Gwyn, Lord of Cinder is the final boss in Dark Souls and one of the original lords who vanquished the Dragons.
Location
Lord Gwyn can be found in the Kiln of the First Flame.
Summoning
It is possible to summon Solaire of Astora to help in the fight if he survived in Lost Izalith. His summon sign can be found at the top of the staircase from Gwyn. Since the Kiln of the First Flame is a PvP hotspot, it can also be quite easy to find player summon signs if online.
Lore
Dark Souls
History
Gwyn fighting the Dragons.
At the dawn of the Age of Fire, Gwyn discovered a Lord Soul along with Gravelord Nito and the Witch of Izalith, and thus became Lord of Sunlight.[1][2] They allied with Seath the Scaleless and amassed an army, and with their power, challenged the Everlasting Dragons for dominion of the World. His mighty bolts peeled apart their ancient scales and they were ultimately vanquished.[3]
When the flames began to fade, Gwyn and the other Lords did all they could to find a solution. The Witch of Izalith attempted to recreate the First Flame from her own Lord's Soul, but the attempt went horribly awry, mutating the Witch into the terrible Bed of Chaos, which spewed forth malformed demons. Seeing no other choice, Gwyn left Anor Londo and traveled to the Kiln of the First Flame, to link the First Flame, thus prolonging the Age of Fire.[4][5] When he left, he divided his power among his children,[6] and granted parts of his Lord Soul to both the Four Kings and Seath.[1]
In linking the flame, Gwyn sacrificed himself and his powerful soul provided fuel for the flames, prolonging the Age of Fire.[5] Gwyn's faithful Silver Knights followed him when he departed to link the Flame, "but they were burned to ashes in newly kindled fire"[4], becoming the Black Knights that now wander Lordran.
It is implied that at least one thousand years have passed when the events of Dark Souls begin.[7] Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight, Kingseeker Frampt and Darkstalker Kaathe give the Chosen Undead alternating viewpoints of Gwyn. Gwynevere claims that it is the Chosen Undead's duty to succeed Gwyn, stating that their success would "avert further Undead sacrifices"[8] and that without Fire, "all shall be a frigid and frightful Dark"[9] – a perspective that Frampt shares.[10] As Gwynevere is actually an illusion,[11] whether or not they are being entirely truthful is left unresolved.
On the other hand, Kaathe asserts that the Age of Dark – the apparent "age of men" – would naturally follow the Age of Fire, but Gwyn, in dire fear of both the Dark and humans, resisted the course of nature by sacrificing himself to link the Fire. Unlike Frampt, Kaathe believes it is the Chosen Undead's fate to "destroy the fading Lord Gwyn, [...] become the Fourth Lord, [and] usher in an Age of Dark".[12]
When the Chosen Undead fights Gwyn in the Kiln of the First Flame; Gwyn appears to be Hollow, evident by his haggard appearance, charred skin and missing eyes.
Army
Much of Gwyn's army of Silver Knights accompanied him to Link the Fire. When the flame was kindled it transformed those present into Black Knights, the disembodied spirits that roam Lordran. The remaining Silver Knights guard Anor Londo.[13][4]
He formed the Four Knights of Gwyn: Dragonslayer Ornstein, the believed captain of the guard;[14] Hawkeye Gough, commander of the Dragonslayers;[15] Lord's Blade Ciaran, the assassin;[16] and the legendary Knight, Artorias the Abysswalker.[17]
Gwyn's friend, Havel the Rock, was a general over his own warriors, which were presumably part of Gwyn's army.[18] Friend-wise, Kaathe states that Frampt "lost his sense" and befriended Gwyn.[12]
Family
Gwyn is the nephew of Allfather Lloyd[19] and father of Dark Sun Gwyndolin, whom he raised as a daughter due to Gwyndolin's affinity to the moon,[20] and Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight.[21] He also had another, unknown son, who was a god of war and inherited the sunlight through his status as firstborn. However, he sided with the Dragons, was promptly stripped of his deific status, and all references to him erased from Anor Londo.[22]
Dark Souls II
Although not explicitly stated, it is implied that the events of Dark Souls II take place centuries or millennia later[23] – more than enough time for several kingdoms to rise and fall in the time between. It is also shown that regardless of the Chosen Undead's decision to link the Fire or not following Gwyn's death, the cycle of Undeath still exists. At this point, Gwyn has long been forgotten – only recalled as the God of Sun[24][25] – and his only legacies are four of his surviving miracles: Lightning Spear, Great Lightning Spear, Sunlight Spear, and Blinding Bolt. The Sunlight Spear is stated to be "one of the ancient original miracles, said to have existed from the infancy of the very world",[26] but its relation to Gwyn is not mentioned, further reinforcing him being past recollection. Furthermore, the Blinding Bolt miracle was said to be created and then later forbidden by him.
