[Top 10] Elden Ring's Most Powerful Greatswords (And How To Get Them) (2023)

In Ring of Fire, choosing your weapon is one of the most important choices you'll have to make. While it might seem overwhelming to have over 300 weapons to choose from, players looking for a massive weapon that can slice enemies in half should check out the game's ubiquitous greatsword. From mighty troll swords to black flame machetes, Elden Ring's wide range of greatswords means there is something for all players, no matter their playstyle. There's nothing more satisfying than taking down a boss with thousands of hit points or blasting tiny fish out of the water with overwhelming force. If this sounds like your fighting style, let's get into the top ten greatswords in the Elden Ring.

10. Troll's Golden Sword (best used as a strength or agility build)

The Troll's Golden Sword is a mid-game weapon found in the western part of the Artus Plateau. This sword is a solid greatsword that can be infused with your favorite battle ashes. This means the sword can be used in many different builds. The talent skill "Troll's Roar" is also quite useful against enemies that can be knocked back.

However, this sword can't hold a candle to most of the others on this list. It simply doesn't have the damage or incredible power to compete with other greatswords. I recommend trying this weapon out, but once you solidify your build and get better weapons, you should probably switch to a more powerful option.

What's so good about the troll's golden sword

• Comes with the ability to knock back enemies "Troll Roar"
• Ashes of war that players like can be injected

How to Get the Troll's Golden Sword

• To the Erdtree-Gazing-Hill Land of Grace
• From there head northeast until you find a cart
• You'll find the sword behind the wagon

Full details of the Troll's Golden Sword:Lord of the Rings Wiki

Troll's golden sword picture

9. Sword of the Troll Knight (best build as a Dexterity/Strength Mage)

This sword is very similar to the Troll's Golden Sword, but it is C-ranked in both strength and intelligence. Fully upgraded for better damage output compared to Troll's Golden Sword. Of course, this means the sword is only useful to certain types of mages.

The sword comes with the "Troll's Roar" ability, which again comes in handy when dealing with enemies you can knock down. The sword's limitation is that it cannot be infused with the ashes of war, unlike its gold counterpart. Overall, I recommend this weapon to mages looking for a greatsword, but if that's not your thing, you should check out the Royal Greatsword.

what's so good about troll knight sword

• The ratio of Intelligence, Dexterity, and Strength, making it an excellent choice for any mage build
• Comes with the ability to knock back enemies "Troll Roar"

How to Get the Troll Rider's Sword

• To Carian Manor or Four Belfries
• Killing the troll knights in these areas has a chance to drop the troll knight sword

All the details about the Sword of the Troll Rider:Lord of the Rings Wiki

image of sword of troll knight

8. Zweihander (very versatile in construction)

Fans of many previous FromSoftware games will recognize the infamous Zweihander from the Dark Souls series. The Zweihander is just as good in the Elden Ring, even better due to its versatility. Zweihander requires low minimum stats to use (19 Strength and 11 Dexterity). Plus it can be found early on in Weeping Peninsula, which means you can have an effective greatsword early in the game.

To add to its versatility, this weapon can be infused with your favorite battle dust, which will help this weapon fit into almost any build. .Overall, this weapon has great movement, high damage, and low stat requirements, making it versatile. I highly recommend trying this weapon out, at least until you find something more powerful for your build.

what's so good about zweihand

• Low stat requirements and huge balanced damage make this weapon viable in any build
• Ashes of war that players like can be injected

This is how you get the Zweihander

• Go to the Weeping Peninsula area on the map
• Head to the western edge and you'll find an isolated merchant hut
• Zweihander can be purchased from the merchant who lives there

All the details about Zweihander:Lord of the Rings Wiki

Players of Zweihander

7. Godslayer's Greatsword (best used as a Dexterity/Faith build)

The Godslayer Greatsword is perfect for any faith building looking for a greatsword. This massive sword is a bit different from the others, as it is primarily measured in dexterity rather than strength. This gives it an advantage over most huge swords, as your swing speed will be a bit faster. Although the overall damage output is more in line with ordinary great swords.

