There are many weapons to choose from in Dark Souls 3, so regardless of one's preferences, it is always possible to find something that fits the Ashen One's style. Depending on the player's build, there are different things one will look for in armaments. Stats play a huge role in the effectiveness of a weapon, therefore it can be useful to plan ahead. Or at least consider what one wants to accomplish.
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Thankfully, the variety of ways to slash, burn, or blast one's adversaries are numerous and can be mixed and matched for one's specific needs. Be it during PvP or in PvE portions of the game, there are a few that stand out as particularly impressive.
Updated on March 21, 2021, by Reyadh Rahaman: What makes these few weapons stand out from the rest are their unique traits which grant them higher usability as well as more dangerous effects. Adding an unexpected component to combat can leave enemies confused and afraid: the ideal state that renders them open to any desired offensive maneuvers. If the player can make use of these unique aspects, they can dominate the battlefield and unleash the true potential of a weapon's damage output and versatility.
10 Pontiff Knight Curved Sword
This blade is one with a deceptively long reach; because of its shape and animation, it is hard for human enemies in PvP to gauge how to approach their target. Its weapon skill has a surprising range as well and can catch foes unaware. This makes it a decent choice for PvP dexterity builds that prioritize speed and maneuverability. Though, in the PvE portion of Dark Souls 3, it is about as effective as most other one-handed curved swords.
At the maximum upgrade level of +5, the Pontiff Knight Curved Sword reaches 214 physical attack along with D-tier scaling in Strength and C-tier in Dexterity. This may not seem like much, though this is but one aspect of its power, for its Frost Blade skill grants the potent ability to apply the overpowered frost effect, which takes a chunk out of the foe's health bar, reduces stamina regeneration, and also lowers all of their damage absorption stats. If one hits their target with both the actual blade and the Frost Blade extension, they can apply a massive 110 frost build-up per hit; more than any other innate frost-capable weapon in the entire game.
9 Ledo's Greathammer
This powerful weapon was once wielded by Ledo, the eccentric silver knight who roamed the outskirts of the world and befriended giants. He was even pals with the famous Havel the Rock and employed a similar combat method: smashing foes into the ground with a huge hammer. This foe-felling implement has a weapon skill that sends out a shockwave of stones to greatly damage opponents. The range of this weapon skill is also larger than one would expect, making it handy for both PvE and PvP.
Be prepared to do some soul-farming and level-grinding (or re-allocate stats) if one wants to wield Ledo's Greathammer, as it is the heaviest great hammer in the game at a massive 55 weight and also requires a huge 60 Strength to even be used properly. However, if one meets these requirements, they can expect a significant 296 physical attack combined with A-tier scaling in Strength at the maximum upgrade level. It should also be mentioned that this hulk of metal possesses greater poise health than most other weapons, allowing its wielder to tank through even greater attacks than other great hammers.
8 Harald Curved Greatsword
The gargantuan and grotesque harald knights are abundant in The Ringed City, so the might of their blades is likely something many players are familiar with. In the hands of the Ashen One, this greatsword can be similarly deadly. With some of the best dark-scaling of any weapon, this is an ideal choice for those warriors interested in a more sinister playstyle. Like other greatswords, it has decent range and damage; Strength builds with some faith and intelligence can make this a formidable tool.
There are two main upgrade paths that offer the best damage output: Heavy and Dark. For those rocking a pure-Strength build, the Heavy upgrade path is the most desirable, as at +10, the Harald Curved Greatsword gains 259 physical attack and a monumental S-tier scaling with the Strength stat. For less-traditional builds that have lots of Intelligence and Faith, though also possess the 22 Strength and 18 Dexterity to wield this huge blade, the Dark upgrade path can be great as well, for it results in 159 physical and 166 dark attack alongside C-tier scaling in Strength and Dexterity as well as very useful A-tier scaling with Intelligence and Faith for a devastating dark weapon.
7 Splitleaf Greatsword
Not actually a greatsword, this halberd can still deal out great damage. Its weapon skill allows players to spin it over one's head and bring it down in savage slashes that can be unleashed continuously. Furthermore, each consecutive strike will become stronger and stronger. As one of the weapons able to unleash a true combo, the Ashen One can land multiple damaging hits on staggered foes who can do little but curse their own ineptitude.
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As appropriate for being the heaviest halberd in the game, the Splitlead Greatsword gains the most damage potential from going down the Heavy upgrade path, for at +10, it attains 244 physical attack and an excellent S-tier scaling in Strength. Players wielding this weapon who are having trouble with ranged foes will be happy to know that the Splitleaf Greatsword can actually deflect arrows (though not great arrows) and bolts with its Wind Wheel weapon skill.
6 Crystal Sage's Rapier
This boss weapon can be transposed from the soul of the mysterious Crystal Sage and is a boon to any Intelligence-focused build. With the best possible scaling for this stat, it can be a lethal sidearm for both sorcerers and pyromancers. It is agile, has potential for great damage, and possesses a versatile moveset to confound and outmaneuver foes. Additionally, if paired with a shield it can allow the user to block while doing light attack pokes to keep tricky foes at bay.
