Dark Souls III is the culmination of FromSoftware's dark fantasy trilogy, combining the interconnected world design of the original with the faster, more aggressive combat of Bloodborne. The game features 19 main bosses and 6 DLC bosses, several of which rank among the best encounters in the Soulsborne catalog — the Nameless King, Sister Friede, and Slave Knight Gael are legendary fights. The build variety is enormous with over 200 weapons, dozens of spells across four magic schools, and an infusion system that tailors weapons to any stat spread. The Ringed City DLC provides the definitive conclusion to the entire Dark Souls saga.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness — factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knight | S | Block with shield, punish enemy attacks with fast R1 combos, use weapon art Stance for guard-break thrust against shielded enemies. | Lothric Knight Sword (Refined), Shield of Want, Knight armor set |
| Pyromancer | S | Throw fireballs from range, use Chaos Bed Vestiges for massive single-hit damage, and switch to Dark pyromancies against fire-resistant enemies. | Pyromancy Flame +10, Chaos Bed Vestiges, Dark Fireball, Witch's Ring, Great Swamp Ring |
| Sorcerer | A | Stay at maximum range, pelt enemies with Great Heavy Soul Arrow for efficiency and Crystal Soul Spear for burst damage. Use Homing Crystal Soulmass before boss fights. | Court Sorcerer Staff +10, Crystal Soul Spear, Great Heavy Soul Arrow, Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring, Young Dragon Ring |
| Deprived | B | Survive the early game with whatever drops, then transition into any build path once you find your preferred weapon. | Whatever you find first, club → Broadsword → build-specific weapon |
| Cleric | B | Buff weapons with Lightning Blade for melee, use Lightning Stake and Sunlight Spear for ranged burst, and heal with Soothing Sunlight in co-op. | Sunlight Straight Sword, Lightning Stake, Yorshka's Chime +10, Morne's Ring, Ring of the Sun's First Born |
S-Tier: Knight
The Knight starts with the best armor and a 100% physical block shield. Leveling Vigor to 27 then Strength/Dexterity to weapon requirements creates a safe, powerful melee build. The Lothric Knight Sword (dropped from knights on the High Wall) carries you through the entire game with its fast moveset and excellent scaling.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Sellsword Twinblades | Twin curved swords with an L1 combo that hits 4-6 times in rapid succession. |
| Core Gear | Lothric Knight Sword (Refined), Shield of Want, Knight armor set | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Vigor 27→40, Endurance 20→30, Strength/Dex to weapon requirements, then damage stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | weapon arts | Every weapon has a unique Weapon Art (L2/LT) consuming FP (Focus Points). |
How to Play Knight
Block with shield, punish enemy attacks with fast R1 combos, use weapon art Stance for guard-break thrust against shielded enemies.
The Knight starts with the best armor and a 100% physical block shield. Leveling Vigor to 27 then Strength/Dexterity to weapon requirements creates a safe, powerful melee build. The Lothric Knight Sword (dropped from knights on the High Wall) carries you through the entire game with its fast moveset and excellent scaling.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Sellsword Twinblades and weapon arts creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Lothric Knight Sword (Refined), Shield of Want, Knight armor set amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Vigor 27→40, Endurance 20→30, Strength/Dex to weapon requirements, then damage stats) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Pyromancer
Pyromancy scales with both Intelligence and Faith (both to 40), making it the most efficient magic build since you unlock both sorceries and miracles alongside pyromancies. Chaos Bed Vestiges deals massive fire damage at range. The Pyromancy Flame upgrades for free at the blacksmith. Dark pyromancies add a second damage type for resistant enemies.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Lothric Knight Sword | A straight sword with excellent reach, fast R1 combos, and the versatile Stance weapon art. |
| Core Gear | Pyromancy Flame +10, Chaos Bed Vestiges, Dark Fireball, Witch's Ring, Great Swamp Ring | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Intelligence 40, Faith 40, Vigor 27, Attunement 24+ | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | ember system | Using an Ember item or defeating a boss grants Embered status — +30% max HP and the ability to summon cooperators or be invaded. |
How to Play Pyromancer
Throw fireballs from range, use Chaos Bed Vestiges for massive single-hit damage, and switch to Dark pyromancies against fire-resistant enemies.
