You want the reach. Everyone does. In the Lands Between, reach is basically life. If you’ve spent any time getting bullied by a boss because your dagger or shortsword couldn't quite touch them, you know exactly why the Nagakiba is a legendary pick. It’s essentially a washing pole. A katana so long it looks like it shouldn't even work, yet it’s one of the most effective dexterity weapons in Elden Ring. Honestly, getting your hands on it isn't even that hard, but it is incredibly easy to mess up if you aren't paying attention to a specific NPC named Bloody Finger Hunter Yura.
Yura is a cool guy. He wears a metal basket on his head—the Ronin’s Set—and he spends his time hunting down players who have been "invaded" by the game's NPC villains. If you want his sword, you basically have two choices: you can be a loyal friend and follow his long, winding questline through the entire game, or you can just kill him the moment you see him.
Let's talk about the Nagakiba and why it actually matters for your build before we get into the "how."
The Real Reason People Obsess Over the Nagakiba
It’s the length. Seriously. The Nagakiba has a hitbox that feels almost unfair in PvP and is a godsend in PvE. While the Uchigatana is the "standard" reliable choice, the Nagakiba lets you poke enemies from a distance where they can't easily retaliate. It scales primarily with Dexterity. If you’re running a Keen affinity or even a Blood infusion, this thing becomes a monster.
But there’s a trade-off. It’s got a high Strength requirement for a katana—18 to be exact. You also need 22 Dexterity. If you’re starting as a Samurai, you’re halfway there, but other classes might need to dump a few points into Strength just to hold the damn thing upright. It also swings slightly slower than smaller swords, but the trade-off for that massive horizontal sweep is worth it.
Finding Yura for the First Time
You’ll find Yura early. Very early. He’s usually hanging out under a large stone overpass just south of the Agheel Lake North site of grace in Limgrave. He’ll warn you about the dragon in the lake. "Don't go there," he says. You’ll probably go there anyway.
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If you want the Nagakiba early—and I mean within the first ten minutes of the game—you can just fight him right here.
Be warned: Yura isn't a pushover for a level 10 character. He uses the Nagakiba himself, so he has a massive range advantage. If you manage to take him down, he drops the sword immediately. Boom. Done. You have the weapon. However, you just locked yourself out of his quest and some pretty great rewards later, like the Eleonora’s Poleblade. If you’re a completionist, don't kill him. Just don't.
The Long Road: Following Yura’s Questline
If you decide to be a "good" Tarnished, you’re in for a trek. The questline for the Nagakiba is tied to several scripted invasions.
First, head up the river north of Agheel Lake. You’ll be invaded by Bloody Finger Nerijus. This guy is a pain because he procs bleed almost instantly with his Reduvia daggers. Stay alive for about thirty seconds, and Yura will actually spawn in to help you. After the fight, go further north up the river. Yura will be standing there, leaning against a wall. Talk to him until he repeats himself.
The next step happens much later at the Main Academy Gate in Raya Lucaria.
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Don't go through the shimmering seal. Instead, walk past it toward the bridge leading north. You’ll see a red summon sign on the ground. This is unique. Usually, you summon people to help you, but here, you’re going into Yura’s world to help him. You’ll fight another Bloody Finger together. Once you win and return to your world, Yura will be standing on the bridge. Talk to him again. He’ll give you a Smithing Stone or a Talon flick, but more importantly, he’s moving to the next location.
The Second Church of Marika
This is the climax of the Nagakiba hunt. You need to reach the Altus Plateau.
High up on the plateau sits the Second Church of Marika. When you walk inside, you’ll find Yura lying on the ground. He’s dying. He’s been beaten by Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger. Talk to him one last time. As he breathes his last breath, he dies, and the Nagakiba appears as an item pick-up on his body.
Immediately after this, Eleonora will invade you. She’s tough. She uses a twinblade that deals fire and physical damage. If you kill her, you get her Poleblade and a Purifying Crystal Tear, which is essential for the Mohg boss fight later.
What if Yura Just Disappears?
Elden Ring is weird. Sometimes NPCs just... move.
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If you progress too far into the game—specifically if you reach the Mountaintops of the Giants—without finishing Yura’s quest, his body will be "possessed" by a character named Shabriri. You’ll find "Yura" standing near the Zamor Ruins. He’s wearing the armor, but it’s not him.
If this happens, don't panic. You can still get the Nagakiba.
Go back to the last place you saw him. If you never talked to him, check his original camp under the bridge in Limgrave. If you helped him at the Academy, check the bridge there. The game is actually pretty forgiving here; it will usually leave the Nagakiba at one of his previous campsites if the questline is broken by world progression.
Optimization and Ash of War Choices
Once you have the Nagakiba, you need to make it yours. The default skill is Piercing Fang, which is actually incredible for breaking through shields. It has a long wind-up, but the lunge covers a massive distance.
Many players immediately swap it for Unsheathe (the standard katana skill) because the Nagakiba’s length makes the Unsheathe heavy attack reach surprisingly far. Or, if you want to be "that guy," you put Double Slash on it and use Bloodflame Blade. This mimics the moveset of the Rivers of Blood but with twice the reach. It’s devastating.
Critical Stats to Remember
- Strength: 18
- Dexterity: 22
- Weight: 7.0 (Heavier than the Uchigatana’s 5.5)
- Passive: Causes blood loss buildup (45)
Honestly, if you're running a hybrid build, like an Intelligence/Dexterity frost build, the Nagakiba is a top-tier candidate for a Cold infusion. Because the weapon is so long, you can stay safe while building up the frostbite status effect.
Actionable Steps to Secure Your Nagakiba
- Early Game (Fast Way): Go to Agheel Lake North in Limgrave. Find the man in the basket mask under the bridge. Kill him. Loot the sword.
- Mid Game (The Quest Way): Help Yura kill Nerijus in the Limgrave river. Help him again at the Raya Lucaria bridge. Finally, find him dying at the Second Church of Marika in Altus Plateau.
- Late Game (The Fail-Safe): If you already met Shabriri in the Mountaintops, go back to the Seaside Ruins or the bridge in Raya Lucaria. The sword will be sitting there in a pile of loot where Yura used to stand.
- Requirement Check: Ensure you have 18 Strength. If you are short, use the Starscourge Heirloom talisman to boost your Strength by 5 points temporarily.
- Upgrade Path: Take it to Hewg at the Roundtable Hold. It uses standard Smithing Stones, not Somber ones, so you can easily get it to +25 if you have the materials.
The Nagakiba remains one of the most versatile weapons in the game. It bridges the gap between a standard sword and a spear. Whether you're invading other players or just trying to survive the horrors of Caelid, that extra foot of steel makes all the difference.