Highlights

• Dark Souls revolutionized the gaming industry by introducing challenging gameplay and forcing players to strategize their builds and weapon choices carefully.
• Investing in both Strength and Dexterity in Dark Souls can lead to better builds for certain weapons, maximizing DPS for a more enjoyable gameplay experience.
• The game offers a variety of quality weapons, like the Composite Bow and Dragonslayer Greatbow, that can help players take down tough enemies with ease.

When one talks about some of the greatest and most impactful games of all time, then it goes without saying that Dark Souls would be an inevitable part of the conversation. After all, it was FromSoftware's bold title that served as a wake-up call to the AAA industry, which was getting increasingly complacent when it came to adding a degree of challenge to their games. With the release of Dark Souls, this entire dynamic was overhauled significantly. No longer were gamers being treated like children anymore — FromSoftware took care of this with their title, which compelled players to choose proper builds and utilize weapons tailor-made to that moveset to ensure that their damage was enough to take care of even the toughest of bosses.

There are two main melee stats in Dark Souls that govern physical damage — Strength and Dexterity. While one can definitely opt to increase only one of these stats, investing in both can result in some better builds for certain weapons. For players who are seeking out a great weapon to go with this build, there are some truly great Quality build weapons in Dark Souls that are worth their time. However, while it's true that increasing one's DPS is the best way to play this game, there's no denying that players should just use the weapon that they enjoy the most instead of trying to optimize their playthrough with tried-and-tested DS1 Quality weapons greenlit by the gaming community.

Updated on March 9, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls is a video game that needs no introduction. Released around a time when more and more games were shying away from pushing players to their very limits, the cryptic story and unforgiving combat of Dark Souls was a breath of fresh air in the industry. The title is easily one of the most immersive gaming experiences ever crafted, and it's important to pursue a proper build if players want to maximize their damage against the game's powerful enemies and bosses. A popular build that maximizes damage is one that prioritizes two, or even three stats, at once, also known as a Quality build. Many weapons complement this play style and are a lot of fun to wield, and more of them have been added to this list.

18 Composite Bow

Found In New Londo Ruins On A Ledge Above The Large Gates Overlooking The Valley Of Drakes

• Damage: 137 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 11 Strength, 12 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), C (Dexterity)

Ranged weapons might not make for the most interesting combat in the game, but they sure do trivialize and simplify certain encounters that might be giving players a tough time. Generally, the first bow that players will stick with for the long haul is the Composite Bow... as long as they run through the threats in New Londo Ruins and quickly pick up this weapon.

The bow scales with both Strength and Dexterity and lets players pick off enemies from afar. Given how threatening certain enemies are at melee range, the Composite Bow does a great job of letting players pick and choose their fights.

17 Dragonslayer Greatbow

Found In Anor Londo Right Before The Fight Against Ornstein And Smough

• Damage: 135 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 20 Strength, 20 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), C (Dexterity)

After a while, the damage done by most bows will start becoming rather unimpressive, making most encounters tedious for a build focusing on ranged weaponry. Thankfully, the Dragonslayer Greatbow is here to make combat fun again.

Upgrading this weapon will allow players to wreak absolute havoc on their enemies with this amazing bow. Its ranged attacks hit like a truck and can down most enemies in just a few hits... if not one shot!

16 Dragonslayer Spear

Ascend A +10 Spear With The Soul Of Ornstein

• Damage: 142 (Physical), 97 (Lightning)
• Stat Requirements: 24 Strength, 24 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), B (Dexterity), B (Faith)

Ornstein and Smough are one of the hardest and most epic boss fights in any video game. Getting to Anor Londo is already a major challenge as it is, so to see this dynamic duo as the first boss fight in the area can be disheartening for players. Beating one boss supercharges the other and restores their health bar, with Super Ornstein considered to be the tougher adversary.