Pyromancy scales with both Intelligence and Faith (both to 40), making it the most efficient magic build since you unlock both sorceries and miracles alongside pyromancies. Chaos Bed Vestiges deals massive fire damage at range. The Pyromancy Flame upgrades for free at the blacksmith. Dark pyromancies add a second damage type for resistant enemies.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Lothric Knight Sword and ember system creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Pyromancy Flame +10, Chaos Bed Vestiges, Dark Fireball, Witch's Ring, Great Swamp Ring amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Intelligence 40, Faith 40, Vigor 27, Attunement 24+) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Sorcerer
Pure Intelligence sorcery deals the highest ranged damage in the game with Crystal Soul Spear and Great Heavy Soul Arrow. The tradeoff is low HP and melee capability. Court Sorcerer Staff at 60 Intelligence provides the best spell buff. Requires careful FP management through Ashen Estus allocation.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Exile Greatsword | A curved greatsword with massive AR and wide sweeping attacks. |
| Core Gear | Court Sorcerer Staff +10, Crystal Soul Spear, Great Heavy Soul Arrow, Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring, Young Dragon Ring | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Intelligence 60, Vigor 27, Attunement 30, Endurance 15 | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | estus allocation | At Andre the blacksmith, you allocate Estus Flask charges between HP healing (Estus) and FP recovery (Ashen Estus). |
How to Play Sorcerer
Stay at maximum range, pelt enemies with Great Heavy Soul Arrow for efficiency and Crystal Soul Spear for burst damage. Use Homing Crystal Soulmass before boss fights.
Pure Intelligence sorcery deals the highest ranged damage in the game with Crystal Soul Spear and Great Heavy Soul Arrow. The tradeoff is low HP and melee capability. Court Sorcerer Staff at 60 Intelligence provides the best spell buff. Requires careful FP management through Ashen Estus allocation.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Exile Greatsword and estus allocation creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Court Sorcerer Staff +10, Crystal Soul Spear, Great Heavy Soul Arrow, Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring, Young Dragon Ring amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Intelligence 60, Vigor 27, Attunement 30, Endurance 15) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
B-Tier: Deprived
Deprived starts at SL1 with all stats at 10 and a club. It's the challenge run starting class with no wasted stat points, making it the most efficient for hybrid builds at high soul levels. Early game is brutal — you're naked with a club. But the flat stat distribution means every build path is equally accessible.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Chaos Bed Vestiges | The best offensive pyromancy — a fast-traveling fireball dealing massive fire damage. |
| Core Gear | Whatever you find first, club → Broadsword → build-specific weapon | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Vigor 27 first (survival), then build-specific stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | covenant rewards | Covenants are factions that reward PvP and co-op engagement. |
How to Play Deprived
Survive the early game with whatever drops, then transition into any build path once you find your preferred weapon.
Deprived starts at SL1 with all stats at 10 and a club. It's the challenge run starting class with no wasted stat points, making it the most efficient for hybrid builds at high soul levels. Early game is brutal — you're naked with a club. But the flat stat distribution means every build path is equally accessible.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Chaos Bed Vestiges and covenant rewards creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Whatever you find first, club → Broadsword → build-specific weapon amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Vigor 27 first (survival), then build-specific stats) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
B-Tier: Cleric
Faith builds get Lightning Blade buff and Lightning Arrow/Sunlight Spear at high investment. Cleric starts with a mace (strike damage is strong against armored enemies) and basic healing miracles. Faith builds struggle mid-game before getting powerful offensive miracles but excel late-game with Lightning Stake and Sunlight Spear.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Sunlight Straight Sword | A Faith-scaling straight sword with a unique weapon art — Sacred Oath — that buffs your damage and defense. |
| Core Gear | Sunlight Straight Sword, Lightning Stake, Yorshka's Chime +10, Morne's Ring, Ring of the Sun's First Born | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Faith 60, Vigor 27, Attunement 24, Strength 12 (for SSS) | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | bonfire warping | Unlike Dark Souls 1, all bonfires are instantly warpable from the start. |
How to Play Cleric
Buff weapons with Lightning Blade for melee, use Lightning Stake and Sunlight Spear for ranged burst, and heal with Soothing Sunlight in co-op.
Faith builds get Lightning Blade buff and Lightning Arrow/Sunlight Spear at high investment. Cleric starts with a mace (strike damage is strong against armored enemies) and basic healing miracles. Faith builds struggle mid-game before getting powerful offensive miracles but excel late-game with Lightning Stake and Sunlight Spear.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Sunlight Straight Sword and bonfire warping creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Sunlight Straight Sword, Lightning Stake, Yorshka's Chime +10, Morne's Ring, Ring of the Sun's First Born amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Faith 60, Vigor 27, Attunement 24, Strength 12 (for SSS)) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Pyromancer — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Knight once you understand core mechanics and have access to Sellsword Twinblades
- Keep a Sorcerer setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Cleric for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Raw infusion removes all stat scaling but increases base damage. A Raw Longsword outdamages every other infusion until you have 20+ in a damage stat, making it the best early-game infusion for any build.
- The Sellsword Twinblades with a Pine Resin buff and L1 spam kills most bosses faster than any other strategy. Buy resins from the Shrine Handmaid and apply before fog walls.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
See our tier list for current meta rankings, or the beginner's guide if you're just getting started.
