Being one of FromSoftware’s most beloved titles, Dark Souls III gives you a vast choice regarding customizability. This can sometimes confuse players as there is no easy way to identify the best weapons and equipment. With that said, off-hand weapons can boost your damage significantly if used correctly.
This is because some weapons gain unique properties when used in your character’s left hand. We tested and identified the best off-hand weapons in Dark Souls III, and so far, our findings have been great.
Here is our list of the best off-hand weapons in Dark Souls III:
- Daggers
- Whips
- Great Scythe
- Rapier
- Claws
- Heysel Pick
- Scholar’s Candlestick
This guide also takes a deep dive into some other offhand parry and magic items that can give you a significant edge according to your class.
While almost every offhand weapon has some sort of use for you, choosing the one most suited for your class can still be better. With that said, let’s look at the best off-hand weapons in Dark Souls III.
Regular Off-Hand Weapons
These are the weapons that lack any special effects when placed in the left hand. Normally a left-hand weapon might block by pressing the L1 key and using the right-handed basic attack.
Do note that 2 handed weapons will be confusing and tricky if you got a weapon equipped in both hands. The weapons in your left hand don’t seem to have any bonus damage reduction bonuses apart from some of their innate ones.
The following off-hand weapons are good in the regular category:
1. Dagger
A Dagger is a good weapon to riposte after a parry. You can deliver fast strikes with it, which can greatly in a bleed or poison build. The dagger can work in tandem with your right-hand weapon giving it the necessary oomph to do wonders.
2. Great Scythe
Despite having a big range radius, the Great scythe provides decent attack speed. This weapon is generally even better in the right hand unless you pair it with a katana or a straight sword.
3. Whips
The Whips are another great off-hand weapon due to their passive; They cannot be parried. You can take advantage of this and deal damage when your opponent tries to bait you in a parry.
They can also apply poison or bleed damage on your opponents. The range on a whip is decent enough to make it a nuisance to your enemies.
Unlike regular weapons, these gain the ability to parry if placed in the left hand. You can use L1 to use your normal attack while parrying with an L2.
The following off-hand weapons are good in the parry category:
4. Rapier
The rapier can be a very good offhand weapon due to the length of the blade. It gives you a wider chance to parry your opponent’s attacks while also letting you apply quick L1 jabs. You can also 2 hand the weapon to deliver a strong attack while your opponent is staggered.
5. Claws
Claws are also an excellent offhand choice. They can inflict bleed damage and enable you to deal tons of damage with Leaping Slash. This art is similar to Onikiri and can punish your foes well.
The weapons work great for casters and battlemages. You can cast spells with your offhand L2 while performing basic attacks with L1.
6. Heysel Pick
A Heysel Pick is a weapon that can cast sorceries in Dark Souls III. The scaling for this item is based on intelligence, making it an ideal weapon for mages. The primary difference between a Heysel Pick and other weapons is its ability to deal physical and magic damage.
7. Scholar’s Candlestick
Like the Heysel Pick, the Scholar’s Candlestick grants increased sorcery damage. Using it in your offhand is no particular bonus, but it still works great. Pair this weapon with the Golden Ritual Spear in the right hand, and you have a decent weapon choice to play around with.