To obtain the Legendary Black Knife Dagger in Elden Ring, Tarnished must defeat a Black Knife Assassin Field Boss found in Altus Plateau.

The Black Knife is a Legendary Dagger in Elden Ring wielded by the notorious elite Black Knife Assassins who slew Ranni's half-sibling, Godwyn the Golden. This oddly misshapen blade is "imbued with the power of the stolen Rune of Death," granting it the weapon art known as Blade of Death. This skill has its wielder leap into the air and unleash a slashing projectile in Elden Ring that cuts through an enemy target, draining their HP while temporarily reducing their max health pool. Blade of Death costs 25 FP to cast and deals Holy Damage, meaning its potency can be further enhanced with the Holy-Shrouding Cracked Tear or Sacred Scorpion Charm.

To wield the Black Knife Dagger, Tarnished will need a stat allocation of Strength 8, Dexterity 12, and Faith 18. It should be noted that its Blade of Death weapon art shares the same animation with the Blade of Calling's skill, Blade of Gold. For clarification, the Blade of Death deals more damage than the Blade of Gold, but Blade of Calling's weapon art is more suitable for breaking enemy Poise, causing them to become staggered or even knocked down.

The Black Knife Dagger in Elden Ring is acquired as a guaranteed drop from the Black Knife Assassin Field Boss that guards the entrance to Sainted Hero's Grave in Altus Plateau. To reach this location, players must travel to the Site of Grace at the Outer Wall Battleground. From here, they can exit the walls through the northern gate and head left down the Rampartside Path. Sainted Hero's Grave sits at the end of the ridge and is where Tarnished will face the Black Knife Assassin.

Black Knife Weapon's Location In Elden Ring

Due to their varied moveset, agile frame, and high-damage output, Black Knife Assassins are formidable opponents and can be a challenge for even high-level adventurers. Furthermore, Assassins can also use the deadly Blade of Death weapon art on players. Accordingly, those attempting to acquire the Black Knife Dagger at an early character level may experience trouble fighting the guardian of Sainted Hero's Grave. Nonetheless, there is a possible way to cheese this Elden Ring boss.

A player's focus when facing the Black Knife Assassin in Altus Plateau should be to find cover from its long-reaching lunge attacks and Blade of Death projectile. Unfortunately, due to the spacious nature of the front area of Sainted Hero's Grave, there are not many places to hide from the Assassin's attack. However, Tarnished can use the Dungeon's monument to trick the AI into resetting by circling the entrance. This tactic grants players many more opportunities to land backstabs or free strikes on the boss. Once the Assassin has been defeated, it will drop the Black Knife in Elden Ring.

Next: Elden Ring: Complete Walkthrough, Boss Strategies & Build Guides

Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.