- Not to be confused with Undead Jailer.
Jailers are enemies in Dark Souls III.
In-Game Description
- The jailers were among the few survivors inhabiting the Profaned Capital, later serving under Pontiff Sulyvahn. Perhaps the screams emanating from the cells help them forget their old home.[1]
Description[]
Jailers are former inhabitants of the Profaned Capital who managed to escape its collapse and were recruited by Pontiff Sulyvahn to oversee the prison. They are tall humanoid enemies that carry lanterns and wield branding irons in combat. Their lanterns emit a gas that is most likely only to signify an aggro toward the player. It does no damage, nor inflicts any sort of effect buildup.
By far their most dangerous ability is to rapidly reduce the player's maximum health just by looking in their direction. Their weapons also slow your movement and negate the use of Estus. Both attacks combined make for a devastating combination that can kill a player with full health in just a few seconds.
Location[]
Found in the two cell blocks of the Irithyll Dungeon, with seven of them patrolling the second one and one more guarding Karla's cell. Additionally, Hollow versions of the Jailers who do not have Soldering Irons can be found in between the two cell blocks.
Strategy[]
Jailers often patrol in groups and it is vital that the player picks them off one by one or their health will drop rapidly. Although this effect only lasts for a short time, it can be potentially lethal if other enemies are nearby, so eliminating Jailers should be prioritized over lesser foes.
If they detect the player, they will emit a red aura and begin laughing before rushing toward their location. Using ranged weapons to kill them before the debuff takes effect is recommended. If forced into close ranged combat, staying behind them will prevent the health drain.
Fortunately, they are very slow and tend to leave their backs open for backstabs frequently. They are also not very aggressive and hiding from them for just a few seconds is usually enough for them to stop chasing. They are notably slow while turning around, giving the player ample time to backstab them before they turn hostile.
If they are attacked with enough force, they will get knocked down. This is both an advantage and a hindrance, since they will be left open for a finishing blow, but at the same time they may land away from the player's reach, allowing them to stand up and commence their health draining attack.
Drops[]
| Item |  Simple Gem |
 Soldering Iron |
 Aristocrat's Mask |
 Jailer Robe |
| Drop Rate | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? |
| Item |  Jailer Gloves |
 Jailer Trousers |
||
| Drop Rate | ??? | ??? |
Notes[]
- Immune to Rapport.
- The player cannot actually die from the Jailers' HP draining effect.
- The player's HP bar will restore itself with time, but the actual health lost won't.
- Besides the actual HP bar being reduced, the player can know they are being affected by a Jailer's draining effect by a visual red-and black cue on their body and the sound of a pumping heart. The draining effect is actually an invisible series of projectiles which goes in a straight line from their head; rounding a corner or having something else partly block their view stops the health drain.
- Interestingly, if you perform the "Rest" Gesture near them, the HP Drain will have no effect.
- The jailers use their branding iron as a thrust weapon, delivering a series of slow pokes: if you are caught by this attack, it causes "fat rolls" normally only seen when over the 70% weight limit and denies the use of Estus.
Trivia[]
- Most likely based on the Mind Flayer enemies from Demon's Souls.
- The presence of the Hollow Jailers without Soldering Irons and wearing tattered garbs indicates that the regular Jailers are not Hollows yet. There are also cage spiders with the Jailer's robes swathed around the cages, indicating the hollows inside were once Jailers, too.
- Several of their lanterns are seen hanging from fences in the area, lit up with an orange glow. Some of their masks are also seen on random chairs around the upper parts of the jail.
- Jailers are the only source of Simple Gems; no other enemy has the chance to drop them, apart from one Crystal Lizard beyond Pontiff Sulyvahn's boss room.
References[]
- ↑ Jailer Set description.