Strength is the stat determining one's ability to effectively use equipment with a Strength requirement or bonus. Of the starting classes, the Bandit has the highest Strength (14) and the Sorcerer and Thief have the lowest (9).
Major diminishing returns for damage begin at 20 Strength, and the diminishing returns increase sharply at 40 Strength for Standard, Raw, and Crystal equipment and at 50 for Magic, Divine, Enchanted, and Occult equipment.
Equipment Requirements
All weapons (except the Dark Hand), shields, and spell tools have a Strength requirement, but because every class starts with at least 9 Strength roughly half of all Strength requirements are irrelevant. Lacking the Strength required to wield a weapon or shield (indicated with a red X on the D-pad menu) means the character will be unable to wield the equipment effectively: weapons will be much slower and weaker while shields will cause the wielder to stagger upon being hit and fail to block damage. The following table shows all weapons with a strength requirement greater than 9 ordered by strength requirement.
Stat Scaling
The following tables show all weapons with a Strength bonus (prior to any upgrading) ordered by Strength requirement. Two-handing equipment increases one's Strength value by 50% (rounded down), with the new requirement being shown in parentheses next to the regular requirement in the tables. The exception to this is all greatbows and fist weapons which either are not affected by or cannot be two-handed, respectively.
A Bonus
| Req. (2H) | Equipment | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 46 (31) | Demon's Greataxe | Greataxe |
| 26 (18) | Large Club | Great Hammer |
| 20 | Dragon Bone Fist | Fist |
| 10 (7) | Club | Hammer |
B Bonus
| Req. (2H) | Equipment | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 50 (34) | Grant | Great Hammer |
| 48 (32) | Stone Greataxe | Greataxe |
| 46 (31) | Demon's Great Hammer | Great Hammer |
| 40 (27) | Demon Great Machete | Ultra Greatsword |
| 36 (24) | Black Knight Greataxe | Greataxe |
| 32 (24) | Black Knight Greatsword | Ultra Greatsword |
| 28 (19) | Great Club | Great Hammer |
| 27 | Gough's Greatbow | Greatbow |
| 24 (16) | Butcher Knife | Axe |
| 24 (16) | Man-serpent Greatsword | Greatsword |
| 14 (10) | Manus Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 14 (10) | Pickaxe | Hammer |
| 12 (8) | Mace | Hammer |
C Bonus
| Req. (2H) | Equipment | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 40 (27) | Stone Greatsword | Greatsword |
| 36 (24) | Golem Axe | Axe |
| 32 (22) | Greataxe | Greataxe |
| 28 (19) | Greatsword | Ultra Greatsword |
| 24 (16) | Dragonslayer Spear | Spear |
| 24 (16) | Greatsword of Artorias | Greatsword |
| 24 (16) | Greatsword of Artorias (Cursed) | Greatsword |
| 24 (16) | Zweihander | Ultra Greatsword |
| 22 (15) | Abyss Greatsword | Greatsword |
| 20 (14) | Black Knight Sword | Greatsword |
| 20 (14) | Crystal Greatsword | Greatsword |
| 20 | Dragonslayer Greatbow | Greatbow |
| 16 (11) | Bastard Sword | Greatsword |
| 16 (11) | Claymore | Greatsword |
| 16 (11) | Crystal Straight Sword | Straight Sword |
| 16 (11) | Dark Sword | Straight Sword |
| 14 (10) | Blacksmith Hammer | Hammer |
| 14 (10) | Hammer of Vamos | Hammer |
| 12 (8) | Battle Axe | Axe |
| 12 (8) | Demon's Spear | Spear |
| 12 (8) | Reinforced Club | Hammer |
