- Not to be confused with Pursuers.
The Pursuer is an optional boss and later an enemy in Dark Souls II.
Description
The Pursuers are mysterious figures who relentlessly hunt the Bearer of the Curse. The Pursuer tracks the Bearer of the Curse to the Forest of Fallen Giants, The Lost Bastille, the Iron Keep and lastly Drangleic Castle.
Locations
- The same Pursuer can be encountered in two different areas in the Forest of Fallen Giants. It doesn't matter which location it is defeated in.
- The Pursuer is first encountered on a raised platform a short distance past the Cardinal Tower bonfire. The Pursuer is dropped by a large bird and can only be fought once in this location. Dying, or leaving the platform, will prompt the Pursuer to move on to its second location. No health bar will appear during this fight.
- The Pursuer's actual boss fight can be found past a locked door that can only be opened with the Soldier Key. The Pursuer will stay here even if the player is killed.
- Another Pursuer can be found in the Smelter Demon's boss arena, if the player returns there after the Demon's defeat.
- In NG+, two Pursuers appear simultaneously in the throne room behind Chancellor Wellager in Drangleic Castle.
Scholar of the First Sin
- One can be found in Things Betwixt, on the beach where the two Ogres are found.
- Four Pursuers can be found in The Lost Bastille:
- One can be found where the chest containing the Covetous Silver Serpent Ring is located, near The Tower Apart bonfire.
- One can be found just below the Servants' Quarters bonfire, accessed through the nearby ladder.
- One can be found in the courtyard near McDuff's Workshop. To access this area, the player must first enter the Bastille through No-Man's Wharf, or defeat the Ruin Sentinels and take a large drop to get into the courtyard.
- One can be found close to the Bracing Knuckle Ring, in an area accessed after traversing two illusory walls.
Attacks
Charge
At a distance the Pursuer will charge at the player with an upwards strike.
3 Hit Combo
Performs 2 horizontal swipes and if all attacks are performed while the player is still near him, will follow it up with a full 360 degree spin attack or an overhead smash.
Shield Bash
He uses his shield and hits the player once with it, causes large stamina drain if blocked.
Curse Stab
The Pursuer's Blade glows blue and he lunges the sword at the player, if it connects, the player will be in an animation where the they are impaled on his sword and the player will then be cursed. This attack cannot be blocked.
Dark Seeker Projectiles
The Pursuer will lift into the air and vent Dark energy from its body. This will cause 3 to 5 projectiles to exit its body and fire towards the player after a short delay, similar to the Affinity Hex. The projectiles are slow but track extremely well and deal a moderate amount of damage. Typically, this attack occurs after he has dropped below 50% health, but on rare occasion it can happen before. To avoid it, simply run behind the Pursuer as soon as he starts casting it.
Spread Projectiles
Similar to the Seeker Projectiles this attack starts with the same animation, but it fires several waves of spreading hex like attacks. These attacks can be dodged by rolling backwards away from the Pursuer and the next attacks will follow the relative direction of the first blast. (the attack has a similar look to the Hex Dark Hail, but lighter in color).
Energy Blast
Swings his sword and produces an energy blast in the players direction. Note: Only the two fought in Drangleic Castle, the one fought in Forest of Fallen Giants, and the ones at Lost Bastille can perform this move.
Strategy
The Pursuer's combos mainly come in threes, with the third strike leaving him vulnerable to a few hits afterwards.
Although the Pursuer is an agile opponent, parrying him immobilizes him for several seconds. This allows ample time for a counterattack, and more importantly allows the player to employ ballistae against him. On NG, if all three ballista bolts hit, 90% of his health can be taken out. A sizable chunk of his health is taken off even if not all of the bolts hit. The Buckler received just before the second bonfire in the forest will make parrying easier.
Note that the Pursuer can be poisoned with weapons or two casts of the pyromancy Poison Mist. Having two weapons at your disposal is a good way to poison him then switch to your more powerful weapon, Poison Ricard's Rapier +10 with two strong attacks will poison him, hence then switching to your main weapon for further damage is a good strategy. At the start of the fight, you have time before he fully materializes to initiate a poison.
Most of his attacks can be evaded if the player rolls to the right (his shielded side). However, this is not advised when he uses his three-hit combo as the spinning slash can still strike the player from the side. In particular, evading his charge attack will leave him vulnerable to a counter offensive.
He is vulnerable to lightning damage and somewhat vulnerable to magic.
He is also capable of inflicting Curse on the player. This attack is telegraphed by the Pursuer extending its arms and hovering slowly toward the player, the sword will glow blue and the Pursuer will lunge forward, impaling the player, then lift them into and release a Curse-inducing cloud. It is possible to avoid getting cursed if the player is killed by the initial lunge. If the player is successfully Cursed by this move, the Pursuer will get a power boost, evidenced by its glowing, red eyes and a black mist surrounding it. This allows the Pursuer to release Dark orbs that homes in on the player. If any of the orbs connect with the player, they will deal massive damage and cause Curse build-up.
For the third encounter in Drangleic Castle, an easier way of obtaining the Ring of Blades +2 is to defeat one of the Pursuers, return to the King's Gate bonfire, then go back for a one-on-one battle against the second Pursuer.
Defenses
Pursuer (Forest of Fallen Giants)
| Physical Defenses | |||
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| ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? |
| Elemental Defenses | |||
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| ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? |
| Resistances | |||
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Can be Backstabbed | Can be Parried |
| ??? | ??? | No | Yes |
Drops
| Item |  Ring of Blades |
Ring of Blades+1 |
Ring of Blades+2 | |
| Drop Rate | Guaranteed (Forest of Fallen Giants) |
Guaranteed (Iron Keep) |
Guaranteed (Drangleic Castle) | |
| Item |  Soul of the Pursuer |
 Twinkling Titanite |
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| Drop Rate | Guaranteed (Forest of Fallen Giants) |
Guaranteed (Drangleic Castle) |
Notes
- The Pursuer seems to take increased damage from Lightning and Strike attacks.
- The Pursuer is vulnerable to Poison.
- When using a Bonfire Ascetic in the Cardinal Tower of the Forest of Fallen Giants, the Pursuer will not drop into the area that he can be fought outside of his boss room. This only happens once per playthrough.
- When encountered in Forest of Fallen Giants, it is possible for him to go outside the arena, causing him to be unable to use attacks other than his basic swings.
- In Scholar of the First Sin, a bug may occur with the Pursuer fought in the Forest of Fallen Giants which may prevent him from moving or attacking. This bug can happen if player performs a guard break on him while he is emerging from the ground. (confirmation needed)
- Being cursed whilst fighting the two Pursuers in Drangleic Castle will prompt one of them to leave. This only occurs if both Pursuers are still present. As of patch 1.10, this no longer works.
- In Drangleic Castle, dying after defeating one pursuer will cause the player to lose their drop, whether it be the Ring of Blades+2, or the Twinkling Titanite.
Trivia
- The Pursuer's armor has several faces, which appear to be contorted in agony, carved into it.
- The Pursuer has several weapons bundled into a sheet on its back, forming a sort of quiver. These weapons are the size for a normal human's use, too small for the Pursuer to use.
- The Pursuers in Drangleic Castle do not have this quiver.
Gallery
Videos
