Greatswords are among the most powerful weapons you can wield in Dark Souls 3. Boasting a long reach, high damage, and some powerful weapon arts, these can help you slay the most challenging of bosses and postpone death just a little longer.

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Which greatsword is best for your character is a combination of your preferred playstyle and the abilities of your build. Still, if you're looking for a general overview of the best greatswords, then these are ones you should really consider wielding.

Updated March 8, 2023, by Axel Bosso: Elden Ring's expansion is coming, but we still don't know when it will launch. In the meantime, we thought it was a good chance to go back to Dark Souls 3, update this list of very big swords, and give you one more time the picks for the best greatsword in the game.

16 Storm Ruler

A knight charging the Storm Ruler Greatsword
  • Stat Requirements: No requirements.

Found in Yhorm the Giant's arena, the Storm Ruler has the primary function of taking down the boss with its weapon art, but it lacks any viable usage outside of the boss fight. Its damage output is pretty bad, with a base 143 damage output and a D in both dexterity and strength.

Even though it doesn't require any initial stats to wield, not being able to infuse or buff it leaves it as easily the worst greatsword in the game. Although it looks cool, it won't be taking you very far.

15 Bastard Sword

A knight looking at you while grabbing the Baster Sword with one hand.
  • Stat Requirements: 16 Strength, 10 Dexterity

This classic greatsword has been a staple in Dark Souls since the very first game, and made sure not to skip out on the third installment. This sword is all about the basics, all the way from its simple design to its bare-bones moveset and weapon art.

While this weapon has a decent damage scaling, with a D in both strength and dexterity, it's about as middle of the road as it gets with weapons in Dark Souls 3. This is also a greatsword with one of the shorter ranges in the game, making it hard to land hits with.

The player grabbing the unique Greatsword in a deserted line where an eclipse is taking place.
  • Stat Requirements: 20 Strength, 10 Dexterity, 10 Intelligence, 10 Faith

After defeating the final boss of the main story of Dark Souls 3, his Soul can be used to create the Firelink Greatsword. You may recognize this sword as it's embedded into every single bonfire that you come across. While this legendary blade has a lot to live up to, it sadly doesn't make the cut due to its lackluster damage output.

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This weapon has a D in both strength and dexterity, cannot be infused or buffed normally, and has its unique skill, Ember. This sword is flashy, fun, and a powerhouse in PvE, but its mediocre base of 128 damage and 89 fire damage stop it from excelling.

13 Flamberge

A knight about to stab another's back with the Flamberge.
  • Stat Requirements: 15 Strength, 14 Dexterity

This is another weapon that has seen iterations in every title in the series and has remained one of the most unique swords in its class. It's a pretty average choice for a big sword with a D in both strength and dexterity, a base damage of 158, and a standard greatsword moveset.

However, the Flamberge is best known for its bleed quality, just as it is in real-life incarnations of the weapon. Out of all other bleed-focused weapons in Dark Souls 3, this has one of the higher damage outputs, but its slow and predictable nature keeps it from being truly dangerous.

12 Moonlight Greatsword

Dark Souls 3 Moonlight Greatsword mid-swing
  • Stat Requirements: 16 Strength, 11 Dexterity, 26 Intelligence

This sword is crafted from the Soul of Oceiros the Consumed King and makes for a strong weapon with interesting capabilities. Its standard use as a melee weapon deals 69 base damage, but it also possesses a limited range attack that casts Moonlight Vortex in front of the player for 130 base magic damage.

What's unusual for the Moonlight Greatsword is that it requires a high intelligence skill to wield, which many greatsword strength-based builds typically don't have. It's alright for strength/caster builds, but there are much better options.

11 Onyx Blade

A knight on their back, channeling the power of the Onyx Blade.
  • Stat Requirements: 14 Strength, 12 Dexterity, 15 Intelligence, 15 Faith

This weapon is one of the most visually striking weapons in all of Dark Souls 3, but it's a shame that it doesn't hold up as well as it should into the late game. This is the longest greatsword in the game and has stat requirements and scaling in all four offensive stats. The requirements for this blade are fairly high, and building it will take a lot of time and resources.

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It actually has some fairly good damage output, with a lot of it being dark damage. Its weapon art, Elfriede's Blackflame, buffs its damage output with fire damage, and it's a contender for the coolest-looking weapon art in the game. It isn't a bad weapon by any means, but its damage is simply outclassed by many others on this list.

10 Wolf Knight's Greatsword

  • Stat Requirements: 24 Strength, 18 Dexterity

The Wolf Knight's Greatsword was crafted to help slay the denizens of the abyss, and it serves this task well. The sword has a 139 base damage and gets a 20% bonus to damage against Abyssal enemies, including a number of bosses such as Aldrich, Devourer of Gods. You'll need to craft it with the Soul of the Blood of the Wolf.

It ranks low because its skill, Wolf Sword, is just a simple slow-spinning slash or a forward-slashing somersault. The spin move is particularly weak as opponents can parry it. It has uses against Abyssal creatures, but you really need something else for the rest of the game.

