Dark Souls 3 Cheats & Secrets

FromSoftware’s Dark Souls 3 is the final game in its Dark Souls trilogy. Originally released on March 24, 2016, the game would make its way to the West just a few weeks later on April 12, 20216 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Following the stark departures of Dark Souls II, Dark Souls 3 is commonly understood as a return to form for the franchise, with series creator and FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki returning to the director’s chair. After the title’s initial release, FromSoftware would drop two major DLC expansions — The Ringed City and Ashes of Ariandel.

In addition to its satisfying conclusion to the overarching lore of the Dark Souls series, Dark Souls 3 is widely celebrated by fans as one of the more challenging and rewarding games in the series. Notably, Miyazaki would take many of the lessons learned from Bloodborne‘s development and implement them into Dark Souls 3‘s design, resulting in the game having a noticeably faster pace than its two predecessors. The game would prove to be a massive commercial success (moving over 10 million units as of 2020) and a critical darling, earning the Ultimate Game of the Year award from the 2016 Golden Joystick ceremony.

Dark Souls 3 Premise

The narrative of Dark Souls 3 returns players to the land of Lordran, only it has been centuries (or possibly millennia) since the events of the first Dark Souls. The First Flame, watched over by the Lords of Cinder, is dying out, and it is up to the player, an undead warrior known only as the “Ashen One”, to rekindle the First Flame. To do so, they must first extinguish the current Lords of Cinder and use their Souls to gain access to the Kiln of the First Flame.

The gameplay in Dark Souls 3 is similar to the other two games in the series and Demon’s Souls in that it is an action RPG with challenging, methodical combat and a staggering array of class and build options. After creating a character, players will traverse semi-open environments while slaying enemies and collecting experience and currency in the form of Souls. Souls are lost upon death, requiring players to be cautious with how they approach encounters and use “corpse runs” to retrieve lost experience by returning to the site of their demise. Should the player die a second time while en route to retrieve lost experience, the Souls are lost forever.

In addition to the primarily single-player content, Dark Souls 3 has a robust PvE and PvP multiplayer mode. While playing online, players can summon co-op allies to tackle challenging bosses. However, this also opens them up to invasion from non-friendly players.

Dark Souls 3 Main Characters

In Dark Souls 3, you assume the role of the Ashen One, a risen undead who is tasked with linking the First Flame and preventing the Age of Dark. Much of the game’s story is communicated through item descriptions, environmental storytelling, and other indirect and obscure lore, but there are several key players the Ashen One will routinely interact with throughout their journey. The main characters in Dark Souls 3 include:

• Ashen One: The player character and protagonist of Dark Souls 3, the Ashen One is an undead warrior who rises to rekindle the First Flame and bring about The Age of Dark or continue The Age of Fire.
• Fire Keeper: A mysterious blind maiden, the Fire Keeper tends the Bonfire in the Firelink Shrine and assists the Ashen One throughout their journey.
• Prince Lothric: The current head of the Lords of Cinder who has chosen to abandon his duty and watch the First Flame die out, ushering in the Age of Dark.
• Soul of Cinder: An amalgamation of all the prior Lords of Cinder who have kindled the First Flame to continue the Age of Fire. This foe serves as the final barrier between the Ashen One and their goal.

Games in FromSoftware’s ‘Soulsborne Lineage

Following the release of Demon’s Souls in 2009, which would prove to be a bit of an underground cult hit, FromSoftware would build on many of that game’s ideas with 2011’s Dark Souls. The release of Dark Souls was a bit of a “lightning in a bottle” moment in which players were hungry for challenging experiences that harkened back to previous game generations after years of games that increasingly held players’ hands throughout every moment. Dark Souls‘ runaway success would help put FromSoftware square in the gaming spotlight, leading to several other sequels and spin-off games giving birth to the “Soulsborne” lineage of challenging action RPGs with methodical, stamina-based combat. The FromSoftware “Soulsborne” games (which, coincidentally, helped to create the “Soulslike” subgenre) include:

• Demon’s Souls (PlayStation 3, 2009)
• Dark Souls (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, 2011)
• Dark Souls II (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, 2014)
• Bloodborne (PlayStation 4, 2015)
• Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, 2015)
• Dark Souls III (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, 2016)
• Dark Souls Remastered (PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, 2018)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, 2019)
• Elden Ring (PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, 2022)
• Elden Ring: Nightreign (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, 2025)

Dark Souls 3 Cheats & Secrets

While there are no official cheats for Dark Souls 3, there are a plethora of secrets for players to uncover as well as several glitches and exploits to take advantage of. Additionally, the PC version is compatible with third-party cheat engines and cheat trainer files.

