Elden Ring's Dark Moon Greatsword continues a nearly thirty-year FromSoftware tradition. Every King's Field and Soulsborne game (sans Sekiro) has included the iconic blade.

You can acquire the Dark Moon Greatsword around Elden Ring's midgame, at the culmination of Ranni's questline(opens in new tab). There can be a lot of game left after this point, but you'll have to face some of the most challenging Elden Ring bosses(opens in new tab) before acquiring the Dark Moon Greatsword, so it's a good idea to invest in another strong Elden Ring weapon(opens in new tab) like the Moonveil Katana(opens in new tab) to see you through those challenges.

Elden Ring Dark Moon Greatsword: How to start Ranni's Quest

You can check out our full, step-by-step guide for Ranni's quest if you'd like the most granular details. I'll lay out the broad strokes here for the spoiler-averse:

• Make sure you've completed Blaidd's Quest(opens in new tab) in Mistwood. Ranni's should proceed as normal if you haven't, however.

• Meet Ranni at Caria Manor and enter her service. You'll be directed here toward the conclusion of Rogier's quest.

• Talk to Blaidd in Siofra River (one of the coolest areas in the game(opens in new tab)).

• Talk to Seluvis in the tower south of Ranni's, then talk to Sorceress Sellen (check out our guide on how to complete Sorceress Sellen's quest(opens in new tab) if you missed her in Limgrave) and return to Blaidd in Siofra.

• Defeat Caelid's boss, Starscourge Radahn.

• Talk to Ranni and Iji again, then get the Fingerslayer Blade from under the crater that's opened up southwest of the Fort Haigt site of grace and return to Ranni.

• Explore the Carian Study Hall with the item she gives you and acquire the cursemark from the top of Linuria's Divine Tower.

• Renna's Rise in the Caria Manor will have opened up. Use the portal at the top, then collect the doll near the first site of grace. Exhaust the doll's dialogue while resting at the site of grace, and similarly talk to it at each subsequent site of grace in this area.

• Defeat the shade at the end of the area, then open the chest in Rennala's boss room in the Royal Lucaria Academy with the key you acquired.

• Return to where you fought the shade and explore the Lake of Rot. Defeat the area boss and ascend.

• Go down the hole in the Cathedral of Manus Celes and speak to Ranni to conclude the quest and receive the Dark Moon Greatsword.

• For some slightly different dialogue at the end of the game, speak to the doll one last time at the new site of grace atop Ranni's Rise.

Elden Ring Dark Moon Greatsword stats and features

This iteration of the Moonlight Greatsword is another fantastic Intelligence-scaling melee weapon, perfect for sorcerers looking for close-range options or more melee-focused spellswords. Its stat requirements and scaling are:

• Intelligence: A hefty 38 point investment is required to wield, with C scaling that rises to B as the weapon is upgraded

• Strength: 16 required, with D scaling

• Dexterity: 11 required, with D scaling

The Dark Moon Greatsword's ashes of war, cheekily titled "Moonlight Greatsword," empowers the weapon to deal bonus magic damage and send out its signature magic beams on heavy attacks. Crucially, only the act of empowering the weapon costs FP. You can send as many moonbeams as you want while the buff remains active.

Additionally, the Moonlight Greatsword causes frost buildup even while unbuffed. Frost is similar to the Bleed effect, but deals damage, slows, and causes slower stamina regeneration after it is triggered. Unless I somehow find something even cooler, the Dark Moon Greatsword is the weapon I plan on bringing into Elden Ring's punishing late-game areas.