While it’s understandable that Elden Ring players are desperate to find the most “powerful” weapons in the game as part of their constant effort to stay a few steps ahead of this incredibly difficult open-world title, the truth of the matter is that you really can turn just about any weapon in Elden Ring into an armament capable of tearing through the game’s toughest foes.
While the power level of the average Elden Ring weapon often has more to do with how you build your character, how you upgrade the weapon, and how you ultimately use it when it’s time to fight, I will say that there is a select group of weapons that players have discovered so far that offer something…more. Sometimes it’s a unique skill, sometimes its incredible stats, and, in at least one instance, it’s an almost ridiculous combination of attributes and abilities that can help you break the game. Whatever the case may be, there are just some Elden Ring weapons you can’t ignore or deny when talking about the game’s most powerful options.
I could spend several thousand words telling you about every weapon in Elden Ring that is worth getting (or is notable in some way), but to get the ball rolling, here’s a look at some of the absolute most powerful weapons in the game that have been discovered so far.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Sword of Night and Flame
While any weapon in Elden Ring can eventually be turned into something truly powerful, I think the Sword of Night and Flame might just be the most “broken” weapon in the game at the moment.
This sword’s incredible ability allows you to unleash either a sweeping fire attack or a devastating magic beam. Those abilities not only enable you to deal absurd amounts of damage to both single targets and groups of foes, but they happen to cover some of the most common weaknesses in the game. I’ve seen players tear through the toughest bosses using nothing but this swords’ special attack, and it’s about as useful in most PvP scenarios.
Few players will be able to effectively wield this sword due to its strange stat distribution requirements (Strength 12, Dexterity 12, Intelligence 24, Faith 24), but there is no denying that it is an incredible overall option that will leave you laughing and throwing your hands in the air.
To find this weapon, you’ll first need to travel to the Manor Lower Level Site of Grace in Caria Manor. From there, you’ll run across the nearby bridge until you reach a hole in the side of it that allows you to drop onto a nearby roof. You’ll then need to drop down to one more nearby roof where you’ll find a ladder that will lead you to a chest. The sword is inside that chest.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Winged Scythe
While I’m a little hesitant to recommend the Winged Scythe due to its relatively weak physical damage compared to the other Faith-based melee weapon options in the game (though its built-in Bleed effect is certainly nice), this thing is an absolute monster when it comes to dishing out Holy damage and enhancing the natural playstyle of certain builds.
This weapon’s powerful skill and the lingering Holy effect it produces allows certain builds (most notably appropriately stated Confessors and Prophets) to carve through anything that is even somewhat susceptible to Holy damage while enjoying the surprisingly strong protection enhancements this Scythe offers.
For Faith/Strength players who want to be able to incorporate the occasional melee attack into their rotation without having to sacrifice their casting rotation, this is a truly incredible weapon that you will use for the rest of the game.
You can find the Winged Scythe surprisingly early into the game by heading to Tombsward Ruins. Locate the set of stairs in the middle of those ruins, head down them, proceed past (or fight) the enemies you encounter, and open the nearby door. This weapon is waiting for you on the other side.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find Carian Regal Scepter
While there are quite a few great magical staff options available to you in Elden Ring, it’s hard to overlook the Carian Regal Scepter if we’re talking about the absolute strongest weapons in the game.
While this weapon demands a whopping 60 Intelligence to be utilized properly, the results are certainly worth it. No other staff scales with Intelligence quite as well as this one does, which means that an upgraded version of this weapon turns Elden Ring’s already powerful Intelligence-based spells into nuclear weapons. Indeed, this thing can turn even the “quickest” spells into boss-melting world-beaters.
This staff’s high stat requirements mean that you’re going to be relying on the Meteorite Staff and Azur’s Glintstone for quite some time (the latter is actually a great endgame option in its own right), but it’s ultimately hard to replace what you get from this staff.
You can get this staff by turning the Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen into Enia at Roundtable Hold. You’ll get the Remembrance after defeating Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Horn Bow
I’d be lying to you if I tried to argue that the Horn Bow is the coolest bow in this game, but many players are already discovering that it’s the one bow that can carry ranged builds throughout the vast majority of Elden Ring.