The Old King Soul is dropped by the Old Iron King if he is defeated at bonfire intensity 2. The soul is described as a "once magnificent soul" that can be used to make either the Blinding Bolt miracle or a Dragonslayer Greatbow, thereby creating some connection between the Old Iron King and Gwyn. The Old King Soul shares some traits, such as the appearance and description, with the Old Paledrake Soul, which implies that the Old Iron King may have just possessed a Lord Soul shard rather than Gwyn's own soul. The shard would, in this case, likely be the one Gwyn gave to the Four Kings of New Londo who, like the Old Iron King, pursued power for their own gains.
Dark Souls III
Gwyn is reincarnated, along with all other Lords of Cinder who followed him, in the Soul of Cinder. This last defense against the Ashen One is an amalgamation of all Lords of Cinder who ever linked the first flame. Using Gwyn's fighting style after its primary attacks proved fruitless, the Soul of Cinder serves as the final boss of Dark Souls III.
Strategies
Health and Stamina management are a must in this fight, as Gwyn will rarely give the player any chances to heal. It is heavily advisable to use a fast weapon to attack with, preferably one that drains little stamina. Heavy weapons are not recommended for this fight. It may be hard for the player to find a proper opening to fight back or heal as a result of Gwyn actively seeking the player. His attacks deal a great amount of damage if they connect. If blocked, his attacks will still deal considerable damage to the player as a result of the flame damage his sword deals. A good way to reduce the damage to a slight margin is by using shields with high fire defense, such as the Black Iron Greatshield or the Black Knight Shield, which can be dropped by the nearby Black Knights; however, care should still be taken as blocking a full attack chain will cost a lot of stamina and may eventually result in losing health or dying. The Gold-Hemmed Black Set can further negate the fire damage at the cost of less physical defense against his attacks.
The pillars in the arena can be used to block his attacks, however, Gwyn will easily move around them and continue attacking. It is possible for him to keep attacking a pillar that is blocking his path, giving the player a chance to heal, however, he may simply go around it.
While possible, it may be dangerous to try and attempt a parry on Gwyn since failure can result in death or low health. A sound strategy for parrying Gwyn is to block his first attack, and parry when he winds up for a subsequent attack.
Summoning Solaire or other players can help ease the battle, giving a chance to heal or apply buffs. For Solaire, he may be able to land several hits before dying. By using the Black Knight Halberd or a spear type weapon you can hit Gwyn through the pillars and take little damage from his attacks.
MELEE STRATEGY While Gwyn does not provide for a lot of openings, especially if wielding a slow weapon like the Zweihander, it is possible, through using a shield with enough stability and having enough fire resistance, to use a circling strategy.
Keeping very close to Gwyn and keeping a shield up, the player can be dealt very little damage by the flaming sword by constantly strafing to the player's left. When Gwyn attempts to grab the player or kick them, the slower animation should enable the player to get behind Gwyn's back, thus making the attack miss. At that point, there's a small window to get an attack in. With a weapon with a strong enough attack to break Gwyn's poise, the player then has a full second to finish the attack animation and get the shield back up, effectively never breaking their guard.
Use of this strategy requires the player to keep a close look on their stamina bar.
Regularly, though, the player will have to heal themselves, unless the fire damage is completely negated. Using the pillar strategy outlined above is quite efficient. It is a good idea to keep one's health high enough to that a grab attack can't kill with one hit. Therefore, having 20 estus flasks is recommended.
Notes
- Unlike any other boss in Dark Souls, Gwyn can be parried.
- Defeating Gwyn and passing into NG+ will cause the Chosen Undead to be in their hollowed state, even if they had reversed hollowing before the fight.
Boss Information
Attacks
Dashing Thrust
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Attack Type | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 550 | 0 | 258 | 0 | Regular / Fire | Yes | Both | Medium |
Used by Gwyn while he's dashing. Although it is one of his linear attacks, it is possible he may switch to a slashing combo midway. It is also one of his best attacks in terms of tracking the player.
Quad-Slash Combo[note 1]
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Attack Type | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | 0 | 250 | 0 | Regular / Fire | Yes | Both | Medium |
Gwyn performs this attack in quick succession and solid tracking. It begins with an angled slash, then a horziontal one, another angled and finally a horizontal slash once more. The angled attacks can be sidestepped if the player moves early enough.
Kick
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Attack Type | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Strike | No | Neither | Medium |
Rarely used, however, it causes a large drain of stamina if it connects while blocking.
Slash and Thrust[note 1]
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Attack Type | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 388 | 0 | 250 | 0 | Regular / Fire | Yes | Neither | Medium |
Occasionally Gwyn will interrupt his normal slash combo with a quick thrust afterwards. If it hits, the player will be stunned, leaving them open for further combos.
Slashing Upper Combo[note 1]
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Attack Type | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 550 | 0 | 250 | 0 | Regular / Fire | Yes | Neither | Medium |
Starts with a powerful horizontal slash, which takes a large portion of stamina, followed by two more hits. The first two slashes can be difficult to evade.
