Demon's Souls Remastered for PlayStation 5 has increased the gaming community's fervor for the Dark Souls series, which is incredibly difficult. FromSoftware's signature franchise has frustrated many a player, especially those who are new to the tough-as-nails dungeon crawling gameplay. However, one weapon that can be acquired early in Dark Souls makes getting through the game much easier: The Drake Sword.
The Drake Sword comes with a starting damage output of 200, making it far superior to any other non-upgraded weapons players are likely to find in the game's early stages. Most of them tend to range between 50-90 at a push, and will not pack nearly the same punch.
Players will need a minimum of 16 Strength and 10 Dexterity to efficiently wield the sword, but for most classes, this won't require much work at all. Equipping the Drake Sword will give an automatic +15 to both Magic and Fire Defense stats, but it does not scale with any other stats, further reinforcing that this weapon is only really effective in the lead-up to Sen's Fortress.
Functionally, the Drake Sword acts the same as a standard sword. However, when wielded in two hands, using the Strong Attack button will trigger a shockwave attack. The shockwave attack is a devastating move that can knock enemies off of ledges and inflict high damage. The only catch is that each strike consumes 30 durability points, which equates to 12 uses overall -- so use this ability wisely.
Players can acquire the Drake Sword in Dark Souls when they encounter the HellKite Wyvern. This giant, red dragon blocks passage on the large bridge in Undead Burg. Attacking the Wyvern from the front is not advised, as it'll simply burn players to a crisp. However, if players take the route beneath the bridge, they'll see the wyvern's tail dangling over the edge. As its tail swings back and forth, players will need to strike it with an arrow at the correct time. This may take a few attempts to get the timing right.
To strike the wyvern's tail, players will need a bow and arrow, which can be acquired by choosing the Hunter class, purchasing from the Undead Merchant in Undead Burg, or sourced as a loot-drop from certain Hollows in the surrounding area. At minimum stats, it takes 28 shots using regular wooden arrows or 13 Big Arrows with a Regular Short Bow using regular wooden arrows to remove the wyvern's tail.
Although doesn't sound too bad in theory, each time the player successfully hits, the wyvern descends onto the bridge and takes a few moments to get back into its original position. This turns the whole exercise into a waiting game, but it's ultimately worth it. The Drake Sword is an invaluable resource during the initial few areas of Dark Souls.
The Drake Sword can be upgraded, but most players would advise against doing so, as it requires Dragon Scales -- a somewhat rare in-game item that can be better spent on upgrading much greater weapons later. It's best to use the sword in its base-level form. Simultaneously, players should amass a bigger arsenal of weapons and upgrade them via Andre, who resides near the entrance to Sen's Fortress, to allow for a smoother transition once the game's difficulty ramps up.
This approach is best, as the Drake Sword's power will allow players to vanquish creatures that are well above their current levels and in doing so, amass a large number of souls that can be used for improving both stats and weaponry. The Drake Sword is merely a tool that gives players the chance to get further into the game without getting frustrated early on and potentially giving up.
Once Dark Souls players exhaust the Drake Sword's potential, they can trade it to Kingseeker Frampt for 5,000 souls. However, those who want the Knight's Honor achievement will need to keep it in their inventory.
