When a vampire comes along, you must whip it! When you’re fighting Fei Long, you must whip him!
When it comes to weapons in games, a lot of them are pretty standard fare, such as swords, axes, or machine guns. The stuff you would expect to see in most fiction. However, video games have somehow managed to fixate on a pretty irregular weapon: the whip.
Outside of Indiana Jones, there are few heroes in fiction who have utilized this weapon. But there is a whole cadre of video game protagonists who have taken it up at one point or another. We are going to be looking at the best utilization of this strange weapon. All the way from your favorite adventurers to the most notable vampire hunters.
Blazing Chrome is easily the best Contra game not named Contra. So, it is truly beautiful that it includes a whip weapon. Finally, the bridge between Contra and Castlevania has been bridged.
In all honesty, Blazing Chrome's energy whip feels a decent amount like Contra's flamethrower. So, it may not be the most unique weapon of the bunch, but it still feels good whipping this energy beam around the room, decimating your enemies in close-ranged combat.
Here is a Japanese take on the whip. This may not count in the eyes of some sticklers, but the kusarigama is a chain with a weight on the end that you swing at your opponent, so we have a hard time seeing how it is less of a whip than some of the most notable examples in gaming history.
Nioh's Kusarigama has excellent range and is one of the better weapons for dealing with crowds. It has some very long-range moves, but they require deliberate aiming. However, used skillfully, you can stun opponents before they have a chance to get within striking range. It also has some nice combo ability. Overall, it is a very versatile weapon.
This is an example of the whip itself not being spectacularly interesting, but it is such a potent weapon in Street Fighter V, with such an amazing suite of abilities tied to it, that it has earned some recognition. Poison can use her whip to entangle distant enemies, swing toward her enemies, or grab enemies out of the air.
Not to mention she can use it to smack enemies from a distance that no other character, outside Dhalsim, can reach using just her normal attacks. However, it has a lot of recovery associated with it, making it a weapon that demands respect, but is easily punished if players get reckless with it. This is the crux of Poison's whip; it is a weapon that can be extremely effective when used skillfully but is cumbersome when used by someone less familiar with it. Perfectly exemplifying the weapon.
Here is an oddity. The Diskarmor is basically a whip that has a shield attached to it. Which is a pretty strange choice of weapon, but certainly notable. The nameless warrior of Rygar is able to dispatch enemies with this giant, seemingly ungainly, whip. Surprisingly, despite being so massive, this whip doesn't exactly do a ton of damage. Or maybe Rygar's bestiary is just that tough.
While the Diskarmor may not be the most potent whip in video games, it is one of the first. It is also, unquestionably, one of the more unique iterations.
Steel Assault is a classic cross between Castlevania and Bionic Commando. One of the game's greatest strengths is how perfectly they nailed the feel of the whip. It has that oomph you are looking for from a classic 2D side-scrolling action title.
The whip here is omnidirectional. Which always feels incredibly satisfying. It also has a few interesting powerups, such as one that has it shoot out forking lightning, further extending its range (and making it feel a little like Contra's spread shot in whip form). Steel Assault is a great little game, and it owes all of its greatness to the whip.
Whips have a long history with the Dragon Quest series. Multiple heroes from the series wielded this unique weapon, including Dragon Quest 8's Jessica. Across the series, the Gringham Whip has regularly appeared as the most powerful whip weapon.
Dragon Quest's whip is used to both attack multiple enemies and inflict a number of status elements. If you are looking for a weapon that can control a crowd, while also inflicting confusion, the whip is the weapon you are looking for.
The Barbs of Scorn are the base weapon available in Darksiders 3. This whip allows Fury to not only hit enemies from a great distance, or swing her whip horizontally to hit multiple foes at a time, but to also grab her opponents and yank them towards her.
The Barbs of Scorn act as Fury's starting weapon and is, on its own, an effective tool for combating the game's baddies. However, it really shines when it is paired with Fury's other weapons. The game has a bit of that character-action flair, and the whip will be a vital tool in stringing together tidy little combos.
The whip in Elden Ring is a little on the weak side, but it is extremely rangy and relatively fast. Hoslow's Petal Whip has that same range but also does more damage, and it causes bleeding. While there are a number of very cool whips in Elden Ring, the bleed damage is enough to put this whip over the top.
On the topic of whips in Elden Ring, you can also dual-wield whips. Which is just as cool as it sounds. Pair Hoslow's Petal Whip with the Thorned Whip (the other whip that causes bleed damage) and your tarnished will be bleeding their opponents dry before they ever get close enough to take a swing at you.
Ivy's signature sword and whip combo is too notable to not be mentioned here. This is one of the most iconic weapons in all fighting games. Valentine is a magical sword that Ivy can transform into a whip at will. It gives her a lot of cagey, long-range maneuvers, while also allowing her to fight at close range.
Most weapons in Soulcalibur are actual weapons (despite some of them being magical), Valentine is an example of the first weapon that is pure fantasy. Nothing like it actually exists. Valentine is a flashy and unique weapon that is synonymous with the Soulcalibur series. It is probably more iconic than the Soul Calibur itself.
Okay, yes, obviously. Top billing has to go to the Vampire Killer. It is, unquestionably, the most famous whip in video game history. When people think of whips in games, this is likely the one that comes to mind. The Vampire Killer is a hard-hitting, versatile weapon. Known for its slow startup, but devastating stopping power, it is a weapon that has been present in dozens of games.
Castlevania has had a number of different iterations of the oh-so-famous Vampire Killer. It has come bundled with a fireball, some Belmonts can set it ablaze, and it has been capable of whipping in multiple directions. Some vampire hunters have even been able to use it to swing from platform to platform. The Vampire Killer has been one of the most satisfying weapons to use in gaming for decades now. It is a bona fide icon, and it deserves every ounce of praise it has received.
James is a list writer for TheGamer. He typically spends his time playing games, thinking about games, overanalyzing games, and sleeping. While he has an appreciation for all genres, he is especially interested in fighting games and RPGs. He also enjoys reading books and watching movies and will happily overanalyze those as well.
