Slave Knight Gael

Slave Knight Gael is a character in Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel and the final boss in The Ringed City DLC.

Location

 * He will be found praying before the statue next to the Cleansing Chapel bonfire in the Cathedral of the Deep.
 * He can be summoned for the second phase of the Sister Friede boss fight in the Painted World of Ariandel. (Ashes of Ariandel)
 * Can be summoned for the Demon Prince boss fight in The Dreg Heap, near the Within the Earthen Peak Ruins bonfire. (The Ringed City)

Lore
Believed to reside in the painting, he acted as some parental figure to The Painter, who calls him her uncle. It is believed that he departed the painting after The Painter was locked away, taking the rotted remains of the physical portal with him, attempting to find another Ashen One to complete the prophecy that would burn away the rotted world so that The Painter could replace it.

Unable to find one, he travels to the Cathedral of the Deep, praying for divine aid in his mission. When he encounters the Champion, he is overjoyed to have completed his search, and requests the Ashen One to free The Painter and show her the flame that would burn the rot. Once they come into contact with the piece of the painting, the Ashen One is pulled into the painted world.

In the fight with Ariandel and Friede, the flame is reignited, and The Painter comments that she will wait until she can see it before beginning the painting. To do that, she needs the pigment she intends to use, which she reveals to be the Dark Soul itself, discovered by the Furtive Pygmy and used to create all of humankind. She also mentions that Gael intended to get it for her, for he has set out on a new mission to find it, and she wonders whether or not he has found it already.

Questline
Upon arrival to the Cleansing Chapel, he will be found beside the altar, but praying instead to another object of reverence. Noticing the player, he will ask if they would show his lady flame. If the player says no, he will ignore your refusal until you agree, playing a cutscene wherein he will produce a fragment of the painting for the player to enter.

Trivia

 * The Painter refers to Gael as "uncle".
 * The Japanese text clarifies that Gael is not her uncle biologically, but rather that he is a paternal-like figure to her.
 * Given his armor and his name, he could have once been an undead soldier who went mad from his bondage and was drawn into the painting.
 * The hollowed soldiers of Farron, called the Followers, entered the world in this manner, so it is not so unlikely that Gael had a similar experience.
 * He is first met praying to the "merciful goddess, mother of the Forlorn" in the Cleansing Chapel, but whom exactly that is remains uncertain. The most likely candidates are Velka and the painting's original mistress Priscilla.
 * Gael's beard is unique to him and is not available as an option when creating the player's character.