RELATED: Elden Ring: The Best Bows, Ranked
There are countless dexterity-based weapons to choose from in Elden Ring. Katanas, daggers, claws, and curved greatswords are just a few of the options open to players. Dex builds are great with shields, without shields, dual wielding, or even with magic. They’re flexible, fast, and deal tons of damage. While every weapon can be great in its own right, there are a few dex weapons that stand above the rest as some of the very best in the game.
Updated June 4, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The best dex weapons Elden Ring has tend to have something unique about them. The Hookclaws, for example, are simple in appearance, but the fact that it can do six attacks in a row without stopping makes it ridiculously good in the right hands. Other weapons like Moonveil come with powerful weapon arts that can take enemies by surprise. All dex weapons Elden Ring has to offer tend to be fast but deal less damage than their strength-based counterparts. When it comes to Elden Ring’s best dexterity weapons, this common downside tends to be made up for by the weapons’ abilities, blindingly fast speed, or other unique traits that make these Elden Ring dex weapons well worth picking up.
10 The Hookclaws
This versatility and accessibility make them one of the best early game dex weapons for players looking to dual wield and rely on dodging. The Hookclaws also build blood loss on enemies with consecutive blows. While they don’t bleed as fast as the Uchigatana, the blood loss can still come in clutch when combined with the claws’ fast attack rate and high DPS.
For dex players mainlining the story, the Hookclaws can be found pretty early on in Stormveil Castle. Players should take the secret side entrance by Gostoc to reach the Wine Cellar, which contains the Hookclaws on the floor in a corner. Afterward, the Hookclaws can be upgraded with regular smithing stones and imbued with different damage types later on.
9 Bloodhound’s Fang
As it is a greatsword, Bloodhound’s Fang will reach its true potential via two-handing. This means that players looking for the most out of the strength and dexterity scaling weapon will have to forgo a shield for maximum damage. Luckily, Bloodhound’s Fang offers a move set that allows players to get close and deal damage before retreating quickly, making it one of the most versatile melee weapons in the game.
Bloodhound’s Fang isn’t an easy greatsword to obtain, but it is certainly worth it for players looking for a great high-damage weapon early on. This curved greatsword is dropped by Bloodhound Knight Darriwil after being defeated in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol. This Evergaol overlooks the Bridge of Sacrifices that leads to Castle Morne and the Weeping Peninsula - it’s conveniently right next to a Spiritspring, too.
8 The Parrying Dagger
The Parrying Dagger isn’t the best dagger in the game when it comes to DPS, and it certainly isn’t the flashiest with its design. Yet, this dagger can heighten a dex player’s dual-wielding kit with its simple special move: the parry. It’s easy to make mistakes when parrying, but this dagger makes it just a little easier. Normally, shields are the primary source of parries in Souls games, but the Parrying Dagger offers an extra bit of DPS with a faster parry animation.
RELATED: Similarities Between Dark Souls & Elden Ring
The Parrying Dagger can be purchased from Patches extremely early on after his encounter inside the Murkwater Cave - just be sure not to kill him when he surrenders. It can be upgraded with regular smithing stones and imbued with alternate damage types. This dagger might not offer the best DPS, but it is a huge plus for players that love to parry and don’t mind having to rely solely on dodging to avoid damage.
7 The Godskin Peeler
Twinblades in Elden Ring aren’t as busted on release as they were in Dark Souls 3, but they still offer fantastic DPS to players willing to learn their unique move sets - and the Godskin Peeler is definitely unique. Unlike other boss drops, the Godskin Peeler doesn’t require somber smithing stones to upgrade. It has a great Ash of War move called Black Flame Tornado that can deal with groups of enemies with ease.
While their dex requirement of 22 is higher than some other weapons, their huge damage and fast movement make them a great choice for players that like to be fast on their feet. The Godskin Peeler is a twinblade dropped in a later area by a boss called the Godskin Apostle. As it is found later on in the game, the Godskin Peeler can carry a dex player right through to the end if needed.
6 The Wakizashi
At first glance, it can seem like an ordinary dagger with few standout features. If players read the description though, they’ll find that it was designed to be paired with a katana. Should the player follow the flavor text and equip a katana, they will find a unique move set not found with any other daggers in the game. The Wakizashi causes blood loss buildup and can throw faster precise strikes into the move set of a typical dual-wield Katana moveset.
