One of the most used weapon types inDark Souls 3is the group known asStraight Swords. They usually offer fast attack speed, decent range, a versatile moveset, and ideal scaling with certain upgrade paths. These noble blades can make parts of the normally challenging single-player game trivial and turnDark Soulsveterans intodangerous threats in PVP. However, it should still be mentioned that a weapon’s true strength is in granting potential to the wielder, making its effectiveness reliant on a player’s personal preferences, reflexes, and knowledgeability. There are a few that stand above the rest in this regard due to their unique traits that grant unexpected yet very welcome advantages.
That being said, players shouldn’t be forced into choosing the weapon of their choice simply because it’s widely considered to be the best weapon in the game. All the weapons inDark Souls 3are viable in their own right and worth checking out for those who want to freshen up their moveset. After all, some of the best weapons in the game may have effective attacks, but they may not necessarily be the most stimulating ones. Meanwhile, other weapons look cool without being all that effective, and some players may prefer a moveset that looks more powerful than it really is.
Updated on Aug 11, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:As opposed to Greataxes, Ultra Greatswords, and even halberds, Straight Swords seem to be the weapon class that gets the most attention and variety. While some of the aforementioned categories are restricted to seven or eleven different weapons, Straight Swords were granted 17 by FromSoftware. This allows players to have a much wider range of weapons to choose from and combine with their preferred playstyle.
Granted, Straight Swords won’t hit as hard as an Ultra Greatsword, nor will they provide their wielder with long-distance combat options like bows or spells could, but they’re still a solid choice for a Dark Souls 3 playthrough. Here areall the Straight Swords in Dark Souls 3.
17Broken Straight Sword
Looted In The Cemetery Of Ash
Short of players trying out a challenge run, there is no reason whatsoever for gamers to even think about using theBroken Straight Swordin battle. True to its name, the blade is a shadow of what used to be a half-decent sword that has pitiful damage and range. Bringing it into battle almost guarantees that players will be whooped to kingdom come in no time.
This weapon is great for players who want to punish themselves in a title that is already incredibly difficult for those who don’t stick to an effective weapon. Sure,Dark Souls 3is a game that ismeant to be challenging, but that doesn’t mean players should go out of their way to make themselves completely vulnerable in any combat scenario. That being said, FromSoftware games attract sadists who love punishing themselves in the most creative ways possible, making it easy to see why so manyDark Souls 3veterans love to start a New Game and main this weapon just for the sake of it.
16Cleric’s Candlestick
Transposing The Soul Of The Deacons Of The Deep
Out of the many weapons in the game that deal magical damage, theCleric’s Candlestickis one of the oddest weapons that players can check out. Despite needing Faith to wield, the sword primarily scales with Intelligence to deal high damage. This makes it a strange weapon that most players are better off avoiding. Still, players who don’t mind challenging themselves while using a blade that doubles as a catalyst tocast powerful Sorcerieswill find the Cleric’s Candlestick to be a decent weapon to stick to.
Using this weapon is not simple, and players must follow a build that brings the most out of this weapon without gimping their character. Operating as a battlemage is a great way to make the most of this weapon, as long as players are willing to strictly follow certain guidelines and make each level count. Getting the Cleric’s Candlestick is rather simple, as all players have to do is defeat the Deacons of the Deep at the Cathedral of the Deep and transpose the reward, the Soul of the Deacons of the Deep.
15Morion Blade
Obtained By Giving Orbeck’s Ashes To Yuria Of Londor
Dark Souls 3is a game where it’s important to maintain high health and not be in a vulnerable position. TheMorion Bladegoes against these two tenets, forcing players to stay at low health for extended periods if they wish to maximize the weapon’s damage. It’s a weapon that only players who are okay with taking risks should opt for.
Unless players are confident in their skills, there’s no reason for them to use the Morion Blade in battle short of punishing themselves. Sure, the damage numbers can be addicting, but this fantasy will come crashing down in no time aftera single hitfrom a weak enemy sends players back to the bonfire. For a weapon that looks so good and deals a decent amount of damage, the process to get it is not too complex. All players have to do is give Orberck’s Ashes to Yuria of Londor. Players first encounter Orbeck in the Road of Sacrifices, shortly before the Crystal Sage boss.
