Boss fights and Dark Souls are practically synonymous with each other. Every game in the series is known for having tough PvE encounters and a surprisingly deep PvP combat, yet there are plenty of rewards for players that push through the game’s hardest content. Covenant rewards, upgrade materials, and even boss weapons are available for those skilled enough.
Dark Souls 2 managed this better than any other Souls title. Dozens of boss weapons were available for players to craft, each granting unique properties or stats that were build-enabling. Even with how great the variety of boss weapons were in Dark Souls 2, some were much better than others. From the base game to DLC weapons, here are the five best and worst boss weapons players can use in Dark Souls 2.
Updated January 27th, 2021 by Charles Burgar: No Dark Souls game has matched the sheer weapon roster that Dark Souls 2 provides. Over a hundred weapons are available for players to build around. Boss weapons are some of the most unique weapons in the game, offering movesets or effects unique to that weapon class. While discussing a weapon’s traits is useful, it’s hard to analyze a weapon without listing its stats. As a result, every entry now has a quick weapon stat breakdown detailing the weapon’s damage when upgraded, stat scaling, and any unique properties such as unique moves or passive bonuses.
10 Best: Bewitched Alonne Sword
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Soul of Sir Alonne
- Attack Rating: 180 Physical
- Moveset: Katana (two-handed is a Berserker Blade/Claymore hybrid)
- Required Stats: Strength (22), Dexterity (30)
- Scaling: Strength (none), Dexterity (S)
- Unique Traits: Two-handed L2 sacrifices 500 HP for a 40% Physical damage buff for 30 seconds.
One of Dark Souls 2’s DLC weapons, Sir Alonne’s Bewitched Sword is arguably the strongest katana not just in Dark Souls 2 but in the entire franchise. This weapon requires a massive 30 dexterity to wield, but it more than makes up for that with an S scaling in dexterity. On top of being buffable, it also has a unique attack that damages the player in exchange for a damage increase. This stacks with buffs. Few weapons are as devastating yet easy-to-use as this one.
9 Worst: Dragonrider Twinblade
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Dragonrider Soul
- Attack Rating: 185 Physical, 110 Magic
- Moveset: Twinblade
- Required Stats: Strength (20), Dexterity (22)
- Scaling: Strength (D), Dexterity (C), Intelligence (C)
- Unique Traits: None
Dragonrider Twinblade is a potential reward from defeating the Dragonrider in Heide’s Tower of Flame. It has the benefit of being a Twinblade, meaning it has a fantastic moveset.
With that said, the weapon’s damage stats and scaling are pitifully low, bundled with a D-scaling in strength, C in dexterity, and C in intelligence when fully upgraded. This weapon certainly isn’t the worst boss weapon in the game, but nothing is going for this weapon when compared to the Dragonrider Bow—the second weapon players can make out of the Dragonrider’s Soul. Fans of Twinblades are better off using the Red Iron Twinblade.
8 Best: Yorgh’s Spear
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Soul of Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon
- Attack Rating: 300 Physical
- Moveset: Spear (one-handed is a spear/greatsword hybrid, two-handed is a lance/twinblade hybrid)
- Required Stats: Strength (30), Dexterity (25)
- Scaling: Strength (B), Dexterity (B)
- Unique Traits: Unique moveset
Obtained from Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon’s Soul, Yorgh’s Spear is easily one of the strongest weapons in the entire Dark Souls franchise. Two-handing this weapon deals some serious damage thanks to its B scaling in both strength and dexterity alongside a whopping 300 base damage.
What truly makes this weapon great, however, is its moveset. It has a blend of attacks from the spear, greatsword, lance, and twinblade family of weapons. Rapid attacks and great reach allow this weapon to devastate PvE opponents while punishing roll-spamming invaders for PvP. If this weapon could be obtained much earlier and didn’t consume so much Stamina, this could have easily made it on the top spot.
7 Worst: Spider Fang
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Soul of the Duke’s Dear Freja
- Attack Rating: 210 Physical
- Moveset: Curved Sword
- Required Stats: Strength (10), Dexterity (25)
- Scaling: Strength (E), Dexterity (A)
- Unique Traits: R2 fires a web projectile that slows targets. Works while power stanced.
Considering that Duke’s Dear Freja can summon hordes of spiders and shoots lasers from her mouth, calling the Spider Fang disappointing is a massive understatement. This curved sword has mediocre damage and range and lackluster durability.
The tradeoff is this weapon’s alternate attack, firing a web at a target to slow them considerably. Sadly, this attack is predictable in PvP after a few uses. PvE enemies are never fast enough to warrant slowing down either. Even worse, it takes a significant chunk of the weapon’s already lacking durability on use, making an already mediocre weapon much worse. Only use this weapon in builds that focus on power stancing, as this weapon’s web attack works while in that state.
6 Best: Pursuer’s Ultra Greatsword
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Soul of The Pursuer
- Attack Rating: 390 Physical
- Moveset: Ultra Greatsword (Lost Sinner’s Sword)
- Required Stats: Strength (30), Dexterity (18)
- Scaling: Strength (A), Dexterity (C)
- Unique Traits: None
One of the first bosses the player will fight is the Pursuer, a hulking suit of armor with a devastating weapon and shield. The good news is that the Pursuer’s Ultra Greatsword more than lives up to the name. With an A scaling in strength and 273 base damage without upgrades, this greatsword packs a serious punch.
