Weapons / Daggers

Elden Ring Daggers

Compare critical ratings, bleed and status effects, find dagger locations, and track your collection. 18 Daggers total — 16 base-game and 2 from Shadow of the Erdtree.

All Daggers Best Daggers Critical Ratings

Daggers Index

All Daggers

Base Game

DLC

Base Game16

Shadow of the Erdtree2

Direct locations10

Route guides7

All Elden Ring Daggers

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Ranked by use case

Best Daggers in Elden Ring

Ranked by use case, not by a single critical number. Miséricorde leads critical kits because it lists 140 — that is not the same as winning every Attack Rating test. Affinity, upgrade level, and attributes still decide damage.

Critical Hits

Miséricorde

Early Critical

Dagger

Bleed

Reduvia

Faith / Assassin

Black Knife

Intelligence

Glintstone Kris

Scarlet Rot

Scorpion's Stinger

Faith Affinity

Erdsteel Dagger

DLC Utility

Main-Gauche

Best For · Critical Hits

Miséricorde

Smithing Dagger with Critical 140 — the highest listed critical rating in this class. Stormveil Castle loot behind a Stonesword Key. Critical 140 is a rating, not a guaranteed 140% riposte.

Pick for parry, riposte, and backstab kits that want the highest critical coefficient. Skip if you need innate bleed or a unique skill.

Compare with: Dagger for Critical 130 with an easier Roundtable Hold purchase.

Critical: 140
Requirements: STR 7 · DEX 12
Skill: Quickstep
Upgrade: Smithing

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Best For · Early Critical

Dagger

Sold by Twin Maiden Husks. Critical 130, STR 5 / DEX 9, weight 1.5, Smithing path. The early critical option — not a late-game AR winner.

Pick as soon as you can reach Roundtable Hold and want a critical off-hand. Replace later if Miséricorde or a status Dagger matches the build.

Compare with: Miséricorde once you can open the Stormveil Stonesword room.

Critical: 130
Requirements: STR 5 · DEX 9
Skill: Quickstep
Upgrade: Smithing

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Best For · Bleed

Reduvia

Somber Dagger with innate blood loss (50) and Reduvia Blood Blade. Guaranteed from Bloody Finger Nerijus in Limgrave. The skill is the kit — do not treat every Dagger skill as a global attack buff.

Pick for an early bleed Dagger with a unique projectile skill. Skip if you need free Smithing affinities.

Compare with: Great Knife or Bloodstained Dagger for Smithing bleed with Quickstep.

Critical: 110
Requirements: STR 5 · DEX 13 · ARC 13
Skill: Reduvia Blood Blade
Upgrade: Somber

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Best For · Faith / Assassin

Black Knife

Somber Faith Dagger with physical + holy damage and Blade of Death. FAI 18. Dropped by the Black Knife Assassin in front of Sainted Hero's Grave on Altus Plateau — not a Shadow Realm pickup.

Pick for a Faith assassin kit once you can reach Altus. Skip as a Limgrave opener or if you need Smithing affinity swaps.

Compare with: Erdsteel Dagger for a Smithing Faith dagger with affinity freedom.

Critical: 110
Requirements: STR 8 · DEX 12 · FAI 18
Skill: Blade of Death
Upgrade: Somber

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Best For · Intelligence

Glintstone Kris

Somber Intelligence Dagger with physical + magic damage and Glintstone Dart. INT 16. Quest reward for siding with Sorceress Sellen against Jerren — not a chest in the academy.

Pick for an Intelligence dagger skill after you finish Sellen's branch. Skip pure Dexterity or bleed kits that will not invest in INT.

Compare with: Crystal Knife for an earlier Smithing magic poke without the quest gate.

Critical: 110
Requirements: STR 5 · DEX 12 · INT 16
Skill: Glintstone Dart
Upgrade: Somber

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Best For · Scarlet Rot

Scorpion's Stinger

Somber Dagger with innate scarlet rot buildup (50) and Repeating Thrust. Lake of Rot / Grand Cloister loot. The only Dagger here with innate scarlet rot.

Pick when scarlet rot on a Dagger moveset is the plan. Skip if you need an early Limgrave weapon.

Compare with: Reduvia if the status you want is blood loss instead of rot.

Critical: 110
Requirements: STR 6 · DEX 12
Skill: Repeating Thrust
Upgrade: Somber

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Best For · Faith Affinity

Erdsteel Dagger

Smithing Dagger with STR/DEX/FAI D scaling. Two copies: Kenneth Haight's Fort Haight reward, and a separate Leyndell pickup. Affinity crafting is the reason to equip it, not unupgraded physical.

