Dark Souls III is a very confusing game for beginners. From the beginning, the only thing that the game tells you about is the controls. There are no signs telling you whether you should go here or there, but it lets you find out specifically what to do. What is even more confusing is the number of NPCs that are in the game. Each of them has its own purpose, but most people won’t know some of them even exist.
SPOILER WARNING to anyone who does not want to know about all the NPCs in Dark Souls III. There are a total of 39 NPCs in Dark Souls III, and some may be very difficult to find. Some give you special items while others allow you to upgrade stats. Each of them has its own purpose, so here are all the NPCs and where to find them.
Related: For a full guide on Dark Souls III, check out this guide on Amazon here.
Blacksmith Andre
“Prithee, be careful. I don’t want to see m’ work squandered!“
He can be found in the Firelink Shrine after you defeat Iudex Gundyr. He can help you Infuse weapons, upgrade gear, repair gear, make more Estus with Shards, and even adjusts the amount of Estus in your inventory. A very important NPC so don’t kill him or he won’t allow you to do anything with him.
Fire Keeper
“Produce the coiled sword at the bonfire.
The mark of ash will guide thee to the land of the Lords.
To Lothric, where the homes of the Lords converge.”
She can be found in the Firelink Shrine after you defeat Iudex Gundyr. She allows you to upgrade your basic stats with the use of Souls that you get from defeating enemies. She also can heal your Dark Sigil if you can get the Eyes of a Firekeeper and you give it to her. Keep in mind that to Heal the Dark Sigil, it takes a lot of Souls.
Greirat of the Undead Settlement
“Ahh, you’re no jailer are you? No, no, you’re from far away. And judging by the bell… You must be some of that unkindled ash.“
He can be found locked in a cell under the Tower on the Wall Bonfire in High Wall of Lothric. You have to find a key to his cell before you can talk to him so look around the area until you finally find it. He sells items in his shop and will ask you permission for him to go pillaging for more items for you.
Hawkwood
“Ahhh, another one, roused from the sleep of death?
Well, you’re not alone. We Unkindled are worthless. Can’t even die right.“
He can be found in the Firelink Shrine and has a questline for you to follow. If you can complete his questline, you will be able to summon him for help against Oceiros the Consumed King. He also gives you the “Collapsed” gesture when you first talk to him. You can also fight him in the Firelink Shrine if you really wanted to because he gives you some good upgrade material when killed.
Ludleth of Courland
“Fret not, fret not. My feet are here firmly planted. For I am a Lord, and this is my throne.“
He can be found in the Firelink Shrine sitting on the second Lord of Cinder Throne starting from the left side. After killing the Cursed Rotted Greatwood, you will get an item called the Transposing Kiln. You have to give this item to Ludleth, and he will transpose Boss Souls into weapons and gear for you. Make sure you give it to him before placing all the Cinders of the Lords on their respective thrones or else you must wait until the next playthrough to Transpose anything.
Emma, High Priestess of Lothric Castle
“Unkindled One. Head to the High Wall’s base.
Go through the great gate, and raise the banner to proceed.“
She can be found in the cathedral on the other side of theVordt of the Boreal Valley fight in the High Wall of Lothric. She does not do much other than give you a small banner that you can raise up after the next boss fight to take you to the Undead Settlement. She can be killed and drops the Basin of Vows. Don’t walk up to the statue after you do this because the Dancer of the Boreal Valley will spawn.
Shrine Handmaid
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ashen One.
I am but a humble handmaiden of the shrine.
Weapons, armor, trinkets, and spells…
I’ve lots of little things to ease the burden of a weary traveller.”
She can be found in the FIrelink Shrine and is your basic merchant from the beginning of the game. She sells all the basic items that you might need from Embers to antidotes for poison. You can make her sell more items by giving her different ashes that you find around the game. Every time you give her one, the items she is selling will be expanded.
Siegward of Catarina
“Hmm…
Mmmmmm…
Hmm… Mmm…
Oh!
