Drake Sword
Drake Sword +5

physical damage dark souls 300 critical dark souls 100
magic damage dark souls - stability dark souls 32
fire damage dark souls - durability dark souls 360
lightning damage dark souls - weight dark souls 6.0
Requirements & Bonus
strength dark souls icon dexterity intelligence dark souls faith dark souls
16 10
Weapon Type Straight Sword
Attack Type Regular
Enchantable No
Special Yes
 

Drake Sword is a Weapon in Dark Souls and Dark Souls Remastered.

 

This sword, one of the rare dragon weapons, is formed by a drake's tail. Drakes are seen as undeveloped imitators of the dragons, but they are likely their distant kin."
"The sword is imbued with a mystical power, to be released when held with both hands."

 

How to Get / Where to Find the Drake Sword

  • Obtained by cutting off the tail of Hellkite Wyvern in the Undead Burg (either by fighting him normally or by shooting off his tail with a bow and arrows from below the bridge).

 

Hints and Tips:

  • Can be given to Kingseeker Frampt to receive 5,000 Souls.
  • Drake Sword can be upgraded by using Dragon Scales.
  • When equipped grants Magic DEF +15 and Flame DEF +15.
  • It's not recommended to spend Dragon Scales and 10,000 Souls per upgrade on this weapon as the resulting low increase in damage does not offset the high cost.
  • Decent weapon at the earliest point it can be procured thanks to high base damage with low stat requirements. As it doesn't scale with any stats and upgrading it has little effect in exchange for scarce upgrade material, it should be replaced early on. After reaching Andre and when reaching the point of being able to upgrade weapons to +5, it should be permanently ignored.
  • If you wield it with two hands, pressing or holding (stronger attack) R2 will trigger a shockwave attack. Do note that every use of this attack consumes 30 durability points of your weapon. You can use this attack 12 times until this sword's durability drops to 0 points and it breaks.
  • Can be traded to Frampt for 5,000 souls; useful for when it is made irrelevant by higher scaling weapons. Be warned that if you intend to get the Knight's Honor achievement you will need to acquire this sword.

 

Lore

 

Youtube relevant videos:

  •  N/A

 

Drake Sword Upgrade Table

Dragon Upgrades may be performed by any Blacksmith, as long as you have the required materials.
To reach max, you need: 50,000 souls and 10 Dragon Scales.

  Attack Values Parameter Bonus Auxiliary Damage Reduction (%) Stability
Drake Sword physical damage dark souls magic damage dark souls fire damage dark souls lightning damage dark souls strength dark souls dexterity dark souls intelligence dark souls faith dark souls divine dark souls occult dark souls physical defense dark souls magic defense dark souls fire defense dark souls lightning defense dark souls stability dark souls
Regular 200 - - - - - - - - - 50 10 35 35 32
Regular +1 (dragon scale dark souls sx1) 220 - - - - - - - - - 50 10 35 35 32
Regular +2 (dragon scale dark souls sx1) 240 - - - - - - - - - 50 10 35 35 32
Regular +3 (dragon scale dark souls sx2) 260 - - - - - - - - - 50 10 35 35 32
Regular +4 (dragon scale dark souls sx2) 280 - - - - - - - - - 50 10 35 35 32
Regular +5 (dragon scale dark souls sx4) 300 - - - - - - - - - 50 10 35 35 32



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    • Anonymous

      this weapon is responsible for millions of people not uninstalling or refunding the game and giving it another chance and I love it for that. A giant thank you to all the people that spread the word about the "op early game weapon". I genuinely believe that Dark Souls wouldn't have blown up as much as it did without you guys. This is the true sunbro weapon, not the sunlight straight sword.

      • Anonymous

        Why this weapon is hated? Cause most seasoned players pick Master Key and do suicide run through half on game's locations to pick souls, weapons and titanites. So when they actually start playing, they already have upgraded weapon and leveled stats so they can one-shot Taurus.

        But if you prefer more casual style (focused on finishing areas one by one and taking the normal route) the Drake Sword is very easy to get and really good weapon for early areas (both Burgs, Parish, Dephts and Darkroot) since it's basic damage is higher than most weapons upgraded to +5. And because it doesn't scale with anything you can dump early levels into other stats to boost stamina or health.

        Totally not worth upgrading it should be dumped around Blighttown since at this point you should have stronger weapon.

        Personally I don't like it since at 16 STR / 10 DEX I can start playing with much stronger Fire Zwei but it requires navigating Catacombs at low level and it's much more challenging than shooting tail.

