History Main / EvolvingWeapon

* InuYasha's sword, Tessaiga, explicitly has the ability to get stronger by killing things and gaining related abilities. [[hottip:* :It has to be a strong opponent though. After mastering the Backlash Wave, all of the Tessaiga upgrades were based on this, one way or another.]]

* The Devil's Arms in ''TalesOfSymphonia'' which have their attack power based on killcount.
* In the PSX version of ''TalesOfDestiny'', some of the characters have [[EmpathicWeapon Swordians]], special swords with personalities that can talk. They gain EXP along with their owner, and can level up to get stronger and learn new spells for their owners to use. While all the Swordian Masters of the party have other weapons that they can use, the spells and evolution of the Swordians tends to make them the weapon of choice.
* In addition to the Devil's Arms present throughout the TalesSeries the Sorcerer's Ring is this in TalesOfVesperia. Over the course of the game higher levels of aer(read magic) will make it shift and become stronger. The plot only requires it to get to level three but to complete the Devil's Arms sidequest it has to get to level five.

* The titular TurnAGundam has this going for it for several reasons. First, Loran uses the instructions manual to find out about all the Gundam's various systems. Two, the grit and grime that was inhibiting its power system gradually falls off, letting the Gundam use its full strength in battle. Three, weapons for it are found over the course of time, causing the machine to change from having a beam rifle that melts after one shot and antiquated maces to powerful beam sabers and a much more reliable beam rifle. And lastly, the revelation about the power of the Moonlight Butterfly and the Turn A's nanomachines.

* Weapons in ''CaveStory'' can be leveled up by killing enemies, indirectly. The enemies drop little triangles which can be collected to level up your weapons. On the other hand, getting injured can de-level the weapon you're using. It's inverted for [[LethalJokeItem one powerful end-game weapon which gets weaker when leveled up]], so you have to avoid collecting energy triangles while wielding that weapon. Considering you've now got half a game of [[DamnYouMuscleMemory muscle memory]] telling you to grab the triangles, that's not so easy.

* ''{{Dragonfable}}'' has the Doom Knight equipment set, [[BribingYourWayToVictory only available through a cash upgrade]], which increases in power every ten levels. At level 60 (the level cap at the time of this edit), the [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom Necrotic Sword of Doom]] is the best Darkness-based weapon in the game - and its special attack deals [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill 12 hits of regular attack damage]], which is easily enough to reduce anything with a weakness to it to a pile of smoking ash.

* In ''AdventureQuest'', weapons and armor gain power the more you level up; weapons increase in base and random damage, and armor in defense and hits of attack.

* In Fable 3, the first weapons you got are evolving weapons (It's not even a secret) that change depending on what you've done before upgrading the skill (Ranged changed your gun). So every player ends up with a unique weapon by the end of the game.

* Every weapon used in the ''RatchetAndClank'' series from ''Going Commando'' on, and in the [[NewGamePlus Challenge Mode]] of the first game, if you've collected enough Gold Bolts.

* SuperRobotWarsAdvance has the protagonists' machines, SuperRobotWarsZ has the Gunleon, and in SuperRobotWarsL, the Rushbird gains new attacks and abilities as the game progresses.

* In Fable 3, the first weapons you got are evolving weapons (It's not even a secret) that change depending on what you've done before upgrading the skill (Ranged changed your gun). So ever player ends up with a unique weapon by the end of the game.

** Subverted with another end-game weapon, as you don't have to level it up. It's always at the max power of the Polar Star (the gun you get at the beginning of the game) no matter what you do, but you CAN hold the shoot button and level it up to max (it doesn't level up like any of the other guns, surprisingly) for a supremely powerful laser burst.... Not that you'd need it.

* InuYasha's sword, Tetsusaiga, explicitly has the ability to get stronger by killing things and gaining related abilities. [[hottip:* :It has to be a strong opponent though. After mastering the Backlash Wave, all of the Tetsusaiga upgrades were based on this, one way or another.]]

* Every weapon used in the ''RatchetAndClank'' series from ''Going Commando'' on.

Alternatively, there is a second way this works. Instead of the power gain being permanent, sometimes it is only temporary. Maybe it unlocks some of the weapon's hidden abilities, or there might have been something special about what was just killed. Subtrope of EmpathicWeapon

* In ''HalfLife 2'' and episode 1, there is a point where the Gravity Gun gets a temporary upgrade and has the ability to lift much larger objects and pick up the combine soldiers to fling them as projectile weapons! This upgrade happens in the end of Half Life 2 and in the beginning of episode 1 where it's only for one area and then it downgrades.
* In TeamFortress2, the demoman has a sword that he can use to decapitate enemies. Each head gives the demoman extra health and boosts his speed -- at least, until he dies.

** Also, all of the Ultimate weapons in ''FinalFantasyX'' are upgraded twice, once by finding a relatively easy key item to find, and again by finding a very difficult to obtain key item. They upgrade from Useless weapons which completely stop experience gain, to swords with an ability which also stops experience gain, finally to a weapon which breaks damage limit, increases experience gain and has several other abilities depending on the character (One MP cost for Lulu, Counterattack for Tidus etc.)

-- --
<<|CombatTropes|>>
<<|VideoGameTropes|>>

* There's a SpeculativeFiction novel ThisTroper read, ''The Practice Effect'', with a world where all tools follow this trope. The hero is from "the real world" and figures out that already well-made items from his world have a huge headstart.

* In the light novel and manhua '1/2 Prince', the titular character starts the series with a black dao that can level up with the user.

----

** The Atma Sword in ''FinalFantasyVI'' has an attack power that is a function of the level of the character wielding it. As they get stronger, so does the sword.
*** It's actually related entirely to the user's HP, like other weapons sharing its name in the series.