Dark Souls 3: Critical Path and Game Progress Route, Where to Go After Aldrich and Yhorm

Learn all the important parts of your journey without spoiling the experience.

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Dark Souls 3 is a very in-depth game with a lot of hidden areas to explore, and a lot of hidden items to obtain. While this can be extremely fun to explore on your own, it can also lead to you missing out on entire areas of the game, if you aren’t careful. Unlike our full walkthroughs, this guide won’t show you where to find the items, how to beat the bosses, or when you should roll or block. This guide will, however, showcase the game’s critical path, that way you can easily follow along without spoiling the story for yourself.

It should be noted that there will be light spoilers throughout this guide, as we will list the names of the areas that you need to visit, as well as the NPCs you need to interact with. However, this is the extent of these spoilers. If you wish to view more in-depth guides, please take a look at our complete Dark Souls 3 guide for more details about items, NPCs, and more.

In order to make this guide easy to follow we have marked Optional Bosses a [OB], and Mandatory Bosses as [MB]. Entries markes [R] are required steps, and are the mandatory steps you must complete to progress the game.

Cemetery of Ash

Defeat Titanite Lizard

[R] Defeat Ludex Gundyr [MB]

Firelink Shrine

Defeat Sword Master Saber for Uchigatana

[R] Light Bonfire in Firelink Shrine Hub

Talk to Andre the Blacksmith, The Shrine Handmaiden, Hawkwood, and Firekeeper

Unlock Tower to gain access to top of shrine and Crow’s Nest

Key Item: Estus Shard

[R] Port to High Wall of Lothric

High Wall of Lothric

Recruit Greirat of the Undead Settlement

[R] Speak to Emma, High Priestess of Lothric Castle to obtain Way of Blue Covenant and obtain Small Lothric Banner

[R] Defeat Vordt of the Boreal Valley [MB]

Undead Settlement

Recruit Yoel of Londor

Key Item: Estus Shard

Acquire Warriors of Sunlight Covenant

Acquire Mound Makers Covenant

Recruit Cornyx of the Great Swamp

Recruit Irina of Carim

Help Siegward of Catarina

Key Item: Umbral Ashes

Key Item: Undead Bone Shard

Befriend the Giant at the top of the tower

Defeat Curse-Rotted Greatwood [OB]

Get access to Velka, Goddess of Sins within sewers

Road of Sacrifices

Speak with Anri of Astora

Speak with Horace to acquire Blue Sentinels Covenants

Speak with Orbeck of Vinheim

Defeat Exile of Farron and other NPC

Key Item: Farron Coal

Key Item: Undead Bone Shard

Key Item: Pyromancy Tome

[R] Defeat Crystal Sage [MB]

Cathedral of the Deep

Acquire Rosaria’s Fingers Covenant

Defeat Crystal Titanite Lizard

Recruit Unbreakable Patches

Help Siegward of Catarina

Key Item: Undead Bone Shard

Key Item: Deep Braille Divine Tome

[R] Defeat Deacons of the Deep [MB]

Farron Keep

Pray to Old Wolf to Acquire Watchdogs of Farron Covenant

Key Item: Sage’s Coal

Key Item: Sage’s Scroll

Key Item: Golden Scroll

Defeat Crystal Titanite Lizard

Defeat Stray Demon [OB]

[R] Defeat Abyss Watchers [MB]

Catacombs of Carthus

Speak with Anri of Astra twice

Key Item: Pyromancy Tome

Key Item: Umbral Ashes

Access Smouldering Lake

Key Item: Undead Bone Shard (2X)

Defeat Fire Demon guarding entrance to Smouldering Lake

Confront Horace in Smouldering Lake

[R] Defeat High Lord Wolnir [MB]

Optional Area: Smouldering Lake

Defeat Old Demon King [OB]

Defeat Giant Worm

Key Item: Undead Bone Shard

Key Item: Pyromancy Tome

Turn off Ballista

Irithyll of the Boreal Valley

Speak with Anri of Astora at Church of Yorshka bonfire

Help Siegward

Key Item: Undead Bone Shard

[R] Defeat Pontiff Suulyvahn [MB]

Irithyll Dungeon

Rescue Karla

Key Item: Undead Bone Shard

Access Archdragon Peak

Optional Area: Archdragon Peak

Defeat Ancient Wyvern and The Nameless King [OB]

Profaned Capital

Rescue Siegward

Unlock shortcut to Irithyll Dungeon Bonfire

[R] Defeat Yhorm the Giant [MB]

Anor Londo

Marry Anri of Astora to further quest

Acquire Blade of the Darkmoon Covenant

Key Item: Ring

Key Item: Giant’s Coal

[R] Defeat Aldrich, Devourer of Gods [MB]

High Wall of Lothric

[R] Defeat Dancer of Boreal Valley [MB]

Lothric Castle

[R] Defeat Dragonslayer Armour [MB]

Key Item: Undead Bone Shard 

Optional Area: Consumed King’s Garden

Defeat Oceiros, the Consumed King [OB]

Optional Area: Untended Graves

Defeat Champion Gundyr [OB]

Obtain Eyes of Firekeeper

Grand Archives

[R] Defeat Lothric, Younger Prince [MB]

Key Item: Undead Bone Shard

[R] Kneel at bonfire in Firelink Shrine to travel to Kiln of the First Flame

Kiln of the First Flame

[R] Defeat Soul of Cinder [MB]

[R] Choose Ending

Guides Editor

Joshua holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and has been exploring the world of video games for as long as he can remember. He enjoys everything from large-scale RPGs to small, bite-size indie gems and everything in between.

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