Despite all the flashy magic Dark Souls 3 bestows upon players, the best and most efficient way to kill some rotting old gods and their emaciated minions is to poke holes in them or slice them in half. It just so happens that one of the best starting classes that lets players do that is the Knight.
It's one of the most straightforward classes in the game; wield a big sword, and wear shiny armor. For some, it's even the most well-dressed out of all the starting classes, which is probably why it gets picked a lot. Thankfully, many good things can come from playing as a knight in Dark Souls 3, and one can expand upon their knightly ventures by looking into the strongest knight builds in the game.
Updated February 28, 2022, by Sid Natividad: Creating a strong build in Dark Souls 3 is nothing short of satisfying. Finding the right mix of stats and the perfect weapon can be troublesome, which is why we updated this guide to give a clear stat and gear breakdown for each entry. It should be much easier to replicate each of these builds. Note that these builds are all tuned for PvE; your mileage in PvP will vary. Every build listed in this article can be found in the Dark Souls 3 Fextralife wiki.
Now that Elden Ring is out, some newcomers might be intimidated by the general atmosphere of the game and how punishing it can be. That's why getting acquainted with the mechanics via Dark Souls 3 is a good plan. Of course, you'll also want to follow some easy template and that's where Dark Souls 3 Knight build comes in. Here are more of the best knight build in Dark Souls 3.
15 Paladin Hybrid (By Crozyn)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 120
- Vigor: 37
- Attunement: 18
- Endurance: 35
- Vitality: 31
- Strength: 40
- Dexterity: 12
- Intelligence: 9
- Faith: 40
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapon: Dragonslayer Greataxe
- Catalyst: Canvas Talisman
- Rings: Havel's Ring, Ring of Favor and Protection, Prisoner's Chain,
- Spells: Sunlight Spear, Deep Protection, Lightning Arrow
Often dubbed as the Lightning Paladin, this Strength/Faith hybrid is the Nameless King incarnate. Any enemy that's not on a melee range will be shredded like dragon skin by Sunlight Spear and Lightning Arrow.
When it comes to trading blows, Deep Protection does wonders and of course, not many would be able to resist the poise break from Dragonslayer Greataxe. For armor, just wear whichever enables you to avoid fat rolling.
14 Pure Strength Knight (By Vithark)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 120
- Vigor: 40
- Attunement: 6
- Endurance: 40
- Vitality: 44
- Strength: 57
- Dexterity: 9
- Intelligence: 8
- Faith: 9
- Luck: 11
Gear
- Weapons: Ledo's Great Hammer
- Rings: Prisoner's Chain, Hornet Ring, Havel's Ring, Knight Slayer's Ring
Who needs all those fancy miracles and spells when a hammer to the enemy's skull will do all the work? That's what the pure strength build is all about. This knight wields a huge hammer and nothing else except the rings and armor that allows him to avoid fat rolling, preferably the Millwood Knight set.
In any case, the gameplay is straightforward. Lunge at the enemy and turn them into pancakes. The Call to Stone weapon art serves as a good panic button or to catch both players and AI enemies off-guard while also dealing massive damage.
13 Quality Knight (By Crozyn)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 85
- Vigor: 31
- Attunement: 14
- Endurance: 25
- Vitality: 15
- Strength: 30
- Dexterity: 32
- Intelligence: 10
- Faith: 10
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapons: Refined Uchigatana, Refined Astora Greatsword, Grass Crest Shield, Pyromancy Flame, Carthus Flame Arc
- Rings: Knight's Ring, Hunter's Ring, Chloranthy Ring, Carthus Milkring
The Quality build balances out Strength and Dexterity stats to produce the ultimate versatile melee build that can wield most melee weapons and benefit from them. This idea extends to this knight-themed build. Playstyle is also simple, just buff the Astora Greatsword with the Carthus Flame Arc then have at the enemy.
The greatsword's long range and blasphemous poise break should be enough to shock and awe the enemy. As always, for the armor, just mix and match stuff that you like or wear sets as long as you don't become too heavy. Just avoid the fat roll weight.
12 The Reddit Build (By TheBestSh****r)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 125
- Vigor: 39
- Attunement: 14
- Endurance: 30
- Vitality: 15
- Strength: 40
- Dexterity: 40
- Intelligence: 9
- Faith: 20
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapons: Estoc, Greatshield of Glory, Canvas Talisman
- Spells: Deep Protection, Tears of Denial, Blessed Weapon
- Rings: Ring of Favor, Life Ring, Leo Ring, Darkmoon Ring
It looks like a Quality build but this one is actually a pesky menace in Dark Souls 3 fight clubs all because of one weapon - the Estoc. It can stunlock opponents and has a fast attack and good range. Meanwhile, the greatshield should help you preserve your life.
If that's not enough, then the plethora of miracle buffs should ensure either more damage or more survivability. It's also good in PVE since the Estoc is fast at poking holes in bosses and the greatshield is quite a formidable poise machine.
