History Main / BreakableWeapons

** ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' goes back to requiring you to visit the Workshop every now and then to repair durability on weapons, but even less items consider it a factor. By ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', durability is superficial, as everything not broken is automatically repaired.

* In ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'', your weapons and armor degrade slowly with use and repair them requires a blacksmith and some souls for fee. If they lose all their durability, their damage/defense values go down the drain and are much more expensive to repair. But in most cases, managing durability was only a small concern and only a small handful of weapons had special attacks that used up durability to use, but durability-reducing effects were utilized in a few [=PvP=] troll builds. ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' does mostly the same, but lets you a buy a Repair Box to fix it anywhere, and added Repair Powders to instantly give all your equipment some durability.
* In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', equipments degrade much faster, but resting at a bonfire fully restores durability all non-broken items. In many cases, your weapon will be more than halfway degraded by the time you get to one bonfire to the next. There was also a major bug where items degraded twice as fast if the game was running at 60 FPS, but has fortunately been fixed. One peculiar item is Santier's Spear, which turns into a better weapon when it breaks and stays broken.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' goes back to requiring you to visit the Workshop every now and then to repair durability on weapons, but even less items consider it a factor. By ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', durability is superficial, as everything not broken is automatically repaired.

* In ''[[VideoGame/ThePunisherCapcom The Punisher]]'' arcade game by Capcom, all the weapons that can be used by the player have limited durability that is displayed when wielded. After the limit has been reached, the weapon will no longer be usable. Some of the melee weapons, such as the baseball bat and the pipe, will break in its last use.

* The [=PS2=]-version of ''VideoGame/ThePunisher'' has a similar system. Focused on gunplay, any melee weapon you collect can be used to kill a single mook, often literally shattering into pieces in the process. Including pipe-wrenches and metallic baseball-bats.

** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' has the durability of all non-broken equipment restored to full upon resting at a bonfire, and anything that ''is'' broken can be easily repaired at a blacksmith. However this is counteracted by most weapons being as fragile as tissue paper, breaking in about 30-50 attacks. And just to make it even worse, the only game in the trilogy where Repair Powder is actually ''useful'' is also the only game where it can't be bought in infinite quantities right from the start. The merchant who has an infinite stock of it isn't accessible until about halfway into the game. There are three other merchants who sell it, but they only have one each. One enemy can drop it, but extremely rarely, not to mention they are only found in one of the game's biggest [=PvP=] hot zones. In addition to all that, they also gave ''rings'' durability, and more often than not the really useful rings are also the ones with the lowest durability. However, there is also a ring that slows durability loss when worn, which provides some relief. There is also Santier's Spear, a weapon with rather sub-par stats but insanely high durability. It will most likely never break unless you do so deliberately by smacking it against a wall for several minutes straight, or are trying to do a [[NoDeathRun no-bonfire run]]. When it finally ''does'' break, however, [[GameBreaker the game breaks with it]], since unlike other broken weapons it not only doesn't lose any attack power, but also ''gains'' a brand new, extremely versatile moveset. And since you can't break what's already broken, it now effectively has infinite durability.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''. All the tools are breakable, the durability varying from fragile (wood, gold) to extremely resistant (diamond). However you can repair tools by combining two damaged ones, or you can just [[ItemCrafting make new ones]]. You can also make an anvil with which you may repair any tools by combining the item in question with the material used to make it. Given that it would take more iron to repair a low-on-durability iron sword than it would to make a new one, as well as the anvil having a random chance of breaking slightly every time you use it until it breaks completely, it's best to save the anvil for your enchanted gear. The ultra-rare "Mending" enchantment allows equipped items to repair themselves with experience orbs, at a rate of 2 per orb.

* ''[[VideoGame/LegacyOfKain Blood Omen 2]]'' features this; there is a considerable variety in the types of weapons shown, but they're pretty much all breakable, usually only lasting two or three fights. When they break, they will ''shatter into a million pieces''. Oddly, weapons only break when you use them; You can strike an enemy's weapon all day long, and block their every attack, but it'll never break until it gets into your hands.

* ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand''

* ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile''

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''

** In ''Diablo 1'', items reduced to Zero Durability are destroyed, making low durability items like the Thinking Cap very tedious to use. However, there were shrines in the game that raised maximum durability, and making use of the Thinking Cap item (which had 1 durability to start with), almost required exploiting these shrines.

* Weapon (and armor) damage returns to the series in ''Videogame/TheElderScrollsOnline''. As you fight, your equipment slowly accrues damage that must be repaired by merchants (or, in a pinch, by an expensive repair kit). Dying, however, wears your equipment down by a bigger amount than regular adventuring. In the past, equipment slowly lost its capabilities as it wore down like in old ''Elder Scrolls'' games, but that was eventually patched out.

* ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}''

** There is also equipment referred to under a blanket term as Barrows Equipment. There exists some incredibly powerful melee, ranged and magic equipment that belonged to immensely powerful warriors of days gone by, and you can go graverobbing to get your hands on some. They're the best weapons in the game... usually. However, after about 15 hours of combat, they break, and require you to pay through the nose to repair. The PVP equipment released afterwards takes this a step further - Powerful to the point of bordering on being a GameBreaker, but they're rare, expensive, and once used for an hour in combat, it's {{Permanently Missable|Content}}. Jagex then took it to the ultimate extreme with the Hand Cannon. It's an uncommon weapon with annoying-to-get ammo, but under the right conditions, it can hit right up to 60 HP (and in a game where the maximum HP is 99, this is a big deal). However, seeing what trope we're in here, it should be obvious what it's issue is - Due to the [[SarcasmMode brilliant dwarven craftsmanship]], it can violently, and without warning, explode in your face. The 16 damage to your health will heal. The sheer fury of the weapon you were having so much fun destroying people with being suddenly [[PermanentlyMissableContent lost forever]] will stay with you far, far longer...

* ''Franchise/FireEmblem:''

** The second and third game has automatic weapons that will be "jammed" at certain points in the game, most likely to prevent them from becoming {{DiscOneNuke}}s.

* In ''VideoGame/SystemShock 2'', every gun you find eventually degrades to the point where it breaks and becomes useless, requiring the player to invest in disposable tools and the skills of unjamming and repairing broken weapons. Unfortunately, the rate is cranked up much higher than the developers intended, making weapon maintenance an immediate high priority. An official patch later added a simple way to slow down weapon degrading or disable it altogether. Only melee weapons don't fall apart like cheap furniture after a few uses.

* ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance 2''
** Guns, armor, tools, and even ''glowsticks'' degrade. This is realistic, to a certain point, as guns will jam or misfire when degraded, and armor will not be as protective. However, it is incredibly aggravating to loot opponents' bodies and find guns that they have apparently left in a stagnant pool of hydrochloric acid for a month, which still fire perfectly for them! Fortunately, the {{MagicTool}}boxes needed to restore them to full condition are reasonably common loot and not that expensive to buy.

** Weapons in ''VideoGame/Fallout1'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}} 2]]'' do not degrade at all normally, but a CriticalFailure has the potential to destroy a weapon, making it disappear completely. This was one of the many reasons that made the "[[BornUnlucky Jinxed]]" trait so unpopular. In an ironic twist, Jinxed can still be selected if you're playing as a very lucky character. If said character also happens to be a martial artist, then [[GameBreaker only your enemies are subject to such problems]].

* The ''d20 Apocalypse'' book, for running post-apocalyptic games with the ''d20 Modern'' game system, strongly recommends that [[GameMaster Game Masters]] have pre-apocalypse weapons and equipment break when the player using them rolls a natural 1 (a "critical failure") on the attack roll or skill check. Mainly justified in that most of this stuff has been lying around without any kind of maintenance and probably exposed to the elements for a few centuries.

** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' features the Giant's Knife, a powerful sword which breaks after only a few swings -- though the hilt interestingly retains its great strength even when broken, taking only a considerable decrease in range. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' features the Razor Sword, an upgrade to Link's usual weapon which blunts back down to its original form after a hundred swings. Both games feature a SideQuest to render these upgraded forms permanent.
** ''Ocarina of Time'' also has Deku Sticks that can be used to hit enemies with, but the stick breaks on impact. Incidentally, there's a glitch in the game that involves using a Deku Stick in a jumping attack from a ledge which nets you a shorter, but unbreakable stick that you can swing around until you pull out another item. Useful in the early game when the sticks do considerably more damage than the tiny Kokiri Sword.

** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' has this as a major mechanic, where all of Link's weapons and shields have a limited number of uses. Part of the gameplay involves scavenging weapons and shields from enemies and treasure chests to replace the broken ones. The hit that causes a weapon to break does extra damage. Also, hitting an enemy with a [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks thrown weapon]] causes it to shatter, unless it's a boomerang. Even the ''[[InfinityPlusOneSword Master Sword]]'' isn't immune to breaking, though it repairs itself after 10 minutes and optional quest in The Master Trials DLC lets Link increase its durability.
* Seen in ''VideoGame/MarcEckosGettingUpContentsUnderPressure'' - given that the game is more focused on Double Dragon-style hand-to-hand combat and tagging, melee weapons are breakable after three to four uses. And yes, that includes steel pipes and crowbars. Every ImprovisedWeapon breaks eventually, although fortunately they're only throwaway weapons and rarely vital to the gameplay.

** The first twelve games (with the exceptions of ''Gaiden'' and ''Genealogy of the Holy War'') each have the Hammerne staff, which can be used to repair other weapons. Of course, it has only so many uses itself, and yes, there is only one per game and it can't repair itself. Except ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'', which has two if you get the last secret character.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'', you can repair pretty much any and all weapons, including broken ones, simply by visiting the castle town shops and paying a corresponding fee (up to 1000 gold per use on legendary weapons). Which is rather more less convenient than it sounds when you realize that each unit has its own bag of cash that can only be transferred to another unit under very limited circumstances and healers tend to have trouble acquiring money. Particularly ironic in that if a legendary weapon isn't one of the Unbreakable Weapons, it's a lot more brittle than a run of the mill Iron Sword.

** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon]]'' has an item that when held in one's inventory nullifies weapon degradation. Also, one can buy character specific weapons like the Rapier and Wing Spear from some shops. Also, two used weapons of the same type can be combined into a single, more durable weapon between battles. There's also a single repair item, and Falchion itself, once you get it, is indestructible. (Amusingly, the main character Chrom is still using Falchion hundreds of years later in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening,'' and yes, it's still indestructible.)

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' reintroduces weapon repairing from ''Geneology''. At the same time, it also has Combat Arts from the remake of ''Gaiden'', retooling it so that it costs extra weapon durability to use instead of CastFromHitPoints as in the ''Gaiden'' remake. Magic is excluded, as it is recharged after every battle.

* Both [[PlayingWithFire Cinder]] [[TheHeavy Fall]] and [[WildCard Raven]] [[{{Hypocrite}} Branwen]] of ''WebAnimation/RWBY'' stand out by using exclusively breakable weapons, with Raven using a sword hilt with DetachableBlades made of [[ElementalPowers Dust]] while Cinder creates a variety of weapons out of glass. Being in a series rife with weapon symbolism, both of these are significant to the characters: Raven's weapon represents her trying to use brute force, failing, and then trying the same thing again rather than learning from it, while Cinder's shows how fragile and volatile her identity truly is beneath her calm demeanor.

** The [[VideoGame/TheFinalFantasyLegend first]] [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyLegendII two]] titles on the UsefulNotes/GameBoy had this for '''all''' actions: shields, spellbooks, weapons, etc. ''VideoGame/{{SaGa 3}}'' is the exception, playing like a traditional ''Final Fantasy'' game. That is, until the remake when the weapons have limited durability. One type ([[spoiler:the Mystic Swords]]) can be recharged.

** The [[VideoGame/MakaiToshiSaGa first]] [[VideoGame/{{SaGa 2}} two]] titles on the UsefulNotes/GameBoy (released in North America with the title ''Franchise/FinalFantasy Legend'') had this for '''all''' actions: shields, spellbooks, weapons, etc. ''VideoGame/{{SaGa 3}}'' is the exception, playing like a traditional ''Final Fantasy'' game. That is, until the remake when the weapons have limited durability. One type ([[spoiler:the Mystic Swords]]) can be recharged.

** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' has this as a major mechanic, where all of Link's weapons and shields have a limited number of uses. Part of the gameplay involves scavenging weapons and shields from enemies and treasure chests to replace the broken ones. The hit that causes a weapon to break does extra damage. Also, hitting an enemy with a [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks thrown weapon]] causes it to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9-ZmH_KYSY break immediately]], unless it's a boomerang. Even the ''[[InfinityPlusOneSword Master Sword]]'' isn't immune to breaking, though it repairs itself after 10 minutes and optional quest in The Master Trials DLC lets Link increase its durability.

->''"Also, you have one second to name any game in which weapon degradation has been a good idea. [{{beat}}] Time's up! That's what I thought! There's something very wrong about a katana that shatters after five or six hits, one that ostensibly ''isn't'' made out of glass or chocolate."''

* Nonmagical metal weaponry early on in ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' would sometimes break on you without warning, justified because the first major quest of the game involved a "plague" upon all the iron coming out of the mines that supply most of the region, meaning much of the processed iron and steel goods in the area were constantly breaking because they were so weak. It sucked, but at least they had a ''reason''. Once you got magical weapons (and paying for them at low level was like drinking gold dust) it wasn't an issue.

* In the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' series, melee weapons like the hammer, the swords and the axe have varying levels of sharpness, and become duller the more they are used. However, one can buy whetstones (or gather them from the environment) and resharpen the weapon back to it's original form during hunts. Also, when the weapon loses all its sharpness, it is still usable, albeit very weak. Rather bizarrely, you also have to sharpen blunt weaponry to the same effect. Ranged weaponry is entirely exempt from this system, instead having to deal with ammo.

** Omnitron and it's [[EvilCounterpart Good Counterpart]] Omnitron-X both wield Component cards in their decks. If they take enough damage in a certain timeframe, they break and are destroyed. For Omnitron it takes 7 damage in a single round (a round is one go around the table) while for Omnitron-X he must take 5 damage in a single turn (the start of a turn to the end of a turn).

** Tabletop wargame ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' features Plasma weapons for it's Space Marines and Imperial Guard troops that have a tendency to [[CriticalFailure explode at inopportune moments]].

** The Old Cavalry Sabre from the first game. It breaks in two after a couple of strikes. It is necessary for a puzzle later in the game, but thankfully you can use the two fragments to solve it as well.

* A DownplayedTrope in the [=PS2=] ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' game ''VideoGame/ChaosBleeds''. A shovel, for example, will eventually snap (including if you bash it against a wall enough times), but since vamps are weak to wood, you can just pick up the handle and keep using it until it snaps again and makes a standard-sized stake, which you can then keep using until it is completely worn away. Metal weapons like swords never break, though.