Katanas may not be the most detrimental weapons in the game, but they sure are really cool. Elden Ring has been successful in making Katanas useful and worthy of mention. Elden Ring doesn’t have many Katanas to show off, but they’ve chosen to have eight katanas in total that’ll get the job done.
Elden Ring Katanas, and what are they good for:
- The Dragonscale Blade has grades D and C, requires 12 and 20 strength and dexterity, has a physical attack of 110 and crit of 100, guard of 39 for physical and 30 for boost.
- Nagakiba Katana has a physical attack of 115 and crit of 100, guard of 49 for physical and 33 for magic, fire, light, and boost, and requires 18 and 22 in strength and dexterity, and has the Piercing Fang skill.
- Hand of Malenia is graded E and B, requires 16 and 48 strength and dexterity, with a physical attack of 117 and crit of 100, guard of 49 for physical and 33 for magic, fire, light, holy, and boost, and has waterfowl dance skill.
- Uchigatana is designed to cause blood loss in enemies, having physical and critical damage of 115 and 100 respectively along with a guard of 45 for physical and 33 for fire, light, holy, and boost, and requires 11 and 15 strength and dexterity.
- Serpentbone Blade requires 11 and 22 strength and dexterity, with a physical attack of 120 and crit of 100, guard of 45 for physical, and 30 for magic, fire, light, holy, and boost.
- Moonveil Katana has a physical attack of 73, magical damage of 87, and critical damage of 100; it scales primarily with strength, intelligence, and dexterity, and is graded E, C, and D.
- Meteoric Ore Blade has a physical attack of 112, magical damage of 72, and critical damage of 100; it has a guard of 50 for physical and 45 for magical.
- Rivers of Blood Katana is considered the best katana with a physical attack of 76, fire attack of 76, and critical damage of 100; it scales primarily with Arcane, strength, and dexterity and is graded E, D, and D.
With mid-range and close combats made easier, the Katana truly is your savior when every other weapon fails to help.
Best Elden Ring Katanas
Katanas are great for fighting less dangerous enemies but can also prove to be extremely valuable in tough situations. Even though there are many weapons in Elden Ring, the flair and joy of a katana swinging around don’t compare with others. While others may inflict much more damage on the enemy, the satisfaction of slashing the enemy forward is something else.
Let us first compare the stats of some of the Best Katanas in Elden Ring:
Rank | Katanas | Physical ATK | Physical Guard | Strength | Dexterity | Light Guard | Holy Guard | Boost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | Dragonscale Blade | 110.0 | 35.0 | 12.0 | 20.0 | 50.0 | 25.0 | 30.0 |
7 | Nagakiba | 115.0 | 49.0 | 18.0 | 22.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 |
6 | Hand of Malenia | 117.0 | 49.0 | 16.0 | 48.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 |
5 | Uchigatana | 115.0 | 45.0 | 11.0 | 15.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 |
4 | Serpentbone Blade | 120.0 | 45.0 | 11.0 | 22.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 |
3 | Moonveil Katana | 73.0 | 31.0 | 12.0 | 18.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 | 31.0 |
2 | Meteoric Ore Blade | 112.0 | 50.0 | 15.0 | 14.0 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 33.0 |
1 | Rivers of Blood Katana | 76.0 | 36.0 | 12.0 | 18.0 | 40.0 | 33.0 | 31.0 |
8) Dragonscale Blade

Coming in at number eight, The Dragonscale Blade is a Katana that primarily scales with strength and dexterity. The Dragonscale Blade was made from gravel stone scale to attain immortality. The architects perished without ever achieving their goal but left behind The Dragonscale Blade. Furthermore, The Dragonscale Blade is dropped by the dragonkin soldier in the lake of rot. It grades D and C and requires 12 and 20 strength and dexterity. You can check our Best Strength Weapons to get more ideas.
Attack:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit |
110 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Guard:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Boost |
35 | 25 | 25 | 50 | 25 | 30 |
The Dragonscale Blade cannot be infused with the Ashes of War but can be upgraded by somber smithing stones. Despite The Dragonscale Blade being at number eight, it doesn’t mean that it’s bad by any chance. In fact, The Dragonscale Blade is only the second katana that starts as C-Grade in dexterity. Lastly, The Dragonscale Blade’s weapon skill is Ice Lightning Sword and it deals 110 physical damage and 100 critical damage.
7) Nagakiba

The Nagakiba Katana is a splendid katana for early-game due to its availability and impact. This Elden Ring katana scales primarily with strength and dexterity and has an incredibly long blade enough to cut through the enemy in no time.

Attack:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit |
115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Guard:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Boost |
49 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
The Nagakiba Katana is dropped by the NPC Bloody Finger Hunter Yura and is very easy to get. So, it’s fair to say that if anyone is in quick need of a katana, then the Nagakiba Katana should be their go-to. The Nagakiba Katana grades D and C and requires 18 and 22 in strength and dexterity.
The katana with Piercing Fang skill is said to be the signature weapon of Yura, the hunter of bloody fingers. Its physical attack of 115 further confirms why the Nagakiba Katana deserves a higher spot than the Dragonscale blade.
6) Hand Of Malenia

As the name suggests, the Hand of Malenia Katana is Malenia’s Katana built into her prosthetic arm. The dread of the Hand of Malenia is so known that people have said to saw wings on it. The Hand of Malenia is said to have never tasted defeat and is resistant to rotting. This katana can be obtained by defeating the warrior Malenia or you could just draw it out of the remembrance of the rot goddess by Enia.

