As any long-time fan of the Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls series will tell you, there are a lot of viable weapons and builds out there. Recently, though, a lot of players have jumped onto the “Soulsborne” wagon with 2016’s more modern and accessible series entry Dark Souls III. Here’s a GamersDecide guide to some of the best weapons in Dark Souls III, both for first-timers and experienced gamers embarking on a second play-through or a New Game + challenge. There’s something here for almost every character build - enjoy!
10. Court Sorcerer’s Staff (The Best for Pure Sorcery Builds)
In-Game Text: “Catalyst used by the court sorcerers of the Profaned Capital. Very powerful when wielded by an exceptionally intelligent sorcerer.
The court sorcerers laid claim to the legacy of the renowned Big Hat Logan, going so far as to emulate him with copies of the staff he used.
Skill: Steady Chant
Boost the strength of sorceries for a very short period. Works while equipped in either hand.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Intelligence: 14
Strength: 6
Weight: 2.0
Physical Strike Attacks
Steady Chant - Boosts staff’s spell damage and melee damage by 10% for about 16 seconds
For more about this staff, check out its page on the Fextralife wiki here.
What Makes It Awesome
For high-level pure sorcery builds with 50 intelligence and above, this weapon has the highest spell-buff of all the staves in the game!
It’s one of the most powerful, high-damage staves in the game as well, alongside the Izalith Staff for dark sorceries and the potent weapon art of the Sage’s Crystal Staff.
How to Get It
You can find this staff in the Profaned Capital.
Heading down, deeper into the Profaned Capital from the first bonfire, you will find a toxic swamp. Past the swamp will be a church with hand-beasts inside it, and there will be a mimic on the church’s second level. This staff is dropped by the mimic.
Video Guide by UnitedGamer
9. Rose of Ariandel (The Best for Pure Faith Builds)
In-Game Text: “A flail used by the bulbous Father of the Painted World to shred his own skin, producing blood to appease the flame. Both a weapon and a miracle catalyst.
Ariandel, being the restorer of the Painted World, knew that it was painted with blood, and only blood could protect the secret.
Skill: Awakening
Violently flail oneself to trigger an awakening that temporarily boosts the strength of miracles, just as the good Father used the rose himself.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 12
Faith: 17
Standard Whip Physical Attacks
Awakening - Depending on your health, you will strike yourself for 300-500 damage, and this increases the damage of Miracles that you cast by 25% for about 2 minutes.
Learn more about the Rose of Ariandel here on the Fextralife wiki.
What Makes It Awesome
This weapon provides a major buff to Miracles for high-level pure Faith builds that boosts your damage output for a long period of time.
Because it lasts a long time, you can use Awakening and heal away the damage inflicted on yourself before combat starts, to be left only with the helpful Miracle buff!
How to Get It
You can find this weapon in the Ashes of Ariandel DLC expansion after beating the boss battle against Father Ariandel and Sister Friede.
Video Showcase by Gadagast
8. Immolation Tinder (Sorcery Builds)
In-Game Text: “Profaned Flame wielded by the Irithyllian witches, frigid spirits roaming the Boreal Valley.
This torch, both a weapon and a staff, is enshrouded in an everlasting flame.
Skill: Punitive Flame
Punish foes with a flame that blankets the ground.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Strength: 18
Dexterity: 18
Intelligence: 12
Faith: 12
Physical Thrust Attacks
Punitive Flame - Shoots flames across the ground.
For more info, here’s the Fextralife wiki.
What Makes It Awesome
It’s both an effective melee weapon and a great staff for sorcery spell-casting!
How to Get It
When you enter Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, you’ll find enemies in long white robes that use these staves. They’re called Fire Witches, and if you kill them, they’ll drop their Immolation Tinder.
Video Guide by Sebastiano Soprana
7. Demon’s Scar (The Best for Pure Pyromancy Builds)
In-Game Text: “This chaotic thing, the last flame kindled by a demon prince, is shaped like the claw marks of a demon.
It is both a fiery bladed weapon, and pyromancy flame.
Skill: Spin Slash
Spin to stoke a fierce chaos flame, and use momentum to transition into a spinning strong attack, creating a short-lived lava pool.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Dexterity: 16
Intelligence: 17
Faith: 17
Physical Slash Attacks
Spin Slash - This spinning attack cannot be parried, and it briefly leaves a pool of lava.
To know more, check out the Fextralife wiki page!
What Makes It Awesome
This is arguably the best pyromancy weapon, because it scales with intelligence and faith, deals pure fire damage, and serves as a catalyst for casting pyromancies.
How to Get It
The Demon’s Scar is your reward for defeating The Demon Prince, the first boss of the Ringed City DLC.
Video Guide by vBEAST
6. Onyx Blade (Great for Dark Pyromancy, Hexes, and Dark Sorcery Builds)
In-Game Text: “Elfriede, the eldest amongst her sisters and leader of the Sable Church, bestowed this sword to her knight. Only, the sword was a farewell gift, and acceptance signified the knight's resignation from Elfriede's service.
Skill: Elfriede's Blackflame
Enwreath blade with blackflame, born of the similarly-hued flame that smolders within her.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 12
Intelligence: 15
Faith: 15
Physical Thrust Attacks
Elfriede’s Black Flame - Adds a black flaming aura to the weapon, which contributes an extra 145 fire damage. It lasts 45 seconds.
What Makes It Awesome
Aside from just looking really cool, that black flame can do significant damage!
This is a great option for pyromancers who focus on dark pyromancies.
