Anyone who has played Cuphead before can be a testament to how difficult this game is, but thankfully the game devs are merciful to us players and give us the chance to get several different upgrades called charms. Each charm adds its own specific perk to give the player a bit more of an advantage in battle, however only one can be equipped at a time so you need to choose wisely before you do running into a scrap. Each of these charms are useful in their own way, but which one is the best to help you towards sweet, sweet victory?
5) Heart/Twin Heart (Best for New Players)
Heart Charm
Twin Heart Charm
I decided to group these two charms together because the Twin Heart is basically a doubled up Heart, and these two are at the bottom for their drawbacks.
These two are the only charms with this kind of handicap, giving the player either one or two extra health but nerfing the attack power of your weapon, the reduction being 5% for the Heart charm and 10% for the Twin Heart. This adds a small but significant drawback for the player because time is part of Cuphead’s grading system, so adding on time makes it difficult to get a good score.
That being said these two do have their uses, mainly with newer players or players having difficulty with a specific boss. Veterans to the game will be slowed down, but if you are playing the game for the first time and just can’t seem to figure out this one boss, these are good charms to keep you moving forward.
Why This Charm is Awesome
- Gives players 1-2 extra health points
- Helps for training up in early stages
- Good for hard to dodge boss attacks
How to Get it
- Buy Heart for 3 coins at Porkrind’s Emporium
- Buy 4 other charms to unlock Twin Heart
- Buy Twin Heart for 5 coins at Porkrind’s Emporium
4) Whetstone (Best for Extra Damage)
Whetstone Charm
The Whetstone charm allows you to turn your parries into an attack, an axe appearing when you parry and injuring pretty much every boss or minion you parry off of.
This does seem like a pretty convenient upgrade, but unfortunately it has a few catches that make it a bit less useful, the first of which being that only the first parry is an axe attack and all following parrys are normal, meaning you can’t get in multiple hits at once.
This charm can also be quite difficult to get used to and if used improperly you could end up falling into your target instead of hitting them. That being said it does do 15 damage, which is nothing to sneeze at, however because you can’t attack repeatedly it doesn’t work well as a weapon on its own.
It may not be the best for consistent damage, but if you wanna take out some smaller minions or do a bit of extra damage this can help you make your way to a knockout.
Why This Charm is Awesome
- Gives an extra use for the parry system
- Does a fair amount of damage
- Easily takes out smaller minions
How to Get it
- Buy 3 other charms to unlock Whetstone
- Buy Whetstone for 3 coins at Porkrind’s Emporium
3) P. Sugar (Best for Learning to Parry)
P. Sugar Charm
Parrying is one of the most integral parts of Cuphead, not only being needed for a high score but also required to survive some boss fights. However learning to parry doesn’t always come easy to new players, which is where the P. Sugar comes in, making your first parry automatic to help those who can’t seem to get it right.
The parry system is all about timing, and often what people have trouble with is figuring out that timing, so seeing when the P. Sugar activates helps train your eyes and fingers to parry at the right time.
While this is a very helpful charm, unfortunately it isn’t as useful for seasoned players who’ve already mastered the parry mechanic, however its versatility across most bosses and convenience make it a pretty sweet power up.
Why This Charm is Awesome
- Good for learning how to time parrys
- Makes bosses with hard to time parrys easier
- Convenience of only having to jump once to parry
How to Get it
- Buy 1 other charm to unlock P. Sugar
- Buy P. Sugar for 3 coins at Porkrind’s Emporium
2) Coffee (Best for Fast Knockouts)
Coffee Charm
The Coffee charm works about the same as coffee in real life, it keeps your Power Meter going up consistently, making charging up EX moves or Super Arts a piece of cake.
This rise in the Super Meter is also added on to the energy you gain by attacking a boss, meaning that when you’re not attacking a boss during a transition you’re still gaining energy and when you are attacking your rise is at an increased speed. This charm also transitions perfectly from the regular boss battles to the plane ones, being just as effective no matter which boss you go up against.
The only drawback to this charm is that it does require you to rely on your own skill to avoid and parry, however it does cut down that time with all the extra firepower it supplies you with. Ultimately a solid charm, and in plane battles there isn’t any charm more effective for taking down a boss.
Why This Charm is Awesome
- Allows build up of the Super Meter all throughout battle
- Works just as well on plane levels as normal ones
- Perfect for shaving off some time to KO bosses quick
How to Get it
- Buy 2 other charms to unlock Coffee
- Buy Coffee for 3 coins at Porkrind’s Emporium
1) Smoke Bomb (Best for Tight Spots)
Smoke Bomb Charm
The Smoke Bomb is by far the best charm in Cuphead, and one of the most loved, because of its ability to save you from taking damage when it seems there is no way out of the crosshairs.
Essentially the Smoke Bomb is an invisible dash where you can’t take any damage, allowing you to dodge through attacks when you’re in a tough spot. In addition to dodging through attacks, this charm also lets you dash through some moving bosses, so maneuvering around them is much easier and more of your focus can go to actually hitting the boss.
As an added bonus, the Smoke Bomb can also be an essential tool for getting through pacifist runs on Run-and-Gun levels, which is essential to any completionist looking to unlock all the game’s hidden features.
Health is a precious thing in Cuphead, and the fact that this charm can not only protect it, but is versatile enough to get the upper hand on a boss and unlock other features is what puts it at the top.
Why This Charm is Awesome
- Allows dodges through attacks and bosses
- Perfect for saving health in a tight spot
- Less time dodging means more time attacking the boss
How to Get it
- Buy Smoke Bomb for 3 coins at Porkrind’s Emporium
What do you think about our picks? Would you have rated them differently? Tell us your opinions and your favorite charm in the description below.
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