If you love the newly added great katana category in Shadow of the Erdtree, then you must seek out the vicious Rakshasa’s Great Katana. This weapon is possibly the next Rivers of Blood in Elden Ring.
The trek to get this weapon is arduous and easily missable. Do not be intimidated by these tribulations; I am here to guide you in acquiring this lovely whacking machine. If you want another new weapon type, consider unlocking Hand-to-Hand arts weapons.
Where To Find Rakshasa’s Great Katana?
Rakshasa’s Great Katana is located inside the Eastern Nameless Mausoleum, in the secret lower section of Scadu Altus.
The path to getting here isn’t as straightforward as you like. Luckily, following this guide will not only help you get your hands on Rakshasa’s Great Katana but also uncover the hidden area, which includes the Ruins of Unte and other secret locations in Scadu Altus.
If you have already discovered this section and have unlocked the Recluses’ River Downstream Site of Grace, you are golden. For others who have yet to reach here, follow along.
Shadow Keep
To get here, you must first arrive at the Shadow Keep in Scadu Altus. It is straight ahead of Hornsent’s second location, Highroad Cross Site of Grace. You enter through the main gate, take the elevator up, fight the Golden Hippopotamus boss, and unlock the Main Gate Plaza Site of Grace.
Conversely, if you don’t want to face the boss, you can also infiltrate the Shadow Keep through the eastern entrance that unlocks the Church District Entrance Site of Grace. The journey from here to the Main Gate Plaza is a bit complex, so follow this video guide for more precise directions.
Once you reach the Main Gate Plaza Site of Grace, take the doorway to the left and up the stairs.
Two soldiers will be standing on the edge here. Kill them and move up the wooden staircase on the right. While ascending the stairs, be prepared for the double soldier ambush.
Keep going up the next flight of stairs until you reach the grand banquet hall. This hall has multiple Black Knights, so it is best to get ready to fight or dash to the other side of the room and exit.
Run out and turn right, where you see a line of burning boats. Be mindful that many Vulgar Militiamen are hiding around these boats, ready to surprise you.
Note: In the middle of this section is a giant descending stairway. Follow it to unlock a shortcut to the Main Gate Plaza Site of Grace.
Keep moving straight through the boats to the other end. On the left side of the last boat, you will come across a ladder. Use it to drop down to the watery section of the Keep.
After you get off the ladder, immediately to your right, you will see a waterfall of sorts. There is a room behind the falling water with a ladder at the end. Slide down the ladder and move into the next room. The room only has a painting you can pick up, seemingly a dead end.
However, there is an illusory wall here. As you enter the room, you’ll notice a large empty wall between some barrels and crates on the right. Hit the wall, and it will reveal a secret path.
Follow the downward path, which ends at a coffin. Standing near it will prompt, “Rest in Coffin.” Press the interact button, and a cutscene will trigger. You will hop into the coffin and be taken to the lower section of the Scadu Altus.
Lower Scadu Altus
Walk out of the room and touch the Castle Watering Hole Site of Grace.
From here, mount Torrent and start galloping towards south past Ruins of Unte and a Furnace Golem. The exact direction is marked on the map above.
This is where you will unlock the Recluses’ River Upstream Site of Grace.
From here, you’ll jump back on Torrent, hug the cliff, and continue south past the rocky terrain. Watch out for the gaps in the track.
Keep proceeding until you see a cliff with a pathway appear on the right side. Jump across the gap and resume your trek south like before. Be wary of the Man-Flies sprinkled throughout the trail.
There is a drop at the end of the trek. You will see a Site of Grace below. While on Torrent, jump down and interact with the Recluses’ River Downstream Site of Grace.
Walk to the cliff beside the Site of Grace; you will witness giant tombstones jutting from the rock face. Carefully platform your way down. For some, it’s safer to do it on foot rather than on Torrent, but you do you.
Once at the bottom, turn north and ride Torrent to the waterfall. Take a right (there is a scarab on the way, so make sure to kill that for the reward) and keep riding until you reach the river’s end.
Right at the edge, you will see a small structure. This is the Eastern Nameless Mausoleum.
Enter the mausoleum, and you will come face-to-face with Rakshasa. This boss causes bleed build-up and rarely flinches due to his insane poise.
Defeat the boss, and you will receive his weapon, the Rakshasa’s Great Katana. You will also receive the Rakshasa armor set.
Rakshasa’s Great Katana Stats
The Rakshasa’s Great Katana has a solid bleed build-up and a special effect that won’t let you stagger while swinging the weapon.
It also has the Weed Cutter skill that enables you to swing this weapon in wide horizontal arcs which you can keep chaining together with continued inputs. Pair this skill with the no-stagger passive effect; you have a weed whacker.
It requires a hefty investment in DEX with 27, while only 12 are in STR. You can’t change its affinity since it’s a special weapon that requires the Somber Smithing Stones to upgrade. Check the Rakshasa’s Great Katana’s wiki for more stats and information on the weapon.
The downside is when swinging this weapon, even though you won’t flinch, you will receive 10% more damage. You must buff up your defenses to take full advantage of this great katana.
The Rakshasa set compliments Rakshasa’s Great Katana’s risky playstyle, with each piece of armor boosting damage output by 2% but increasing damage taken.
The Rakshasa’s Great Katana has the potential to become the next meta weapon of Shadow of the Erdtree. If you can counter the penalty of using this weapon with better defensive play, then there is no stopping you.