Best Boss Weapons In Dark Souls 3

Highlights

• Dark Souls 3 is known for its tough boss fights and unique settings, which have made it a beloved entry in an iconic franchise.
• Defeating the game’s hardest bosses rewards players with powerful boss weapons that can grant new abilities and deal massive damage.
• Some of the best boss weapons in Dark Souls 3 are the Firelink Greatsword, Storm Curved Sword, and Farron Greatsword, each offering unique skills and gameplay advantages.

Tough boss fights and Dark Souls are synonymous with each other. The franchise’s incredible fights and unique settings have made for one of the most recognizable and cherished franchises in recent memory. Part of that praise comes from how many ways players can topple the challenges the franchise presents. Both regular enemies and bosses can be tricky to deal with, with the latter bringing a ton of pain to players every single time.

Defeating the game’s hardest bosses rewards their soul, a powerful item that can grant a large sum of currency or new weapons and spells. These weapons are some of the most unique in the series, yet all are not created equal. Some of these weapons are meta-defining, while others are not worth the hassle. However, the best boss weapons in Dark Souls 3 end up being quite worthwhile for obvious reasons.

Updated on April 14, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls 3 is a game that serves as a great way to cap off one of the greatest gaming trilogies of all time. Sure, there are some issues that players face in the form of uninspired level design that can turn some people off from the experience, but these are small complaints that don’t do justice to Miyazaki’s immaculate work. The bosses are as engaging as ever and do a great job of letting players utilize a wealth of strategies to take them out, whether it be in the form of challenging enemy groups or imposing bosses. Beating these bosses nets their Boss Soul, which players can use in Transposition to craft some effective weapons.

15 Arstor’s Spear

Skill: Shield Splitter

Arstor’s Spear Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of the Rotted Greatwood
• Attack Rating: 216 Physical
• Moveset: Spear
• Required Stats: Strength (11) | Dexterity (19)
• Scaling: Strength (D) | Dexterity (B)
• Unique Trait: Receive 30 HP whenever an enemy dies.

The Rotted Greatwood is one of the first bosses players battle against in Dark Souls 3. This boss is pretty manageable and somewhat gimmicky, letting gamers dispose of this unique foe to gain access to either the Hollowslayer Greatsword or Arstor’s Spear with relative ease.

While some people find the Greatsword to be the superior option in every way, players who don’t mind going for a fresh change of pace will find Arstor’s Spear to be right up their alley. It’s easily one of the most underrated weapons around, letting players heal themselves after defeating every foe, though this restorative effect is a minor one.

14 Greatsword Of Judgment

Skill: Stance Of Judgment

Greatsword Of Judgment Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of Pontiff Sulyvahn
• Attack Rating: 200 Physical, 258 Magic
• Moveset: Greatsword
• Required Stats: Strength (17) | Dexterity (15) | Intelligence (12)
• Scaling: Strength (D) | Dexterity (D) | Intelligence (C)
• Unique Trait: Weapon art unleashes dark magic for bonus damage.

Pontiff Sulyvahn is one of the most epic boss encounters in Dark Souls 3 that will throw players in for a loop. The interesting moveset of this boss coupled with his penchant for peppering players with tough magical attacks makes him a foe to be reckoned with.

Players who finally manage to defeat this boss have the distinguished honor of using his Soul to create the Greatsword of Judgment. This magical weapon hits like a truck and is perfect for those who are pursuing an Intelligence build while dumping points in either Strength or Dexterity to be on the safe side.

13 Dragonslayer Greataxe

Skill: Falling Bolt

Dragonslayer Greataxe Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of Dragonslayer Armour
• Attack Rating: 364 Physical, 364 Lightning
• Moveset: Greataxe
• Required Stats: Strength (40)
• Scaling: Strength (C) | Dexterity (E) | Faith (D)
• Unique Trait: Weapon arts summons lightning bolts for bonus damage.

A truly incredible weapon that fans sing praises about even now, the Dragonslayer Greataxe is one of the most powerful Boss Weapons players can get their hands on in Dark Souls 3. The fact that players can only get their hands on this weapon at the end of the game can be a little upsetting, but that’s a small price to pay for a weapon that will fulfill all of a gamer’s power fantasies.

