Elden Ring Best Katanas: Stats, Location, & Tips

Katanas have always been the connoisseurs of Bleed across all FromSoftware games, an innate trait that has single-handedly carried them all the way into the meta in Elden Ring. Given how strong Bleed is in the game and the different kinds of bloodloss-inducing Ashes of War, Katanas have become a force to be reckoned with, in PvE and especially in PvP. So far, in the two months post its release, the PvP meta has been dominated by Katanas, first the Moonveil Katana and now the Rivers of Blood.

As such, Katanas have taken the Straight Swords‘ place as the most beginner-friendly class of weapons in the game. They have everything you could ever ask for – serious damage output, R1-spamming, and range. However, that does not mean that all Katanas are equally good since some definitely stand out from the rest. Therefore, I’ll be going over my list of the Best Katanas in Elden Ring, ranking all eight of them!

Elden Ring Best Katanas & Comparison

Here is a summary table for the best Katanas in Elden Ring alongside their attribute requirements:

No.	Name	Strength requirement	Dexterity requirement	Intelligence requirement	Arcane requirement
1	Serpentbone Blade	11	22	-	-
2	Dragonscale Blade	12	20	-	-
3	Meteoric Ore Blade	15	14	8	-
4	Moonveil	12	18	23	-
5	Uchigatana	11	15	-	-
6	Hand of Malenia	16	48	-	-
7	Nagikiba	18	22	-	-
8	Rivers Of Blood	12	18	-	20

Serpentbone Blade

The Serpentbone Blade is a katana in Elden Ring known for its unique poison effect. It’s not the most popular choice due to poison being less favored compared to other effects. However, it has low stat requirements, needing 11 strength and 22 dexterity.

This katana excels in Poison builds, as it offers 66 Poison and inflicts a unique, faster-acting poison that deals double damage per tick. It’s a niche weapon but can be potent in the right build.

Location

To obtain the Serpentbone Blade:

1. Complete a bounty as part of Tanith’s questline at Volcano Manor.
2. After assassinating Old Knight Istvan in your first task, return to Bernahl’s room for your next assignment.
3. Your next task is to assassinate Rileigh the Idle at the Altus Plateau.
4. Once you’ve completed the task, return to Lady Tanith in Volcano Manor to claim your reward, the Serpentbone Blade.

Stat	Strength	Dexterity	Intelligence	Arcane
Requirement	11	22	–	–
Scaling	E	C	–	–

Dragonscale Blade

The Dragonscale Blade, while cool with its lightning buff, lacks Bleed, making it less appealing. It requires 12 strength and 20 dexterity, similar to the Serpentbone Blade.

Location

You can obtain the Dragonscale Blade by defeating the Dragonkin Soldier field boss in the Lake of Rot. Be sure to explore the area instead of rushing to the temple to avoid missing the boss.

Stat	Strength	Dexterity	Intelligence	Arcane
Requirement	12	20	–	–
Scaling	D	C	–	–

Meteoric Ore Blade

The Meteoric Ore Blade is a katana in Elden Ring with an innate bleeding effect. It has a stat requirement of 15 strength, 14 dexterity, and 18 intelligence. The Prisoner class is a good choice for wielding it due to its favorable stat distribution. Starting with the Prisoner class, you’ll need to invest 4 points each into strength and intelligence to properly wield the Meteoric Ore Blade.

Location

To obtain the Meteoric Ore Blade:

1. Head to the Caelid Waypoint Ruins, situated near the border between Limgrave and Caelid, close to Fort Gael and Gaol Cave.
2. Despite Caelid being a challenging area for early progression, navigate to these ruins.
3. Locate a chest guarded by enemies within the ruins.
4. Retrieve the Meteoric Ore Blade from the chest and make your escape.

Stat	Strength	Dexterity	Intelligence	Arcane
Requirement	15	14	8	–
Scaling	D	E	D	–

Moonveil

The Moonveil katana is a notable choice in the Best Elden Ring Katanas list, although it has been nerfed since its initial popularity before the game’s release. It still stands as a strong option and requires 12 strength, 18 dexterity, and 23 intelligence, similar to the Meteoric Ore Blade.

To wield the Moonveil effectively, it’s advisable to start as the Prisoner class, which offers 11 strength, 14 dexterity, and 14 intelligence, covering a significant portion of the katana’s requirements. You’ll need to invest an additional 14 attribute points, with 1 in strength, 4 in dexterity, and a substantial 9 in intelligence to meet its full requirements.

 Location

• Moonveil drops from Magma Wyrm boss in Gael Tunnel, Caelid.
• Boss fight is challenging due to constricted arena.
• Can confront early game by crossing Limgrave-Caelid border.
• Cave connects continents; defeating Magma Wyrm required to proceed.