Pardon me, I was absorbed in thought.“
He can be found first at the Undead Settlement, near the elevator leading up to the Giant. He has a very long questline that you can follow that will allow for him to be summoned to help during the Yhorm the Giant boss fight. At the end of the questline, you will get a Titanite Slab that allows you to upgrade your weapon all the way to max.
Yoel of Londor
“Please, grant me death, Undo my shackles.“
He can be found at the Undead Settlement right after the first Bonfire. He is the only living thing among the dead bodied below the bridge. He allows for you to receive Dark Sigils so you can become Hollow. Doing this will open up a huge questline, eventually leading to an alternate “bad” ending in the end.
Yuria of Londor
“Oh, prithee…art thou good Yoel’s master?
I am Yuria of Londor, a close friend of his.“
She only arrives if you took the five Dark Sigils from Yoel of Londor before entering the Catacombs of Carthus. She basically replaces him so you can complete the alternate ending questline. She is located very close to where Yoel of Londor appeared in the Firelink Shrine. If you followed her questline, she can be summoned for the Soul of Cinder fight at the end of the game.
Eygon of Carim
“Hmm… Another one of those Unkindled, are you?
All you faceless Undead, behaving as if you deserve respect.“
He is located in the courtyard right before the elevator leading to the Giant. He is outside of a cell that Irina of Carim is in and if you free her, he will become allied to you. Try not to aggro him because he will turn hostile. He is not really an important NPC.
Irina of Carim
“Ahh, who’s there?
Is someone there, anyone?
The dark surrounds me, nibbles at my flesh.“
She is found in the Undead Settlement locked in a cell right next to Eygon of Carim. Once you get her out of the cell, she will return to the Firelink Shrine and you are then able to buy Miracles from her. Depending on what you buy from her makes her outcome different every time. She will turn into a Fire Keeper if you buy only Holy Miracles from her.
Cornyx of the Great Swamp
“Ah-ha, Unkindled are we?
Welcome to my abode.
I am Cornyx, an old pyromancer.“
He can be found after the second bonfire in the Undead Settlement locked in a cage next to 3 firebomb throwing undead. Once you exhaust his dialogue, he will go back to the FIrelink Shrine. You can then buy different Pyromancies from him to boost your fire arsenal.
Horace the Hushed
*Grunting noises*
He is a companion of Anri of Astora and is a part of the alternate ending questline. He is found at the bonfire right before you enter Crucifixion Woods. He is with Anri and he does not really say much. To get the alternate ending, you must follow the steps perfectly or else you will fail the quest.
Leonhard
“Mm, Unkindled, are we…
And fast on the trail of the Lords absconded?“
He can be found after the second bonfire in the High Wall of Lothric. He will then spawn in the Firelink Shrine and give you Cracked Red Eye Orbs. He also has a questline to complete and it ends with you killing him. He has a very similar appearance to the main character in Bloodborne but has no lore about if he knows him or not.
Velka, the Goddes of Sin
*Nothing*
She is just a statue in the game and provides Absolution services. Basically, she can heal you of your sin and resets Hollowing, but does not get rid of the Dark Sigil. You can find the statue at the end of a locked hallway in the Undead Settlement. A Grave Key is required for you to get in. This statue is important if you have hurt anyone in the FIrelink SHrine because they will forget that you did if you healed yourself of all sin.
Sirris of the Sunless Realms
“Hello.
I have since heard a great deal about you.
For one, that you are most gentle of heart.“
She can be found in the Firelink Shrine and gives you a gesture. If you follow her specific questline, she can be summoned for the Abyss Watchers, Deacons of the Deep, Dragonslayer Armour, and the Twin Princes. If you fail her questline, then she can’t be summoned.
Orbeck of Vinheim
“Well, this is unexpected. I don’t often have visitors.
What do you want?
This is my study that you’ve happened upon.“
He can be found on the second floor of the ruins in the Road of Sacrifices. When you reach him he will be in his study looking at scrolls. Tell him that you want to learn what he is teaching and he will be sent to the Firelink Shrine. You can then purchase Sorceries from him.
Unbreakable Patches
“Thought you could outwit an onion?
Well, say hello to the nice giant! He adores visitors.”
He is first encountered when entering the tower above the Firelink Shrine and he locks you in. Once you get out you can either kill him or follow his questline. He is later seen in the Cathedral of the Deep wearing Siegward of Catarina’s armor that he stole. He does trick you in the Cathedral of the Deep so make sure you defeat the giant first before crossing the giant metal bridge.
Anri of Astora
“A pilgrim told me that the city lies beyond Farron Keep. And so becomes our destination…“
This NPC’s gender is always opposite of the players because of the alternate ending questline that needs to be followed. In the end, the player ends up marrying this NPC and that is what leads to the ending. They are first encountered at the Road of Sacrifices Bonfire right before Crucifixion Woods.
Rosaria, Mother of Rebirth
*Nothing*
She is the leader of the Rosaria’s Finger Covenant and is found in an upper room in the Cathedral of the Deep. She allows you to reallocate your attribute points with the use of Pale Tongues. You only can do so 5 times in one playthrough so keep that in mind.
Archdeacon McDonnel
*Nothing*
He is a dead body that can be found in a secret room under the Irithryll of the Boreal Valley. Talking to his dead body will allow you to join the Aldrich Faithful Covenant and you can level up by giving him Human Dregs.
Holy Knight Hodrick
“Well, what’s happened here? This pit is for hollows, not for the likes of you sane folk. Or perhaps you are a Hollow, posing as otherwise?“
He can be found only by getting in the empty cage of the Hollow Manservant and it takes you to the second part of the Cursed Rotted Greatwood boss arena. You can then talk to him and join the Mound-Makers Covenant.
Karla
“Oh, there you are.
I thought you’d all but forgotten me. How sweet.”
She can be found in a locked cell on the ground floor of the Irithryll Dungeon. Once you get the Jailer’s Key Ring in the Profaned Capital, you can unlock her cell and send her back to the Firelink Shrine. She then sells youPyromancies, Sorceries, and Miracles.
Company Captain Yorshka
“Name thyself, stranger. I am Yorshka, Captain of the Darkmoon Knights.“
She can be found in Anor Londo by following the invisible path on the giant spiral staircase. When talked to, she will give you a new covenant called the Blades of the Darkmoon. She is really confusing to get to but once you are there, you can light a bonfire and spawn there.
Giant of the Undead Settlement
“I help any time“
He can be located on the top of the tower in the Undead Settlement. You can befriend him which allows for you not to get hit with arrows on your way to the Cursed Rotted Greatwood boss fight. He also gives you the White Birch Branch as a friendship token.
Old Wolf of Farron
*Nothing*
You can find the Old Wolf of Farron at Farron Keep by climbing the ladder on the massive bridge support in the middle of the swamp. When you talk to it, it allows you to join the Watchdogs of Farron Covenant. He is said to be asleep and not dead because it draws blood when hitting it.
Picklepum the Crow
“You, you! Me me Pickle Pee! Me, me Pump-a-rum!“
Once you have obtained the Tower Key for 20,000 Souls from the Shrine Handmaid or you use the tree to get to the top of the Firelink Shrine, there is a nest where you can trade with Picklepum. When you put an item in its nest, another item will take its place. You do not actually see the NPC, only hear it.
Sister Friede
“Welcome. To the painted world of Ariandel.
I am Friede. I have long stood beside our blessed Father, and the rest of the Forlorn.“
She can be found in a church in the Painted World of Ariendel in the DLC. She tells you to leave the area and that you don’t belong there. Later on, you have to fight her and her father in a 3 part boss fight. One of the hardest boss fights in the game.
Sir Vilhelm
“If you’ve lost your way, the words of Lady Friede will guide you.
