Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow carries on the weapon tradition set forth by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The hero, Soma Cruz, can equip a large variety from swords to axes to spears and beyond. Players can find weapons scattered throughout the ever-expanding castle or they can buy them from Hammer, an ally who runs an item shop.

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Yoko Belnades runs another shop that allows players to use Souls obtained from monsters to forge new weapons. It’s the secret best way to obtain powerful weapons in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow early. So, here are some of the best weapons to forge or find in the game.

6 Bhuj

A Slow But Sturdy Axe

Forging a Bhuj in Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
  • Attack Power: 49

Bhuj is an Axe weapon and it is easily the strongest one in the early stages of the game. It’s not hard to get either but it does require a few steps. First, players should buy an Axe from Hammer in The Lost Village. After that, they need to find the black-suited enemy known as Axe Armor to gain its ability. Once they get it, which shouldn’t be too hard, they can fuse the Axe with the Axe Armor Soul at Yoko’s to get a Battle Axe which is also a strong weapon.

To get the second weapon fusion ready, players need to tame the Manticore which should look familiar to fans of the Castlevania series or even to Dungeons & Dragons fans. It can be found in the Wizardry Lab and with that Soul, players can forge the Bhuj. To note, the Manticore ability will grow Soma a tail and it’s a good attack ability to gain, so players may want to harvest two Souls while they are at it.

5 Falchion

A Heavy Sword To Strike From Above

Forging a Falchion in Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
  • Attack Power: 20

Falchion is an easier weapon to get compared to the Bhuj. It’s a heavy sword and the easiest way to get it is to first nab the Claymore that is sitting in the room after the Flying Armor boss fight. Once acquired, players should then fight some Wargs which will be around a field with the Axe Armor enemies in The Lost Village.

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With this Soul in hand, players can then go back to Yoko’s to forge the Falchion. While not as powerful as the Manticore tail, the Warg ability is a decent attack for players early on. As for the Falchion, it is best used to strike down enemies from above just like Sephiroth does to a certain character in Final Fantasy 7.

4 Halberd

A Strong Early Polearm

Forging a Halberd in Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
  • Attack Power: 22

Getting the Halberd is as much of a trial as getting the Bhuj. First, players can find the Spear weapon around the shop area of The Lost Village hanging out on a cliff. It’s easy to buy from Hammer as well but not necessary unless players want to make several to earn some quick money in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.

Players need an Armor Knight Soul to make the Partizan. From there, players then need to nab an Axe Armor Soul to forge the Halberd with Yoko. Polearms like the Halberd may be slow and powerful but they also give players the advantage of distance. The further away players are from an enemy, the safer they are which is a strategy Dark Souls fans know all too well.

3 Handgun

So I Started Blasting

Buying a Handgun in Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
  • Attack Power: 6

The Handgun is one of the most ridiculous weapons in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow let alone the entire series. Technically this does take place in the future, so it’s not as weird as seeing a handgun in the 1600s. It’s funny watching Soma blast away vampires and other ghouls like he’s Blade or something. As ridiculous as the Handgun is, it is admittedly useful.

The attack power is low but players have the benefit of infinite ammo and distance even more so than any of the game’s polearms. It can be bought for the hefty sum of 12,000 gold from Hammer at his shop within The Lost Village. It’s a lot but if players sell old gear and grind for gold, it’s within a reasonable price.

2 Katana

Japan’s Bladed Secret Weapon

Forging a Katana in Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
  • Attack Power: 13

Katanas are some of the coolest weapons in video games from noble samurai to stealthy ninjas. To get a Katana in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, players must first find the Blunt Sword within the Wizardry Lab. It’s technically usable in this state but the draw speed is slow and it doesn’t look right once sheathed.

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To get the full samurai experience, players need a Bomber Armor Soul which is an an enemy that can also be found in the Wizardry Lab. Players can then forge the weapon at Yoko’s for a decent-bladed weapon. The Bomber Armor has a good ability too as its bombs can blast away foes like another current Konami franchise, Bomberman.

1 Whip Knuckle

Powerful Jabs To Swiftly Take Down Enemies

Forging a Whip Knuckle in Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
  • Attack Power: 11

The Whip Knuckle is the fastest weapon players can get near the start of the adventure which will turn Soma into a jab-heavy boxer. First, players should buy the Brass Knuckles from Hammer. After that, they can forge the Cestus once players have a Zombie Soul from The Lost Village which is one of the easiest to get.

Forging the Whip Knuckle is tricker because players will need a Soul from a Slaughterer enemy from the Wizardry Lab. Some players may get lucky and get it fast or they may struggle against this piggish enemy. Either way, players need their Soul to create the Whip Knuckle. Once acquired, players can punch enemies with lightning-fast precision although it does require them to get up close and personal. That’s when players need to get used to pressing the dodge button.

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Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow Tag Page Cover Art
Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
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Released
October 4, 2005
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WHERE TO PLAY

PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ESRB
t
Developer(s)
Konami
Publisher(s)
Konami
Engine
game engine
Multiplayer
Local Multiplayer
Franchise
Castlevania
Platform(s)
Nintendo DS
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure
How Long To Beat
10 Hours