The sheer amount of damage this weapon deals with each swing more than makes it worth the wait. The additional damage bonus in the lightning department also makes this weapon more fun to use and something that players will love to mess around with in NG+.

12 Firelink Greatsword

Skill: Ember

Firelink Greatsword Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of the Lords
• Attack Rating: 234 Physical, 162 Fire
• Moveset: Greatsword
• Required Stats: Strength (20) | Dexterity (10) | Intelligence (10) | Faith (10)
• Scaling: Strength (D) | Dexterity (D)
• Unique Trait: Sword can be imbued with Ember.

Fans of Elden Ring‘s Blasphemous Blade will be more than happy with what this sword brings to the table. It’s a powerful weapon that hits like a truck, and imbuing this sword with Ember to deal fire damage makes it even more engaging to use. The stat requirements for this blade aren’t all that demanding strength, barring some investment in Strength, and players will have to invest in both this stat and Dexterity anyway to make the most of this build.

While some people may be disappointed that this weapon lacks some over-the-top combos that would make it a blast to use, the Firelink Greatsword’s thematic connection to the iconic elements of the Dark Souls franchise makes it a great weapon to use. It’s a shame that this weapon can only be obtained after defeating the final boss of the game, but a NG+ run is always welcome.

11 Storm Curved Sword

Skill: Tornado

Storm Curved Sword Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of the Nameless King
• Attack Rating: 200 Physical
• Moveset: Curved Sword
• Required Stats: Strength (14) | Dexterity (20)
• Scaling: Strength (D) | Dexterity (B)
• Unique Trait: Blade can be imbued with the wrath of a storm that can be unleashed in a strong attack.

The Nameless King is one of the toughest bosses FromSoftware has ever made, and fighting this imposing foe makes for one of the best moments in the game by far. Players have to fight against one of the most important figures in the lore of Dark Souls, with this epic battle leading to them getting their hands on a boss Soul that yields a pretty impressive weapon.

The Storm Curved Sword is a powerful weapon, but it’s tricky to use. Players have to invest a lot of time to learn the moveset of this weapon and how the Weapon Art can decimate enemies when used correctly. Dex builds will love using this weapon to flex on their foes, with the moveset being tough for most players to handle.

10 Farron Greatsword

Skill: Parry

Farron Greatsword Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of the Blood of the Wolf
• Attack Rating: 140 Physical
• Moveset: Ultra Greatsword
• Required Stats: Strength (18) | Dexterity (20)
• Scaling: Strength (D) | Dexterity (C)
• Unique Trait: Does extra damage against Abyssal enemies and bosses.

One of the coolest-looking weapons in the game, the Farron Greatsword is formed from the souls of the Abyss Watchers. This boss fight is extremely cinematic and shows Dark Souls 3 at its finest, hiding some heartbreaking lore as players fight against the men who wanted to follow in Artorias’ footsteps but took things a little too literally.

The Farron Greatsword comes paired with a dagger that adds to the incredible look of this weapon. Most people would fall in love with this weapon just because of how incredible it feels to use, allowing the Ashen One to wallop their enemies without too many problems.

9 Friede’s Great Scythe

Skill: Elfriede’s Stance

Friede’s Great Scythe Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of Sister Friede
• Attack Rating: 110 Physical | 77 Magic
• Moveset: Reaper
• Required Stats: Strength (12) | Dexterity (16) | Intelligence (12) | Faith (11)
• Scaling: Strength (E) | Dexterity (B) | Intelligence (C) | Faith
• Unique Trait: Weapon art causes frost damage.

The Ashes of Ariandel DLC attained a pretty mixed reception upon launch, with many players criticizing it for its short length. However, there’s no denying that the boss fight capping off this wonderful DLC is easily one of the best battles in the entire game. Fighting Friede across three lengthy and amazing stages makes for a great time, with this boss being incredibly challenging in every way. Players have to measure their hits, dodge properly, and land as much damage as possible to not be overwhelmed by this boss.

The reward for completing this DLC is the opportunity to forge Friede’s Great Scythe, which is easily the best scythe that players can use by a country mile. It hits like a truck, and the weapon art allows players to augment their attacks with frost damage while obliterating an enemy’s health bar in no time flat.

