Blasphemous Blade
Blasphemous Blade is Rykard's remembrance greatsword, combining physical and fire damage with healing on defeated enemies. Its Taker's Flames skill sends a ground-travelling fire wave that damages, knocks down, and restores health when it connects.
Key Takeaways
Blasphemous Blade is a unique greatsword built around Faith investment and its fixed weapon skill, Taker’s Flames. Its strongest advantages are sustained healing and reliable fire damage, while its fixed skill and stat demands limit how freely it fits into other builds.
Unique greatsword with a fixed skill
Blasphemous Blade uses Taker’s Flames as its innate skill. As a unique weapon, it cannot be given a different Ash of War or freely converted to another affinity, so its identity remains tied to its built-in fire attack and Faith-oriented scaling.
Its defining mechanic is healing
The weapon restores health through its passive effect and through successful use of Taker’s Flames. This gives it unusual sustain for a greatsword, especially when the player can safely connect attacks or skill hits.
It requires a Faith-focused character
Blasphemous Blade has Strength, Dexterity, and Faith requirements, with Faith playing an important role in its damage profile. The requirements should be checked alongside the weapon’s current reinforcement state and the rest of the build.
Obtaining it requires Rykard’s Remembrance
The weapon is obtained by exchanging the Remembrance of the Blasphemous with Enia at Roundtable Hold after defeating Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. This makes it a boss-remembrance reward rather than a normal world pickup or vendor weapon.
Its main strength is sustained PvE pressure
Healing, a broad fire-based skill attack, and strong performance against groups make Blasphemous Blade particularly useful for PvE encounters where the player can create safe openings for Taker’s Flames.
Its limitation is commitment and reduced flexibility
The weapon’s skill has a committed attack sequence, and the weapon cannot be customized like an ordinary infusible greatsword. Players seeking freely selectable Ashes of War or a different damage focus may prefer another greatsword.
Overview
Blasphemous Blade is a unique greatsword in Elden Ring that combines a faith-oriented build path with fire-based weapon attacks and two forms of healing. Its signature skill, Taker’s Flames, gives the weapon a ranged attack that can also restore health when it connects.
Blasphemous Blade is a remembrance weapon associated with Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, and belongs to Elden Ring’s unique greatsword group. It is a base-game weapon rather than a Shadow of the Erdtree addition, and its identity is fixed: the sword uses Somber reinforcement, cannot be given a different affinity or Ash of War, and carries Taker’s Flames as its defining skill. Those restrictions are balanced by a moveset and special attack that remain useful across a broad range of faith-focused builds.
Its ordinary attacks give the weapon the committed spacing and stagger potential expected from a greatsword, while its damage profile gives faith investment a clearer role than it has on many conventional greatswords. The weapon is therefore more than a heavier alternative to a straight sword or curved sword: it asks the player to accept slower, weightier swings in exchange for access to a distinctive fire-based skill and built-in sustain. Its physical attack pattern remains relevant when Taker’s Flames is not the right tool for the encounter.
Taker’s Flames is the feature that most sharply separates Blasphemous Blade from ordinary greatswords. The skill projects a wave of flame in front of the wielder, allowing the weapon to pressure enemies beyond normal melee range and punish groups or targets that are difficult to approach safely. A successful use also restores health, so the skill can serve both as an offensive option and as a way to recover during exploration or combat. The sword additionally restores health when nearby enemies die, giving routine victories a sustain benefit without turning that effect into a substitute for defensive play.
Its place in progression reflects that specialization. Blasphemous Blade becomes available through the remembrance tied to Rykard after that encounter, so it is a reward reached through a major base-game branch rather than an early random pickup. It is especially relevant to characters already investing in Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, but the weapon’s value is not limited to a single rigid build: the healing effects and forward-reaching skill are meaningful for players who want a greatsword with safer engagement options and recovery built into its combat identity. Comparisons should focus on other unique greatswords or faith-compatible weapons, since raw damage alone does not capture what makes this sword distinct.
Statistics
Elden Ring publishes no 0–100 stat bars, so this page lists the verified requirements, scaling and handling figures instead. Taken from the project's verified weapons database, not from generated text.
- CategoryGreatswords
- Damage TypeStandard/Fire
- Primary ScalingStr D / Dex E / Fai D
- Weight11
- SkillTaker's Flames
- Str Req18
- Dex Req13
- Fai Req12
- How to ObtainRykard boss reward (Remembrance)
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar greatswords
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blasphemous Blade | 18 | 13 | 11 | Str D / Dex E / Fai D |
| Banished Knight's Greatsword | 20 | 13 | 11 | Str D |
| Zweihander | 18 | 15 | 11 | Str D / Dex D |
| Queelign's Greatsword | 22 | 14 | 11 | Str D / Fai D |
| Greatsword | 18 | 10 | 10.5 | Str D |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Base-game access to Mt. Gelmir and the Volcano Manor route to Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy.
- Defeat Rykard and retain the Remembrance of the Blasphemous until speaking with Enia at Roundtable Hold.
- No Shadow of the Erdtree, DLC, or New Game Plus requirement applies to the normal acquisition route.
