You’ve seen it. That twisted, writhing hunk of meat and bronze that everyone in the Elden Ring community swears by. If you’ve spent any time in the Lands Between, you know the Blasphemous Blade isn't just a weapon; it’s basically a cheat code for anyone struggling with the game's brutal late-stage difficulty. It heals you. It burns everything. It looks absolutely disgusting.
Getting your hands on it isn't exactly a walk in the park, though. You can't just find it in a chest or buy it from a merchant. You have to kill a god. Well, a demi-god who allowed himself to be eaten by a giant snake. Typical Friday night in Volcano Manor, honestly.
If you’re wondering how to get the Blasphemous Blade, you’re essentially signing up for one of the most cinematic and bizarre boss fights FromSoftware has ever designed. You’re heading to Mt. Gelmir. It’s a long climb. There are many ladders. But the payoff? It’s arguably the best Faith-based weapon in the game, and I’m going to walk you through exactly how to snag it without getting melted by lava or eaten by Rykard.
The Long Road to Volcano Manor
Most players first hear about Volcano Manor through Rya. She’s that weird, hunched-over scout you find in Liurnia of the Lakes. If you do her a favor—specifically, getting her necklace back from Big Boggart—she’ll eventually offer you an invitation.
You don't need the invitation to get the sword. You can literally just hike up the mountain. But the invitation makes things smoother. Mt. Gelmir is a vertical nightmare. You’ll pass through the Altus Plateau, dodge some Fallingstar Beasts, and eventually find a jagged fortress perched over a sea of magma. This is your destination.
Once you’re inside Volcano Manor, speak to Tanith. She’s the lady sitting in the chair next to a very large, silent knight. She’ll ask you to join their cause against the Erdtree. Just say yes. Honestly, the moral implications don't matter as much as the loot. Joining gives you the Drawing-Room Key. This is where the path splits into two distinct ways to reach the boss who holds your sword.
The Shortcut vs. The Long Way
There are two ways to get to Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy.
The Questline Path: Tanith will give you assassination contracts. You go to a location on the map, invade an NPC, and kill them. After you finish three of these, Tanith will basically say, "Hey, you're pretty good at killing. Do you want to meet our Lord?" She’ll then warp you directly to the boss arena. This is the "proper" way, and it nets you some of the best armor sets in the game along the way, like the Hoslow set.
The Legacy Dungeon Path: If you’re impatient, you can explore the Manor itself. There’s an illusory wall in one of the drawing rooms. If you hit it, you enter a massive, sprawling dungeon filled with snake-men and lava. Eventually, you’ll fight a Godskin Noble (prepare for the rolling attack, it’s annoying). Past him, you’ll find a portal that takes you to the same boss arena.
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Most veterans recommend the questline. Why? Because if you kill Rykard before finishing the Volcano Manor quests, everyone leaves. You lose out on the rewards. If you just want the sword and don't care about the lore or the armor, go through the dungeon. It’s faster if you’re over-leveled.
Fighting Rykard: Don't Be a Hero
Here is the most important thing you need to know about how to get the Blasphemous Blade: you cannot use your normal build to fight Rykard. Well, you can, but it’s like trying to cut down a redwood tree with a butter knife.
As soon as you enter the boss arena, look to your left. There’s a corpse holding a spear called the Serpent-Hunter. Pick it up. Equip it immediately. This weapon has no stat requirements. Even if you’re a pure mage with zero strength, you can wield this thing.
The Serpent-Hunter is a "gimmick" weapon, much like the Storm Ruler from Demon’s Souls or Dark Souls 3. When you use it inside this specific boss room, it shoots out massive beams of wind that can hit the boss from across the arena.
Phase One: The God-Devouring Serpent
The first phase is a giant snake. Stay at a medium distance. If you get too close, the lava around him will chip away at your health. Use the Serpent-Hunter’s light and heavy attacks. The weapon’s reach is insane.
If you have the Mimic Tear spirit ash, summon it. Your mimic will also use the Serpent-Hunter. Two people spamming giant wind blasts makes this fight significantly easier. Just watch out for the snake's bite and the grab attack. If he grabs you, it’s probably game over unless you have high Vigor.
