The best Elden Ring weapons

The best Elden Ring weapons across the game's entire arsenal are the kind of items you suit your build for, not the other way around. These weapons are must-haves if you want to become the hot knife for all your buttery enemies.

The best sword: Sword of Night and Flame

night and flame stats — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Requirements: 12 strength💪, 12 dexterity🏃‍♂️, 21 intelligence🧠, 24 faith😇
Location: Caria Manor, Liurnia

The Sword of Night and Flame is the sword with a weapon skill that lets you send out a massive beam of magic or gusts of fire. It's not quite as broken as the Comet Azur spell, but makes up for it by being a solid sword. It's fairly easy to get to early on in the game if you're nimble enough to get into Caria Manor and past its crawling residents.

The best katana: Moonveil

Elden Ring Moonveil weapon stats screen — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Requirements: 12 strength💪, 18 dexterity🏃‍♂️, 23 intelligence🧠
Location: Gael Tunnel, Caelid

The Moonveil is unfair. This incredible katana has a weapon skill that sends out a wave of magic energy. It's fast and stuns enemies too. This is a fantastic weapon with a fairly low stat requirement.

The best axe: Icerind Hatchet

Elden Ring Icerind Hatchet stats — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Requirements: 11 strength💪, 16 dexterity🏃‍♂️
Location: Temple Quarter, Liurnia

There's a reason speedrunners love the Icerind Hatchet. This weapon's skill sends out a cone of frost shards that build up Frostbite on enemies, inflicting good, consistent damage. It has low stat requirements and comes with a pretty solid moveset too.

The best staff: Lusat's Glintstone Staff

Elden Ring Lusat's Glintstone Staff stats — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Requirements: 10 strength💪, 52 intelligence🧠
Location: Sellia, Town of Sorcery, Caelid

This staff is the ideal caster weapon. If you've got the high intelligence requirement handled, Lusat's Glinstone Staff will deal massive amounts of damage in the mid- to late-game. It has incredibly scaling and can be combined with the Cerulean Hidden Crystal Tear in your Flask of Wondrous Physick, which lets you cast an unlimited amount of spells for 10 seconds.

The best colossal sword: Greatsword

Elden Ring Greatsword stats — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Requirements: 31 strength💪, 12 dexterity🏃‍♂️
Location: Dragonbarrow, Caelid

The Greatsword is a classic weapon that deals devastating amounts of damage. It's exactly what it says on the box (or blade): an iron lump of an ultra greatsword that mows down foes with its incredible weight. You can pick this thing up fairly early and it will carry you through the rest of the game with its stellar strength scaling.

Best boss weapons

The best Elden Ring boss weapons

Blasphemous Blade

A nasty sword that can be set on fire to steal HP.

Requirements: 22 strength💪, 15 dexterity🏃‍♂️, 21 faith😇
Where to find: Earned by turning in Rykard's Remembrance at Finger Reader Enia in Roundtable Hold.

Starscourge Greatsword

A massive greatsword that deals magic damage and can create a gravitational well to pull enemies in.

Requirements: 38 strength💪, 12 dexterity🏃‍♂️, 15 intelligence🧠
Where to find: Given by Finger Reader Enia in exchange for the Remembrance of the Starscourge.

Best Swords and Katanas

The best Elden Ring swords and katanas

Uchigatana

A classic Souls katana that deals blood loss buildup.

Requirements: 11 strength💪, 15 dexterity🏃‍♂️
Where to find: West Limgrave. Found in the Deathtouched Catacombs on Stormhill, to the east of the Warmaster's Shack and set into the cliff.

Sword of Night and Flame

An incredibly strong magic sword that pulverizes foes.

Requirements: 12 strength💪, 12 dexterity🏃‍♂️, 24 intelligence🧠, 24 faith😇
Where to find: Caria Manor. Go to the Manor Lower Level Grace, walk out onto the top level of the manor, take a left until you reach a dead end. Jump down below onto the rooftop and then again where there is a ladder. Down the ladder is a chest with the sword.

Moonveil

Magical katana that shoots out bolts of light.

Requirements: 12 strength💪, 18 dexterity🏃‍♂️, 23 intelligence🧠
Where to find: Caelid. Found after beating the boss of the Gael Tunnel, which is on the border of Limgrave and Caelid in the west.

elden ring strength weapons — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Rivers of Blood

A katana that deals both fire damage and blood loss buildup. Its skill can create blood slashes.

