- For the Dark Souls II variant, see Mimic (Dark Souls II).
- For the Dark Souls III variant, see Mimic (Dark Souls III).
Mimics are a type of non-respawning enemy encountered in Dark Souls.
Description[]
Mimics disguise themselves as chests, waiting for victims to try to open them. When a player attempts to do so, Mimics will proceed to chomp on them in a special grab move, causing heavy damage.
If Mimics are hurt before they can grab a player, they reveal a large, lolling tongue and lines of finger-bone teeth, followed by the arms and legs. Once upright they will begin to aggressively pursue their prey. Mimics are fast, tough, and deal high damage; they can easily kill the unprepared.
In order to determine the difference between a Mimic and Chest, the most direct visual cue one can get is by looking at the chain connected to the right side of the chest. If the chain is wrapped in a circle then the chest is safe, if the chain is straightened out then it's a Mimic.
Lore[]
Mimics were part of a long lost clan, exiled for the sin of avarice.[1]
Locations[]
A total of nine Mimics can be encountered in the game:
- In a chamber that contains an elevator going up to the control room.
Anor Londo ×4
- Guarded by two Sentinels in the room left of the first bonfire.
- In a dark room behind an illusory wall near the third bonfire. The room where Havel's Set is found.
- Two on the upper floor area near the spiral staircase.
- On an upper balcony area, guarded by two Undead Crystal Soldiers just before encountering Seath the Scaleless for the first time.
- In a small library, near the exit leading to the garden area of the archives.
Oolacile Township (AotA) ×2
- On the roof of a circular tower, in plain sight
- Inside a stone building past the circular tower. Second floor. Rolling is needed to reach it.
Strategies[]
- A good way to quickly dispatch a Mimic is to land as much damage before it is fully upright. Using attacks such as the two handed leaping attack or a powerful spell is the best way to weaken it as much as possible due to the long transformation.
- When the mimic is active, it will move quickly and deal high damage if it hits. In particular, its spinning kick deals high knockback and damage.
- If a Mimic is able to start chewing on the player, the player is most assuredly going to die. However, rapidly pressing the weak attack buttons will allow the player to escape.
- All of the Mimic's attacks except for the standing kick, which must either be blocked or dodged, will miss if the player positions him/herself close against the Mimic.
- Once a Mimic is awake, Lloyd's Talismans can still lull them, allowing the player to heal themselves or finish it off.
Notes[]
- Transitioning from its disguised to active state will take some time and is a perfect opportunity to finish it off if the player is capable of dealing enough damage.
- If one is patient enough, it is possible to observe a Mimic breathing and moving slightly as their idle animation. They'll even stretch their arms and legs out in rare occurrences.
- Throwing a Lloyd's Talisman at a Mimic will cause it to open its mouth, allowing players to safely retrieve items from it without having to fight it. This can be done even if the mimic is hostile, in which case it'll sit back down.
- It used to be possible to kill every Mimic in the game and not get the Symbol of Avarice. However, Patch 1.05 made the final Mimic in The Duke's Archives (the one in front of the exit to the grove of Crystal Golems) a guaranteed source for a Symbol of Avarice upon killing it.
- In Co-op it is actually possible to save another player from a mimic. When the other player opens the mimic, if one acts quickly and attacks the mimic while it is still opening, it will instead stand up and initiate normal combat.
- Mimics can't climb ladders.
Enemy information[]
Health and souls[]
| Location | Health | Souls | ||
| NG | NG+ | NG | NG+ | |
| Sen's Fortress | 992 | 1,815 | 1,000 | 3,000 |
| Anor Londo | 1,041 | 1,822 | 2,000 | 6,000 |
| The Duke's Archives | 1,240 | 1,946 | 3,000 | 6,000 |
| Oolacile Township | 1,240 | 1,946 | 3,000 | 6,000 |
Characteristics[]
| Respawn | No |
|---|---|
| Backstab | No |
| Damage Types | Regular / Strike |
| Abilities | Can perform grabs. |
Attacks[]
| Attack | Damage | Attack Type | Status Effect | Parryable | Tracking | Attack Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arm Swing | 429 | Normal | None | No | Left | Fast |
| Running Kick | 456 | Strike | None | No | Left | Medium |
| Mimic's Meal*† | 589 | Strike | None | No | Both | Slow |
| Grab and Chew* | 163 | Strike | None | No | Neither | Medium |
* Damage listed is per chew.
† Only applies when opening a Mimic.
Defenses[]
| Location | Physical Defenses | Elemental Defenses | Resistances | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Sen's Fortress | 231 | 231 | 231 | 231 | 161 | 137 | 196 | A | A | A |
| Anor Londo | 244 | 244 | 244 | 244 | 170 | 145 | 207 | A | A | A |
| The Duke's Archives | 297 | 297 | 297 | 297 | 297 | 177 | 252 | A | A | A |
| Oolacile Township | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? |
These stats are sourced from FuturePress's Official Dark Souls Strategy Guide.
Drops[]
| Item |  Symbol of Avarice |
 Lightning Spear |
 Crystal Halberd |
 Occult Club |
 Gold Coin |
| Drop Rate | 1%* | Guaranteed (Sen's Fortress) |
Guaranteed (Anor Londo) |
Guaranteed (Anor Londo) |
Guaranteed (Anor Londo) |
| Item |  Silver Coin ×5 |
 Crystal Knight Shield |
 Enchanted Falchion |
 Crest Key |
 Very Good! Carving |
| Drop Rate | Guaranteed (Anor Londo) |
Guaranteed (The Duke's Archives) |
Guaranteed (The Duke's Archives) |
Guaranteed (Oolacile Township) |
Guaranteed (Oolacile Township) |
*Guaranteed from last mimic in The Duke's Archives if not yet obtained.
Trivia[]
- The mimic originates in the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual (1977). In that sourcebook, they are carnivorous shapechangers able to take the form of any solid stone or wooden object, though they are most commonly depicted as treasure chests. Mimics have since appeared in numerous video game RPGs.
- According to Dungeons & Dragons editor Tim Kask, Gary Gygax created the mimic to foil players who checked for traps before opening treasure chests. The result, just as in Dark Souls, was to instill a sense of paranoia among players opening chests.[2]
- A Mimic's teeth are actually finger bones.
- Mimics have a unique death animation if they die before being awakened.
- If the player watches closely, a Mimic lying in wait will slowly open its lid, and then slowly close it.
Gallery[]
Grabbed
In-game comparison
Mimic's death
Concept art
References[]
- ↑ Symbol of Avarice description.
- ↑ The Curmudgeon in the Cellar YT9, 2017. Tim Kask, Youtube. 30'30".