Dark Souls 3 Secrets

Early Game Grinding Spot

Since resting at a Bonfire respawns all enemies in the area, it’s possible to reach the Firelink Shrine and then teleport back to the Cemetary of Ash (the starting area) and grind the easier enemies there for some quick early-game leveling. To improve the number of Souls gathered each time you run this grinding loop, you can reverse Hollowing by using an Ember and a Dried Finger consumable to earn more Souls for each enemy you take down. Once you have the Covetous Silver Serpent Ring, you can gain even more Souls with each loop, though at that point, you’ll probably be strong enough for better grinding spots (such as the loop just above the Dancer of the Boreal Valley in Lothric Castle).

Boss Soul Transposition

After defeating each of the bosses in Dark Souls 3, you will acquire its Soul. Later, after you defeat the Curse-Rotted Greatwood and obtain the Transposing Kiln, you can take any of your Boss Souls to Ludleth in the Firelink Shrine and turn them into powerful weapons and armor. The following items are available after defeating the corresponding boss.

• Soul of the Dancer: Soothing Sunlight, Dancer’s Enchanted Swords, or 10,000 souls.
• Soul of High Lord Wolnir: Wolnir’s Holy Sword, Black Serpent, or 10,000 souls.
• Soul of Boreal Valley Vordt: Vordt’s Great Hammer, Pontiff’s Left Eye, or 2,000 souls.
• Soul of the Rotted Greatwood: Hollowslayer Greatsword, Arstor’s Spear, or 3,000 souls.
• Soul of the Blood of the Wolf: Farron Greatsword, Wolf Knight’s Greatsword, or 20,000 souls.
• Soul of the Deacons of the Deep: Cleric’s Candlestick, Deep Soul, or 20,000 souls.
• Soul of a Demon: Demon’s Greataxe, Demon’s Fist, or 20,000 souls.
• Soul of Aldrich: Lifehunt Scythe, Darkmoon Longbow, or 15,000 souls.
• Soul of a Crystal Sage: Crystal Sage’s Rapier, Crystal Hail, or 3,000 souls.
• Soul of Pontiff Sulyvahn: Greatsword of Judgment, Profaned Greatsword, or 12,000 souls.
• Soul of the Old Demon King: Chaos Bed Vestiges, Old King’s Great Hammer, or 10,000 souls.
• Soul of a Stray Demon: Havel’s Ring, Boulder Heave, or 20,000 souls.
• Soul of Yhorm the Giant: Yhorm’s Great Machete, Yhorm’s Greatshield, or 20,000 souls.
• Soul of Dragonslayer Armour: Dragonslayer Greataxe, Dragonslayer Greatshield, or 15,000 souls.
• Soul of Consumed Oceiros: White Dragon Breath, Moonlight Greatsword, or 12,000 souls.
• Soul of Champion Gundyr: Gundyr’s Halberd, Prisoner’s Chain, or 20,000 souls.
• Soul of the Twin Princes: Lothric’s Holy Sword, Lorian’s Greatsword, or 20,000 souls.
• Soul of the Nameless King: Storm Curved Sword, Dragonslayer Swordspear, Lightning Storm, or 16,000 souls.
• Soul of the Lords: Sunlight Spear, Firelink Greatsword, or 20,000 souls.

Gestures

Successfully complete the following to unlock the corresponding gesture for use in Dark Souls 3.