It might not be the best dex weapon, but its unique playstyle and pairing with Katanas, arguably the best dex weapons in the game, make it a standout choice for players looking to really spice up their play style. Players can find the Wakizashi in one of the locked cells inside Gaol Cave when entered from the Caelid side.
5 The Scythe
The Scythe has been a recurring weapon in Souls games for a while. In the original Dark Souls, the Scythe was one of the best dex weapons available. In Elden Ring, the Scythe offers great physical damage and scales very well with the player’s dex. The weapon builds up blood loss quickly and can be imbued with other damage types, too. It hits like a boss weapon, but only requires normal smithing stones to upgrade.
RELATED: Lessons Learned From Dark Souls That Will Get You Killed In Elden Ring
The Scythe might have a plain name and unremarkable appearance, but it proves that sometimes the simplest weapons are still the best. Plus, it can be obtained very early by players willing to brave the skeleton-filled catacombs. Elden Ring’s Scythe can be found near Stormveil Castle inside the Cliffbottom Catacombs.
4 The Hand of Malenia
Katanas are not only some of the best dex weapons in Elden Ring, but also some of the best weapons in the entire game. The Hand of Malenia is a late-game boss drop that is the perfect katana for players looking to make a bleed build. This katana is reserved only for the most dedicated dex builds. It requires a staggering 48 dexterity to wield, but its high cost is more than worth it.
The Hand of Malenia deals incredible damage and gets blood loss procs enough to fell even the most mighty enemies in just a few quick slices. The Hand of Malenia is dropped by Malenia, an optional boss who has become legendary as one of the game’s toughest bosses. To fight her, you must make the arduous journey to the base of the Haligtree.
3 Morgott’s Cursed Sword
Morgott’s Cursed Sword is one of the more advanced weapons in Elden Ring. It requires decent strength and high dexterity to wield, but also demands a hefty arcane score. Players will need 14 strength, 35 dexterity, and 17 arcane to even wield the blade. This would be a problem if the sword was subpar, but its damage and unique weapon skill make it more than worth the cost. Consecutive attacks with this blade cause hemorrhage buildup in enemies and the unique weapon skill, Cursed Blood Slice, make this process even quicker.
Though slower than some other dex weapons, Morgott’s Cursed Sword is a titan when it comes to dealing huge burst damage and can make a dex player feel like a real strength build with its punishing blows. As the name suggests, players will need to defeat Morgott to obtain his blade from Enia. Morgott can be found at the end of the Leyndell, Royal Capital legacy dungeon.
2 The Uchigatana
Among all the extraordinary boss weapons and secret blades in Elden Ring, it’s somewhat surprising that the simple Uchigatana remains so incredibly viable. The Uchigatana can be upgraded with regular smithing stones and causes rapid blood loss buildup in enemies. It has a great ranged poke with a charged heavy attack and its rather underwhelming weapon art can be replaced with a better Ash of War that makes better use of the weapon’s capabilities - like the Occult scaling option.
The Uchigatana is the definition of old reliable and can carry a player all the way through The Lands Between should the player desire. Players familiar with the katana from previous Souls games will pick Elden Ring’s Uchigatana up with ease. It’s simple and straightforward enough to be a starting weapon for one of the game’s new starting classes, the Samurai, and can also be found in the Deathtouched Catacombs a few minutes east of Stormveil Castle’s entrance (close to the Liurnia shortcut).
1 Moonveil
Moonveil isn’t just the best katana in the game, it’s also one of the best weapons of any type. It scales off of dexterity and intelligence but doesn’t require insanely high scores in either. It deals both physical and magic damage making it a versatile weapon for any enemy. Moonveil is also incredibly powerful in PVP thanks to its fast and powerful weapon art. Moonveil might not get the massive single hits of strength weapons, but its constant barrage of physical damage, blood loss, and magical damage make it one of the best weapons in the game, not just the best dex weapon.
Some players are calling for Moonveil to be nerfed in the weeks after the game’s release, so the sword’s status above all other weapons could change in the future. To acquire Moonveil, players will need to beat the optional Magma Wyrm boss in Gael Tunnel, which can be entered from the base of the northwest cliffs of Caelid.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.
MORE: Complete Guide To Elden Ring: Weapons, Tips, Tricks, Bosses, & Builds
