From Thieves in D&D to Ninjas in Final Fantasy, the idea of using speed and sneak instead of brute force is very appealing to a large sect of people. The Dark Souls series is fantastic in how it caters to the dexterous among us – and there are a lot of weapons that cater to this decision. Like, a lot…over 20. Let’s boil that down together and talk about what the best weapons for dex builds really are (and share some info on where you can get each one).
12. Chaos Blade
True to its name, the Chaos Blade is capable of creating plenty of mayhem for both the wielder of the weapon, and the enemies that have to face it. The Chaos Blade has great attack and dex scaling, but that power comes with a price: Every strike drains 20 HP from the player. If used carelessly, this can be fatal. But if used wisely, the Chaos Blade can be one of the most damaging weapons in the game. It is a true risk/reward weapon for those going down the path of dexterity. There are also a few good accessories to help mitigate the HP drain. How to Obtain: Use the Soul of Quelaag to transform any +10 katana.
11. Iaito
Katanas in Dark Souls are some of the best dex-centric weapons, and the Iaito (e-AH-toe) is one of them. It can apply bleed to enemies at a good rate. But other than that, it doesn’t really do anything super special. It doesn’t really need to, though. It has good scaling, damage, and speed. Granted it does need a bit more stats to use effectively than other weapons of its kind, but that’s not really a big deal – and an acceptable price to pay for a weapon that’s as sturdy and reliable as this, even if it is overall kind of unremarkable. How to Obtain: On a wooden platform in Blighttown, easiest accessed by coming in from The Depths.
10. Balder Side Sword
The Balder Side Sword is a straight sword that has flavors of a few other weapon varieties baked into it. It’s primarily a dex weapon, has a few thrust attacks in its move set, and is perfect fodder for augmenting. Plus it also has a very long reach – much longer than your usual sword or dagger. All of this put together makes a very solid weapon. Even better, it doesn’t require much in terms of stats. So it’s a very open weapon for anybody who wants to try it. How to Obtain: Dropped by Balder Knights in the Undead Parish. The drop rate is very low, so be prepared.
9. Ricard’s Rapier
Some of the most dexterous folk in the world are fencers. Using a rapier and thin blades requires the user to be nimble. So if you’re deciding to create a dex build, looking towards the rapier might be a smart idea. Approach Ricard for help and take his rapier in hand! Primarily being a thrusting weapon, this sword scales well and is quick to strike. It’s also great to power up through upgrades, such as lightning or chaos. Go get poking! How to Obtain: Drops from Undead Prince Ricard who’s hanging around on the top of Sen’s Fortress.
8. Estoc
As another rapier, the Estoc brings its own set of positive traits to use in combat. The biggest being that it allows the user to attack from behind a shield, as well as increasing the damage of ripostes and parries. While hiding behind a shield may not be totally a dex build thing, the option is certainly welcome. And, of course, using parries and ripostes is absolutely a dex build activity – and the Estoc is the perfect for it. Aside from that, it’s still a fast weapon that loves to thrust. How to Obtain: Found in the New Londo Ruins.
7. Scimitar
Of all DS1 swords built for dexterity builds, there are two that use their basic simplicity to their advantage: the Scimitar and the Falchion. These two swords are as boiler-plate as they come. Yet both still manage to be able to work very well with dexterity. The Scimitar is the younger of these two brothers, dealing less damage and having a smaller reach, but still a very reliable choice. It’s a lighter weapon too – and that might sway your decision based on the rest of your gear. It’s the perfect lightweight sword to use when you like to move around a lot in battle. How to Obtain: Dropped by skeletons, sold by the Undead Merchant, and the starting weapon for Wanderers.
6. Falchion
The older brother of the simple sword twins, the Falchion edges out the scimitar by only a few basic degrees. Its attack power is higher, it has a decent reach, scaling, and best of all – it uses less stamina per swing than most single-handed blades. So for somebody tuned into the dex life, full of evasion and rolling, using less stamina is super helpful. It’s a bit heavier than the Scimitar, and requires a few more points of strength, but that’s really not a big deal compared to all the positives this blade can bring. How to Obtain: Rare drops by skeletons, and one can be found on a corpse in Blighttown.
5. Gold Tracer
If you want to go all-in on the dexterity path, then the Gold Tracer is a weapon made for you. This copper-colored curved sword lives in the player’s off hand, replacing any shield – and subsequently any active defense – with more attack power. This is true dual-wielding. If you’re all about that dex, duck, and dodge lifestyle, you’ll feel right at home – and having the Gold Tracer in your left hand will help immeasurably when putting pressure on the enemy. How to Obtain: Exchange the Soul of Artorias with Lord’s Blade Ciaran for this weapon.
4. Great Scythe
Most of your time in Dark Souls is spent dealing death (again) to everything that stands in your way. And there’s no better way to become Death than to wield its most iconic weapon: the scythe! This large hooked blade on a pole is a perfect fit for those exploring a more dexterous path. It has fast, wide swings to catch groups, or to really mess up a single target. And it scales very well – so you can make it even better by augmenting it! A lighting scythe? Why not? This weapon even inflicts bleed. Can it get any cooler? No. How to Obtain: Hidden in the Catacombs, in the area behind the four Necromancer.
3. Uchigatana
This eastern blade, which would go on to appear in every other Souls game, is a perfect fit for folks who prefer agility over poise. Much like other dex weapons, the Uchigatana can cause bleeding. But it also has a great reach, fast attack speed, and best of all, a low barrier to entry. It doesn’t take a lot of either strength or dex to use efficiently, too. So it’s great for dexterity because of all these qualities, and katanas always make you look cooler, which ultimately is what’s most important. How to Obtain: Either purchased late-game from Shiva of the East, or is dropped from the Undead Merchant if you kill him.
2. Bandit’s Knife
Something you may have noticed when discussing dexterity weapons is that a lot of them cause Bleed. This is a good thing, as the combination of Bleed with the innate fast attack speed that dex weapons (and builds) provide typically produces a lot of extra damage. The Bandit Knife is one of the shining stars of this mentality. It swings super-fast and has a fantastic Bleed bonus. Not only that, but its ripostes and backstabs deal more damage! This truly is the perfect weapon for those of you all about being sneaky. How to Obtain: Starting weapon for Thieves, and dropped by Hollow Thieves.
1. Painting Guardian Sword
It’s a toss-up between the Bandit’s Knife and the Painted Guardian’s Sword as the best dex weapon in DS1. But the PGS just barely edges out the win here. While the Bandit’s Knife provides a bevy of benefits in terms of attacking and backstabbing, the Painted Guardian’s Sword is the better choice due to it being a more reliable weapon. It attacks even faster, has better scaling, and is far more open to being augmented and upgraded than the Bandit Knife. Sure, its range isn’t too great. But what it lacks in reach, it more than makes up for in damage output and dependability. How to Obtain: A common drop from the Painting Guardians in Anor Londo.
