Soul of Cinder Dark Souls III Guide

Soul of Cinder is the last boss in the game. Before the battle, you will have to boost your protection against fire and as much defense against physical attacks as possible. This is so, because these are the attacks that the enemy will mainly be using. If you have followed Yuria's quest to the very end and married Anri, you can now summon Yuria right before you enter the arena. Additionally, you can summon Shadow of Londor, to help you. You should have found this summoning sign halfway away from the bonfire. Soul of Cinder seems not to have too many weaknesses, but it seems that attacks reinforced with frost or lightning are the best.

Avoiding thrust will allow you to attack.

In the first part of the battle, the boss uses his sword in battle. The repertoire of her attacks is a standard one - 2 regular swings that are sometimes followed by an overhead slash, or a powerful forward thrust, By dodging you can easily counter these attacks, especially when it comes to the second one. If you are carrying a good shield and have lots of health, you can also block them without major obstacles. Try not to attack too aggressively and dash towards the enemy once, or twice after a dodge.

The weapon that the boss is using during the battle may change.

As soon as Soul of Cinder's health drops to around 50%, she changes her weapon to a random one. Also, the change of weapon changes the way the enemy moves.

She attacks much faster, when she wields the curved sword, which makes the attacks more difficult to dodge. While using this weapon Soul of Cinder will dodge more often, which makes countering more difficult. Apart from that, the boss may use pyromancy, throw fireballs or shooting a stream of fire from a hand, if you come too close. In spite of that, it is then that hitting the boss should be the easiest. While she is preparing her spells.

Another weapon that may appear is a long lance. This extends the boss's range considerably. She will attempt thrusts and whirl with the weapon. It is difficult to figure out which dodge is the best here, which is why you should move away, at that point, or hide behind your shield. Apart from that, the boss uses various miracles in this phase and throws projectiles at you. It is necessary that you dodge to the side then, while holding down the attack button. If, on the other hand, Soul of Cinder kneels, dash up to her and attack for as long as possible, which decreases the effectiveness of healing.

The last weapon is a staff that the boss uses mainly for casting spells. Therefore, you should watch out for projectiles and, after you come close to the boss for the magic sword that she can swing. Apart from that, in the case of the attack that whirls behind you, it is necessary to run around the boss or, keep rolling to the side until the attack terminates. It is best to wait this attack out or, try to attack while at a certain distance of the opponent.

Attack the healing boss without pity.

As soon as you drain the boss's health completely, walk away from her, because she jabs her sword into the ground and cause a powerful explosion. This starts the second phase of the battle. The boss starts using several new attacks. The one that you have to be the most wary of is the combo if swipes (four) that end in the boss' jabbing the sword into the ground and causing an explosion. Do not let the boss catch you within the combo (this attack is signaled by the boss' holding the sword close to the head). Escape as far away as possible, because initial attacks will knock you off your feet and the last one may end in quick death. Apart from that, while close to the boss, avoid standard blows that create an opportunity to counter and watch out for moments at which the boss attempts to grab you. In the case of moving away, prepare for a lightning bolt (a single dodge) and a halo of projectiles that hover for a moment up in the air, after they are summoned, and dart in your direction afterwards (dodge right after the projectiles dash towards you).

The most dangerous attack is the combo of swings with the large sword, which ends in a jab into the ground.

The key to success here is patience. The boss's chains of attacks do not leave too much room for countering. Try to land one, or two at most, blows at a time. Also, remember that stronger attacks may temporarily stun Soul of Cinder (the boss kneels then), which will allow you to land more attacks. The best moment to attack is after regular swings and after the boss attempts to grab you. If you manage to dodge her magic attacks in the first phase and approach her, you should also be able to attack twice. Watch out for the lethal combo and the hail of lightning bolts. Work slowly but surely. And possibly as often as possible.

You do not have to end the game as soon as the boss drops dead. You can simply leave the arena without lighting up a bonfire/summoning the Fire Keeper and you can return to Firelink Shrine, using the bonfire at the foot of the path.

Reward: Soul of the Lords, 75 000 souls

Location: Kiln of the First Flame