If you're worried about the outcome of the damage, don't worry, as this sword comes with the "Queen's Black Flame" ability. These abilities allow you to fire slashes of black fire that do a lot of damage (on my tro/dex build I hit about 1700 health per turn). Will leave lasting damage to the enemy. This weapon ability and its scaling in the dex makes it a really powerful weapon that devout players should check out.

What's so good about the Godslayer Great Sword?

• balance of faith
• With the skill "Queen's Black Flame", it can send out a long-distance black flame slash, causing a lot of damage
• Swings faster than other greatswords

How to get the Godslayer's Greatsword

• Go to Caelid's Divine Tower and enter
• Bow your head until you meet the godskin apostle boss fight
• After defeating him, a chest can be found behind the boss area containing weapons

Full details of Godslayer Greatsword:Lord of the Rings Wiki

The player holding the Godslayer Greatsword

6. Grafted Blade Greatsword (best used as a strength type)

The Grafted Blade Greatsword is another massive sword that can be found in the Weeping Peninsula early in the game. This sword does similar damage to many of the other greatswords on this list. Where the Grafted Blade Breathsword really shines is in its ability called "Oath of Vengeance".

Vow of Vengeance increases all your stats by 5 and balances you for 30 seconds. Think of it as a timed version of Godric's great rune. Not only is this skill great for boosting your sword's attack power, but it's also great for opening up your options in other areas. For example, if you're only missing a few Intelligence attribute points when it comes to casting powerful spells, using this sword can help you overcome that gap. This skill combined with the damage makes the Grafted Blade Greatsword an incredibly powerful weapon.

What's so good about grafting a great sword

• Comes with the "Oath of Vengeance" skill, increasing all attributes by 5 and improving balance

How to get Grafted Blade Greatsword

• Go to Morne Castle on the Weeping Peninsula
• Defeat the boss at the end of Morne Castle, and you will get the Grafted Blade Greatsword

Full details of Grafted Blade Greatsword:Lord of the Rings Wiki

The player holding the Grafting Blade greatsword

5. Greatsword (best for building strength)

The Greatsword is another classic that many longtime fans of the Souls series will recognize. True to its name, this weapon has a solid power build and overwhelming power to crush your foes. This weapon can also be infused with your favorite ashes of war, and reaches A-level strength when upgraded to a heavy weapon.

The greatsword is somewhat unique due to the way the player wields it. Generally, greatswords are best used as two-handed weapons, but many players choose to dual wield greatswords. This has quickly become a popular build location on many top ten lists of the best dual wield weapons. The overwhelming power and dual wielding ability make this a very interesting and deadly weapon.

What's so good about a giant sword

• Ashes of war that players like can be injected

how to get greatsword

• Go to the smoldering church of grace in the outskirts of Khalid
• Follow the path on the map until you come across a wagon guarded by a large dog
• In the shopping cart you will find the great sword

All the details about the great sword:Lord of the Rings Wiki

Player picture with greatsword

4. Ruins Greatsword (best used as a mighty sword)

If you're looking for a greatsword that can slam your enemies into the ground, look no further. The Ruin Greatsword has a strength of S when fully upgraded, making it one of the best swords for increasing strength. However, the sword also has a slight intellectual boost, making it a good match for mages of all strengths. This weapon is a bit hard to get, as you have to defeat the Crucible Knight and Bastard Warrior bosses in the heart of Redmane Castle.

But it's worth it, because the Ruins Greatsword also has the "Wave of Destruction" ability, which allows the player to slam the ground and unleash gravitational energy directly. The charged bash also unleashes a small burst of gravitational energy, dealing bonus damage and stunning many enemies. All in all, this weapon is just an upright monster that can crush most enemies you come across.

What's so good about the Great Sword?

