Weapons | Dark Souls 3

Weapons in Dark Souls 3 are listed on this page. Players may equip up to 3 in the slots for each hand. When developing a build, the player should try to find the weapon that mixes the right amount of damage, bonuses and moveset, alongside stamina consumption and Skills. Weapon classes do not necessarily share the same skills so check each individual weapon page to see its specific skill. If you would like to learn more about each weapon, visit their page, or check out the Combat page for specific explanations on how to master the game. You can use this Equipment & Spell Checklist to keep track of what you have

How to choose a weapon in Dark Souls?

Players create builds around specific weapons that have good movesets, deal significant damage, or are easily obtained. Some players choose weapons for their cosmetic appearance, but in most cases it is advisable to refer to the scaling and upgrading path of weapons to determine if the output is beneficial to the character in pve, pvp or both. The following categories of weapons have details on their base damage, and all individual pages feature infusion charts, with some extending to full moveset videos.

Weapon Categories

Weapon categories in Dark Souls 3 group weapons by moveset and scaling rather than by raw damage, and the category a weapon belongs to determines far more than its attack rating: it sets the light and heavy attack animations, the roll-catch and poise-break behaviour, the stamina cost per swing and the range at which trades go in your favour. Two weapons with almost identical attack power can play completely differently if one is a straight sword and the other a curved sword. Strength builds tend toward the greataxe, great hammer and ultra greatsword categories; dexterity builds toward katanas, curved swords and thrusting swords; quality builds can use most of the list. Pick a category below to see every weapon in it, or scroll on for the full weapon list broken down class by class.

Weapons List

The full Dark Souls 3 weapon list follows, grouped by category. Each section links through to that category's comparison table, where you can read stat requirements, parameter bonuses, durability, weight, attack type and skill side by side. Remember that the numbers shown on those tables are base values at +0 with no infusion — reinforcement and infusion change both the raw damage and the scaling letters, sometimes dramatically, so a weapon that looks weak at base can end up carrying a build once it is upgraded.

Show Ashes of Ariandel Weapons Only Show The Ringed City Weapons Only

Daggers

13 daggers are available over the course of a playthrough. Base physical attack sits between 55 and 106 before any reinforcement. Daggers carries the complete table, including attack type and the skill each one uses.

Straight Swords

There are 17 straight swords in Dark Souls 3. Their base physical attack covers 70 to 131 at standard reinforcement. See Straight Swords for the full comparison, and each weapon's own page for infusion charts and where to find it.

Greatswords

This category covers 16 greatswords. Base physical attack ranges from 69 to 173 before infusion or upgrade. The full table — requirements, parameter bonuses, weight, attack type and skill — is on Greatswords.

Ultra Greatswords

Dark Souls 3 includes 11 ultra greatswords. At +0 and uninfused, base physical attack spans 125 to 185. The full table — requirements, parameter bonuses, weight, attack type and skill — is on Ultra Greatswords.

Curved Swords

Dark Souls 3 lists 15 curved swords. Base physical attack sits between 0 and 123 before any reinforcement. For requirements, scaling, durability and drop locations, see Curved Swords.

Curved Greatswords

Dark Souls 3 includes 5 curved greatswords. Their base physical attack covers 122 to 155 at standard reinforcement. Stat requirements, parameter bonuses, weight and skills are listed in full on Curved Greatswords.

Katanas

8 katanas are available over the course of a playthrough. Their base physical attack covers 101 to 134 at standard reinforcement. Katanas carries the complete table, including attack type and the skill each one uses.

Thrusting Swords

Dark Souls 3 includes 6 thrusting swords. Their base physical attack covers 55 to 116 at standard reinforcement. Stat requirements, parameter bonuses, weight and skills are listed in full on Thrusting Swords.

Axes

10 axes are available over the course of a playthrough. Base physical attack sits between 90 and 156 before any reinforcement. Axes carries the complete table, including attack type and the skill each one uses.

Greataxes

7 greataxes appear across the game. Their base physical attack covers 154 to 216 at standard reinforcement. Greataxes breaks each one down by requirements, scaling and weight.

