15 Best PvP Weapons in Dark Souls 3 (Ranked)

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. (Learn more).

For many players, the PvE aspect of Dark Souls is just the appetizer, and their sights are truly set on a solid PvP build.

PvP in DS3 is still extremely populated, and thanks to things such as weapon skills, it’s some of the most diverse and intricate PvP offered by any Souls game to date!

But like all things Dark Souls, there are some tools more fit for the job.

So what weapons should you use to crush your opponents? We’re going to list the best meta picks right here!

 

15. Farron Greatsword

Farron Greatsword from Dark Souls 3

Back before the DLC’s, the Farron greatsword was a very common sight.

It’s a dex-based ultra greatsword with some truly terrifying combos with its unique two-handed moveset!

As time went on, however, people began to see the flaws.

Thanks to the built-in off-hand dagger, the attacks from the Farron greatsword are always considered one-handed, meaning they’re begging to be parried.

It’s still a solid choice, just be careful you don’t get riposted!

How to get: Transposition with the soul of the abyss watchers.

 

14. Red Hilted Halberd

Red Hilted Halberd in DS3

It’s very strange to be putting this weapon on the list, but actually the RHH is a very popular choice for even the best PvP players out there.

The damage is great, but the real benefit is the huge range and access to the perseverance weapon skill.

Now before you go throwing it on your character you should bear in mind that as a main weapon it’s not that good, and in fact sees most of its use in the off-hand slot.

This allows slower/lower range weapons to still have access to quick, hard-hitting pokes!

How to get: In the sewers of Undead Settlement, next to the statue of Velka.

 

13. Estoc

Estoc Dark Souls 3 screenshot

While still in the top PvP list the ‘bestoc’ has had a bit of a fall from grace since its glory days in DS1.

However, it still sports the quick, stunning stabs and good range, as well as fantastic dex scaling!

As with the RHH, the estoc sees a lot of use off-hand, complimenting slower weapons with its fast moveset and opening combo opportunities.

It can even be used on strength builds in a pinch, as it still achieves a nice B scaling with a heavy infusion!

How to get: Sold by Greirat after his first pillage.

 

12. Gael’s Greatsword

Gael’s Greatsword Dark Souls 3

The ringed city DLC added a bunch of new intricate weapons, and Gael’s is no exception!

Its unique skill ‘blade of peril’ has so many variations and ways to weave into moves that it’ll feel like you have 3 movesets all at once!

But that’s also its greatest weakness- it’s pretty complicated.

Similar to a weapon like Valorheart, its skill ceiling is incredibly high, and the payoff doesn’t always make it worth it.

Gael’s is unpredictable and undeniably powerful, but oftentimes something more straightforward is just as effective.

How to get: Soul transposition with the soul of Gael.

 

11. Old Wolf Curved Sword

Old Wolf Curved Sword in DS3

The old wolf sword is a very popular dex weapon for PvP, with a ton of tricks up its sleeve.

On top of its fantastic moveset and weapon skill and B-scaling in dex, it also has the passive effect of both Pontiff eye rings at once!

Namely, persistent attacking buffs attack and restores HP!

This isn’t always going to be relevant as most times your opponents will either run away or simply die before they proc, but it’s still a nice bonus.

How to get: Rank 1 reward in the watchdogs of Farron covenant.

 

10. Lothric Knight Greatsword

Lothric Knight Greatsword Dark Souls 3

The LKGS is one of the only weapons in the game to have innate elemental damage whilst still being able to be buffed and infused!

With this, the damage it can deal is insane.

It hits A-scaling on most infusions, and if infused with faith scaling, its innate lightning damage will also begin to scale!

On a high-level character, this weapon has one of the highest AR’s in the entire game.

How to get: Dropped by Lothric knights wielding it.

 

9. Astora Greatsword

Astora Greatsword from Dark Souls 3

On paper, the Astora greatsword is pretty crazy:

Incredibly low requirements to wield, great base damage and fantastic scalings – hitting A’s and S’s on most stats once respectively infused!

This makes the Astora greatsword viable for basically any build you want, and you will want it.

It has high-poise, wide-range swings great for rollcatching and weights next to nothing for an UGS.

How to get: Found in the graveyard near the cleansing chapel bonfire.

 

8. Winged Knight Twinaxes

Winged Knight Twinaxes in DS3

Many, many players hate these axes.

Which means they must be good.

Perfect for strength builds, the twinaxes have a fantastic moveset once dual-wielded, with its L1 attacks hitting twice!

This means they respond particularly nicely to buffs on strength/x hybrids, and can deal some huge damage with their spam-heavy swings.

The synergy doesn’t end there, as their multi-hit nature means they also work great with persistent attack buffs like the Pontiff eye rings and Carthus beacon!