Pick for Faith-leaning Smithing affinities on a Dagger. Skip if you want Blade of Death — that is Black Knife.

Compare with: Black Knife for a locked Somber Faith skill instead of affinities.

Critical: 110
Requirements: STR 7 · DEX 12 · FAI 14
Skill: Quickstep
Upgrade: Smithing

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Best For · DLC Utility

Main-Gauche

Shadow of the Erdtree Smithing Dagger with Parry. Found on a body in Shadow Keep. Built as an off-hand parry tool, not a base-game Limgrave drop.

Pick once you are in the Realm of Shadow and want a Dagger parry in the left hand. Skip if you are still in the Lands Between — use Parrying Dagger instead.

Compare with: Parrying Dagger for a base-game Patches purchase with Parry.

Critical: 110
Requirements: STR 7 · DEX 15
Skill: Parry
Upgrade: Smithing

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Base critical rating only

Elden Ring Dagger Stats and Critical Ratings

This chart compares the listed critical coefficient on each Dagger. It is not enemy damage, and it is not a riposte calculator. Real critical hits still depend on Attack Rating, the critical motion, and the target. This class currently splits into 11 Smithing Daggers and 6 Somber Daggers.

Critical 100

Daggers

Critical 110

Daggers

Critical 130

Dagger

Critical 140

Dagger

140

130

110

110

110

110

Fire Knight's Shortsword

110

110

110

110

110

110

110

100

100

100

100

100

Base critical rating only. This is not the damage an enemy takes.

Acquisition routes

Elden Ring Dagger Locations

Full table for all 18 Daggers. Methods separate chest loot, enemy drops, quest rewards, starting gear and purchases. Random drops require farming rather than a single fixed pickup. Exact Location links lead to a specific pickup, while map landmarks point to a useful nearby place.

10 Daggers link directly to a pickup. 7 more point to a nearby grace, shop, or farming area. Great Knife comes from the Bandit starting class or Small Demi-Human drops.

Dagger	Method	Location / how to get	Map
Black Knife Base Game · Popular route	Boss Drop	Altus Plateau — Black Knife Assassin in front of Sainted Hero's Grave Guaranteed from the Black Knife Assassin outside Sainted Hero's Grave on the Altus Plateau.	View Map Landmark
Blade of Calling Base Game	Chest / Loot	Forbidden Lands — hidden room on the elevator path Fixed loot in the Forbidden Lands, on the way toward the Mountaintops. Illusory-wall / elevator route — not a boss reward.	View Exact Location
Bloodstained Dagger Base Game	Enemy Drop	Fierce Demi-Humans / Demi-Human Chiefs Random enemy drop from Demi-Human Chiefs that wield it. Coastal Cave is a convenient farming area. Other locations (1) Coastal Cave (Limgrave)	View Map Landmark
Celebrant's Sickle Base Game	Enemy Drop	Dominula, Windmill Village dancers — northern Altus Plateau Random enemy drop from Celebrants in Dominula, Windmill Village. Farm the dancers who wield the sickle.	View Map Landmark
Cinquedea Base Game	Chest / Loot	Bestial Sanctum — Caelid / Dragonbarrow cliff below the sanctum Fixed loot near Bestial Sanctum. Passive boosts Bestial Incantations — that is a utility passive, not innate bleed or rot.	View Exact Location
Crystal Knife Base Game	Chest / Loot	Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel — chest after the first elevator Fixed chest in the tunnel, guarded by Marionette Soldiers. Not an academy classroom drop.	View Exact Location
Dagger Base Game	Purchase	Roundtable Hold — Twin Maiden Husks Buy it from the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold. Critical 130 makes it a strong early option for critical hits.	View Map Landmark
Erdsteel Dagger Base Game · Popular route	Quest Reward	Kenneth Haight — reward after retaking Fort Haight There are two copies: Kenneth Haight's quest reward after Fort Haight, and a separate pickup in Leyndell. Other locations (1) Leyndell, Royal Capital — separate pickup	View Exact Location
Fire Knight's Shortsword Shadow of the Erdtree · Popular route	Enemy Drop	Dual-wielding Fire Knights — Shadow of the Erdtree Random enemy drop from Fire Knights that dual-wield shortswords. Shadow Keep's Main Gate Plaza is a useful farming area. Other locations (1) Shadow Keep	View Map Landmark
Glintstone Kris Base Game · Popular route	Quest Reward	Sorceress Sellen quest — side with Sellen against Jerren Quest reward for siding with Sorceress Sellen against Jerren. Choose Sellen's side to receive it. Other locations (1) Academy of Raya Lucaria	View Map Landmark
Great Knife Base Game	Starting Equipment	Bandit class starting gear The Bandit class starts with one; additional copies can drop from Small Demi-Humans. Other locations (1) Small Demi-Human enemy drops	No location link listed
Ivory Sickle Base Game	Chest / Loot	Village of the Albinaurics — Liurnia of the Lakes Fixed loot near the Village of the Albinaurics Site of Grace, not a dancer farm (that is Celebrant's Sickle).	View Exact Location
Main-Gauche Shadow of the Erdtree · Popular route	Chest / Loot	Shadow Keep — body near Main Gate Plaza (DLC) Shadow of the Erdtree only. From Main Gate Plaza, western stairs, then a side room with a Black Knight; the dagger is on a body. Off-hand parry tool.	View Exact Location
Miséricorde Base Game · Popular route	Chest / Loot	Stormveil Castle — Stonesword Key room Fixed Stormveil loot. Needs a Stonesword Key. Critical 140 is the listed rating, not a finished riposte damage formula.	View Exact Location
Parrying Dagger Base Game	Purchase	Patches — 1,600 Runes (Murkwater Cave is the earliest shop) Sold by Patches. Murkwater Cave is the earliest place to buy it, and its skill is Parry.	View Map Landmark
Reduvia Base Game · Popular route	NPC Drop	Limgrave — Bloody Finger Nerijus invasion Guaranteed from Nerijus, the Bloody Finger who invades near Murkwater. Not a chest and not a random soldier farm.	View Exact Location
Scorpion's Stinger Base Game · Popular route	Chest / Loot	Lake of Rot — Grand Cloister Fixed underground loot in the Lake of Rot / Grand Cloister area. Innate scarlet rot (50), not a skill-applied status.	View Exact Location
Wakizashi Base Game · Popular route	Chest / Loot	Gaol Cave, Caelid — locked cell (Stonesword Key) Fixed cell loot in Gaol Cave. Special pairing: Katana, not a normal Dagger powerstance. Jump to the Katanas hub for that class.	View Exact Location