How to Get It
In the Ashes of Ariandel DLC, you will need to fight and defeat Sir Vilhelm, who will drop this weapon.
Video Guide by Fextralife
5. Dagger - with a Chaos Gem Infusion (Great for Pure Dexterity Builds)
In-Game Text: “Standard small dagger.
Small daggers lack power or reach, but can deal quick consecutive hits due to their light weight. Highly effective when used for critical hits, such as after parrying or attacking from behind.
Skill: Quickstep
Instantly step behind or around the side of foes. Especially effective when locked on to the target.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 9
Physical Slash and Thrust Attacks
Quickstep - This move lets you instantly step behind or to the side of enemies.
Click here for the Fextralife wiki page.
What Makes It Awesome
This is definitely a weapon for veteran players, not beginners - you need to land critical hits and parry with it. Used well, it can be truly dangerous!
With the Chaos Gem, it can really kick butt!
How to Get It
You can either buy it for 300 souls from the Shrine Handmaid at Firelink Shrine or take it from the Hollow Assassins at the High Wall of Lothric.
Video Guide by cad5150
4. Chaos Blade (The Best for Pure Dexterity Builds)
In-Game Text: “A cursed sword of unknown origin bearing uncanny streaks on its blade.
Attacks also damage its wielder.
The sword is not unlike a thing mis-shappen, granted life, but never welcome in this world. In other words, chaos itself.
Skill: Hold
Assume a holding stance to rapidly execute a lunging slash with normal attack, or a deflecting parry with strong attack.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 14
Physical Slash and Thrust Attacks
Hold - “Assume a holding stance to rapidly execute a lunging slash with normal attack, or a deflecting parry with strong attack” (in-game text).
Here’s the page for the Chaos Blade on the Fextralife wiki.
What Makes It Awesome
This is the katana that causes the most bleeding, which means it can do a ton of damage!
At its most refined, the Chaos Blade has an S scaling in Dexterity.
How to Get It
In the Untended Graves, head towards the dark Firelink Shrine. This sword is found at the top of the path to the left of dark Firelink Shrine, and it mirrors the place where you battled the Sword Master to get the Uchigatana at regular Firelink Shrine.
Video Guide by EpicCRAZY WOLF
3. Moonlight Greatsword (The Best for Magic and Melee Hybrid Builds)
In-Game Text: “Legendary dragon weapon associated with Seath the pale-drake.
Charge the strong attack to its limit to unleash a moonlight wave.
Oceiros, the Consumed King, was infatuated with the search for moonlight, but in the end, it never revealed itself to him.
Skill: Moonlight Vortex
Draw the sword back and thrust to unleash torrential moonlight.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 11
Intelligence: 26
Standard Greatsword Physical Attacks
Moonlight Vortex - This move unleashes a wave of moonlight that deals magic damage.
Here’s the Moonlight Greatsword page on Fextralife’s wiki.
What Makes It Awesome
This sword deals significant damage, both physical and magical.
You can use it in both melee and ranged combat, since it launches waves of magic!
Sorcerers can now wield a powerful melee weapon. No need for 60 wasted points in strength or dexterity!
How to Get It
At Lothric Castle, enter the Consumed King’s Garden. At the end of this section, you’ll find a boss - Oceiros the Consumed King. Defeat him and this sword will be yours!
Video Guide by xTGE
2. Dragonslayer Great-axe (Great for Strength and Faith Builds)
In-Game Text: “Melted iron greataxe that once formed part of the Dragonslayer Armour.
Thickly imbued with the power of lightning. Use skill to draw upon the techniques used to slay the archdragons.
Skill: Falling Bolt
Hold axe high in the air to gather fierce lightning, and smash ground to whip the bolts to the ground.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Strength: 40
While it doesn’t need Faith to use it, higher Faith will add lightning damage.
Standard Greataxe Physical Attacks
Falling Bolt - Smash the greataxe on the ground and unleash lightning bolts.
Here is the Dragonslayer Greataxe wiki page by Fextralife.
What Makes It Awesome
With 66 Strength, it deals over 700 physical damage!
With 60 Faith, it deals 194 lightning damage.
How to Get It
Go to Lothric Castle and defeat the Dragonslayer Armor boss. Transposing the Armor’s soul can give you this weapon!
Video Guide by ProGaming
1. Fume Ultra Great-sword (The Best for Pure Strength Builds)
In-Game Text: “This twisted sword, the heaviest of all ultra greatswords, resembles black slate.
This weapon, said to belong to a traitor from long ago, was so heavy that it found no owner, and became a forgotten relic of history.
Skill: Stomp
Use one's weight to lunge forward with a low stance and increased poise, and follow with a crushing strong attack.”
Weapon Requirements and Stats
Strength: 50
Dexterity: 10
Ultra Greatsword Strike Physical Attacks
Stomp - “Use one's weight to lunge forward with a low stance and increased poise, and follow with a crushing strong attack.”
This is its page on the Fextralife wiki.
What Makes It Awesome
This thing hits like a truck!
For a high-level pure strength build, this sword just can’t be beat. It has high damage, yes, but it also staggers almost every enemy!
How to Get It
It’s found at Smouldering Lake, beneath the Catacombs of Carthus. Battle the knight with this sword near a lava lake in order to claim it for yourself!
Video Guide by UnitedGamer
Now that you’re equipped with some of the best weapons that the game can offer for any build, you’ll overcome every obstacle that Dark Souls can throw at you!
