Katanas and Great Katanas remain among the best weapon choices in Elden Ring, offering fast attacks, passive bleed buildup, and strong weapon skills. While katanas are quick, dexterity-based weapons with versatile movesets, Great Katanas - introduced in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC - are heavier, hit harder, and resemble Curved Greatswords in terms of weight, stamina cost, and stance damage.

This Elden Ring tier list ranks all Katanas and Great Katanas from best to worst, considering their overall performance and usefulness in PvE.

Elden Ring DLC Katana Tier List 2025 - Best Katana & Great Katana Builds

1. Nagakiba (S Tier)

The Nagakiba is the best katana in the game. It has the longest range, an excellent moveset, and the ability to be infused.

Its poking heavy attacks, improved after recent patches, make it even stronger. Whether using Unsheathe, Blood Blade, or any other skill, the Nagakiba excels.

Because it can be infused, it offers great versatility, allowing players to adapt it for any build. Its combination of range, damage, and flexibility makes it the best katana in Elden Ring.

2. Moonveil (S Tier)

The Moonveil is an intelligence-based katana with one of the best weapon skills in the game. Its Transient Moonlight skill functions like Unsheathe but fires a magic projectile.

This skill deals high stance damage, allowing players to break enemy poise quickly. It works well with Ranni’s Cameo, further increasing its power.

While it doesn’t outdamage the Uchigatana or Nagakiba, its ease of use, range, and projectile attacks make it one of the best katanas in Elden Ring.

3. Uchigatana (S Tier)

One of the best weapons in the game, the Uchigatana is available early, has low requirements, and is one of two infusible katanas.

With the right infusion, it can outdamage most other katanas. It pairs exceptionally well with Unsheathe, one of the strongest weapon skills in the game.

While the Nagakiba is a direct upgrade in terms of range and moveset, the Uchigatana remains a fantastic option for those who prioritize damage over reach.

4. Great Katana (A Tier)

The best Great Katana in the game, this weapon’s biggest advantage is its ability to be infused.

Being able to use Blood Tax, Repeating Thrust, and Overhead Stance makes it extremely versatile. It retains passive bleed and has solid stance damage, making it a top-tier choice for heavy weapon users.

The only downside is the lack of hyper armor, but its ability to be customized for different builds makes it the best Great Katana available.

5. Sword of Night (A Tier)

A katana similar to Hand of Malenia, but with a slightly different moveset and skill. It lacks the follow-up attacks of Waterfowl Dance, but its Witching Hour Slash is more reliable.

The skill has a charged variant that increases stance damage and bleed buildup, making it more versatile in boss fights. While it doesn’t have the same raw power as Waterfowl Dance, its flexibility makes it a more consistent option.

6. Hand of Malenia (A Tier)

This dexterity-based katana features one of the flashiest skills in the game: Waterfowl Dance. The skill has excellent range and damage potential, but its long animation and high stamina cost make it situational.

While it shines against staggerable enemies, it struggles against those that can’t be interrupted. The skill consumes little FP, and its follow-up attacks can deal massive damage. However, the lack of flexibility—since follow-ups must be used instantly—limits its effectiveness.

7. Rivers of Blood (A Tier)

Once among the most feared weapons in the game, the Rivers of Blood has fallen slightly due to nerfs and competition from infused katanas.

Its Corpse Piler skill is a reskinned Double Slash with blood projectiles that extend the weapon’s range. However, these projectiles don’t deal as much damage or build up as much bleed as direct hits.

While the Rivers of Blood benefits from the Ansar Set, boosting skill damage by 14%, an arcane-infused Nagakiba or Uchigatana with Double Slash still outperforms it in most cases.

8. Rakshasa’s Great Katana (B Tier)

One of the most fluid Great Katanas in the game, the Rakshasa’s Great Katana has a better moveset than most of its category. Unlike other Great Katanas, its heavy attack is a quick poke, making it more effective.

Additionally, it has hyper armor on all attacks—something the other Great Katanas lack. However, this comes at a cost: the user takes 10% more damage while attacking.

While this drawback is noticeable in PvE, its solid damage, passive bleed, and smooth moveset still make it an excellent Great Katana.

9. Dragonscale Blade (B Tier)

This dexterity-based katana lacks passive bleed but gains frost buildup when using its skill. The skill, a reskinned version of Lightning Slash, has short range and no hyper armor.

While the frost buildup is useful, it only reaches 80, whereas an Uchigatana or Nagakiba with a cold infusion surpasses 100 while retaining bleed.

Although it does bonus damage to dragons, it would have been much better if it retained bleed or had a stronger unique skill.

10. Star-Lined Sword (B Tier)

This DLC katana struggles with redundancy. It’s another magic-based katana that competes with the Moonveil, which is simply better.

It scales with dexterity and intelligence but only reaches a D scaling in intelligence. While its skill scales with attack power, the damage isn’t great. The skill is a three-part combo that extends the weapon’s range, similar to Rivers of Blood’s Corpse Piler.

However, delays in the attack sequence make it easy to interrupt. Additionally, the final spin animation provides no invincibility frames. While viable, it’s outclassed by other options.

11. Dragon-Hunter's Great Katana (B Tier)

The weakest Great Katana suffers from poor range, high weight, and unimpressive damage scaling.

Its saving grace is Dragonwound Slash, a skill that, when fully charged, turns into a projectile that deals bonus damage to dragons. While effective against certain enemies, an infused Great Katana with Storm Blade generally performs better.

12. Serpentbone Blade (B Tier)

This dexterity-based katana had potential but is held back by its inability to be infused. It technically outdamages the Uchigatana with a keen infusion, but it cannot be buffed.

Instead of bleed, it applies deadly poison, which builds up faster than regular poison but doesn’t last long. While it synergizes with poison builds, bleed is generally the stronger status effect.

Its unique heavy attack—a double swipe—was buffed recently, but since its default skill (Double Slash) already includes a similar attack, the heavy feels unnecessary.

13. Meteoric Ore Blade (B Tier)

The Meteoric Ore Blade is the weakest katana in the game. It’s the shortest, heaviest, and has underwhelming strength/intelligence scaling. Other katanas with strength-based scaling outperform it in raw damage.

Its default skill, Gravitas, has short range and weak damage. Even if you enjoy Gravitas, using it on an Uchigatana or Nagakiba with a magic infusion is more effective.

Though it has a unique downward slam heavy attack, it deals less damage than other katana heavy attacks, making it feel redundant.