Charging Slash
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Attack Type | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 488 | 0 | 250 | 0 | Regular / Fire | Yes | Neither | Medium |
A powerful slash used by Gwyn to break the player's guard.
Instant Dash/Double Slash[note 1]
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Attack Type | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 550 | 0 | 250 | 0 | Regular / Fire | Yes | Neither | Medium |
A very fast attack, which comes out of Gwyn's instant dash when he glides towards the player before slashing twice.
Explosive Hand
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Attack Type | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 0 | 638 | 0 | Fire / Regular | No | Neither | Medium |
An unblockable grab attack that deals massive fire damage. It has a high horizontal hitbox, so it is possible to roll under it to avoid it. After knocking the player away, Gwyn will follow up with a jumping slash or dashing slash. It also leaves Gwyn open to attacks for a short time.
Defenses
| Physical Defenses | Elemental Defenses | Resistances | |||||||
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| 354 | 354 | 354 | 354 | 267 | 249 | 1,770 | S | S | A |
These stats are sourced from FuturePress's Official Dark Souls Strategy Guide.
Drops
| Item |  Soul of Gwyn, Lord of Cinder |
| Drop Rate | Guaranteed |
Gwyn's armor, the Great Lord Set, can be purchased from Domhnall of Zena during the next playthrough.
Gallery
Music
Footnotes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bequeathed Lord Soul Shard descriptions.
- ↑ Lord Soul descriptions.
- ↑ Dark Souls opening narration.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Black Knight Set descriptions.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Soul of Gwyn, Lord of Cinder description.
- ↑ Great Lord Greatsword description.
- ↑ Kingseeker Frampt: "Heavens! You have done it! You have retrieved the Lordvessel! After a thousand years! It is you, it is really you! Hraaaoogggh! ... Forgive me. I really should calm down. Now, let us take that vessel on a journey. I assume you are ready. Now, be still!"
- ↑ Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight: "O chosen Undead. I am Gwynevere. Daughter of Lord Gwyn; and Queen of Sunlight. Since the day Father his form did obscureth, I have await'd thee. I bequeath the Lordvessel to thee. And beseech thee. Succeed Lord Gwyn, and inheriteth the Fire of our world. Thou shall endeth this eternal twilight, and avert further Undead sacrifices."
- ↑ Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight: "Since the day Father his form did obscureth, I have await'd thee. Once living, now Undead, and a fitting heir to father Gwyn thou art, and beseech thee succeed Lord Gwyn, and inheriteth the Fire of our world. A grave and arduous test of mettle, yea, it shall be. Indeed we had felt the warmth of Fire, its radiance, and the life it sustaineth. Without Fire, all shall be a frigid and frightful Dark."
- ↑ Kingseeker Frampt: "Ahh...ohh! The Lordvessel is satiated... Magnificent... You are the righteous successor to Gwyn, the new Great Lord. And I am Kingseeker no more... Your acquaintance was an honour. I must admit, I am fond of you humans. May you enjoy your serendipity. And may the Age of Fire perpetuate."
- ↑ Darkmoon Blade Covenant Ring description.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Darkstalker Kaathe: "Hmm... You are astonishing. The truth I shall share, without sentiment. After the advent of Fire, the ancient Lords found the three souls. But your progenitor found a fourth, unique soul. The Dark Soul. Your ancestor claimed the Dark Soul, and waited for Fire to subside. And soon, the flames did fade, and only Dark remained. Thus began the age of men, the Age of Dark. However... Lord Gwyn trembled at the Dark. Clinging to his Age of Fire, and in dire fear of humans, and the Dark Lord who would one day be born amongst them, Lord Gwyn resisted the course of nature. By sacrificing himself to link the Fire, and commanding his children to shepherd the humans, Gwyn has blurred your past, to prevent the birth of the Dark Lord. I am the primordial serpent. I seek to right the wrongs of the past, to discover our true Lord. But the other serpent, Frampt, lost his sense, and befriended Lord Gwyn. Undead Warrior, we stand at a crossroads. Only I know the truth about your fate. You must destroy the fading Lord Gwyn, who has coddled Fire and resisted nature, and become the Fourth Lord, so that you may usher in an Age of Dark."
- ↑ Silver Knight Set descriptions.
- ↑ Ornstein's Set descriptions.
- ↑ Gough's Set descriptions.
- ↑ Lord's Blade Set descriptions.
- ↑ Set of Artorias descriptions.
- ↑ Havel's Ring description.
- ↑ White Seance Ring description.
- ↑ Moonlight Set descriptions.
- ↑ Ring of the Sun Princess description.
- ↑ Ring of the Sun's Firstborn description.
- ↑ Dialogue with several NPCs, such as Straid of Olaphis, Laddersmith Gilligan and Sweet Shalquoir.
- ↑ Lightning Spear and Great Lightning Spear descriptions.
- ↑ Blinding Bolt description.
- ↑ Sunlight Spear description.