Highlights

• Weapons in Dark Souls 3 vary in power, but finding the right one can carry players through the game and into New Game Plus.
• Personal playstyle impacts weapon choice, but maximizing DPS and efficiency is crucial to avoid punishing battles in Soulsborne games.
• Weapons like Friede's Great Scythe and Onikiri And Ubadachi can make combat in Dark Souls 3 easier with their powerful abilities.

There are a staggering number of weapons to obtain in Dark Souls 3, and while some are little more than inventory clutter, others are powerful tools. Some weapons are so powerful that once players have obtained them and put a little work into upgrading them, they can carry gamers through the majority of the game and well into New Game Plus. It's not surprising for players to find one good weapon and stick to it, especially considering how tough things can get if they don't have access to the best weapons.

What weapon is best for players in Dark Souls 3 comes down to personal preference, but if people are looking for a solid weapon to achieve any ending and survive until they get something better in new playthroughs, they should check out the weapons that best suit their playstyle. While there's definitely some merit to learning how to make use of a weapon that appeals on a personal level to players, most Soulsborne games will punish those who haven't maximized their DPS and efficiency in battle.

Updated on March 10, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls 3 is one of the greatest games ever made, with many people finding it to be the best way to cap off an emotional send-off for one of the best action trilogies in gaming history. While there are some flaws players can point to in this title that make it slightly inferior to the first game, that shouldn't take away from its allure in the slightest. There are many weapons that players can use to decimate their enemies in Dark Souls 3, with some of them being so powerful that they trivialize most of the enemy encounters in the game.

20 Friede's Great Scythe

Obtained By Transposing The Soul Of Sister Friede

Friede is one of the few bright spots in a DLC that didn't satisfy most players who expected the world from the studio's expansions. The snowed-in areas added to the game coupled with some unimaginative exploration and enemies made the bulk of the Painted World a pain to explore.

However, all of this was made worthwhile by the final boss, which is easily one of the most epic encounters that FromSoftware has ever developed. This three-phase battle is as epic as one would expect and will leave fans wanting more after this amazing experience is over. To obtain Friede's Great Scythe, Dark Souls 3 players defeat Sister Friede and transpose her soul. Having access to this intimidating scythe can make Dark Souls 3 a much easier game than it should be.

19 Onikiri And Ubadachi

Dropped By Black Hand Kamui In The Grand Archives

The dual-blade combat styles in Dark Souls 3 are a thing of beauty, and players have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to enjoying this cool, fast-paced style of attacking. Many weapons can be dual-wielded to great effect, with a notable example being the Onikiri and Ubadachi.

These katanas require precise technique to wield, but players will be rewarded for spending their time trying to accommodate this weapon's moveset in their playstyle. In the hands of an expert, this weapon can destroy most enemies in just a few hits.

18 Dragonslayer Greataxe

Obtained Via Transposing The Soul Of Dragonslayer Armour

One of the hardest-hitting weapons in the game, players who invest in Strength will be in shock and awe at just how powerful the Dragonslayer Greataxe really is. Not only does the weapon hit like a truck, but its Weapon Art is one of the strongest in the game if players time it right.

The Greataxe absolutely wallops enemies to kingdom come and can be obtained by transposing the soul of the Dragonslayer Armor. Players love using this weapon in PvE because of its ridiculous damage outlet, finishing off the strongest enemies in the game without breaking a sweat.

17 Demon's Scar

Obtained By Transposing The Soul Of The Demon Prince

It's a shame that the Demon's Scar is available all the way in The Ringed City DLC since players would've loved to use this weapon early on in the game. Not only does this weapon look absolutely amazing, but it hits for a ton of damage and is a lot of fun to use, too, as long as players focus on a Faith and Intelligence-heavy build.

To obtain this weapon, players need to defeat the Demon Prince boss fight in this DLC. The Boss Soul can be transposed to form the Demon's Scar, a fire-infused weapon that is great against the majority of enemies in the game who are weak to this element.

16 Zweihander

Sold By Greirat Or The Shrine Handmaid After Giving Her Greirat's Ashes

The Zweihander has been a fan-favorite in the Dark Souls series, with this ultra greatsword being considered by many to be one of the best swords in the entire franchise. Unlike a lot of great weapons from the first Dark Souls game that didn't really maintain their lasting appeal in Dark Souls 3, the Zweihander has been a solid and reliable option in the trilogy that players can count on against the strongest bosses in the game.

Players can obtain this weapon through Greirat, a thief who can be sent outside Firelink Shrine to bring back some valuable items. He can die during one of these excursions, but players don't need to fear — they can simply pick up Greirat's Ashes from his corpse and give it to the Shrine Handmaid if they wish to gain access to this weapon once again.

