Axes are a type of weapon found in many games, though they often get outshined by swords or spears. Despite not getting much glory, this class of melee weapon boasts some of the highest damage of any that can be found in Dark Souls 3. Their horizontal one-handed attacks combined with vertical two-handed strikes allow them to make the most of many situations.
Greataxes are the upgrade to axes that require more stamina and strength but can unleash much greater damage. They also grant their wielders hyper armor to shrug off lighter incoming attacks while mid-swing. In addition, they are so hefty that their vertical strikes have a slight area of impact that makes dodging their heavy blows tricky, even for agile adversaries. Not all are made equal, however, as some pale in comparison due to poor damage or mediocre scaling and movesets.
Updated on February 24, 2021, by Reyadh Rahaman: With such a diverse group, there are many strategies that one can use when wielding any axe. Some are better for an aggressive approach while others are more ideal to utilize defensively and with other tactics. It is recommended to take a close look at the stats, scaling, and other technical information of each in order to determine if they are the right choice for one’s build. The weapon skills are also something to consider, as they offer great hints about how to best implement an axe in battle.
10 Worst: Butcher Knife
This thing barely counts as an axe. It is more the cross-breed between one and a sword that was left in a sewer for a few decades because no one wanted to use it. Which explains how it got into the hands of Isabella the Mad, a unique enemy the Ashen One can encounter on the Road of Sacrifices. This madwoman is the spiritual successor to Maneater Mildred from the first Dark Souls; a foul adversary who will sometimes throw dung pies at the player. Much like its owner, the Butcher Knife doesn’t do much damage and is a weapon most will pick up and then never look at again.
The HP leeching effect of each successful hit is minuscule and is not worth relying on in any scenario, even if players use the weapon skill, Sharpen, to increase it. Don’t be fooled by its A-tier Strength scaling, either, as even with this big boost, the Butcher Knife does less damage than most other axes. It may gain S-tier scaling at the +10 upgrade (cannot be infused), though with its slow swings and max 190 physical attack, it is not worth wasting a Titanite Slab to fully enhance.
9 Best: Yhorm’s Great Machete
It’s called a “Great” machete for a reason. Once wielded by the Lord of Cinder Yhorm, the Giant, it can be transposed with his soul if the Ashen One speaks to Ludleth of Courland at Firelink Shrine. Essentially a very tall axe, it has the longest reach of this weapon type in the game, allowing its wielder to out-space foes with ease. It also scales to higher levels compared to most other axes.
This greataxe achieves A-tier scaling with Strength at the max upgrade of +5, and Yhorm’s Great Machete can make excellent use of it with a monstrous 338 physical attack. With such big numbers and long reach, players wielding this colossal cleaver can come out better from most damage-trades or straight-up out-space foes. For an added boost to the already huge damage potential, be sure to use the Warcry weapon skill.
8 Worst: Earth Seeker
This greataxe can be found in the Ashes of Ariandel DLC, both as a usable weapon and in the hands of foes. The Millwood knights that use them against the player can summon localized earthquakes to great effect. Though, when the player tries to do the same, the result is often too slow and doesn’t have the range to be genuinely helpful in most scenarios. Furthermore, it needs Faith investment to be wielded and have decent damage, making it less than an ideal weapon for the Strength builds that would make the best use of it.
Players attempting to use the Earthen Wrath skill will undoubtedly be disappointed and will rely on this greataxe’s stats to compensate, though they will likely be let down here as well. At the maximum upgrade of +5, the Earth Seeker only achieves 280 physical attack. For a frame of reference, anything under 300 physical attack for a greataxe is below average and usually not worth the slow attack speed and often lackluster reach. The awkward scaling of B-tier in Strength and C-tier in Faith means only very niche quality builds have anything to gain from these boosts.
7 Best: Dragonslayer’s Axe
Not to be confused with the Dragonslayer Greataxe, this weapon has a very similar moveset to that of the standard Battle Axe. Though, it differs in that it deals innate lightning damage, and has relatively low stat requirements to wield. Because lighting damage is useful against many enemies in the game, and because it can be found relatively early on in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, the Dragonslayer’s Axe is a great weapon for mid-game or low-level players.
There are two upgrade paths that will yield the best variations of this excellent single-handed axe. The first (for any build with the stat requirements to wield it) is the +10 Raw upgrade, for it does away with the minimal scaling and boosts the physical attack much higher than any other possible upgrade to 273 while also retaining the very useful 210 lightning damage. The other ideal path is the Lightning upgrade (for Faith builds) due to the Dragonslayer’s Axe achieving B-tier scaling with Faith, along with D-tier in Strength and E-tier with Dexterity. The 123 physical attack isn’t great, though with this upgrade path players should be focusing on the lightning damage, which reaches 220.