Requirements: 12 strength💪, 18 dexterity🏃‍♂️, 20 arcane
Where to find: Earned by defeating Bloody Finger Okina at the Church of Repose in the East Mountaintops of the Giants.

Eclipse Shotel

A decorative curved sword and one of the legendary armaments. Deals holy damage and can inflict the death ailment on foes.

Requirements: 10 strength💪, 25 dexterity🏃‍♂️, 30 faith
Where to find: West Mountaintops of the Giants. Found in the chapel of Castle Sol, just beyond the Church of Eclipse site of grace.

Wing of Astel

A curved sword that deals magic damage. Strong attacks unleash a wave of enchanted light, and its skill can create an exploding cloud of stars.

Requirements: 7 strength💪, 17 dexterity🏃‍♂️, 20 intelligence🧠
Where to find: Ainsel River. Found in the rafters above the room behind the big stone throwing insect. This route is accessible through the portal in Renna's Rise if you are doing the Elden Ring Ranni quest.

Best Greatswords

Best Elden Ring strength weapons

Greatsword
A clear homage to Berserk, this greatsword has a devastating moveset.

Requirements: 31 strength, 12 dexterity
Where to find: Caelid. Located in the Dragonbarrow northwest of the Caelem Ruins Site of Grace. It's inside of caravan with several enemies nearby.

Lordsworn's Greatsword
A trusty greatsword with the stamp skill that lets you deal powerful upward slashes.

Requirements: 16 strength, 10 dexterity
Where to find: West Limgrave. In one of the two chests located on the back of the carriages in the Gatefront Ruins.

Bloodhound's Fang
A curved greatsword that deals blood loss buildup damage.

Requirements: 18 strength, 17 dexterity
Where to find: West Limgrave. Dropped by the Bloodhound Knight Darriwill boss in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol, on the hill at the most southerly point of west Limgrave.

Sword of Milos
A barbed greatsword made from a giant's backbone that causes blood loss. Its skill lets you shriek and reduce and opponent's damage negation.

Requirements: 15 strength, 19 dexterity
Where to find: Earned by defeating the Dungeater in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds below Leyndell.

Royal Greatsword
A greatsword that deals magic damage and has the Wolf's Assault skill that somersaults you into enemies. Wielded by Blaidd, the Elden Ring wolf man from the tower.

Requirements: 26 strength, 18 dexterity, 22 intelligence🧠
Where to find: Earned by defeating the wolf man, Blaidd.

Best Axes, Flails, and Cleavers

Flail
A ball and chain that causes blood loss buildup, with a skill that lets you wave it in front of you.

Requirements: 10 strength, 18 dexterity
Where to find: West Limgrave. It can be found in one of the two chests located on the back of the carriages in the Gatefront Ruins.

Highland Axe
A one-handed axe with a warcry ability that increases attack power.

Requirements: 12 strength, 9 dexterity
Where to find: West Limgrave. In Stormveil Castle, you'll find it in the big room just off to the side of the flamethrower courtyard. The room has limbs hanging from the ceiling and a Grafted Scion patrolling. The axe is just below the big painting of Godrick.

Greataxe
A large and heavy single-bladed axe.

Requirements: 30 strength, 8 dexterity
Where to find: East Limgrave. Head south from the Agheel Lake North Site of Grace, across the bridge where you fight the Night Cavalry boss, and you'll see a carriage convoy that carries this axe.

Butchering Knife
A butcher's cleaver with a downward charged smash. The weapon of Anastasia Tarnished Eater.

Requirements: 16 strength, 20 dexterity
Where to find: Head west along the road from the Bridge of Iniquity Site of Grace, past the hanging beast bodies, and you'll be invaded by Anastasia Tarnished Eater. Beat her to get it.

Best Hammers

Brickhammer
An extremely heavy-headed stone hammer.

Requirements: 31 strength
Where to find: West Limgrave. While taking the back route into Stormveil Castle, and after you've unlocked the door with the rusty key and climbed the ladder, head right towards the two enemies and the jump-able gap. Jump onto the wooden platform by the doorway and then head left along the rampart to the tower to find the hammer.

Large Club
A classic Souls weapon, this massive wooden club with the barbaric roar skill.