8 Yhorm’s Great Machete

Skill: Warcry

Yhorm’s Great Machete Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of Yhorm the Giant
• Attack Rating: 185 Physical
• Moveset: Greataxe
• Required Stats: Strength (38) | Dexterity (10)
• Scaling: Strength (C)
• Unique Trait: Can boost attack with the weapon art’s warcry.

Yhorm the Giant is one of the more disappointing bosses in Dark Souls 3. While the lore of this fight is pretty engaging in its own right, the battle is nothing more than a gimmick as players utilize the Storm Ruler to unleash a ton of damage on the boss, taking him out in a few hits.

Fighting this boss is pretty worthwhile if players want to use the weapon he wields, which takes on the form of a giant machete that is an absolute blast to use. Most people consider this weapon to be the best pure strength weapon in the game, with a single hit hitting for immense damage and taking out almost any enemy in just a single blow.

7 Demon’s Scar

Skill: Spin Slash

Demon’s Scar Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of the Demon Prince
• Attack Rating: 180 Fire
• Moveset: Curved Sword
• Required Stats: Dexterity (16) | Intelligence (17) | Faith (17)
• Scaling: Dexterity (E) | Intelligence (C) | Faith (C)
• Unique Trait: Heavy attack casts a currently selected pyromancy.

Transposed from the Soul of the Demon Prince, the Demon’s Scar is a curved sword made of pure flame. This weapon only deals fire damage, although it scales with three stats instead of just one. To make up for this stat split, the Demon’s Scar behaves similarly to a Pyromancy Flame, capable of casting pyromancies with its heavy attack.

Utility is this weapon’s greatest strength. For only 0.5 weight, this weapon grants a suite of excellent attacks thanks to its curved sword archetype, the ability to mix up swings with pyromancies, and it can even serve as a solid flame shield if need be. Its damage output is certainly lacking for every other build type in the game, but the utility this weapon brings is hard to beat.

6 Twin Princes’ Greatsword

Skill: Sacred Light And Flame

Twin Princes’ Greatsword Stats

• Boss Soul: Twin Princes’ Soul x2 (requires Lorian’s Greatsword and Lothric’s Holy Sword)
• Attack Rating: 230 Physical | 152 Fire
• Moveset: Greatsword
• Required Stats: Strength (22) | Dexterity (14)
• Scaling: Strength (D) | Dexterity (D) | Intelligence (D) | Faith (D)
• Unique Trait: Weapon art uses attacks from Lorian’s Greatsword and Lothric’s Holy Sword

Perhaps a reference to the Nothern Regalia sword from Demon’s Souls, the Twin Princes’ Greatsword is a hidden boss weapon that can only be obtained by owning Lothric’s Holy Sword and Lorian’s Greatsword. Since those weapons drop from the same boss, this weapon is locked behind a New Game cycle.

After fighting this late-game boss twice, players can take both blades to Ludleth and have him combine the two into this deadly weapon. While it only has a D scaling in its stats, this weapon scales from Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Faith. Hybrid builds that scale Intelligence and Faith as much as Strength can output a surprising amount of damage with this greatsword.

Builds that can scale this weapon will notice its excellent greatsword moveset and powerful weapon art—allowing the player to send out a piercing ray of light or a wave of flame. It’s good for applying pressure to targets, closing the gap, and catching rolls. PvE and PvP players can get a good bit of mileage out of this weapon.

5 Frayed Blade

Skill: Hold

Frayed Blade Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of Darkeater Midir
• Attack Rating: 184 Physical | 76 Dark
• Moveset: Katana
• Required Stats: Strength (11) | Dexterity (40)
• Scaling: Strength (D) | Dexterity (A)
• Unique Traits: Low durability; the weapon art releases a multitude of slashes and dark fissure attacks.

Transposed from the Soul of Darkeater Midir, the Frayed Blade is arguably the strongest katana in Dark Souls 3. While it requires a whopping 40 dexterity to wield properly, it more than makes up for it with one of the most devastating weapon arts in the game.

Rapid slashes that extend as far as a Washing Pole along with a solid moveset are the Frayed Blade’s largest boons. If it weren’t obtained so late in a playthrough and had better durability, the Frayed Blade would be much higher on this list. This is certainly a reward that was worth the effort.

