What’s the Best Sword in Elden Ring?

It’s a bit difficult to select a “best” weapon in a game like Elden Ring, because what you consider to be the best weapon depends heavily on your character build and playstyle preferences. Simply picking a best sword, for instance, is a tricky matter not only because of the aforementioned reasons, but because there are at least nine different flavors of swords alone in the game, ten if you count daggers. Still, while we can’t give you an empirical list, we can offer up some decidedly powerful swords from a few major categories that are more than worth seeking out and experimenting with. So, without any further ado, what’s the best sword in Elden Ring?

What’s the Best Sword in Elden Ring?

Best Straight Sword in Elden Ring

Let’s start things off with the basic Straight Swords: even-weighted, decently strong, and conveniently wielded in one hand. For Straight Swords, our pick is the Sword of Night and Flame.

• Damage Types: Phys 87, Magic 56, Fire 56, Critical 100
• Scalings: STR E, DEX E, INT D, FAI D
• Requirements: STR 12, DEX 12, INT 24, FAI 24

The Sword of Night and Flame packs a combo of three damage types at once, gaining power with your magical stats. That’s pretty cool in itself, but the really cool part is its special skill, Night-and-Flame Stance. When you hold the button for Night-and-Flame Stance, you’ll assume a special stance, from which you can either unleash a diet version of the laser-like Comet Azur Sorcery with a light attack or make a giant, flaming area swing with a heavy attack. While these abilities were unfortunately nerfed in the 1.03 patch, they’re still plenty powerful against rank-and-file mooks, moreso if you’ve properly invested into your INT and FAI.

Best Greatsword in Elden Ring

Next, we’ve got Greatswords, a bit stronger, but a bit heavier as well, best wielded in two hands. For Greatswords, our pick is the personal weapon of Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, the Blasphemous Blade.

• Damage Types: Phys 121, Fire 78, Critical 100
• Scalings: STR D, DEX D, FAI D
• Requirements: STR 22, DEX 15, FAI 21

The Blasphemous Blade is an absolute monster, both metaphorically thanks to its strong stats and handy special skill, and literally due to the creepy grabby hands hanging off of it. Every time you defeat an enemy with the Blasphemous Blade, you’ll get some HP back. Even better than that, though, is its special skill, Taker’s Flame, which launches an incredibly powerful blast of fire in a straight line ahead of you. Any enemy the flame hits will have their HP drained and sent to you. The combination of high damage and sustainability this sword brings makes it invaluable against some of the nastier bosses.

Best Katana in Elden Ring

Third, let’s talk about Katanas. Katanas can be used effectively with either one hand or two hands, though they can be deceptively heavy. Most Katanas also have a built-in side benefit of inflicting Bleed damage, unless they specifically use something else. For Katanas, our pick is the glowing, mystical blade that is Moonveil.

• Damage Types: Phys 73, Magic 87, Critical 100
• Scalings: STR E, DEX D, INT C
• Requirements: STR 12, DEX 18, INT 23

Due to how relatively easy Moonveil is to get early in the game, it’s an early game secret weapon for many players, though you’d also be more than entitled to make it your permanent sidearm. Moonveil’s secret sauce lay in its special skill, Transient Moonlight. Sheathe the blade in the scabbard, then slash from it to unleash a wave of magical power a short distance in front of you, horizontally with a light attack and vertically with a heavy attack. While this skill is decently strong, its real benefit is the poise damage it deals. One or two slashes of Transient Moonlight can knock most enemies, and even some bosses, into a stun state, allowing you to follow up with a critical hit. Nothing mops up mooks faster like near-guaranteed crits.

Best Colossal Sword in Elden Ring

Finally, let’s cover Colossal Swords. These weapons, as the name no doubt implies, are massive in size, weight, and potential damage capacity. You’ll need fairly high stats to use just about any of these, which pretty much disqualifies them from early-game use, but once you’re meaty enough to hold one, look out. For Colossal Swords, our pick is the Godslayer’s Greatsword.

• Damage Types: Phys 119, Fire 77, Critical 100
• Scalings: STR D, DEX D, FAI D
• Requirements: STR 20, DEX 22, FAI 20

While the Godslayer’s Greatsword doesn’t deal the most flat damage of its counterparts, its relatively low stat requirements do make it one of the most accessible Colossal Swords, and the addition of fire damage more than makes up for the diminished physical damage. If you’re crafty enough, its special skill, The Queen’s Black Flame, can even the playing field even further. Any enemy hit by the initial swing takes major damage, moreso if you use the follow-up attack, and their health will continue to tick down while they’re covered in the Black Flames.