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How to 100% Dark Souls: A Comprehensive Completionist Guide

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So, you want to conquer Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition or its Remastered counterpart and achieve that sweet 100% completion? Prepare yourself, Chosen Undead, for a journey that demands patience, dedication, and a thorough understanding of Lordran’s intricate mechanics. In essence, achieving 100% requires completing two full playthroughs and approximately half of a third playthrough (NG++) on the same character. This is primarily due to the need for multiple Boss Souls to create all the Rare Weapons for the Knight’s Honor trophy/achievement. Let’s delve into the specific steps and considerations to help you achieve this monumental feat.

Navigating the Path to Completion

Here’s a step-by-step guide to conquering Dark Souls and unlocking every achievement:

Strategic First Playthrough (NG): This is where careful planning is paramount.
- Choose a Build: Decide on a build you enjoy – strength, dexterity, faith, intelligence, or a hybrid. This choice will influence your weapon choices and stat allocation throughout your journey. The Warrior class is often recommended for its versatility.
- Collect Covenant Items: Focus on acquiring covenant-specific items. Some covenants require specific ranks to obtain all their rewards, which are essential for certain achievements.
- Acquire Rare Weapons: Start farming for rare weapon drops early. This minimizes the grind later.
- Kill Bosses Tactically: Decide which Boss Souls you will consume for souls and which you will keep for weapon creation later on in NG+ and NG++. Plan this according to the rare weapons needed.
- Explore Thoroughly: Uncover all areas, secrets, and optional bosses. The more you discover now, the less you’ll need to backtrack later.
- Follow a Guide (Sparingly): Don’t be afraid to use a guide to ensure you don’t miss crucial items or questlines. However, try to experience the game organically as much as possible.
New Game Plus (NG+): A second playthrough is inevitable for the Rare Weapons.
- Focus on Boss Souls: Prioritize defeating bosses and acquiring their souls for the remaining weapon creations.
- Acquire Remaining Covenant Items: Double-check you have all required covenant rewards.
- Optimise Your Route: Speed through areas you’re familiar with, focusing on the main objectives and Boss Souls.
- Prepare for Increased Difficulty: Enemies and bosses will be stronger in NG+. Adapt your strategies accordingly.
New Game Plus Plus (NG++): The final stretch.
- Acquire Final Boss Souls: Typically, this playthrough is only necessary to obtain the final Boss Souls needed for the Rare Weapons.
- Forge Remaining Weapons: Head to the Giant Blacksmith in Anor Londo to forge any remaining weapons you need.
- Mop-Up: Clean up any remaining achievements you missed in the previous playthroughs, such as specific spells or covenant rewards.
Knight’s Honor: This is arguably the most time-consuming achievement.
- Gather All Rare Weapons: This includes boss soul weapons, covenant rewards, and rare drops. Double-check a comprehensive list to ensure you haven’t missed anything.
All Spells & Miracles:
- Collect all Sorceries, Pyromancies, and Miracles: Some are obtained through questlines, covenant rewards, or purchased from vendors. Ensure you complete the necessary steps for each.
Covenant Allegiance: Joining and ranking up in all covenants is crucial for several achievements.
- Warrior of Sunlight: Offer Sunlight Medals at the Altar of Sunlight.
- Way of White: Requires little active participation.
- Princess’s Guard: Requires little active participation.
- Darkwraith: Join Kaathe in the Abyss.
- Path of the Dragon: Offer Dragon Scales to the Everlasting Dragon.
- Gravelord Servant: Offer Eyes of Death to the Gravelord Nito’s coffin.
- Forest Hunter: Join Alvina in Darkroot Garden.
- Blade of the Darkmoon: Join Gwyndolin in Anor Londo.

