Best Terraria Whips Ranked by Damage, Utility, and Progression

Whips are built for Terraria summoners, giving minions focus targets while adding useful damage bonuses. Some are progression tools, some are utility picks, and a few are simply excellent at making enemies regret standing nearby.

Five Strong Terraria Whips Worth Using

Vanilla Terraria has nine whips, but these five stand out for damage, effects, availability, or how well they support a summoner build.

5. Spinal Tap

Spinal Tap is a pre-Hardmode green-rarity whip and one of the earliest strong options summoners can craft. Its material cost is not tiny, but the ingredients are found naturally while exploring underground areas, so players can begin gathering them early.

Stats and Effects

• 27 base weapon damage
• 2 knockback
• 10 velocity
• +7 summon damage
• Hitting an enemy makes summoned minions focus that target

Tip: Spinal Tap pairs well with Obsidian Armor and can help carry summoners from pre-Hardmode into early or mid-Hardmode, even after the armor changes in Terraria 1.4.1.2.

How to Get Spinal Tap

Craft it at a Work Bench with:

• 90x Bone
• 55x Cobweb

4. Snapthorn

Snapthorn deals less raw damage than Spinal Tap, but it offers better utility. It can poison enemies and grants an attack speed buff after landing a hit, making it useful beyond its base stats.

Stats and Effects

• 18 base weapon damage
• 1.5 knockback
• 8 velocity
• +6 summon damage
• Hitting an enemy makes summoned minions focus that target
• 20% chance to inflict Poisoned on hit enemies
• On hit, grants Jungle's Fury, increasing attack speed by 12% for 3 seconds

Tip: Players can switch between weapons with similar attack speed buffs to stack bonuses.

How to Get Snapthorn

Craft it near an Iron Anvil or Lead Anvil with:

• 15x Stinger
• 3x Vine
• 12x Jungle Spores

3. Morning Star

Morning Star is a Hardmode yellow-rarity whip available after Plantera. It attacks slowly, but it makes up for that with very high damage and the strongest knockback among Terraria whips.

Stats and Effects

• 165 base weapon damage
• 11 knockback
• 8 velocity
• +8 summon damage
• +12% critical hit chance for summons
• Hitting an enemy makes summoned minions focus that target

Note: Morning Star has the highest knockback of any whip in Terraria.

How to Get Morning Star

Morning Star can drop from Blue Armored Bones, Hell Armored Bones, and Rusty Armored Bones in the Hardmode Dungeon. The drop chance is 0.5% in Classic Mode and 1% in Expert or Master Mode.

2. Cool Whip

Cool Whip has modest direct damage, but it adds pressure by summoning a friendly snowflake for 3 seconds after hitting an enemy. The snowflake is not affected by damage buffs, but it still adds extra DPS.

Stats and Effects

• 45 base weapon damage
• 1.5 knockback
• 8 velocity
• +6 summon damage
• Hitting an enemy summons a friendly snowflake
• Hitting an enemy makes summoned minions focus that target

How to Get Cool Whip

Craft it near a Mythril Anvil or Orichalcum Anvil with:

• 8x Soul of Light
• 8x Soul of Night
• Frost Core

1. Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope is the strongest whip on this list for direct damage. It does not rely on extra gimmicks like Snapthorn or Cool Whip. It simply hits hard, boosts summon damage, and improves summon critical chance.

Stats and Effects

• 180 base weapon damage
• 4 knockback
• 12 velocity
• +20 summon damage
• +10% critical hit chance for summons
• Hitting an enemy makes summoned minions focus that target

How to Get Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope drops from the Empress of Light at a 25% rate. In Expert and Master Mode, it can also come from the boss's Treasure Bag.