Dark Souls 3: Walkthrough & Boss Guide

The opening area teaches rolling and stamina. Iudex Gundyr is the first boss and must be beaten to reach Firelink Shrine, your hub. In his second phase a dark, serpent-like mass bursts from his body and extends his reach; his halberd slam leaves him open for a while.

Vordt guards the bottom of the High Wall and is mandatory to reach the Undead Settlement. At about half health he roars, charges several times and then uses an ice breath; frost builds up if you stand close, so stay moving and keep underneath or behind him.

The Greatwood is optional, but killing it gives the Transposing Kiln needed for Soul Transposition. Destroy the egg sacs (pustules) on its body to stun it; once the central cluster is gone it smashes the courtyard and the arena collapses into the Pit of Hollows, without fall damage.

The Abyss Watchers are at the far end of Farron Keep, behind a stone door with three sconces for fire. In phase 1 several Watchers fight each other as well as you; in phase 2 the lone remaining Watcher ignites his sword and becomes more aggressive. The Crystal Sage on the Road of Sacrifices is optional.

The Deacons are not a required kill on paper, but the Small Doll you get from them is needed to cross the Irithyll bridge, so treat them as required. In phase 1 a red aura moves from Deacon to Deacon; kill the possessed one to advance. In phase 2 the spirit reveals itself as Archdeacon Royce, and four blue-robed casters can curse the arena unless you interrupt them.

Pass the Catacombs of Carthus (the Demon there is needed to reach Smouldering Lake) and cross into Irithyll of the Boreal Valley. Pontiff Sulyvahn fights with a fire-wreathed Profaned Greatsword and a Greatsword of Judgment. In phase 2, after wings sprout from his back, a clone appears; it takes far less damage than he does, so many players ignore it and dodge.

Yhorm the Giant (Profaned Capital, reached through Irithyll Dungeon) and Aldrich, Devourer of Gods (Anor Londo) are both Lords of Cinder. Aldrich teleports and fires soul spears, homing soul masses and arrow barrages; his attacks deal magic damage. In phase 2, at roughly 70% health, he is augmented with flames that leave burning ground and he adds a Lifehunt Scythe spin.

After three Lords of Cinder are dead you are teleported to the Cathedral of the High Wall for the Dancer of the Boreal Valley, who must die before you can enter Lothric Castle. She uses a flame sword in phase 1 and adds an Ash Sword in phase 2, with a long spinning Blade Dance. She is weak to dark, strike and lightning.

In Lothric Castle the Dragonslayer Armour is a required fog fight that leads to the Grand Archives bonfire. The Twin Princes are fought in the Grand Archives: Lorian, the elder prince, fights alone in phase 1, then Lothric, the younger prince, climbs on his back. If Lorian dies, Lothric revives him; the fight only ends when Lothric dies, regardless of Lorian's remaining health.

The Kiln needs the Lords of Cinder in place. Soul of Cinder uses four movesets in phase 1 (a straight sword, a curved sword with fire pyromancies, a catalyst and a greatlance with miracles), then recovers its HP and switches to a Gwyn-style moveset with lightning. It cannot be parried but it can parry you.

Ashes of Ariandel (October 2016) adds Sister Friede in the Painted World of Ariandel, a three-phase fight in which Father Ariandel joins in phase 2 and shares her health bar. The Ringed City (March 2017) adds the optional Slave Knight Gael, fought in Filianore's Rest.