11 Trigod (By Closedtripod)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 125
- Vigor: 43
- Attunement: 10
- Endurance: 40
- Vitality: 20
- Strength: 20
- Dexterity: 29
- Intelligence: 30
- Faith: 30
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapons: Lothric Knight Sword, Black Knight Sword, Witch Tree Branch
- Spells: Magic Shield
- Rings: Lloyd's Sword Ring, Life Ring, Ring of Favor, Prisoner's Chain
The Trigod is another simple yet effective hybrid build that utilizes a bit of everything. Moderate point distribution allows it to wield some dark horse weapons such as the Lothric Knight Sword and Black Knight Sword while still having some spells.
Players can easily change up the Witch Tree Branch for a talisman so they can cast some protective miracles or disruptive lightning spells. In any case, this build has quite a reputation, a whopping 13-win streak so that's testament enough for its effectiveness.
10 Easy Peasy Knight (By Velldanas)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 100
- Vigor: 30
- Endurance: 27
- Vitality: 30
- Strength: 20
- Dexterity: 40
Gear
- Weapons: Lothric Knight Sword, any Crest Shield
- Rings: Havel's Ring, Ring of Favor, Pontiff's Right Eye
Easy Peasy Knight by Velldanas is an uncomplicated build that utilizes the Lothric Knight Sword +10 and a full Lothric Knight set for the armor. However, the armor can be any fashionable item you want.
Gameplay-wise, this build uses the flexibility of the Lothric Knight Sword to decimate targets in a few hits, investing heavily in Dexterity to get the most out of each strike. An off-hand shield is useful for absorbing an incoming attack you didn't expect. Skilled players can two-hand the sword instead, utilizing rolls to get out of danger.
A Dexterity knight might sound odd, but it's surprisingly strong in PvE. It isn't bad in PvP either, capable of destroying opponents in a few swings. Just be careful of players adept at parrying, as they'll punish you for spamming the same attack.
9 The Flamesword Dude (By Expertionis)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 120
- Vigor: 30
- Attunement: 17
- Endurance: 15
- Vitality: 30
- Strength: 50
- Dexterity: 20
- Intelligence: 20
- Faith: 20
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapon: Exile Greatsword (Heavy infusion)
- Catalyst: Pyromancy Flame
- Rings: Swamp Ring, Witch Ring
- Spells: Carthus Flame Arc, Power Within, Rapport/Black Fire Orb
Expertionis' Flamesword Dude build is a treat for the eyes, weaving the power of pyromancy and greatswords together. This build focuses more on smashing enemies with a greatsword than using pyromancy, using flame spells for zoning and buffing yourself.
Focusing on strength, this build crushes opponents with devastating swings that are buffed by Carthus Flame Arc. If swinging a flaming sword wasn't cool enough, what about turning enemies against each other? It's odd that Rapport is a pyromancy, but this spell will allow you to turn most targets into an ally for a short time, giving you breathing room or the opportunity to deal some serious damage. If you want a ranged option, consider replacing Rapport with Black Fire Orb to deal some solid damage from safety.
8 Mundane Spellblade (By MutinyMate)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 120
- Vigor: 30
- Attunement: 24
- Endurance: 22
- Vitality: 15
- Strength: 37
- Dexterity: 34
- Intelligence: 10
- Faith: 30
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapons: Dark Sword (Refined), Shield of Want/Spirit Tree Crest Shield
- Catalysts: Cleric's Sacred Chime, Pyromancy Flame
- Rings: Chloranthy Ring, Ring of Favor, Lingering Dragoncrest Ring, Pontiff's Right Eye/Hornet Ring
- Spells: Blessed Sword, Dark Blade, Darkmoon Blade, Lightning Blade
The Mundane Spellblade by MutinyMate is yet another flexible knight needing the refined Dark Sword +10 and buff spells to dish out as much damage as possible.
Using four different weapon buffs seems excessive, but every enemy in Dark Souls 3 has unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing the enemies you're facing is paramount for this build, allowing you to swap your buff on the fly to deal optimal damage. This applies to both PvE and PvP. Regardless of who you're facing, always be sure to have a spell buff active to deal as much damage as possible.
7 Ashen Knight (By Amord)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 120
- Vigor: 25
- Attunement: 10
- Endurance: 27
- Vitality: 15
- Strength: 40
- Dexterity: 40
- Intelligence: 9
- Faith: 16
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapons: Sunlight Straight Sword, Black Bow of Pharis, any shield
- Rings: Havel's Ring, Chloranthy Ring
Amord's Ashen Knight is a versatile one that needs a Broadsword +10 or a Sunlight Straight Sword +5, and a Black Bow of Pharis +10. Any shield will do, and the build is best with either the Lothric Knight set or the regular Knight set along with Havel's Ring and Cloranthy Ring.
The brilliance of this build lies in its versatility. You have a powerful one-handed weapon to damage opponents up-close, a shield to block damage, and a bow that can deal with long-distance targets. Its item requirements can be met in the early-game, and there's no spell management required. This is the archetypical knight build in the best way possible.
