The Best Weapons In Dark Souls 3

Dark Souls 3's Lordran is a dangerous place, filled to the brim with fearsome foes and menacing bosses. As such, the chosen undead must choose a trusty weapon to focus on. Fortunately, there are many to choose from; there's at least one to suit practically any play style. There's enough variety here to keep playing Dark Souls 3 over a dozen different playthroughs if not more.

Straight swords, Greatswords, twin blades, bows — the list goes on. And don't forget the boss weapons, quite a few of which are unique implements that exist in a class entirely of their own. To say the player is spoiled for choice would be an understatement, which proves that FromSoftware isn't always set out to troll the player.

Updated on March 11, 2025, by Gerardo Molina: Dark Souls 3 arguably offers the most versatility out of all the installments in the trilogy, which makes it really entertaining for players to explore and try out the different builds they can create. While most players focus on a Strength or Dexterity build, others take more chances and try out Intelligence and Faith, which can sometimes be harder to master, but can be very powerful when used right. The weapon variety in Dark Souls 3 is quite extensive, eliminating the need to restrict players and putting control in their hands. Some of the weapons on the list are easier to obtain than others, but they’re all well worth it.

23 Onikiri And Ubadachi

A Late-Game Acquisition That's Worth The Effort

Onikiri and Ubadachi are great paired weapons that can always come in handy during a challenging fight. They’re dropped by Black Hand Kamui on the top floor of the Grand Archives, so players should be ready for a difficult fight, as they’ll be facing several enemies simultaneously.

These weapons can be infused and buffed and are upgraded through the use of Titanite. They can be great for Quality and Hollow builds and are also outstanding for Dexterity builds, as the +10 Sharp variant has a scaling of A. The one downside to these weapons is that they’re a little short, so their range is a bit limited compared to other katanas like the Washing Pole.

22 Frayed Blade

A Just Reward For The Challenging Fight Against Darkeater Midir

The Frayed Blade is one of the most coveted katanas in the entirety of Dark Souls 3 and with good reason, as not only is it a great choice for most builds, but it’s also extremely difficult to obtain. To get it, players will have to take down Darkeater Midir, one of the most powerful bosses in both the base game and the DLCs. This dragon boss has one of the largest health pools out there and can one-shot even the most advanced players if they fail to dodge some of its attacks.

Those who wish to upgrade the Frayed Blade can do so with Titanite Scales, which are hard to come by but can greatly improve the quality of this weapon. As opposed to other katanas, the Frayed Blade requires a whopping 40 Dexterity to wield. However, since it’s typically obtained once players have already completed the base game and potentially the Ashes of Ariandel DLC as well, they might have already reached this level anyway. Unfortunately, the Frayed Blade has very low durability, which is one of its main disadvantages. When fully upgraded to Regular +5, this weapon has a Strength scaling of D and a Dexterity scaling of A.

21 Moonlight Greatsword

An Ideal Weapon For Those Chasing An Intelligence Build

The Moonlight Greatsword is one of the most unique weapons in the game and has appeared in every installment of the Dark Souls franchise and even in Elden Ring. Older versions of this weapon did no physical damage and were completely transparent, which could indicate the version in Dark Souls 3 has probably been tainted in some way.

The Moonlight Greatsword cannot be buffed or infused but can be reinforced with Titanite Scales. It’s great for Intelligence builds, as it has a scaling of B with this attribute as early as Regular +2.

20 Flamberge

A Greatsword Perfect For A Quality Build

Given that the Flamberge is a rare drop obtained from Hollow Slaves, it's easy to see why a lot of players don't get an opportunity to wield this weapon. Trying to farm this blade from these enemies can be an exercise in patience, but players who put in the grind, or get lucky enough to obtain one without any problems, will have found themselves a unique greatsword perfect for quality builds.

The Flamberge may not be as viable as its previous appearances in the series, but that should take nothing away from the inherent simplicity of this weapon. Players can dish out decent damage with one of the best weapons in Dark Souls 3 while keeping enemies at range, and leveling up both Strength and Dexterity ensures that the Flamberge's damage will be high enough in the late game to ensure that enemies continue to fall to the might of the Ashen One's strength.

How To Get Flamberge

A rare drop from Hollow Slaves wielding this weapon in Cathedral of the Deep, Grand Archives, and Undead Settlement.

19 Zweihander

A Classic Two-Handed Sword That's Still Viable In The Third Game

It can be hard to get used to a Zweihander that pokes enemies, but players who get used to rolling and stabbing with this blade will find it to be one of the best Dark Souls 3 weapons they can get their hands on. It helps that the Zweihander is perfect for PvP, since parrying this beast is incredibly challenging.