Innate status only

Daggers with Bleed and Status Effects

Innate passives only. Affinity-added blood loss and skill effects stay out of these counts. Cinquedea's Bestial Incantation bonus is a utility passive, not a status effect.

Dagger	Innate status	Buildup	Note
Bloodstained Dagger	Blood Loss	38	—
Great Knife	Blood Loss	38	—
Reduvia	Blood Loss	50	—
Scorpion's Stinger	Scarlet Rot	50	—
Wakizashi	Blood Loss	38	Special Pairing: Katana

Cinquedea boosts Bestial Incantations. That is not blood loss or scarlet rot.

Playstyles

Elden Ring Dagger Builds

Four starting kits, not a level-150 planner. Shard of Alexander only helps Weapon Skills — it does not raise every Dagger light attack.

Parry · Riposte · Backstab

Critical Assassin

Parry or backstab, then riposte. Miséricorde's Critical 140 is the coefficient; actual damage still depends on AR, motion values, and the enemy. Pair with a shield or Parrying Dagger if you want the parry in the other hand.

Recommended Dagger: Miséricorde
Primary Stats: DEX · enough STR to wield
Suggested Affinity: Keen or Quality on Smithing Daggers (Miséricorde). Critical rating does not replace Attack Rating.
Talisman: Dagger Talisman supports critical attacks. Shard of Alexander only helps Weapon Skills — not every Dagger light attack.

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Blood Loss

Bleed Dagger

Reduvia is the early unique bleed Dagger (blood loss 50, Blood Blade). Great Knife is the Bandit start / Small Demi-Human Smithing alternative with Quickstep. Innate bleed only — affinities can add more later.

Recommended Dagger: Reduvia / Great Knife
Primary Stats: DEX or ARC, depending on the Dagger
Suggested Affinity: Blood or Occult on Smithing bleed Daggers. Reduvia is Somber and stays unique.
Talisman: Status kits live on buildup plus hits. Do not treat Shard of Alexander as a buff to every slash.

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Faith · unique skill or affinity

Faith Assassin

Black Knife is the Somber Faith assassin with Blade of Death. Erdsteel Dagger is the Smithing Faith option with two acquisition routes. Meet FAI 18 / FAI 14 before treating either as a main.

