Weapon Skills in Dark Souls III add a bit of extra flavour to the series’ fame skills and special effects system.
Previously, only some weapons had special skills that would consumer FP, but in Dark Souls III, every weapon has a special skill. Every single piece of usable equipment has a skill.
It’s important to note that while certain skills may make a weapon seem more appealing and useful, it still comes down to the specific weapon’s moveset and overall ability that determines its effectiveness.
Read on for the full list of Dark Souls 3 Weapon Skills.
Dark Souls 3 Weapon Skills Guide
| WEAPON SKILL | APPEARS | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| Blind Spot | Corvian Greatknife, Handmaid's Dagger | Break through shielden enemies guard by attacking from side |
| Bloodlust | Blood Lust | Stain blade with own blade for temporary sharpness |
| Chain Spin | Winged Knight Twinaxes, Winged Knight Halberd | Use large spinning motion to sweep enemies and then use strong attack to continue spin until stamina is exhausted |
| Chained Dance | Painting Guardian's Curved Sword | Consecutive attacks while tracing a circle |
| Champion's Charge | Gundyr's Halberd | Charge at enemy with spear at waiste, use momentum to transition into spinning strong attack |
| Charge | Astora Greatsword, Spears, Pikes, Halberd | Charge at enemy with spear at waiste, using strong attack while change to extent length of attack. |
| Combustion | Pyromancy Flame, White Hair Talisman | Create powerful flame in hand. |
| Crescent Blade | Crescent Moon Sword | In a broad stance, fire crescent moon blades. |
| Dancer's Grace | Dancer's Enchanted Sword | In a dancing spinning motion, unleashes both blades, using strong attack to continue until stamina is exhausted. |
| Darkdrift | Darkdrift | Aim and pierce with strong, large lunch forward. |
| Darkmoon Arrow | Darkmoon Longbow | Infuse arrow with Darkmoon essence will grant it magic damage and pierce shields. |
| Demonic Flare | Demon's Great Axe | Flares flame within. |
| Ember | Firelink Greatsword | Fading flame illuminates brightly and launches forward. |
| Falling Bolt | Dragonslayer Great Axe, Dragonslater Swordspear | Generate lightning with axe held in the air, then strong whip to the ground to send bolts flying. |
| Feast Bell | Eleonora | Emit a solemn chime by holding axe in air. Restores HP for each hit. |
| Flame of Lorian | Lorian's Greatsword | Transforms smolder into flame with every lunge forward. Use strong attack to launch flames along ground. |
| Flame Whip | Witch's Locks | Coats whip in fire. |
| Flame Whirlwind | Demon's Fist | Flaming fists. Use strong attack while spinning to slam the ground with both fists. |
| Frost | Pontiff Knight Great Scythe | Creates frost with every swing of greatscythe. |
| Frost Blade | Pontiff Knight Curved Sword | Blade is frosted with every large spin. Strong attack slashes with a frozen blade. |
| Galvanize | Warpick, Pickaxe | Boosts stamina recovery speed. |
| Gentle Prayer | Talismans | Slowly recovers HP over a period of time. |
| Guiding Light | Scholar's Candlestick, Cleric's Candlestick | Candle which offers additional guidance. |
| Hold | Katanas | Lunging slash while in holding stance. |
| Impact | Whips | Evade shields with strike from the left. Deal powerful blow that slows stamina recovery. |
| Kindled Charge | Gargoyle Flame Speak | Charge at enemy with spear at waist, use momentum to execute strong fiery attack. |
| Kindled Flurry | Gargoyle Flame Hammer | Anchor your weapon in the ground and use strong attack to launch volleyes of fire from tip of hammer |
| Leaping Slash | Claw | Every leaping slash at enemy's head counts as headshot. |
| Lifedrain | Dark Hand | Steal a victim's HP by embracing them (humans only). |
| Lightning Charge | Dragonslayer Spear | Use lightning with spear at waist and release bolts with every thrust. |
| Moan | Moaning Shield | Attracts enemies with a gentle prayer to the shield. |
| Molten Perseverance | Old King's Great Hammer | Boost poise by anchoring weapon in ground, use strong attack to stab earth and trigger molten explosions. |
