Arguably the most difficult boss in Dark Souls 3, the Nameless King presents a challenge for even the most seasoned veterans of the Dark Souls series. The fight combines the most difficult aspects of the Souls series into one encounter. The mixture of a powerful dragon enemy on top of an extremely fast, mobile and hard-hitting enemy, makes the Nameless King a force to be reckoned with. An optional boss in Dark Souls 3, facing the Nameless King is a rite of passage for true fans of the Souls series. For a player to state, they overcame the mammoth challenge that is the Nameless King establishes that player as a truly skilled Souls master.
When facing the Nameless King, to say that a player's skills will be put to the test is an understatement. The boss fight is not only one of the most brutal to face, but it is also one of the most frustrating bosses to navigate. When facing the monumental figure players need to expect a recuring pattern of brutal and frustrating deaths at the hand of the King. However, through this guide's help players will be on the right path to defeating the Nameless King, in no time.
Facing the Nameless King's Dragon in Dark Souls 3
The first step to defeating the Nameless King lies in the defeat of his Dragon. This is easier said than done, and it doesn't even sound easy to when put into words. The dragon is hypermobile and possesses an arsenal of devastating attacks that rival his royal master.
What makes this fight so difficult is not the dangerous array of moves the Dragon possesses. But rather, it is due to the nature of the fight and the sporadic reality of the lock-on mechanic in Dark Souls 3. The dragon will fly throughout the arena and sometimes directly overhead of the player. When locked onto the beast a player's camera will act in a sporadic nature. Making the task of keeping a keen eye on the dragon an almost impossible task.
As you adjust to locking onto the dragon you must understand his weak point. The place a player should focus his attacks on is his large head. This will deal with the most amount of damage to the large creature than anywhere else on his body. Reaching his head is easier said than done. His rapid mobility makes getting to his face a boss fight in itself. Paired with its powerful attacks and the Nameless King's occasional intervention will prove a large hurdle for players to jump over.
The best strategy for reaching his head is to wait until he unleashes his powerful fire breath attack. As the flames reach the player be sure to roll towards the dragon rather than away from the beast. This will make use of the invincibility frames on a player's roll to bypass any potential damage. After rolling through the flames the dragon will be left in a period of recovery frames, leaving him susceptible to attack.
As you face the Nameless King's dragon be wary of his powerful lighting bolt attack. This typically proceeds after the dragon takes flight. You will notice the Nameless King's large spear begin to emit electricity and then he will unleash a powerful lighting strike towards players. The Nameless King will occasionally try to skewer players but with a well-timed roll, the attack will certainly miss.
Be patient and whittle away at the dragon's health and the next phase of the fight will be triggered. Player's will be met with a cutscene of the King killing his dragon which will signal the final phase of the fight.
Fighting the Nameless King in Dark Souls 3
The dragon is not what makes this fight seemingly impossible. If anything the dragon is the easiest part of the fight to overcome. Rather, it is the showdown between the player and the Nameless King that can be frustrating and brutal. The King's high damaging attacks and his rapid speed will challenge even the best Dark Souls player.
The King will initiate the encounter by launching a powerful wind blast towards the player. This attack can be blocked or dodged depending on a player's preference. But be sure to evade this attack to avoid any unnecessary damage.
The Nameless King's arsenal consists of a variety of powerful stabbing attacks and wide sweeping slash attacks. This makes fighting the King from afar all but impossible due to the vast range his stabbing attacks have. Alongside this long-ranged combat being difficult, sticking close to the boss is even more brutal due to his fast and wide sweeping slash attacks.
Thankfully most of his attacks have long recovery frames that allow for players to counter-attack his offense. Pick your attacks wisely and be sure not to overextend. An overly aggressive player will be quickly dismantled by the King's high damaging and quick moves. A good strategy is to stick to two or three quick strikes than backing off. This hit and move playstyle is the key to defeating the Nameless King.
After players have damaged the Nameless King to around half of his health he will add a variety of lighting based attacks to his tool kit. These attacks have wide area effects that make dodging the lighting attacks a nightmare. The three main attacks to watch for are his: spear slam attack, his lighting strike attack, and his lighting bolt slam. The spear slam has a long period of start-up animation in which the King charges up his attack before slamming his weapon on the arena. Simply dodge backward or two the right to avoid this move. Be aware of the second attack done after the spear is slammed in which lighting will creep towards the player.
The lighting strike attack is a long-ranged move in which he summons a lightning bolt which is performed after a long period of charging done by the King. Only dodge this move after you see the flash of light emitting from the King. Then quickly dodge to either the left or right, and dodge a second time just to be safe and avoid its wide range. His lighting bolt slam is a quicker version of his spear slam, he will only perform this attack when being pressured by aggressive players. So be cautious when attacking the Nameless King.
Be defensive and cautious when fighting the Boss and whittle down his large health pool. Before you know it the intimidating boss will be just another enemy defeated at your hands.
Dark Souls 3 is available on PS4, Xbox One and PC.