The use of magic in Dark Souls 3 can be a pretty polarizing issue. Some players forgo it entirely, choosing instead to focus solely on hacking and slashing their way through their quest for the Five Lords of Cinder--and it's completely viable to do so, of course. Many would even argue that it's the definitive Dark Souls experience. However, players who adhere strictly to the non-magic route end up missing out on the fine selection of useful, fun, and outrageously powerful spells in Dark Souls 3.
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Magic in Dark Souls 3 can be divided into three basic categories: sorceries, pyromancies, and, of course, miracles. Each branch has its own respective strengths and weaknesses, but whichever one the player picks, they can rest assured that there are a few overly potent spell selections that will lay waste to their foes. Some even have significant lore attached to them that adds to their intrigue. Whether one efficiently pierces enemies with blue light, immolates them with grand flames, or electrocutes them with divine bolts, there are sure to be spells that suit any playstyle that also boasts excellent damage output as well as other beneficial effects. However, one should not get distracted by all the shiny scrolls full of whimsical destruction because some pale in comparison to others. So, which ones are the best spells in Dark Souls 3 most suited to unleash annihilation upon foes?
Updated on June 21, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls 3 is a fitting end to a trilogy of amazing action RPGs that gave birth to a whole new genre of gaming and compelled many to check out a video game that is hard yet fair. The combat in this title may seem simple at first glance but hides a ton of complexities that make each and every victory feel like a massive achievement. There are many playstyles people can pursue in Dark Souls 3, with players possibly becoming a magician who uses a wealth of offensive and defensive spells to bolster their effectiveness in battle. Suffice it to say, players would want to figure out what the best spells in Dark Souls 3 are so that they can make the most of their build and breeze past the many challenges this game imposes on the player.
Heavy Soul Arrow may not deal incredible damage at first, but it is the most cost-efficient spell in the game. It deals the most amount of damage for the amount of Focus it costs, which makes it an invaluable tool for sorcery builds, as they can use it to take out the lesser enemies, preserving their focus for the more dangerous ones.
It is also very useful towards the end of boss fights when the player may be running out of FP and just needs to deal a little bit more damage to get rid of that last bit of the boss' health bar.
This dank cloud is a pyromancy that needs tight corners and narrow passages to be fully effective; otherwise, the target will simply roll out of harm's way. However, if enemies are trapped in the violent violet plume, they will acquire the Toxic status and lose about 1500 health over 90 seconds.
This damage may be slow, but it can force the enemy to stop and heal or make any number of errors that the player can capitalize on. Since many players focus on offense instead of defense, this can allow Toxic Mist to have a quicker build-up on more people than one initially expects, though it still needs to be paired with other spells for a victory.
One of the most sinister miracles for both its use in combat and the lore behind its origin. Acquired by transposing the Soul of Aldrich, its description implies that the devourer of gods himself created this spell after dreaming about a young, pale girl while he was consuming Gwyndolin. This girl is likely Crossbreed Priscilla, the one who wielded a similar weapon in the first Dark Souls game.
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Much like when Aldrich uses this against the Ashen One, Lifehunt Scythe has a sweeping animation that creates a hitbox similar to a physical scythe. True to its name, it also heals the caster every time they slash their foe. Being able to hit through walls also makes this reaping sweep effective for harvesting the heads of foes in both PVE and PVP despite having quite a short range when compared to other spells.
This spell references the original blade of moonlight that existed before the one created by Seath the Scaleless in the first Dark Souls. The Moonlight Greatsword is originally from a far older FromSoftware game called King's Field. However, it acts very similar to the Moonlight Greatsword everyone knows and loves, just in the form of a spell.
The caster slashes horizontally with an apparition of the famous greatsword, sending out a swift wave of energy directly in front of them. Both the sword and the crescent-shaped wave emitted have their own hitbox, which does full damage if either makes contact with the target. Unfortunately, they do not stack, and the wave is hard to aim at long-range, which makes this sorcery less favorable than other long-range spells.
