Despite originally releasing way back in 2009, Bluepoint Games' Demon's Souls Remake is many player's first experience with the title. Dark Souls may have kicked off the franchise in terms of popularity, but many of the trends present throughout the Dark Souls trilogy and beyond actually originated with this title. While playing through the game, players will find many weapons and items that seem like direct references to Dark Souls, but in fact it is the other way around. These weapons were iconic and popular enough to stick around, making a return in one form or another in the Dark Souls franchise.
Demon's Souls is full of iconic weapons for players to collect and use, so this list is in no way comprehensive. Obviously, many weapons such as typical longswords, short bows, wooden catalysts and the like will be present in both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, but these are rather unique offerings found in both games. Sometimes players need to manipulate their World Tendency to get these weapons, while others are simply obtained through boss souls or by getting to hard to reach areas. Regardless, it's a great way to look at the legacy of Demon's Souls and how it shaped Dark Souls in more ways than one.
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Starting off with the obvious choice, the Large Sword of Moonlight is arguably the most iconic weapon in all of Demon's Souls. It was so popular that it would go on to return in Dark Souls, this time called the Moonlight Greatsword. This weapon has been available for players to use in every single Dark Souls game since, even branching off into other FromSoftware titles like Bloodborne in the form of the Holy Sword of Moonlight. With high magic damage and a unique moveset, it's easy to see why this weapon is a fan favorite.
In Demon's Souls, the Large Sword of Moonlight can be obtained in the Swamp of Sorrow (5-2). To get it, players need to progress through the level and pass through the first fog door. Continuing on, they'll notice an area off in the swamp with a huge number of slugs. Skip this for now, but make note of it for later. Right before the next fog door, head left to find a ramp leading to the upper part of the swamp. Here there's a nest full of slugs that players can knock down with enough attacks. Head back down to the slug area from before and the Large Sword of Moonlight will be there surrounded by these enemies.
The Morion Blade is another iconic weapon from Demon's Souls, but less for its appearance, and more for its widespread use. While equipped, the Morion Blade has the unique capability of amplifying all damage by 60 percent whenever the player is below 30 percent hit points. This can be stacked with the Clever Rat's Ring that boosts damage by an additional 50 percent when the player's HP is below 30 percent. Finally, magic users can also wear the Monk's Headcollar and the Ring of Magical Sharpness to obtain ridiculous levels of damage, a tactic fans have called "Hyper Mode."
Although the Morion Blade wouldn't be seen again for quite some time, it did make a surprise return in Dark Souls 3. In that game, the effects are similar, with all damage being boosted by 20 percent so long as the player's HP is below 20 percent. The same is true for the Storm Ruler, another important weapon in Demon's Souls, as it too got a redesign in Dark Souls 3. To get the Morion Blade weapon in Demon's Souls, players will need to traverse the Shadowmen Archstone and defeat the Storm King Archdemon. Using its boss soul and a +8 soul, Blacksmith Ed can craft the Morion Blade for the player. Ironically, the Storm Ruler is also obtained during this fight.
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The Uchigatana is the odd one out here because it is actually based on a real-life weapon, but that doesn't diminish its iconic status in any way. Like the Moonlight Greatsword, the Uchigatana has appeared in every iteration of Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, and is often a solid choice for players wanting to use a katana type weapon. Particularly in Dark Souls 3, its weapon art allows players to parry even when using the sword in two hands, making it especially powerful in the hands of skilled players.
Thankfully, obtaining this weapon in Demon's Souls is much easier than some of the others on this list. First, players are guaranteed one on Island's Edge (4-1), as it can be picked up off a corpse right behind the Vanguard Demon in this area. Aside from this, more Uchigatanas can also be earned by defeating Black Skeletons, the red-eyed, dual-wielding enemies found frequently throughout this Archstone. This weapon may not be the best katana available in the game, and it has definitely gone through many reimaginings throughout its history, but it's generally a great choice and relatively easy to obtain.
In contrast to the Morion Blade, the White Bow is often considered relatively useless. Despite its impressive range, players can easily get more damage with the Composite Bow or the Lava Bow, making this one see little use. Even so, it is an important weapon in the lore of Demon's Souls, being wielded by the human Longbow Oolan before she turned into the Phalanx demon. Although it may be considered a bit of a stretch, her White Bow does seem to make a return in Dark Souls 3, this time under the name of the White Birch Bow.
Both of these weapons are unique bows that offer something no other bow does, and their designs and names are similar. The White Birch Bow fires invisible arrows, while the White Bow offers the longest range in the game. What makes this comparison particularly interesting is the description of the White Birch Bow, which says it hails from "an ancient land of sorceries that was swallowed by the Abyss." This is clearly a reference to Dark Souls 1's Oolacile, but it could also be construed as referencing Boletaria itself if the deep, colorless fog was mistaken as the abyss. There's also something to be said for both Oolacile and Longbow Oolan having similar names.
Demon's Souls is available now on PS5.
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