Since Elden Ring was first released, players naturally gravitated toward the katana. Though the katana is inarguably a cool choice, it also happens to be among the strongest class of weapons in the game, making it an excellent choice for beginners and inveterate Souls players alike. While the katana tends to scale with Dexterity and Strength, a handful of legendary katanas compliment other builds as well making it one of the most versatile weapons in Elden Ring.
When it comes to initial class choices, the Uchigatana—the starter katana—makes a strong case for the Samurai class being the best beginner choice in Elden Ring. With the Uchigatana in hand and the Land of Reeds armor set, players will have no issue cutting through the early stages of the game. Of course, even players who opted for another starter class will find plenty of katana options at various stages of the game.
S-Tier
- Uchigatana: Surprisingly, the starter Uchigatana is arguably the best katana in the entire game. It's quick, light, and, like other katanas stacks Bleed—which tends to dispatch bosses relatively quickly. The main reason why the Uchigatana is so high on the list though is, like other normal weapons, it can be upgraded to +25 with the use of regular Smithing Stones.
- Nagakiba: Another regular katana option is also an S-tier choice for the same reasons. The Nagakiba, however, has an even longer range than the Uchigatana, which makes it especially useful in PvP encounters.
- Hand of Malenia: The one drawback with the Hand of Malenia is that players only get this item near the end of the game. It's got a reach that rivals the Nagakiba and a unique weapon ability—an attack that Malenia uses—that is absolutely devastating.
- Rivers of Blood: While Rivers of Blood was initially hampered by a scaling glitch that left it rather ineffective, the latest patch allows players to experience it at its true potential. With both amazing base stats and a unique weapon skill that rivals the Hand of Malenia, Rivers of Blood is now right up there with the best katanas available.
A-Tier
- Moonveil Katana: The Moonveil Katana could easily be argued into S-tier because of its unique ability, Transient Moonlight, but it feels unnecessary when the basic options are so effective already. For players that like to blend Sorcery with melee combat, though, Moonveil Katana might be the best pick. It also stands alone as having one of the most aesthetically pleasing weapon arts in the entire game.
B-Tier
- Meteoric Ore Blade: The Meteoric Ore Blade has fine base stats as well as Bleed, but its unique weapon ability, Gravitas, just doesn't cut it. It has a slow cast animation and is relatively ineffective, plus its odd AoE mechanic and pull don't feel at home with most katana builds.
- Dragonscale Blade: Despite an absurdly pleasing lightning effect, the Dragonscale Blade's weapon art is relatively lackluster. However, like the Meteoric Ore Blade, it has decent base stats and could be a viable choice for a dual-wield katana build.
C-Tier
- Serpentbone Blade: The last of the katanas that can be upgraded with regular Smithing Stones is also arguably the weakest. The Serpentbone blade has a nice special attack, but it trades in Bleed for Poison, which puts it below almost all other choices on the list. It probably has a niche spot in a Poison-based build, but as it stands, it pales in comparison to other katana choices.
Elden Ring is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.