TL;DR
- Defeat Ancient Dragon Man boss in Dragon’s Pit dungeon to acquire this powerful katana
- Weapon scales primarily with Strength and Dexterity while inflicting significant bleed buildup
- Navigate from Castle Front Site of Grace through specific path to locate dungeon entrance
- Prepare with fire resistance and proper spacing for challenging boss encounter
- Ideal for bleed-focused builds with unique heavy katana moveset advantages
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree introduces numerous formidable armaments for players to discover, with the Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana standing out as particularly exceptional. This oversized blade delivers devastating physical strikes while accumulating substantial blood loss on targets. Beyond its raw destructive potential, the weapon boasts distinctive visual design that sets it apart from other katanas in the Lands Between.
Stat distribution favors quality builds with C-tier scaling in both Strength and Dexterity at standard reinforcement levels. The weapon’s unique heavy katana classification provides extended reach compared to standard katanas while maintaining faster attack speed than traditional colossal weapons. With 115 critical damage multiplier and innate bleed buildup of 75 points per hit, it excels against health-rich opponents and bosses vulnerable to hemorrhage.
Securing the Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana requires navigating to the Dragon’s Pit dungeon, accessible without defeating any prerequisite bosses. Begin your journey from the Castle Front Site of Grace, taking the pathway rightward through the military encampment area.
Rather than descending toward Ruined Forge Lava Intake, maintain elevation by selecting the leftward road ascending the hillside. Activate the Pillar Path Site of Grace to establish your new checkpoint before proceeding further into the territory.
From this vantage point, scan the southwestern horizon to locate Igon, a distinctive non-player character vocalizing loudly while positioned along the roadway. Engaging with him initiates a supplementary quest narrative that provides additional context and potential rewards.

Overcome the invading spirit adversary obstructing your progression before advancing along the path until you discover the cavern entrance. Congratulations—you’ve arrived at Dragon’s Pit, bringing you significantly closer to claiming the Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

Navigation time typically ranges between 8-12 minutes from Castle Front, depending on enemy avoidance efficiency. Many players mistakenly descend too early toward the lava forge—maintaining high ground is crucial for correct routing. The dungeon itself presents moderate challenges with standard enemy placements that experienced players can traverse in approximately 15 minutes.
The Ancient Dragon Man presents a formidable challenge requiring specific tactical approaches. This boss combines sweeping melee attacks with occasional dragon communion incantations, creating a dynamic combat scenario that punishes careless aggression.
Preparation should include equipping talismans that boost physical damage negation and fire resistance, as the boss employs fiery breath attacks and area-of-effect flame spells. Weapons with frost buildup can effectively complement the katana’s bleed effect, triggering multiple status procs for massive damage.
During phase one, the Ancient Dragon Man relies predominantly on conventional katana techniques with predictable combos. Maintain medium distance to bait his lunging attacks, then punish recovery animations with 1-2 strikes before resetting positioning. His most dangerous move—a charged overhead slam—requires precise dodging backward rather than sideways.
Upon reaching 60% health, the boss undergoes transformation, gaining draconic attributes and enhanced mobility. This phase introduces aerial maneuvers and ground-targeted fire attacks that demand spatial awareness and timed rolling. The Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana’s extended reach proves invaluable here, allowing damage application while maintaining safer distances.
Common mistakes include greedily extending combos beyond safe limits and misjudging the range of his transformed state attacks. Conservative play with emphasis on dodging his 3-hit combos yields better results than aggressive trading. Summoning spirits can divert aggression but may increase boss health pool, requiring careful consideration based on your build and skill level.
The Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana excels in specialized builds focusing on hemorrhage accumulation. Pairing this weapon with Seppuku ash of war dramatically increases bleed buildup, potentially triggering blood loss in just 2-3 hits against most enemies.
For PvP scenarios, the weapon’s unique heavy thrusting heavy attack catches many opponents off-guard, providing an unexpected range option. The running R1 attack also offers excellent pursuit capability while maintaining defensive positioning.
Optimization tips include investing in Arcane to enhance bleed potency while maintaining minimum Strength and Dexterity requirements. The White Mask and Lord of Blood’s Exultation talisman synergize perfectly, providing attack power boosts when hemorrhage triggers nearby.
Compared to standard katanas like the Rivers of Blood or Nagakiba, the Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana sacrifices some attack speed for superior stagger potential and range. This makes it particularly effective against hyper-aggressive players and poise-heavy builds in both PvE and PvP contexts.
Advanced players can leverage the weapon’s unique moveset to create unpredictable attack patterns, especially when alternating between standard katana moves and its distinctive great katana attacks.
Action Checklist
- Travel to Castle Front Site of Grace and navigate right through encampment
- Take left uphill path at fork, avoiding descent to Ruined Forge
- Activate Pillar Path Site of Grace and locate NPC Igon southwest
- Defeat invader enemy and proceed to Dragon’s Pit cave entrance
- Navigate dungeon and prepare for Ancient Dragon Man boss fight
- Defeat boss using recommended strategies to claim Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana
No reproduction without permission:Tsp Game Club » How to Get Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Complete guide to obtaining the Dragon-Hunter's Great Katana with combat strategies and location walkthrough