14Lothric’s Holy Sword
Transposing The Soul Of The Twin Princes
For a weapon with such amazing lore, most people expectedLothric’s Holy Swordto be one of the best weapons inDark Souls 3. It’s easy to see why most players assumed the same, given the amazing Weapon Art of this blade that unleashed a beam of light toward an enemy to hit them for serious damage.
However, players who form a build around this sword will quickly realize that the damage of this blade simply isn’t up to par with other weapons. What this sword lacks in sheer power, however, it more than makes up for its range and Weapon Art, which makes it one of themore entertaining weaponsto use inDark Souls 3.
To get this weapon, players will have to make one of the hardest choices in the game—lose the chance to get Lorian’s Greatsword, which looks amazing and is very suitable for Strength builds. Since Lothric’s Holy Sword is obtained through the transposition of the Soul of the Twin Princes, players will have to choose between one weapon or the other, at least until they defeat the Twin Princes again in NG+.
13Shortsword
Sold By Shrine Handmaiden In Firelink Shrine
Despite its short reach and initially low base damage, theShortswordcan be an excellent early-game weapon that has seen most players through much of the game due to its low stat requirements and easiness to attain from the Shrine Handmaiden. The Shortsword functions much like the legendary Lothric Knight Sword in that it has a very similar moveset that combines slashes and thrusts while also possessing higher critical hit damage for deadlier backstabs and riposte attacks.
The Shortsword also has multiple upgrade paths that can be viable. The most obvious is Refined infusion, which grants the Swortsword unexpectedly high potential as a quality build weapon for its B-tier scaling in Strength and Dexterity. Even more unforeseen is this blade’s excellent capabilities asa Faith-buildweapon due to it gaining an impressive S-tier scaling with Faith when infused with Lightning.
The common Stance weapon skill is nothing groundbreaking; however, it can break a foe’s guard sufficiently and open them up to a variety of attacks, whether they are normal ones or the critical variety. At the +10 Refined infusion, the Swortsword gets 178 physical attack, while with the Lightning infusion, it gets 94 physical and 128 lightning attack.
12Broadsword
Looted From A Corpse In The High Wall Of Lothric, Hidden Behind Some Crates
Found in the same room at the High Wall of Lothric where Greirat’s cell key is located, theBroadswordcan be obtained fairly early in the game, and it can be very useful for those looking for a weapon that deals primarily slashing damage. It sacrifices the thrusting attacks common for this weapon type in favor of sweeping strikes that are ideal for open areas and against multiple weak foes, which are common in the location where it is found.
This stellar slasher can be infused and upgraded in a variety of viable ways, as most paths will lead it to at least gaining A-tier scaling in one stat or more. It can be especially handy as a side-arm for pyromancers and users of dark sorceries, for both the Chaos and Dark infusions will offer up A-tier scaling for Intelligence and Faith simultaneously.
Stance again appears as the weapon skill and can be equally usable as on other Straight Swords. After being fully upgraded along the Chaos path, the Broadsword receives 123 physical and 128 fire attack while receiving identical stats down the Dark infusion path, with the fire attack boost being swapped for dark attack.
11Longsword
The Knight Class Starts Out With This Blade
Sometimes, players don’t need to be flashy or flamboyant to win inDark Souls 3. Instead, what matters most is to be efficient in combat and deplete an enemy’s health as quickly as possible.A weapon that’s reliable, flexible, and can be used in a wide variety of situations is perfect in this regard. That weapon, theLongsword, is encountered early in the game, being available as a standard starting weapon for the Knight class and can also be purchased from Greirat. The sword can be buffed, infused, and reinforced, too.
