Elden Ring: The Best Weapons for Beating Bosses

Elden Ring took the video game market by storm in early 2022 and had players all over the world testing their mettle against its large variety of bosses. The team over at FromSoftware did everything in their power to fill The Lands Between with as many powerful and unique boss encounters as possible. At launch, many players found themselves repeatedly pounding their heads into the game's first boss, the Tree Sentinel.

The few who strive to prove their might with even the most basic weapons may have finally succeeded after forty or fifty attempts, though most players just ran around the menacing encounter only to r eturn later with greater gear and skills. There are plenty of weapons available to the Tarnished that can greatly aid in their quest, and some weapons can scale high enough to make even late-game bosses a breeze.

Updated January 3, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: The best weapons Elden Ring players can get to kill bosses quickly vary quite a lot thanks to their innate special effects or playstyle required to maximize their damage. The Envoy's Long Horn is a great example of this. When casting its Ash of War in close range, it's one of the best weapons in Elden Ring for breaking boss Poise quickly, but outside of this niche specialty its not great in other content. This guide to the best Elden Ring weapons has been updated to include this powerful Faith-based weapon, including details on what makes it one of the best weapons for killing bosses specifically.

20 Envoy's Long Horn

Unparalleled Boss Posture Damage With Bubbles

One of the best weapons for Elden Ring bosses is the Envoy's Long Horn. It is incredibly hard to get, but once acquired, players will have access to one of the most powerful Weapon Skills in the game for staggering enemies and breaking boss posture: Bubble Shower.

Each of the three Envoy Horn weapons in Elden Ring has an Ash of War that launches a bubble at the target, and are all great for breaking boss Poise. But when cast in very close range, the Envoy's Long Horn accumulates near-instant Stun buildup on all but the most stalwart bosses. Each of the bubbles cast with this Ash of War deals a small amount of Stagger, but if they all hit an enemy, they are all but guaranteed to be stunned.

Envoy Horn Ash of War: Bubble Shower Skill

Ash of War: Bubble Shower is the default weapon skill for the Envoy's Long Horn, and cannot be changed. This skill costs 16 FP to cast, and though it cannot be chained, it can be cast back-to-back.

Blow on the horn to release a spume of magic bubbles.

The bubbles float gently before raining down on your target.

How To Get The Envoy's Long Horn

The Envoy's Long Horn has an extremely small chance to drop from the large Oracle Envoy enemies. There are three Oracle Envoy sizes – regular, large, and huge, each wielding a different kind of trumpet. The Envoy's Long Horn only drops from the Envoys that wield it. These enemies can be found in both Leyndell, Royal Capital and in Miquella's Haligtree.

19 Backhand Blade

Take Advantage Of Their Blind Spot

When it comes to the best weapons to beat bosses in Elden Ring, the DLC initially added a bunch of great options that were eventually patched out. The Bloodfiend's Arm bleed exploit and the Lightning Perfume Bottle glitch have both been removed from the game, but there is one new DLC weapon that still shines as one of the best boss-killing weapons in Elden Ring: the Backhand Blade.

It can be acquired very early in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, and can be infused with the Bleed affinity to use alongside its extremely powerful Ash of War. This, plus the rapid attack speed of this dual-wielded weapon, makes the Backhand Blade a weapon should acquire early.

Though it doesn't come with innate Bleed buildup, it scales extremely well with the Blood affinity – its fast attacks mean you will proc Bleed constantly, and its literal stat Scaling is improved to STR (C) and DEX (B), too.

Backhand Blade Ash of War: Ash of War: Blind Spot

Ash of War: Blind Spot is the default weapon skill for the Backhand Blade, and can be altered. This skill costs 9 FP to cast.

Leap into close quarters to take advantage of the enemy's blind spot and gore them from the side.

Input determines which side you strike from.

This attack slips below the opponent's guard.

How To Get The Backhand Blade

The Backhand Blade can be found in the Realm of Shadow in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. To get to the DLC you must defeat both Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, then touch the Withered Arm in Mohg's arena.

Once in the Realm of Shadow, travel to the northeast of the Gravesite Plain, north of the Scorched Ruins, and look for a group of Hornsent Inquisitor enemies pacing around a mausoleum, to the east of the Furnace Golem in the area. The Backhand Blade can be looted on the ground next to a coffin in this area.

18 Bloodhound's Fang

An Early Weapon That Lasts Into The End Game

The Bloodhound's Fang is one of the better boss weapons, as it can be found relatively early on. This curved greatsword scales with both Strength and Dexterity and comes with one of the most useful Ashes of War in the game, Bloodhound's Finesse. Activating this ash of war does an upward strike with the sword and causes players to jump backwards a bit, putting space between them and their foe.

