How to Level Up the Dark Hand in Dark Souls 3: A Comprehensive Guide

The Dark Hand is a unique and intriguing weapon in Dark Souls 3, beloved by many players for its unusual moveset and early-game effectiveness. However, unlike most weapons in the game, the Dark Hand cannot be upgraded through traditional methods using Titanite shards. This can be a point of confusion for many players, so let’s break down exactly how you enhance the Dark Hand’s power, and address some common questions surrounding its usage.

The Truth About Upgrading the Dark Hand

The most direct answer to how you level up the Dark Hand is: you can’t upgrade it. This weapon is unique in that it does not accept standard upgrades at any blacksmith. It remains at its base stats for the entire game. The Dark Hand’s effectiveness is determined by its inherent high base Dark damage and not by traditional upgrades. Instead of focusing on conventional leveling, you’ll need to rely on other methods to maximize its potential.

Maximizing the Dark Hand’s Potential

Since you cannot upgrade the Dark Hand with Titanite, you’ll have to leverage alternative ways to bolster its strength:

• Stats: The Dark Hand’s damage scales with Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Intelligence (INT), and Faith (FTH), but its scaling is notoriously poor. This means that while increasing these stats will provide some benefit, it’s not the most efficient way to boost the weapon’s damage.
• Rings: Certain rings can enhance your damage output and provide some relief for Dark Hand’s lack of scaling. Rings like the Ring of the Sun’s First Born (boosts miracles) and the Morion Blade (boosts attack when at low health), which indirectly benefit the Dark Hand’s ability to deal more damage with weapon art, can be very useful. While not a direct “upgrade,” these rings improve the overall utility of the build.
• Weapon Buffs: While you can’t infuse the Dark Hand, you can buff it. Buffing with items like Human Pine Resin or spells like Dark Blade can give the Dark Hand a significant damage boost, even though these buffs will not scale off your stats and just provide a flat damage increase.

Ultimately, the Dark Hand’s strength lies in its early game power. It’s a powerful option for the beginning stages of the game, but you’ll likely need to transition to another weapon later on for higher damage output if you intend to progress with a standard strength, dex, or quality build.

Dark Hand’s Unique Strength

The Dark Hand’s true strength lies in its unique weapon art and high base dark damage. When wielded in your right hand, with an empty left hand, the Dark Hand can steal life from humanoid enemies. This can be an incredible asset early in the game, providing both offensive and recovery capabilities. This unique weapon art makes it an excellent option to beat a lot of early bosses and enemies.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Dark Hand

Here are 15 FAQs about the Dark Hand, designed to provide comprehensive information to players.

1. What exactly does the Dark Hand scale with?

The Dark Hand scales with Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Intelligence (INT), and Faith (FTH). However, its scaling is considered very poor, making other methods of boosting its damage more effective. Its strength really comes from its base damage.

2. Why can’t I upgrade the Dark Hand?

The Dark Hand is a unique weapon that is designed to have no upgrades. Its strength lies in its high base Dark damage and the life-stealing weapon art.

3. Is the Dark Hand good for the entire game?

While it’s excellent in the early game, the Dark Hand’s usefulness tends to wane in the late game due to its inability to be upgraded and its poor stat scaling. By the time you reach end game, you will likely have better alternatives.

4. How can I maximize the Dark Hand’s damage?

Focus on utilizing weapon buffs like Human Pine Resin or spells like Dark Blade. Also, consider using rings that boost damage or synergize well with its weapon art.

5. Can I parry with the Dark Hand?

Yes, you can parry with the Dark Hand. This is one of its many unique features that many players love.

6. How do I use the Dark Hand’s weapon art?

When wielded in your right hand with an empty left hand, activating the weapon art (usually the left trigger button) will perform a life-stealing grab attack on humanoid enemies.

7. Does Hollowing affect the Dark Hand?

No, Hollowing itself does not directly affect the Dark Hand. However, having hollow infusions on other weapons will boost your Luck stat, which might indirectly affect your playstyle.

8. Does Luck stat boost the Dark Hand’s damage?

No, Luck does not directly boost the Dark Hand’s damage. Luck only affects your item find rate and weapon scaling when hollow infusions are applied on other weapons.

9. What is the most overpowered weapon in Dark Souls 3?

While the Dark Hand is useful early on, other weapons like the Lothric Knight Sword, Demon’s Scar, and the Black Knight Sword are considered among the most overpowered or effective for PVE or PVP.

10. Is the Dark Hand a “dark” weapon?

Yes, the Dark Hand deals dark damage. This damage type is effective against many enemy types in the game, which is why it is good early game.

11. What are the best methods for boosting dark damage in DS3?

Weapons and spells with dark infusion, Human Pine Resin, Dark Blade spell, and items such as Dark arrows can help boost the damage output of dark-based weapons and builds.

12. Can the Dark Hand be used effectively in PvP?

The Dark Hand can be effective in PvP, especially with its weapon art’s life steal, but it may not be as powerful compared to weapons with better scaling and upgrade paths, but it still has value if used strategically.

13. How do you double-hand a weapon with controllers in DS3?

On a controller, press the Y button (Xbox) or Triangle button (PlayStation) to two-hand your right-hand weapon. Press and hold the button to two-hand the left-hand weapon.

14. What is the best armor against dark damage?

There isn’t one single “best” armor against dark damage, but armor sets with high dark resistance are the Gundyr’s Set, Xanthous Set, and the Dragonslayer set. These provide decent defensive coverage against all damage types including dark.

15. Should I remove my Dark Sigils?

Removing Dark Sigils can impact certain NPC questlines, most notably Yuria’s. If you are pursuing a specific ending, keep them. Otherwise, if you are not interested in the associated quest lines, then feel free to remove them.

Conclusion

While the Dark Hand cannot be upgraded with Titanite, it remains a powerful weapon for the early game thanks to its high base dark damage and unique life-stealing weapon art. Understanding its limitations and utilizing buffs and rings effectively can maximize its potential. Knowing it is useful early game, but will fall off later, can help a lot of people optimize their play-through experience. This guide should provide a good understanding of how to get the most out of this unusual and intriguing weapon in Dark Souls 3.