So, if players decide to take on this tough foe, then they'll be rewarded with the Soul of Orstein that can be used to forge the warrior's legendary Dragonslayer Spear. It's a powerful weapon that deals both Physical and Lightning damage, making it important to invest in both Dexterity and Faith if players want to get the most out of this weapon.

15 Partizan

Found To The Left Of Darkroot Garden's Main Area

• Damage: 200 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 13 Strength, 12 Dexterity
• Scaling: D (Strength), B (Dexterity)

Spears are criminally underrated in Dark Souls. They might not be as flashy or epic as some of the other weapons in the game, but this shouldn't take away from their effectiveness in the slightest. After all, most people like to keep their distance when fighting enemies, and spears are perfect in this regard.

The Partizan is one of the better spears that players can get their hands on. It's easy to use, has great damage, doesn't require high stats to equip, and scales well with both Strength and Dexterity. Players opting for a simple quality build will find this reliable weapon right up their alley.

14 Murakumo

Easiest Way To Obtain It Is By Killing Shiva Of The East

• Damage: 282 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 28 Strength, 13 Dexterity
• Scaling: E (Strength), A (Dexterity)

The Murakumo is easily one of the most underrated weapons in the entire game. It's a shame that more people don't take advantage of this massive curved sword, which looks incredible and has a pretty nice moveset as well.

Unfortunately, the only guaranteed drop for this weapon comes from killing Shiva of the East, a rather important NPC. For a weapon that scales mostly with Dexterity, players need a pretty high Strength stat of 28 to wield it effectively in the game.

13 Lifehunt Scythe

Forge From A +10 Scythe, Whip, Or Halberd Ascended With The Soul Of Priscilla

• Damage: 270 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 16 Strength, 14 Dexterity
• Scaling: E (Strength), B (Dexterity)

Most people will have heated debates about the effectiveness of the Great Scythe over the Lifehunt Scythe. While the former might have a greater reach, the excellent Bleed buildup of the Lifehunt Scythe puts it in a class of its own.

Just make sure to weak equipment that prevents self-Bleed buildup as well. Using this weapon without any Bleed resistance is pretty much asking to get killed for no reason time and time again.

12 Gargoyle's Halberd

Random Drop From Either The Bell Gargoyles Or The Anor Londo Gargoyles

• Damage: 287 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 16 Strength, 12 Dexterity
• Scaling: D (Strength), D (Dexterity)

One of the best weapons in the game that most people simply can't get enough of, the Gargoyle's Halberd can be obtained pretty early on in the game and can become an instant hit in the hands of players who know how to wield this weapon effectively. That being said, the drop rate of this weapon isn't all that high, and players have to farm the gargoyles in the game quite a bit to enjoy a reliable chance of getting this weapon.

Grinding this weapon out is definitely worth it since players can enjoy wielding a really powerful weapon that is pretty engaging to check out in its own right. The Gargoyle's Halberd is pretty simple to use, but it's the effectiveness of the weapon's moveset that has made it so beloved among most Dark Souls fans.

11 Great Scythe

Found In The Catacombs

• Damage: 250 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 14 Strength, 14 Dexterity
• Scaling: E (Strength), A (Dexterity)

The Great Scythe is one of the best weapons in the game and a favorite of many players. The weapon hits like a truck and scales really well with Dexterity.

In fact, the scaling of this weapon is so good with Dexterity that most people don't even consider it to be a Quality weapon. However, investing a few points in Strength will go a long way in ensuring that players can maximize the damage that is done by this amazing weapon.

10 Washing Pole

Can Be Bought From Shiva Of The East

• Damage: 225 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 20 Strength, 16 Dexterity
• Scaling: D (Strength), C (Dexterity)

The Washing Pole might not be the first weapon that anyone thinks of when it comes to choosing a good Quality build weapon, but this katana is still a great option regardless. This weapon is quite similar to the Uchigatana, so players who are used to that legendary weapon can opt for this counterpart if they're pursuing a Quality build.

