FromSoftware has curated quite the collection of Soulsborne games, most of which are subtly connected through hard-to-find items, characters, or locations. There is one item, however, that directly appears in almost every Soulsborne game: the Moonlight Greatsword. This sword originated as a powerful and necessary weapon in one of the first FromSoftware games, King’s Field.
Eagle-eyed fans are sure to have noticed the different variations of this weapon appearing in this series, and creator Hidetaka Miyazaki has surely included it as a homage to the origins of FromSoftware and as a way to keep all of these games connected. Even though this weapon’s appearance or name subtly changes from game to game, it has become a staple in the Soulsborne series.
Demon's Souls
Demon's Souls is the spiritual predecessor to the Dark Souls series, and it has some notable features that have since been polished and used in the subsequent titles. Fans of the series have been able to revisit Demon's Souls through the recent PS5 remake, allowing players to see many of the pre-Dark Souls ideas in action.
The Large Sword of Moonlight was the Demon's Souls version of the original sword. This large sword is found in the Swamp of Sorrow hidden amongst a nest of enemies that had to be struck multiple times in order to produce the item. Developers often hid these special items or required specific tasks to be done, so the player earned the right to wield such a unique weapon.
Dark Souls
In all three of the core Dark Souls games, the sword takes on its most familiar moniker, The Moonlight Greatsword. The weapon is obtained in these games by defeating bosses; however, the way in which it is acquired in the original Dark Souls is the most tedious.
The player acquires the Moonlight Greatsword from one of the main Dark Souls story bosses, Seath the Scaleless. The sword is not obtained by simply defeating the boss; the player must cut off the dragon’s tail mid-fight, which can be an arduous task. Seath is known for being the grandfather of sorcery in Dark Souls, which is why he is the owner of the magically imbued Moonlight Greatsword.
Dark Souls 2
The second rendition of the Moonlight Greatsword is found in Dark Souls 2. To get this weapon the player must defeat Duke’s Dear Freja, and trade in the boss’ soul with Weaponsmith Ornifex. There is an extra requirement, however. Players must obtain the Old Paledrake Soul, which is only acquired after defeating Freja in New Game Plus, meaning the player would have to fight the boss in a second playthrough in order to have the correct soul. Dark Souls lore explains that Freja is the successor to Seath the Scaleless and thus possesses his soul, which is used to create the sword.
It is also worth noting that Dark Souls 2 features a copy of the Moonlight Greatsword called the Bluemoon Greatsword. Though this weapon looks similar to the original, the false greatsword is slightly weaker. Through NPC dialogue and Dark Souls 2's item descriptions, the player is able to deduce that this sword is not the true Moonlight Greatsword.
Dark Souls 3
Dark Souls 3 also requires the player to trade a boss’ soul in return for the Moonlight Greatsword. This particular boss is Oceiros, the Consumed King, and is reminiscent of Seath the Scaleless from the original Dark Souls. Oceiros is attempting to recreate the original Seath, and by doing so also recreates the iconic weapon.
The DLC for Dark Souls 3, The Ringed City, also features a version of the original Moonlight Greatsword in the form of a sorcery. This spell, Old Moonlight, is acquired by defeating the boss Darkeater Midir and transposing his soul, once again alluding to the sword’s association with dragons and magic.
Bloodborne
The rendition of the Moonlight Greatsword in Bloodborne is only slightly different from the Dark Souls series, dubbed the Holy Moonlight Sword. There is a weapon in the original game, Ludwig’s Holy Blade, which is a replica of the actual greatsword. However, the true version was added with The Old Hunters DLC.
This weapon can be found by progressing the story of the DLC until encountering Bloodborne's Ludwig, The Holy Blade, who is the original owner of the sword and uses it against the player during the second phase of the boss fight. After defeating Ludwig, the player must either speak to his now docile head while wearing a certain type of clothing or simply attack the head to acquire the weapon.
Elden Ring
The latest entry in the Soulsborne series also features this recurring weapon. The Dark Moon Greatsword is given to the player for completing Ranni’s questline. Ranni is very much associated with darkness and the moon, so it is fitting that she is the one who gives the player this powerful weapon.
However, just as it was difficult to obtain in previous games, getting this weapon requires effort. Ranni’s quest in Elden Ring is very convoluted and requires a lot of attention, but if the player is able to successfully complete it, they are rewarded with not only the Dark Moon Greatsword but also the option to choose an alternate ending to Elden Ring.
Sekiro
Sekiro is the only Soulsborne game that does not feature a functioning version of the Moonlight Greatsword. Since this game is set in a significantly different area and does not give players the ability to change primary weapons, it would have been difficult to include this sword in Sekiro.
The closest rendition to the weapon, though it is not directly stated, is the large sword wielded by one Sekiro boss, the Divine Dragon. This weapon is associated with dragons and its blue glow and magical properties share similar characteristics to the original.
Other FromSoftware Titles
The Moonlight Greatsword, in any variant, has not only been exclusive to the Soulsborne series. Many FromSoftware games have included the weapon. The Armored Core games have a class of laser blades called MOONLIGHT and Ninja Blade featured a weapon that, once upgraded, transforms into the Moonlight Blade.
With such a rich history, the Moonlight Greatsword has become a unique and useful weapon in all the Souls games. FromSoftware has made it abundantly clear that it wants to continue to reimagine this weapon in all of its titles to come.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.