        • Anonymous

          HOHOHOHO IT'SA ME SANTA CLAUSE
          THIS WEAPON IS NAUGHTY AND IF YOU USE IT, YOU WON'T GET ANY PRESENTS TO CHRISTMAS!!!
          HOHOHO, THE MACE IS BETTER!!! I USE THE MACE EVERY DAY AND IT'S THE GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREATEST WEAPON ON EARTH!!!
          IF YOU WANT TO GET AAALL THE PRESENTS, USE THE MACE JUST LIKE ME!!!
          MARRY CHRISTMAS!!!

          • This sword is like a set of nice clothes that you can wear but one day you grow up and those clothes will be too small for you,then you should switch to better clothes

            • Anonymous

              Pretty easy to get to +4 early on if you know where the dragon scales are. 280 pure physical at +4 with minimal stat investment is not bad for a straight sword. 300 physical ar at +5 which is about 80-100 less damage than a baldur side sword with 40 dex. Drake Sword can make it into late game just fine as long as you don't neglect to upgrade it. Only real downside is that it can't be buffed.

              • Wouldn't dump it after just +5 weps are obtained. This thing has pretty good damage for a while after unupgraded. Messing with stats a +10 longsword with 19str/18dex reaches exactly 200ar 1handed.

                • Wouldn't dump it after just +5 weps are obtained. This thing has pretty good damage for a while after unupgraded. Messing with stats a +10 longsword with 19str/18dex reaches exactly 200ar 1handed.

                  • Anonymous

                    Used it on my first play through, never used it again. If you're new to souls games, give it a try, but throw it out as soon as you start upgrading gear past +5 and/or get better stats

                    Also a useful weapon for mages early game

                    • Anonymous

                      To the people who keep spamming downvoted on literally every comment saying anything even remotely positive on this weapon and constantly spamming the same "iT sUcKs!!" "It's fOr tHe tRaSh cAn!!!" " yOu'Re a fIlThY cAsUaL nOoB iF yOu uSe tHiS, dEaL wItH iT!!!", Shut the **** up you stupid manchildren and let people enjoy things, and if it's supposed to be a joke it's not a funny one at all and has been done to death

                      • Anonymous

                        What is with the people on this page all having a raging hate boner for this weapon? Like chill tf out, we get it you don't like this weapon and you think that everyone who uses it is a "tRaSh cAsUaL", there's no need to keep saying it when you've already said it a billion times already, you absolute manchildren.

                        • Anonymous

                          Useful for finishing the first couple areas faster. Skip if it isn't necessary. All other opinions are irrelevant

                          • Anonymous

                            A very interesting niche weapon, you don't really get anything like it in the other Souls games. Can be grabbed very early, a tremendous damage boost over anything you'll find for a while, but completely impractical to use mid to late game or to upgrade at all.

                            • Anonymous

                              good choise for early game, when you don't have highly upgraded others weapons, but upgrading this weapon sucks, no scaling results becoming decent or meh in laters part of game + you can't buff with pine resin or any casted weapon buff. Overall: If you don't have weapon that deals more damage, use this

                              • Anonymous

                                beat the entire game with this and its exactly how good I expected it to be. it is super viable and very far from the trash bin.

                                • Anonymous

                                  Fextralife commenter logic: If it's a fun unique weapon that is strong early, but not amazing later on in the game rather than being a boring generic meta weapon, It sucks ass and you're a filthy noob for using it, this weapon isn't even that bad it falls off later on sure, but like most weapons in this game it's well capable of getting you through most of the game, as usual you all flood the comment section with your metagame stigma whining instead of just letting people use what they enjoy or commenting actually useful information, you people really need to get some hobbies other than being a bunch of meta-chasing whiny jackasses.

                                  • Anonymous

                                    Child mask ? Checked.
                                    Black Knight Shield ? Checked.
                                    Drake Sword ? Of course, checked.
                                    Truly the perfect tryhard kit for helping peoples in the undead and parish burg.

                                    • Anonymous

                                      Wouldn't say this weapon sucks at all despite what alot of people say, it's an extremely powerful weapon in the early game, it can do roughly just as much damage as +5 weapons when unupgraded, and is easily one of the strongest early game weapons, it's not as good later on due to its lack of scaling, but it's far from bad

                                      • Anonymous

                                        Great early game weapon, especially because this weapon not upgraded will do similar damage to most +5 weapons, (excluding things like zwi and other huge weapons). If you don't want to level dex to use a bow, just aim with a bow or binoculars and then switch to crossbow and fire away. Always worth getting to cruise through early part of the game.

                                        • Anonymous

                                          Purely newbie weapon for casuals.

                                          It has only one good side and it's high basic damage with only 16 str required. Otherwise this weapon is trash good only for selling to Frampt or getting achiev.

                                          When you play DS1 first time and you'll read how to get this you will be amazed how much damage it deals compared to other +0 weapons you have.

                                          But later when you already know how the game works you will probably never use this again on any character since you'll know how to get much better weapon at start.