Phase Two: Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
After you drain the snake’s health, a cutscene plays. Rykard pulls a massive, fleshy sword out of the snake’s mouth. This is the Blasphemous Blade in its raw, unrefined form. Now the real fight starts.
Rykard will summon flaming skulls that rain down from the sky. This is the most dangerous part of the fight. When the sky turns red and the skulls start falling, stop attacking. Just run. Sprint in a wide circle until the explosion ends. If you get caught in the middle of that chaos, the stagger-lock will finish you off. Keep hitting him with the Serpent-Hunter's Ash of War. It stuns him. It interrupts his big attacks. Eventually, he’ll go down.
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Trading the Remembrance
Once Rykard is dead, you get the "Remembrance of the Blasphemous." Do not consume this for runes. That would be a tragedy.
Take the Remembrance back to Roundtable Hold. Talk to Enia, the Finger Reader (the creepy lady next to the Two Fingers). She will offer to "transpose" the soul of the boss into one of two items. One is a spell called Rykard's Rancor. The other is the Blasphemous Blade.
Choose the sword. Obviously.
Why the Blasphemous Blade is Actually Broken
You have the sword. Now what? You need to upgrade it. It uses Somber Smithing Stones, which are actually easier to find than regular ones. It scales primarily with Faith, Strength, and Dexterity.
The reason everyone wants this weapon is the Ash of War: Taker's Flames.
When you use this skill, you slam the sword into the ground and send out a wave of fire. It does massive damage. But here’s the kicker: it heals you for every enemy it hits. Even if an enemy dies near you while you have the sword equipped—even if you didn't kill it with the skill—you get health back.
In a game where every health flask feels like a precious resource, having a weapon that restores HP just for doing damage is a game-changer. It makes legacy dungeons like Elphael or Farum Azula much more manageable. You can save your flasks for the bosses and use the sword to keep your health topped off during the "trash" mobs.
Stats You Need
To actually use the sword, you need:
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- Strength: 22
- Dexterity: 15
- Faith: 21
If you started as a Vagabond or a Hero, you’re probably close on Strength. If you’re a Prophet or Confessor, you’ve got the Faith. If you’re a pure Intelligence mage, you might need to visit Rennala and use a Larval Tear to respec your stats. It is worth it.
Common Mistakes People Make
I’ve seen a lot of players mess this up. The biggest mistake is selling the Remembrance. If you do this by accident, remember that you can visit one of those giant Walking Mausoleums (the buildings with legs and bells) to duplicate the Remembrance, even if you’ve already used it.
Another mistake is ignoring the Faith scaling. The physical damage is okay, but the fire damage and the healing power of Taker's Flames scale with your Faith stat. If you want this sword to hit like a truck, you should aim for at least 50 Faith.
Also, don't forget the Fire Scorpion Secret. If you equip the Fire Scorpion Husk talisman and the Ritual Sword Talisman, the damage of the fire wave goes through the roof. Combine this with the Flame, Grant Me Strength incantation, and you’re basically walking around with a nuclear option in your right hand.
Is It Still Good in 2026?
Even years after the launch of Elden Ring and its DLC, the Blasphemous Blade remains in the "S-Tier" of PvE weapons. FromSoftware has tweaked the poise damage a bit in various patches, but the core mechanic—lifesteal on hit—is still fundamentally powerful.
There are other great weapons, sure. The Sacred Relic Sword is better for farming runes. Rivers of Blood is still fast for bleed builds. But for pure survivability and "tanking" through the game, nothing beats the Blasphemous Blade.
Next Steps for Your Build
Once you've secured the blade, your next move should be optimizing your character to support it.
- Grab the Carian Filigreed Crest: This talisman lowers the FP cost of your skills. Since you’ll be spamming Taker's Flames, this is essential.
- Find the Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear: Put this in your Flask of Wondrous Physick to boost your fire damage for three minutes.
- Level your Vigor: The sword heals a percentage of your total health. The more health you have, the more you get back per hit.
Getting the Blasphemous Blade is a rite of passage. It marks the moment you stop being the prey in the Lands Between and start being the predator. Go to Volcano Manor, kill the snake, and take what’s yours.