No investment is required to make this weapon shine in the early to mid-game, but it begins to carve through foes once players begin to invest in their strength stat. Obtaining 40 strength and upgrading the blade to +5 is enough to carry any build through New Game and even New Game+. Quality builds can also benefit from this weapon. Considering how early players can find this weapon, the Pursuer’s Ultra Greatsword is a must for any melee character.
5 Worst: Shield Crossbow
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Executioner’s Chariot Soul
- Attack Rating: 290 Physical
- Stability: 30
- Damage Reduction: Physical (100%), Magic (65%), Fire (55%), Lightning (55%), Dark (45%)
- Moveset: Crossbow
- Required Stats: Strength (19), Dexterity (10)
- Scaling: None
- Unique Traits: Blocks while firing; cannot be infused with poison or bleed.
Conceptually, the Shield Crossbow is one of the coolest weapons in the Dark Souls franchise. Unfortunately, it proves to be a terrible shield and crossbow due to its lackluster damage output and horrible shield stats.
Obtained from the Executioner’s Chariot, players will immediately notice that the shield has a shockingly low stability stat at only 30. Players can only block once between firing the crossbow, meaning it can’t be used as a dedicated shield. Worse, it can’t be infused with damaging effects such as poison or bleed. This will be a hard pass for most builds.
4 Best: Ivory King Ultra Greatsword
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Soul of the Ivory King
- Attack Rating: 300 Physical, 80 Magic
- Moveset: Ultra Greatsword (Zweihander)
- Required Stats: Strength (30), Dexterity (30)
- Scaling: Strength (B), Dexterity (B)
- Unique Traits: Projects an energy blade when two-handed, dramatically boosting its range.
A weapon that does live up to its boss fight is the Ivory King Ultra Greatsword. Whenever the player two-hands this weapon, the blade ignites with a sheen of light that deals substantial damage to any foe it hits. It also shares the Zweihander’s amazing moveset, effectively making it a lightsaber Zweihander.
It deals insane damage to a target’s Poise, and it has a fantastic range for a sword. Infusing this weapon takes it to another level, granting it the best bleed effects in the archetype or superb elemental damage. The Ivory King Ultra Greatsword’s only downside is how far players must reach in their playthrough before obtaining this weapon, requiring players to delve into the Crown of the Ivory King DLC and defeat the Ivory King himself before they can craft this beast of a greatsword. However, it’s more than worth the hassle.
3 Worst: Spitfire Spear
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Guardian Dragon Soul
- Attack Rating: 160 Physical, 120 Fire
- Moveset: Spear
- Required Stats: Strength (10), Dexterity (18)
- Scaling: Strength (E), Dexterity (E)
- Unique Traits: Strong attack fires a flaming projectile.
Slaying the Guardian Dragon at Aldia’s Keep will allow players to craft the Spitfire Spear, easily one of the worst weapons in Dark Souls 2. It has the ability to shoot flame projectiles with its strong attack, but the durability on this weapon is so pitiful that most will need a Bracing Knuckle Ring to even consider using it.
Damage scaling is stuck to an E when not infused, and its damage scaling with fire is too lacking for pyromancers to consider using this weapon for any content. It does serve as a solid power stance weapon since it activates the special attack of other spears, but this comes at the cost of a good weapon. For most players, this is a hard pass.
2 Best: Warped Sword
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Flexile Sentry Soul
- Attack Rating: 250 Physical
- Moveset: Curved Sword
- Required Stats: Strength (15), Dexterity (25)
- Scaling: Strength (E), Dexterity (A)
- Unique Traits: L2 power stance attack is a four-hit spin when paired with a sword, curved sword, or katana.
Defeating the Flexile Sentry allows players to obtain the Warped Sword. This blade has nearly everything a player could ask for: an A scaling in dexterity, excellent base damage, and a moveset packed with multi-attacks. Few enemies in PvE or PvP will stand a chance against this blade. Even skilled players will get a ton of mileage out of this weapon due to its absurd counter attack damage, making this a perfect weapon to pair with a Parrying Dagger or Buckler.
What makes this weapon truly top-tier is when it’s powerstanced. Infusing the blades with poison or bleed can instantly apply each status ailment if the player uses two Warped Swords. When this is coupled with its high damage, it’s no wonder why so many Dark Souls 2 players swear by this weapon.
1 Worst: Ivory Straight Sword
Weapon Stats
- Boss Soul: Soul of Aava, the King’s Pet
- Attack Rating: 252 Physical
- Moveset: Spear (one-handed is a spear/greatsword hybrid, two-handed is a lance/twinblade hybrid)
- Required Stats: Strength (6), Dexterity (40)
- Scaling: None
- Unique Traits: Cannot be infused, has no scaling, but has exceptional range.
Never has a boss weapon in Dark Souls 2 require so much effort to obtain yet have so many drawbacks that prevent it from being great. The Ivory Straight Sword is a potential boss weapon reward from defeating Aava, the King’s Pet in the Crown of the Ivory King DLC. For those unfamiliar, simply reaching Aava is an accomplishment, let alone killing the duo.
Should the player kill the boss and obtain this blade, they will be met with a straight sword with no scaling whatsoever. It deals 252 damage per swing when upgraded, consumes an immense amount of stamina per swing, loses 10 durability per swing, and cannot be infused or buffed.
What is so special about this blade that demands these downsides? The blade is shimmering with light that makes it a rather long-range straight sword. Since the main stats are so terrible, this Ivory Straight Sword’s only use is to enhance a much better weapon through power stancing. Those that want a hard-hitting lightsaber are better off using the Ivory King Ultra Greatsword.
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