Elden Ring: How to Find (& Use) the Nagakiba Katana

The Nagakiba is a melee armament in the Katana class in Elden Ring, closely related to its counterpart sword, the Uchigatana. It features an exceptionally long blade and offers enhanced blood loss buildup compared to its sibling sword. Players can acquire the Nagakiba through various interactions with the NPC Bloody Finger Hunter Yura, easily recognizable in his large metal hat and full Ronin Gear.

Upon your first encounter with Yura in Limgrave, you can either complete Yura's questline to receive the Nagakiba Katana as a reward or choose to confront and defeat him to acquire the weapon more swiftly. The decision rests with the player, depending on whether they seek additional rewards beyond the Katana. Each method, however, demands an element of patience.

Related Elden Ring: All Bell Bearing Hunter Locations To find all Bell Bearing Hunters in Elden Ring, locate them at various merchant shacks and rest at the nearby Site of Grace to confront them at night.

The Nagakiba Katana Stats & Abilities

Nagakiba Katana Features Attack Stats Guard Stats Physical 115 49 Magical 0 33 Fire 0 33 Lightning 0 33 Holy 0 33 Critical (Boost For Guard) 100 33

The Nagakiba Katana excels in both range and damage, making it a formidable choice for players. The weapon's features primarily scale with strength and dexterity and are notably effective in causing additional blood loss in addition to physical damage.

When you first obtain the Nagakiba, it comes equipped with the Piercing Fang Ash of War, which can be replaced with its default skill, the Unsheath Ash of War. This flexibility allows for customization according to combat preferences.

The Nagakiba can also be infused with other Ashes of War, enhancing its versatility in combat. It requires a minimum of 18 Strength and 22 Dexterity to wield effectively, catering to those who invest in these attributes. The weapon features a unique thrusting attack that leverages its signature long reach, making it particularly effective in PvP arena battles, where it can roll-catch opponents.

The moveset of the Nagakiba is dynamic, whether wielded with one hand or two. The light attack sequence comprises five forward slashes, while the heavy attack delivers two ranged thrusts.

Additional maneuvers include a downward slash when sprinting and a quick, piercing thrust attack when rolling, providing rapid engagement options during combat. With the ability to be upgraded using Smithing Stones in Elden Ring, the Nagakiba remains a valuable weapon throughout game progression.

How To Get The Nagakiba Katana In Elden Ring

Complete Bloody Finger Hunter Yura's Questline

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Completing Bloody Finger Hunter Yura's Quest in Elden Ring rewards you with the Nagakiba Katana and Eleonara's Poleblade, another formidable Bleed weapon. Additional rewards include the Ash of War: Raptor of the Mists, a potent weapon skill, and the Purifying Crystal Tear. This extensive quest requires players to access the Altus Plateau, a mid-game area, to unlock these items.

Start by meeting Yura near the Seaside Ruins Site of Grace in Limgrave. To reach it, head north to the river leading to Agheel Lake. Just outside Murkwater Cave along this river, you'll encounter an invasion by Bloody Finger Nerijus, who you must defeat. Continue north along the river to find Yura in a shadowed area for your first interaction, where he will initiate the quest.

Related Elden Ring: How to Find (& Use) the Uchigatana How players can find the Katana Class, Uchigatana Melee Armament, and a detailed explanation of its combo patterns and abilities in Elden Ring.

To advance the questline, meet him for a second time in Liurnia Of The Lakes. From the Main Academy Gate Site of Grace, search for a small blue magical barrier nearby. Pass through this barrier to find Yura's red summon sign along the path. Join the fight by entering the summon sign, and after the battle, speak with Yura near the location of his former summon sign.

The final encounter with Yura in his quest occurs at the Altus Plateau, specifically at the Second Church of Marika. This church is positioned northeast of the Grand Lift of Dectus and north of the Altus Highway Junction Site of Grace along the main road. Players will find Yura's corpse at this location, where you can pick up the Nagakiba Katana, marking the completion of the quest.

Upon completing the quest, Yura's body is taken over by a madman named Shabriri in Elden Ring. Shabriri, appearing as Yura, can be found at the Zamor Ruins Site of Grace on the Mountaintops of the Giants. Players have the opportunity to defeat Shabriri to acquire Yura's armor set.

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Related Elden Ring: Every Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone (& Where To Find Them) Upon exploring the Lands Between in Elden Ring, find all Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones to upgrade your gear and weaponry to aid in tough boss fights.

Skip Yura's Questline

For players who missed Yura's questline due to its time-sensitive nature, or didn't make it to the meeting in the Altus Plateau, the Nagakiba can still fortunately be acquired. It will be available at the last location of your interaction with Yura, or at his final designated spot.

Yura will have left the Nagakiba at one of the three meeting locations, so retrieving it might require some patience. If you're uncertain where you last left off the quest, you may need to revisit each location. The exact trigger for this occurrence is somewhat unclear, but it typically happens after Shabriri has possessed Yura. This change usually aligns with the player unlocking the Mountaintops of the Giants region.

Retrieving the Nagakiba this way doesn't provide additional rewards as it would by completing the questline.

Kill Yura And Take The Nagakiba Katana

Alternatively, although unorthodox, the quicker method to acquire the Katana is by directly confronting Yura at the first location where you would typically interact with him, bypassing the quest altogether. As demonstrated by Dan Allen Gaming, defeating him allows you to loot the Nagakiba from his body. However, this approach means you will miss out on the additional rewards of completing his quest.

While attempting to kill Yura can be challenging for low-level players, he is susceptible to stun-locking and being staggered. First, activate the Site of Grace inside Murkwater Cave to ensure a nearby respawn point, just in case the battle with Yura proves too difficult. Upon defeating him, Yura will drop the sword and a few Runes in Elden Ring, but no other items.

For players interested in acquiring Yura's Armor Set, it's best to avoid obtaining the Nagakiba Katana by killing him early. Yura needs to be possessed by Shabriri later in the quest for the armor piece to become available. Opting for patience and engaging with Yura's full quest instead of seeking instant gratification preserves the opportunity to claim his armor later and offers more comprehensive rewards in Elden Ring.

Source: Dan Allen Gaming/YouTube