How to get: Dropped by winged knights wielding them.

 

7. Claymore

Claymore Dark Souls 3 screenshot

Don’t let its appearance fool you, the claymore is a deceptively intricate weapon.

While it may not be the flashiest, it has everything you could ask for, attack-wise.

Thrusts, horizontal swings, vertical swings, it’s got them all – which makes it a great jack-of-all-trades weapon perfect for any scenario.

It’s even got hyperarmour on a ton of its attacks!

And to top it off, it has fantastic base damage for a greatsword, A-scaling on infusions, and can be buffed!

How to get: Found on the plateau where the fire breathing Dragon rests in High Wall of Lothric.

 

6. Gotthard Twinswords

Gotthard Twinswords Dark Souls 3

Once upon a time, the twinswords were arguably the best PvP weapon out there. But after a handful of nerfs and tweaks they now sit comfortably in the top bracket.

They have the longest range of any straight sword in the game, and when dual-wielded, have the same multi-hit swings that the twinaxes boast!

With A-scalings on most infusions, the twinswords can be slotted into basically any build, but play nicest with hybrids thanks to their strong weapon buffs.

How to get: Can be found on a corpse just outside the Grand Archives.

 

5. Frayed Blade

Frayed Blade from Dark Souls 3

Our only katana to make the list, the frayed blade is likely the most popular dex weapon in PvP.

It has a smidge of innate dark damage, a nice chunk of bleed, and A-scaling in dex.

But it doesn’t end there, as its ‘hold’ skill is very different to other katanas – giving access to a flurry of incredibly fast swings or a dark magic shockwave!

It has an interesting weakness, however, in the form of durability – meaning it runs the risk of breaking during extended fights.

How to get: Transposition with the soul of Midir.

 

4. Splitleaf Greatsword

Splitleaf Greatsword in DS3

The splitleaf was a surprising addition from the ringed city DLC, which ended up being not only the strongest halberd in the game but also one of the best PvP options!

Yes, halberd. Despite the name, this is not a greatsword.

With an S-scaling in strength with a heavy infusion, the damage this weapon can dish out is incredible, and only further bolstered by buffs on hybrids!

It may take some time to learn, however, as its intricate combos give it quite a high skill cap.

How to get: Sold by the stone-humped hag in the dreg heap.

 

3. Ringed Knight Paired Greatswords

Ringed Knight Paired Greatswords in DS3

It pains me to put these in the top 3.

Not because they’re bad, just because I hate them.

I don’t know who at FromSoftware looked at ultra greatswords and said:

“Yeah, make one that’s faster and higher damaging, and while you’re at it throw in some more poise and give it as many combos and stunlocks as possible”.

They’re straight-up dumb. If you’re against someone half-decent and get hit by a single swing, you’re probably dead.

I am happy to be part of the fanbase that despises these things.

How to get: Drops from Ringed Knight carrying them just before the spears of the church cathedral.

 

2. Murky Hand Scythe

Murky Hand Scythe Dark Souls 3

I completely forgot this weapon existed until recently.

And then I used it and was blown away.

The hand scythe is, simply put, overpowered.

Innate dark damage, ability to be buffed and infused, and insanely fast swings all bundled up with the quickstep skill makes it one of the best PvP weapons with little competition.

If you’re against someone good with it, you’ll probably never hit them, and die in record time.

Hope you’re good at parrying!

How to get: Found in the dreg heap, after dropping through the glass ceiling.

 

1. Lothric Knight Sword

Lothric Knight Sword in DS3

Well… here we are again.

There really isn’t much to say about the Lothric knight sword that hasn’t already been said – either by me or by others.

So I’ll give you the quick run-down:

You can get it in the first area in the game.

Straight swords are OP, and have the strongest moveset in the game.

The LKS can be buffed and infused, and hits A or S-scaling on every stat.

It has incredible range and pokes on its heavy attacks.

It has more critical damage than any other straight sword, for some reason.

It’s so easy to use that my cat could get kills with it, and he doesn’t even have thumbs.

How to get: Dropped by Lothric knights wielding it.

Browse: Video Games

Tom ‘Cyresto’ Humphries

A game animator by trade, Tom’s insight into the game development world gives him a strong appreciation for the art form that is video games. Kicking off at the age of 3 with Spyro: Year of the Dragon on the PS1, Tom’s tastes in games has hardened over the 19 years he’s spent playing them. He now lives for the challenge that titles such as Monster Hunter, Dark Souls, Dead Cells, and many more offer him. Enjoying nothing more than a session of number-crunching game data and another platinum trophy on his PlayStation account, Tom is dedicated to leaving no stone unturned in even the most brutal of gaming content.