Slicing and dicing enemies with this blade is quite satisfying, even if the collection of greatswords in Dark Souls 3 might make this less viable in the eyes of some. However, there's nothing wrong with wielding a weapon that's comfortable to use, and the Zweihander more than fits the bill in this regard.

How To Get Zweihander

Sold by Greirat or the Shrine Handmaid (the latter obtains this weapon after giving her Greirat's Ashes).

18 Warden Twinblades

Fast-Attacking Twin Blades That Inflict Bleed

Dark Souls 3 graced fans with the inclusion of several dual-wielding weapons that are a joy to use in combat. The flashy combos and moves players can pull off with these weapons never get old, and players who want to make the most of these movesets should try out the Warden Twinblades, which are one of the best Dark Souls 3 weapons they can get their hands on.

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Players who think that the raw damage of these weapons isn't as high as the other dual-wielding weapons are overlooking one of its strongest aspects. Bleed is a powerful status in the Dark Souls games, and the third game is no exception. Being able to cause a huge chunk of the enemy's health bar to drop is a great reason to land successive combos with this stylish weapon.

How To Get Warden Twinblades

Dropped by the Cathedral Grave Wardens.

17 Great Club

Bonk Enemies Into Oblivion

The Great Club is one of the best weapons DS3 players can get relatively early into the game, depending on how fast they can get through a few key areas. The Great Club scales extremely well with Strength, though it does require a relatively high 28 Strength to wield it effectively in one hand.

The Great Club hits hard, but also staggers and flattens enemies outright from further away than other heavy weapons. The Great Club is one of DS3's best weapons because of its reach and its ability to be infused and buffed with consumables, further increasing its power. It helps that its attack animations are pretty wide-ranging, too, giving lots of ways to take down opponents.

How To Get Great Club

The Great Club can only be found as a random drop from Farron Watchdog enemies, in the swamp outside of Farron Keep.

16 Vordt’s Great Hammer

An Early-Game Weapon, Good For Clobbering Enemies

Vordt of the Boreal Valley is one of the first true bosses players come across in Dark Souls 3, and after being defeated, players can then wield his enormous hammer. Vordt's Great Hammer, as its name would suggest, is a giant Strength-based weapon that requires its user to have at least 30 Strength in their build to wield it with one hand, and level 20 for two-handed wielding.

Though it's rather powerful on its own in terms of base damage, it's the Frostbite it inflicts that takes it over the top in terms of usefulness. The ability to obtain and use it from an early point in the game means players can upgrade and become familiar with it as their journey through Dark Souls 3 only escalates in difficulty.

How To Get Vordt's Great Hammer

Defeat Vordt, then Soul Transposition the Soul of Boreal Valley Vordy with Ludleth of Courland, found on his throne above the Firelink Shrine.

15 Dragonslayer Greatbow

One Of The Strongest Long-Range Weapons In The Game

A bow and arrow as a primary weapon in a FromSoftware Souls game? That may sound blasphemous to some, but the Dragonslayer Greatbow holds its own, which should be obvious from anyone who has ever had one shot at them in Dark Souls 3. It's safe to assume that a weapon designed to shoot down large dragons would be rather effective against smaller targets.

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Those wanting to roll the dice can also come upon it as a rather rare drop by Silver Knights who happen to be wielding it themselves.

How To Get Dragonslayer Greatbow

The Dragonslayer Greatbow is found on a body in Irityhll of the Boreal Valley. Progress through the area and look for a body with a glowing white item, just past an area with other bow-wielders attacking the player.

14 Lothric Knight Sword

A Simple, Effective Weapon Perfect As A Jack-Of-All-Trades

Sometimes the best value is in something's availability. That doesn't mean on its own the Lothric Knight Sword isn't solid, but it is a huge boost that players can grab early by simply taking on Lothric Knights in the High Wall of Lothric section of Dark Souls 3. Farming items isn't for everyone, but this is one of the few cases where it isn't too much of a task and is worth the payoff.

When fully upgraded, the Lothric Knight Sword can have its scaling reach A or S-Tier, and that happens regardless of what infusion the player puts on it. These types of swords attack in a certain pattern, so it's best for players to test it out in combat and on air to see if it's something they feel they want to commit to for the foreseeable future.

How To Get Lothric Knight's Sword

The Lothric Knight's Sword can only be acquired by killing Lothric Knights throughout DS3. These can be found in the High Wall on the stairs between Vordy and the Dancer.