Although it does not do nearly as much damage as Sunlight Spear and other more commonly used miracles, it is far faster and costs less FP. If purely talking about the total amount of damage one can get from their entire FP bar, Lighting Arrow, thanks to its efficiency, will often yield the highest number of any offensive miracle.
In protracted confrontations, it is arguably more useful than other methods of shocking foes; however, in shorter ones and at close range, it pales in comparison. This can make frustrated casters spam it by holding down the corresponding button, though this will just drain one's FP while the foe rolls around most of the small bolts.
While Rapport deals no damage at all, it is one of the most useful spells in Dark Souls 3. Rapport turns enemies into allies for 30 seconds, making them fight against other nearby foes. This is extremely useful for general combat as it distracts the other enemies, deals damage to them, and means that the player has fewer enemies to worry about.
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Although certain enemies and all bosses are immune, Rapport is still an invaluable tool in a spell caster's arsenal as it can massively reduce the difficulties of most areas. There is also no limit on the number of enemies that the player can control at once, meaning that for as long as they have FP, the player can puppet around as many enemies as they like.
Technically, this is a pyromancy, though it is an odd one since it does not do fire damage or any of the usual things that pyromancies can do, like emit poison or buff the user. It allows the caster to spew huge rocks at their adversaries, and, as this does physical damage, it is a great spell for pyromancers who are going up against fire-resistant enemies.
The unleashed boulders, both the initial big one and the splash effect of smaller ones that follow the impact, do huge poise damage, which can easily stagger enemy players and human-sized AI adversaries alike. They also pack a gnarly punch to the target's stamina bar, which makes it incredibly effective against those using a shield. Worth noting as well is that this spell has unlimited vertical range, meaning that the projectile won't fade until it hits something, granting the Boulder Heave pyromancy the title of best spell to use while above one's adversary. Sadly, the health damage done is rather lackluster.
Seething Chaos can be a little complicated to use. Though the initial projectile will do damage, it's best to cast it on the ground, where it will fester into a landmine of sorts that will do a tremendous amount of damage. The issue is getting opponents to actually set it off, especially in PVP encounters.
If the player combines it with pyromancies that focus on baiting movement and area control, it's perfect. But its dependency on those spells in order to reach its full potential does hold it back a little bit. Otherwise, it is one of the most singularly damaging pyromancies in the game.
Sunlight Spear is usually remembered as a miracle best used in PVE, which is no surprise given that it's been historically associated with the cooperative Warriors of Sunlight covenant. But since it performs pretty well as a solid ranged offensive miracle, its potential in PVP often gets overlooked.
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Sunlight Spear does a healthy chunk of extra damage when it hits something at point-blank range, making it a lethal surprise that opponents might not expect. Proper timing is crucial, but it could potentially be an invasion-ending move when used at the right moment.
Dorhy's Gnawing is a situational but ridiculously powerful miracle. It sends a pair of twisting swarms of insects that deal a decent amount of dark damage to the target and inflict the largest amount of bleed buildup in the game.
This bleed buildup is enough to instantly inflict the bleeding status effect on most enemies. Even most bosses are affected after a second casting, making it a very effective boss-killing weapon, even against the toughest foes in the game. If players are struggling with enemies such as the Nameless King, they may want to give this horrifying spell a shot.
Players love using spells that decimate their opponents in style, and one of the most stylish ways to beat down an opponent that is getting in the Ashen One's face is with the Lightning Storm spell. This AoE attack hits everything around the player and can possibly hit multiple times to dish out some serious damage.
It's one of the coolest-looking spells in the game, and it's a shame that players can only get it fairly late into the game. Still, as long as players have dumped enough points into Faith, they can comfortably take out most tough opponents with a single use of this spell.
A huge reason why players shy away from using some of the more powerful sorceries in Dark Souls 3 is the high FP cost associated with some of these spells. This is understandable, and the Ashen One would prefer to use a spell that is more economical without making too much compromise when it comes to the damage that they can inflict on players.
