They have solid damage, range, and utility, and are perfect for the balanced player who wants a well-rounded kit. And while these reliable blades may be beginner-friendly, make no mistake, they are just as potent in the hands of seasoned experts. But which swords should you be keeping an eye out for?
10. Sunlight Straight Sword
Kicking off our list is the Sunlight Straight Sword. It has a C scaling in faith (going up to B at max reinforcement), meaning it’s great for miracle builds that are going for a more melee focused approach! It also sports a unique weapon skill that acts very similarly to the sacred oath miracle, which can save you 2 attunement slots in your builds! However it’s low scaling in strength and dex means it can fall off towards the late-game, in some cases. How to get: In a mimic chest below the white dragon in Lothric castle.
9. Lothric’s Holy Sword
The trademark weapon of prince Lothric himself, the holy sword is indeed a flashy blade. Not only does it look awesome, it boasts one of the coolest weapon skills for straight swords, having your character hold a stance to release an immense thrust of sacred light. The range on this skill makes it great for catching out foes trying to run away, but getting enemies low to begin with is where the sword falls short. Sadly, thanks to its very poor scaling, the damage of this weapon is lacking. How to get: Soul transposition from the twin princes boss soul.
8. Valorheart
What I would give to place this weapon higher on the list. Coming straight from Sparta, the epic Valorheart transforms you into a fierce gladiator. Its moveset is one of the most intricate in the game, having built-in blocks on most of its attacks, allowing you to shirk off blows whilst swinging your own. Whether or not it’s worth learning, however, is a different matter. With its low range and damage, it’s hard to argue taking the time for this weapon over any of the (often stronger) blades. How to get: Dropped by the champion’s gravetender boss in the frozen depths of the painted world DLC.
7. Gotthard Twinswords
Having the longest range of all the straight swords, the Twinswords are a formidable weapon. Whilst not having much viability in general gameplay, it’s in PvP- especially duels- where these blades shine. The reason for this is their great damage and scaling alongside the ability to be both infused and buffed- fitting them into almost any build you want! They have a great aggressive moveset and the weapon art is awesome for locking foes into devastating chains of blows. How to get: Found on Gotthard’s corpse outside the grand archives.
6. Irithyll Straight Sword
If looks could kill, the Irithyll sword would be up there with the best. This beautiful ice-shrouded swords ornate yet sleek appearance makes it very popular among DS3 fans. It’s not all a pretty face, however, as it also has some decent damage to back it up. It even applies frostbite – inflicting extra chunks of damage as well as lowing the damage resistance and stamina regen of your opponents! How to get: Dropped by the outrider knight just before the road of sacrifices.
5. Ringed Knight Straight Sword
Another DLC entry, the fiery ringed knight straight sword quickly gained popularity after its release thanks to its awesome weapon skill. The skill in question – ‘ember’, wreaths the sword in scorching flame – near doubling the range and adding extra damage. Ember also enables some ruinous combos, chaining easily after landing basic attacks, and often spelling an early end for your enemies. However, its mixed bag of scaling stats makes it hard to fit into most builds. How to get: On a ruined building in the swamps of the ringed city, near the bonfire.
4. Anri’s Straight Sword
Whilst it may look like any other weapon at a glance, there is more to Anri’s sword than first meets the eye. This weapon is one of the very few in the game to scale with luck, and man does it scale! It hits extremely hard on pure luck builds, even at the base equip stats of 10/10 strength/dex. It also acts as a blessed weapon- providing faith scaling and HP regen! How to get: Finish Anri’s questline – good or bad. Or just kill them, if you’re a monster.
3. Dark Sword
Back in the early days of Dark Souls 3, it was the dark sword that reigned supreme. Even now, after its 20 base damage nerf, it’s in the top selection of PvP swords. It’s essentially a fast-swinging greatsword – it hits like a truck and even has a poise-granting weapon skill. On top of this, it can be buffed and infused and fits into virtually any build. How to get: Dropped by Darkwraiths – most of which can be found in Farron.
2. Morion Blade
Despite being number 2, it’s not the sword part that we’re interested in, it’s the passive. Its built-in effect boosts your damage by 20% – so long as your HP is low! This stacks with all sorts of damage boosters, including the red tearstone ring, Carthus beacon, and even itself, provided you have 2 of them. It’s thanks to its importance in the fun and flashy one-shot builds that this weapon is so high on the list! How to get: Given by Yuria, after killing Orbeck for her.
1. Lothric Knight Sword
I can feel all the DS3 veterans rolling their eyes, but yes, it’s the Lothric knight sword. Let’s be honest, it would’ve taken a miracle for any other straight sword to be number 1. It has insane damage, above-average crit multiplier, good range, and S scaling on basically any infusion it gets. You can even obtain it in one of the first areas of the game, and it will carry you through the entire story. Love it or hate it, the Lothric knight sword is simply the best sword – maybe even the best weapon in the game. How to get: Dropped by Lothric knights on the high wall.