If players activate the skill again immediately, it will perform the Bloodhound's Step, a teleporting slash attack. This makes the weapon ideal for handling certain bosses, as players can use the combo to their advantage to avoid attacks while still dishing out heavy damage.

Bloodhound's Fang Ash of War: Bloodhound's Finesse Skill

Bloodhound's Finesse is the default weapon skill for the Bloodhound's Fang, and cannot be altered. This skill costs 8 FP to cast, and 12 FP to follow-up with the Bloodhound's Step attack.

Slash upwards with the Bloodhound's Fang, using the momentum of the strike to perform a backwards somersault and gain some distance from foes.

Follow up with a strong attack to perform the Bloodhound's Step attack.

How To Get Bloodhound's Fang

Bloodhound's Fang is obtained by defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, who is found in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol located in Southeast Limgrave, just before the Bridge of Sacrifice.

17 Fallingstar Beast Jaw

An Enormous Hammer With INT Scaling

Strength builds looking for a colossal weapon with some heft behind it should consider looking into the Fallingstar Beast Jaw. This huge sickle-like object scales with Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence and requires quite a few points in all three attributes to wield effectively.

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Fully upgraded to +10, the Fallingstar Beast Jaw hits hard, thanks to its 320 physical and 208 magic damage. It also comes equipped with a special Ash of War called Gravity Bolt that calls down a lightning strike when used. Increasing a player's Intelligence stat will cause the magical component to hit harder and the weapon deals an additional 20 percent damage to Gravity-type enemies.

Fallingstar Beast Jaw Ash of War: Gravity Bolt Skill

Gravity Bolt is the default weapon skill for the Fallingstar Beast Jaw, and cannot be altered. This skill costs 13 FP to cast and can be chained.

Imbue the jaw of fallingstar beast with gravitational lightning, sending a bolt crashing down a short distance away.

Can be fired in rapid succession.

How To Get Fallingstar Beast Jaw

Unfortunately, snagging this weapon is a bit difficult as players will need to take down the Full-Grown Fallingstar Beast, located on Mt. Gelmir near the entrance to Volcano Manor. This boss is particularly challenging and will easily dispatch unprepared players.

16 Rivers Of Blood

It's In The Name

Hands down, one of the most ridiculously powerful bleed weapons in Elden Ring, Rivers of Blood, can cut bosses to shreds with very little brain power needed. Simply walking near the target and spamming the left trigger will leave them lying at the Tarnished's feet. This one has seen a slight decline, being left in the dust as compared to various other weapon buffs, but it still more than holds its own.

Bleed build-up happens fast, and there's little anything can do to get out of the way of these wide arching blood slashes. It won't be the most competitive boss fight, but victory will be achieved if Rivers of Blood is equipped.

Rivers Of Blood Ash of War: Corpse Piler Skill

Corpse Piler is the default weapon skill for the Rivers Of Blood katana, and cannot be altered. This skill costs 17 FP to cast, and 9 FP to follow-up.

Forms a blade of cursed blood for repeated, interweaving successive attacks.

Follow up with an additional input for further successive attacks.

How To Get Rivers Of Blood

The blade can be obtained by defeating Bloody Finger Okina in the Church of Repose. This church is found deep in the Mountaintops of Giants, so don't expect to start melting any early or mid-game boss health bars (unless intentionally skipped).

15 Nightrider Glaive

Halberds Allow Hits From Further Away

This intimidatingly huge Nightrider Glaive is optimal for slicing and dicing enemies and easily holds its own in many boss fights. Players who favor transport on horseback will particularly find it useful, as the movement allows the heavy weapon to keep much of its momentum and inflict ample damage.

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Yet wielders will want to spend much time on the ground with this beast as well, as Spinning Slash can be triggered quickly to unleash a flurry of attacks. Not only does this move produce a damaging spin move, but it triggers one final blow once concluded. The Nightrider Glaive is a great choice for those opting for a beefy, DPS-heavy build.

Nightrider Glaive Ash of War: Spinning Slash Skill

Spinning Slash is the default weapon skill for the Nightrider Glaive, which can be altered. This skill costs 6 FP to cast and 12 FP to follow up with a Heavy attack.

A favorite skill of dexterous warriors.

Slash foes as your body spins.

This momentum can connect into a final heavy attack.

How To Get Nightrider Glaive

This weapon is dropped by Night's Cavalry (Liurnia North), which strolls along the road between East Raya Lucaria Gate and Belum Church. No other Night's Cavalry can drop this weapon, but it is a guaranteed drop.

14 Morgott's Cursed Sword

Innate Bleed & A Powerful Weapon Skill

Players opting for a swifter, more nimble build will want to search for this rugged sword of the damned. Morgott's Cursed Sword scales nicely with Dexterity and is great for aggressive players that don't shy from melee combat. Cursed-Blood Slice will have players launch forward and strike downward.

