Every character in Samurai Shodown wields a unique weapon, which is integral to their fighting style and damage output. When armed, your character deals full damage with their slashes and has access to all their special moves. However, certain attacks (like a successful Weapon Flip Technique or specific character-specific moves) can cause you to become disarmed. When disarmed, your character's damage output is significantly reduced, and many special moves become unavailable or are replaced with weaker versions. To retrieve your weapon, you must stand over it and press A+B. This leaves you vulnerable for a short period. Conversely, disarming your opponent is a powerful strategic advantage, as it severely limits their offensive capabilities and forces them to take risks to retrieve their weapon. Mastering the art of disarming and re-arming is a core component of high-level play.
