- Bloodborne Chikage is a Bloodtinge-scaled trick weapon obtained in Cainhurst Castle.
- Its transformed mode deals heavy blood damage but drains your health over time.
- Best used by dedicated Bloodtinge builds with Bloodtinge pushed toward 50.
- Pair with Evelyn or the Repeating Pistol for a ranged blood-damage backup.
- Commit to Bloodtinge only after acquiring the weapon to avoid wasted early levels.
Chikage Overview: Why This Blade Is Special
The Chikage is one of Bloodborne's most distinctive trick weapons: a foreign katana imported from the East that, when transformed, reveals its true nature as a living blade fed by blood. In its untransformed state, it behaves as a fast, Skill-scaled sword with respectable physical damage. When transformed, the blade turns crimson and deals blood damage scaled by Bloodtinge, producing some of the highest burst damage in the game for a properly built hunter.
The cost of that power is a continuous health drain while the transformed mode is active. Every second the blade stays bloodied, your HP ticks downward. This makes the Chikage a weapon about rhythm and decision-making: transform, strike decisively, and transform back before the drain compounds.
The transformed Chikage drains your health continuously, and the drain continues even between attacks while the form is active. Transform back to the sheathed form to stop the drain. Never enter a boss fog gate while already transformed at low health.
The weapon sits in Tier B on our overall weapons tier list — not because it is weak, but because it demands a specialized build, arrives later than starting weapons, and punishes careless play. For hunters who commit to it, the Chikage rewards that commitment with a unique playstyle no other weapon replicates.
| Attribute | Untransformed | Transformed |
|---|---|---|
| Primary scaling | Skill (physical) | Bloodtinge (blood) |
| Damage type | Physical | Blood |
| Attack speed | Fast | Fast |
| Health cost | None | Continuous drain |
| Best use | Neutral play, exploring | Burst damage, punish windows |
How to Get the Chikage: Cainhurst Route
The Chikage is tied to the Cainhurst Vilebloods and the frozen halls of Cainhurst Castle. It cannot be picked up in the main Yharnam progression — you need to unlock the optional castle area first.
Obtain the Cainhurst Summons
Reach the Forbidden Woods and find the path to Iosefka's Clinic's rear entrance. The Cainhurst Summons are found inside the clinic on a table in the operating room.
Ride to Cainhurst Castle
From the Witch's Abode lamp in Hemwick Charnel Lane, approach the tall obelisk monument. Interact with the summons to be carried to Cainhurst Castle by ghostly carriage.
Explore the castle and find the Vileblood Register
Fight through the castle grounds and interior. The Vileblood Register — required to join the Cainhurst Vilebloods covenant — is found inside the castle library area.
Join the covenant and purchase the Chikage
Pledge to Queen Annalise at the Vileblood Register. Once you are a Vileblood, the Chikage becomes purchasable with Blood Echoes through the Insight shop in the Hunter's Dream.
Cainhurst is optional and fairly demanding. A character around level 50–60 with a reinforced weapon handles the castle comfortably. Martyr Logarius, the castle's final boss, is a difficulty-5 encounter — treat him as a genuine gatekeeper, not a formality.
Bloodtinge Build: Stats, Gems, and Runes
The Chikage only reaches its full potential on a dedicated Bloodtinge build. Spreading points across Strength or Arcane dilutes the payoff; the transformed scaling is the entire reason to use this weapon.
| Stage | Stat Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Early | Vitality to ~20, meet weapon requirements | Don't overinvest in Bloodtinge before you own the Chikage |
| Mid | Bloodtinge toward 25, Vitality ~30 | Transition into the Chikage once acquired |
| Late | Bloodtinge toward 50, Vitality ~40 | Soft cap territory; transformed damage scales dramatically |
Blood gem recommendations:
- Bloodtinge gems (blood attack up) are the top priority for the transformed form.
- Physical gems can carry the untransformed sword form as a secondary benefit.
- Nourishing gems work for hybrid setups, though pure blood gems generally win.
Caryll Rune recommendations:
- Oedon Writhe — restores Quicksilver Bullets after visceral attacks, keeping your firearm fed.
- Blood Rapture — heals after visceral attacks, offsetting the transformed drain.
- Clawmark — boosts visceral damage for a build that already loves parries.
