The use of magic in Dark Souls 3 can be a pretty polarizing issue. Some players forgo it entirely, choosing instead to focus solely on hacking and slashing their way through their quest for the Five Lords of Cinder--and it's completely viable to do so, of course. Many would even argue that it's the definitive Dark Souls experience. However, players who adhere strictly to the non-magic route end up missing out on the fine selection of useful, fun, and outrageously powerful spells in Dark Souls 3.
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Magic in Dark Souls 3 can be divided into three basic categories: sorceries, pyromancies, and, of course, miracles. Each branch has its own respective strengths and weaknesses, but whichever one the player picks, they can rest assured that there are a few overly potent spell selections that will lay waste to their foes. Some even have significant lore attached to them that adds to their intrigue. Whether one efficiently pierces enemies with blue light, immolates them with grand flames, or electrocutes them with divine bolts, there are sure to be spells that suit any playstyle that also boasts excellent damage output as well as other beneficial effects. However, one should not get distracted by all the shiny scrolls full of whimsical destruction because some pale in comparison to others. So, which ones are the best spells in Dark Souls 3 most suited to unleash annihilation upon foes?
Updated on June 21, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls 3 is a fitting end to a trilogy of amazing action RPGs that gave birth to a whole new genre of gaming and compelled many to check out a video game that is hard yet fair. The combat in this title may seem simple at first glance but hides a ton of complexities that make each and every victory feel like a massive achievement. There are many playstyles people can pursue in Dark Souls 3, with players possibly becoming a magician who uses a wealth of offensive and defensive spells to bolster their effectiveness in battle. Suffice it to say, players would want to figure out what the best spells in Dark Souls 3 are so that they can make the most of their build and breeze past the many challenges this game imposes on the player.
23 Heavy Soul Arrow
A Powerful, Slow Arrow That Hits Like A Truck
- Stat Requirements: 13 Intelligence
- FP Cost: 11
Heavy Soul Arrow may not deal incredible damage at first, but it is the most cost-efficient spell in the game. It deals the most amount of damage for the amount of Focus it costs, which makes it an invaluable tool for sorcery builds, as they can use it to take out the lesser enemies, preserving their focus for the more dangerous ones.
It is also very useful towards the end of boss fights when the player may be running out of FP and just needs to deal a little bit more damage to get rid of that last bit of the boss' health bar.
How To Get The Heavy Soul Arrow Spell:
- Buy it from Yoel of Londor or Orbeck of Vinheim for 2,000 Souls
- Alternatively, simply pick the Sorcerer starting class
22 Toxic Mist
Whittling Down An Enemy's Health Over Time Is A Pretty Sound Strategy
- Stat Requirements: 15 Faith
- FP Cost: 24
This dank cloud is a pyromancy that needs tight corners and narrow passages to be fully effective; otherwise, the target will simply roll out of harm's way. However, if enemies are trapped in the violent violet plume, they will acquire the Toxic status and lose about 1500 health over 90 seconds.
This damage may be slow, but it can force the enemy to stop and heal or make any number of errors that the player can capitalize on. Since many players focus on offense instead of defense, this can allow Toxic Mist to have a quicker build-up on more people than one initially expects, though it still needs to be paired with other spells for a victory.
How To Get The Toxic Mist Spell:
- Start from the Demon Ruins Bonfire in the Catacombs of Carthus
- Head down the stairs into the ruins proper
- Keep heading down until reaching the wide bottom area with the flame orbs
- Turn right and head to the corner of the open room and then down the hallway on the right
- Turn right at the first corridor
- Walk into an area with lots of tree roots
- Walk straight up to the wall directly in front
- Hit it, as it is an illusory wall
- Walk straight and then turn left at the first chance to do so
- Turn left again down some stairs to reach a room where the floor is lava
- The first item in the lava will be the Toxic Mist spell
21 Lifehunt Scythe
Heals And Damages Enemies In One Fell Swoop
- Stat Requirements: 22 Faith
- FP Cost: 20
One of the most sinister miracles for both its use in combat and the lore behind its origin. Acquired by transposing the Soul of Aldrich, its description implies that the devourer of gods himself created this spell after dreaming about a young, pale girl while he was consuming Gwyndolin. This girl is likely Crossbreed Priscilla, the one who wielded a similar weapon in the first Dark Souls game.
Much like when Aldrich uses this against the Ashen One, Lifehunt Scythe has a sweeping animation that creates a hitbox similar to a physical scythe. True to its name, it also heals the caster every time they slash their foe. Being able to hit through walls also makes this reaping sweep effective for harvesting the heads of foes in both PVE and PVP despite having quite a short range when compared to other spells.
How To Get The Lifehunt Scythe Spell:
- Transpose the Soul of Aldrich while paying 5,000 souls to Ludleth of Courland
20 Old Moonlight
An Ode To The Legendary Holy Moonlight Sword
- Stat Requirements: 25 Intelligence
- FP Cost: 23
This spell references the original blade of moonlight that existed before the one created by Seath the Scaleless in the first Dark Souls. The Moonlight Greatsword is originally from a far older FromSoftware game called King's Field. However, it acts very similar to the Moonlight Greatsword everyone knows and loves, just in the form of a spell.
The caster slashes horizontally with an apparition of the famous greatsword, sending out a swift wave of energy directly in front of them. Both the sword and the crescent-shaped wave emitted have their own hitbox, which does full damage if either makes contact with the target. Unfortunately, they do not stack, and the wave is hard to aim at long-range, which makes this sorcery less favorable than other long-range spells.
