With the release of the Castlevania Advance Collection, players can re-experience classic titles from the series, most notably Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Released in 2003, Aria of Sorrow was praised as a worthy successor to Symphony of the Night and is still regarded as one of the best games in the series by fans and critics alike. The game features the Metroidvania-style gameplay that Symphony helped pioneer, and as such, there is a bevy of items and weapons for players to find.
Of those weapons, the strongest sword is the mighty Excalibur, pulled straight from Arthurian legend. Those legends state that the sword in the stone can only be freed by the rightful king of Britain. Since Aria of Sorrow stars Soma Cruz rather than King Arthur, Soma is forced to use a loophole to wield the great blade where the sword is never actually pulled from the stone. Instead, it is swung around like a hammer because the tip is still lodged in rock. This take on Excalibur, while hilarious, can be difficult to unlock.
Firstly, you need to beat the game. That's right, Aria of Sorrow's strongest sword isn't available until after the credits roll, and you'll have to unlock the best ending. Doing so will unlock the Boss Rush mode on the main menu screen. As the name implies, this mode pits Soma (or Julius Belmont) against a gauntlet of the 10 bosses from the game's story. Defeating bosses that you have already overcome, especially with the benefit of endgame builds, may not sound like much of a challenge. The difficulty lies in the fact that the Boss Rush rewards are all based on clear times. In addition, Soma will be set to level 40 and several of the bosses will have more health and attack power than they did in the story.
To claim Excalibur, you'll need a clear time between five and six minutes. If you're having trouble hitting that narrow window, try equipping the Red Minotaur soul and the Chaos Ring for a truly powerful combo that allows Soma to bombard his enemies with enormous battleaxes. Lining up the axes to inflict multiple hits will dish out massive damage and should make your runs that much easier. With some practice, you should be able to claim the strongest sword that Aria of Sorrow has to offer.
Based on raw stats alone, Excalibur is the second strongest overall weapon, only losing out to Death's Scythe. While its attack is impressive, it also deals non-elemental damage. This makes it shine against enemies that have several elemental resistances, where element-based weapons will fall behind. If you're less concerned about dealing optimal damage, then feel free to bash your foes with the sword in the stone. It has more than enough power to make a dent in whatever is on the receiving end of its devastating swings, regardless of resistances.
In many other series, Excalibur is depicted as a generic fantasy sword. Aria of Sorrow's unique take on the iconic weapon makes it an endearing and unique addition to the game. While it may take some time and effort to acquire, the joy of swinging around a sword with a giant rock stuck on the end is well worth the trouble. Such great weapons are one of the many reasons that Aria of Sorrow stands the test of time and remains the best part of the Castlevania Advance Collection.