9 Wolnir's Holy Sword

  • Stat Requirements: 13 Strength, 13 Dexterity, 13 Faith

This weapon is built using the Soul of High Lord Wolnir. It deals a base damage of 151, which is very respectable. Its special skill is Wrath of the Gods, which emits a shockwave around the player when the weapon is thrust into the ground; this is useful for giving yourself some breathing room when fighting crowds.

It's a good weapon that can deal a fair amount of damage with each strike and has a handy ability for crowd control or punishing opponents that sneak up behind you.

8 Greatsword Of Judgment

  • Stat Requirements: 17 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 12 Intelligence

This is essentially a stronger version of the Moonlight Greatsword and a good weapon to use for caster/strength builds. The Greatsword of Judgement is crafted using the Soul of Pontiff Sulyvahn - it deals 110 base damage, and its special skill Stance of Judgement is a horizontal sweeping wave that deals magical damage.

The reason it's better than the Moonlight greatsword is that the base damage of standard swings is stronger and has lesser stat requirements meaning it can be equipped sooner, and it doesn't degrade nearly as fast thanks to better durability.

7 Twin Princes' Greatsword

Dark Souls 3 Twin Princes' Greatsword by Fogwall
  • Stat Requirements: 22 Strength, 14 Dexterity

Twin Princes' Greatsword is a strong weapon thanks to its two skills. Its base damage is 126, and it can deal 83 fire damage when using Sacred Lothric Light or Flame Of Lorian. Sacred Lothric Light is cast when performing a normal attack in stance, and Flame of Lorian is performed using a strong attack while in stance.

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This versatility is nice and makes it a strong sword, but it doesn't stack up against others damage-wise. It also ranks lower because it's only acquired in New Game + as the player must defeat Lothric twice and use the souls to craft Lothric's Holy Sword and Lorians Greatsword and then fuse them together to form this sword.

6 Gael's Greatsword

  • Stat Requirements: 19 Strength, 13 Dexterity

A weapon with a bit of dark lore behind it, it's the executioner's sword for Slave Knight Gael that has seen so much use it's now permanently bloodied and chipped. To acquire it, you'll need to travel to the Ringed City in the DLC and use Slave Knight Gael's Soul to craft it.

It deals a healthy 147 base damage and has a decent weight with not too strict stat requirements. It doesn't rank higher because the skill Blade of Peril, while damaging, is very dangerous to perform as it leaves the player incredibly exposed.

5 Executioner's Greatsword

  • Stat Requirements: 19 Strength, 13 Dexterity

The Executioner's Greatsword is a powerful weapon in the hands of anyone who intends to use magic as it regenerates six Focus Points with each kill. It's found on a corpse in Cathedral of the Deep near the graveyard by the Cleansing Chapel, making it a great early game weapon dealing 131 base damage.

Its skill Stomp is also very effective as it deals great damage and increases the player's poise that can be followed with a spinning slash. When looking to execute a large number of opponents and put down tough bosses, you want something that was built for executions.

4 Drakeblood Greatsword

A knight blocking a spear attack with the Drakeblood Greatsowrd near the entrance to a castle.
  • Stat Requirements: 18 Strength, 16 Dexterity

This greatsword is likely the most unique and versatile greatsword in the entire game for a few reasons. This sword has a D in both strength and dexterity and deals physical, magical, and lightning damage. It won't be doing too much damage by itself, but taking the time to build it can create a monster.

It shares a moveset with the Hollowslayer Greatsword, which already has one of the best greatsword movesets. This sword works well with both a magic build or a faith build, or it also works well with resins if you don't want to invest tons of time into building it.

3 Hollowslayer Greatsword

  • Stat Requirements: 14 Strength, 18 Dexterity

The world of Dark Souls 3 is littered with hollow enemies and hollow bosses, which makes the Hollowslayer Greatsword a powerful weapon to have on hand. It deals 145 base damage and receives a 20 percent bonus to damage when facing hollow enemies, which are everywhere. It's crafted using the Soul of the Rotted Greatwood.

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It also has great range and its skill Stance is very useful in a variety of circumstances. Odds are you'll be carrying this weapon for quite some time as it makes the game easier when fighting hollows.

2 Black Knight Sword

  • Stat Requirements: 20 Strength, 18 Dexterity

This is a great sword for killing demons, or anything else really. Obtained from a corpse in Smouldering Lake, the Black Knight Sword deals 173 base damage with a 20 percent bonus against demons. The damage rivals Ultra Greatswords, and it has a great reach, fast swing speed, and it's light enough that stamina consumption isn't too awful.

Its skill Perseverance raises poise and reduces damage when activated. All around, it's a fantastic sword that helps in the fights against the handful of demons in the game and holds its own in every other fight. Honestly, this could be your choice of sword long into New Game +.

1 The Claymore

  • Stat Requirements: 16 Strength, 13 Dexterity

By far the best greatsword in Dark Souls 3 is the humble Claymore. This weapon is obtained early in the game by killing enemies that use it in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley. It deals 138 base damage, has a low weight to minimize stamina consumption, and has the incredibly useful Stance skill.

While some builds might benefit more from the Black Knight Sword, a lot of builds find more use with the Claymore, which is why it's number one. This is a greatsword you can get early on, invest the time and resources into upgrading, and never regret that decision. This is your sword unless you have a very specific or quirky build.

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