A comprehensive guide to unlocking Elden Ring’s legendary Dark Moon Greatsword through Ranni’s intricate questline, with expert tips and strategies.
Introduction: The Legacy of the Dark Moon Greatsword
Among Elden Ring’s vast arsenal, the Dark Moon Greatsword holds a place of singular prestige. This weapon is not merely found; it is earned as the culmination of the game’s most elaborate and rewarding character questline.
Acquiring the Dark Moon Greatsword represents a significant achievement, granting you one of Elden Ring’s most powerful Intelligence-scaling weapons. This guide details every step, pitfall, and strategy to secure this legendary blade.
For veterans of FromSoftware’s catalog, this weapon is known as the Moonlight Greatsword, a recurring iconic armament appearing in Demon’s Souls, the Dark Souls trilogy, and Bloodborne. Its presence in Elden Ring is both a loving callback and a central component of a major narrative thread.
Unlike more straightforward weapons like the Moonveil Katana, the Dark Moon Greatsword is inextricably linked to the fate of Ranni the Witch. Obtaining it means committing to her lengthy, obscure, and perilous journey, which also leads to one of the game’s major endings. The path is complex, but the payoff is a unique weapon with a powerful magical projectile skill.
This guide will walk you through the entire process, adding crucial practical advice on boss strategies, navigation shortcuts, and common points of failure to ensure your success.
Prerequisites: Meeting Ranni and Beginning Her Service
Your journey begins with Ranni, who you first encounter early on at the Church of Elleh in Limgrave. She appears at night after you acquire Torrent, introducing herself as Renna and gifting you the Spirit Calling Bell. This brief meeting is easy to miss, but it’s essential for later progression.
To properly join her service, you must reach her tower, Ranni’s Rise, in the Three Sisters sub-region of Liurnia. This requires clearing Caria Manor and defeating its boss, Royal Knight Loretta. Pro Tip: The manor’s magical glintstone traps can be avoided by sticking to the right-side walls and using the rooftops for a safer route.
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Two major story bosses are gatekeepers for Ranni’s quest: Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon in the Academy of Raya Lucaria, and Starscourge Radahn in Caelid. Defeating Rennala allows Ranni to appear at her rise. Defeating Radahn causes a star to fall, opening the path to Nokron. Common Mistake: If Ranni is absent from her tower despite beating Rennala, you may have triggered hostility with her allies. Use a Celestial Dew at the Church of Vows in Liurnia to absolve your sins and reset NPC aggro.
An alternative initiation exists via Sorcerer Rogier at the Roundtable Hold. Following his questline will eventually have you pledge to Ranni as a spy. She sees through this but offers you service regardless. This path is useful if you missed the initial encounter or need guidance.
Once you pledge to Ranni, you’re temporarily confined to Ranni’s Rise until you speak with her three advisors: Blaidd (the half-wolf), Seluvis (the pompous sorcerer), and Iji (the giant blacksmith). Exhaust all dialogue options with each.
The Quest Unfolds: Key Steps and Locations
With Radahn defeated, a star crashes south of Mistwood, creating a crater leading to Nokron, Eternal City. Your primary objective here is the Fingerslayer Blade, found in the Night’s Sacred Ground after defeating the Mimic Tear boss. Strategy Note: The Mimic Tear mirrors your build; enter the fight with a weak weapon equipped and swap to your main gear after the fight starts for an easy win.
Return the blade to Ranni at her rise. She will reward you with the Carian Inverted Statue. Take this to the Carian Study Hall in Liurnia and place it on the altar. This inverts the entire tower, creating a path to its top and the Divine Tower of Liurnia. Here, on Ranni’s original body, you’ll find the Cursemark of Death. Be prepared for a tough fight against a powerful Moongrum Carian Knight guarding the approach.
This action unlocks Renna’s Rise (the third tower in Three Sisters). Use the portal at its top to reach Ainsel River Main. On a corpse nearby, you’ll find Miniature Ranni. Pick her up, then rest at a Site of Grace and select “Talk to Miniature Ranni” repeatedly until she responds (typically 3 times). She will task you with defeating the Baleful Shadow.
The Baleful Shadow patrols the riverbank in Nokstella, Eternal City. This is a mandatory solo fight—Spirit Ashes and co-op are disabled. Optimization Tip: This enemy is highly susceptible to parries and guard counters. Equip a buckler or a medium shield with the Parry skill. Its moveset is similar to Blaidd’s, so if you’ve fought him before, you know what to expect. Victory yields the Discarded Palace Key.
Use this key on the locked chest behind Rennala’s boss arena in the Raya Lucaria Grand Library to obtain the Dark Moon Ring. This is your ticket to the final leg of the journey.
The Final Gauntlet: Lake of Rot to Astel
The Dark Moon Ring allows access to a sealed door at the end of the Ainsel River, leading to the Lake of Rot. This expansive area continuously builds Scarlet Rot. Essential Preparation: Before entering, equip the Flame, Cleanse Me incantation (found in a ruin in North Caelid) and have a seal to cast it. Stock up on Preserving Boluses. Wearing armor with high Immunity (like the Mushroom Set) is also highly recommended. There are raised platforms and pillars to stand on; plan your route to minimize time in the rot.
Navigate to the Grand Cloister site of grace. From here, head toward the large structure with a staircase swarmed by Kindred of Rot pests. Instead of going up, turn left along the water’s edge to find a coffin. Interact with it to be transported to the boss arena for Astel, Naturalborn of the Void.
Astel is a cosmic horror with devastating grab attacks and meteor spells. However, its head is a major weak point. Advanced Strategy: Stay mid-range to bait its tail slams and head slams, which leave it vulnerable. Melee builds should use jumping heavy attacks to its cranium. Sorcerers can exploit its weakness to magic with Rock Sling to stagger it. Avoid getting directly underneath it, as its teleport grab is nearly instant death.
Upon Astel’s defeat, a new path opens at the back of its arena. Follow it up to the Moonlight Altar plateau. A Glintstone Dragon Adula guards the area; you can run past it on horseback to the Cathedral of Manus Celes. Inside, collect any items, then find and jump down the hole on the right side of the main chamber.
Claiming Your Reward and Beyond
In the cavern below, you’ll find Ranni’s lifeless body and a slain Two Fingers. Interact with the body and use the Dark Moon Ring to place it on her finger. Ranni’s spirit will appear, thank you as her “lord,” and bestow upon you the Dark Moon Greatsword. This weapon scales primarily with Intelligence and Strength, and its skill, Moonlight Greatsword, fires a powerful wave of cold moonlight.
Completing this quest makes you eligible for Ranni’s Age of Stars ending. If you wish to choose a different ending, you must complete a specific side quest to unlock an item that can override this commitment later.
Important Consequence: Returning to Ranni’s Rise after this point will trigger a hostile encounter with Blaidd, who has been driven mad. Defeating him yields his armor and greatsword. Iji the blacksmith will also meet a grim fate later, so be sure to exhaust his dialogue beforehand.
So, that’s everything you need to do to get your hands on the Dark Moon Greatsword in Elden Ring. Make sure you check out our Elden Ring page for all the latest news and guides.
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No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Elden Ring: How unlock Dark Moon Greatsword by completing Ranni’s quest A comprehensive guide to unlocking Elden Ring's legendary Dark Moon Greatsword through Ranni's intricate questline, with expert tips and strategies.