Of all the weapon classes in Dark Souls 3, Katanas are arguably the best choice for Dexterity builds, for all 8 that can be obtained offer moderate to excellent scaling in this stat when upgraded. They also possess versatile movesets comprising of both slashes and thrusts, making them capable of dealing with multiple foes at once as well as being able to take advantage of counter-attacks.
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Additionally, all Katanas come with innate bleed effects for an auxiliary tactic that only enhances their usability. Regardless of if foes try to dodge or block, these excellent curved swords from the east grant players the capabilities to chase down and punish foes as well as break through their guard in multiple ways. Though, it should be mentioned that some try too hard to be special and end up losing potential as a deadly blade. These should be avoided in favor of those that yield the greater result of actually slaying foes instead of simply looking cool.
Updated on June 10, 2021, by Reyadh Rahaman: How the Ashen One should use Katanas in PvE differs from how to use them in PvP, as human foes possess much greater strategic prowess and reflexes than anything artificial intelligence can do, even with greater overall power. It's not enough to simply fully upgrade one of these blades and know how to use them effectively; after half a decade of people playing Dark Souls 3, conventional tactics have become stale in an ever-evolving metagame and serious competitors should seek novel methods of enhancing their strengths, regardless of what Katana they choose to use.
8 Bloodlust
There are plenty of jokes that can be made about this Katana being found from a literal mound at covenant rank 1. Bloodlust can be obtained by joining the Mound-makers covenant very early in the game, and as such, it is one of the first weapons of this class that players will encounter.
Though, it should be avoided by true warriors of bushido, as it is the worst Katana in the game. Even after being fully upgraded to +5, its physical attack does not break 200, instead resting at 184. With the A-tier Dexterity scaling, this is not awful, especially since its weapon skill boosts the user's Attack Rating, however, there are massive drawbacks to using it. The eponymously named skill, Bloodlust, applies a red aura and great power to the blade but hurts the wielder and also applies the bleed status effect to them for one of the riskiest skills to use in combat.
Since using this weapon comes at the cost of both losing health and gaining a status condition, the simplest and most effective method of countering them is to use rings. Rings that grant more maximum health (and a few other boons), such as the Prisoner's Chain, can help alleviate the damage taken when using the weapon skill.
7 Darkdrift
This is usually a weapon that cannot be acquired until after the player achieves the Lord of Hollows ending of the game, though it can be gained much earlier by killing Yuria of Londor in cold blood. However, aside from completionism or a personal goal of collecting certain weapons, there's not much reason for the player to sacrifice a perfectly good merchant.
Like Bloodlust, Darkdrift trades the great Hold skill found on most Katanas for a unique one that pales in comparison in most situations. Its skill, named after the sword itself, lets players use a lunging attack that bypasses shields for sufficient chip damage. This seems useful, at first, until one realizes that the innate bleed build-up dealt by all Katanas already grants players the ability to get around shields. Furthermore, although it achieves a decent physical attack of 234 when upgraded to +5, its C-tier scaling in Dexterity allows it to be surpassed by most other blades of this type.
Darkdrift, unlike some other Katanas, also possesses scaling with the Strength stat, albeit only at D-tier. Because of this, players can pump a few points into Strength to increase their Attack Rating a bit as well as equip the Knight's Ring to perform the same feat and gain an instant 5 additional points in Strength.
6 Chaos Blade
Embodying the power of entropy itself, the Chaos Blade returns once more. It can be found at the Untended Graves where the Sword Master would be located if one compares the layout to the Cemetary of Ash. Players familiar with this double-edged sword from the previous games are likely already aware of its great potential for damage against both enemies and the user. With each attack made with this Katana, the wielder will receive flat damage that is not altered by stats or armor. This effect occurs even if one misses their strike, which results in more conservative tactics in battle.
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Thankfully, with its Hold skill and great reach, many can still make excellent use of the Chaos Blade as long as they have a way to heal. 180 physical attack with a tremendous S-tier scaling in Dexterity allows it to cut foes to ribbons, however, it is not the only Katana that can do this efficiently. Additionally, there are some more powerful ones that do not drain their user's health every time they attack.
Gradual healing is the best method to counter the unfortunate effect of attacking with the Chaos Blade, therefore putting a few points into Faith and using any low-requirement Sacred Chime can be handy for a couple of reasons. The weapon skill on many Sacred Chimes, called Gentle Prayer, grants a quick and easy way to gain subtle health regeneration for a short time. Additionally, such catalysts will allow one to cast the low-requirement miracle (15 Faith) Replenishment, which has essentially the same effect as Gentle Prayer and actually stacks with it for double the health regeneration.
5 Washing Pole
As the longest Katana in the game, the Washing Pole is not a weapon to be underestimated. It can catch foes coming out of rolls quite easily, making it an excellent weapon for PVP, though be wary of its low durability. With only 20 in this stat, players should always be sure to carry some Repair Powder if they intend to use this long blade.