• Applause: Speak with Leonhard at Firelink Shrine and get the Cracked Red Orbs. Talk to him again to get the key to the locked door under the Tower on the Wall Bonfire in the High Wall of Lothric leading to Darkwraith. Kill the Darkwraith to get a Red Eye Orb then speak with Leonhard again to learn the gesture.
• Beckon: Speak with Yoel of Londor near the Foot of the High Wall Bonfire.
• By My Sword: Summon Black Hand Gotthard and he will perform the gesture.
• Call Over: Trade a Homeward Bone with the crows.
• Collapse: Meet with Hawkwood.
• Curl Up: Give Greirat of the Undead Settlement a Loretta’s Bone.
• Darkmoon Loyalty: Speak with Sirris in Firelink Shrine.
• Dignified Bow: Meet the Yuria of Londor.
• Duel Bow: Get five Dark Sigils by leveling up with Yoel, then summon the Londor Pale Shade.
• Hurrah!: Speak with Blacksmith Andre.
• Legion Etiquette: Pray to the Old Wolf statue in the Farron Swamp.
• My Thanks!: Fight the Knight Slayer Tsorig in the Demon Ruins.
• Patches Squat: Speak with Patches at the Firelink Shrine.
• Path of The Dragon: Learned from the corpse of Oceiros, the Consumed King.
• Praise the Sun: Pray at the Altar of Sunlight in Lothric Castle.
• Prayer: Meet with Irina.
• Proper Bow: Kill Heyzel in the Farron Keep and bring a Pale Tongue to the Rosaria’s Fingers Covenant. Extinguish three flames and you will see her summon sign at Keep Ruins Bonfire. Summon her to get the gesture.
• Prostration: Reply negatively to Patches when he apologizes.
• Quiet Resolve: Speak with Horace at the Halfway Fortress Bonfire.
• Rejoice: Obtained during the Siegward questline.
• Rest: Rest at a Bonfire.
• Silent Ally: Obtained from Orbeck of Vinheim after he relocates to Firelink.
• Sleep: Learn Toast from Siegward of Catarina then speak with him again after he has gone to sleep.
• Stretch Out: Go to the Profaned Capital near the first Bonfire and learn it near the corpse found there.
• Toast: Speak with Siegward of Catarina after killing the demon.
• Welcome: Speak with Cornyx in the Undead Settlement, then at the Firelink Shrine.

Endings

There are a total of 4 endings players can achieve in Dark Souls 3, one of which requires following very specific steps to unlock and is easily missable.

To Link The First Flame Ending

After defeating the final boss, interact with the Bonfire to trigger the standard ending, “To Link The First Flame.”

The End of Fire Ending

To unlock “The End of Fire” ending, you must first find the Hidden Eyes in the Untended Graves area. After arriving in the Untended Graves, go to the shrine and hit the illusory wall downstairs to reveal the eyes. Collect them and travel back to the real Firelink Shrine. Give the eyes to the Fire Keeper, then proceed through the game as normal until you defeat the final boss. Summon the Fire Keeper instead of lighting the Bonfire to unlock “The End of Fire” ending.

The End of Fire (Alternate) Ending

Repeat the same steps for “The End of Fire” ending, but after summoning the Fire Keeper via the summon sign, attack her before the screen goes dark to trigger an alternate version of this ending.

The Usurpation of Fire Ending

The fourth ending, “The Usurpation of Fire”, is easily missable and requires several specific steps to unlock. Ultimately, players must make sure they remain Hollow throughout their entire playthrough, but there are several other necessary actions as well. Use the following step-by-step guide to help you unlock this ending:

• Step 1: Recruit Yoel on the bridge near the “Foot Of The High Wall” Bonfire.
• Step 2: Talk to Yoel in the Firelink Shrine and let him give you a free level-up.
• Step 3: Kill yourself eight times in a row (jump off the cliff).
• Step 4: Level up four more times at Yoel (every two deaths is one level-up).
• Step 5: Yoel will now die and be replaced by Yuria in the Firelink Shrine. Talk to Yuria (fast travel back and forth until she spawns).
• Step 6: Talk to Anri (a knight) at the “Halfway Fortress” Bonfire (Road Of Sacrifices).
• Step 7: Kill the Deacons Of The Deep (Cathedral Of The Deep).
• Step 8: Talk to Anri in the Firelink Shrine after defeating the Deacons Of The Deep.
• Step 9: Talk to Anri near the Catacombs Of Carthus entrance after killing the Abyss Watchers.
• Step 10: Talk to Anri further down in the Catacombs (by the hanging bridge before High Lord Wolnir).
• Step 11: Kill Horace down in the area where you fight the Old Demon King Boss (destroy the hanging bridge to climb down there).
• Step 12: Return to Anri and talk to her.
• Step 13: Talk to Anri at the “Church Of Yorshka” Bonfire (Irithyll Of The Boreal Valley).
• Step 14: Kill Pontiff Sulyvahn (Irithyll Of The Boreal Valley).
• Step 15: Talk to Yuria in the Firelink Shrine.
• Step 16: Marry Anri in the room below the “Anor Londo” Bonfire (Irithyll Of The Boreal Valley).
• Step 17: Talk to Yuria one last time in the Firelink Shrine.
• Step 18: Proceed through the game and kill the final boss (Soul Of Cinder). Then, interact with the bonfire in front of you to trigger “The Usurpation Of Fire” secret ending.