15 Astora Greatsword

Looted From A Corpse In The Graveyard Near The Cleansing Chapel At The Cathedral Of The Deep

The Astora Greatsword is a very light weapon with minimal requirements to wield, making it a useful weapon for many builds right away, though it thrives with Dexterity builds. Because of these low requirements, it’s also one of the best weapons in the game to use infusions on.

To get this weapon, players should go to the Cathedral of the Deep and explore the graveyard outside the Cleansing Chapel. It’ll be on a corpse found there. It’s a versatile weapon that can be found relatively early on and accommodates most builds to take down a variety of enemies. When upgraded to +10, this remarkably lightweight ultra greatsword gets S-tier scaling in dexterity if infused with a sharp gem. This makes it an ideal weapon for builds focusing on this stat that need a weapon with higher single-hit impacts at 244 physical damage. Similar to other weapons in its class, the Astora Greatsword can stagger and stun-lock many foes, even with light attacks that manifest as wide, horizontal slashes. Its Charge skill puts this sword's length and power to great use with a devastating lunge attack.

14 Exile Greatsword

Drops From The Watchdog Of Farron, An NPC Outside Farron Keep

The Exile Great Sword deals the most damage of any curved greatsword, though it does come at the cost of an abysmal range, which is why it ranks lower. Nevertheless, in the right hands and with the right build, it can carve enemies quickly thanks to the Spin Slash skill. Spin Slash slices enemies in a circle around the player before transitioning into a strong attack.

This weapon is obtained in the late-early to mid-game at Farron Keep. It’s held by one of the Exile Watchdogs standing guard outside the ruins. As such, this curved greatsword is an excellent armament for dealing with more defensive enemies. The poise and health damage that it does with both normal attacks and its weapon skill are reason enough to pick up the Exile Greatsword, though strength builds running some intelligence may be interested in giving it a simple infusion. After being infused in this manner and upgraded to +10, this large curved blade will do 161 physical and 169 magical damage with solid B-tier scaling in strength and surprising S-tier scaling with intelligence.

13 Executioner’s Greatsword

Looted From A Corpse In The Graveyard Near The Cleansing Chapel At The Cathedral Of The Deep

The Executioner’s Greatsword is a quirky weapon that can be very powerful with the right build. Because of its unique ability to leech six Focus Points from each kill, it is a great weapon for Pyromancy builds, ensuring the wielder has enough FP to cast their spells. It’s found alongside the Astora Greatsword on a corpse in the graveyard by the Cleansing Chapel in the Cathedral of the Deep. It’s a fairly early weapon to get, has great scalability, and is very powerful in a pyromancer’s hands.

As its appearance bearing a flat head indicates, this greatsword deals strike damage exclusively. Most of the time, this sub-class of physical damage is reserved for hammers or other blunt weapons; however, this makes the Executioner's Greatsword especially effective against heavily armored foes who are typically weak to strike damage. It cannot be infused, only upgraded to +10. When it is, it does 262 physical damage and has B-tier scaling with strength. The Stomp skill (spinning variant) it possesses is not often seen on greatswords, though it can be used to great effect against crowds of weaker enemies.

12 Fume Ultra Greatsword

Dropped By Knight Slayer Tsorig Underneath The Smoldering Lake

A hulking weapon that can double as a shield, the Fume Ultra Greatsword is a must-have for every strength build. The sword is slow and clunky to handle but does massive damage when it hits. Players need to carefully time their shots with the Fume Ultra Greatsword but are rewarded with exceptional damage when hits connect with the enemies.

The sword is dropped by Knight Slayer Tsorig underneath the Smoldering Lake. Players can find him after they cross the areas with the rats and the basilisks but before the exit that leads up to the ballista on the surface. Players must take the left of the stairs to the exit to find Tsorig in front of a pool of lava. The sword offers an S scaling in Strength when fully upgraded, providing a base total of 260 physical damage. The sword can be upgraded using Twinkling Titanite and can be buffed but cannot be infused.

11 Dark Sword

Dropped By The Darkwraith Enemy

The Dark Sword is a powerful weapon that will suit newer players or those running a build that mixes strength and dexterity. It’s a straight sword that deals great damage at a decent range. Its main perk is the Stomp ability, which allows the player to lunge forward to increase poise and can follow up with either a strong attack or an upward slash.

It can be obtained in a couple of ways. The earliest is by killing Darkwraiths at the High Wall of Lothric. It can also be obtained from the Darkwraiths in Farron Keep, a good farming location is the Perimeter Bonfire. where the Darkwraiths will be weakened by the nearby Ghru. Despite the name of this straight sword, if one is going to infuse it, they are better off going with a refined infusion instead of a dark infusion. This weapon is clearly geared towards strength and dexterity builds, so the dark infusion's B-tier scaling with intelligence and faith will do little good. A refined infusion leads the Dark Sword to gain B-tier scaling in both strength and dexterity at 198 physical damage.

