Dark Souls 3: The 10 hardest zones ranked by difficulty (2023)

There were nearly two dozen regionsblack souls 3that the player had to progress to complete the main quest and stories in the DLCs. Each had their own challenges and lessons they wanted to teach the player, but some tried harder than others.

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Admittedly, some areas are more or less difficult depending on your build. Still, fans agree that for most players and playstyles, these areas are the hardest to survive.

UP TO DATEon August 2, 2021 by Ben Baker: Given that the entire game is likely to be difficult for the average player, tackling the hardest parts of a hard game is even more daunting. To help players tackling these areas for the first time, returning after a break, or simply wanting to progress faster, here are some tips to help achieve this. It is also worth knowing exactly what the player will face in each area to better prepare and what level is recommended to pass.

10 steaming lake

Smoldering Lake is an area that can overwhelm players if they aren't careful, although it isn'tmost difficult area. There are a large number of powerful and annoying enemies. When combined with poison and lava hazards, they can quickly take down the player.

Ghru Clerics and their pesky Chaos Fire Orbs are a significant threat when in groups. The Black Knight can easily slash the player with his sword. The Carthus sandworm and its lightning breath is a painful lesson in dodging, and there's nothing worse than fighting multiple enemies only to be swarmed by tiny crabs.

Enemies found here

• little king
• black knight
• Carthus Sandorm
• crystal lizard
• Demon cleric
• demon statue
• large crab
• rotten dog
• great mouse hunter
• Skeleton swordsman
• skeleton wheel
• Steaming Horror
• steaming rotten flesh

Tips for steaming lakes

To start, players must be between level 40 and 55 when facing one of the levelsmost difficult areasin the game. The ballista is the biggest threat and can be dealt with by following the underground path hiding the basilisks up the ladder to the ballista. Alternatively, using the Ballista to engage opponents while they're hiding is a solid strategy for dealing with things like the Carthus Sandworm. So finally, a good way to deal with them from a distance is to use arrows to lure the crabs onto the rocks at the entrance to Horatio's cave.

9 The consumed King's Garden

(Video) Ranking the Dark Souls 3 Areas from Worst to Best [#22-11]

Garden of the Consumed King was small, but the small space was filled with challenges that made killing enemies and finding items annoying. The poisonous swamp held a treasure trove of loot, but getting to it required avoiding poisonous hazards and killing a very powerful Pus of Man.

Granted, if you avoided certain battles, this area would be a little easier and not appear on this list, but this is a game about fighting and looting, so it's put here.

Enemies found here

• mand pus
• rotten snail
• Knight of the Consumed King
• hul slave
• snake man
• Lotic Priest

Tips til Garden of the Consumed King

Being level 65 to 75 is highly recommended for this difficult area of ​​the game. The fire attack is useful for dealing with the Pus of Man enemies that roam the area. Summoning Hawkwood the Deserter is great for dealing with guarding devoured King's Knights.Oceiros The Devoured King.

8 the fortress farron

If you had the Poisonbite ring in the cathedral this area was a little easier to use, if you didn't it was brutal and one of themost difficult areaspass There's a lot that can poison you here, and the royals love to use their curses. Because of this, traveling slowly in deep water can be a significant obstacle when lizards attack.

Darkwraiths are also a danger, provided you attack them right away. The reason for this is that a group of Ghrus will join the fight and you will be outnumbered. A useful trick is to let the Ghrus and Darkwraiths fight each other, then go in and kill the weakened Darkwraiths.

Enemies found here

• Darkwraith
• little king
• corvian
• Corvian narrates
• crystal lizard
• Elder Gru
• gru
• large crab
• ravenous crystal lizard
• rotten snail

Tips for Farron's Keep

Players will want to be somewhere between level 30 and 40 when tackling this area. Having poison resistance from items like the Poisonbite Ring is highly recommended to survive one of the hardest areas in the game. Status effect heals are also highly recommended. There are a lot of fire weak enemies here, so have onefire-based weaponThat is a good idea. When all royals have something like Curseward Great Shield, it will negate your curse powers.

7 The Carthusian Catacombs

What made the Catacombs of Karthus difficult was that it required some serious trial and error to navigate the area safely. Fans lamented the numerous pressure plate traps you had to avoid while fighting skeletons, body rocks that would break you, slime enemies that dropped from the ceiling, and annoying skeleton wheels.

Skeletons with curved swords can also make for some nasty fights. But the rotten cherry on top of that hunting tank was finally navigating the traps and defeating the seemingly endless horde of skeletons, only to be caught by Mimiko near the end.

Enemies found here

• smaller crab
• rotten dog
• Skeleton
• Skeleton swordsman
• skeleton wheel
• Rotten flesh writhes
• The spirit of darkness

Tips for the catacombs of Carthus

To go through one ofmost difficult areasof the game, players will want to be between level 35 and 50. Skeleton enemies are particularly vulnerable to attack damage, so having something like the Executioner's Sword will make the area much easier. Learning the location and mechanics of the various traps and, more importantly, how to avoid them is essential to survival in this place.

6 Irithyll's Dungeons

Jailers are the main reason this area is so difficult for fans. These iron wielding enemies, sorry, are able to use your weapons to slow your movement speed and inflict a curse that prevents you from drinking Estus. They can also knock you down and deal massive damage while you're down, in case you weren't sure if they were.frustrating enemiesor not.

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It also doesn't help that you can be surprised by depressions that will knock you over and leave you vulnerable to Jailor attacks. The Basilisk ambush can also be an unpleasant surprise, and many players have chosen to leave the Lycanthrope in its cage for good reason. Combine the annoying battles with the long distances between fires and you have a tough area.

