The list of Elden Ring’s Curved Swords contains weapons with some extremely niche effects, several of which are exceptionally powerful, while others are… less so. Looked at as a group, they are extremely strong, dealing good damage and causing rapid status buildup, especially when dual-wielding.

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The weapon type has seen some nerfs, but you can still pick up any pair of Curved Swords and find a certain amount of success. Depending on what you are trying to do, though, some Curved Swords will be better picks than others. This list will help you decide which one fits your build best.

Updated May 25, 2023, by Lucas Ellinas: Elden Ring’s first DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, doesn’t have a release date just yet. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of exploration to do in the base game, including five Curved Swords that didn't make the original version of this list. They may not have the dramatic, flashy effects possessed by some of the best Curved Swords, but if you look closely, you might find a hidden gem.

15 Falchion

The Falchion runs into a problem shared by a few other weapons on this list: for a general-use Curved Sword, the Bandit’s Curved Sword is definitively the best. The Falchion consistently loses to it on damage and is significantly shorter, meaning there is little reason to use the Falchion beyond aesthetics.

If you want to make this weapon part of your build, it’s at its best when using the Sacred or Flame Art Affinities, which both scale with Faith. Like many Curved Swords, the Falchion can be acquired at the start of the game if you are willing to farm for it. The weapon drops from the Demi-Humans that wield them in various places around the Lands Between.

14 Grossmesser

The Grossmesser is a solid weapon. It is the third-longest Curved Sword and by only a narrow margin. And it has better damage than most other weapons in the class, performing especially well on the Heavy Affinity. Unfortunately, “almost” is the key word since the Grossmesser suffers from the same problem as the Falchion, being outclassed by the Bandit’s Curved Sword in both reach and damage.

That said, the difference in damage on the Heavy Affinity is quite small (although the best Curved Sword for Strength builds isn’t actually either of these weapons), so if you really like how the Grossmesser looks, you won’t lose much by using it. Like the Bandit’s Curved Sword, the Grossmesser can be farmed from Skeletons, which can drop three different types of Curved Swords. The Skeletons you’re looking for have the Grossmesser in one hand, and their other hand is empty.

13 Scimitar

In most ways, the Scimitar is far from a powerhouse. Its damage is unimpressive, and its length falls right in the middle of the pack among Curved Swords. However, the weapon has one unique feature: a unique one-handed light attack moveset. It’s extremely similar to the one most normal Curved Swords use, but it is faster and moves you further forward. Using Curved Swords one-handed generally isn’t optimal, but the speed of the Scimitar means it works well when paired with either a Shield or a Seal/Staff for casting Spells.

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The Scimitar can be acquired in a number of different ways. The Warrior class starts with two of them, but if you want to choose a different class, you still have options. One can be bought from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold. Alternatively, you can farm them from Skeletons that wield one (they’ll have a small Shield in their other hand).

12 Shotel

The Shotel is one of the shortest Curved Swords (tied for second) and has extremely low damage no matter which Affinity you choose to give it. However, it does have the unique ability to do a certain amount of damage through enemy guards. Both the Nox Flowing Sword and the Eclipse Shotel share this property, but neither of those weapons can be given a unique Ash of War.

If enemy Shields are giving you trouble, and you don’t want to be limited to the relatively niche Weapon Skills of those other two Curved Swords, the Shotel is worth considering. It’s sold by the Abandoned Merchant in Siofra River, who can be accessed by climbing the scaffolding west of the Worshipper’s Woods Site of Grace.

11 Shamshir

The Shamshir is basically a better Scimitar. It shares the other weapon's unique, one-handed moveset but is significantly longer and beats it in damage on most Affinities (although it still can’t compete with some of the weapons higher on this list).

So, if you like the unique moveset of the Scimitar but are unimpressed with its performance, the Shamshir will be an improvement more often than not. To get it, delve down to the bottom of Highroad Cave in Stormhill, where a corpse holding the weapon is being eaten by Giant Bats.

10 Flowing Curved Sword

The Flowing Curved Sword doesn’t have exceptional stats. However, it does have unique, flowing, heavy attacks that strike twice when uncharged and three times when charged. Maybe you won’t do the most damage, but you will do it with style.

Fun as it is, though, the Flowing Curved Sword is, unfortunately, an endgame weapon. You can find it in a Carriage in the Consecrated Snowfield. This area can only be accessed if you've gotten both halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion during Latenna's quest line.

9 Nox Flowing Sword

On the surface, the Nox Flowing Sword is not an especially impressive weapon. However, it has some unique features that make it more useful than it seems, especially in PvP. Like the other two Shotel-style weapons, the Nox Flowing Sword will deal a certain amount of damage through Shields. Additionally, its Weapon Skill, Flowing Form, extends the sword and swings it in a wide area.

Both of these abilities are stronger in PvP, where Shields are more common and unique Weapon Skills force unprepared opponents to make difficult dodges. But it’s not like PvE enemies don't use Shields, and you often face crowds of enemies or those that try to distance themselves from you; at this point, the Weapon Skill is rather useful. If you want this interesting weapon, it is dropped by the Nox Swordstress & Nox Monk boss in Sellia, Town of Sorcery.

