On March 24th, a lucky nation will get to dive deep into the world of Dark Souls 3. While Japan gets the game early, the rest of us plebs have to wait patiently for the wide release on April  12th. I must admit I am incredibly envious of those who get the game early. To jump back into the worlds of the Souls universe is something I have been looking forward to since the game was announced. One part of the Souls series I absolutely love is the weapons. No other game offers such a wide variety in both design and mechanics. Wanna be a knight wielding a greatsword? You can do that. Want to run an assassins build with dual daggers? Yup that can be done. The sheer amount of weapons in the series has caused me to reflect upon my favorites. In this two part series leading up to the launch of DkS 3 I will present my top ten weapons of both Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2. Let’s get started.

 10. Drake Sword

I have one word for this sword. Controversial. In many DkS circles this weapon is almost taboo. The reason for this is purely the weapon power. Accessible early, the sword is obtained through a unique method. Like many weapons in DkS, this sword is obtained through the severing of the Red Drake’s tail within the Undead Parish. The sword is powerful in early game, but lacks any scaling, so quickly falls off as the player reaches mid to late game. I actually really like the design of this sword. It definitely captures the dragon design well. The sword has a scaly appearance which I really like. Hearing the sword name makes me think of…

9. Demon Great Machete

While reading this list, you will realize something… I like ’em big. Dark Souls does such a good job of creating immensely over-sized weapons, but still makes them practical, fun and functional. The Demon Machete is one of these over-sized weapons(you will see many more) that I really like. Everything from the hook to the barbed hilt is fitting of a ‘demonic’ weapon. The weapon is an absolute beast, basically smashing anything that gets within range. Weapon text  sums it up nicely, “The sword is imbued with no particular magic, but for those who have the strength, its great weight will smash foes mercilessly.” If heavy attacks are not your jam, next on the list requires a touch more finesse.

8. Dark Silver Tracer

From the Artorias of the Abyss DLC, the Dark Silver Tracer is the games highest dexterity and critical hit damage dagger. Aside from having being a wicked blade, the dagger looks good. The design reminds me a bit of the tail of a stingray. I especially love the barbs on the blades edge. Couple the design with an auxiliary skill that stacks toxic on enemies and you have my number 8. Not much more to say about this weapon, so let’s keep things rolling.

7. Bonewheel Shield

The first and only shield to be found on this list is the Bonewheel Shield. For anyone that has never played the game… This item sucks and here is why. Basically the enemies that wield the BS instantly turn sonic level speed, crashing into the player and shredding health. The area is notoriously bad. This is one aspect of the Dark Souls series I love, items are organically present within the world. To clarify, basically if you see something (on a person or enemy) you  can get it. The Bonewheel Shield is just one example. I love the design and the absurdity of this item. Basically just a cartwheel, but with spikes.

6. Dragon Bone Fist

Dragon Bone Fist comes in at number 6 on the list. Basically a hunk of dragon bone that has been shaped into some sort of glove. The weapon design reminds me of the Hulk Gloves that were popular a few years ago. This weapon feels rudimentary and primitive and I like that. If you want to beat enemies to a pulp, this is the item for you.