| 12 (8) | Sunlight Straight Sword | Straight Sword |
| 11 (8) | Composite Bow | Bow |
| 11 (8) | Morning Star | Hammer |
| 11 (8) | Warpick | Hammer |
| 10 (7) | Astora's Straight Sword | Straight Sword |
| 10 (7) | Broadsword | Straight Sword |
| 10 (7) | Longsword | Straight Sword |
| 8 (6) | Hand Axe | Axe |
| 8 (6) | Shortsword | Straight Sword |
| 5 | Caestus | Fist |
D Bonus
| Req. (2H) | Equipment | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 58 (39) | Smough's Hammer | Great Hammer |
| 40 (27) | Dragon Tooth | Great Hammer |
| 36 (24) | Giant's Halberd | Halberd |
| 32 (24) | Black Knight Halberd | Halberd |
| 24 (16) | Pike | Spear |
| 20 (14) | Great Lord Greatsword | Greatsword |
| 20 (14) | Washing Pole | Katana |
| 18 (12) | Crescent Axe | Axe |
| 16 (11) | Blacksmith Giant Hammer | Hammer |
| 16 (11) | Flamberge | Greatsword |
| 16 (11) | Gargoyle's Halberd | Halberd |
| 16 (11) | Halberd | Halberd |
| 16 (11) | Titanite Catch Pole | Halberd |
| 15 (10) | Four-pronged Plow | Spear |
| 15 (10) | Lucerne | Halberd |
| 14 (10) | Gargoyle Tail Axe | Axe |
| 13 (9) | Partizan | Spear |
| 12 (8) | Demon's Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 11 (8) | Spear | Spear |
| 10 (7) | Barbed Straight Sword | Straight Sword |
| 10 (7) | Estoc | Thrusting Sword |
| 9 (6) | Long Bow | Bow |
| 8 (6) | Broken Straight Sword | Straight Sword |
| 7 (5) | Rapier | Thrusting Sword |
| 7 (5) | Short Bow | Bow |
| 5 (4) | Mail Breaker | Thrusting Sword |
E Bonus
| Req. (2H) | Equipment | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 28 (19) | Murakumo | Curved Greatsword |
| 24 (16) | Gravelord Sword | Curved Greatsword |
| 24 (16) | Server | Curved Greatsword |
| 16 (11) | Channeler's Trident | Spear |
| 16 (11) | Lifehunt Scythe | Halberd |
| 16 (11) | Silver Knight Straight Sword | Straight Sword |
| 16 (11) | Silver Knight Spear | Spear |
| 14 (10) | Great Scythe | Halberd |
| 14 (10) | Scythe | Halberd |
| 13 (9) | Winged Spear | Spear |
| 11 (8) | Quelaag's Furysword | Curved Sword |
| 10 (7) | Balder Side Sword | Straight Sword |
| 10 (7) | Tin Banishment Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 9 (6) | Black Bow of Pharis | Bow |
| 9 (6) | Falchion | Curved Sword |
| 9 (6) | Gold Tracer | Curved Sword |
| 9 (6) | Shotel | Curved Sword |
| 8 (6) | Ricard's Rapier | Thrusting Sword |
| 8 (6) | Velka's Rapier | Thrusting Sword |
| 7 (5) | Darkmoon Bow | Bow |
| 7 (5) | Jagged Ghost Blade | Curved Sword |
| 7 (5) | Painting Guardian Sword | Curved Sword |
| 7 (5) | Scimitar | Curved Sword |
| 7 (5) | Tin Crystallization Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 6 (4) | Bandit's Knife | Dagger |
| 6 (4) | Beatrice's Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 6 | Claw | Fist |
| 6 (4) | Dark Silver Tracer | Dagger |
| 6 (4) | Izalith Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 6 (4) | Logan's Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 6 (4) | Oolacile Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 6 (4) | Sorcerer's Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 6 (4) | Straight Sword Hilt | Straight Sword |
| 5 (4) | Dagger | Dagger |
| 5 (4) | Ghost Blade | Dagger |
| 5 (4) | Parrying Dagger | Dagger |
| 4 (3) | Tin Darkmoon Catalyst | Catalyst |
| 3 (2) | Oolacile Ivory Catalyst | Catalyst |