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The Great Soul Arrow is an excellent mid-game spell that players can spam as long as their stats can make the most of this powerful spell. The fact that it can be cast relatively quickly makes it very viable in combat, letting players maintain their range as they take potshots at enemies who have no way to defend themselves from the magical power of this spell.
Players who want to use the best Dark Souls 3 spells in PvP to take out players in the easiest way possible will love the sheer power exhibited by the Homing Soulmass spell. The spell is hard to dodge, causing many people to panic roll only to be hit by this spell anyway.
Unless someone uses an Alluring Skull or casts Hidden Body, this spell will take a huge chunk out of most players' health bars and leave them completely at the mercy of the caster. Sure, Homing Soulmass is pretty useful in PvE situations too, but the best use of this spell is in PvP scenarios.
Healing is something that players must be wary of whenever they get into any combat encounter in Dark Souls 3. Without enough means to restore their health, players will be toast in no time flat.
Med Heal is a spell that may seem rather unimpressive at first glance, but it can actually outdo the player's Estus Flask after the Ashen One becomes more adept at casting spells. It's a great healing spell to rely on in the late game, letting players optimize their healing.
There's nothing more satisfying than watching an enemy slowly succumb to the might of the player. This is precisely what players can enjoy with the advent of Pestilent Mist, which is a simple yet excellent spell that scales with the player's level.
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At high levels, this spell is economical and whittles down a player's health in no time flat. It's one of the most satisfying ways to take down a foe, even if some people feel that it may take way too much time to down a foe.
This spell can be a little tricky in the application, but just a wee bit of practice with the associated micromanagement and timing will absolutely make this one of the most useful tools in any player's PVP arsenal.
Firing the spell without locking on can cause the projectiles to float around the character, remaining until an opponent gets into range in front of them. It's a good deterrent that allows the player to control the range of the fight, and staggering the projectiles rather than letting them all loose makes them much harder to dodge. However, the opponent is likely to out-roll a few in the process.
Great Soul Dregs is the ultimate form of Deep Soul, and as such, it's a whole bunch of bad news for whoever it is fired at. It tracks and homes in on targets remarkably well, and the projectile itself has a massive hitbox.
It's great in PVP, as opponents will perform a furious series of panic rolls to get out of the way. Those less aware of the threat it poses will soon learn a harsh lesson. Outside of PVP, this dark sorcery spell is still one of the best for tough enemies and bosses, as Great Soul Dregs can deal absolutely brutal amounts of damage with the right build.
The first thing to be said for White Dragon Breath is that it looks radical, mimicking the behavior of Seath the Scaleless' breath. Fortunately, it's also incredibly powerful if the player can manage to land it. Casting it will produce a long, straight beam of jagged crystals directly in front of the caster that'll put anything in their path in significant pain.
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It's a bit of a rare sight, as when players are presented with a choice between this spell and the fan-favorite Moonlight Greatsword, they often choose the latter.
A tried and true classic. Think of the Soul Spear and Soul Arrow spells as the Dark Souls rendition of "magic missile." They're some of the most frequently encountered offensive spells in the Souls series and for good reason. The weaker versions are reliable and cheap, but the Crystal Soul Spear is the strongest among them.
There's very little to say for the spell itself, as it's very straightforward. It's a little less desirable in PVP as it can take a while to cast compared to weaker and similar spells, but landing it is entirely worth the effort because it's going to hurt a lot.
It does not get much more classic than hurling a fireball. The Great Chaos Fire Orb is the best possible form of the pyromancer's most basic and fundamental spell. Its FP and stamina costs are very reasonable, and it is capable of doing a great deal of damage. As an added bonus, it temporarily leaves behind a damaging pool of lava.
However, the casting and projectile speeds leave a little to be desired, and in order to effectively use it in PVP, a lot of practice with aiming and leading target movements will help more than anything.