                                          • Anonymous

                                            I think if you light the sunlight altar bonfire, the hellkite wyvern will disappear and you have to get this in ng+

                                            • Anonymous

                                              I'm in the endgame and this is still my primary weapon.

                                              I use it with one or with both hands, depending on situation.
                                              (I am often switching during the same fight -- 'offensive with two hands' or 'defensive with one hand plus shield'.)

                                              I am very agile and quick with it and I yield a high ratio of 'damage per second'.
                                              It has a good range and a "round up" movement set on *one hand heavy attack*.
                                              Its a mercyless slasher with *two hand light attack*.

                                              I have more endurance than health points (31 vs 34), so I can land at least 5 swings in a row without exhausting)

                                              All regular enemies are down after a 'one hit', inkl. bigger standard enemies.
                                              Sentinels in Darkroot Garden take 4 hits and those in Anor Londo take 5 hits.

                                              So I am done with all of them in an instant and mostly without taking any damage myself.

                                              I just finished boss fight "4 Kings" on my very first attempt.

                                              I don't think its true, that this sword is only for the early game.
                                              I intent to use it for the whole run.

                                              Its great together with pyromancy.
                                              I have a devine uchigatana as a second weapon, but it is definitely weaker (+10, dex 32, fth 16).

                                              • Anonymous

                                                Somehow managed to brave through half of Sen’s Fortress using this deceptive weapon. Although I quickly opened my eyes and proceeded to switch for the Lightning Spear instead

                                                • Anonymous

                                                  So if using this weapon late game makes it harder, doesn't that just mean that if someone were to play with just this sword and beat the game, they are at least somewhat good at the game by the end of it?

                                                  • Anonymous

                                                    The definitive "beginner's weapon", in a good way. Can get you to level 35 without upgrades (who upgrades this damn sword anyway)

                                                    • Anonymous

                                                      There's at least one good reason to get this weapon: obtaining Havel's Ring early on. At low levels, any other weapon does minimal damage to Havel (even with backstab or riposte), making the fight impractical.

                                                      I found Havel's Ring + Chain Set is especially nice early on; you can have some def and poise without slowing your roll. Definitely worth a few minutes of spamming arrows!

                                                      • Anonymous

                                                        Use this till Sen's then switch for the lighting spear to save upgrade materials for any +10 weapon of your choice once you hit Anor Londo.

                                                        • Anonymous

                                                          HOHOHOHO IT'SA ME SANTA CLAUSE
                                                          THIS WEAPON IS NAUGHTY AND IF YOU USE IT, YOU WON'T GET ANY PRESENTS TO CHRISTMAS!!!
                                                          HOHOHO, THE MACE IS BETTER!!! I USE THE MACE EVERY DAY AND IT'S THE GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREATEST WEAPON ON EARTH!!!
                                                          IF YOU WANT TO GET AAALL THE PRESENTS, USE THE MACE JUST LIKE ME!!!
                                                          MARRY CHRISTMAS!!!

                                                          • Anonymous

                                                            If you are new to Dark Souls you should definitively use this great Weapon for your entire playtrough. There are some weapons, that are good at first, but later lose their usefulness, wasting your upgrade Materials and forcing you to learn a new weapon. This weapon however will remain useful for the entire game, so you should max it out as soon as possible and get used to its playstyle.

                                                            • Anonymous

                                                              The Drake Sword is a blessing for my first playthrough since I already know a lot about DS1, but lack practice. With this I can level mostly vitality and endurance so I have room for errors while still dealing good damage in the early game, helpful for practicing combat.

                                                              • Anonymous

                                                                Ive never gotten this weapon, didnt even know you could get it. Then again i always ignore the drake, and always have a black knight sword or a gravelord sword in my playthroughs (if im not doing dex)

                                                                • Anonymous

                                                                  While this was definitely intended as a noob bait weapon, in the hands of good player it can be very useful in the early levels of the game. After Parrish is generally when one should move on from it

                                                                  • Anonymous

                                                                    A friend spoilered me, telling me how to get it... so i did and used it all the way until Kiln of the first flame where i got access to the black knight gear.


                                                                    I am a little sad about how this changed my game experience as i never really went into upgrading any other weapons...
                                                                    I did upgrade it to +5 and liked it but after switching i have to say that it gets outscaled hard.

                                                                    I only switched once for the crystal Halberd at O&S , the increased range made the fight much easier.

                                                                    • Anonymous

                                                                      Why people hate this weapon? It's perfectly suitable weapon for early game dealing 200 damage.
                                                                      To reach 200 damage with Uchigatana, you'd need +5 upgrade and 26 DEX, or +10 upg. and 14 DEX (+6 requires Large Ember in Depths, behind Capra Demon).
                                                                      Personally I find this a great weapon for Parish and Depths, it allows me to put some levels into Vitality and Endurance early.

