This guide covers the four available endings and how to get the best ending in Dark Souls 3, Usurpation of Fire (what most people are calling the third ending, even though it’s actually the fourth). Depending on how you play through the game and what you do at the end of the game will determine which of the four endings you see. Dark Souls 3 is designed for multiple playthroughs and New Game+ runs, but we all want to get the best ending at some point and that takes a bit of work. It’s very easy to miss a few key elements to getting the best ending so let’s get right to it.
When ready, head back to our Dark Souls 3 walkthrough and guide for more tips and advice!
Default Ending
If you don’t do anything special, chances are this is the ending you’re going to see. The default ending means you don’t have all eight Dark Sigils and you basically just lit the bonfire after defeating the Soul of Cinder final boss. There’s nothing special to see here. You beat the game, congrats!
True Ending
To get the first true ending you need to reach the Untended Graves area and find the Eyes of a Fire Keeper. To reach this area you need to go through a secret door at the end of the Consumed King’s Garden area. Once you defeat the boss of the area, Oceiros, the Consumed King, light the bonfire, then head behind the boss arena, open the doors here and head down. Kill the Serpent-man, open the chest to get a Titanite Scale, then attack the wall behind the chest to reveal the secret passage to the Untended Graves.
Defeat the Champion Gundyr boss in the Untended Graves area, then head into the dark version of the Firelink Shrine. This area looks very similar to your normal Firelink Shrine so it should be easy to find your way around. Go to the spot where Irina of Carim (the blind nun) usually sits. If you have trouble finding it, go to where the Blacksmith normally sits, head down the stairs to the right and then take the far path to the end. Attack the wall where Irina normally sits to reveal a secret passage and the Fire Keeper’s Eyes.
Once you have the Fire Keeper’s Eyes in hand, give them to the Fire Keeper at your Firelink Shrine. Now defeat the Soul of Cinder final boss and use the white sign nearby to summon the Fire Keeper. This gives you the true ending to Dark Souls 3.
Bad Guy Ending
To get the “evil” ending, follow the instructions for the True Ending. Once you summon the Fire Keeper after defeating the Soul of Cinder final boss, watch the cut scene and wait for the flame in her hands to die out. Just before this happens, there is a very brief moment in which you gain control of your character. Take this time to attack and kill the Fire Keeper. You won’t have much time to do it, so we recommend mashing the attack button so you don’t miss the window of attack. Once you kill the Fire Keeper you get the bad guy ending.
Lord of Hollows Ending
To get the best ending in Dark Souls 3, known as the Lord or Hollows or Usurpation of Fire ending, you need to defeat the Soul of Cinder final boss with eight Dark Sigils. To acquire all eight Dark Sigils there are quite a few steps you need to complete. If you miss even one of these steps you won’t get the best ending.
Obtain Five Dark Sigils from Yoel of Londor
- Recruit Yoel of Londor and use him to level up five times before you reach the Catacombs of Carthus area. This will raise your Dark Sigil to five. If you don’t know how to do this, head over to our Yoel of Londor guide for more information.
- Do not let the Fire Keeper heal your Dark Sigil at all.
Obtain Three Dark Sigils by Executing the Rite of Avowl
You need to get three Dark Sigil, which come from executing the Rite of Avowal with Anri of Astora (basically marrying her). We have a complete rundown of Anri and the Rite of Avowal, but the basics are as follows.
- Speak with Anri twice when you first meet her at the Halfway Fortress bonfire in the Road to Sacrifice area.
- After you defeat the Deacons of the Deep boss in the Cathedral of the Deep area, speak with Anri again when she appears in the Firelink Shrine.
- After you defeat the Pontiff Sulyvahn boss in the Irithyll of the Boreal Valley area, speak with Yuria at Firelink Shrine (found near Yoel’s dead body) until she tells you wedding preparations are complete.
- Speak with the Pilgrim near the end of the Irithyll of the Boreal Valley area, on the east side in a room down a side corridor just before the tower that leads to the Anor Londo area. The Pilgrim will give you the Sword of Avowal.
- Perform the Rite of Avowal with Anri on the far end of Gwydolin’s chamber, down the hall from where you find the Pilgrim.
Now you know how to get the best ending in Dark Souls 3!
