Look, let’s be real. You aren’t here because you want someone to hold your hand through the Cemetery of Ash. You’re here because you’ve probably hit a wall, likely at the High Wall of Lothric or maybe later against Sulyvahn, and you’re wondering if you’ve fundamentally misunderstood how this game works. A dark souls three walkthrough isn't just a map of where to run; it’s a lesson in patience and timing that most people rush through far too quickly.
You’re going to die. A lot. But the goal is to make sure those deaths actually teach you something instead of just making you want to throw your controller across the room.
Getting Through the Early Game Without Losing Your Mind
The beginning of Dark Souls 3 is a bit of a filter. From Software wants to see if you can handle Gundyr. If you can’t parry him, don't sweat it—honestly, just circling to his right (your left) and staying glued to his backside works for almost every phase one boss in the game. Once you get to Firelink Shrine, talk to everyone. Seriously. Hawkwood might seem like a bummer, but his dialogue triggers progress for certain NPC quests that you’ll regret missing later.
When you finally land at the High Wall of Lothric, the temptation is to sprint. Don't. There’s a dragon that’s going to roast a bridge. Let it happen. It actually helps you by clearing out the hollows.
You’ve got to prioritize your stats early. Most beginners pump points into Strength or Dexterity immediately because they want to hit harder. That is a mistake. Your weapon scaling at +1 or +2 is garbage. It doesn’t matter if you have 40 Strength if your club only has a "D" scaling rating. Put those points into Vigor. Having a massive health pool is the only thing that keeps you alive when you inevitably miss a dodge. Aim for 20 Vigor before you even touch your damage stats. It makes the game feel less like a horror movie and more like an actual RPG.
The Greirat Questline Trap
You’ll find Greirat in a cell. He’s a thief. Save him. He becomes the best merchant in the game, but his quest is finicky. If you send him to pillage Irithyll of the Boreal Valley without making sure either Siegward of Catarina or Patches is there to save him, he dies. Permanently. You lose out on some of the best arrows and items in the game just because you forgot to talk to a guy in an onion suit.
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Understanding the Mid-Game Difficulty Spike
Once you hit the Road of Sacrifices, the game stops being linear. It kind of opens up, and it’s easy to get lost. You have two main paths: the Cathedral of the Deep or Farron Keep.
Go to the Cathedral first.
Most people try to tackle the Abyss Watchers immediately because they’re the first "Lord of Cinder," but that boss fight is a massive jump in intensity. By clearing the Cathedral of the Deep first, you get the Small Doll item (which you need to enter Irithyll later anyway) and you gain a few extra levels that make the Abyss Watchers feel much more manageable.
Why the Farron Swamp Sucks (And How to Fix It)
Everyone hates the swamp. It’s poison, it slows your movement, and those giant goat-men (Ghrus) are nightmare fuel.
- Quickstep is your best friend: Grab a dagger—any dagger—and use the Weapon Art "Quickstep." It lets you zip through the mud even when you're slowed down.
- Purple Moss: Don't hoard it. Use it.
- The Three Flames: You have to snuff out three fires to open the big stone door. They are all located on elevated islands. If you stay on the dry land as much as possible, you’ll avoid 90% of the poison buildup.
The Pontiff Sulyvahn Wall
If there is one moment in a dark souls three walkthrough where people give up, it’s Pontiff Sulyvahn. He is relentless. He has infinite stamina, or at least it feels like it.
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If you can parry, the fight is a joke. If you can’t, you need a high-stability shield. The Dragoncrest Shield is great here because it has high fire resistance. Most players try to dodge away from him, but Sulyvahn is a "roll-catcher." He’s designed to hit you right as your invincibility frames end. The trick? Roll into him. Stay under his armpits. It sounds suicidal, but the closer you are, the more his long-reaching swings actually miss you.
Hidden Mechanics: Don't Ignore Luck and Hollowing
There’s a mechanic involving the "Dark Sigil" you get from Yoel of Londor. He offers you "free" levels. Nothing in this game is free. These levels increase your Hollowing every time you die. While it makes your character look like a raisin, it actually unlocks a secret ending and allows you to use "Hollow" infusions which scale with your Luck stat. It’s a niche build, but for a second playthrough, it’s incredibly powerful. Just know that if you heal the Dark Sigil at the Firekeeper, you'll annoy a whole faction of NPCs and lock yourself out of Yuria’s questline.
Late Game: Preparing for the Twin Princes
By the time you reach Lothric Castle, you should have a +9 or +10 weapon. If you don’t, go back to the Smouldering Lake. It’s an optional area hidden behind a breakable bridge in the Catacombs of Carthus. It’s annoying, sure, but it’s packed with Large Titanite Shards and Titanite Chunks.
The Twin Princes fight is a rhythm game. Lorian teleports. It’s jarring. The camera will unlock. When he disappears, don't panic. Wait about half a second, then roll. He almost always appears right behind you or directly above you. In the second phase, focus entirely on the brother on the back (Lothric). If you kill the big one, the little one will just revive him. You have to hit them both, or specifically target the younger brother to end the fight for good.
Finding Archdragon Peak
You shouldn't finish the game without going here. It’s the most hidden area in Dark Souls 3. You need the "Path of the Dragon" gesture, which you find on a corpse after the Oceiros boss fight. Take that gesture back to the Irithyll Dungeon—there’s a specific outdoor cliff with a bunch of dragon-statue-looking dudes sitting down. Sit with them. Just wait. A cutscene will trigger. This area leads to the Nameless King, arguably the hardest boss in the base game.
Actionable Strategy for Success
To actually beat this game without breaking your hardware, follow these specific steps:
- Infuse early: Use a Fire Gem or Raw Gem on your weapon in the first few hours. This removes scaling but gives you high flat damage, letting you focus all your levels into Vigor and Endurance.
- Watch the weight: Keep your equipment load under 70%. If you hit 70.1%, you "fat roll." You will die. There is no middle ground here.
- The "Spook" Spell or Silvercat Ring: Falling damage is a huge killer. Using the Spook sorcery or the Silvercat Ring (from Sirris’s quest) allows you to take shortcuts that would otherwise kill you.
- Respecing: You can reset your stats at Rosaria in the Cathedral of the Deep. You only get five tries per "journey," so don't waste them, but don't be afraid to change your build if you find a cool boss weapon you want to try.
- Always carry a torch: Not for light, but for the leeches in the Cathedral and the Dungeon. If you have leeches on you, they cause bleed damage. Pulling out a torch instantly kills them.
Dark Souls 3 is less about "git gud" and more about "be prepared." Use the environment, don't be ashamed to summon help if a boss is ruining your week, and always, always check behind chests for mimics. If the chain on the side of the chest is pointing toward you, it’s a monster. If it’s curled back, it’s safe.