Archdragon Peak (Secret /Optional Area)

Like the other Dark Souls games before it, Dark Souls 3 has some hard-to-reach optional/secret areas. The first of these is Archdragon Peak, which players can access after defeating Oceiros. In the room where you fight Oceiros, make sure to obtain the “Path of the Dragon” gesture, as this is required to access Archdragon Peak. After, travel to the Irithyll Dungeon. Progress through the dungeon until you reach a lookout with a dragon statue (there is an elevator nearby). Use the “Path of the Dragon” gesture at the statue to trigger a cutscene and reach the hidden Archdragon Peak area.

Untended Graves (Secret/Optional Area)

Reaching the Untended Graves also requires defeating Oceiros. Open the door where the boss fight took place and follow the path into the next room. There is an illusory wall behind a chest at the end of the room. Hit the wall to make it disappear and then drop down into the Untended Graves area.

How to Respec

The Dark Souls games tend to lock players into their chosen class and skill point selections but still offer limited opportunities to respec. In Dark Souls 3, you can reset skill points in the Cathedral Of The Deep area. From the Cleansing Chapel Bonfire, take the elevator up to the Cathedral’s rooftop and climb up the ladder to the very top. You then need to drop down to a small balcony in the Cathedral’s main hall and again from the balcony to an area below. The path leads to a room with a hidden bonfire and a worm-like being named Rosaria. Talk to Rosaria, and she will let you join the Rosaria’s Fingers covenant. You can then talk to her to respec skill points and change your character’s appearance. Note: You only have a total of five respec attempts.

Covenant Locations

After finding each Covenant representative, players can choose to join and then swap their current Covenant at will.

Way of Blue

In The High Wall of Lothric, go down to the large courtyard area where you fight Vordt of the Boreal Valley. There is a big church with a woman sitting on a chair inside. Talk to the woman a few times. She will first give you a banner and then offer to let you join the covenant.

Mound Makers

From the Undead Settlement Bonfire, go through the dark building and across the bridge on the right. Follow the narrow path around the hill and climb the rooftops where archers are shooting at you. You can then drop to an area with a big NPC who has a cage on his back. Enter the cage (do not attack him) to trigger a cutscene. You will then be brought to the area where you will later fight the Curse-Rotted Greatwood Boss. Talk to the man near the shrine and he will let you join the covenant. Note: Players must join this covenant before fighting the Curse-Rotted Greatwood (missable).

Warrior of Sunlight

From the Undead Settlement Bonfire, proceed through the dark building and keep going straight. There are some houses down the hill. In one dark house, there is a hole in the floor. Drop down the hole and collect the covenant from the table.

Blue Sentinels

After defeating the Curse-rotted Greatwood, you will reach the Road Of Sacrifices area. At the Halfway Fortress Bonfire, you will meet two people. Talk to them to join the covenant.

Watchdogs of Farron

After killing the Abyss Watchers, head to the Road Of Sacrifices area, near the Keep Ruins Bonfire. Walk around the ruins until you find a ladder. Go up the ladder to see a sleeping wolf. Pray to the wolf to join the covenant. Note: This covenant is missable if players wait too long after killing the Abyss Watchers, as an NPC will come to slay the wolf.

Rosaria’s Fingers

Players can find this covenant in the Cathedral Of The Deep area, near the Cleansing Chapel Bonfire. After defeating the Deacons of the Deep, take the elevator up to the Cathedral’s rooftop and climb up the ladder to the very top. Drop down to a small balcony in the Cathedral’s main hall and then drop down again from the balcony to an area below. The path leads to a room with a hidden bonfire and a worm-like being named Rosaria. Talk to Rosaria, and she will let you join her covenant.

Aldritch Faithful

After defeating the Pontiff Sulyvahn, go outside and proceed through the courtyard with the dead giants on the ground. Go up the stairs to the tower entrance. There is an illusory wall on the left side of the tower. Hit the wall to reveal a ladder that leads down to a flooded area with two large enemies. There is a puppet sitting in the corner. Pray to the puppet to join the covenant.

Blade of the Darkmoon

From the Anor Londo Bonfire in Irithyll Of The Boreal Valley, head back down the stairs of the tower. After going downstairs, look for a Bonfire on a nearby tower. There is an invisible bridge you can walk across. Even if it looks like you are going to fall down, you will not. Just walk over the edge to walk in the air. Drop down to the tower with the hidden Bonfire. There is a lady in a white dress in this area. Talk to her. If you have the Bow gesture from Yuria’s quest line, she will let you join the covenant. If not, simply kill her and pick up the covenant item from her dead body.