- Communion — extra Blood Vials for longer hunts while managing the health drain.
A Blood Rapture rune plus regular parries creates a self-sustaining loop: visceral attacks heal you, Oedon Writhe refills bullets, and the Chikage's transformed strikes close out the fight. This loop directly counters the weapon's biggest drawback.
Chikage Combat Strategy: Managing the Drain
Fighting with the Chikage is about decisive windows, not constant aggression. Follow these principles to keep the health drain under control.
Transform with Purpose
- Enter blood form only when you see an opening
- Land a fast two-to-three hit string
- Transform back immediately after the punish
Use Rally to Offset Drain
- Transform-mode attacks still trigger regain
- Aggressive counter-hits recover drain losses
- Retreat healing wastes your damage windows
Carry a Ranged Backup
- Evelyn scales with Bloodtinge and hits hard
- Parry with your firearm, then visceral
- Finish fleeing or low-HP enemies without transforming
| Scenario | Recommended Approach |
|---|---|
| Group of enemies | Untransformed sword, stay mobile, avoid drain |
| Boss punish window | Transform, 2–3 hits, transform back |
| Poisoned/burning enemy | Transform — blood damage, no status interaction |
| Low HP | Heal before transforming, never during a string |
| PvP invader | Parry into visceral, use Evelyn pressure |
Hunters often leave the transformed mode running between fights while sprinting through areas. The drain does not pause. Develop the habit of sheathing the blade the moment combat ends — it is the single biggest survivability improvement for Chikage users.
Chikage Mastery Checklist:
- Obtain the Cainhurst Summons and reach Cainhurst Castle
- Join the Cainhurst Vilebloods and purchase the Chikage
- Raise Bloodtinge toward 25 before relying on transformed mode
- Equip Bloodtinge blood gems on the weapon
- Practice transform-attack-transform rhythm on regular enemies
- Reach Bloodtinge 50 and pair with Evelyn for endgame
Chikage vs. Other Bloodtinge Weapons
The Chikage is the entry point to Bloodtinge builds, but two DLC-era alternatives compete for the same stat investment. Compare them before spending upgrade materials.
| Weapon | Source | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chikage | Cainhurst Castle (base game) | Fast transformed blood damage, early availability among Bloodtinge weapons | Continuous health drain in blood form |
| Bloodletter | The Old Hunters DLC | Massive blood damage, transforms into a blood-infused mace, drains HP from the weapon not as a timed drain | Slow moveset, DLC access required |
| Simon's Bowblade | The Old Hunters DLC | Transforms into a bow with powerful blood arrows, ranged option | Limited ammo economy, DLC access required |
For a first Bloodtinge character, the Chikage remains the practical choice: it is available from the base game, its moveset teaches the discipline the other weapons demand, and its transformed damage holds up through the endgame and into depth-5 Chalice Dungeons.
Once your Bloodtinge reaches the 40–50 range, the transformed Chikage with high-tier bloodtinge gems becomes one of the strongest boss-melting tools in the game, particularly against enemies with low blood resistance.
FAQ
Q: Does the Chikage's transformed mode drain health in Bloodborne?
Yes. While transformed, the Chikage continuously drains the hunter's health. Transforming back to the sheathed form stops the drain immediately. Managing this cost through rally attacks and Blood Rapture runes is core to using the weapon effectively.
Q: What stats does the Chikage need?
The untransformed form scales with Skill, while the transformed form scales with Bloodtinge. A dedicated build raises Vitality for survival and pushes Bloodtinge toward 50, investing in Skill only as much as needed to meet the weapon's requirements.
Q: Where do I get the Bloodborne Chikage?
The Chikage becomes purchasable after joining the Cainhurst Vilebloods covenant in Cainhurst Castle. To reach the castle, obtain the Cainhurst Summons from Iosefka's Clinic and interact with the monument near the Witch's Abode lamp in Hemwick Charnel Lane.
Q: Is the Chikage worth using over Ludwig's Holy Blade?
They serve different builds. Ludwig's Holy Blade is a versatile Strength/Skill weapon with no health cost, making it the safer all-purpose pick. The Chikage offers higher specialized burst damage on a committed Bloodtinge build. Choose based on your stat direction, not raw tier placement.