9. The Hidden Merchant
Have you ever played online and been accosted by a player wielding an absolutely massive samurai sword that looks like Sephiroth's from Final Fantasy VII? Have you pondered where you can get you one of those? Have you searched in vain for ages and not found it yet? Not to worry - I have the solution to make you a samurai badass. To find this item you'll need to find a unique merchant known as Shiva of the East. This gentleman will only appear if you join the Forest Hunter covenant, which you can join by talking to the weird cat thing past the door with the seal on it. Once you've joined, go outside the ruins where you are and you'll find Shiva around the corner. Talk to him a few times, then leave. Shiva will then move magically to the very bottom of Blighttown near to the waterwheels, waiting to sell you some pretty cool stuff. He's actually one of the games' better merchants, so is definitely worth unlocking. Of course the one you'll want is the Washing Pole. That's the big-ass sword thing of doom.