At the maximum upgrade of +15, the Washing Pole gets D-tier scaling in Strength and C-tier scaling in Dexterity. This isn't very impressive, however, this weapon's reach and speed allow it to be deadly with even minimal boosts. 225 physical attack is not a figure that should be dismissed either.

9 Caestus

Purchased From Andre Of Astora

• Damage: 165 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 5 Strength, 8 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), C (Dexterity)

The Caestus is easily one of the more unique weapons on this list, essentially functioning as a dark fantasy knuckleduster of sorts. Good scaling in both Strength and Dexterity, coupled with a fast moveset, makes the Caestus one of the more entertaining weapons to use in Dark Souls. Dual-wielding two Caestus weapons have become quite popular in Dark Souls, and people who decide to pursue this particular course of action will find themselves more than amazed by how different the game feels.

C-tier scaling in both melee stats allows this fist weapon's 165 physical attack to gain a moderate boost to its offensive rating. In combination with its rapid light and heavy attacks, as well as its wickedly swift parry speed, this grants its wielder great potential in combat.

8 Bastard Sword

Purchased From Andre Of Astora

• Damage: 262 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 16 Strength, 10 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), C (Dexterity)

The Bastard Sword might — ironically enough — be mostly forgotten when it comes to choosing a proper sword in Dark Souls, but there's no denying the validity of this weapon for people who are pursuing a Quality build.

That being said, the Bastard Sword is certainly one of the faster greatswords in Dark Souls — even though its highest-damaging attack is extremely slow — and is a great pick for a person to finish their playthrough with. At +15, this big blade gets C-tier scaling in both Strength and Dexterity that, despite being average, adds a decent boost to its substantial 262 physical attack. Its wide, sweeping light attacks are excellent for dealing with multiple foes at once and its overhead slam for a heavy attack is great to use in tight confines as well as to stagger most common enemies.

7 Warpick

Purchased From Andre Of Astora

• Damage: 227 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 11 Strength, 10 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), D (Dexterity)

The Warpick is easily one of the most underrated and underappreciated weapons in the entire game, and it's easy to see why this is the case once a person starts using this weapon. With the second-highest reach of any hammer weapon and decent scaling with both Strength and Dexterity, it must be said that the Warpick is an easy recommendation for any player pursuing a Quality build.

With C-tier scaling in Strength and D-tier in Dexterity, it is geared a bit more towards beefier players, though this does not stop its maximum physical attack of 227 from allowing Quality builds to decimate a foe's health bar. As opposed to every other hammer in the game, the Warpick does thrust-type damage, meaning that it is the only weapon in this class that can take advantage of counterattack damage for even bigger hits on enemies in the middle of an attack animation.

6 Flamberge

Purchased From Shiva Of The East

• Damage: 250 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 16 Strength, 14 Dexterity
• Scaling: D (Strength), B (Dexterity)

The Flamberge is one of the safer weapons that players can use if they don't want to experiment too much with their moveset. It's a reliable weapon in both PvE and PvP scenarios, and can definitely make one's journey with Dark Souls way easier once people are more familiar with the moveset.

The Flamberge is a bit odd for a greatsword in that it scales better with Dexterity, achieving B-tier in this stat at the maximum Regular upgrade level. It does get D-tier scaling with Strength, which allows it to be usable for Quality builds. As its item description and undulating blade imply, it can cause massive bleeding to adversaries as a bonus way to maim and massacre opponents.

5 Great Lord Greatsword

Ascend A +10 Upgraded Dagger/Straight Sword/Great Sword With The Soul Of Gwyn, Lord Of Cinder

• Damage: 384 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 20 Strength, 10 Dexterity
• Scaling: D (Strength), D (Dexterity)

It goes without saying that the weapon of the final boss in the game was bound to make an appearance on this list, especially given the amazing scaling of said weapon with both Strength and Dexterity. The Great Lord Greatsword isn't available for a person's first playthrough, which is quite a shame since this greatsword is easily one of the more fun weapons to play around with.

