How to Beat Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin

Dark Souls 2 is a long and intricate game. When you add the three DLC areas included with the release of Scholar of the First Sin, the game nearly doubles in length. While it is fun to explore everything that Dark Souls 2 has to offer, some people may want to get through the game in record time. Therefore, we created a path that will take you from start to finish as quickly as possible, and then you can beat the DLC areas.

You must collect four Great Souls in order to get to the final area of the game. These are the souls dropped by The Lost Sinner, Old Iron King, The Rotten and The Duke’s Dear Freja bosses. Collect the souls and light the Primal bonfires after defeating each boss to allow access to the Shrine of Winter and proceed towards the end of the game.

Go through the Forest of Fallen Giants and defeat the Last Giant and Pursuer. You will need to take the bird’s nest right by the Pursuer boss battle to reach The Lost Bastille, but before you do that, head back to Majula.

Make your way through the tunnel to the right of the large mansion. Pull the lever on the left to open the floodgate, then head to Heide’s Tower of Flame. Battle the Dragonrider boss to reach the merchant, Licia of Lindelt, then talk to her until she starts repeating her dialogue. This moves her to the pillar near the entrance to Heide’s Tower of Flame.

Now you can go back to the bird’s nest by the Pursuer boss and take it to The Lost Bastille. Head through Sinner’s Rise and find the Bastille Key to light the far left and right of the arena, and make the battle against the Lost Sinner a bit easier.

With the Lost Sinner down, you can move on to The Rotten. Head back to Majula and go down the well in the middle of the area. The fastest way to do this safely if by purchasing the Silvercat Ring from Sweet Shalquoir, the cat in the house next to the hole. Head down to the bottom of the well, through The Gutter and into The Black Gulch where you fight The Rotten.

Head back to Licia of Lindelt’s new location near Heide’s Tower of Flame. Pay her 2,000 souls to rotate the pillar and allow access to Huntsman’s Copse. Go through Huntsman’s Copse and defeat The Skeleton Lords boss to reach Harvest Valley. Defeat the Covetous Demon boss and continue on to Earthen Peak.

When you reach the second bonfire in Earthen Peak, look for a small stone path that leads up to the center of a windmill. Light a torch at the closest bonfire and move toward the windmill to burn it down and remove most of the poison from the area. Defeat Mytha, the Baneful Queen, then head to the far side of the room you came through to reach a lift that takes you to the Iron Keep and on to the Old Iron King boss.

Find one of the many Fragment Branch of Yore items to remove the petrification from Rosabeth of Melfia, the woman blocking your path near Majula. She’s the one that Benhart of Jugo, the knight sitting just outside her location, complains about. It’s through the ruins near Majula and leads to the Shaded Woods. From there, you can go through the Shaded Ruins where you’ll fight Scorpioness Najka, then onward through the Doors of Pharros area to reach Brightstone Cove Tseldora where you will encounter The Duke’s Dear Freja boss.

Head back to the Ruined Forked Road bonfire in the Shaded Woods and make your way to the Shrine of Winter. Follow the path to the end to enter Drangleic Castle. From here, lead the Royal Swordsmen to the two golems and kill him in front of them to open the door to the castle.

Inside the castle you’ll find Nashandra, who asks that you find Vendrick. Clear the area near the switch golem until you enable the lift, then take the key that opens the passage to the Looking Glass Knight. Kill that boss to gain access to the Shrine of Amana, where you must defeat the Demon of Song boss to reach the Undead Crypt. Defeat Velstadt, the Royal Aegis, then collect the King’s Ring in the room just beyond.

Head to the Ruined Forked Road bonfire in the Shaded Woods and take the middle path to reach Vendrick’s door. Put on the King’s Ring to unlock the door and make your way into Aldia’s Keep, then onward to Dragon Aerie and eventually the Dragon Shrine. Once there, you will encounter the Ancient Dragon who gives you the Ashen Mist Heart.

Go back to the Cardinal Tower bonfire in the Forest of Fallen Giants, go down the ladder and head right across the small bridge. Use the Soldier Key you got from defeating the Last Giant to unlock door, then head to the left. Put on the King’s Ring again to open Vendrick’s door here, then interact with the dead giant to enter the Memory of Jeigh. Defeat the Giant Lord to receive the Giant’s Kinship.

Now head back to the King’s Gate bonfire in Drangleic Castle and put on the King’s Ring once again to unlock the door. This leads to the final bosses in the main game, the Throne Watcher, the Throne Defender and Nashandra.

Beat every boss with Prima’s free Dark Souls 2 walkthrough, and survive a bit longer by avoiding these new player mistakes.