Additional Tips for 100% Completion

Use Online Resources: Utilize wikis, forums, and guides to stay informed and avoid missing essential items or steps.
Back Up Your Saves (PC): This can save you time and frustration if you make a mistake or encounter a glitch.
Stay Patient: Dark Souls is known for its difficulty and requires patience. Don’t get discouraged by setbacks.
Enjoy the Journey: Despite the challenges, Dark Souls is a rewarding and unforgettable experience. Take your time, explore the world, and savor the victories.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions that can provide even more clarity on your quest to 100% Dark Souls:

What is the “Knight’s Honor” achievement and why is it so challenging?

The “Knight’s Honor” achievement requires collecting all Rare Weapons in the game. It’s considered the most challenging due to the need for multiple playthroughs to acquire enough Boss Souls, the rare drops from specific enemies, and the sometimes convoluted methods for obtaining certain weapons.

How many hours does it realistically take to 100% Dark Souls?

While the main objectives can be completed in around 42 hours, achieving 100% completion typically takes around 100-105 hours or more, depending on your skill, familiarity with the game, and efficiency in farming.

Which starting class is best for a 100% completion run?

The Warrior is often recommended because of its well-rounded stats and starting equipment, which makes it versatile for various builds. The Bandit is a good alternative for strength/vitality builds.

What is the easiest Dark Souls game to 100%?

Opinions vary, but Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (the original) is often considered easier to 100% than Dark Souls III, primarily due to the lesser amount of frustrating farming required for random drops compared to later installments. The Remastered version is effectively the same for completion purposes.

What level should I aim to be at the end of my first playthrough?

Most players typically finish their first playthrough around level 75-100. Leveling beyond this is certainly possible, but may detract from the game’s balance.

Can I get all achievements in one playthrough?

No. Due to the need for multiple Boss Souls to create all Rare Weapons, you must complete at least two and a half playthroughs (NG++).

What’s the best gift to choose at the beginning of the game?

The Master Key is widely considered the best gift. It allows you to unlock various shortcuts and access areas earlier than intended, but it can also be skipped for other minor boosts.

Which Dark Souls game is considered the hardest?

This is subjective and depends on individual playstyles, but Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is often cited as the most challenging due to its enemy placement, gank squads, and slower gameplay. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is also considered very hard because it requires unlearning the strategies that are commonly employed in the Dark Souls games.

What is the optimal Intelligence and Faith stat for a 100% run?

While there is no optimal stat spread for 100% as it depends on your playstyle, generally Intelligence soft caps at 40 for INT-scaling weapons, with further caps at 45 and 50 for catalysts. Faith soft caps at 50.

What is the most overpowered class in Dark Souls 1?

The Warrior is a popular choice for its versatility and ability to quickly equip a wide range of weapons.

How many kills does it take to get Humanity in Dark Souls?

This depends on your Humanity counter. Generally, it takes around 28-35 kills to get one Humanity. This is only reliable in certain areas with specific enemies.

What is the hardest enemy in Dark Souls?

This is subjective, but enemies like the Basilisk, Havel the Rock, the Anor Londo Archers, and the Wheel Skeletons are often cited as particularly challenging.

Is Dark Souls Remastered easier than the original?

While the core difficulty remains the same, the Remastered version offers graphical enhancements and smoother performance, which can make the experience slightly easier for some players.

What is the best covenant to join for a 100% completion run?

There is no single “best” covenant. You need to join and obtain rewards from multiple covenants for various achievements. Strategically join covenants based on their item rewards and your current gameplay goals.

Where can I learn more about the educational value of gaming?

You can explore the Games Learning Society website at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ for research and resources on the intersection of games and learning. GamesLearningSociety.org offers a wealth of information on how games can be used as educational tools.

Final Thoughts

Completing Dark Souls to 100% is a monumental achievement that tests your skills, patience, and dedication. By following this guide and utilizing online resources, you’ll be well on your way to conquering Lordran and claiming all the achievements. Remember to enjoy the journey, embrace the challenges, and celebrate your victories. Good luck, Chosen Undead!