It can be bought from the Shrine Handmaid for 7,500 souls after one gives her the Easterner's Ashes. At 223 physical attack at +10 and an A-tier scaling in Dexterity when infused with a sharp gem, it is one of the swords in the game with the highest damage potential.
One of the few downsides of wielding the Washing Pole is also that it takes proportionately more stamina to swing than most other Katanas, therefore buffing one's green bar in some way can help. A quick and easy method is to equip the Chloranthy Ring for faster stamina regeneration.
4 Uchigatana
This simple-looking sword is the earliest attainable Katana in Dark Souls 3 and is a solid choice for all those interested in Dexterity weapons. It will be tricky to get, however, as it is a guaranteed drop from the deadly Sword Master who resides to the left of Firelink Shrine's main entrance.
The Uchigatana does everything right by the concept of what Katanas should be. It has decent reach, possesses the versatile Hold skill for swift strikes and easy parries, and can be upgraded to the highest point possible as well as being infused. At +10 with a sharp infusion, it packs a sizable 212 physical attack and an A-tier scaling with Dexterity.
While stealth mechanics in Dark Souls 3 often consist of sorcery-based trickery or the effect of a piece of equipment that grants invisibility (though more like varying degrees of transparency), players can utilize the Hold stance for some subtle sneaking. When the Hold stance is activated by using the weapon skill, players crouch while holding their sheathed Katana, which from a distance can allow those in PvP to hide behind low walls and other bits of the environment for unexpected ambushes.
3 Frayed Blade
Transposed from the Soul of Darkeater Midir, this endgame Katana requires a huge 40 Dexterity to even be wielded. Although, if one has such stats, the Frayed Blade can be one of the deadliest companions to bring into battle. Just be sure to bring lots of Repair Powder to offset this abyss-empowered weapon's low durability stat of 20.
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It possesses the Hold skill, though a deadly variation of it that unleashes shockwaves with the light attack and a devastating series of slashes with the heavy attack, the former of which is an excellent way to catch rolling foes. The Frayed Blade also has innate dark damage in addition to its natural bleed effect, which makes it a total nightmare for shield-users to defend against. To top it all off, this sword of darkness gets 184 physical and 76 dark attack at +5 and an A-tier Dexterity scaling for some of the highest total damage output of any blade besides Greatswords and Ultra Greatswords.
If one is looking to increase the dark attack of this blade for greater natural shield penetration and an overall higher Attack Rating, players could consider equipping the Dark Clutch Ring, which increases one's dark attack by 8% in PvP, though, it also decreases the wearer's damage absorption to all physical damage types (Physical, Slash, Thrust, and Strike) by 15%.
2 Black Blade
Despite being shorter in length than most Katanas, as well as heavier, the Black Blade can be one of the deadliest weapons imaginable. It is dropped from a mimic in the Catacombs of Carthus in the same large room with a demon and a few skeletons.
Its moveset reverses the slash and thrust of the strong attack combo that one finds on other Katanas, leading with a horizontal sweep and following up with a stab. This is better in most cases as the wider leading-slash makes it easier to out-space enemies. The Blade Blade's awesome 225 physical attack at +10 sharp infusion combined with its A-tier scaling in Dexterity make for one of the most powerful Katanas in the game.
Sometimes the simplest additions to a build can be the best, especially when wielding one of the best weapons in this category. Even after the Black Blade is infused, it can still be buffed, meaning that players can make great use of various pine resins and other weapon coatings to temporarily boost their Attack Rating. Carthus Rouge, which stacks with the Black Blade's natural bleed effect, can be especially deadly against a wide variety of adversaries.
1 Onikiri And Ubadachi
For extremely high damage per second along with a moveset and skill that encourages aggression, Onikiri and Ubadachi are the most dangerous of their kind. These paired Katanas act like others of the weapon class when wielded regularly, though when two-handed, they can unleash a flurry of strikes that no one can withstand for long. They are dropped by Black Hand Kamui after he is defeated near the rooftop exit of the Grand Archives.
The shorter of the two blades requires the wielder to get right up in their enemy's face to be used to its full potential, though when one gets within this range they can end most PvE or PvP threats in the blink of an eye. With 192 physical attack and A-tier scaling in Dexterity, these paired weapons' rapid strikes make short work of the adversary's health bar.
What truly pushes Onikiri and Ubadachi over the top compared to other Katanas is its Onislayer skill, which launches the wielder forward before unleashing a typhoon of slashes that deal enormous health and poise damage. Not only is this a great way to approach and attack a foe simultaneously, but it is also a deathly efficient finishing move. The Pontiff's Right Eye Ring and the Pontiff's Left Eye Ring both complement this paired weapon as they grant bonus attack power and healing to the wielder as long as successive attacks are chained together, much like what one can do with the Onislayer weapon skill.