The Horn Bow greatly benefits from the fact that it naturally adds a little magic damage to every shot you fire and enhances the strength of any magic-based projectiles you have equipped. Builds that exclusively rely on bows can get a lot of mileage out of those buffs, while those who only occasionally use a bow will appreciate how this one enhances the effectiveness of those vital opening shots.
Anyone looking to use a Strength-based ranged weapon may want to consider heavier options, but it’s otherwise tough to argue against what the Horn Bow offers.
You can find the Horn Bow in Siofra River under the stairs that lead to Hallowhorn Grounds.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Hand of Malenia
While there’s another Katana in Elden Ring that I think some builds will get more mileage out of (more on that in just a second), the Hand of Malenia is a hilariously powerful weapon that few Elden Ring players will ever be lucky enough to use.
Acquiring the Hand of Malenia requires you to beat arguably the toughest boss in Elden Ring (Malenia) and raise your Dexterity to a whopping 48 points, but this weapon’s incredible attack speed, amazing special ability, and strong Bleed effect all mean that it allows you to deal an absurd amount of damage during even the smallest of windows. If you’re able to open a fight with this sword’s special ability, you’ve pretty much already won.
This weapon isn’t the best in PvP scenarios, and it can be countered by characters with high defenses/strong armor, but few swords in the game are capable of dealing individually powerful melee attacks as quickly as this one can.
To acquire this sword, you’ll first need to defeat Melania (good luck with that) and then turn the Remembrance of the Rot Goddess into Enia at Roundtable Hold. She’ll offer you this blade as a reward option.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Moonveil
There are very few “early” weapons in Elden Ring that are so good that you can easily justify building a character around them, but the Moonveil is most certainly one of them.
Moonveil is a magical Katana that not only comes equipped with that always useful Bleed effect but is imbued with one of the best skills in the game: Transient Moonlight. That ability generates a series of magical strikes that are capable of melting just about any opponent in the game from a comfortable distance. You will need to build your character around this weapon to get the most out of it (which basically means a balance of Strength, Dexterity, and Intellect), but you’ll be happy to do it once you get a feel for this weapon’s incredible upside.
I struggle to think of too many melee weapons that are so good they justify investing that heavily into your Intelligence and Mind stats just to use their special skills, but Moonveil is absolutely one of them. It’s quite possibly the most powerful overall weapon in the game for certain builds and players.
You’ll get this weapon from defeating the Magma Wyrm in Gael Tunnel (which is found in the always dangerous region of Caelid).
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Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find Ghiza’s Wheel
It seems like a lot of players haven’t discovered this weapon yet, which really just means that Strength/Dexterity build players have no idea that one of the best weapons in Elden Ring is also one of the game’s most unusual and enjoyable weaon options.
Affectionately known as the “pizza cutter,” Ghiza’s Wheel is essentially a chainsaw on a staff. This thing quickly causes enemies to bleed, especially if you use its special ability (which basically keeps the wheel spinning and enables you to dish out nearly constant Bleed damage).
While this isn’t the best option against smaller enemies or quicker enemies, Ghiza’s Wheel can absolutely tear through bosses that are susceptible to Bleed damage. It’s certainly so much more than the meme weapon it is sometimes presented as.
To find Ghiza’s Wheel, head to Volcano Manor and defeat the invader NPC that spawns there. They will drop the weapon.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Sword of St. Trinia
“Sleep” weapons are relatively rare in Elden Ring, which means it’s also hard to find that effect on a weapon you’ll actually want to use. That’s why the Sword of St. Trinia is so special.
This sword’s low attribute requirements and quick attacks already make it ideal for Bandits, but what really puts this sword over the top is the fact that it can put even some of the toughest enemies in the game to sleep with only a handful of hits. That effect obviously shines in PvP, but you’ll be surprised by how many PvE enemies you’ll be able to stun with this incredible weapon.
