving through enemies with your own two hands, melee is the class that never stops giving.
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