Can You Get the Nagakiba Without Killing in Elden Ring?

The quick answer is yes, you can get the legendary Nagakiba katana simply by progressing Yura‘s questline to its conclusion. No NPC murder required!

As a fan who prefers non-violent playthroughs, I was delighted to discover this peaceful path to acquiring one of Elden Ring‘s most coveted weapons. Below I‘ll share how to spare Yura along with some of my own Nagakiba experiences from 80+ hours of gameplay.

Who is Yura and Why Does Peace Matter?

Yura is a mysterious samurai warrior first met near the Murkwater Cave in Limgrave. He eagerly helps you battle a bloody finger invasion, giving you a chance to save this NPC rather than selfishly stealing his gear.

As gamers and fans, having the freedom to choose peaceful options enriches our storytelling experience. Violence should always be a last resort both in games and real life. So I play with that same mindset even in dark RPGs like Elden Ring.

The good news for pacifist build fans is that from software rewards the merciful path here! You‘ll still reap all of Yura‘s quest rewards like the Nagakiba without any killing required.

How to Progress Yura‘s Questline Peacefully

Acquiring the Nagakiba via his questline simply takes a bit of patience. But having that mythic odachi style katana makes it all worthwhile!

Here are the key encounters and triggers for keeping Yura alive and well on your journey:

• 1st Meeting: Help Yura kill the Bloody Finger Nerijus invader outside Murkwater Cave. This completes the "Revenger‘s Shackle" mini-quest.

• 2nd Meeting: After defeating Agheel, find Yura again camping under a seaside overpass ruins down the hill from the dragon site.

• Before Leyndell: Meet at Mt. Gelmir site under the highway to receive the Nagakiba reward. If you burned the Erdtree already, just pick up weapon here.

And that‘s it! No complicated quest lines or hoops to jump through. Yura rewards those who aided him in previous battles with his iconic signature Nagakiba blade.

What If I Missed Part of His Quest?

Not to worry! Even if you failed to meet Yura at one of those encounters, his Nagakiba will still await faithful tarnished at the Mountaintops camp. It rests on the cliffside altar overlooking the highway descent down to the forbidden land zone.

So while it‘s most honorable to accompany Yura fully on his wolf hunts, fromsoftware gives us a backup plan if we neglected our duties…

Can NPC Quests Fail in Elden Ring?

In most cases FromSoftware has built in alternate endings where quest items eventually reach certain spots whether their owners lived or died.

However I always advise keeping NPCs alive whenever possible. You‘ll learn extra lore from their dialogues, gain additional rewards, and experience more satisfying story conclusions. Some quests do have failure states that lock content (Leonine Misbegotten for example).

In Yura‘s case though, the Nagakiba‘s availability won‘t be affected by his death. So those who already killed the samurai early on need not worry about losing this katana permanently!

Next let‘s examine why the Nagakiba itself is so coveted in the lands between…

Why the Nagakiba Katana is an Elite Weapon Reward

While the uchigatana and rivers of blood get more notoriety, the Nagakiba stands above both as the pinnacle of pure physical katanas in my opinion.

Some key traits that make this weapon so potent:

• Range: Highest reach of all katanas with a deceptively long blade
• Scaling: Keen affinity and innate dex scaling give S-tier damage
• Moveset: Diverse flowing slashes plus piercing stab attacks
• Weight: Surprisingly light allowing use of bulky armor sets

Paired with skills like Unsheathe or Sword Dance this odachi can devastate foes through both PvE and PvP encounters.

Let‘s see how the stats compare to similar legendary armaments:

(All values at +25 normal weapon level)

As you can see, the Nagakiba provides outstanding reach, damage and critical potential while still weighing less than "lighter" curved swords. And that S-tier dex scaling means more damage returns per stat point than the more gimmicky special weapons.

While not quite as flashy, I find versatility and reliability are the Nagakiba‘s greatest assets…

My Favorite Nagakiba Builds and How I Utilize Them

Through multiple complete playthroughs, I eventually settled on 70 dexterity for my Nagakiba wielding samurai builds. This gives both adequate damage and decent survivability thanks to lighter armor.