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This inflicts lots of initial damage, but it also yields additional Blood Lost build-up. This curved greatsword is one of the better weapons that can be simply purchased, though it still requires players to overcome a major milestone.

Morgott's Cursed Sword Ash of War: Cursed-Blood Slice Skill

Cursed-Blood Slice is the default weapon skill for Morgott's Cursed Sword, and cannot be altered. This skill costs 20 FP to cast and can be chained.

Brace, then charge forward to deliver a downward diagonal slice.

The bloody trail of the late is followed by a burst of flame.

Additional input allows for a follow-up attack.

How To Get Morgott's Cursed Sword

Morgott's Cursed Sword must be purchased from Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold, by way of the Remembrance of the Omen King.

13 Sword Of Night And Flame

Two Weapon Skills – And Both Are Extremely Strong

While it's lost a bit of stock thanks to a 1.09 debuff, the Sword of Night and Flame remains a strong and elegant weapon for any sorcerer-warrior. With its classic design and power, this one just feels great to use and proves quite versatile and useful in melee fights.

It possesses a distinct skill called Night-and-Flame Stance. This move begins by holding the sword level while granting the option for players to unleash a swinging slice that ignites in flames. This can be followed up (or interchanged with) the Comet Azur sorcery, which fires a large comet that wallops targets, even ominous bosses, for loads of damage.

Sword Of Night And Flame Ash of War: Night-and-Flame Stance Skill

Night-and-Flame Stance is the default weapon skill for the Sword Of Night And Flame, and cannot be altered. This skill costs either 26 or 32 FP to cast, depending on if you follow with a Light or Heavy input.

Hold the sword level and prepare to cast a sorcery.

Follow up with a normal attack to cast the Night Comet sorcery, or a strong attack to sweep forward with a burst of flames.

How To Get Sword Of Night And Flame

This unique sword can be had in Caria Manor, specifically in a locked room just behind the gardens of the manor, on the east side. Climb onto the ramparts, and go all the way down a walkway on the east until you see rooftops you can jump onto. Jump down, and look for a hole to drop down to get behind this locked door and get the sword.

12 Dark Moon Greatsword

An Iconic Fromsoft Sword (And One Of The Best)

Fans of FromSoftware's previous titles will recognize this blade immediately, as it's appeared in almost every game that the developer has made in some form or another. The Dark Moon Greatsword scales primarily with Intelligence, and its built-in Ash of War is one of the best in the game for spell sword builds, granting bonus magic damage and frost buildup.

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Just like its versions in other FromSoftware titles, the Dark Moon Greatsword lets players shoot a beam of energy – in this case, frost magic – in front of them with its Weapon Skill. Its a supremely powerful weapon in PvP and PvE both for its frost buildup and impressive damage at max level.

Dark Moon Greatsword Ash of War: Moonlight Greatsword Skill

Moonlight Greatsword is the default weapon skill for the Dark Moon Greatsword, and cannot be altered. This skill costs 40 FP to cast and the buff lasts for 30 seconds.

Raise the sword aloft, bathing it in the light of the dark moon.

Temporarily increases magic attack power and imbues blade with frost.

Charged attacks release blasts of moonlight.

How To Get Dark Moon Greatsword

Players can obtain this sword after they've completed the entire Ranni The Witch side quest line, which is one of the longest side stories in the game. It can then be found under the Cathedral of Manus Celes. Ranni definitely makes it worth the effort, though, as the Dark Moon Greatsword is an excellent tool for shredding down bosses without getting too close.

11 Scavenger's Curved Sword

Unrivaled Bleed For A Curved Sword, When Dual Wielded

The Scavenger's Curved Sword is an underrated Elden Ring bleed weapon, as curved swords have some of the fastest attack patterns in the game. With bleed heavily relying on multiple attacks landed in succession, this weapon can become devastating quickly, especially when dual-wielding curved swords.

Dual wielding weapons of the same type unlocks the powerstance moveset for those weapons, essentially a special moveset that fully uses both equipped weapons. With two Scavenger's Curved Swords, and the powerstance moveset, Bleed procs faster than almost any other weapon combination at the mid game.

Scavenger's Curved Sword Ash of War: Spinning Slash Skill

Spinning Slash is the default weapon skill for the Scavenger's Curved Sword, which can be altered. This skill costs 6 FP to cast and 12 FP to follow up with a Heavy attack.

A favorite skill of dexterous warriors.

Slash foes as your body spins.

This momentum can connect into a final heavy attack.

How To Get Scavenger's Curved Sword

The sword can be found on a corpse northwest of the First Mt Gellmir Campsite Site of Grace. Players must visit this location again during a second playthrough if they want to obtain another Scavenger's Curved Sword. If both swords are then imbued with the Seppuku Ash of War, players are looking at some wild bleed potential that will have most bosses shaking in their oversized boots.