6 Worst: Man Serpent Hatchet
This oddly shaped implement can be dropped by the man serpents upon Archdragon Peak. It looks cool and its description implies that it is good for getting around shields. Sadly, it isn’t, as its hitbox is not that of a hook but more like a normal axe. It doesn’t have particularly good scaling or a decent weapon skill either. This is one better left to the reptilian humanoids it originated with.
The best upgrade path for this hatchet is the Refined upgrade, though even so it only achieves 218 physical attack. The C-tier scaling in both Strength and Dexterity may make it seem like a decent choice for a quality build, however, its lack of range, generic moveset, and absence of a unique weapon skill (it has Warcry, though the damage boost doesn’t help much) make this armament one to avoid.
5 Best: Black Knight Greataxe
This beast of a blade can be found upon the remains of the black knights who once wielded them against the Ashen One. It requires a tremendous amount of stamina, Strength, and a sufficient amount of Dexterity to wield. The Black Knight Greataxe is worth the investment, as it deals the most physical damage out of almost every axe or greataxe in the game. Its two-handed strong attack is a delayed upward slash that can send most foes flying as well as stagger greater adversaries.
At the max level of +5, the Black Knight Greataxe attains a significant 350 physical attack along with C-tier scaling in Strength and D-tier in Dexterity for moderate boosts. The weapon skill is, like with many axes and greataxes, Warcry, however, this huge weapon gains a unique strong attack combo after using it. When primed, players can unleash a surprisingly fast chain of slashing slams that can both close distance and unleash massive damage onto targets.
4 Worst: Hand Axe
This is not a weapon, but a tool for chopping wood. It is the starting weapon for the pyromancer class and is sufficient to fell pathetic hollows but it will soon be outclassed by almost every other axe in the game in terms of damage and reach. Maybe leave this one in the Great Swamp for people to make kindling with.
Despite gaining B-tier scaling in both Strength and Dexterity with the optimal upgrade path (Refined), its physical damage only reaches a pitiful 192 at +10. Its Warcry skill won’t ever make it useful enough to compensate for this pathetic damage potential, especially since its reach is barely more than that of a dagger.
3 Best: Demon’s Greataxe
This demonic destroyer can be transposed from the soul of a Demon and wields similar fiery might. Its weapon skill Demonic Flare lets loose a huge explosion that can be great for dealing with multiple enemies. It also scales with Strength, Faith, Intelligence, and Dexterity, making it a great armament for higher-level characters with lots of stat points allocated. On top of this, it also consumes less stamina than most other greataxes, allowing the Ashen One to unleash more strikes per stamina bar than they expect.
At the maximum upgrade level of +5, the Demon’s Greataxe obtains 286 physical attack and 160 fire attack for a combined total that rivals only the most powerful weapons in the game. The B-tier scaling with Strength in addition to the D-tier scaling with Intelligence and Faith make the boosts gained substantial, and it even gets a little bit extra from the E-tier scaling in Dexterity.
2 Worst: Thrall Axe
The thralls of the undead settlement often wield these tiny hatchets that chip away at one’s health little by little. If wielded by the player, it will have a similar effect on foes. This is undeniably the weakest axe in the game. Low base damage and pitiful scaling make its Attack Rating abysmal. Its weapon skill, Quick Step, sounds like it would grant the player easy backstabs but smarter foes simply roll away to moderate safety. The short reach and ugly design are additional reasons to avoid this mediocre tool.
Out of all the upgrade paths available, the best one for the Thrall Axe is the Refined path, which still yields the lowest total damage for any axe in the game at 182 physical attack. The B-tier scaling in both Strength and Dexterity helps it a bit in the damage department, though, like with the Hand Axe, its abysmal reach and near-useless weapon skill make it quite clear that this axe is never going to be viable.
1 Best: Dragonslayer Greataxe
This behemoth of iron deals the most physical damage of any axe or greataxe in the game. It scales well with Strength and deals lightning damage without needing to be infused, making it useful in many situations. Ideally, a weapon for a dedicated Strength builds as it requires 40 points in this stat to wield. Highly worth the investment, however, as its weapon skill Falling Bolt calls forth a brilliant storm upon the heads of foes that deals huge damage and has a significant area of effect.
At +5, it has an incredible physical attack of 364 alongside 136 lightning attack, which are further enhanced by C-tier scaling in Strength, D-tier in Faith, and E-tier in Dexterity. The Dragonslayer Greataxe is an ideal ultra weapon for anyone favoring unrelenting force as a combat tactic.
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