Dark Souls can be a very confusing game, especially since it doesn’t really tell you what to do. Some people might think of this as annoying, but most Dark Souls players think of this as a challenge and that makes the game fun. One aspect that most players don’t really get into much is the Covenants. Not only do they give you access to more content, but they actually give you a lot of reasons to join them.
Covenants are groups that you can join in Dark Souls that either give you access to weapons and armor sets that you can’t get anywhere else, or they might even give you access to shortcuts you normally couldn’t get on your own. It also gives you more reason to play since you do need to complete different objectives just to increase your allegiance with them.
There are 9 total Covenants in Dark Souls and all of them are useful for different things. You could even join all 9 within one playthrough if you spend enough time with each one. It isn’t difficult, but some of them are harder to join than others, so keep that in mind when finding a Covenant you like.
What are Covenants for?
Covenants are groups that are totally optional to join, but if you do, you will be rewarded and you will have access to new content. Not only are there Covenants that have you fight other people in PvP, but there are also Covenants that help you when you get invaded by another person. It can be very annoying at times, but Covenants are actually pretty helpful.
Not every Covenant will be for you, but we guarantee that there is one that you will enjoy being a part of. If you like PvP, then there are Covenants for that. If you join a Covenant for the weapons and armor you get, then there are Covenants for that. They are totally optional to join, but it makes the game even better since no single playthrough will be the same.
What are all the Covenants in Dark Souls Remastered?
As we said before, there are 9 total Covenants in Dark Souls Remastered and they all have specific purposes. Most are PvP Covenants that either have you invading someone else, helping other people who are being invaded, or receiving help while you are being invaded. All of them reward you so it is up to you to see which one you want to join.
Some give you armor, some give you weapons, and some give you Miracles, so make sure you know what each one gives to make sure you aren’t doing everything for no reason. We will go over each Covenant, how to join them, and what they reward you with. Not all of them are easy to join. Some require specific things, and we will go over each one in this article.
Here are all the nine Covenants in Dark Souls Remastered and how to join them:
Way of White Covenant
Requirements: In order to join, you must not have killed Petrus of Thorolund or Reah of Thorolund if she was rescued from the Tomb of the Giants.
How to join: Players may join the Way of White by talking either to Petrus at the Firelink Shrine or Reah after you have rescued her from the Tomb of the Giants. Players who choose to be in the Knight class or the Cleric class begin the game already in the Way of White.
This Covenant is considered an early-game Covenant. The only reason to join it is so that you get early access to Petrus’ Miracles. Other than that, there really isn’t any other reason to join. It is by far the easiest Covenant to join, so it is worth joining as soon as you can.
Most people who join this leave once they find a more meaningful Covenant like the Princess’s Guards or the Warriors of Sunlight. The Miracles you get aren’t really useful if you don’t use any Miracles at all, so only join if you want to use Miracles in your playthrough.
Covenant Reward: Joining the Covenant will get you early access to Petrus’ Miracles. Keep in mind that you can get these Miracles later on in your playthrough.
Princess’s Guards Covenant
Requirements: In order to join, the player must not have dispelled the illusion of Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight.
How to join: Talk to Gwynevere to join the covenant. She is found after the Ornstein and Smough boss fight at the end of Anor Londo.
This is a co-op Covenant that matches up players in the same Covenant. It is for the players who use a lot of Miracles and want to play with other Miracle players. Most people in this Covenant use Miracles for Healing and Defense.
The best part of being in this Covenant is the fact that all Miracles are boosted while you are joined with them. This is why most players who enjoy using Miracles join it because it just makes your build that much better. Keep in mind that you do need high Faith for the Miracles that you get.
Covenant Reward: Joining the Covenant allows the player to be able to cast the Soothing Sunlight and Bountiful Sunlight Miracles.
Blade of the Darkmoon Covenant
Requirements: In order to join, the player must not have killed Dark Sun Gwyndolin. If the player has killed Gwynevere, they must request absolution from Oswald before joining.
