Here's how you can get your hands on this classic sorcery weapon.
Aside from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, every single FromSoftware action RPG since Demon's Souls has featured the iconic Moonlight Greatsword weapon. This greatsword features very high Intellect scaling and a special moveset that allows players to launch magic projectiles at their opponents with charged heavy attacks, making it an incredible weapon for spellswords and battlemages that aren't afraid to get up close and personal.
The Moonlight Greatsword returns in Elden Ring as well (it's been renamed to the Dark Moon Greatsword), and while the process of obtaining it is fairly difficult and lengthy, it's nevertheless more than worth it if you're a sorcerer looking for a powerful melee weapon to complete your Elden Ring build. Here's a breakdown of where you need to go and what you need to do to get the Moonlight Greatsword in Elden Ring.
Jump to:
- Finding Ranni the Witch
- The treasure of Nokron
- Carian Study Hall
- The Baleful Shadow
- Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
- Returning to Ranni
Finding Ranni the Witch
Obtaining the Moonlight Greatsword in Elden Ring requires finishing the questline for the NPC Ranni the Witch— the same character that gives you the Spirit Summoning Bell at the start of the game that you need to use Spirit Ash Summons. To reach her, you'll first need to progress through the Caria Manor area and kill the Royal Knight Loretta miniboss in northern Liurnia of the Lakes, then you have to travel to the Ranni's Rise tower through the path that opens. The location of the tower is shown above.
The hidden treasure of Nokron, Eternal City
Left: The location of the entrance to Nokron, Eternal City. Right: The location of the Nokron, Eternal City hidden treasure.
At the top of her tower, Ranni will recruit the player and ask you to find the hidden treasure of Nokron, Eternal City. Speak to Ranni's other recruits to learn more about the situation, then head to the southern portion of the Mistwood Forest in Limgrave and enter Nokron, Eternal City by making your way into the massive opening in the ground.
Note that this opening will only be there if you defeat Starscourge Radahn, as doing so is what causes a star to fall and hit this location.
Once inside, progress through the area until you find the hidden treasure, which is the Fingerslayer Blade. It's located in the Night's Sacred Ground portion of the area, beneath a large skeleton statue.
Investigating the Carian Study Hall
Carian Study Hall.
Once you've obtained the Fingerslayer Blade, take it back to Ranni and she'll inform you that she needed the blade to continue down her "dark path." She will then give the player the Inverted Carian Statue, which you'll need to take to the Carian Study Hall located in eastern Liurnia of the Lakes (location shown above).
Once inside, interact with the altar that has a model of a moon on it. The Inverted Carian Statue will be used to change the model's configuration, flipping everything in the Carian Study Hall upside down.
Travel through the new opening in front of you and carefully descend the tower by hopping down the rafters until you reach the elevator at the bottom (you'll have to deal with the hostile sorcerer NPC Preceptor Miriam as well as a handful of Raya Lucaria Soldier spirits). The elevator will take you up to a bridge. Cross the bridge and open the door at the end to reveal the Divine Tower of Liurnia. Enter the tower and ride the elevator in it up. Once you reach the top, you'll come across Ranni's dead body. Pick up the Cursemark of Death item from it.
Killing the Baleful Shadow
Now, head back to the area that Ranni's Rise is in, but this time, enter the Renna's Rise tower to its northeast instead. Travel to the top and use the purple teleporter. This will take you to the north portion of the Ainsel River underground area. Once you arrive, pick up the Miniature Ranni doll from the nearby coffin and then rest at the Site of Grace.
While resting, select the "Talk to Miniature Ranni" option several times. Ranni will eventually speak and reveal that the doll houses her soul and that she needs you to travel through Nokstella, Eternal City and kill the Baleful Shadow boss. Ainsel River North is directly attached to this location, so you can begin the adventure right away. Note that the Baleful Shadow can be found in the southwestern portion of Nokstella, Eternal City. Once the Baleful Shadow is dead, Ranni will thank you and give you the Discarded Palace Key. You'll need it later; for now, head down the newly-opened pathway.
Killing Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
At the end of the pathway leading out of Baleful Shadow's arena, you'll find the Lake of Rot area. To get out of the underground and complete your quest for the Moonlight Greatsword, you need to run south through the lake, healing damage you take from the poison as you go. Eventually you'll reach a Site of Grace; rest at it, then continue south and interact with the coffin resting on the edge of a waterfall. You'll be transported into a new area with a door that leads to a boss fight in it. Enter the door and you'll come face-to-face with Astel, Naturalborn of the Void.
This boss uses lots of magic attacks and can teleport away from you, but takes significantly more damage when hit in the head. Focus on hitting the boss' head with your strongest attacks and dodge or strafe away from Astel's magic assaults. Once he's dead, take the elevator on the north side of the boss room to the surface. You'll arrive in a new area, Moonlight Altar. Rest at the nearby Site of Grace.
Returning to Ranni
Before you can return to Ranni and obtain the Moonlight Greatsword, there's one more thing you need to do: use the Discarded Palace Key. Fast travel to the Raya Lucaria Grand Library Site of Grace, which is located in the room where you fought Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. In the room you'll find a chest; use the Discarded Palace Key to open it, allowing you to take the Dark Moon Ring. Then, fast travel back to the Moonlight Altar Site of Grace.
From here, travel northeast to the Cathedral of Manus Celes, resting at the Site of Grace inside (Glintstone Dragon Adula spawns in front of it as an optional miniboss). Next, carefully fall into the hole to the right of the Site of Grace. You'll find yourself in a room with Ranni's body and the Two Fingers that she killed with the Fingerslayer Blade. Interact with her to give her the Dark Moon Ring. She then thanks you for your dutiful service and promises that she'll see you once again once you become Elden Lord, leaving shortly after and leaving the Moonlight Greatsword where she was sitting.
Elden Ring is finally here, and it's available for $60 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC. It's one of the best Xbox games you can play right now if you're a fan of challenging RPGs, and we strongly recommend it.
The successor to Dark Souls
Elden Ring
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Elden Ring ... oh, Elden Ring!
Elden Ring is FromSoftware's latest fantasy epic, featuring a focus on open-ended design in a universe created by both FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki and A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin.