Gravelord Nito holds one of the four Lord Souls you need to complete the main quest in Dark Souls Remastered. Thus making him a mandatory boss. He can be found in the Tomb of the Giants and is the master of the Gravelord Servant covenant. This lord of death has more bark than bite, although his cheap tactics can make things challenging for you.
In this boss guide, we will cover everything Gravelord Nito has in store for you and how you can quickly look past it and finally kill this undead monstrosity.
Fighting Gravelord Nito in Dark Souls Remastered
After you fall down into the arena, a cutscene will trigger where Gravelord Nito, a mass of skeletons with a black-fog cape wielding a giant sword, can be seen emerging from his tomb.
As soon as the fight begins, three Skeleton Warriors will rush you while Nito slowly approaches you while using his Gravelord Sword Attacks. The skeleton will continue to resurrect if not killed by a Divine weapon.
The more challenging part of the fight is the Skeleton Warriors constantly interfering. On top of that, there are Giant Skeletons stationed at the sides of the arena that will only get triggered if you approach them.
The huge arena has rock formations in the middle that act like walls/pillars to hide. However, it’s best not to explore the rest of the space, or else you’ll invite the giant skeletons to join the fight.
As for Nito, he is a slow-hulking boss with a giant sword in his hand. He has a limited number of melee attacks that you will see coming from a mile away. However, he has some sword summoning, AoE, and grab attacks that can put you in an early grave.
All in all, this boss battle is extremely easy to deal with once you know all of his tricks.
Here are some things to consider when facing Gravelord Nito in Dark Souls Remastered:
- He is weak to Magic and Fire damage.
- Nito is immune to Poison, Toxic, and Bleed.
- Heal up quickly to recover the lost HP from falling into the arena.
- You must carry some Toxic curing items like the Blooming Purple Moss Clump, or else it will eat your HP. Toxic-resistant armor, like the Gold-Hemmed Black Set and the Painting Guardian Set, will also help.
- Having high Poise will stop you from flinching from Nito’s and the skeleton’s attacks. You can continue to deal damage using this method. Consider wearing heavy armor like the Havel Set or using the Iron Flesh spell.
- Wearing the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring and the Ring of Fog will ensure none of the skeletons get alerted, and you can duke it out with Nito safely. However, the skeletons will pursue you if you get too close to them.
- Don’t try to venture too far in the arena, or you might end up aggroing the Giant Skeleton minions present on the sides.
- Using a Divine weapon to kill the skeletons will ultimately stop them from respawning.
- Killing Nito will halt the progression of Gravelord Servant covenant. You won’t be kicked out, but you have to start a New Game+ to upgrade your covenant level.
Boss Strategy
When you face Gravelord Nito in Dark Souls Remastered, it’s best to remain in the starting area, eliminate the three skeletons, and dodge his initial Gravelord Sword Attacks.
Allow Nito to approach you, and make sure to face him in the confined space where you landed. This small area has enough room to run away if he uses his Toxic AoE attacks without alerting the three giant skeletons. It is tempting to use the arena to hide from the boss, but the giant skeletons on the sides are best left unaltered.
Try to stick close to Nito, preferably to his left side (your right). In this range, Nito mainly uses sword attacks, which will likely go over your head and miss you entirely or deal insignificant damage. Do be careful of the Grab and Toxic AoE attack. For those, you must react accordingly (mentioned below).
As he advances, strafe around him and strike whenever you find an opportunity. You can take advantage of his slow movement by strafing behind him for free hits every chance you get. Avoid getting greedy while attacking so you have enough stamina to react to his unavoidable attacks. A long-reaching weapon like a Halberd will make landing attacks even easier for you.
Pyromancers can use Great Combustion at melee range to exploit his fire weakness and deal insane damage. Even fire-based weapons will work.
Magic builds can also use his slow speed against him. Staying back, firing spells, then retreating as he approaches is a good way to kite the boss. The only attack to worry about is his Gravelord Sword Attacks at this range; otherwise, you are golden.
Moveset
Gravelord Nito has the following moveset and how you are supposed to react to each of his attacks in Dark Souls Remastered:
| Attack | Description | Reaction |
| Sword Slam | He raises his sword, steps forward, and performs an overhead slam into the ground in front. | It’s hard to block with a shield, so it’s better to roll to the side when the sword’s about to land. |
| Sword Poke | He rears his weapon and quickly thrusts it forward. | It can be blocked by a shield. Or you can roll to the side. |
| Horizontal Swing | He pulls his sword to his other side and performs a sword swipe from right to left. | It can be blocked. Or you can roll towards the incoming swing and the I-frames will protect you. |
| Gravelord Sword Attack | When you are farther away or out of his sight, he’ll let out a scream and stab his sword into the ground; this will summon a sword underneath your feet almost instantly. On top of high damage, this attack will also cause Toxic buildup and send you flying. Usually, his starting attack. | The attack comes out quickly, so you better roll to the side immediately as he stabs the ground or suffer the consequences. |
| Toxic AoE | Nito pulls both arms in to charge the attack and then releases a huge AoE radius that deals magic damage and toxic buildup. This attack will also kill his skeleton minions. | It is hard to outrun this AoE’s radius, so it’s best to put up your shield to minimize the damage. If you have the space then back off out of the range of the AoE. |
| Grab Attack | His empty hand starts glowing red, and then he pulls it back and thrusts it forward. If it connects, he will grab you and deal massive damage. | Back off out of range before he releases the attack or dodge to the side. The hitbox might still get you if you are not precise with dodging. |
Rewards for Defeating Gravelord Nito
Putting an end to Gravelord Nito will unlock the following rewards in Dark Souls Remastered:
- 60,000 Souls
- 1x Humanity
- Lord Soul: Soul of Gravelord Nito – Used to kindle the Lordvessel in Firelink Shrine.
How to Cheese Gravelord Nito in Dark Souls Remastered?
With this trick, you can cheese Nito without ” facing” him and his minions. All you need is a bow and around 100 arrows (depending on your bow’s level and type of arrow). Also, you must equip the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring and the Ring of Fog to prevent the skeletons from spotting you.
After triggering the boss fight, immediately turn and move to the right slightly. Position yourself in a way that the right side middle-of-the-arena stone wall is in the way of you and Nito. Chances are Nito will get stuck either on the wall while trying to approach you or the ring of unalerted skeletons that spawns right in front of him.
Once he’s stuck, you can take out the bow, manually aim it at him, and fire away. You might have to adjust a bit so that your arrows do not hit the wall.
However, his Gravelord Sword Attack will still reach you. You must quickly dodge as it’s about to burst from the ground and continue lobbing arrows.
Keep firing, and soon, the boss will be done for.
Gravelord Nito is an underwhelming boss in Dark Souls Remastered, especially considering he’s one of the main baddies you have to face. If it weren’t for his skeleton minions, this fight would have been over much sooner. Hopefully, with the help of our guide, you’ll be one step closer to rekindling the fire!