Balder Knights are enemies in Dark Souls.
Location[]
Balder Knights are located in the Undead Parish, and Sen's Fortress.
General Information[]
There are three varieties of Balder Knights: Side Sword, Rapier, and Crossbow. Those wielding rapiers are stronger and drop more souls.
The Rapier variant of the Balder Knight can switch stances, holding its weapon at chest level, pointed at the player. While its stance is altered thus, the Balder Knight can parry.
Lore[]
Balder Knights came to Lordran in large numbers along with their king, Knight King Rendal, seeking a cure for the Undead curse. However, none were able to defeat the Iron Golem, and they ended up as Hollows in the Undead Parish or Sen's Fortress.[1]
It is possible that at least one Balder Knight managed to enter Anor Londo, becoming a member of the Darkmoon covenant.[2]
Strategy[]
Balder Knights have a fair amount of health, and are a considerable threat to new characters. Even one-on-one, they can be very dangerous.
Any ranged attack is useful against them, but they are fast and will close the gap quickly. Firebombs can be very useful in defeating them.
Critical attacks, such as the Parry and Riposte and Backstab, are exceedingly efficient methods to dispatch these enemies.
Enemy Information[]
Health and Souls[]
| Location | Health | Souls | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NG | NG+ | NG | NG+ | |
| Undead Parish | 129 (Sword) 151 (Rapier) |
324 (Sword) 368 (Rapier) |
160 (Sword) 200 (Rapier) |
800 (Sword) 1,000 (Rapier) |
| Sen's Fortress | 380 (Sword) 134 (Crossbow) |
695 (Sword) 245 (Crossbow) |
500 | 1,500 |
Characteristics[]
| Respawn | Yes |
|---|---|
| Backstab | Yes |
| Damage Types | Regular / Thrust - Dependent on weapon wielded |
| Abilities | May heal with Estus Flasks when health is under 40%. Rapier variant can backstab, parry and riposte. |
Attacks[]
| Attack | Damage | Attack Type | Status Effect | Parryable | Tracking | Attack Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slash (Sword) | 238 | Regular | None | Yes | Neither | Medium |
| Two Handed Slash (Sword) | 300 | Regular | None | Yes | Neither | Medium |
| Swing (Rapier) | 268 | Thrust | None | Yes | Both | Fast |
| Stab (Rapier) | 309 | Thrust | None | Yes | Left | Fast |
Defenses[]
| Location | Physical Defenses | Elemental Defenses | Resistances | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Undead Parish | 137 | 137 | 137 | 137 | 100 | 103 | 89 | D | D | C |
| Sen's Fortress | 275 | 275 | 275 | 275 | 200 | 207 | 179 | D | D | C |
These stats are sourced from FuturePress's Official Dark Souls Strategy Guide.
| Location | Physical Defenses | Elemental Defenses | Resistances | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Undead Parish | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 109 | 113 | 98 | D | D | C |
| Sen's Fortress | 275 | 275 | 275 | 275 | 200 | 207 | 179 | D | D | C |
These stats are sourced from FuturePress's Official Dark Souls Strategy Guide.
| Location | Physical Defenses | Elemental Defenses | Resistances | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Undead Parish | 197 | 197 | 197 | 197 | 144 | 149 | 129 | D | D | C |
| Sen's Fortress | 252 | 252 | 252 | 252 | 184 | 189 | 163 | D | D | C |
These stats are sourced from FuturePress's Official Dark Souls Strategy Guide.
Drops[]
| Item |  Balder Side Sword |
 Rapier |
 Balder Shield |
 Buckler |
 Light Crossbow |
| Drop Rate | 1% (Side Sword Wielder) |
2% (Rapier Wielder) |
1% (Side Sword Wielder) |
1% (Rapier Wielder) |
2% (Crossbow Wielder) |
| Item |  Balder Helm |
 Balder Armor |
 Balder Gauntlets |
 Balder Leggings |
|
| Drop Rate | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | |
| Item |  Titanite Shard |
Titanite Shard |
Titanite Shard ×2 |
 Large Titanite Shard |
|
| Drop Rate | 8% (Undead Parish) |
21.82% (Sen's Fortress) |
0.91% (Sen's Fortress) |
2% (Sen's Fortress) |
Trivia[]
- Several corpses of Balder knights can be found in the Undead Parish and Sen's Fortress, and are the only preplaced corpses in the game to have armor on their dead body.
- Their armor has a similar design to the armor worn by Guts, the protagonist of the Berserk anime/manga, during its Golden Age arc.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Crestfallen Merchant dialogue: "Let me give a nibble of advice. Don't even consider visiting Anor Londo. Not in your state. For a century, they have tried, and failed. The Knight King Rendal, Black Iron Tarkus, and even Logan himself. You won't stand a chance. You'll be eaten alive. But, go along, if you wish. If only to deepen your despair!"
- ↑ Darkmoon Soldier (Sword)