Giant Man Serpents are enemies in Dark Souls III.
In-Game Description
- Lingering, undying traces of the ancient dragons can still be seen in their descendants, the man-serpents, though they have fallen far from grace.[1]
Description[]
Towering above their lesser brethren, Giant Man Serpents conform the elite forces of their race. They can be encountered either with groups of normal Man Serpents or even with others of their own, large-sized kind. They are surprisingly fast, almost equaling a sprinting player's speed, and will chase relentlessly for long distances once they engage in combat.
Their offensive capabilities are not restricted just to the weapons they wield; they have the ability to breathe devastating streams of fire, which they will spray in a clockwise arc in front of them.
If the player is attacking from behind, it may swing its neck around and grab them with its jaws, lifting them from the ground and lashing them back down for high damage.
There are two variants:
Chain-axe:
A slightly thinner version that wields a retractable chain-axe. The long chain fastened to their weapons allow them to attack from a considerable distance, giving them long-range combat capabilities. The blade can deal damage both on its way outward and on return. Their weapons can frequently clip through walls and ceilings, allowing them to inflict damage even if the player is in an adjacent room.
Greataxe:
The largest of all Man Serpents. These enemies wield an oversized battleaxe and specialize in performing powerful wide swings one after another, draining huge amounts of stamina and easily breaking the player's guard in just a few attacks. Their moveset has some similarities with that of the Winged Knights, notably their spin attack.
Locations[]
Found in Archdragon Peak.
- The first one, a greataxe-wielder, is found standing on top of an archway located in front of the Ancient Wyvern's boss arena, guarding the Ancient Dragon Greatshield.
- A chain-axe-wielder and another greataxe-wielder can be found along the gauntlet of enemies that conforms the Ancient Wyvern boss battle.
- Another greataxe-wielder can be found patrolling halfway along the exterior path that connects the Dragon-Kin Mausoleum with the Great Belfry.
- About four Giant Man Serpents of both kinds are found among the large ambush that conforms their last line of defense, guarding the highest point of Archdragon Peak where the altar to the dead archdragon lies.
Strategy[]
Giant Man Serpents are very dangerous enemies and should never be rushed; instead, they should be approached more strategically.
It is not recommended to confront them if there are other enemies around, so it's better to dispatch of all hostiles in the vicinity before even attempting to deal with them.
Once a Giant Man Serpent engages in battle, it will chase after the player relentlessly with surprising speed. Their long-reach weapons and excellent tracking may even allow them to successfully hit a player at medium distance whilst they are attempting to escape.
Fortunately, in all the locations where they are encountered, they can be lured near structures where it is possible to perform plunging attacks on them. Apart from receiving heavy damage, they will be left heavily staggered afterward and ready for a quick finish.
When they are dealt a large amount of damage in quick succession, they will stagger and be extra vulnerable for a short period of time. However, this does not allow for critical hits, nor can they be backstabbed.
Giant Serpent Men are notorious for their bad footing and frequently fall off ledges. This can be exploited by luring them near narrow spaces where they may accidentally fall to their demise.
Drops[]
| Item |  Large Titanite Shard |
 Titanite Chunk |
 Lightning Gem |
| Drop Rate | ??? | ??? | ??? |
Notes[]
- Both variants bear the same amount of HP and yield the same amount of souls.
- Immune to Alluring Skulls.
- Immune to Rapport.
- Can be staggered for Instability damage.
Trivia[]
- In the Souls series, snakes and serpents are generally conceived as a type of lesser dragons, perhaps explaining the Giant Man Serpents appearance in Archdragon Peak, their ability to breath fire, and why they worship the ancient dragons as their ancestors.
- The greataxe wielded by the larger kind is actually just an oversized model of the normal Battle Axe.
Gallery[]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Ancient Dragon Greatshield description.