Stat	Strength	Dexterity	Intelligence	Arcane
Requirement	12	18	23	–
Scaling	E	D	C	–

Uchigatana

The Uchigatana is a classic weapon that has made its way into Elden Ring, and it’s a must-have for katana enthusiasts. With a relatively low stat requirement of 11 strength and 15 dexterity, it’s accessible to many players.

For class recommendation, the Samurai class is an obvious choice for wielding the Uchigatana, as it starts with this katana as part of its starting gear. Samurai characters also come equipped with the Red Thorn Roundshield and a Longbow, complete with Bone and Firebone arrows as default ammunition. It’s a great starting point for katana-focused characters.

The Uchigatana, as a starter item, has natural scaling of D in both strength and dexterity. What sets it apart is that it’s the first katana on my list of the best katanas in Elden Ring that can accept Ash of War infusions, making it versatile for various builds. It can be upgraded up to +25 using regular Smithing Stones.

Location

• Uchigatana available immediately for Samurai class.
• Obtainable early game regardless of class choice.
• Found in Deathtouched Catacombs near Stormhill, before Stormveil Castle in Limgrave.
• Solving a relatively easy puzzle reveals the katana on a corpse hanging from a platform’s edge.

Stat	Strength	Dexterity	Intelligence	Arcane
Requirement	11	15	–	–
Scaling	D	D	–	–

Hand of Malenia

The Hand of Melania is a top-tier katana in Elden Ring, especially in Melania’s hands. For class, choose one with high dexterity, like Samurai (starts with 15 dexterity). Focus on dexterity for this katana as it scales E in strength and C in dexterity.

It’s a boss weapon and cannot be infused with Ashes of War. Improve scaling through reinforcement with Somber Smithing Stones up to +10, matching the stone’s tier with the katana’s level.

Location

The Hand of Melania is obtained from Enia at the Roundtable Hold in exchange for the Remembrance of the Rot Goddess. Obviously, the Remembrance is obtained from defeating Melania, Blade of Miquella in her domain, Miquella’s Haligtree.

She is a very challenging boss but is completely optional as far as the story progression is concerned, so don’t be afraid to summon a phantom to aid you or even resort to the Mimic Tear.

Stat	Strength	Dexterity	Intelligence	Arcane
Requirement	16	48	–	–
Scaling	E	C	–	–

Nagikiba

Approaching the end of my list of the best katanas, we have the Nagikiba, a rather typical katana that has quickly risen among the ranks of its category. From a glance, it comes off as an extended Uchigatana, but that is exactly what earns it the number two spot as one of the best Katanas in Elden Ring. What’s even better is that it only requires you to have 18 strength and 22 dexterity!

I would definitely recommend running the Samurai as your starting class due to its supreme strength-to-dexterity ratio. Players who start with the Samurai class are rewarded with 12 strength and 15 dexterity right off the bat. From here, all you need to do is level up strength six times and dexterity seven times – before you know it, you can wield the Nagikiba!

Location

The Nagikiba can be obtained from Blood Finger Hunter Yura in a variety of ways. First, you could simply kill the NPC to obtain a thousand runes along with the Nagikiba. Conversely, you could activate Yura’s questline and see through his quest until you found him dead in the Second Church of Marika, killed by Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger. You will find the Nagikiba on his body, after which you will be invaded by Eleonora, who will drop Eleonora’s Poleblade upon death.

Stat	Strength	Dexterity	Intelligence	Arcane
Requirement	18	22	–	–
Scaling	D	C	–	–

Rivers Of Blood

To effectively wield the Rivers of Blood katana, you need 12 strength, 18 dexterity, and 20 arcane. The Bandit class is recommended for this katana because it starts with 9 strength, 13 dexterity, and 14 arcane, which gets you very close to meeting the requirements. Starting as a Bandit also gives you the Great Knife, a Shortbow with ammunition, and a Buckler.

The Rivers of Blood katana has a unique scaling set. It naturally scales with E in strength, D in dexterity, and D in arcane. Since it’s a unique weapon, you can’t infuse it with Ash of War, limiting your build options.

Location

The Rivers of Blood is obtained relatively late in the game, which is its only drawback in my opinion. Once you clear out Leyndell, Royal Capital, by defeating Morgott, you will be granted access to the Mountaintops of the Giants.

Here, you can head southeast to the Church of Repose, where you will be invaded by Bloody Finger Okina, an invader who will be wielding the Rivers of Blood. You guessed it – defeating the invader will drop the best of the best katanas in Elden Ring!

Stat	Strength	Dexterity	Intelligence	Arcane
Requirement	12	18	–	20
Scaling	E	D	–	D