Any build that relies on quick-strike weapons will fall in love with the way this weapon slowly wears down enemies and opens up additional attack windows that otherwise would have never
You’ll find this sword in the Forsaken Ruins near the Rotview Balcony Site of Grace. You’ll need a Stonesword Key to access it.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Black Knife
While Reduvia is an exceptional early dagger that you can easily use until the end of the game, those looking for a slightly different playstyle might want to hear the good word about the Black Knife.
The Black Knife is a powerful little weapon in its own right, but it’s this dagger’s ability (Blade of Death) that really sets it apart. That unique skill not only deals a respectable amount of damage but actually reduces your opponent’s total health and deals damage to them slowly over time.
That ability makes the Black Knife one of the best PvP daggers in the game as well as a surprisingly stong PvE option for any builds with the stats and gear required to use it effectively
If you think this dagger is for you, then you’ll want to travel to Sainted Hero’s Grave and defeat the Black Knife Assassin who guards the tomb’s entrance. He’ll drop this incredible weapon after he’s fallen.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Coded Sword
If it feels like Faith players weirdly have access to some of the coolest and best melee weapons in the game…well, that’s because they do. However, there is no Faith-based melee weapon in Elden Ring quite like the Coded Sword.
This sword can dish out an incredible amount of Holy damage with its basic attacks, but you’re really using this sword for its incredible Unblockable Blade ability. As the name suggests, that special attack cannot be blocked and boasts a frankly broken range that allows you to easily keep heavily armored enemies at a distance as long as you have the FP needed to keep this skill up.
It’s hard to imagine going with a Faith-based melee build and not picking up this sword at some point.
You’ll find the Coded Sword in Leyndell, Royal Capital. You’ll need to climb atop a horse stable found near the entrance of the city and then enter the nearby building. The sword should be behind a nearby double door.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Starscourge Greatsword
While this sword’s high Intelligence requirement initially caused me to wonder if it was ever going to be worth using, a little time with this blade reveals that it really is a pretty special weapon.
This sword dishes out absurd amounts of physical and magic damage in surprisingly equal measures (or close to it) and comes equipped with the Starcaller Cry ability: a skill that essentially creates a gravity well that deals a respectable amount of damage and sucks stunned enemies into your melee range so that you can unleash a barrage of strikes.
It’s not easy to acquire this weapon, and its stat requirements are a little awkward for a lot of builds, but this Greatsword is worth everything that you put into it.
To acquire this weapon, you’ll need to defeat General Radahn and trade the Remembrance of the Starscourge that he drops into Enia at Roundtable Hold. One of the rewards she’ll offer you is this irreplaceable sword.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find the Treespear
While there are quite a few spears and great spears in Elden Ring that offer a compelling blend of range and damage, the Treespear is arguably your best overall option in that particular category.
The Treespear scales well with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith (which is a nice little combo of stats to have in the first place) and deals insane amounts of damage to anything that is susceptible to Holy damage (which happens to include a variety of undead foes). Ultimately, though, it’s this weapon’s reach that separates it from some otherwise incredibly powerful alternatives.
Find a good shield, beef up the necessary stats, equip the Treespear, and enjoy spending the rest of the game laughing at enemies’ futile attempts to get close to you or withstand more than a few blows from this powerful weapon
You’ll find the Treespear in a caravan near the end of a collapsed bridge located just outside of Stormveil Castle.
Elden Ring’s Most Powerful Weapons: Where to Find Golden Halberd, Reduvia, Bloodhound’s Fang
The only reason I’m lumping these weapons together is that we previously talked about them in this guide that covered the best early weapons in Elden Ring. Please consult this guide if you need help finding these weapons.
Otherwise, just know that you can pick these three weapons up relatively early on and easily use them until the end of the game. Bloodhound’s Fang has become a personal favorite of mine due to its low stat requirements, incredible scaling, and Bleed effect, but Reduvia and Golden Halberd are arguably just as good for any build that is capable of properly utilizing them.
Have you found a powerful Elden Ring weapon that we might have missed? Let us know all about it in the comments below!