                                                                      Maybe it's the sloooow cheesing with bow people hate?
                                                                      There's no need for that, you can get the tail reliably with Gold Resin and fast weapon (Axe, Uchi and many other works).
                                                                      1) Run from the bonfire up the ladder, below the bridge, choose equip to get below 25% equip load
                                                                      2) Go up the stairs and around wooden railing to the safe corner (take a little bit wide angle so Wyvern sends fire and burns the mobs)
                                                                      3) Move a bit to the side, stand just behind the corner, apply Resin and wait
                                                                      4) After ~20s Wyvern jumps down on the bridge (if it sends fire instead, you're too close to the center of bridge)
                                                                      5) Run (no sprinting!) to the tail along the side of the bridge, straight
                                                                      6) Hit is 3 times: you'll get the tail
                                                                      7) Go to the bonfire at Sunlight Altar (fire can hit you once, you should survive that if you're close to the side of the bridge)

                                                                      Works every time :-)

                                                                      • Anonymous

                                                                        Noobs:bought arrows and bow and cut dragons tail for sword
                                                                        Me:killed black knight with 8 humanities and get the sword then on shot the Taurus demon

                                                                        • Anonymous

                                                                          Everybody experienced says “Waaaa Drake Swrod bad git gud use something else!” Like ***** don’t act like you didn’t do the same thing in your first playthrough knowing about this weapon

                                                                          • For early pvp (say roughly level 10 in parish) would this out class the Claymore +5, or even Raw of Fire claymore, because they have the same requirements. Doesn't really matter to me, I will probably end up using both.

                                                                            • Anonymous

                                                                              I have a lvl 60 invasion build and invaded somebody in painted world. How the heck are you gonna be within my level range and be wielding this sword as your primary weapon?? Unless the dude was doing some kind of special challenge I have no idea. I basically spent 5 minutes toying with him running around him and throwing poop, he jabbed me a few times, didn't even block and it barely nicked my health so I don't even think it was even upgraded.

                                                                              • Anonymous

                                                                                If you see someone with this, you know they are guide reader and let them know that them know that they should be ashamed of themselves for reading a guide for a video game

                                                                                • Anonymous

                                                                                  Lets be honest anyone who thinks this sword is bad is **** at the game for not knowing a thing about scaling, this sword is easy to get (if you do it the right way not the arrows way) and its just free easy dmg just sitting there and doesnt require much leveling to use, its good for anyone whos making a pvp character and is rushing through the game to get stuff for his build or on a character who doesnt have enough points on str or dex yet to use a reliable weapon

                                                                                  • Anonymous

                                                                                    When DS1 came out we thought we were so clever to find this sword. It lets you cheese the burg sure, but the burg is so easy it is much more effective to use a starter weapon and actually git gud early rather than being flattened later on

                                                                                    • Anonymous

                                                                                      It deals as much damage as a ****ing greatsword a ultra greatsword and it’s as fast as a straight sword noice

                                                                                      • Anonymous

                                                                                        I got the zweihander, but, and call me crazy, I prefer this weapon, I just hate slow ones, not that I have anything against people using those, they do pack a very mean punch if you know how to fight well with this kind of weapon. So Imma keep it for a while longer. Prob will use that zweihander, but not for now, plus, I kinda made it my goal that whatever weapon I'm using, I WILL, max it the hell out. GRINDING, HERE I COME!

                                                                                        • Anonymous

                                                                                          This sword is decent, but honestly it should be called the Nate Sword. Don't want people thinking it could be related to Sam.

                                                                                          • Anonymous

                                                                                            Someone wanna confirm that graveyard skeletons don't resurrect if you kill them with this? as if it were a holy weapon? did i just blow all your minds? I just started a ng without the master key, shot buddies tail off in like 3 minutes...

                                                                                            • Anonymous

                                                                                              Using Standard Arrows, I was able to do 4 damage when I got as close as possible under the bridge. It took around 135 arrows to get the tail off, which took about 30 minutes. I did miss a couple of arrows and for the first 5 minutes I was doing 2 damage until I got closer. Hope this helps for anyone wondering how long and how many arrows you will need.

                                                                                              • Anonymous

                                                                                                Ahh the memories starting out and not knowing anything about this series This and the Lightning Spear from Sen's were THE noob weapons lol (not that it's a bad thing)

                                                                                                • Anonymous

                                                                                                  Ultimate noob weapon, how you tell someone is total casual. OGs know the truth, only noobs will downvote or reply nasty things cause I speak truth

                                                                                                  • Anonymous

                                                                                                    "OR you can just cut his tail without having to fight him by following the steps in the video below." yea sure

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