Six Nocturnal Arms, each with a base, two named, and one hidden aspect.
Hades 2 gives Melinoe six Nocturnal Arms, and each one hides a fourth aspect that changes how the whole weapon plays.
Most players unlock the three visible aspects and stop there, never seeing that the hidden aspect (Anubis on the Staff, Morrigan on the Sister Blades, and so on) is often the reason a weapon jumps a tier.
This page lays out all six arms by playstyle, names every hidden aspect, and links to the full build for each weapon.
Everything here is grounded in the Hades Wiki, from the Witch's Staff you start with to the Black Coat added in The Unseen Update.
Every Nocturnal Arm has four aspects: a base Aspect of Melinoe plus three alternatives, one of which stays hidden until you meet a specific condition. The aspect you pick reshapes the weapon's Attack, Special, and Omega moves, so two players on the same weapon can run completely different builds.
According to the wiki, the Nocturnal Arms are the sister weapons of the first game's Infernal Arms, forged by Nyx alongside the Fates and entrusted to Hecate to guard the Underworld. Only the Witch's Staff is available at the start; the rest are unlocked with reagents like Silver and Cinder at the Training Grounds, and every arm can be upgraded mid-run with a Daedalus Hammer.
The hidden aspects are the real depth. The wiki notes each one references an underworld figure, from Anubis on the Staff to Nergal on the Axe, and in actual play they often define the strongest build on their weapon.
Prioritize unlocking aspects over hoarding reagents. A weapon you enjoy at base gets a second life once its hidden aspect opens up, so spend on the arms you already like before branching out.
The fast version, with each weapon's canonical name, core playstyle, and hidden aspect. Click a weapon to open its full build guide.
| Weapon | Canonical name | Playstyle | Hidden aspect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witch's Staff | Descura | Ranged caster with zoning Omega attacks | Anubis |
 Sister Blades | Lim and Oros | Fast dual-dagger melee | Morrigan |
 Umbral Flames | Ygnium | Mid-range channeled fire | Supay |
 Moonstone Axe | Zorephet | Slow, heavy, high-damage sweeps | Nergal |
 Argent Skull | Revaal | Thrown, ammo-based burst damage | Hel |
 Black Coat | Xinth | Guard-and-counter cloak | Shiva |
The Witch's Staff is Melinoe's starting weapon and the most flexible ranged option in the arsenal. Its Omega Attack channels a wide beam that zones whole rooms, which makes it forgiving for learning boss patterns. The wiki lists Circe and Momus as its named aspects, with Anubis as the hidden one that reworks its cast into an underworld-themed hex.
The Sister Blades are the fastest arm in the game, a dual-dagger weapon that trades range for attack speed and mobility. They reward players who like to weave in and out of melee. Artemis and Pan cover the named aspects, and the hidden Morrigan aspect leans into the triple-goddess theme the wiki connects to Hecate.
The Umbral Flames sit at mid-range, channeling fire that builds pressure over time rather than bursting enemies down. The named aspects are Moros and Eos, and the hidden Supay aspect ties into Melinoe's own domain of shades. This is the arm for players who want sustained area damage across a run.
The Moonstone Axe is the heavy pick, slow swings with high damage and enough reach to punish bosses safely. The wiki notes Zorephet is the same axe Thanatos wields in his Hades 1 aspect, a nice bit of continuity. Charon and Thanatos are the named aspects, with Nergal as the hidden one.
The Argent Skull is the ammo weapon, throwing skulls for close-range burst damage before you reload. It plays like a shotgun and rewards aggressive spacing. Medea anchors its named aspects, and the hidden Hel aspect draws on the half-flesh, half-skeleton imagery the wiki flags as a mirror of Melinoe herself.
The Black Coat is the newest arm, added in The Unseen Update, and it plays around guarding and countering rather than raw offense. Selene is its signature named aspect, and the hidden Shiva aspect references destruction and transformation. It has the steepest learning curve of the six but a high ceiling once the counter timing clicks.
Each Nocturnal Arm has one hidden aspect that stays locked until you meet its condition, usually tied to progression and specific resources rather than a normal unlock. The wiki states the six hidden aspects are Anubis (Staff), Morrigan (Sister Blades), Supay (Umbral Flames), Nergal (Axe), Hel (Skull), and Shiva (Black Coat).
These are not side-grades. Across multiple runs, several hidden aspects end up defining the strongest build on their weapon, which is why leaving them locked quietly caps your damage. The full unlock path for each one is covered in the hidden aspects guide, and the mid-run upgrade that amplifies any aspect is the Daedalus Hammer.
Start by getting comfortable with the Witch's Staff, then unlock the Sister Blades or the Moonstone Axe depending on your playstyle. The Staff carries early runs because its range keeps you safe while you learn boss patterns; the Blades reward aggression, and the Axe rewards patience.
In practice, the reagent math favors unlocking one melee arm and one ranged arm early so you can adapt to whatever boons a run offers. The full loadout logic, including which boons pair with which weapon, lives in the Hades 2 builds guide.
The Moonstone Axe is the single most reagent-hungry unlock at 10 Silver, so clear it when your Silver is flush rather than draining your bank early and stalling other unlocks.
Once you have picked an arm, these guides cover the fights, allies, and systems around it.
Game data and screenshots adapted from hades.fandom.com, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. Original content remains the property of the wiki contributors and Supergiant Games.