You're standing in the back of the Undead Crypt. The music is somber. There’s this massive, hollowed-out king just mindlessly pacing in circles, dragging a sword that looks like it weighs a ton. You want that trophy. You want his gear. But you hit him and—nothing. You deal maybe 12 damage. You think your game is glitched. It isn't. You’re just missing the soul of a giant ds2 players have been obsessing over since 2014.
Honestly, it’s one of the most cryptic mechanics FromSoftware ever cooked up.
Most items in Dark Souls 2 give you souls when you "consume" them. You pop a soul, you get levels. Easy. If you do that with a Giant Soul, you are essentially soft-locking your progress against the optional final challenge of the game. It is a trap. A total, absolute trap for anyone playing blind. You need to keep these things in your inventory, rotting away, just so you can actually hurt Vendrick.
The Math Behind the Giant Soul
Let’s get into the weeds for a second because the math is actually wild. Vendrick starts with a defense multiplier that is 32 times higher than normal. 32x. That is why your +10 Greatsword feels like a pool noodle. Each soul of a giant ds2 you hold in your actual inventory (not your storage box!) cuts that defense in half.
If you have zero souls, he has 32x defense.
One soul drops it to 16x.
Two souls bring it to 8x.
Three souls get it to 4x.
Four souls bring it to 2x.
And finally, with five souls, you’re dealing true damage.
You can technically fight him with four. It's doable. It just takes forever and one mistake usually means you're getting flattened by his horizontal swipe. But trying it with zero? You might as well be trying to punch a mountain into submission.
💡 You might also like: Playing A Link to the Past Switch: Why It Still Hits Different Today
Where the Five Souls Are Hiding
You can't just find these sitting on a corpse in the Forest of Fallen Giants. Well, some of them are, but you have to work for it. Most of them are tucked behind the "Ashen Mist Heart," an item you get from the Ancient Dragon way later in the game.
- Memory of Orro: You’ll find this one behind the Pursuer’s arena. It’s a chaotic mess of giants and Royal Soldiers fighting. You just need to run to the end and interact with the fallen giant.
- Memory of Vammar: This is the one near the bonfire with the Mild-Mannered Pate encounter. Same deal. Navigate the narrow corridors, dodge the giants' overhead slams, and grab the soul from the giant at the end.
- Memory of Jeigh: This is the big one. It’s where you fight the Giant Lord. You need this to finish the game anyway, but don't forget to loot the actual soul after the boss dies.
- Black Gulch: This one is a nightmare. You have to drop down a series of hidden ledges between the two worm creatures. There's a cave with two Elite Giants. Kill them both. It’s a claustrophobic fight, but they drop a soul and the Forgotten Key.
- The Ancient Dragon: This is the controversial one. You have to kill the massive dragon at the top of Dragon Shrine. Most players hate this fight because the dragon has a massive health pool and can one-shot you with fire from the sky.
You don't need the fifth one from the Dragon. Honestly. The jump from 2x defense to 1x defense is nice, but it isn't worth the three hours of frustration if you aren't a completionist.
Don't Eat the Soul
I cannot stress this enough. If you consume the soul of a giant ds2 provides, it is gone. You cannot get it back until New Game Plus or by using a Bonfire Ascetic on specific areas—though Ascetics only work for the Ancient Dragon or the Black Gulch giants in certain patches.
The game doesn't tell you this. It just puts a "Consume to gain souls" prompt on the item description. It’s a classic Miyazaki prank. You see a soul that gives you 10,000 units and you think, "Hey, I need to level up my Vigor." Don't do it. Just put them in your pocket and leave them there until the King is dead.
The Lore Connection
Why do these souls even matter? It’s not just a random mechanic. Vendrick stole something from the Giants across the sea. We still don't know exactly what "The Prize" was, but it caused the Giants to invade Drangleic in a fit of pure, unadulterated rage.
📖 Related: Plants vs Zombies Xbox One: Why Garden Warfare Still Slaps Years Later
The Giants' souls are literally the manifestation of their grudge against the King. By carrying them, you are bringing that vengeful energy into the room. It’s the only thing that can pierce Vendrick’s skin because his soul is so hollowed out and pathetic that only the weight of his past sins (the Giants) can touch him.
Farming Giant Souls (If You Messed Up)
If you accidentally ate your souls, don't delete your character just yet.
You can head back to the Black Gulch. Use a Bonfire Ascetic on the hidden "Hidden Chamber" bonfire. This will respawn the two giants in the pit. Kill them again. They will drop another soul. This is arguably the easiest way to get back to the 5-soul threshold without having to fight the Ancient Dragon.
Just be careful—Ascetics make the area harder. In Black Gulch, that means the poison statues might start doing more damage or the invaders like Woodland Child Victor will become absolute tanks.
Practical Strategy for the Vendrick Fight
Once you have your souls, the fight is actually a bit of a letdown if you’re expecting a fast-paced duel like Artorias or Fume Knight.
👉 See also: Why Pokemon Red and Blue Still Matter Decades Later
Vendrick is slow. He’s tired.
The trick is to literally hug his left leg. Not your left, his left. If you stay behind his right hip (the side without the sword), most of his horizontal swings will just go right over your head. You don't even really need to roll if your positioning is perfect. You just walk in a circle, poke him twice, and wait.
If you have the soul of a giant ds2 requirement met, he’ll go down in a few minutes. Without them, you’ll be there for forty minutes until your weapon breaks.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you are currently staring at Vendrick and wondering why your hits aren't landing, here is your immediate checklist:
- Check your inventory: Count the "Soul of a Giant" items. If you have fewer than four, stop fighting him. You are wasting your time.
- Visit the Memories: If you have the Ashen Mist Heart, go back to the Forest of Fallen Giants. There are three trees that look like giants. Enter them.
- Kill the Gulch Giants: Drop down those ledges in Black Gulch. Use a torch so you can see where the platforms are.
- Equip a bleed weapon: Fun fact—Vendrick is actually susceptible to bleed. Even with high defense, bleed procs deal a percentage of health. It’s a great backup if you only managed to find three souls.
- Store your other souls: Don't confuse "Giant Lord Soul" with "Soul of a Giant." They look similar but do completely different things. The Giant Lord Soul is for transmuting into the Repel hex or just for consuming. It does not affect Vendrick’s defense.
The journey to gather every soul of a giant ds2 offers is basically the true "endgame" of the Drangleic narrative. It forces you to revisit the sites of the war and see the carnage for yourself. Once the King falls, you can finally access his soul and his armor in the Shrine of Amana—but only if you’re in human form.
Good luck. You’re going to need it for the Ancient Dragon.