How to join: First, acquire the Darkmoon Seance Ring in The Catacombs. Go to the bottom level of the rotating elevator in Anor Londo to find the Darkmoon Tomb bonfire. Past the bonfire, Gwyn’s statue will disappear to reveal a fog gate if the player is wearing the Darkmoon Seance Ring. Go towards the fog gate and talk to Dark Sun Gwyndolin. Kneel at the fog gate to join the Covenant.
This is a PvP Covenant that has you hunting down any person that has dispelled the illusion of Gwynevere or has committed some sort of sin. These sins include either leaving another Covenant or even going into Gwyndolin’s boss fight.
It might be a difficult Covenant to be a part of, but it is one of the best in the game. You get access to the best Miracle caster in the game so it is definitely worth joining for that. You do need to level yourself up in the Covenant to get it so keep that in mind.
Covenant Reward: Joining the Covenant will give you a Blue Eye Orb and the Darkmoon Blade Covenant Ring. You can then rank up your Covenant allegiance with Souvenirs of Reprisal and get the Darkmoon Blade and the Darkmoon Talisman.
Warriors of Sunlight Covenant
Requirements: In order to join, the player must have 25 Faith. This requirement is lowered by 5 for every boss the player kills as a white phantom.
How to join: Once all requirements are met, the player may kneel in front of the broken statue on the balcony behind the Hellkite Dragon. you will have to run across the bridge first or make the Dragon fly away so you can get to the area in the first place.
This Covenant is another co-op Covenant. It is extremely easy to join and it is probably the Covenant that most people choose when you start their playthrough. It is mostly known for the Praise the Sun gesture which is a staple of the series.
If you help someone or someone helps you defeat a boss, then all of the people involved will get a Sunlight Medal. If you get enough, you will increase your allegiance with the Covenant. There really isn’t a reason to increase your level with them, but it is a fun way to play the game.
Covenant Reward: Joining the Covenant will give you the Praise the Sun gesture and the Lightning Spear Miracle. You can then rank up your Covenant allegiance with Sunlight Medals.
Forest Hunter Covenant
Requirements: The player must not have attacked Alvina. You will also have had to open the door with the Crest of Artorias so you can even get to the area where Alvina is located. The Crest of Artorias is sold by Andre of Astora for 20,000 Souls.
How to join: Reach Alvina at the Darkroot Garden, who stands just before the bridge linking to the ruined structure. Choose yes for the two questions to join. If you answer no to Alvina’s first question she will refuse to speak with you until you absolve your sins with Oswald of Carim.
This Covenant is actually a PvP Covenant, but it is a little different from the others. If you choose to join the Covenant, your job is to defend the Darkroot Garden from anyone who trespasses. It is really simple but it is a fun Covenant to be a part of.
You do get a really cool item if you increase your allegiance with the Covenant. You will get the Ring of Fog which is an insanely good PvP item. It will make you extremely difficult to see. This makes going up against other people pretty fun.
Covenant Reward: Joining the Covenant will give you the Cat Covenant Ring. It will also give you access to Shiva of the East’s shop. You will also get a Divine Blessing for completing your first successful mission.
Chaos Servant Covenant
Requirements: The player must not have killed Quelaag’s Sister. She is found behind an illusory wall in the circular room after you defeat Quelaag.
How to join: On the side of the room with cobwebs and eggs, hit the wall and it will reveal an illusory wall. Once you open it, talk to Eingyi. Answer yes and let him get out of the way. You can then light a bonfire and talk to Quelaag’s sister. Once you talk to her, she will allow you to join the Covenant.
This Covenant is a little confusing to us since you need to give one of the most useful consumables to her to increase your allegiance. Obviously, there really is only one reason why you would join, and that would be to open up the shortcut to Lost Izalith.
You do get some pretty good Pyromancy stuff, but that is really the only other reason to join this Covenant. It can be difficult to find Humanity to give to her, but it is worth it if you want to get to Lost Izalith earlier than usual. This Covenant is only for specific players.