10 Vordt’s Great Hammer

Obtained By Transposing The Soul Of Boreal Valley Vordt

Vordt’s Great Hammer is a weapon of frozen death in the hands of anyone running a strength build. Within two or three hits, it’s capable of inflicting Frostbite, which deals 11% of a player’s max HP as damage and adds a flat 85 damage on top, as well as negatively impacting stamina regeneration. It requires at least 20 strength to wield properly. It can be acquired fairly early in the game by defeating the Vordt boss of the Boreal Valley at the High Wall of Lothric and obtaining his soul. This soul can be used to create the hammer, though this does prevent the player from acquiring the powerful Pontiff’s Left Eye ring.

Although impossible to be infused or buffed, players will hardly miss these mechanics after achieving the maximum +5 upgrade for this great hammer. At this level, it will do 320 physical damage with decent B-tier strength scaling. Its common skill, Perseverance, is pretty handy on this slower weapon because it allows its wielder to poise through attacks and lands more hits for better damage-trading in addition to easier frost build-up on foes.

9 Farron Greatsword

Obtained By Transposing The Soul Of The Blood Of The Wolf

The Farron Greatsword is a unique ultra-greatsword with an elaborate wide-arcing attack animation. The weapon is found early on in the game and is excellent for quality or dexterity-focused builds. Fans of the Abyss Watchers will find the weapon a must-have, along with the Abyss Watchers armor set. The weapon performs best in PvP competitions. It can be acquired after defeating the Abyss Watchers and transposing the Soul of the Blood of the Wolf.

Despite being an ultra-greatsword, the weapon has an A scaling with Dexterity when upgraded fully and provides 258 points of physical damage. It cannot be buffed or infused but provides a passive 20% damage boost against Abyssal foes. It behaves as a one-handed weapon and, as such, can be parried.

8 Hollowslayer Greatsword

Obtained By Transposing The Soul Of The Rotted Greatwood

The Hollowslayer Greatsword is a fantastic weapon throughout the entire game due to it having a 20% damage bonus against any hollow enemy, which includes a number of bosses. Many players going through the story and well into New Game Plus will have this weapon on hand as it’s ideal for when facing hollows. It’s found surprisingly early in the game by defeating the Curse-Rotted Greatwood boss in the Undead Settlement. The soul can be used to craft this weapon or the strong Arstor’s Spear, though this weapon is arguably better.

With an inability to be infused or buffed and poor scaling, the real reason to use this weapon is its unique bonus damage that can be quite impressive when combined with its 264 physical damage. The Hollowslayer Greatsword can absolutely decimate the decrepit Deacons of the Deep because of not only the bonus damage but also its wide, horizontal light attacks that can cover a large area. It can also be immensely helpful against Slave Knight Gael's second and third phases, as he goes hollow when knocked down in his first phase.

7 Irithyll Straight Sword

Dropped By Outrider Knight In The Undead Settlement Zone

The Irithyll Straight Sword is a unique straight sword that comes with built-in frostbite damage. The weapon is excellent for low-level players due to its high base damage and added frostbite effect. At higher levels, the weapon provides a fair bit of utility thanks to its long reach. The Irithyll Straight Sword has the potential to carry players through the majority of the game’s areas and is effective against a number of opponents.

Players can get the sword by killing the Outrider Knight in the Undead Settlement zone. It will be at the bottom of the elevator shaft where Siegward of Catarina can be found, just before the Road of Sacrifices. The weapon is best utilized by a Quality Build, providing 216 base damage with a fixed 55 frostbite damage. The weapon can be upgraded using Twinkling Titanite but cannot be buffed or infused. The Irithyll Straight Sword is effective in both PvE and PvP competitions.

6 Lothric Knight Sword

Dropped By Lothric Knight Or Sold By Greirat After Looting Irithyll Valley

What makes the Lothric Knight Sword so powerful is that it’s capable of holding its own in a wide array of combat scenarios. It can be infused and buffed to suit practically any playstyle or build, making it a versatile weapon that’s easily customized to meet the player’s needs. It also has a nice critical modifier of 110. Getting a Lothric Knight Sword is very easy and can be done early in the game by farming the Lothric Knights on the High Wall of Lothric. Gamers should choose this sword if they need something that can be tweaked to meet their needs.