- The direct exchange provides one weapon reward from one remembrance; obtaining additional copies requires a duplicated remembrance rather than another ordinary pickup.
- 01Defeat Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, in the Volcano Manor boss encounter in Mt. Gelmir. His defeat guarantees the Remembrance of the Blasphemous; the weapon is not a direct corpse, chest, or enemy-drop reward.
- 02Take the Remembrance of the Blasphemous to Enia in the Roundtable Hold. Speak with her in the chamber beside the Two Fingers, select the remembrance-exchange option, and choose Blasphemous Blade from the available rewards.
- 03The exchange is guaranteed when the remembrance is selected, but the same remembrance can instead be exchanged for Rykard’s Rancor. If that choice was made, a duplicated Remembrance of the Blasphemous can provide an alternate opportunity, subject to the game’s Walking Mausoleum rules.
Availability
Requires Defeat Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, obtain the Remembrance of the Blasphemous, and reach Finger Reader Enia at Roundtable Hold. Using the weapon requires 22 Strength, 15 Dexterity, and 21 Faith.
The remembrance can be exchanged for either Blasphemous Blade or Rykard's Rancor; this is not a rune-priced vendor purchase. No DLC or difficulty requirement applies.
Requires Defeat Rykard again or otherwise obtain another copy of the remembrance, then exchange it through Finger Reader Enia.
The weapon is not removed or restricted in NG+, but each remembrance exchange still requires choosing between its available rewards.
Mechanics and Handling
Blasphemous Blade uses the standard Greatsword moveset, but its handling is defined by Taker’s Flames and its healing effects. It is a committed melee weapon: attacks have substantial recovery compared with lighter sword classes, so spacing and attack selection matter more than repeated button presses. Its split physical-and-fire damage also makes the weapon’s performance depend on the target’s defenses rather than on its displayed physical attack alone.
Greatsword attacks and spacing
The light attack chain consists of broad horizontal slashes with useful coverage around the player. These attacks are practical against groups at close range, but the weapon’s recovery leaves less room for correcting a mistimed swing than a straight sword or katana. The heavy attack uses the Greatsword class’s slower overhead strike, with a charged version that increases commitment in exchange for stronger impact and stance pressure. Jumping and running attacks provide more direct forward commitment and are useful for closing distance, while two-handing changes the handling and attribute calculation in the usual Elden Ring manner without giving the weapon a new moveset. Blasphemous Blade has no special reach rule that replaces the normal Greatsword spacing requirements.
Taker’s Flames
Taker’s Flames is the weapon’s fixed skill. The user raises the blade and brings it down, releasing a broad wave of fire across the ground. The skill therefore has two practical components: a close-range weapon impact and a traveling fire attack that can reach enemies beyond normal sword range. It is especially effective when several targets are aligned, although terrain, elevation, and enemy movement can cause the wave to miss. The animation has a clear wind-up and recovery period, so using it in an enemy’s active attack window can result in an interruption or trade rather than a safe hit.
Taker’s Flames deals fire damage and can stagger or knock down many ordinary enemies when it connects, but its control effect is not universal. Larger enemies and bosses may resist or ignore the knockdown even when they take damage. The skill is not an Ash of War that can be replaced: Blasphemous Blade’s unique weapon skill is fixed, and the weapon cannot be given a different affinity or skill through the normal Ashes of War system. The skill’s fire output is affected by the weapon’s upgrade and the relevant character attributes, so a displayed weapon value should not be treated as a universal result for every build.
Healing and enemy-death recovery
A successful Taker’s Flames hit restores health to the user. This recovery is one of the skill’s defining handling advantages: the attack can function as both an offensive punish and a way to recover after taking damage, provided the animation can be completed and the flame attack connects. It does not remove the skill’s commitment, and attempting to use it solely for healing is unsafe when the enemy can reach the player during its wind-up.
Blasphemous Blade also restores health when an enemy is defeated while the weapon’s effect is available. That effect is separate from the hit-based recovery of Taker’s Flames and is most noticeable while clearing groups or weaker enemies. It rewards keeping the weapon equipped during exploration, but it should not be treated as passive regeneration during a boss fight: it depends on an enemy death and does not trigger simply because the weapon is held.
Fire damage, blocking, and commitment
The weapon’s fire component is not a status buildup mechanic; it does not apply a named status in the way a bleed- or frost-oriented weapon does. Fire resistance therefore matters when choosing whether to rely on Taker’s Flames, and the skill’s healing does not make a poor matchup harmless. Enemies that block, resist fire, or remain mobile can reduce the value of a poorly timed cast.
Blasphemous Blade can be used with a shield or two-handed, and its attacks can be used against guarded targets like other Greatswords, but it is not primarily a defensive weapon. The sword’s distinctive value comes from converting a committed offensive action into area damage and conditional recovery. Players should create an opening first, then use Taker’s Flames when the target is unlikely to interrupt the wind-up; against groups, lining enemies up improves both the wave’s coverage and the chance of gaining value from one cast.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Taker's Flames projects a fire attack beyond the sword's normal contact range, letting the user punish or finish enemies without relying entirely on the greatsword's close-range swings.