Recommended Dagger: Black Knife / Erdsteel Dagger
Primary Stats: FAI · enough DEX to wield
Suggested Affinity: None on Black Knife (Somber). Flame or Sacred on Erdsteel Dagger (Smithing).
Talisman: Skill-oriented talismans support Blade of Death. They do not raise every Dagger attack.

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Paired Daggers

Dual Dagger

Two Daggers for fast close-range hits. Main-Gauche is a DLC off-hand parry. Do not assume Wakizashi powerstances with other Daggers — it uses Katana pairing rules. Check Equip Load before adding a second weapon.

Recommended Dagger: Reduvia / Main-Gauche
Primary Stats: DEX · END for the extra weight
Suggested Affinity: Keep compatible Dagger + Dagger pairs. Wakizashi is the exception — it pairs with Katanas, not a normal Dagger powerstance.
Talisman: Dagger Talisman still only covers critical attacks, not the whole dual-wield string.

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Collection tracker

Elden Ring Dagger Checklist

Mark Daggers as collected in the list above. Your progress is saved in this browser and shared with the Weapons hub and 100% Checklist.

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Are Daggers Good in Elden Ring?

Yes, when you want speed, low weight, a critical off-hand, or a specific status or skill. They are not automatically the highest AR class, and reach is short. Pick Miséricorde for ripostes, Reduvia for bleed, Black Knife or Erdsteel Dagger for Faith, and Scorpion's Stinger for rot. Compare real AR in the calculator instead of ranking unupgraded physical.

Strengths	Limits
Attack strings are usually fast	Reach is short
Low weight	Per-hit damage and stance break are usually limited
Strong critical kits (Miséricorde 140, Dagger 130)	You have to earn the critical window
A few Daggers have excellent status or unique skills	Not every Dagger has those effects

Related Weapons and Tools

Elden Ring Weapons

Full armory, including every other melee class.

Katanas

Wakizashi pairs with this class, not with other Daggers.

Weapon Calculator

Compare real Dagger AR under the same attributes, upgrade and affinity.

Build Calculator

Plan attributes around a Dagger requirement spread.

Interactive Map

Find exact pickup spots and useful route landmarks.

100% Checklist

Keep Dagger collection progress with the rest of the run.

Dagger FAQ

How many Daggers are in Elden Ring?+

There are 18 Daggers listed here: 16 base-game weapons and 2 from Shadow of the Erdtree (Fire Knight's Shortsword and Main-Gauche). Smithscript Dagger belongs to the Throwing Blade class rather than the Dagger class.

What are the best Daggers in Elden Ring?+

It depends on the job. Miséricorde is the critical-rating pick (140). Dagger is the early critical purchase (130). Reduvia is the usual bleed Dagger. Black Knife and Erdsteel Dagger cover Faith. Glintstone Kris is the Intelligence skill dagger. Scorpion's Stinger is the scarlet rot option. Main-Gauche is the DLC off-hand parry. None of those is an absolute DPS rank.

Which Dagger has the highest Critical rating?+

Miséricorde lists Critical 140, the highest in this class. Dagger is next at 130. Critical is a coefficient, not a finished riposte damage number — AR, motion values, and the enemy still matter.

Where can I find Miséricorde?+

In Stormveil Castle, behind a Stonesword Key door.

What is the best Bleed Dagger?+

Reduvia is the usual answer: innate blood loss (50) and Reduvia Blood Blade, dropped by Bloody Finger Nerijus in Limgrave. Great Knife and Bloodstained Dagger are Smithing bleed alternatives. Wakizashi also has innate blood loss but pairs with Katanas, not a normal Dagger powerstance.

Which Daggers cause Scarlet Rot?+

Scorpion's Stinger is the only Dagger here with innate scarlet rot buildup (50). The status table lists effects built into each weapon; skills and affinities can add effects separately.

Are Daggers good for dual wielding?+

Yes, if you want fast close-range hits and can live with short reach. Pair two Daggers, or use Main-Gauche / Parrying Dagger in the off hand. Wakizashi is the exception — it uses Katana pairing rules.

Can Wakizashi be used with Katanas?+

Yes. Wakizashi is typed as a Dagger but powerstances with Katanas rather than other Daggers. Open the Katanas hub for that class.

Are Daggers good in Elden Ring?+

They are good when you want speed, low weight, critical hits, or a specific status/skill. They are a poor pick if you need reach or heavy stance damage. Use the calculator for AR instead of ranking unupgraded physical.

Can I track which Daggers I've collected?+

Yes. Use Collect on each row in the list above. Progress is saved in this browser and shared with the Weapons hub and 100% Checklist. Track all 18 Daggers here.