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Champion Gundyr, also known as the Belated Champion,[1] is an optional boss in Dark Souls III.

In-Game Description

Once, a champion came late to the festivities, and was greeted by a shrine without fire, and a bell that would not toll[2].

Description[]

Champion Gundyr is a large warrior clad in heavy black armor and armed with a large iron halberd. He is found kneeling inside a circle of candles, guarding the entrance to dark Firelink Shrine.

Location[]

Found in the Untended Graves, in the same amphitheater where his golem remnants was found in the Cemetery of Ash.

Lore[]

Gundyr was an ancient king of Lothric[3] and was charged with the duty of becoming a Champion and link the First Flame[4], demonstrating how the power that the rulers of the kingdom obtained from the fact that the Flame was in their region[5]also led them to have to shoulder the responsibility of extending its life.

Champion Gundyr thus received an iron halberd with the power to break poise and to never crumble and was sent to the Firelink Shrine to do his duty[6]. However, someone had different plans for him and the king found himself restrained by a chain that blocked him in his path[7], leading him to fall into an Abyss and get lost in the folds of time[8]. Gundyr thus found himself in a moment of time when the Firelink Shrine had no fire and ended up arriving "late" for the celebrations that awaited his fate[9]. The Fire Keeper who was supposed to welcome her champion never met him and the ensuing tragic farce became a favorite tale of the masses of Lothric, a stain on the reputation of future kings of the realm[10].

The fate of the aspiring Lord, however, was not the result of chance, in fact the one who had charged him with his duty had also condemned him to eternal service from the beginning[11]. Gundyr would in fact be defeated by an unknown warrior and then become sheath to a coiled sword and transformed into an indestructible golem, becoming the ritual test for those who would attempt to link the First Flame after him, testing their strength and worthiness[12] Over time a literal arena complete with stands[13] was built around his remains, in which the now Iudex Gundyr would judge those who aspired to become Lords , testing them[14].

Theories[]

  • Considering that those who had deceived Gundyr had given him his halbert and charged him with his duty of linking the Flame, they must have had a position superior to the king of Lothric but still close to him, implying that the only potential plotters could be Gwyndolin, as kings of the gods of Irithyll who already had ties to Lothric at the time[15], or the Primordial Serpents who were already advisors to the royal family[16]. Using Gundyr as a golem to test the strength of future Champions would ensure that those overseeing the linking of the Flame would be guaranteed to find potential Lords with enough power to prolong the Age of Fire.

Fight overview[]

The battle will commence once the player approaches him. Champion Gundyr fights in a similar manner to his present self, although he is far more aggressive, hits harder, and has a larger moveset that covers a wider area, leaving very little openings for the player to attack.

All moves he shares with Iudex have been enhanced in some way. For example, when he slams his halberd into the ground, he does this in an attack that consists of two stages, the first when he slams the weapon and the second when he raises it again, in another attack that has slightly more reach.

Two of the most noticeable attacks added to his repertoire are a round-back kick he performs if he detects the player is next to him after finishing a combo, and a shoulder bash that practically teleports him from any place within the arena to the player's position, knocking them back while dealing medium damage.

In his second phase, he will become even more aggressive and will start using some devastating combos and juggles. All of his attacks are then enhanced in one way or another and he can chain combos almost immediately, harassing the player without taking breaks while performing wide swings and punches. He also resorts to his back-round kicks and shoulder bashes more often and is able to reach the player's current position from all across the arena in just an instant.

However, perhaps his most dangerous enhancement is being able to perform counter-combos. He has a few powerful combos designed to trigger if he finishes one and detects the player is attempting to attack at that moment.

Gundyr can be parried and riposted, greatly trivializing an otherwise difficult fight.

Strategy[]

The fight will start as soon as Gundyr is approached in his arena. He is vulnerable from the first moment and the player should take this opportunity to score as many hits as possible. It's not recommended to rush at him for this purpose, though, and instead conserve as much stamina as possible for when the battle properly starts.

Gundyr's most distinctive characteristic is his ability to dominate the immediate area around him. He has a vast repertoire of wide attacks and backward counter moves, and can also close the distance to the player in an instant. The main problem in this fight is Gundyr's excellent tracking, which allows him to unleash all of his attacks almost with perfect accuracy at the player, even if they roll away or are standing right behind him.

In his first phase, Gundyr will attack much like his previous incarnation, although his moves will now be faster, his combos longer, and he will try to perform his grab attack more frequently. Additionally, he will sometimes delay the finishing attack of some of his combos to trick the player into rolling early and ensure they get hit.

In his second phase, however, things will become much more complicated, with Gundyr unleashing very damaging - almost infinite - combos and chasing the player non-stop. Trying to stay in his vicinity is very risky. What the player is advised to wait until he starts performing a combo and run away as far from him as possible. When Gundyr tries to reach the player again, he may perform one of his two jumping attacks (the shorter consists of two hits), where the player may score a hit or two while he recovers.

Players should also be very cautious of not letting themselves be caught by Gundyr's juggle attack, which may outright kill them instantly if they are not careful.

Gundyr will react immediately if he detects the player is trying to heal and will cancel any combo or attack to quickly lunge at the player and stab them with his halberd. To heal, try to do so while standing behind him after evading his attacks and just after he is finishing a combo. Another method is to gain as much distance from him as possible and heal while he is performing a combo; however, since he will cancel it and rush to attack, the player should consider this and make sure they will have enough time to finish the healing process before he arrives to their position.

Summons[]

  • Sword Master: If the player has defeated him at the Firelink Shrine, the Sword Master can be summoned for this fight. His summon sign can be found at the entrance to the arena, to the right.

Drops[]

Item Soul of Champion Gundyr
Soul of Champion Gundyr
Drop Rate Guaranteed

Notes[]

  • Can be parried and riposted.
  • Summons may get stuck in the large coffin in the back of the map.
    • If any summon is stuck in the large coffin and Gundyr targets them, he may fall under the map and be defeated.
  • If the player is killed by Gundyr, he may immediately run to the exit of his arena and attempt to escape through the fog wall. This is most likely due to him targetting the Black Knights on the other side.

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Champion_Gundyr_Boss_Fight_-_Dark_Souls_3

Champion Gundyr Boss Fight - Dark Souls 3

Music[]

Tsukasa_Saitoh_-_Iudex_Gundyr_(Extended)_(Dark_Souls_III_Extended_Original_Soundtrack)

Tsukasa Saitoh - Iudex Gundyr (Extended) (Dark Souls III Extended Original Soundtrack)

See also[]

References[]

Bosses
Iudex GundyrVordt of the Boreal ValleyCurse-rotted GreatwoodCrystal Sage
Deacons of the DeepAbyss WatchersHigh Lord WolnirOld Demon King
Pontiff SulyvahnAldrich, Devourer of GodsYhorm the Giant
Dancer of the Boreal ValleyOceiros, the Consumed KingChampion Gundyr
Dragonslayer ArmourLorian, Elder Prince and Lothric, Younger Prince
Ancient WyvernThe Nameless KingSoul of Cinder
Ashes of Ariandel
Champion's Gravetender and Gravetender GreatwolfSister FriedeFather Ariandel
The Ringed City
Demon PrinceHalflight, Spear of the ChurchDarkeater MidirSlave Knight Gael
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