| Moonlight Vortex | Moonlight Greatsword | Torrential moonlight after dragging sword back and thrusting forward. |
| Morne's Rage | Morne's Great Hammer | Emits shockwave after planting weapon into ground. |
| Neck Swipe | Reapers | Attacks enemy's scruff, acting as a headshot. |
| Oath of Sunlight | Sunlight Straight Sword | Boosts attack and damage absorption for self and allies while holding the sword in the air while praising the sun. |
| Onislayer | Onikiri and Obadachi | Cut open forward by leaping forward and slashing. |
| Pacify | Yorshka's Speak | Wear down enemy FP with a prayer and offering of the shield. |
| Parry | Parrying Dagger, Farron Greatsword | Deflect an enemy attack for a follow-up critical hit. |
| Perseverance | Black Knight Sword | Boost poise. |
| Pharis Triple-shot | Black Bow of Pharis | Fire three arrows simultaneously. |
| Profaned Flame | Profaned Greatsword | Summon the Profaned Flame. Lunge forward and use strong attack. |
| Puncturing Arrow | Greatbows | Sends arrow flying and through multiple enemies in its path. |
| Punitive Flame | Immolation Tinder | Blankets the ground with a flame. |
| Quickstep | Daggers, Thrall Axe | Instantly avoid target lock-on. |
| Rapid Fire | Composite Bow, Show Bow | Allows consecutive shots with arrows. |
| Ricard's Lunge and Press | Ricard's Rapier | Assume quick stance, lunch forward to execute chain attack. Strong attack lasts longer. |
| Sacred Light and Flame | Twin Princes' Greatsword | Normal attack in stance will cast Sacred Lothric Light, and Flame of Lorian with strong attack. |
| Sacred Lothric Light | Lothric's Holy Sword | Imbue sword with sacred light witha stance. Strong attack releases light along with great thurst of sword. |
| Sharpen | Butcher Knife, Great Machete | Sharpens blade, increases HP restore with every hit. |
| Shield Bash | All Shields | Use equipped shield and strike enemy. Keep guard up. |
| Shield Splitter | Mail Breaker | Aim and lunge forward to attack enemy shields and cause direct damage. |
| Spin Slash | Gotthard Twinswords, Curved Swords | Large spinning motion slices into foes. Continued spinning leads to strong attack. |
| Spin Sweep | Partizan | Large spinning motion sweeps into foes. Continued spinning leads to strong attack. |
| Stance | Straight Swords and Greatswords, Crystal Sage's Rapier | Use normal attack while in stance to break enemy's guard. Strong attack slashes updates with forward lunge. |
| Stance of Judgement | Greatswords of Judgment | Unleash dark magic with stance. Normal attack with a lunging thrust, or strong attack for side-sweeping wave. |
| Steady Chant | Heysel Pick, Golden Ritual | Boosts strength of sorceries. |
| Stomo | Dark Sword, Greatswords and Ultra Greatswords | Use weight to lunge forward with low stance, increased poise. Strong attack creates spinning slash. |
| Stone Flesh | Havel's Greatshield | Raise shield in prayer, turns character body into solid mass of stone. |
| Storm King | Storm Ruler | In stance, imbue sword with storm. Useful against giants. |
| Tackle | Crossbows | Use shoulder tackle, push back enemies a fair distance. |
| Tornado | Storm Curved Sword | Use blade in a spinning motion, followed by strong attack. |
| Unfaltering Prayer | Talismans | Increases poise while casting miracles, preventing enemies from interrupting prayer. |
| Unleash Dragon | Tailbone Shortsword, Tailbone Spear | Trust spear to unleash the strength of dragons. |
| Warcry | Axes, Greataxes, Hammers, Great Hammers, Crescent Axe | Scream out a spirited warcry to boost attack and enable strong attack. |
| Weapon Skill | All Shields | Perform skill of right-hand weapon with weapon in left-hand. |
| Wheel of Fate | Bonewheel Shield | Spin the wheel to shred enemies with its outer spikes. |
| Wolf Leap | Old Wolf Curved Sword | Large spinning attack to slice up enemies, then jump out and back in with strong attack. |
| Wolf Sword | Wolf Knight's Greatsword | In stance, use normal attack for low spinning slash, or strong attack for vertical-slash sommersault. |
| Wrath of Gods | Wolnir's Holy Sword | Emits powerful shockwave after thursting weapon into the ground. |