As a boss soul weapon, it can only be upgraded to +5 and cannot be infused, however, it doesn't need more than that to be a tool for utter devastation. The D-tier scaling in both Strength and Dexterity adds a minuscule boost to the attack rating, though its physical attack more than makes up for this with a tremendous figure of 384. This is one of the highest physical attack stats in the entire game.

4 Longsword

Default Equipment For The Warrior Class That Can Also Be Purchased From Andre Of Astora

• Damage: 200 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 10 Strength, 10 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), C (Dexterity)

It boggles minds that one of the best weapons in the entirety of Dark Souls can be achieved from the very start if the player chooses the Warrior class. The Longsword is easily one of the most reliable weapons in Dark Souls and a great weapon for anyone pursuing a Quality build. The weapon is fast enough to land two hits and then roll away from any danger, leaving the enemy with no clue as to what happened. It's one of the most beloved weapons in the entire game, and it's easy to see why this is the case.

This straight sword's combination of attack speed and relatively high damage for its weapon class make it a prime choice for Quality builds since it also gains C-tier scaling in both melee-oriented stats. 200 physical attack grants each swing of this blade sufficiently high damage per second that can see a player from the start of the game to the end without needing any other armament.

3 Demon's Spear

Purchased From Shiva Of The East

• Damage: 150 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 12 Strength, 10 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), C (Dexterity)

Technically speaking, most spears and halberds are quite viable with a Quality build, and this entire list could've been populated with weapons under these categories. However, none of them even come close to the brilliance of the Demon's Spear. The sheer amount of damage this weapon can do with a few quick hits simply puts it a cut above the rest of the spears and halberds present in Dark Souls. Its serviceable scaling with Strength and Dexterity makes it a perfect weapon for people pursuing a Quality build.

Dealing split damage, comprising 150 physical and 180 lightning attack, this is polearm excellent to get past the defenses of enemies with high physical damage reduction. Its thrusts also make it great for getting more damage on foes in the middle of an attack animation for great counterattacks. The C-tier scaling in both Strength and Dexterity is a great boon for Quality builds.

2 Zweihander

Obtained From A Corpse In The Graveyard Area Behind Firelink Shrine

• Damage: 325 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 24 Strength, 10 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), D (Dexterity)

It would be impossible to talk about weapons that are compatible with a Quality build without mentioning the absolute monster that is the Zweihander. The fact that this weapon is available fairly early in the game, coupled with the sheer damage it can deal with every hit, makes it one of the best weapons in Dark Souls by a country mile. In fact, the only weapon that is arguably better than the Zweihander is another popular greatsword.

C-tier scaling in Strength and D-tier in Dexterity gives a small yet appreciated boost to this two-handed sword's 325 physical attack. Its moveset is very similar to the Bastard Sword in that its light attacks unleash great sweeps in front of the wielder while the heavy ones bring this massive blade down upon the skulls of foes in a monstrous overhand smash.

1 Claymore

Looted From A Body On The Bridge With The Hellkite Wyvern In Upper Undead Burg

• Damage: 257 (Physical)
• Stat Requirements: 16 Strength, 10 Dexterity
• Scaling: C (Strength), C (Dexterity)

One doesn't need to give this legendary weapon an introduction — anybody who's played Dark Souls will attest to the fact that the Claymore is the best greatsword available in the entire game. The moveset is incredibly entertaining, the damage is massive, and the weapon is available really early on in the game. Basically, the Claymore ticks all the boxes when it comes to being a great Quality weapon in Dark Souls.

The C-tier scaling it gets in both Strength and Dexterity are decent damage modifiers to this greatsword's 257 physical attack. What sets it apart from similar greatswords like the Zweihander is that the Claymore has both thrust and slashing attacks that make it extremely versatile and viable in pretty much every area in the game. Huge range, moderate speed, and solid damage grant this mighty blade the title of the best Quality build weapon in Dark Souls.