Now, go on inside. Show respect, and listen carefully.“
He can be found and talked to outside of the church where Sister Friede is. He is encountered later on in the DLC and you kill him and receive his armor set. After you kill him, he gives you a contraption key to get to the next area.
Slave Knight Gael
“Ahh, merciful goddess, mother of the Forlorn, who have no place to call their own…
Please, bear witness to our resolve…“
He is found in the Cathedral of the Deep praying next to an altar. If you own the Ashes of Andriel DLC, you can talk to him and be sent to the Painted World of Andriel. He is the final boss in the Ringed DLC and basically ended the Dark Souls series.
Corvian Settler
“Hmm, well, there’s nothing forlorn about you.
You must be the other Ash, I suppose?“
He can be found in the Painted World of Andriel in a house in the village. After killing Sister Friede, he will give you a Titanite Slab to upgrade weapons and gear. He can be easily killed so don’t mistake him for the other mindless Corvian Settlers.
Painting Woman
“I believe…I feel the scent of ash upon thee.
Thou’rt the one of whom uncle Gael spoke.“
She can be found in the Pained World of Andriel after you defeat Vilhelm. Use the Key to get her out of the attic. She then goes to the chapel where Sister Friede is and starts to paint another world.
Lapp
“Oh, look at you, you’ve got your head screwed on correct.
Fantastic, to meet a kindred spirit, on this godforsaken crag.”
He can be found in the Dreg Heap in the Ringed City DLC, after a bridge in the church with 2 Lothric Knights. He has a questline that when completed, will allow you to summon him for the Demon Prince boss fight and the Spear of the Church boss fight. One of the only questlines in the Ringed City DLC that is long.
Filianore
*Nothing*
She can be found after defeating the SPear of the Church, locked in a room at the top of the castle. Interacting with her allows for you to reach the ending boss fight of the Ringed City DLC. It takes you to Filianore’s Rest where you can fight Slave Knight Gael. After you touch her, she will start to disintegrate and become a decomposed body.
Stone-Humped Hag
“You think an old stone-humped hag would be brimming with goodies?
I’ve none of that, not a smithereen.“
She can be found right outside of the room where you start for the Ringec City DLC. She says a bunch of stuff to you and then has a shop where you can buy some cool items for the long journey ahead. When you complete the DLC, you can return and pick up her ashes of the ground for more items later on.
Judicator Argo
“Unknowing visitor, return from whence thou camest.
The Abyss runneth deep. By the King’s decree. None may disturb our mistress’s slumber.
Turn back, unknowing visitor.“
He can be found standing at the back of the church during the Halflight, Spear of the Church boss fight. He basically summons the boss and can be killed during the fight. There is no reason to kill him during the fight because he will die anyways after the boss fight ends. Remember that depending on if you are playing online or not that he will either spawn an actual player or an NPC.
Shira
“I beg of thee, put the great dragon to rest.
Afore the dark consumeth him, and his vows are forgot.”
She can be found near the staircase in Filianore’s Rest and is non-hostile. She also has a questline for you to complete and doing so will let you summon her for the Darkeater Midir boss fight. If you kill her, she will drop the Crucifix of the Mad King, Sacred Chime of Filianore, and a Titanite Slab so make your decision on what you are going to do before her questline.
Locust Preacher
“Many of us are by the fire forsaken.
I speak of thine kind, and mine.
Behold this city!“
There are a total of 3 Locust Preachers that are in the game and they are all in the Ringed City DLC. They tell stories of figures from throughout the games and attempt to convince the player to permit dark/Abyss to overcome fire. They are killable but there is no need to because they don’t drop anything good. There is a hostile version that will attack you near the Abyssal Swamp.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a lot of NPCs in Dark Souls III. Whether they are important or not, they all have their own lore and stories to tell. Questlines are really fun because you don’t really know what to expect from them. As best you can, try not to hurt the important ones because they will not help you or will be dead and can’t sell you anything. Always think about what you are going to do because it could affect you the rest of the game.