- For the Dark Souls variant, see Darkwraith (enemy).
- For the covenant in Dark Souls, see Darkwraith (covenant).
Darkwraiths are enemies in Dark Souls III.
Description[]
Darkwraiths are identical to their appearance in the original Dark Souls, although they are slightly slimmer and more agile than their predecessors. Their armor, however, has become extremely decayed. Their withered appearance reflecting the extinction of their covenant. The three Darkwraiths found in the Farron Keep have a guaranteed drop of one or even two Cracked Red Eye Orbs.
Equipment[]
Locations[]
Only four Darkwraiths are encountered in the game, one guarding a tower in the swamp in the Farron Keep and two fighting Ghrus outside the Abyss Watchers' boss room.
The fourth one can be found in a hidden chamber in the High Wall of Lothric. To access it, the player first needs to obtain a Pale Tongue. Once acquired, the player must talk to Leonhard in Firelink Shrine, who will then give them the Lift Chamber Key. The key unlocks the door to a lift downstairs from the Tower on the Wall bonfire, which takes the player to fight a special Darkwraith that drops the Red Eye Orb.
Lore[]
In the Age of Fire, the Darkwraiths, once the knights of the Four Kings, took upon duty guarding New Londo. However, when Kaathe provoked these knights and taught them to use the Dark Hand, they became such a threat that Ingward, and other two sealers, flooded the entire city just to keep them at bay. Now, in the time of Lothric, the remaining of these once praised knights can be encountered lurking in the Farron Keep.
Strategy[]
Darkwraiths are aggressive opponents and will attempt to break the player's guard with a kick before unleashing powerful combos that can easily kill them if they are unable to retaliate. They retain their dark shield to block against attacks and can lifedrain the player for high damage.
The Darkwraith found in the swamp is immune to poison and is not hindered by the thick water, so it is advisable to defeat it on dry land. The two outside the boss room can be lured away separately with ranged weapons and can also be distracted by the Ghrus, allowing the player to attack them unnoticed. Be warned, though, that they will focus on the player over the other enemies if they detect them.
Darkwraiths don't have a varied repertoire of attacks and they will use the same combos frequently. Once the player has learned their attack patterns, they may develop proper strategies to know when to attack. They have very high poise and practically cannot be staggered, so it's advisable to attack only once and then retreat. Since their attacks come in quick succession and drain a high amount of stamina, blocking is not recommended, lest they break the player's guard and end up dealing a high amount of damage.
- Easy kill strategy for High Wall of Lothric:
After stepping off the lift, take a few steps forward, so you can backstep and activate it again. Hit the Darkwraith with an arrow, which will lure it to you. Once it's close enough to attack (it has a very long range, beware) backstep onto the lift and the Darkwraith will fall under the lift and die.
Easy way to get the Red Eye Orb. Only drawback is if it drops an item, you cannot retrieve it.
Drops[]
Item | Pale Tongue |
Cracked Red Eye Orb |
Red Eye Orb |
Dark Sword |
Drop Rate | ??? | Guaranteed (Farron Keep 1 and up to 3) |
Guaranteed (High Wall of Lothric) |
??? |
Item | Dark Mask |
Dark Armor |
Dark Gauntlets |
Dark Leggings |
Drop Rate | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? |
Notes[]
- Resistant to all forms of physical and elemental damage.
- Weak against attacks performed with either the Farron Greatsword or the Wolf Knight's Greatsword.
- Immune to Rapport.
- When defeated, they may drop two Estus Flask refills.
- When killed, their swords remain stuck to their hands instead of despawning as with other enemies.