This straight sword's versatility is almost unparalleled. At +10, it can gain A-tier or S-tier scaling with almost any infusion where scaling is possible. Additionally, most of these upgrade paths lead the Lothric Knight Sword to attain somewhere between 215 and 275 damage total for their various damage types. This blade's startlingly long reach can be a great boon, especially with its strong attack thrust moves.

5 Black Knight Sword

Found On A Corpse At Smouldering Lake

The Black Knight Sword is considered one of the best weapons for PVE, and this is for good reason. With Perseverance, the player’s poise can be boosted to deal incredible damage. In addition to great poise damage, it has good reach and speed, and it doesn’t consume too much of the player’s stamina. It also grants 20% bonus damage to Demons. It’s found in the midgame at Smouldering Lake on one of the corpses. Depending on the player's build and playstyle, this could be the one and only weapon they need for the rest of the game and long into New Game Plus.

As another weapon that cannot be infused or buffed, the Black Knight Sword relies on its base and bonus damage to be a formidable weapon. At 302 physical damage when fully upgraded, this greatsword is almost on par with ultra greatswords for damage potential. A mixed moveset including many slashes and a few thrust attacks allows its wielder to make the most out of every situation.

4 Claymore

Found On The Plateau Where The Fire Breathing Dragon Rests In The High Wall Of Lothric

The Claymore is like a stronger version of Lothric Knight Sword in the greatsword category. It’s an incredibly versatile weapon thanks to Stance and can be infused and buffed to accommodate many builds and playstyles, particularly casters. It also has lower stat requirements when compared to the Black Knight Sword.

Another great perk about the Claymore is that it’s found early on. It’s by the first bonfire near the resting wyvern on the plateau. If players don’t get it then, it can also be obtained from various enemies in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, though this is much later in the game. Although it does not reach S-tier scaling after being upgraded to +10 with any possible infusion, its base damage at this maximum level more than makes up for it. Most paths result in 250 to 300 damage after combining their damage types' potentials. Being one of the longest greatswords in the game grants the Claymore's wielder many chances to out-space foes.

3 Ringed Knight Paired Greatsword

Obtained By Transposing The Soul Of Dragonslayer Armour

The Ringed Knight Paired Greatswords are the ultimate treat for greatsword fans, giving them the ability to wield and use two greatswords at the same time. The weapon was added to the game as part of the Ringed City DLC and is best utilized by Strength and Quality builds. Players can switch between dual wield and single wield mode, with the former mode doing more damage at the cost of attack speed. The Ringed Knight Paired Greatswords are dropped by a Ringed Knight right before players enter the cathedral area. It is close to the altar where players rank up with the Spears of the Church.

The swords offer a C scaling in Strength and D scaling in Dexterity and provide a base total of 322 physical damage when fully upgraded. The sword can be upgraded using Twinkling Titanite but cannot be buffed or infused. However, players can use the Ember weapon skill to buff the swords with flame, allowing them to strike with a bit of fire damage.

2 Sellsword Twinblades

Starting Equipment For The Mercenary And Can Be Found In The Road Of Sacrifices

Surprisingly, the weapon that fans consider the most game-changing is the Sellsword Twinblades. These dual-wielded scimitars are powerful in the hands of a dexterity build, especially when given sharp infusion. In no time, these swords will quickly cut through the toughest bosses like butter, though they do require the player to dodge effectively as they don’t possess the ability to block. If players start as a Mercenary, then they get these weapons as their default. If players pick another class, the earliest they can be obtained is in the swamp behind the Black Knight at the Road Of Sacrifices fairly early in the game.

Dealing 183 physical damage at +10 grants sharp-infused Sellsword Twinblades very high damage potential when combined with the flurry of strikes that they can unleash. The normal and heavy attacks are fast, but the Spin Slash skill allows it to land many blows in a short timeframe that can devastate most opponents.

1 Dragonslayer Greatbow

Looted From A Corpse In Irithyll Of The Boreal Valley

A massive bow that was used by the dragonslayers during the age of the gods, the Dragonslayer Greatbow will make quick work of any enemy. The bow is slow to load, but each projectile does massive damage, making it ideal for sniping enemies from afar. However, the ammunition for the greatbow is rare and difficult to get hold of in higher quantities. Players can get the Dragonslayer Greatbow by looting the corpse of Irityhll of the Boreal Valley. They will also find some enemies nearby who wield similar bows. Although it is rare, some Silver Knights who wield the Dragonslayer Greatbow may also drop the weapon.

The weapon is upgraded using Twinkling Titanite and cannot be buffed or infused. It provides base physical damage of 220 when fully upgraded and has a C scaling Dexterity. A +5 Dragonslayer Greatbow, when used by players with 40/40 Quality Build, would yield a total of 427 AR.