Requirements: 22 strength
Where to find: West Limgrave. Found to the south of the Forlorn Hound Evergaol, which is located on a hill at the most southerly point of West Limgrave. The weapon is found on a body surrounded by enemies near the ravine edge.

Battle Hammer
A large, iron warhammer that raises attack, defense, and stamina recovery with its skill.

Requirements: 26 strength, 8 dexterity
Where to find: West Limgrave. Dropped by the Grave Warden Duelist boss of the Murkwater Catacombs dungeon. Head under the bridge from the lake, past Murkwater Cave, and you'll eventually come to it at the far end of a small cavern filled with bodies.

Great Stars
A giant blood-covered mace with spikes sticking out of it. Causes blood loss build up.

Requirements: 22 strength, 12 dexterity
Where to find: Altus Plateau. Found on the back of the caravan that travels along the northern road above the forest, close to the Writheblood Ruins.

Nox Flowing Hammer
A metal hammer wielded by the monks of the eternal city. Has a unique skill that lets it transform into a metal whip.

Requirements: 17 strength, 7 dexterity
Where to find: Siofra River, Nokron. Found in the Night's Sacred Ground on a body in the rafters of the first church you get to.

Best Polearms and Spears

Banished Knight's Halberd
An early-game weapon with nice, fast attacks.

Requirements: 140 strength, 12 dexterity
Where to find: Limgrave. Can be found on Banished Knights in Stormveil Castle.

Golden Halberd
A heavy halberd with a skill that can raise the attack of you and nearby allies.

Requirements: 30 strength, 14 dexterity, 12 faith
Where to find: West Limgrave. Dropped by the Elden Ring Tree Sentinel just outside the Stranded Graveyard.

Dragon Halberd
An ancient halberd whose skill can infuse it with frost and lightning.

Requirements: 22 strength, 10 dexterity
Where to find: Earned from defeating the Dragonkin Soldier boss. Head through the portal in the broken tower in the centre of the region to find him lying in a lake.

Treespear
A great spear that deals holy damage.

Requirements: 15 strength, 22 dexterity, 18 faith
Where to find: On the north end of the broken bridge that leads from Limgrave to Liuria, you'll find a broken down convoy by a troll. This weapon is in the chest at the back.

Best Bows and Crossbows

Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow
A sniper crossbow that can fire Black-Key Bolts that deal Scarlet Rot buildup.

Requirements: 14 strength, 16 dexterity
Where to find: Roundtable Hold. Head down the stairs past Smith Master Hewg and unlock the first Elden Ring Stonesword Key door to find it in a chest along with 20 Black-Key Bolts.

Pulley Bow
A mechanical longbow that uses a complex series of springs and pulleys to work.

Requirements: 11 strength, 11 dexterity
Where to find: Head along the west road from the Bridge of Iniquity Site of Grace until you see a ladder on the left side. Climb it, then head further west into the camp with the siege tower. Climb up around the back of the tower, and you'll find this at the top.

Horn Bow
A bow wielded by the ancestral hunters of Siofra. Deals magic damage.

Requirements: 10 strength, 14 dexterity
Where to find: Underneath the temple steps of the Hallowhorn Grounds in Siofra River. Circle down and around to the left to find it.

Best Twinblades

Twinblade
A very useful early-game weapon with a nice moveset.

Requirements: 10 strength, 18 dexterity
Where to find: Limgrave. Found in the underground cellar in the Dragon-Burnt Ruins. You'll need to jump over a wall to find the entrance.

Twinned Knight Swords
A twinblade capable of dealing rapid strikes.

Requirements: 16 strength, 18 dexterity
Where to find: Altus Plateau. At the East Windmill Pasture in the far north, on the body the women are dancing around. Be careful: picking it up will aggro them.

Best Daggers and hand weapons

Best Elden Ring dex weapons

Reduvia
A dagger that deals blood loss buildup damage and can fire blood projectiles with its skill.

Requirements: 5 strength, 13 dexterity
Where to find: West Limgrave. Dropped by Bloody Finger Nerijus when he invades near the entrance to Murkwater Cave, north through the lake, passing under the bridge.

Erdsteel Dagger
A curved dagger that deals magic damage.