- The weapon's defeat-triggered healing and the healing attached to its signature skill provide sustain during PvE exploration, especially when groups of ordinary enemies can be cleared without spending Flask charges.
- Its physical-and-fire damage profile and Faith-oriented scaling support Strength/Faith or Dexterity/Faith characters that want a greatsword with a damaging ranged skill rather than a purely physical moveset.
- The skill's broad forward hit can catch multiple closely grouped enemies, giving the weapon a practical crowd-control option when opponents approach from the same direction.
Weaknesses
- Its damage is split between physical and fire, so enemies with strong fire resistance reduce the contribution of its signature damage type; it is less reliable as a universal answer than a weapon whose damage is concentrated in one favorable type.
- Taker's Flames is a committed skill with a visible wind-up. A missed cast wastes FP and leaves the user vulnerable, while aggressive bosses can interrupt the attempt before the fire reaches them.
- The weapon is a unique greatsword with a fixed skill and cannot be freely customized with Ashes of War or affinities. It therefore gives up the infusion and skill flexibility available to many standard greatswords.
- The greatsword moveset still requires close spacing and committed attacks outside the skill. Fast enemies, cramped terrain, and targets that frequently reposition can make its slower swings difficult to convert into safe damage.
- Its strongest benefits are tied to a Faith-invested character and its unique skill, so it is a poor fit for a build that lacks the relevant attributes or intends to use another weapon skill as its primary tool.
Best uses
- PvE exploration and routine enemy groups, where defeat healing and Taker's Flames can preserve Crimson Flask charges between major encounters.
- Strength/Faith or Dexterity/Faith builds seeking a greatsword that combines conventional melee reach with a fire-based ranged punish option.
- Large or relatively stationary targets that give the skill's forward fire attack time to connect, particularly when the player can create space before casting.
- Encounters where repeated healing is valuable but the user can still switch tactics against fire-resistant enemies rather than treating the weapon's skill as universally optimal.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Build emphasis | Damage and role | Unique skill | Best comparison point | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blasphemous Blade | Strength/Faith, with Dexterity also contributing | Physical and fire damage; its skill supports sustained PvE play through ranged fire damage and healing on a successful hit | Taker's Flames combines damage, knockdown potential and self-healing, making it effective for general PvE and boss openings | The strongest fit here for a Faith melee build that values survivability and a forgiving skill |
| Sacred Relic Sword | Dexterity/Faith | Physical and holy damage; particularly suited to broad PvE area coverage | Wave of Gold sends a large holy wave forward, giving it stronger line-clearing utility than Blasphemous Blade | Prefer it for crowd clearing and farming rather than Blasphemous Blade's healing-oriented skill loop |
| Ordovis's Greatsword | Strength/Faith | Physical and holy damage; favors close-range stance pressure | Ordovis's Vortex is a charged spinning attack that rewards committing to melee range | A more direct Strength/Faith alternative when stance damage and close engagement matter more than fire damage and healing |
| Golden Order Greatsword | Dexterity/Faith | Physical and holy damage; a Faith-oriented greatsword with a more holy-focused identity | Establish Order uses a holy explosion followed by a ranged holy follow-up | A better thematic and mechanical fit for holy damage investment, while Blasphemous Blade offers fire damage and more practical sustain |
Used In
- Rykard, Lord of BlasphemyDefeating Rykard awards Remembrance of the Blasphemous, which can be exchanged for the Blasphemous Blade.
- Remembrance of the BlasphemousThis remembrance is the exchange item used to obtain the Blasphemous Blade from Enia.
- EniaThe Finger Reader at Roundtable Hold exchanges Remembrance of the Blasphemous for the Blasphemous Blade.
- Volcano ManorThe weapon is tied to the defeat of Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, in Volcano Manor.
- Somber Smithing StoneThe Blasphemous Blade uses the Somber reinforcement path and is upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones.
Lore and Design
[Major spoiler] Blasphemous Blade is tied directly to Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. Its item lore identifies it as a greatsword formed from the remains of a lord who allowed the great serpent to devour him, making the weapon an expression of Rykard’s transformation rather than an ordinary armament from Volcano Manor. The sword therefore connects the player’s reward to Rykard’s rejection of the Erdtree’s order and his chosen, monstrous form.
The weapon’s lore also gives its defining flame-and-devouring imagery a narrative context: Rykard’s power is represented through consumption, corruption and the conversion of victims into nourishment. That theme is reflected in the weapon’s signature skill, but the lore does not establish a separate canonical relationship between the sword and every serpent-associated character or creature in the game. Its connection is specifically to Rykard and the great serpent that consumed him.
No reliable official development commentary or documented real-world design source is established here. Claims that the sword is based on a particular historical execution sword, religious object or cultural tradition should therefore be treated as speculation rather than part of its documented design history.
Trivia
- The Blasphemous Blade is one of the weapons exchanged for the Remembrance of the Blasphemous, tying it directly to Praetor Rykard and the Volcano Manor storyline.
- Its weapon skill, Taker’s Flames, is thematically unusual among greatsword skills because the fire it projects can restore the wielder’s health when it hits an enemy.