In Dark Souls 3, one weapon isn’t always enough. Sometimes it’s necessary to look big and scary — and a good way to do that is by dual wielding. Looking tough in PvP is great, but make sure you’ve got the skills to back it up.
It’s one thing to swing around a Greatsword, but another when you roll up with your chicken legs and stick arms and claim you can wield two mighty weapons.
This article explains how to dual wield in Dark Souls 3.
Click to jump to…
What Weapons Can You Dual Wield
While dual wielding is impressive, it can make you unpredictable and more dangerous to fight against. But it’s not only swords you can dual wield — axes, clubs, and maces are also a good combo.
Mix things up. Try using a sword and staff or any other spell casting item. That way, you can swing a sword and while they run/roll away you can launch some spells their way.
What Equipment Do You Need To Dual Wield
Having the relevant stats to wield your weapon will come in handy, or your attacks will be about as effective as slapping a giant with a rubber chicken. Holding a weapon with both hands will make your attacks 1.5x stronger than single handed swings—but you can’t parry, so you’ll need to rely on dodges to evade attacks.
Having a Light or Medium Armor Set equipped will help you avoid enemies swings and spells. In contrast, Light Armor Sets will make your movement faster, but provides less protection than both Medium and Heavy Armor Sets.
Is Dual Wielding Worth it?
Dual wielding won’t increase your damage or attacks speed. It only increases strength and poise damage, at the cost of your stamina and movement—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.
There are some weapons that are worth dual wielding—such as the Ringed Knight Greatswords, Moonlight Greatsword, and Twin Princes’ Greatsword. Try your own combo and see what works for you.
How to Dual Wield in Dark Souls 3
Begin by opening the equipment tab. You’ll notice that there are two rows for weapons—a top row (weapons for the right hand) and a bottom row (weapons for the left hand). Equip the weapon/s you want to use in both your right and left hand. Once you’ve done that, exit the inventory. Use the leftmost button on the D-pad (for controller) or the left arrow key (for keyboard) to switch to your left-hand weapon of choice. And, use the rightmost button on the D-pad (for controller) or the right arrow key (for keyboard) to switch to your right-hand weapon of choice.
If you’ve also equipped a shield or spell casting item that you’d like to use, quickly press left on the D-pad to switch between them and your primary weapon.
Congratulations, you’re dual wielding. Beware, having multiple weapons equipped adds (a lot of) weight and will slow you down. And that’s how to dual wield in Dark Souls 3.