8 Mantis Blade

With its normal attacks, the Mantis Blade is the shortest Curved Sword by a wide margin. And its damage isn’t anything spectacular either. However, what makes the Mantis Blade substantially better than it appears is its unique heavy attack, which unfolds the blade, giving the weapon a substantial range boost. In fact, it’s so substantial that the Mantis Blade temporarily becomes the longest Curved Sword.

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This allows you to keep your distance from enemies in PvE and catch your opponents off-guard in PvP. The Mantis Blade isn't too difficult to get, either; it's a guaranteed drop from the Lesser Cemetery Shade in the Gelmir Hero’s Grave in Mt. Gelmir.

7 Serpent-God’s Curved Sword

You aren’t going to use the Serpent-God’s Curved Sword for its damage, which is outclassed by the best Curved Swords. In fact, you might not use it to attack at all. This weapon has a unique ability that heals you whenever you kill an enemy. Crucially, this effect still triggers even if the weapon is in your hand or on your back. There are other ways to get this effect, but the Serpent-God’s Curved Sword is relatively light and doesn’t take up a Talisman slot or use your Great Rune.

The Serpent-God’s Curved Sword is not going to be of much use during boss fights since there is usually only one enemy to kill, but it can help keep your health topped up while exploring dungeons without needing to waste charges of your Flask of Crimson Tears. You can find this utility tool in the shortcut to the Altus Plateau, the Ruin-Strewn Precipice, near the Giant Land Octopus.

6 Eclipse Shotel

Calling the Eclipse Shotel a good weapon is a real stretch, but its effect is so unique that it merits including on this list. Its Weapon Skill, Death Flare, gives it an attack buff of Holy damage and causes an explosion if you attack again, but the real boon is that it grants Death Blight buildup. If Death Blight procs, it instantly kills your opponent. Unfortunately, Death Blight only works on opposing players (mostly). It doesn’t even affect NPC invaders, making it exclusively effective in PvP.

And even then, in many circumstances, hitting your opponent with the weapon enough times to trigger Death Blight will just kill them outright instead. However, it does put significant pressure on your opponents, especially if they aren’t ready for it. Alternatively, it could be useful in a coordinated team battle with other players using Death Blight. To get the Eclipse Shotel, head to one of the last areas of the game, Castle Sol, where it waits for you on a church altar.

5 Magma Blade

As you would expect, Magma Blade deals Fire damage. It has slightly better scaling in Strength than Faith when fully upgraded and is good for New Game Plus since it scales with three stats. Magma Blade’s Weapon Skill, Magma Shower, is visually similar to Spinning Slash, which appears on many Curved Swords, except that it creates pools of magma that will continue to deal damage after the skill ends.

The Magma Blade can be farmed for, so you can get two of them, but you probably won’t have a fun time doing so. It drops from the Man-Serpents in Volcano Manor; the ones carrying it, anyway. These enemies aren’t easy to kill, there aren’t many of them, and the drop rate for this weapon is frustratingly low. If this is a weapon you want, you’ll really need to put the work in.

4 Bandit’s Curved Sword

The Bandit’s Curved Sword has the highest base damage of any Curved Sword and is also the longest weapon in the group. There are other Curved Swords that will outperform it depending on the exact build you are going for, but if you are looking for a strong, general-purpose Curved Sword, this is the weapon for you.

Additionally, unlike many of the most powerful weapons on this list, the Bandit’s Curved Sword can be found extremely early in the game, farmable from the Skeletal Bandits that carry it across the Lands Between. The drop chance is low, but the odds are better than they appear since these Skeletons are dual-wielding and can drop two swords at once.

3 Beastman’s Curved Sword

The Beastman’s Curved Sword hits like a truck, ending up with A scaling in Strength when fully upgraded if given the Heavy Affinity. It gives you the power of a Strength weapon with the attack speed of even the best Curved Swords. And this particular Curved Sword comes with special, spinning jumping attacks, helping you shred enemies even faster.

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Unfortunately, you won’t be able to take advantage of the weapon until the very end of the game since you need to reach Crumbling Farum Azula and kill the Azula Beastmen carrying it.

2 Scavenger’s Curved Sword

Dual-wield status builds have been hit with massive nerfs, as has the Bleed-focused Seppuku Weapon Skill, but the Scavenger’s Curved Sword is still an exceptional weapon. Bleed is still powerful, and this Curved Sword remains one of the best ways to trigger it.

To get it, head to Mt. Gelmir, where the Grafted Scion leaps down from the cliff to attack you. Sadly, if you want to dual-wield Scavenger’s Curved Swords, you’ll have to wait until New Game Plus (or find a friend willing to drop one for you). Until then, you can pair it with a different Curved Sword, the Bandit’s Curved Sword from earlier on this list being a solid option.

1 Wing Of Astel

The nerfs to the Scavenger’s Curved Sword mean the Wing of Astel is now the undisputable king of the weapon class if it wasn’t already. It is one of the best Magic weapons and arguably one of the best in the entire game. It has decent damage for Intelligence builds, unique, strong attacks that fire Magic projectiles, and a stellar Weapon Skill in Nebula, which creates an arc of stars that explodes for Magic damage.

The Wing of Astel also deals extra damage to Gravity-type enemies because this weapon clearly needs the extra bonus. Getting it is a bit tricky, though, since you need to head to the Uhl Palace Ruins after progressing Ranni's questline until you've reached Nokstella, Eternal City.

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