Covenant Reward: Joining the Covenant will give you the Great Chaos Fireball Pyromancy. It will also give you the Chaos Storm Pyromancy once you increase your allegiance with the Covenant. You will also open up a shortcut to Lost Izalith early on if you do this as well.
Gravelord Servant Covenant
Requirements: The player must not have killed Gravelord Nito and must have at least one Eye of Death. There are some Eyes of Death close to where players can access the Gravelord Servant Covenant.
How to join: In The Catacombs, there is a row of coffins guarded by a Titanite Demon. One coffin near the end of the hall, but before awakening the Titanite Demon, has an open lid, which the player can nestle into. Watch the cutscene and you will be transported to the Nito boss room. Pray to the Sarcophagus Gravelord and join the Covenant.
This is one of the more unique Covenants in the game because there are multiple things you can do. You can either send in up to three Black Phantoms into a random person’s world to defeat them, or you can invade them yourself.
It is honestly a really cool idea and it makes for one of the best Covenants in the game. People say it is one of the hardest Covenants to master, but when you do, it is probably one of the best ones to join. The rewards aren’t amazing, but it is an extremely fun Covenant to be a part of.
Covenant Reward: Joining the Covenant will give you the Gravelord Sword and the Gravelord Sword Dance Miracle. It will also give you the Gravelord Greatsword Dance Miracle once you increase your allegiance with the Covenant.
Path of the Dragon Covenant
Requirements: There are no requirements for joining this Covenant.
How to join: Talk to the Stone Dragon in Ash Lake. To access Ash Lake, travel from Blighttown to The Great Hollow and get to its very bottom; upon arriving there, follow the path along the beach to its end.
This is another extremely unique Covenant since the members themselves are looking to become Dragons. It seems odd, but that is really what it is about. You get objects for turning yourself into a Dragon and you can use these to fight your enemies.
It is a PvP Covenant, but the difference is that you actually have to place down a summon sign for someone to bring you into their world. Once they do, you need to duel to see who is the winner. You will then get more items so it is easier for you to turn into a Dragon.
Covenant Reward: Joining the Covenant will give you the Dragon Eye and the Dragon Head Stone. It will also give you the Dragon Torso Stone and stronger upgrades for both the Torso and Head Stones once you increase your allegiance with the Covenant.
Darkwraith Covenant
Requirements: The player must place the Lordvessel for Kaathe instead of Frampt. The player could also speak to Kaathe and choose the “warp” option. After arriving at Firelink Altar, the player can then, instead of placing the Lordvessel, return to the Abyss and join the covenant while still keeping both serpents in the player’s service.
How to join: In order to access Kaathe, the Covenant of Artorias Ring is required, as well as the Key to the Seal and defeating the Four Kings. After defeating the Four Kings, Kaathe should appear if the player has not placed the Lordvessel for Frampt. Answering “Yes” to his question will make him transport the player to the Firelink Altar. Speaking to him again in the Abyss, after this event, will allow the player to join the Darkwraiths.
This is probably the coolest Covenant in the game. Not only do you steal Humanity from other players by defeating them in invasions, but you get some of the coolest gear as a reward. It is probably the best way to get Humanity if you are good at PvP.
As you rank up in the Covenant, you will be able to steal more and more Humanity from each person. It is almost like you are a bounty hunter and it is your job to hunt down random people for their Humanity. If you enjoy PvP Covenants, then you might really enjoy this one over the others.
Covenant Reward: Joining the Covenant will give you access to the Cracked Red Eye Orbs and the Dark Hand Gauntlet. You will also get the Darksword and the Dark Armor Set once you increase your allegiance with the Covenant.
Is it worth joining a Covenant?
Yes, it is definitely worth joining a Covenant. As we said before, there are Covenants for pretty much anything. If you need help fighting invaders, you can join one that will allow other people to help fight for you. If you want to PvP, then there are Covenants for that as well.
Every Covenant we talked about is different from each other, and it is up to you to determine which one is worth joining. You could also go through the entire game without joining a single Covenant, so if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. They are totally optional, but they do reward you with stuff if you choose to join one.