Which Weapon Should You Choose at the Start of Kingdom Hearts 2?

There are two important moments in the prologue of Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix where you need to choose between three weapons with Roxas. The first moment occurs during a Struggle fight with Seifer in Twilight Town, and the second choice appears in a "dream" sequence in an area called Station of Serenity (which is way more important than the initial weapon decision).

We'll explain which weapons you should choose for Roxas and how the decisions will ultimately impact your ability progression in Kingdom Hearts 2. Make sure to choose wisely!

Which Struggle Weapon Should You Choose in Kingdom Hearts 2?

Should You Prioritize Defense, Offense, or Unusual Attacks?

Depending on the weapon you choose before your Struggle battle with Seifer in Twilight Town, Roxas (and Sora) will gain one permanent stat boost in Strength, Defense, or Magic. One stat point isn't all that special, but it can give you a slight boost in combat, especially with some of the early fights.

If you need us to tell you which one to choose, the Offensive weapon is the ideal choice here. Magic is cool to have, but you won't really be using that many spells in the early game, so it's not as important. You want to deal as much damage as possible with Roxas and Sora.

If you go with the Defensive option, it could help you take slightly less damage from enemies, but that one point of defense won't even matter much once you start leveling up.

Again, if you're stressing about this choice, don't overthink it! It's not as important as the second weapon choice you'll face at Station of Serenity.

Station of Serenity Weapon Choice

Shield, Staff, or Sword?

Now, for the more important weapon choice in Kingdom Hearts 2: choosing between the wand, sword, and shield. As you inch closer to the max level in KH2FM, Sora and Roxas will eventually learn all abilities no matter which weapon you go with, but the order will differ slightly.

For example, at level 20, they will learn Leaf Bracer, a skill that turns Sora/Roxas invincible while casting a version of the Cure spell. However, there are some really important abilities to have that can ultimately help Roxas and Sora last longer in a tough fight: Once More and Second Chance, both of which are learned faster if you choose the Shield.

With Second Chance equipped, Sora or Roxas can take a big hit from an enemy, and no matter how strong the attack is, they'll retain at least 1 HP. Once More is similar, allowing them to survive death from a multi-hit combo.

• For more specifics, if you choose the Sword, you will learn Once More at level 47 and then Second Chance at level 85.
• If you go with the magic rod, you'll get Once More at level 28 and then Second Chance at level 65.
• And finally, the ideal pick: the shield will get you Once More at level 25 and then Second Chance at level 49.

So, long story short, go with the Shield if you want some help lasting longer in Kingdom Hearts 2's toughest fights, especially if you're playing on Proud or Critical Mode.