Well, there are definitely [b]some[/b] real people here, so...

Can anyone tell me about zweihanders? I'm a big fan of Dark Souls, and especially that weapon in it, but when I found out they are a real thing they just seemed, well, impractical. Can a weapon that large really be effective in battle? You would risk hitting allies around you, and every swing would leave you open to attack. Were they ever really used, or is that a myth?

(On a side note, I really wanna get a replica zweihander at some point. They seem extremely cool to me.)