At the max upgrade level of +5, the Crystal Sage's Rapier gets 100 physical and 150 magic attack as well as D-tier scaling with Strength and Dexterity and an expectedly high A-tier scaling with Intelligence. This split-damage will make it tough for most foes to defend against it, though this thrusting sword also has a use outside of battle, for equipping this weapon increases one's Item Discovery by 50, allowing the player better chances to get drops from foes.
5 Millwood Greatbow
Most greatbows are impressive and fun to use, but their strengths lie in ranged combat. Out of all of them, however, the Millwood Greatbow is the most deadly, despite having a shorter range than the other greatbows. When one fires from this huge bow utilizing the Pierce Earth weapon skill, they not only will hit with massive damage but will cause an explosion afterward as well. This is the closest one could get to a rocket launcher in the Dark Souls franchise. For that alone, it is one all bow-users should consider if they have the Strength required.
After reaching the maximum upgrade of +5, this behemoth of a bow obtains 242 physical attack and a solid A-tier scaling with Strength, alongside a menial E-tier with Dexterity. This is the highest Strength stat orientation for any bow, even among other greatbows, granting it great usability for those focusing on this stat. Using manual aim in conjunction with the weapon skill can let players predictively let loose exploding rounds that can be near impossible to dodge, even for experienced PvP adversaries.
4 Crucifix Of The Mad King
One of the oddest weapons in the game, this halberd has both interesting lore and combat strategies. It is adorned with the skeleton of a pygmy king defeated by Filianore's faithful knight Shira. This mad king is not dead, however, despite being part of the weapon. When this polearm's skill is activated, the trapped monarch screams and lets out one of three effects for one of the most unique playstyles in the games.
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The first is the Perseverance skill common on many other weapons, the second is an area-of-effect attack that is projected in front as well as on the sides of the user, and the third is the summoning of a dark orb that lingers for a short while before exploding. With these, and devastating dark damage, the Crucifix of the Mad King is a fun and frenetic weapon with a huge attack rating. At +5, this abhorrent armament of annihilation gains 216 physical as well as 130 dark attack in addition to C-tier scaling in Strength, E-tier in Intelligence, and D-tier in Faith.
3 Demon's Scar
This curved sword acts as both a one-handed weapon and a pyromancy flame. With the light attacks, one will slash at foes with the burning blade, while with heavy attacks the player will cast the equipped pyromancy. For those with a build that combines these two things, this is the ideal weapon choice. Not needing to switch between weapons to alternate between casting and melee makes this an indispensable armament to blend attacks into incredible combos.
From upgrading this hybrid weapon to the highest level, it is clear that although the Demon's Scar functions as a usable melee weapon due to its pure fire damage, it is better suited to a caster build who will spend time unleashing powerful spells and only relying on the light attacks from this weapon when foes get too close. At +5, this blade of solid flame gets 180 fire attack as well as E-tier scaling in Dexterity in addition to C-tier scaling with Intelligence and Faith.
2 Repeating Crossbow
To get this ranged weapon, one needs to defeat Slave Knight Gael and transpose his soul. In the process of doing so, it is likely that the player will become acquainted with this crossbow's effects while battling the powerful boss. Able to unleash a barrage of high-damaging bolts, this is essentially a machine gun. Furthermore, it deals relatively more damage than other crossbows, even when not upgraded. This makes it a great side-arm for any build that needs a bit of range coverage.
Just be sure to bring lots of Repair Powder along if one intends to use the Repeating Crossbow, as it has remarkably low durability (a meager 20) to offset its immense power. At +5, this rapid-fire crossbow reaches 228 physical attack, though this is per bolt, so the waves of projectiles it can launch have a devastatingly effective additive outcome for ridiculous damage potential in short bursts.
1 Lothric Knight Sword
What looks like an ordinary straight sword is one of the most used weapons in the game for both PvP and PvE. Since it is dropped by early-game enemies, it can be attained very soon after starting a new playthrough. But this is just the beginning. It is longer than almost any other one-handed straight sword, plus it strikes fast and hard. This sword boasts a swift and efficient moveset and usage can be easily complimented with any shield or crossbow in the offhand. The reason the Lothric knights dominated much of the world is undoubtedly because they had this magnificent blade on their side. Furthermore, it has both thrusting and slashing attacks which increase its versatility even more. This is the perfect one-handed sword for any melee build with the Dexterity to use it.
The versatility of the Lothric Knight Sword allows it to be upgraded in a number of ways to achieve excellent scaling and base damage in a variety of manners, however, the optimal one for most melee builds is the Sharp infusion, for it results in 190 physical attack and a substantial S-tier scaling with Dexterity in addition to a small buff from its E-tier scaling in Strength.