At the beginning of Kingdom Hearts, you have to make a tough choice on which weapon you want to bring on your adventure. This guide will help you decide as it will explain the best starting choices and the benefits of the three available weapons: Rod, Sword, and Shield.
Which weapon is the best starting choice in Kingdom Hearts?
With the release of Kingdom Hearts onSteam, it’s time to hop back into this classic and pick a weapon. When choosing a weapon at the start of your Kingdom Hearts journey, you need to take into account thateach choice has its benefits, strengths, and weaknesses. It’s also important to know that after choosing a weapon, you’ll have to sacrifice one of the remaining two.Which weapon you sacrifice has an impact on your stats.
Everything you need to know aboutthe Rod, Sword, and Shieldis detailed below. After learning about each weapon, read further for our pick on the best weapon to choose and sacrifice.
Choosing the Rod in Kingdom Hearts
The Rod, otherwise known as the Staff, focuses onmagic and summon damage. This weapon grants Sora a few unique benefits such asextra MPand rare abilities early on in the game such asStun ImpactandRipple Drive. The former gives Sora a 30% chance of using the technique as a combo finisher, while the latter unleashes an AoE attack.
However, the Rod has a ton of weaknesses that can impact your playthrough. For example, thedefense is weak and it gets Guard way laterin the game compared to other weapons. Additionally, a lot of amazing spells in the game require a ton of MP meaning you won’t be able to utilize the Rod’s full potential until far into the game. In my experience, picking the Rod is a lot of fun, but be prepared for a more challenging experience.
Choosing the Sword in Kingdom Hearts
Picking the Sword is great for players looking to have apure strength build. The Sword gives Sora instant access topowerful offensive abilities and a third accessory slotmuch earlier in the game, causing your damage output to be much higher than the other weapons. However, the swordisn’t the best choice for Proud modesince the weapon doesn’t help too much in the defense department.
The damage potential of the Sword is incredibly useful as it ismuch easier to take down the game’s bosses. Picking the Sword isa great choice for beginnersand those looking for an easier experience.
Choosing the Shield in Kingdom Hearts
Lastly, we have the Shield, which focuses onstrong defense capabilities and taking less damage. Players who choose the Shield will gain access toGuardandSecond Chancevery early on in the game, both of which can significantly increase your chances of surviving a deadly attack. Guard allows the user to block attacks from the front, while Second Chance prevents the player from dying from a fatal blow.
The only major downfall of the Shield islow MP recovery, but that’s okay since you can play more aggressively with the abilities available to you. The Shield’s aggressive playstyle and abilities make it so you don’t have to heal as much, meaning MP recovery isn’t super important.
Sacrificing a weapon in Kingdom Hearts
After making your decision between the Rod, Sword, and Shield in Kingdom Hearts, you will have to sacrifice one of the remaining two. The weapon you sacrificeaffects your stats, so pick wisely. Check out the stats affected below.
What is the best starting choice in Kingdom Hearts?
The best choice for a starting weapon and sacrifice in Kingdom Hearts ischoosing the Shield and sacrificing the Sword. The main reason why this is the best choice is because the Shield gives you important defense abilities early on, helping you survive fatal blows against the game’s challenging bosses and mobs. Sacrificing the Sword will remove 2 points in Strength, but the benefits outweigh this slight downfall.
I recommend you don’t sacrifice the Rodsince AP is very valuable and allows you to equip the powerful defensive abilities the Shield provides to you. Choosing the Shield and sacrificing the Sword gives you a solid start in Kingdom Hearts and is the best choice in the game.
Hopefully, this guide has helped youdecide on a starting weapon!Kingdom Hearts is officially on Steam, so it’s a great time to hop in. It’s also a great way to prepare for the upcomingKingdom Hearts 4.
Christian Bognar
Christian is a contributing writer for PC Invasion and has been writing about the game industry for two years. He has found joy in a never-ending list of games, with some of his favorites being Elden Ring, The Last of Us, Final Fantasy, and Resident Evil. He has a bachelor’s degree in business and outside of writing, you can find him listening to all types of podcasts, especially True Crime.
