- "Greetings, Undead warrior. I am the primordial serpent Darkstalker Kaathe. I can guide thee, and illuminate the truth. Undead Warrior, conqueror of the Four Kings; is this not your wish? To know the truth of men, and the Undead?"
- — Darkstalker Kaathe
Darkstalker Kaathe (Japanese: 闇撫でのカアス, Hepburn: Yaminade no Kaasu) is a character in Dark Souls and a mentioned character in Dark Souls III. He is voiced by Peter Marinker, who also voiced Kingseeker Frampt and Eingyi.
A primordial serpent with the goal of bringing about the Age of Dark and whom opposes Frampt and the Gods of Anor Londo, he only appears, besides The Dark Lord ending, if the player slays the Four Kings without having placed the Lordvessel under Frampt's guidance, acting as leader of the darkwraith covenant.
Location[]
Darkstalker Kaathe will appear in the Abyss, after defeating the Four Kings, if the player has not already placed the Lordvessel through Kingseeker Frampt.
Plot[]
Darkstalker Kaathe greets the Chosen Undead and tells his side of the story: that the player is not to renew the Age of Fire by rekindling the First Flame, but is in fact the descendant of the one who possessed the "Dark Soul", and shall be responsible for bringing about the Age of Dark. Kaathe will transport the player to Firelink Altar in order to place the Lordvessel, and then instructs the player to collect the other Lord Souls in order to confront Gwyn, Lord of Cinder.
Kaathe can initiate players into the Darkwraith covenant.
Story[]
Placing the Lordvessel while under the care of either of the serpents will result in the loss of the other. Frampt provides the service of breaking down larger Titanite pieces and can get rid of items in exchange for souls, while Kaathe provides Cracked Red Eye Orbs to the player while a member of his covenant.
Notes[]
- It is possible to join the Darkwraith Covenant without placing the Lordvessel and thus not alienate Kingseeker Frampt. After answering "Yes" to Darkstalker Kaathe's question and being transported to the Firelink Altar - do not place the Lordvessel. Instead, use a Homeward Bone or the Homeward miracle to exit. As long as one does not place the Lordvessel, neither serpent will depart. In this way, the player can be both part of the Darkwraith Covenant and use Frampt's "Feeding" service.
- In an interview, it is confirmed by Miyazaki that the Chosen Undead's ancestor, that Kaathe mentions, is the Furtive Pygmy.
- Kaathe will depart if the Chosen Undead places the Lordvessel while Kaathe is not present.
Wares[]
| Item |  Cracked Red Eye Orb |
| Souls | 3,000 |
Dialogue[]
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Trivia[]
- It's actually possible to kill Darkstalker Kaathe, but only through the use of third party programs. Kaathe has 24,464 HP and drops 5,000 souls upon death.
- In Dark Souls III, when the player kills Yuria, she says "Kaathe, I have failed thee", proving that she and the other Sisters of the Sable Church, and thus Londor by extension, are followers of Kaathe. In the original Japanese she says "...Kaathe... your dying wish was not fulfilled..." which would imply that, despite having followers during the events of Dark Souls III, Kaathe himself had passed away before the game's events. It is also implies that Kaathe's intentions were likely not selfish, given he wished for an Age of Dark even if he couldn't live to see it.