How To Get The Old Moonlight Spell:
- Transpose the Soul of Darkeater Midir by speaking with Ludleth of Courland
19 Lightning Arrow
A Quick, Economical Spell That Hits For Decent Damage
- Stat Requirements: 35 Faith
- FP Cost: 19
Although it does not do nearly as much damage as Sunlight Spear and other more commonly used miracles, it is far faster and costs less FP. If purely talking about the total amount of damage one can get from their entire FP bar, Lighting Arrow, thanks to its efficiency, will often yield the highest number of any offensive miracle.
In protracted confrontations, it is arguably more useful than other methods of shocking foes; however, in shorter ones and at close range, it pales in comparison. This can make frustrated casters spam it by holding down the corresponding button, though this will just drain one's FP while the foe rolls around most of the small bolts.
How To Get The Lightning Arrow Spell:
- Start from the Shared Grave Bonfire in The Ringed City
- Head through the hallway and up the hill leading to the bridge where the player knocks Midir into his boss arena
- On the other side, go into the door on the left
- Make a left into the hallway with the miracle-casting monk enemy
- After defeating or running by the monk, there will be a corpse at the end of the hallway
- Pick up the Lightning Arrow spell from the lonely corpse
18 Rapport
Enemies Turn Into Allies With Impressive Results
- Stat Requirements: 15 Intelligence
- FP Cost: 30
While Rapport deals no damage at all, it is one of the most useful spells in Dark Souls 3. Rapport turns enemies into allies for 30 seconds, making them fight against other nearby foes. This is extremely useful for general combat as it distracts the other enemies, deals damage to them, and means that the player has fewer enemies to worry about.
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Although certain enemies and all bosses are immune, Rapport is still an invaluable tool in a spell caster's arsenal as it can massively reduce the difficulties of most areas. There is also no limit on the number of enemies that the player can control at once, meaning that for as long as they have FP, the player can puppet around as many enemies as they like.
How To Get The Rapport Spell:
- Gain the Quelana Pyromancy Tome from the Smouldering Lake
- Give it to Karla
- She will then sell Rapport for 7,000 Souls
17 Boulder Heave
Does Huge Damage At Range
- Stat Requirements: 8 Intelligence / 12 Faith
- FP Cost: 17
Technically, this is a pyromancy, though it is an odd one since it does not do fire damage or any of the usual things that pyromancies can do, like emit poison or buff the user. It allows the caster to spew huge rocks at their adversaries, and, as this does physical damage, it is a great spell for pyromancers who are going up against fire-resistant enemies.
The unleashed boulders, both the initial big one and the splash effect of smaller ones that follow the impact, do huge poise damage, which can easily stagger enemy players and human-sized AI adversaries alike. They also pack a gnarly punch to the target's stamina bar, which makes it incredibly effective against those using a shield. Worth noting as well is that this spell has unlimited vertical range, meaning that the projectile won't fade until it hits something, granting the Boulder Heave pyromancy the title of best spell to use while above one's adversary. Sadly, the health damage done is rather lackluster.
How To Get The Boulder Heave Spell:
- Transpose the Soul of a Stray Demon by speaking with Ludleth of Courland
16 Seething Chaos
Sets A Trap That Hits For Major Damage
- Stat Requirements: 18 Intelligence / 18 Faith
- FP Cost: 28
Seething Chaos can be a little complicated to use. Though the initial projectile will do damage, it's best to cast it on the ground, where it will fester into a landmine of sorts that will do a tremendous amount of damage. The issue is getting opponents to actually set it off, especially in PVP encounters.
If the player combines it with pyromancies that focus on baiting movement and area control, it's perfect. But its dependency on those spells in order to reach its full potential does hold it back a little bit. Otherwise, it is one of the most singularly damaging pyromancies in the game.
How To Get The Seething Chaos Spell:
- Transpose the Soul of the Demon Prince by speaking with Ludleth of Courland
15 Sunlight Spear
One Of The Most Iconic Miracles In The Game That Hits Like A Truck
- Stat Requirements: 40 Faith
- FP Cost: 48
Sunlight Spear is usually remembered as a miracle best used in PVE, which is no surprise given that it's been historically associated with the cooperative Warriors of Sunlight covenant. But since it performs pretty well as a solid ranged offensive miracle, its potential in PVP often gets overlooked.
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Sunlight Spear does a healthy chunk of extra damage when it hits something at point-blank range, making it a lethal surprise that opponents might not expect. Proper timing is crucial, but it could potentially be an invasion-ending move when used at the right moment.
How To Get The Sunlight Spear Spell:
- Transposed from the Soul of the Lords for 10,000 souls to Ludleth of Courland
14 Dorhy's Gnawing
Summons A Swarm Of Insects That Deal Major Damage
- Stat Requirements: 25 Faith
- FP Cost: 20
Dorhy's Gnawing is a situational but ridiculously powerful miracle. It sends a pair of twisting swarms of insects that deal a decent amount of dark damage to the target and inflict the largest amount of bleed buildup in the game.
This bleed buildup is enough to instantly inflict the bleeding status effect on most enemies. Even most bosses are affected after a second casting, making it a very effective boss-killing weapon, even against the toughest foes in the game. If players are struggling with enemies such as the Nameless King, they may want to give this horrifying spell a shot.
How To Get The Dorhy's Gnawing Spell:
- Start at the Church of Yorksha Bonfire
- Head out the main entrance down the stairs
- Follow the path on the right to an illusory railing
- Continue through to see a screaming Evangelist below
- Killing it will reward players with Dorhy's Gnawing