Typically I‘ll two-hand the ‘Kiba with no shield, instead relying on Barricade Shield skill for absorb counter attacks when needed. Bloodhound Step or Flame Grant Me Strength provide alternate buffs/dodges.

For talismans I lean towards:

• Rotten Winged Sword Insignia: Boosts successive attack power
• Kindred of Rot Exultation: Raises attack with scarlet rot nearby
• Lord of Blood‘s Exultation: Same for hemorrhage status buildup
• Claw Talisman: Raises dexterity scaling even further

This setup maximizes the Nagakiba‘s passive bleed buildup and lets me pressure bosses with a rapid mix of normal slashes, Unsheathe skill combos, and running/rolling attacks. Mimic Tear spirit ashes make an ideal distraction partner!

While far from the most powerful PvE choice, I ultimately favor this weapon for the satisfaction of mastering such an awesome looking moveset. Plus knowing I completed Yura‘s quest without harm makes it feel like an honorable samurai‘s signature blade.

Hopefully this gives you some inspiration to try a non-violent path as well! Now let‘s cover alternate acquisition options…

Where to Find Nagakiba if You Missed Yura‘s Questline

Players who already allowed Yura‘s unfortunate demise (or simply neglected to complete his quest) need not start the game over! Thankfully FromSoftware provides a completely separate means to obtain the Nagakiba for tarnished who failed their duties.

The alternate location is:

• Inside Yura‘s vacant campsite south of Seaside Ruins, overlooking dragon burnt ruins on the coast. Site of grace is on a rocky outcropping.

Here the Nagakiba rests alone on the bloodstained altar amidst some permanently missed dialogue from its previous owner. So if you accidentally swung first and asked questions later regarding a certain samurai hunter, redemption still awaits down the road!

This option will remain available even after defeating the Elden Beast and becoming lord in Farum Azula. So fear not if you already began journey 2 or beyond.

Do keep in mind however that Yura‘s armor set can only be obtained from killing Shibiri‘s possessed body atop the snowy Mountaintops after this questline ends. So be sure to grab the Nagakiba before ending him.

Ideally we‘d find an entirely non-violent solution there as well. But alas FromSoftware doesn‘t accommodate pacifists completely…

Further Limitations for Non-Violent Playthroughs

While the legendary Nagakiba itself can be obtained without deliberate NPC murder, those attempting zero-kill runs still face limitations in the realm of Elden Lord ambitions.

Most notably, acquiring great runes necessary to enter Leyndell involves at least a few demigod boss fights no matter what paths you take. And secret areas in consecrated snowfields / Mohgwyn Palace contain enemies that some may consider innocent.

So pure non-violence becomes tricky if your goal is to become Elden Lord. However, intentionally avoiding gratuitous NPC murder adds roleplaying depth in my opinion. And the Nagakiba specifically rewards those who show compassion to Yura which is wonderfully appropriate lore-wise!

Let me know if anyone finds fully non-violent routes through. Perhaps there are quest item tricks I‘m unaware of still…

Verdict: Getting the Nagakiba Sans Murder

In summary: Yes, obtaining the legendary Nagakiba katana without deliberate NPC homicide is completely possible! Simply progressing Bloody Finger Hunter Yura‘s questline to its conclusion allows you to gain the weapon peacefully as an ally.

No convoluted tricks or glitches needed. FromSoftware wonderfully accounted for variable playstyles here, accommodating those who prefer compassion over steel by providing a compelling story path to fulfill Yura‘s legacy without further bloodshed.

While harder in execution, non-violence remains my preferred playstyle for added roleplaying depth and meaningful interactions that violent routes may lack. And this iconic weapon serves as a perfect token representing those ideals if obtained properly.

So conscientious gamers can rejoice at having options beyond wanton brutality! Now may we all go forth to forge legends worthy of honor and remembrance. Wherever the great unknown leads after this shattering (or mending)…

Let me know in comments if you have any other questions about Elden Ring non-violent routes! I‘m always seeking new ways to overcome challenges through understanding rather than brute force domination.