NPC Invaders

Head to the indicated location to encounter the following NPC invaders and get the corresponding drop after defeating them:

Holy Knight Hodrick

• Location: Dilapidated bridge area at Undead Settlement. Can be summoned in the Road of Sacrifice.
• Drop: Vertebrae Shackle

Yellow Finger Heysel

• Location: Crucifixion Woods; look for a giant crab.
• Drop: Xanthous Crown, Heysel Pick

Longfinger Kirk

• Location: Cathedral of the Deep ground floor between two giants.
• Drop: Spiked Sword, Spiked Shield

Alva, Seeker of the Spurned

• Location: Immediately before Irithyll Dungeon Bonfire, where the wind can be heard blowing.
• Drop: Murakumo

Dark Spirit of Londor

• Location: Irithyll, past the room with the paintings.
• Drop: Manikin Claws

Daughter of Crystal Kriemhild

• Location: Untended Graves, near the first Bonfire.
• Drop: Sage’s Crystal Staff

Creighton the Wanderer

• Location: Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, at the long bridge between the first and second Bonfires.
• Drop: Dragonslayer’s Axe

Knight Slayer Tsorig

• Location: Catacombs, before the bridge to the boss arena.
• Drop: Knight Slayer’s Ring, Black Iron Greatshield

Snuggly the Crow Items

In the nest above Firelink Shrine, players will encounter Snuggly the Crow. Snuggly will accept any items from your inventory that you “leave” in its nest and exchange them for something new. Note that these trades are limited to once per playthrough, but they reset with each New Game+

Dark Souls 3 Cheat Engine Cheats (PC Only)

PC players have the option of using third-party cheat engines and cheat trainer files with Dark Souls 3. Note that doing so can result in a ban from the game’s servers, meaning it’s best to play in Offline Mode if using any mods or cheats. One such cheat trainer file can be found here and contains the following options:

Player Cheats

• Infinite Health
• Infinite Stamina
• Infinite FP
• No Bleeding
• Super Speed
• Infinite Buffer Duration

Stat Cheats

• Set Souls
• Set Level
• Set Vigor (VGR)
• Set Attunement (ATN)
• Set Endurance (END)
• Set Vitality (VIT)
• Set Strength (STR)
• Set Dexterity (DEX)
• Set Intelligence (INT)
• Set Faith (FTH)
• Set Luck

Inventory Cheats

• Infinite Item Usage
• Infinite Carrying Weight

Weapon Cheats

• Infinite Durability

Game Cheats

• Increase Item Drop Rates

Dark Souls 3 Achievements/Trophies

Completing the following in-game tasks will unlock the corresponding achievement/trophy.

Dark Souls 3 Cheat FAQs

Is Dark Souls 3 the hardest Dark Souls game?

While difficulty is subjective, there is a strong case for Dark Souls 3 being the most challenging in the trilogy. A large part of the game’s difficulty boils down to its selection of bosses, many of whom are some of the toughest fights in the FromSoftware catalog like The Nameless King or Pontiff Sulyvahn. Further, the earlier hours of Dark Souls 3 are arguably more challenging than those of both Dark Souls and Dark Souls II, throwing players into a boss fight just a few minutes after the starting area and rapidly scaling in difficulty before players have had a chance to adequately level their characters.

Does Dark Souls 3 have anti-cheat?

Notably, Dark Souls 3 does not have any official anti-cheat measures. However, the game does run detection to determine if players have irregularities in their code when playing online. In other words, using mods and/or cheat engine cheats can result in the servers picking up on irregular code, which can lead to either permanent bans or soft bans of player accounts. Some players even report soft bans becoming permanent bans forever locking them out of playing Dark Souls 3 connected to the internet. If planning on using mods or a cheat engine, make sure to play Dark Souls 3 in offline mode.

How many endings does Dark Souls 3 have?

There are a total of 4 endings in Dark Souls 3. Depending on the actions players take throughout the story, they can trigger one of these 4 endings after defeating the Lord of Cinder. Depending on which ending players are trying to achieve, they will need to either interact with the Bonfire in the boss arena or use the nearby summon sign (which has some prerequisites to even show up) to summon the Fire Keeper.

How long to beat Dark Souls 3?

Completing Dark Souls 3 will take most players 25-30 hours, largely dependent on their familiarity with the franchise and other FromSoftware games. But that estimate only factors in the time necessary to complete the main story, which knowledgeable players can readily rush through. To fully complete Dark Souls 3, defeating all bosses (including optional ones) and clearing all DLC, players could easily spend 100 hours or more.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Dark Souls 3 key art.