Queen’s Domain Pandora Blade is one fantastic short sword. Not because of its damage stats, no. It starts at just 5 Power (literally weaker than Rusted Sword which is 7 Power), but what makes the sword special is the sword’s forward lunge attack. It works as a movement trick that helped me cross gaps I normally wouldn’t be able to reach. Plus, you can upgrade it all the way to level 100, though generally, it’s not worth it.
You can find Pandora Blade early on the Isle of Neasied, the part before the Shrine Guardian fight that gives you the Holy Sword Endu. So the hard part of getting Pandora Blade isn’t beating any bosses. It’s noticing a hidden passage inside the Crypt. The blade is a clear reference to the Greek myth, Pandora’s Box. It even explicitly makes a reference to both the secret technique and the myth in its in-game description: “A frail ancient short sword capable of a secret technique few know of. Once Pandora’s Box has been opened, only a fool would try to close it.”
Lunge Jump to:
Where to Find Queen’s Domain Pandora Blade
You may find this helpful sword tucked away in the Crypt, near the chamber containing the Endu Shrine Gate Key. You might already have that key on you, so just return to the chamber and look for the weapon.
If you’re here for the first time, collect the Dagger Belt from the shoreline near the shipwreck. We need its throwing daggers to trigger the target beside the stone doors leading into the Crypt.
From there, make your way through the underground rooms toward the Shrine Gate Key. Before leaving the key chamber, inspect the walls instead of heading straight for the exit. Look for a broken brazier or stone pedestal with shrubs nearby. Unlike the more ordinary wall sections around it, the stone beside that damaged area hides an opening. Walk up to that opening and use Interact (E on the keyboard controls). You should see a room full of skeletons pulling off Pillar Men poses. The Pandora Blade is right in the middle, on an altar.
You can collect the weapon without defeating the Shrine Guardian or obtaining Endu first. If the dagger puzzle door is the part you’re stuck on, you need a Queen’s Domain puzzle guide that also covers the opening Crypt switch.
Pandora Blade Secret Technique
The Secret Technique discovered was through the sword’s Lunging Attack. When you perform this attack, instead of simply striking in place, your character (naturally) lunges forward fast. With the right timing, you can carry that forward momentum into a long jump. So the actual value of the sword isn’t in its damage stats, but the move you can pull off with it.
You can perform a jump across a wider gap. A gap you couldn’t cover with normal maneuvering. Or you might want to reach a platform while you’re already in the air. Pandora Blade comes in handy in both cases.
Fun Fact: This Lunge move we’re pulling here didn’t use to be specific to Pandora Blade. You could do the move with other swords, including the starter rusty sword, but that was back in earlier builds. What makes Pandora Blade special is the fact that it allows you to perform this Long Jump Lunge move, while also providing an actually decent weapon in terms of dealing damage, once you upgrade it to a reasonable level, like Level 50.
How to Perform the Long Jump
Let’s test out the move first before you do it on an actual ledge or something and fall to your untimely demise:
- Equip the Pandora Blade and aim toward a safe landing area.
- Use its secondary Lunging Stab attack (right mouse button).
- Watch for the moment the sword starts pulling back after the thrust, then press Jump.
- If the timing is right, you’ll carry more forward momentum into the jump than you would from an ordinary standing leap.
The recovery animation is what you should keep an eye on. Jumping immediately when the attack starts isn’t the same thing, you see? And the timing may take a few attempts to learn. Again. try it on low-risk terrain before testing a deep gap.
How to Travel Farther in Midair
This is the best part yet. You can keep on lunge-attacking while falling. So I just kept moving forward further and further as I fell. This is what makes the weapon useful for extended horizontal travel. Again, I must emphasize: Unlike Wind Dash, repeated lunges don’t keep you at the same height, and you continue descending as you move, so don’t treat the Pandora Blade as fall-damage immunity or assume you can safely reach every platform with it just because the platform is visible. Endu actually saves you from fall damage, but Pandora Blade might not.
Pandora Blade vs. Endu
Both blades are a huge help when it comes to exploration. You get Endu after defeating the Shrine Guardian, and it grants you the Wind Dash, which is a vital move if you want to traverse the game’s world. Collect more Wind Gems to increase the number of dashes you can perform.
Pandora Blade, on the other hand, is available even before the boss fight. Its purpose is to help you out for the lunging move and jump timing rather than Endu’s Wind Dash charges. That makes it a useful extra movement option. Just don’t think of Pandora Blade as replacement for Endu.
You can also combine the two techniques. Just use the Pandora Blade’s forward momentum alongside Endu’s aerial dashes to cover additional distances or investigate routes that would otherwise demand more Wind Gems.
Pandora Blade Stats and Leveling
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Weapon type | Short sword |
| Damage type | Slash |
| Starting Power | 5 |
| Attack speed | Average |
| Special attack | Lunging Stab |
| Max Level | Level 100 (I recommend upgrading it to Level 50 at most) |
| Main advantage | Lunge movement, midair forward travel, and long jumping |
At max level the damage bonus reaches +300%, but honestly, it’s not worth the hassle of getting that far, since there are many better swords along the way that deal more damage than a fully-upgraded Pandora Blade.
Is the Pandora Blade Worth Using?
Yeah, for sure. Just don’t think of it as a long-term high-damage weapon. Think of it as your personal lunge-jumping tool. It’s a short sword that’s easy to overlook, doesn’t require a boss victory, and gives you a solution to deal with awkward gaps. Since Queen’s Domain lets you carry several melee weapons, you don’t have to make it your main damage dealer to benefit from its lunge. The Wooden Club, for example, is a far better choice against the early skeletal Shrine Guardian.