Hammers

This category covers 8 hammers. Their base physical attack covers 93 to 122 at standard reinforcement. The full table — requirements, parameter bonuses, weight, attack type and skill — is on Hammers.

Great Hammers

There are 14 great hammers in Dark Souls 3. Base physical attack ranges from 103 to 205 before infusion or upgrade. See Great Hammers for the full comparison, and each weapon's own page for infusion charts and where to find it.

Fist & Claws

6 fist and claws are available over the course of a playthrough. Base physical attack ranges from 81 to 111 before infusion or upgrade. Fist and Claws carries the complete table, including attack type and the skill each one uses.

Spears & Pikes

Dark Souls 3 lists 21 spears and pikes. Base physical attack sits between 39 and 129 before any reinforcement. For requirements, scaling, durability and drop locations, see Spears and Pikes.

Halberds

11 halberds appear across the game. At +0 and uninfused, base physical attack spans 118 to 150. For requirements, scaling, durability and drop locations, see Halberds.

Reapers

This category covers 4 reapers. Their base physical attack covers 97 to 110 at standard reinforcement. Reapers breaks each one down by requirements, scaling and weight.

Whips & Flails

Dark Souls 3 lists 5 whips. Base physical attack ranges from 77 to 102 before infusion or upgrade. For requirements, scaling, durability and drop locations, see Whips.

Bows

This category covers 7 bows. Base physical attack sits between 36 and 110 before any reinforcement. The full table — requirements, parameter bonuses, weight, attack type and skill — is on Bows.

Greatbows

There are 3 greatbows in Dark Souls 3. Their base physical attack covers 111 to 139 at standard reinforcement. See Greatbows for the full comparison, and each weapon's own page for infusion charts and where to find it.

Crossbows

7 crossbows are available over the course of a playthrough. At +0 and uninfused, base physical attack spans 40 to 83. Crossbows carries the complete table, including attack type and the skill each one uses.

Staves

The staves of Dark Souls 3 are collected below. See Staves for the full comparison, and each weapon's own page for infusion charts and where to find it.

Flames, Talismans & Chimes

General Weapons Notes and Tips in Dark Souls 3

• Weapon Level Matchmaking (WL): When upgrading weapons, players must consider their multiplayer matchmaking bracket. In Dark Souls 3, your ability to interact with others is done via the White Sign Soapstone is dictated by both your Soul Level and your highest upgraded weapon. If you upgrade a weapon significantly higher than the average level of the area you are in, the engine will permanently lock you out of matching with lower-level players. This tracking is permanent, discarding or storing your highest-level weapon will not reset your matchmaking tier.
• Direct Hit Modifiers: When wielding polearms, specifically Halberds, Reapers, and certain Greataxes. Players must manage their physical spacing to maximize damage output. These weapon models feature dual hitboxes. As noted in the standard Halberd description, "hitting with the hilt does nominal damage." If you stand too close to an enemy and strike them with the wooden shaft of the weapon, you will incur a severe damage penalty and consume extra stamina. To achieve the weapon's listed Attack Rating (AR), you must space your attacks so that only the bladed tip of the weapon connects with the target.
• Shield-Piercing Weapons: When evaluating weapons, raw Attack Rating (AR) does not tell the whole story. Certain weapons possess inherent shield-piercing geometry that allows their physical damage to bypass enemy guards. Weapons like the Shotel or the katana Darkdrift will inflict significant chip damage through 100% physical block shields. This makes them invaluable sidearms for PvP encounters or when fighting heavily defensive PvE enemies, such as the Lothric Knights, where standard weapons would simply bounce off.
• Paired Weapons vs. Off-Hand Wielding: Dark Souls 3 does not feature the free-form "power-stancing" system found in other titles. Equipping two separate weapons will not grant a dual-wielding combo; the left hand will simply perform block or isolated heavy strikes. To access true dual-wielding movesets, players must acquire specific Paired Weapons, such as the Sellsword Twinblades. For these specific weapons, pressing the two-hand input dictates that "the user brandishes one in each hand," unlocking the L1 / LB flurry combos.