6 Darkest Knight (By FamilyWhale)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 115
- Vigor: 40
- Attunement: 24
- Endurance: 15
- Vitality: 16
- Strength: 23
- Dexterity: 40
- Intelligence: 9
- Faith: 30
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapons: Dark Sword (Refined), Golden Wing Crest Shield
- Catalysts: Pyromancy Flame, any talisman
- Rings: Havel's Ring, Ring of Favor, Carthus Milkring, Darkmoon Ring
- Spells: Deep Protection, Sacred Oath, Lightning Blade, Great Chaos Fire Orb
Another versatile knight would be the Darkest Knight by FamilyWhale, requiring a Dark Sword +10 and a Pyromancy Flame +10. For the left hand, it needs a Golden Wing Crest Shield +5 and a Talisman of your choice. Armor is Executioner Helm, Silver Knight Armor, Knight Gauntlets, and Dark Leggings. Once again, you can always change your armor if you don't like its look; armor in Dark Souls 3 has little impact on your character.
As for the build itself, the Darkest Knight uses the power of dark magic and swords to annihilate enemies. Besides using your Dark Sword, this build can utilize pyromancies like Great Chaos Fire Orb to annihilate groups of enemies from a distance. Like most hybrid builds, most of the spells you'll be using are buffs you should apply before you start combat. Played properly, this character can output some fantastic damage.
5 The Versatile Wraith (By Mokgore)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 125
- Vigor: 27
- Attunement: 10
- Endurance: 25
- Vitality: 15
- Strength: 55
- Dexterity: 55
- Intelligence: 10
- Faith: 10
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapons: Dark Sword/Fume Ultra Greatsword
- Catalysts: Pyromancy Flame
- Rings: Hunter's Ring, Havel's Ring, Knight's Ring, Hornet Ring
- Spells: Carthus Flame Arc
Mokgore swears by the Versatile Wraith build's power and brokenness. It only needs a Dark Sword, with the option to swap for a Fume Ultra Greatsword. Armor is optional, but a light set is recommended, paired with any Crest shield and Pyromancy Flame +10 for the left hand.
This build is rather simple: use your raw strength and dexterity stats to crush every enemy in your path. The slight amount of Intelligence and Faith allows you to use Carthus Flame Arc, further increasing your damage output. Nothing will stand a chance.
4 Lord of Bloody Hollows (By alfieSk8r)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 120
- Vigor: 30
- Attunement: 10
- Endurance: 30
- Vitality: 15
- Strength: 41
- Dexterity: 20
- Intelligence: 9
- Faith: 9
- Luck: 45
Gear
- Weapons: Barbed Straight Sword
- Rings: Ring of Favor, Knight's Ring, Havel's Ring, Hunter's Ring
- Items: Carthus Rouge
Lord of Blood Hollows by alfieSk8r is a bloody knight that relies on the bleed mechanic. It will need a +10 Barbed Straight Sword and plenty of Carthus Rouge to bleed enemies to death. The build is rather straightforward: apply Carthus Rouge to your sword, then swing away until the enemy hemorrhages all of their health. Note that some bosses are immune to bleed, so expect some boss fights to take an eternity.
3 Soul Of Cinder Cosplay (By Relinquished)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 90
- Vigor: 30
- Attunement: 15
- Endurance: 14
- Vitality: 15
- Strength: 39
- Dexterity: 39
- Intelligence: 10
- Faith: 10
- Luck: 7
Gear
- Weapon: Firelink Greatsword
- Catalyst: Pyromancy Flame
- Rings: Your choice
- Spells: Power Within
Soul of Cinder Cosplay by Relinquished is a great and effortless self-buffing knight that only necessitates the Firelink Greatsword and the Pyromancy Flame for the Power Within buff. Rings and armor are also up to the players, but the Firelink Set completes the look. Use your Weapon Art to engulf your sword in flame, then buff yourself with Power Within to output a ludicrous amount of damage with each swing.
2 The Fume Build (By Hiechan)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 100
- Strength: 70
- Dexterity: 50
Gear
- Weapons: Fume Ultra Greatsword
- Rings: Your choice
The Fume Build by Hiechan is a guaranteed heavy hitter without much effort. One only needs a Fume Ultra Greatsword combined with any rings players want and medium or light armor for easier dodging. With the heavy stat investment in Strength and Dexterity, each greatsword attack can easily do 950 damage when two-handed.
1 Lightning Rod Of Lothric (By HaveNoFury)
Important Stats
- Soul Level: 125
- Strength: 55
- Dexterity: 55
- Faith: 40
Gear
- Weapons: Lothric Greatsword (Refined), Lothric Straight Sword, or Dragonslayer's Axe
- Catalysts: Saint's Talisman, Knight's Crossbow (Lightning Bolts)
- Rings: Lightning Clutch Ring, Leo Ring
- Spells: Lightning Blade, Sacred Oath
The Lightning Rod of Lothric by HaveNoFury is a standard lightning Paladin dud requiring the Lothric Greatsword (refined), Lothric Straight Sword, or Dragonslayer's Axe. Using the power of Lightning Blade and your high stats, this build can output as much as 1,000 damage per hit.
Players will need an SL 125 knight with a Strength and Dexterity of 60/60 or at least 55/55, while their Faith needs to be at 40. Apply Sacred Oath and Lightning Blade for every battle and make quick work of any enemy that stands in your way.