Requirements: 7 strength, 12 dexterity
Where to find: East Limgrave. Cross the bridge from West Limgrave, and head along the northern road to find Kenneth on top of an arch. Agree to help him clear out Fort Haight, which is located at the most southeasterly point of East Limgrave and contains one half of the Elden Ring Dectus medallion. Kill the boss there, head back to Kenneth, and he'll give you this dagger.

Miséricorde
A doctor's dagger with an especially high critical stat.

Requirements: 7 strength, 12 dexterity
Where to find: West Limgrave. Located in the same room as the Iron Whetblade, locked behind a Stonesword Key statue. From the Liftside Chamber Site of Grace, head down the stairs into the courtyard of flamethrowers and make your way to the doorway directly opposite. Head into the big hall with the Grafted Scion and the body parts hanging from the ceiling. Bear right along the wall, then right again into a small courtyard with the fog door. The weapon is inside.

elden ring dex weapons — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Ivory Sickle
A sickle fashioned from ivory that deals magical damage.

Requirements: 6 strength, 11 dexterity, 13 intelligence🧠
Where to find: West Liuria. Head southwest from the Academy Gate Town to find a cavern in the cliff. This is the Village of Albinaurics. Find the sickle in a stone sarcophagus at the highest point of the town, by the enemy playing the instrument.

Cipher Pata
An unblockable blade made of ciphers that deals holy damage.

Requirements: 30 faith
Where to find: Roundtable Hold. Jump down into the armoury/arena where you get invaded, and run down the passage to the left to find it on a body in a bed.

Scorpion's Stinger
A dagger with a high crit that deal scarlet rot buildup.

Requirements: 6 strength, 12 dexterity
Where to find: Ainsel River. Found past the Rot Lake in a chest in the room behind the group of Pests that are worshipping.

Hookclaws
Fast-slashing claws that deal blood loss buildup damage.

Requirements: 8 strength, 14 dexterity
Where to find: West Limgrave. When taking the back route into Stormveil Castle, you'll enter a tower and see two guards sitting at the base of a staircase. Head left along the side of the staircase to find the claws at the end of the room. Be wary of the exile soldier patrolling with a big axe.

Clinging Bone
A sharpened skeletal arm that deals magic damage. Its skill can perform a lifesteal fist.

Requirements: 8 strength, 22 dexterity, 16 arcane
Where to find: Earned by defeating Ensha if he invades you later in the game.

Best Sacred Seals

Best Elden Ring faith weapons

Godslayer's Seal
A sacred seal that boosts godslayer incantations.

Requirements: 4 strength, 27 faith
Where to find: West Limgrave. In Stormveil castle, when entering the courtyard filled with flamethrowers, head left and down the stairs into the rat-filled larder. Use a Stonesword Key to open the door, and inside you'll find two chests—one with the sacred seal, and the other with the Godskin Prayer book that you can give to Brother Corhyn.

Clawmark Seal
A sacred seal that boosts bestial incantations.

Requirements: 4 strength, 10 faith
Where to find: Greyoll's Dragonbarrow. Defeat the Tibia Mariner boss in Summonwater Village in East Limgrave, then talk to D. He'll give you the location of the portal that leads to the Bestial Sanctum. Head through and into the sanctum. Feed Gurranq the Death Root you got from the boss, and he'll give you this weapon in exchange.

Golden Order Seal
A sacred seal that boosts fundamentalist incantations.

Requirements: 17 intelligence, 17 faith
Where to find: Leyndell, Royal Capital. Head south along the road from the Outer Wall Phantom Tree Site of Grace to find it on a body in the Minor Erdtree Church.

Best Staffs

Meteorite Staff
A staff that boosts gravity sorcery.

Requirements: 6 strength, 18 intelligence
Where to find: On a corpse at the Street of Sages Ruins in Caelid, just to the southeast of the Smoldering Wall Site of Grace.

Carian Glintstone Staff
A staff that boosts Carian sword sorcery.

Requirements: 6 strength, 8 dexterity, 24 intelligence
Where to find: Found at the top of the unflipped Carian Study Hall in Liurnia, near where Miriam teleports to.

Demi-Human Queen's Staff
A Glintstone Staff wielded by a queen of the demi-humans.

Requirements: 6 strength, 10 intelligence
Where to find: Weeping Peninsula. Defeat the Demi-Human Queen at the centre of the Demi-Human Ruins, in the woods to the west of the Bridge of Sacrifices.