• S strength increased after fully upgraded
• Comes with the "Wave of Destruction" skill, hitting the ground to generate a gravitational shock wave
• Charged Bash unleashes gravitational magic, dealing bonus damage and disorienting enemies (no FP cost)

How to get the Relic Greatsword

• Go to Redmane Castle (don't use the teleporter on the impassable bridge)
• Explore Redmane Castle and you'll encounter a Crucible Knight and a Bastard Warrior boss fight
• Defeat them to get the Relic Greatsword
• Boss fight should be possible after defeating Laden if you used the teleporter

Full details of Greatsword of Ruins:Lord of the Rings Wiki

Player picture wielding the Relic Greatsword

3. Royal Greatsword (best as a strength and intelligence build)

The Royal Greatsword takes a bit of effort to get, as you have to fully complete Ranni's questline to get it. This sword has a good ratio of strength and intelligence, making it another incredible mage greatsword. This weapon can be a beast of a sword if you have the right stats, and is one of the highest damage greatswords in the game.

In addition to its damage, the Royal Greatsword also has a "Wolf's Pounce" ability, which allows the player to lunge forward, stab an enemy, and then cause an explosion. This ability deals both physical and cold damage, usually frostbite the target. Power and damage make it a contender for one of the best greatswords in the game.

What's so good about Royal Greatsword

• Comes with the "Wolf's Attack" ability, which allows the player to dash forward and throw his sword at the target/ground which then explodes dealing physical and freezing damage

How to Get the Royal Greatsword

• Follow Ranni's quest line to the end
• Head to Ranni's Rise and go outside where you will meet Blaidd
• Kill Brad to get his sword and armor

Full details of the Royal Greatsword:Lord of the Rings Wiki

Player picture holding the Royal Greatsword

2. Maliketh's Black Blade (best used as a strength/faith hybrid build)

Maliketh's Blackblade is a late game weapon, but arguably one of the best greatswords you'll have on the road. The only downside to this sword is that it requires 40 Faith and 34 Strength, which means it can only be used with Strength, Faith. But if you fall into that category, this sword is the perfect weapon for you.

In terms of damage, this weapon is slightly higher than the other greatswords in the game due to its high ratio of Faith and Strength. Where this weapon really shines, however, is in its special ability, "Fated to Fate," which allows players to drop their sword to the ground after slashing an opponent, unleashing a flurry of slashing blows all around them. The slash deals initial damage, damage over time, and reduces the target's max health.

The knockback on this move is actually insane, and I'm abusing it on pretty much every big enemy I think I can't legally counter. When I defeated the Malekith, I immediately made it my primary weapon and it worked wonders in boss fights and fights against big enemies. I highly recommend this weapon for any Faith/Power build.

What is the benefit of Marycase's Black Blade?

• Comes with the skill "Destined", slashes the opponent, and then unleashes a series of slashes around you (initial and continuous damage)

How to get the Black Blade of Marycase

• Head to the crumbling Farum Azula
• Explore the area until you reach the boss fight for Malekith the Blackblade
• Defeat Marycase and remind him of his Blackblade

All the details about Marycase's Black Blade:Lord of the Rings Wiki

Image of Maliketh holding a black blade

1. Starscourge Greatswords (best used as a strength/intelligence build)

Another Intellect/Strength greatsword for strong mages who are looking for a good greatsword. This weapon is unique in several ways. First, its two-handed mode draws another sword, meaning the weapon is essentially a two-handed weapon. Your R1 attack swings both swords at the same time, so you basically do double damage per swing.

The special ability "Cry of the Starcaller" is another reason why this sword tops this list. This ability pulls enemies in while burning them, allowing players to attack without fear of retaliation. Additional input costs more FP, but causes a massive gravitational explosion.

This weapon is firmly at the top of the list due to its incredible damage output. Dual wielding swords deals double damage, and this ability creates a massive gravitational explosion. I highly recommend checking out this weapon, especially if you're a mage.

What are the benefits of Starscourge Greatswords

• Attempting to use this weapon with two hands will cause you to dual wield these greatswords, meaning you will do double damage
• Comes with the "Starcaller's Cry" skill to pull the enemy in (additional investment will consume more FP to slam the ground, causing a gravity explosion and causing a lot of damage)
• Deals 30% more Damage to Gravity Enemies

How to Get the Starscourge Greatsword

• Go to the Rotten Lake and cross the lake to the Abbey's Place of Grace
• use the ledge to go down to the bottom
• Once you're below, go west and you'll see a chest with a scorpion stinger

All the details about the Greatsword of Starscourge:Lord of the Rings Wiki

Image of Starscourge Greatsword

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