If you’re a fan of fast, high-damage melee builds that let you stay out of enemy hit range, yoyos are easily one of the most underrated weapons in Terraria. I’ve sunk over 800 hours into the game across multiple playthroughs, and I always keep a yoyo in my hotbar even when I’m running magic or ranger loadouts. Figuring out how to get good yoyos in Terraria early on can shave hours off your progression time, especially if you hate getting swarmed by low-level enemies during exploration. Most new players don’t realize yoyos scale perfectly through every game stage, from your first night in the forest all the way to the final Moon Lord fight.
Pre-Hardmode Yoyos: Grab Your First Good Option Before Fighting Skeletron
Most new players default to swords or bows when they first spawn, but you can get a solid yoyo within your first hour of play if you know where to look. The first accessible strong yoyo is the Code 1, which drops from skeletons that spawn in the underground and cavern layers. It has a 1 in 30 drop rate, so you can pick one up while you’re mining for ore to make your first armor set. If you’re lucky enough to find a traveling merchant early, they occasionally sell the Yoyo Glove for 5 gold, which lets you throw two yoyos at once and doubles your damage output instantly.
If you don’t find Code 1 before you fight the Eye of Cthulhu, you can craft the Malaise or Artery yoyos using demonite or crimtane bars, respectively, right after you beat the first boss. Both have better range and damage than Code 1, and they’ll carry you all the way to Skeletron if you upgrade them with a decent prefix. You don’t need to grind for rare drops to get a usable pre-hardmode yoyo, either—most of the best options are easy to farm while you’re completing other progression tasks.
- Code 1: 3.33% drop rate from all underground skeleton variants, no boss fights required
- Rally: Drops from surface slimes during a Slime Rain event, has higher knockback than Code 1 for crowd control
- Malaise/Artery: Crafted with 12 demonite/crimtane bars at an iron anvil, ideal for first boss fights
- Format C: Drops from Skeletron with a 14.29% drop rate, best pre-hardmode yoyo by a wide margin
How to Get Good Yoyos in Terraria During Early Hardmode Without Grinding for Hours
As soon as you beat the Wall of Flesh, hardmode spawns a ton of new enemies that can one-shot you if you’re still using pre-hardmode gear. Yoyos are especially useful here because you can attack enemies from behind cover without exposing yourself to their attacks. The first hardmode yoyo you should go for is the Chik, which drops from wandering eye enemies that spawn in the hallowed biome. It has a 1% drop rate, but wandering eyes are extremely common, so you can usually pick one up within 15 minutes of exploring the hallow for the first time.
It has enough range and damage to take out the first three hardmode bosses without any upgrades, as long as you pair it with a yoyo bag for extra damage. If you’re playing on a corruption world, you can pick up the Amazon yoyo by fishing in the jungle biome once hardmode starts. It has slightly lower damage than Chik but much higher knockback, which is perfect if you’re getting swarmed by jungle enemies while you’re farming for chlorophyte. Don’t waste time grinding for the Amarok yoyo from ice biome enemies unless you specifically want a frost damage weapon, because its drop rate is far lower than Chik, and it only has marginally better stats.
Endgame Yoyos: Top-Tier Options for Moon Lord and Post-Game Challenges
Once you’ve beaten all three mechanical bosses and unlocked the plantera fight, you can start working toward the strongest yoyos in the game. The first endgame yoyo most players get is the Yelets, which drops from plantera with a 12.5% drop rate. It has massive range and base damage of 55, so it can easily carry you through the Golem fight and the Lunar Events if you reforge it to get the Legendary prefix. If you want a yoyo that deals AoE damage, you can craft the Valor yoyo using 18 hallowed bars and 12 souls of might, right after you beat the Destroyer.
It spawns floating projectiles that hit nearby enemies, making it perfect for farming events like the Pumpkin Moon or Frost Moon. The strongest yoyo in the base game is the Terrarian, which drops from the Moon Lord with an 11.11% drop rate. It fires homing projectiles that deal extra damage to all enemy types, and it has enough range to hit enemies off-screen if you position yourself correctly. I’ve used the Terrarian to beat the Master Mode Moon Lord three separate times, and it’s far easier to use than most endgame swords or guns because you don’t have to aim perfectly to hit your target.
Pro Tips to Make Your Yoyos Even More Effective in Any Build
Even the best yoyo in the game won’t do much damage if you don’t pair it with the right accessories and modifiers. First, you should always craft a Yoyo Bag as soon as you enter hardmode. It combines the effects of the yoyo glove, counterweight, and string, so it lets you throw two yoyos, spawn counterweight projectiles, and increases your yoyo range by 50% all at once. You can craft it using a skeleton merchant’s yoyo glove, any counterweight, and a white string at a tinkerer’s workshop.
Next, always reforge your yoyos to get the Legendary prefix if you can afford it. It increases damage by 15%, speed by 10%, and knockback by 15%, which is a bigger damage boost than most early hardmode armor sets. If you’re running a dedicated yoyo build, you should also equip the Mechanical Glove and Warrior Emblem to further increase your melee damage and attack speed. You don’t have to stick to melee armor if you want to use yoyos, either. I’ve run yoyo builds with hallowed mage armor before, because the extra mana regen lets me use buff potions more often without running out of resources. So, mix and match gear to find what works for your playstyle, instead of sticking to rigid build guides.
Yoyos are a versatile, low-effort weapon option that works for every skill level and game mode, from classic journey mode all the way to master mode hardcore runs. You don’t have to spend dozens of hours grinding rare drops to get viable options, either, as long as you know which enemies to target and which crafting recipes to prioritize. Taking the time to learn how to get good yoyos in Terraria will make almost every part of the game easier, whether you’re exploring deep caverns, farming rare materials, or taking on the hardest bosses in the game. Next time you start a new playthrough, skip the boring copper sword and go hunt for a Code 1 first—you’ll be shocked at how much faster you progress.