- For other uses, see Bleed (disambiguation).
Bleed is a negative status effect, auxiliary effect and damage type in Dark Souls.
General Information[]
Bleed deals between 30%-50% of the victim's total health. (does not apply with Bosses.)
Build up[]
When the Bleed effect occurs a build-up bar will appear in the middle of the screen. Blood Loss will take effect when the bleed meter fills up. The size of the bar is determined by the amount of resistance to bleed the player has.
Effect[]
A sudden burst of damage is inflicted when Bleed Resistance is overcome, signified by a large notice stating "Blood Loss". The damage inflicted is a percentage of the target's max HP. The bleed rating stat on a weapon indicates the percentage of health that the enemy will lose (0.1 times the value indicated on the item). Most weapons have a bleed rating of 300 (30% HP loss). The only exceptions are the weapons obtained from Crossbreed Priscilla (Lifehunt Scythe and Priscilla's Dagger), which have a bleed rating of 500 (50% HP loss).
Notes[]
- Bleed damage can be avoided by rolling the moment when the Bleed meter fills.
- The bleed bar build-up per strike is not listed in the in-game weapon statistics, only the percentage of health lost when blood loss occurs.
- Bleed damage is capped lower for damage against bosses.
- The skeletons are able to inflict bleed upon the player when using their Scimitars and Falchions, despite these weapons not having a bleed effect when used by the player against enemies. Similarly, the Painting Guardians cannot use their weapons to inflict bleed upon the player, though the Painting Guardian Sword does inflict bleed upon enemies when wielded by the player.
- Bleed damage is not blocked by any shields to any degree if the build-up was caused by an opponent in PvP. The same is true with Poison and Toxic.
Defense[]
Curing[]
Bleed buildup slowly decreases with time, and can also be cured with the items Bloodred Moss Clump and Divine Blessing, or through the use of the Remedy sorcery. Resting at a bonfire also cures buildup.
Stats[]
Investing in the Endurance stat while leveling up increases the player's intrinsic Bleed Resist.
Equipment[]
Armor[]
Of the starting armor sets, the Black Leather Set offers the best Bleed Resist.
As with defense against other negative status effects, light armor sets generally offer the best Bleed resistance. The Chester's Set offers excellent protection against Bleed. The Dingy Set, Gold-Hemmed Black Set and Shadow Set are also good alternatives.
Amongst the medium armor sets the Catarina Set, Channeler's Set, Ornstein's Set and Paladin Set are good choices for Bleed resistance.
Despite offering little resistance against other status effects, heavy armor sets can offer high Bleed resistance. The best amongst them are Smough's Set and the upgraded Black Iron Set.
Individual armor pieces that have the highest Bleed Resist when fully upgraded are the Gargoyle Helm, Sage Robe, Smough's Gauntlets, and either Blood-Stained Skirt or Maiden Skirt, totalling 163.7 Bleed Resist.
Rings[]
The Bloodbite Ring increases resistance by 5
Shields[]
- The Bloodshield offers 50 resistance and is the only shield to offer defense against this negative status effect.
- Blocking with shields that have 100% Bleed resist will prevent build-up. Crystal Shield and all Great Shields except Bonewheel Shield and Eagle Shield have 100% bleed resist.
- Players will not be able to block bleed build-up in PvP
Weapons[]
The Gargoyle's Halberd and Gargoyle Tail Axe offer 25 resist to Bleed and are the only weapons to do so.
Weapons[]
The following is a list of weapons that have the Bleed auxiliary effect.
| Weapon | Buildup | Damage Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Bandit's Knife | 30 | 30% |
| Barbed Straight Sword | 33 | 30% |
| Chaos Blade | 36 | 30% |
| Claw | 36 | 30% |
| Flamberge | 36 | 30% |
| Gold Tracer | 40 | 30% |
| Great Scythe | 36 | 30% |
| Iaito | 33 | 30% |
| Jagged Ghost Blade | 30 | 30% |
| Lifehunt Scythe Victim |
50 | 50% |
| Lifehunt Scythe Wielder |
40 | 50% |
| Morning Star | 33 | 30% |
| Notched Whip | 33 | 30% |
| Painting Guardian Sword | 30 | 30% |
| Priscilla's Dagger | 20 | 50% |
| Reinforced Club | 30 | 30% |
| Spiked Shield | 33 | 30% |
| Uchigatana | 33 | 30% |
| Washing Pole | 30 | 30% |
Enemies[]
The following is a list of characters, enemies and bosses that can inflict Bleed.
| Infliction Source | Buildup | Damage Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Characters | ||
| Crystal General | 50 | 50% |
| Forest Hunter Thief | 30 | 30% |
| Kirk, Knight of Thorns | 33 | 30% |
| Lord's Blade Ciaran | 40 | 30% |
| Marvelous Chester | 100 | 32% |
| Shiva's Bodyguard | 33 | 30% |
| Undead Male Merchant | 42 | 42% |
| Xanthous King, Jeremiah | 33 | 30% |
| Enemies | ||
| Abyss Attack Dog | 30 | 17% |
| Attack Dog | 30 | 17% |
| Giant Skeleton Swordsman | 33 | 22% |
| Hollow Thief | 39 | 32% |
| Painting Guardian | 30 | 30% |
| Serpent Mage | 45 | 68% |
| Skeleton Swordsman | 30 | 17% |
| Wooden Scarecrow - Scissor Wielding | ??? | ??? |
| Bosses | ||
| Crossbreed Priscilla | 80 | 60% |