Dark Souls 2 Walkthrough: The Gutter – How to Find Black Gulch

Continue your journey with Prima’s Dark Souls 2 Walkthrough!

When you’re ready to head into the Gutter, go back to Majula and stand near the rock by the large well. Position your camera so you can see down into the well and drop onto the highest wooden platform. Pick up the Radiant Lifegem on this platform, heal, move to the center of the platform and drop down to the platform of equal size just below. Do not drop onto any of the thin platforms, as they will break as soon as you touch them.

Pick up the Pharros’ Lockstone on the second wooden platform, then drop down to the platform at the opposite end to find three Poison Moss. Jump down to the next platform below, to the right to find a Ring of the Evil Eye +1. The cave just below leads to a bonfire and the Grave of the Saints. It’s a good idea to head in there and light the bonfire so you have easy access to it at a later time. 

Use the bonfire to head back to Majula and drop back down to the platform just above the cave entrance. Move to the opposite side of the platform, away from the cave entrance and drop down to the platform below. You don’t have a lot of landing space, so move cautiously to the edge before dropping off. 

There’s a ladder on this platform, but you need a specific key to open the door it leads to. Move to the opposite end of the platform, then jump off to the small platform below. Drop down to the next platform, then over to the entrance. Head down the corridor, then kill the bug-like creature on the bridge to find a Titanite Shard, three Large Titanite Shards and a Darknight Stone. Jump over the gap near the end of the bridge and open the coffer to obtain an Ash Knuckle Ring.

Drop down to the area below and prepare to be ambushed by exploding zombies from both sides. Equip a weapon that will take them out in a single swing and have at them before they can explode. Head down the corridor to the right (as if you are facing the entrance) to find a Great Heal miracle at the end, then go down the other hall to find a ladder leading down.

Take the ladder and drop down to the platform below. Climb down the two ladders on the left (instead of the ramp on the other side) to find a Human Effigy below. Climb back up the ladders and head across the wooden platform to the ladder on the far side. Go down three ladders to find a Radiant Lifegem behind the third one, with another ladder to the left of the item. 

Continue down the next two ladders, then drop down to the ground to find a coffer that holds a Token of Spite. Head through the opening at the far end of the area to enter the Gutter. Drop down to the wooden platform below, then head to the right to drop down to the next platform. The middle of the platform collapses and drops you down to the lower platform where a bonfire is found. Light the bonfire, then light a torch on the bonfire and continue straight ahead to find a vase and a pedestal you can light. Light the pedestal, then break the vase to obtain two Dung Pies.

The Gutter is a very dark area, so you may want to use a torch to make it easier to find your way. Head back to the bonfire and continue to the left, down the path. Take down the enemy ahead, then move to the left as the floor breaks. Defeat the enemies that attack in the lower area, then jump down to the next platform below. Kill the two enemies there, then climb the ladder and light the pedestal if you wish to illuminate the area. Do not go into the entrance because it leads to a door that you can’t open yet. 

Climb back down the ladder and head to the left. Watch out for the white stone statues because they spit poison at you. Destroy any that you come across to avoid this. Drop down through the hole in the middle of the platform, then head across to the next room and defeat the three enemies that await. Climb up the next ladder, head to the far side of the room and continue up another ladder.

Defeat the next enemy, break the vases ahead to discover the Soul of a Nameless Soldier, then jump down to the adjacent platform (do not drop through the hole in the floor). A normal zombie-like enemy and exploding zombies attack from across the bridge. Take them down, then head across the bridge. Defeat the dog-like enemy and the remaining zombie enemy, then climb the ladder to find a chest that holds three Black Firebombs.

Head back down the ladder, across the makeshift wooden bridge and up the next ladder. Be careful of the poison statues around the ladder. Climb up and head to the right, across the next bridge. Take down the dog enemy, then drop through the hole in the floor and break the vases below to find two more Black Firebombs.

Jump across to the platform with the statues, watch out for their poison spit and head to the right to find another bonfire. Light the bonfire, then turn around and break the wall to the right, just before you reach the pedestal in the corner that you can light. Head through the newly created opening and break the vases ahead to find three more Dung Pies.

There are several ladders in this area. Most of them lead down to the ground below and on to the Black Gulch area. Before you head into the Black Gulch, head into the Mist straight ahead, kill the dog and break the vase to the right to obtain 20 Poison Arrows. Continue across to the far side, light the pedestal and kill the toadstool-like enemies ahead. Move into the cave cautiously. If you have a ranged attack, use it to kill the large creature positioned inside. If you do not have a ranged attack, watch out for the gas and take it down at close range, attacking from the side, near its head. 

Defeat the creature to find a Poison Moss, then destroy the vases behind it to find another Poison Moss. At this point, you can head down the ladder and into the Black Gulch to fight The Rotten. Head back through the opening where the mist was and climb down the ladder to the right, move out onto the wooden plank and drop down to the platform that holds to vases. Break the vases to discover three Rotten Pine Resin. Jump down to the platform ahead, kill the enemy and take the next ladder down. 

Several enemies await below. Some may attempt to climb the ladder as you’re heading down. Break the vases behind the ladder to find 20 Lifegems, then climb up the ladder in the corner (far right corner if you’re facing the ladder you just climbed down from, as if to climb back up) to find a chest that holds a Great Club. Break the vases on the opposite side of the room to obtain a Dark Fog and a Torch. Destroy the organic-looking vases to the right and drop down behind them to find a Fragrant Branch of Yore. Move into the mist ahead to enter the Black Gulch.