You’re exploring the Fissure, dodging those annoying stone caterpillars, and eventually, you hit a wall. Or rather, a questline. If you’ve spent any time in Elden Ring’s massive expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, you know that the Sword of Night isn't just another katana. It’s a statement. Most players see "katana" and immediately think of Bleed builds or Rivers of Blood spam, but this weapon is a completely different beast. It’s pure Dexterity. It’s darkness incarnate. Honestly, it’s one of the most stylish things FromSoftware has ever put into a game.
Getting it is a pain. You can't just stumble upon it in a chest at the back of some random cave. It’s tied to Jolán, that brooding NPC standing by the pillar in the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. You’ve probably seen her. She doesn’t say much at first. But her weapon? It’s arguably the best pure Dex tool in the DLC if you know how to bypass shields.
What Actually Makes the Sword of Night Different?
Most katanas in Elden Ring rely on the status effect "Hemorrhage" to do the heavy lifting. The Sword of Night does have innate bleed buildup (45, to be exact), but that’s not why you use it. You use it for the "unblockable" property.
The weapon is essentially semi-translucent, forged from actual shadows. Because of this, its heavy attacks and its unique Skill, Witchwork, partially ignore shields. In a game where Greatshield soldiers and obnoxious Knights can ruin your day by turtling, having a blade that literally passes through their defense is a godsend. It scales primarily with Dexterity. At +10 (Somber Smithing Stones, obviously), it hits an A scaling in Dex.
Here is the thing people get wrong: they try to build Intelligence or Faith with it because it looks "magical." Don't do that. It’s a physical weapon with a dark aesthetic. If you aren't pumping Dex to at least 60 or 80, you’re leaving damage on the table.
The Jolán Questline: A Choice Between Two Spirits
To get your hands on this blade, you have to follow Count Ymir’s questline. This involves ringing three bells located in various Finger Ruins across the Land of Shadow. It’s a long trek. After you defeat the final boss of that quest—the Mother of Fingers—you’ll find Jolán slumped against her usual pillar.
This is where the game forces a choice on you. You’ll need an item called the Iris of Occultation or the Iris of Grace.
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- Give her the Iris of Occultation, and she dies, leaving you the Sword of Night.
- Give her the Iris of Grace, and she becomes a Spirit Ash you can summon.
If you want the sword, you have to be the "bad guy" in this scenario. Giving her the Occultation iris essentially leaves her in darkness, which manifests as the weapon. It’s a dark bit of lore, but that’s Elden Ring for you.
Moveset and the Witchwork Skill
The light attacks are your standard katana slashes. Quick. Reliable. But the heavy attacks are where the "shadow" element kicks in. When you charge a heavy, you do a series of rapid slashes that have a distinct visual blur.
The Ash of War, Witchwork, is the real reason to run this. You hold the sword up, it charges with dark energy, and then you unleash a flurry of slashes that have surprising range. It’s not a projectile, but the "shadow" reach extends further than the physical blade. It’s perfect for PvP because the timing is slightly off-kilter, making it hard to parry or dodge perfectly.
Breaking Down the Stats
You need 11 Strength and 20 Dexterity to even hold it. That’s a low barrier for entry. However, to make it viable in the endgame or New Game Plus, you should focus on:
- Dexterity: 80 (The hard cap)
- Vigor: 60 (Because the DLC hits like a truck)
- Endurance: 25-30 (The Ash of War eats stamina)
Why Most Players Struggle With It
I’ve seen a lot of complaints on Reddit and Discord that the damage feels "lower" than a Keen Nagakiba. On paper, that might be true if you’re looking at raw Attack Rating (AR). But AR doesn't account for the shield-bypass mechanic.
In the Land of Shadow, many enemies have high guard boost. If you're using a standard katana, you hit their shield, you bounce off, or you do zero damage. With the Sword of Night, you’re constantly chipping away. It’s a weapon of attrition. Also, it’s remarkably light. Weighing only 3 units, it allows you to wear heavier armor like the Solitude set while staying at a medium roll.
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Synergy: Talismans and Flasks
If you want to maximize this thing, you need to lean into multi-hit bonuses. Since the heavy attacks and the skill hit multiple times in a short window, the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia is mandatory.
You should also look into:
- Millicent’s Prosthesis: More Dex and more multi-hit damage.
- Shard of Alexander: Boosts the power of Witchwork significantly.
- Godskin Swaddling Cloth: Since you’re hitting fast and often, this keeps your health topped up without needing a flask.
For your Wondrous Physick, use the Thorny Cracked Tear. It stacks with your talismans. By the third or fourth hit of your Ash of War, your damage output will jump by nearly 20%.
The "Secret" Tech: Pairing with Offhand Weapons
Since the Sword of Night has such a unique aesthetic, people often pair it with another katana for power-stancing. While that works, I actually recommend keeping your offhand empty or using a small parry shield. The two-handed moveset of this sword is superior because it increases your poise damage.
Shadow of the Erdtree enemies have massive poise. If you're just power-stancing L1s, you might get a bleed proc, but you won't stagger them. Two-handing the Sword of Night and using the charged heavy "shadow slashes" can actually break the stance of even the larger Shadow Keep knights.
Common Misconceptions About Shadow Damage
There is no "Shadow" damage type in Elden Ring. The Sword of Night deals pure Physical damage. The dark visual effect is just that—visual. This is actually a good thing. Why? Because many bosses in the DLC have high resistance to Holy, Magic, or Fire. Nothing is truly "resistant" to physical slash damage unless they are made of stone.
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Even then, the shield-piercing trait helps mitigate the downside of fighting armored foes. It’s a very consistent weapon. You don't have to worry about running into a boss that completely shuts down your build.
Final Practical Strategy for Success
If you’ve just picked up the sword, go to the Gravesite Plain and practice the timing of the charged heavy. It’s slower than you think. You have to commit to the animation.
Use the Sword of Night as a defensive-offensive hybrid. Let the enemy hit your shield (if you use one) or dodge their initial flurry, then punish with the Witchwork skill. Don't trade hits. You aren't using a Colossal Greatsword; you won't win a trade against a Furnace Golem or a Black Knight.
Instead, use the range of the "shadow" extension to stay just outside their reach.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Build
- Audit your stats: Go to Rennala and respec. Drop any unnecessary Faith or Intelligence. Put those points into Dexterity until you hit at least 70.
- Locate the Iris: If you haven't finished the quest, head to the Fort of Reprimand. You can find an Iris of Occultation there in the courtyard area (guarded by an Omen killer).
- Upgrade immediately: Don't test this weapon at +0. It needs the A scaling at +10 to feel powerful in the late-game zones like Enir-Ilim.
- Talisman Hunt: If you don't have the Shard of Alexander, go back to the base game and finish Alexander's questline. It is the single biggest damage boost for this weapon's special move.
The Sword of Night is a rewarding, high-skill ceiling weapon that rewards precision over button mashing. It looks incredible, it bypasses defenses, and it represents one of the coolest lore beats in the entire expansion. Just remember: once you give Jolán that Iris of Occultation, there’s no going back for that playthrough. Choose the sword, and embrace the dark.