5 Soulsborne boss weapons that are underwhelming (and 5 that lived up to their name)

Weapons in the Soulsborne series have always been iconic. They look good, and they serve their purpose extremely well. The weapon design has been top-notch, and every weapon class is unique and different from the rest.

FromSoftware has always been known to pay close attention when designing any aspect of their game. And with armaments being such an integral part of how the game works, they have to look and carry their weight in combat.

Ever since the first Soulsborne title, players have been able to use weapons that the bosses use. There has been a way to get them after defeating the corresponding bosses.

Using weapons from some of the coolest bosses has always been an incentive for players to walk that extra mile to get the job done. This list takes a look at some boss weapons that were disappointing and five that totally lived up to their names.

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5 Soulsborne boss weapons that are underwhelming

1) Chaos Blade (Dark Souls Remastered)

This first entry is from a classic Soulsborne title. The Chaos Blade is a katana that can be obtained by “ascending” a +10 normal Katana along with the Soul of Quelag with the help of the blacksmith in Anor Londo.

The first few Soulsborne games required players to have a corresponding weapon to upgrade it to a boss weapon.

The Chaos Blade is pretty underwhelming. It has the base katana moveset and isn’t too viable in PvP either. The Uchigatana just does a much better job and is the preferred blade.

The Chaos Blade has made other appearances in the series but ultimately feels tacked on. The weapon is not FromSoft’s best work in the Soulsborne franchise; however, the weapon does still look cool though.

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2) Hollowslayer Greatsword (Dark Souls 3)

This weapon, as the name suggests, is really good for killing hollows. Hollows are the undead humans who have lost all their humanity and now roam the lands attacking anything they see.

The Hollowslayer Greatsword can be obtained by exchanging the Soul of the Curse-rotted Greatwood from Ludleth.

Funnily enough, players can only transpose boss-related items after they have obtained a Transposing Kiln from the Curse-Rotted Greatwood.

The Hollowslayer Greatsword is just an ordinary greatsword that deals extra damage to hollows, the weakest enemy archetype in the game. There is very little use for this weapon, and any other greatsword does a significantly better job. This weapon looks good but is underwhelming compared to other weapons in the Soulsborne franchise.

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3) Farron Greatsword (Dark Souls 3)

Arguably the coolest-looking weapon and wielded by one of the best bosses in the game, the Farron Greatsword is a unique ultra-greatsword that scales with dexterity. It comes paired with a curved offhand dagger that is used to pivot and parry. These are the iconic weapons of the Abyss Watchers, who use the unique combination to attack like wolves. These weapons offer bonus damage against the creatures of the Abyss.

The Farron Greatsword looks exceptionally cool in the hands of the Abyss Watchers. The moveset that the boss employs with these weapons looks and just fits the aesthetic of the weapon. In the player’s hands, however, this entry fails to make a positive impression.

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4) Carian Regal Scepter (Elden Ring)

Now this entry is a little controversial. On one hand, it’s the most ornate scepter that exists in Elden Ring. On the other, it only boosts Full Moon sorceries, of which there are just two. While the prospect of being Thanos and chucking moons at foes can be tempting, using this stuff to boost an already high-damage spell is a trivial pursuit at best.

The Carian Regal Scepter can be obtained by hand over Finger Reader Enia Rennala’s Remembrance. The staff comes equipped with an Ash of War called Spinning Weapon, and this cannot be removed. For an offhand scepter, this is quite annoying to deal with as mages usually like to one-hand their main armament. The Carian Regal Scepter looks amazing, but it is lacking in more ways than one.

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5) Bastard’s Stars (Elden Ring)

This weapon can be obtained by defeating Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, who is found when doing Ranni’s Quest. Astel is a challenging boss that can be extremely dangerous to unwary players. The boss has been exceptionally well-designed, and he looks terrifying.

The Bastard’s Stars Flail can be received from Enia after exchanging the boss remembrance. Flails are a very unique weapon class, but this one isn't going to impress anyone.