Attack:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit |
117 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Guard:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Boost |
49 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
The Hand of Malenia cannot be infused with Ashes of War but can be upgraded by Somber smithing stones. Also, the Hand of Malenia is primarily scaled with strength and dexterity. It is graded E and B and requires 16 and 48 strength and dexterity. The waterfowl dance skill can be used by players when using the Hand of Malenia Katana. The Hand of Malenia has a physical attack of 269 and has the ability to defeat the enemy in front.
If you like Katanas, then you’ll surely love other melee Weapons. Check out our Elden Ring best melee weapons guide and learn 25 top melee weapons.
5) Uchigatana

There’s no such thing as an underwhelming Katana in Elden Ring and Uchigatana’s popularity tells you why. Starting equipment for the samurai starting class, the Uchigatana can be wielded by the samurai of the Land of Reeds. Its unique single-edged curved design is made to cause blood loss in the enemy. This eases the battle and gives us a clear advantage.

Attack:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit |
115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Guard:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Boost |
45 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
The Uchigatana has physical and critical damage of 115 and 100 and its weapon skill is Unsheathe. This Elden Ring katana is primarily scaled with strength and dexterity as it is graded D and D and requires 11 and 15. The long-sharp blade is compatible with Ashes of War and can be upgraded by Smithing Stones.
4) Serpentbone Blade

With the weapon skill of double slash, the Serpentbone Blade is perfect for inflicting a great amount of damage on the opponent. Its blade is covered with serpent’s venom, the Serpentbone Blade is capable of dealing with a physical attack of 120.

Attack:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit |
120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Guard:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Boost |
45 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
The Serpentbone Blade is obtained as a reward for completing the second letter quest in the Volcano Manor. Inspired by a serpent’s bone, the Serpentbone Blade is graded E and C and requires 11 and 22 strength and dexterity. Lastly, the Serpentbone Blade Katana is not compatible with Ashes of War and can be upgraded by using Smithing Stones.
3) Moonveil

Moonveil Katana is one of the best Early game Katana in Elden Ring. Despite there being some better katanas out there, their popularity is probably the highest among all. The Moonveil Katana has a physical attack of 73, 87 of magical damage, and critical damage of 100. It can be found in Gael Tunnel, dropped by Magma Wyrm. The Moonveil Katana scales primarily with strength, intelligence, and dexterity, and is graded E, C, and D.

Attack:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit |
73 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Guard:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Boost |
31 | 57 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 31 |
Moonveil Katana requires 12 strength, 18 dexterity, and 23 intelligence. The Moonveil Katana is so fast at attacks that it produces a wave of light. It has glintstone forged in it and that’s why the Moonveil Katana has magical damage. The Transient Moonlight Skill is superior to the majority of other weapon skills and has the capability to slash the enemy in an instant. Finally, the Moonveil Katana is not compatible with Ashes of War although, it can be upgraded by using somber smithing stones.
2) Meteoric Ore Blade

The Meteoric Ore Blade is unarguably the second-best Katana in Elden Ring, if not the best. Fans will always have different views on the ranking, but this is what we feel the Meteoric Ore Blade deserves. Our opinion may change in the future, but that’ll need The Meteoric Ore Blade to put a strong case on the table.

Attack:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit |
112 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Guard:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Boost |
50 | 45 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 33 |
With the weapon skill of Gravitas and the physical, magical, and critical damage of 112, 72, and 100, The Meteoric Ore Blade is believed to be so stupendously powerful that one slash is equal to a falling meteor. This vicious Katana can be found at the Caelid Waypoint Ruins inside a chest of an underground hall.
The Meteoric Ore Blade can be upgraded via the somber smithing stones however, it doesn’t have the ability to infuse with any type of Ashes of War. This ferocious Meteoric Ore Blade grades D, E, and D and requires 15, 14, and 18 when it comes to its primary scale i.e. strength, dexterity, and intelligence. Also, The Meteoric Ore Blade Katana is thought to have forged from meteoric ore to dispatch lifeforms born of falling stars.
1) Rivers Of Blood

The majority of players agree that the Rivers of Blood Katana is undisputedly the best Katana in Elden Ring. This S Tier weapon is cursed with cutting down enemies with brutality leaving no men on the battlefield alive. The Rivers of Blood is the only Katana introduced yet that scales primarily with Arcane along with strength and dexterity. Plus, they are graded E, D, and D and require 12, 18, and 20 strength, dexterity, and arcane.

Attack:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit |
76 | 0 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Guard:
Physical | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Boost |
36 | 27 | 62 | 40 | 33 | 31 |
The Rivers of Blood is dropped by the NPC Bloody Finger Okina who spawns near the Church of Repose in the Eastern Region of Mountain Tops of Giants. As malicious as the Rivers of Blood Katana is, it also comes with a weapon skill i.e. the Corpse Piler, hinting at its ability to kill anyone and everyone on sight. Also, the Rivers of Blood Katana has a physical and fire attack of 89 and critical damage of 100. The red-colored Katana can be upgraded by using somber smithing stones, but like others, can’t be infused with Ashes of War.
Summary
These are all the Best Katanas in Elden Ring, Ranked. Make sure you take something from this guide and apply it to your game. The stats can change, and the best Katanas in Elden Ring may change again, but as for now, the unanimous champion is the Rivers of Blood Katana followed by the Meteoric Ore Blade.
Let us know what you think about the guide. Comment below which Katana is best for you. As mentioned before, there really aren’t any bad katanas and all have the ability to pierce through the enemy, but as the game progresses, better enemies face us in the heat of battle. And when that happens we’ll need to get the best of the best and these are the best, in order.
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