It provides a maximum physical damage of 309 points when fully reinforced and infused with a Raw gem. It also provides A scaling in Strength when infused with a Heavy gem, A scaling in Dexterity when infused with a Sharp gem, A scaling in Intelligence with a Crystal gem, A scaling in Intelligence and Faith with a Chaos gem, A scaling in Faith with a Lightning Gem, and A scaling in Intelligence and Faith when infused with a Dark gem. It also gives players S scaling in Intelligence with a Simple Gem and another S scaling in Faith with a Blessed gem.
The sword is a good starting item and will set players on their path to slay their enemies nicely. Players can use the Longsword comfortably up to at least the Abyss Watchers, but it is recommended to switch weapons to something better as they progress further. However, it goes without saying that any weapon can be carried all the way to the endgame if players wish, so it’s easy to see why some players prefer to stick with the comfort of the Longsword till the very end, making up for the gulf in damage with their skill and familiarity with this weapon.
10Barbed Straight Sword
Looted From Dark Spirit Longfinger Kirk In Cathedral Of The Deep
Most people assume that inflicting raw damage on enemies is the only metric that the weapons ofDark Souls 3should be judged on. However, given how challenging and strategic the game can get at times, it’s easy to see why theBarbed Straight Swordis considered to be a great weapon that players can use to spice up the gameplay. A huge reason why this is the case stems from the additional effects of this weapon that debilitates enemies.
The fact that this sword inflicts Bleed is good enough for many players who love inflicting this status effect on enemies and invaders alike, especially since it’s so satisfying to see a foe’shealth bar drop in a flashafter players manage to slice them up multiple times using this blade. While the pure damage of this weapon isn’t anything to write home about, the sheer entertainment factor of using the Barbed Straight Sword to decimate someone’s health in seconds more than makes it worth the price of admission.
Similar to other weapons in the game, the Barbed Straight Sword can be obtained by defeating a challenging invader. In this specific case, it’s Longfinger Kirk, who appears in the Cathedral of the Deep as soon as players enter the lower area where there’s water and two giants. Defeating Kirk isn’t too difficult, and the reward for doing so is well worth it.
9Astora Straight Sword
Located In A Chest In The High Wall Of Lothric
Found in a room in the High Wall of Lothric just above the room with 3 large undead and 2 dogs, theAstora Straight Swordis a fast-attacking straight sword that can aid players during the early stages of the game. In terms of stats, the weapon doesn’t offer much giving 129 points of physical damage. However, its value lies in its fast swing speed and low stamina cost.
Players will find that the weapon leaves a bit to be desired when it comes to scaling and infusions, but it’s possible to make up for the fact by buffing the weapon with resins and such. The weapon can carry players easily to at least mid-game level. It also shares models with Anri’s Straight Sword and fits well with the Elite Knight Set for cosplay purposes. For maximum utility, players can infuse the weapon with a Raw gem and upgrade it fully to level 10, giving them a total of 301 points of damage with no scaling. They can then use different resins to buff their weapons with different damage types to be effective against different enemies.
8Sunlight Straight Sword
Found In A Mimic Chest Near The White Dragon In Lothric Castle
There is no better weapon forjolly cooperation or praising the sun. On the surface, theSunlight Straight Swordseems just like the generic Longsword, though this is far from the truth. It cannot be infused, though upgrading it to +5 yields 196 physical attack and B-tier scaling with Faith. The strongest trait of one of thebestDark Souls 3Straight Swords, however, is its weapon skill: Oath of Sunlight.
Using this skill grants virtually the same effect as casting the Sacred Oath miracle, which boosts the wielder’s attack along with that of nearby allies, as well as increasing the damage reduction for friendly individuals against all damage types. If nothing else, players who love Solaire from the first game may like to pay homage to this jovial and tragic character by using this weapon.
By the time players can get the Sunlight Straight Sword, they will have already defeated the Dancer of the Boreal Valley and should have decent knowledge about the hidden dangers of the world, including Mimics. This weapon is dropped by a Mimic in Lothric Castle, so if players don’t want the hassle of fighting the creature, using an Undead Hunter Charm to put the wretched thing to sleep will make their lives a lot easier.