Prince of Death's staff
A staff that boosts death sorcery.

Requirements: 6 strength, 18 intelligence, 18 faith
Where to find: Found on the highest tower in the Deeproot Depths, accessible by climbing the roots.

Best Colossal weapons

Greatsword
Your typical Berserk-esque slab of heavy metal. A colossal greatsword with a wide swinging arc.

Requirements: 31 strength, 12 dexterity.
Where to find: North Caelid. Heading east from the Rotview Balcony site of grace along the road, you'll find a group of big dogs gathered around a ruined convoy. The weapon is in the chest on the back of it.

Troll Knight's Sword
A colossal greatsword that deals magic damage.

Requirements: 20 strength, 14 dexterity, 18 intelligence
Where to find: West Liurnia. Dropped by the Troll Knight in the Caria Manor. Make your way from the Manor Upper Level Site of Grace through the garden with the wolves. Head up the stairs to find the knight and three sorcerers.

Watchdog's Staff
A giant stone staff embedded with glintstone.

Requirements: 34 strength, 10 dexterity
Where to find: West Liurnia. Hidden behind the illusory wall next to the staircase in the Road's End Catacombs dungeon in the south. Head south from the Revenger's Shack Site of Grace along the cliff path with the bats to find the door set in a cliff.

Prelate's Inferno Crozier
A colossal flame hammer that lets you do a flaming version of that Smough move from Dark Souls where he slides it along the floor.

Requirements: 45 strength, 8 dexterity
Where to find: Defeat the Prelate of the Fire Monks in Fort Laiedd on the westernmost edge of the region.

Dragon Greatclaw
A colossal hammer that deals lightning damage.

Requirements: 30 strength, 14 dexterity
Where to find: Leyndell, Royal Capital. Dropped by the Draconian Tree Sentinel boss at the back gate into the city.

Staff of the Avatar
The heavy decorative mace used by the Avatars of the Erdtree.

Requirements: 34 strength, 8 dexterity, 24 faiths
Where to find: Dropped by the Avatar of the Erdtree in the Deeproot Depths.

Best Melee shields

Marred Wooden Shield
A light wooden shield that causes blood loss buildup.

Requirements: 8 strength
Where to find: West Limgrave. When heading back way into Stormveil Castle, you'll eventually arrive at the Rampart Tower Site of Grace. Head outside and along the wall with the Stormhawks that chuck barrels, until you see a raised balcony on the left. Drop down to the platform below, drop down again onto the ledge on the right side, then drop down into the broken tower to find the shield.

Spiked Palisade Shield
A very spiky greatshield that deals blood loss buildup damage.

Requirements: 20 strength
Where to find: North Caelid. Heading east from the Rotview Balcony Site of Grace, you'll eventually come across the Deep Siofra Well in a ravine. Go along the little valley with the glowing headed stone pillars, though watch out for the rocks they blow up. Around the corner, you'll find a Ruin Golem standing on top of a body that has the shield.

Best Reapers

Elden Ring reaper class weapon Winged Scythe — (Image credit: Tyler C. / FromSoftware)

Scythe
A basic, but strong scythe weapon that causes blood loss.

Requirements: 14 strength, 14 dexterity
Where to find: Southern Liurnia. In the Cliffbottom Catacombs.

Winged Scythe
A nice wide-sweeping weapon to dual wield with, and it causes blood loss.

Requirements: 16 strength, 16 dexterity, 24 faith
Where to find: Southern Limgrave. In the Tombstone Ruins. Inside a chest down a set of stairs in the middle of the room.

Grave Scythe
A killer scythe for both damage and roleplay, and it also causes blood loss.

Requirements: 17 strength, 13 dexterity
Where to find: Everywhere. Dropped from the Gravekeeper Skeletons located across the Lands Between.

Halo Scythe
A powerful scythe with blood loss buildup.

Requirements: 13 strength, 16 dexterity, 15 faith
Where to find: Caelid. Dropped by the Cleanrot Knights in the Swamp of Aeonia near Commander O'Neil.

Tyler has covered videogames and PC hardware for 15 years. He regularly spends time playing and reporting on games like Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Overwatch 2, and Final Fantasy 14. While his specialty is in action RPGs and MMOs, he's driven to cover all sorts of games whether they're broken, beautiful, or bizarre.