Katanas in Elden Ring — how to use them and where to find them

gamepur.com:

Whether you watch too much anime or are just looking for the best class of weapon in Elden Ring that offer a good combination of slashing and thrusting damage, Katanas might just be the thing you’re looking for.

Regardless of how much Rurouni Kenshin you’ve seen, most people who play Elden Ring will at some point probably find themselves using a Katana, even if only as a back up weapon to dish out some damage. Even if it’s just the Samurai class’ starting weapon (the Uchigatana, which can easily be found in the Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave,) Katanas in Elden Ring are an ideal slashing and thrusting weapon given that the move-set is slightly faster than their contemporaries in the other sword categories, and many of them have the added benefit of providing Bleed damage which can greatly aid in felling enemies who still have blood in them.

Comparing pound-per-pound damage output, some of the other sword classes may put out more damage, but the Katana class will always fair slightly better off on paper and in the game due to the speed of their move-sets relative to how much damage is dealt by each attack. Including being able deal both thrusting and slashing damage making the Katana more viable in more encounters, most of the Katanas also have a specific skill which are often both stylistically pleasing and useful in combat.

While finding a katana early on might be easy, here are some of the harder to find and more unique entries in this weapon class:

Hand of Malenia: Familiar to any Elden Ring player who has attempted to 1v1 Malenia, the Hand of Malenia can be found after facing off against Malenia herself and turning over her Remembrance to Enia at the Roundtable Hold. Aside from the blade’s notably high