4 Wolf Knight’s Greatsword

Skill: Wolf Sword

Wolf Knight’s Greatsword Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of the Blood of the Wolf
• Attack Rating: 254 Physical
• Moveset: Greatsword
• Required Stats: Strength (24) | Dexterity (18)
• Scaling: Strength (C) | Dexterity (C)
• Unique Traits: Deals 20% extra damage to Abyssal enemies; the weapon art mimics Artorias’ moveset from the original Dark Souls.

Followers of Sif and Artorias, the Abyss Watchers are a phenomenal fight with even better items to transpose. Choosing between the Farron Greatsword or Wolf Knight’s Greatsword is a tough choice. Ultimately, the Wolf Knight’s Greatsword edges over the Abyss Watchers’ signature weapon.

Players should not be fooled by its rather lackluster C scaling in both strength and dexterity when upgraded. The Wolf Knight’s Greatsword has one of the most aggressive and agile movesets in the franchise. Frequent spins and flips make this blade perfect for outdueling foes in PvP or taking down aggressive enemies in PvE. It also does 20% additional damage against Abyssal foes, making it perfect for taking down Darkeater Midir and Aldrich.

3 Vordt’s Great Hammer

Skill: Perseverance

Vordt’s Great Hammer Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of Boreal Valley Vordt
• Attack Rating: 320 Physical
• Moveset: Great Hammer
• Required Stats: Strength (30)
• Scaling: Strength (B)
• Unique Trait: Inflicts Frostbite buildup.

For a hammer that players can obtain within their first couple of hours, Vordt’s Great Hammer is one of the strongest two-handed weapons in the game. This weapon deals great damage per swing, has a B scaling in Strength when upgraded, and passively deals frost damage—one of the only weapons in DS3 to do so. Inflicting enough frost damage will apply frostbite, removing a chunk of HP while reducing Stamina recovery.

Two or three hits are all it takes to activate this effect. It’s a complete powerhouse in PvP and a surprisingly good weapon in PvE when coupled with its Poise-enabling weapon art. It can be obtained quite early as well, which makes this one of the best early-game weapons that a player can use.

2 Gael’s Greatsword

Skill: Blade Of Peril

Gael’s Greatsword Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of Slave Knight Gael
• Attack Rating: 268 Physical
• Moveset: Greatsword
• Required Stats: Strength (19) | Dexterity (13)
• Scaling: Strength (C) | Dexterity (D)
• Unique Trait: Incredibly mobile weapon art.

It seems that all the Executioner’s Greatsword needed to be a top-tier weapon was to be snapped in half. Gael’s Greatsword is a broken version of this coveted blade that has one of the strongest weapon arts in the game. The number of rapid slashes in this stance is so great that it gives the great knight Artorias a run for his money.

Solid damage also complements the great moveset, making it a must for any greatsword enthusiasts who frequent PvE content. Gael’s Greatsword is rather predictable in PvP, however, and can easily be parried by a skilled opponent. Gamers should use the weapon art sparingly against other players to prevent getting shut down by frequent parries.

1 Hollowslayer Greatsword

Skill: Stance

Hollowslayer Greatsword Stats

• Boss Soul: Soul of the Rotted Greatwood
• Attack Rating: 264 Physical
• Moveset: Greatsword
• Required Stats: Strength (14) | Dexterity (18)
• Scaling: Strength (D) | Dexterity (C)
• Unique Traits: Deals 20% bonus damage to Hollows (PvE only) and has fast swing speed for a greatsword.

Take the damage of a hard-hitting greatsword and pair it with the moveset and speed of a straight sword, and the result is the Hollowslayer Greatsword. This blade can be obtained immediately after unlocking Soul Transposition.

No other greatsword has the same easy-to-use moveset and overall speed as this blade. Solid damage and great speed are further complemented by this weapon’s hyper armor with each swing, meaning that staggers during attacks are a rare sight. Thrust attacks are particularly devastating on this weapon due to this and pair nicely with Leo’s Ring.

If that wasn’t enough, this sword also gains a 20% damage increase against all Hollows in PvE — a category that nearly every enemy falls under. For PvE, it’s an amazing early-game choice that scales to the endgame. The Hollowslayer Greatsword is also a fantastic PvP Greatsword. Its versatile moveset and fast swing speed make it an excellent weapon for dueling. Once someone gets accustomed to this weapon’s moveset, they become a menace in PvP.