Enemies found here

• Prison officer
• reanimated corpse
• infected carcass
• Zoroastrian Koufos
• werewolf
• The monstrosity of sin
• Lig-Grub
• awful
• centipede drain
• rotten dog
• facial expressions
• little king
• Giant slave
• cave spider

Tips for Irithyll Dungeon

Before starting this area, players must be level 50-60. The biggest threat here are jailers who can drain health. The best tactic is to attack aggressively to take them down quickly and avoid their gaze as much as possible. Alternatively, sneak backstabbing with a Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring or using Rebel tactics with a bow can work, but it takes a lot of time.

5 Dybets katedral

It's unfortunate when Dark Souls 3 is difficult, not because of a tough boss fight or enemy encounter, but because it's difficult to safely navigate the level while under attack. The Cathedral of the Deep provides an example of this.unnecessary troublefor the many beams you have to climb when you are hit by arrows that disappointed many fans.

Even if you were navigating these narrow paths, you'd still be dealing with Cathedral Knights, who can use Preserve and heal, and the nimble Cathedral Tomb Guardians, who can deal blood loss.

Enemies found here

• knight of the cathedral
• hul slave
• reanimated corpse
• infected carcass
• Evangelistcathedral
• the cathedral's butler
• Devotee of the Deep
• hungry dog
• Lig
• cage spider
• crystal lizard
• Rotten flesh writhes
• facial expressions
• human larva
• Giant slave
• ravenous crystal lizard
• deeply cursed
• Middlefinger Kirk

Tips for Dybet's Cathedral

Being between level 30 to 40 is encouraged for this difficult area. Fire damage will do the job for a lot of different enemies, such as infested corpses or hungry dogs. A shield that protects 100% of physical damage is the simplest way to clear the area, but it takes a while.

4 Large files

The Grand Archive is a mysterious place thanks to the wax-covered scholars, but the real threat comes from the Crystal Sage mini-boss who beats it withbrutal spellsand teleports across the room if you don't kill him fast enough.

But escaping the Archive to the roof only increases the danger as you now have to deal with deadly Gargoyles and Ascended Wing Knights. Essentially, this area ends up being harassed by spells indoors or attacked by winged enemies outside.

Enemies found here

• hollow soldier
• hul slave
• Lotic Knight
• Ascended Winged Knight
• Knight Boreal Outrider
• Crystal Sage
• large archives
• Curse of Claws
• crystal lizard
• human larva
• statue
• corvian
• Corvian narrates

Tips for large files

Passing this area will require a level between 65 and 80. Crystal Sage can become a problem if he can teleport through the area and continue to attack the player. Be sure to land a few good hits with a poisoned weapon to ensure he dies even if he teleports. The other key to making this area easier is to dip the character in wax in the wax pool next to the altar. This allows the character to completely ignore hands on walls that would normally apply a curse.

3 Lotic Slot

As you may have noticed, knights are often difficult enemies for players, and Lothric Castle is full of them. Your first battle is against a red-eyed knight who is accompanied by a black-robed priest who heals him. This is a common occurrence in this area and annoying.

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The real challenges are the Lothric Knights, Winged Knights and Boreal Outrider Knight, which deal devastating cold damage. The Boreal Outrider Knight is fast and will attack relentlessly, requiring you to stay on the defensive until you see an opening to attack, something many players don't have enough patience for and often die for.

Enemies found here

• mand pus
• hollow soldier
• hollow killer
• dark priest
• Lotic Knight
• winged knight
• Knight Boreal Outrider
• facial expressions
• crystal lizard
• Lothric Wyvern

Lothric Slot Tips

Since this is one of thosemost difficult areasat the end of the game it is recommended to be at a high level between 75 and 90. One of the hardest encounters is the knights with the two hollow priests, taking out the priests with a dash or a bow is essential to defeating the knights. In general, it is recommended to take things slowly and draw enemies into battles one at a time whenever possible.

2 Ærkedragens Peak

This area has almost reached the peak of how difficult it is. There are two enemies that make this area so difficult, Man Serpents and Man Serpent Summoners. Man Serpents can use their long necks to grab the player and smash them to the ground, which can often kill the player if not careful.

Man Serpent Summoners are more dangerous as they will summon one of the three heroes indefinitely until they are killed. The three warriors are Ricard Knight, the tanky Havel Knight and the brutal Drakeblood Knight.

Enemies found here

• snake man
• Serpent Man Summoner
• Dragonblood Knight
• crystal lizard
• Ancient Wyvern
• stenfirs
• Knight of Havel

Punkter af Archdragon Peak

A level of 95 to 120 is highly recommended for one of themmost difficult areasin the game. OAncient Wyvernhe can go down with a bow or melee to the neck with onelightning gunhow the Dragon Slayer's ax works best. In fact, lightning is generally a solid damage type used against the various enemies in this area.

1 ringby

Ringed City, which is probably the hardest zone in Dark Souls 3, is included in the DLC of the same name. It's meant to challenge those with strong builds and high-level characters, and it certainly delivers.

For many fans, this area simply collected the toughest enemies in the game, gave them stronger attacks and deeper health pools, and threw them into the Ringed City. It's generally assumed that if you're a caster-based builder, you'll die. Much. Tanky builds a bit better, but it's still a brutal playground to challenge players who have reached the endgame.

Enemies found here

• crystal lizard
• Knight's ring
• moaning knight
• Sølvridder Year
• Overgrown Lothrian Knight
• hollow cleric
• dishonest thief
• Judge
• Herald Legion Knight
• white faced grasshopper

Tips til Ringed City

Tomost difficult areathroughout the game, players must be between levels 80 and 100. A commonly used tactic in this area is to lure Herald Knights into areas where they will drop and then attack them for massive damage. The rest of the time it's about luring enemies into areas where they can be tackled individually or places where the player can move better. Everything here has high resistance to fire and darkness, so using something else helps.

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