This Flail has no proper use when fighting a boss as they are slow and quite underwhelming. Bastard’s Stars scales primarily with Intelligence and is something that is made for mages. The Flail class should definitely get an update to be viable, and FromSoftware will hopefully add it sometime down the line.

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5 Soulsborne boss weapons that actually live up to their name

1) Wolf Knight Greatsword (Dark Souls 3)

The Abyss Watchers drop some really cool loot. Their armor set is one of the coolest looks in the game, and the weapons are no joke. While the Farron Greatsword can feel underwhelming, the Wolf Knight Greatsword picks up the slack and delivers in astonishing fashion.

This weapon used to belong to the fabled Wolf Knight Artorias, who harbored the blood of the wolf. The Abyss Watchers inherited this and have kept his legacy alive.

The Wolf Knight Greatsword is quite unique, and it is one of the best weapons in the Soulsborne franchise. It has a generic moveset, but it shines by offering two different weapon skills.

It is also incredibly effective against Abyssal enemies and is primarily a quality weapon. It is incredibly useful, and players can rely on this weapon for their entire playthrough.

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2) Rakuyo (Bloodborne: The Old Hunters DLC)

The famed blade of Lady Maria, Rakuyo is a trick weapon that looks as good as it performs. In its first form, it serves as a capable twin-blade, but the weapon can also be split into two, namely a dagger and a saber. This gives the weapon such utility and purpose that players will make it a point to get this weapon immediately. It’s a weapon that scales with Dexterity and Arcane and is usable in any situation.

Rakuyo was Lady Maria’s beloved blade, but it was cast away after she was disillusioned by the actions of the Byrgenwerth Scholars. She threw the blade down a well and was presumed dead later.

Players will have to defeat Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower to access the Fishing Hamlet, in which the weapon is found.

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3) Holy Moonlight Sword (Bloodborne: The Old Hunters DLC)

Ludwig is another well-designed boss. He scares and intrigues in a way that has not been seen before in other Soulsborne titles. This fight is one of the most challenging fights in the Soulsborne series. Ludwig fights like an unhinged beast and switches mid-fight, reverting to a fraction of his glorious former self. He was one of the Church’s finest hunters, but he fell to the curse.

The Holy Moonlight Sword is incredibly iconic. It has appeared in every single Soulsborne game since Demon’s Souls and is the Holy Grail when it comes to weapons. This weapon, in Bloodborne, scales primarily off Arcane and is incredibly useful for those builds. The Holy Moonlight Sword can be acquired by speaking to Ludwig’s corpse after the player defeats him.

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4) Friede’s Great Scythe (Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel DLC)

This is arguably one of the toughest boss encounters FromSoftware has ever conceived for a Soulsborne title. The fight involves a whopping three phases where players have to deplete four health bars. This is an incredibly demanding fight, and players have cited Sister Friede and Father Ariandel as one of the most dynamic battles in Soulsborne history, where one misstep can result in players having to enter the fight all over again.

Friede’s iconic scythes can be obtained and used by the player. It is a dual-paired scythe that inflicts frostbite upon hit and scales with Dexterity and Intelligence. These paired scythes have an incredibly flashy moveset that actually makes it feel like a boss weapon.

This weapon works extremely well in PvP as well and serves as an effective roll-catch tool. Friede’s Great Scythes easily fall into the category of well-made Soulsborne weaponry.

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5) Mohgwyn’s Spear (Elden Ring)

"Nihil! Nihil! Nihil!" If players’ do not utter these words when wielding this weapon, then they do not deserve it. This weapon is large, looks cool, and gets the job done. The weapon is wielded by Mohg, the monarch of the Mohgwyn dynasty. There’s quite a bit of lore tied to Mohg and Morgott, but truth be told, Mohg can be called the runt of the litter.

The boss is no cakewalk. He represents Elden Ring’s step forward in the Soulsborne franchise. The design for the boss is definitely next-gen, as FromSoftware has given him a near-perfect moveset. The spear he wields can be obtained after defeating him and has one of the coolest Ashes of War yet. Players can apply the curse debuff that Mohg uses by utilizing the spear. It's extremely effective in PvP and works wonders when chasing those pesky AFK farmers.