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.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sellsword Twinblades | S | Knight | Twin curved swords with an L1 combo that hits 4-6 times in rapid succession. |
| Lothric Knight Sword | A | Knight | A straight sword with excellent reach, fast R1 combos, and the versatile Stance weapon art. |
| Exile Greatsword | A | Knight | A curved greatsword with massive AR and wide sweeping attacks. |
| Chaos Bed Vestiges | B | Pyromancer | The best offensive pyromancy — a fast-traveling fireball dealing massive fire damage. |
| Sunlight Straight Sword | B | Cleric | A Faith-scaling straight sword with a unique weapon art — Sacred Oath — that buffs your damage and defense. |
S-Tier: Sellsword Twinblades
Twin curved swords with an L1 combo that hits 4-6 times in rapid succession. Buffed with a resin or spell, the Twinblades deal the highest sustained DPS of any weapon. They trivialize most bosses — the community calls them 'Sellsword Winblades.' Found early in the Road of Sacrifices.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Knight |
| Key Mechanic | weapon arts |
| Recommended Build | Knight |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Sellsword Twinblades: Pairs naturally with Knight thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Lothric Knight Sword
A straight sword with excellent reach, fast R1 combos, and the versatile Stance weapon art. Refined infusion gives A/A scaling in Str/Dex. It's the best PvE straight sword and one of the best PvP weapons. Dropped by Lothric Knights on the High Wall — farmable from the first bonfire.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Knight |
| Key Mechanic | ember system |
| Recommended Build | Pyromancer |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Lothric Knight Sword: Pairs naturally with Pyromancer thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Exile Greatsword
A curved greatsword with massive AR and wide sweeping attacks. Heavy infusion for Strength builds gives S scaling. The weapon art Spin Slash hits in a 360-degree arc. Found early by defeating the Exile NPC on the Road of Sacrifices. Staggers most enemies in 2-3 hits.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Knight |
| Key Mechanic | estus allocation |
| Recommended Build | Sorcerer |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Exile Greatsword: Pairs naturally with Sorcerer thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Chaos Bed Vestiges
The best offensive pyromancy — a fast-traveling fireball dealing massive fire damage. Obtained from transposing the Soul of the Old Demon King. With both pyro rings and 40/40 Int/Faith, it one-shots most regular enemies and chunks bosses for 600+ damage per cast.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Pyromancer |
| Key Mechanic | covenant rewards |
| Recommended Build | Deprived |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Chaos Bed Vestiges: Pairs naturally with Deprived thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Sunlight Straight Sword
A Faith-scaling straight sword with a unique weapon art — Sacred Oath — that buffs your damage and defense. The buff stacks with other buffs like Lightning Blade. It's the swiss army knife of Faith builds: solid melee damage plus a party-wide buff for co-op.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Cleric |
| Key Mechanic | bonfire warping |
| Recommended Build | Cleric |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Sunlight Straight Sword: Pairs naturally with Cleric thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear High Wall of Lothric
- Lothric Knight Sword → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Exile Greatsword → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Sellsword Twinblades → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying — one strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- 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.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Dark Souls III Guides
- Dark Souls III Dark Souls III Overview
- Dark Souls III Best Builds
- Dark Souls III Tier List
- Dark Souls III Walkthrough
- Dark Souls III Beginner's Guide
- Dark Souls III Tips & Tricks
- Dark Souls III Combat Guide
- Dark Souls III Boss Guide
- Dark Souls III Maps & Locations
- Dark Souls III Crafting Guide
- Dark Souls III Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Dark Souls III, check out these related guides:
- Elden Ring Weapons Guide — rpg game with similar mechanics
- Baldur's Gate 3 Weapons Guide — rpg game with similar mechanics
- Cyberpunk 2077 Weapons Guide — rpg game with similar mechanics
