DARK SOULS 3 Aldrich Guide: Weaknesses and Arrow Tips

How to Beat Aldrich in Anor Londo

The DARK SOULS 3 Aldrich fight can unravel the moment his arrows start chasing you. Beat this mandatory Lord of Cinder by closing the distance, attacking during short openings, and disengaging immediately when his second-phase bow appears. Learning that change in rhythm keeps an otherwise manageable encounter from becoming a desperate sprint through overlapping spells.

Aldrich, Devourer of Gods waits inside Anor Londo’s cathedral, in the hall where Ornstein and Smough fought in the original game. His first-playthrough health is 4,727 HP, but his ranged attacks can punish mistakes before you have time to heal.

Use this basic sequence throughout the fight:

1. Close the gap while watching for incoming projectiles.
2. Move around his side and attack the tail or exposed upper body.
3. Back away when he prepares to disappear.
4. Locate his next appearance and approach again.
5. Abandon your attack whenever the tracking arrow barrage begins.

Open the Cathedral Shortcut

From the Anor Londo bonfire, climb the staircase past the Silver Knights. Take the entrance on the left, pass the dead Giant Blacksmith, and follow the stairs into the cathedral.

Inside, activate the mechanism that opens the large front doors. This shortens subsequent trips from the bonfire. Watch for the Deep Accursed near the entrance, and collect the Estus Shard from the chest in the main hall before committing to repeated attempts.

Official page: DARK SOULS™ III (bandainamcoent.com)

Aldrich’s Weaknesses and Useful Equipment

Image: Steam / FromSoftware, Inc.

Fire damage is a strong choice against Aldrich, including during his fiery second phase. His transformation adds hazards without removing that weakness.

Damage or equipment	Effect in this fight
Fire	Exploits an elemental weakness
Lightning	Another useful elemental option
Thrust attacks	Effective physical damage
Farron Greatsword	Gains bonus damage against his abyssal enemy type
Wolf Knight’s Greatsword	Also benefits from his abyssal classification
Magic and Dark	Face substantial resistance
Bleed and Frost	Face resistance
Poison and Toxic	Have no effect

For melee builds, bring an upgraded weapon whose moveset you already understand. Apply Charcoal Pine Resin or Gold Pine Resin if your weapon accepts buffs. Avoid switching to an unfamiliar, poorly upgraded weapon solely to match a weakness.

The human upper body takes more damage than the sludge tail, with the head offering an especially valuable target. Attack the torso when an opening gives you access; use the tail when positioning matters more. The tail’s large hitbox makes it convenient to punish him while staying farther from his weapon.

For defense and stamina management:

• Use Blue Bug Pellets to reduce incoming magic damage.
• Equip the Chloranthy Ring or use Green Blossoms to improve stamina recovery.
• Consider Red Bug Pellets if the second-phase fire is wearing you down.
• Remove the Crown of Dusk if its increased magic damage taken is making his spells lethal.

Keep enough stamina available to escape after attacking. Emptying the bar on his tail leaves you exposed when he raises his staff or draws his bow.

Phase One: Close the Distance and Watch His Staff

Approach promptly when you enter, but keep watching Aldrich rather than sprinting blindly into his opening spell. Fighting near his side or tail reduces the distance you must cover between attack opportunities.

Image: Steam / FromSoftware, Inc.

Start with one or two hits, then watch his response. His melee swings are slow enough to read, but they hit hard and can reach farther than his sluggish movement suggests.

Attack	Tell	Counter
Soul Spear	A brief charge before a large projectile fires	Dodge sideways as it approaches; pillars will not stop it
Homing projectiles	Small glowing projectiles gather around him	Keep moving and use pillars to intercept them
Horizontal weapon swing	His weapon winds up for a broad sweep	Roll through the swing toward his side
Forward lunge	A short preparation before he thrusts ahead	Dodge to the side
Arrow barrage	He produces the bow and fires upward	Move around behind him, outside the forward-moving barrage
Teleport vortex	He raises his staff and begins sinking	Leave the area around the portal before continuing your pursuit

Use Pillars Selectively

Pillars can block the small homing projectiles, giving you room to reposition. Soul Spears pass through them, so keep watching the boss even when you have cover.

Heal after you have cleared the active attack. Drinking while homing projectiles are still approaching can turn a recovery attempt into another hit.

Handle His Teleport

The disappearance itself is dangerous. Stop attacking when the staff lift and ground effect begin, then move away from the vortex.

Aldrich tends to reappear toward a distant corner. Move toward the center, scan the room, and approach once you identify his position. Reaching him promptly limits the time he has to pressure you from range.

Phase Two: Survive the Tracking Arrow Barrage

At roughly 60% health remaining, Aldrich can disappear and return surrounded by fire. His reappearance creates additional danger, homing projectiles become more prominent, and his arrow attack changes dramatically.

Image: Steam / FromSoftware, Inc.

Keep using short attack windows, but leave yourself room to run. Avoid lingering in the flames beneath and around him while watching his upper body for the bow animation.

How to Avoid Aldrich’s Arrows

In phase one, the arrows travel forward in an expanding pattern. In phase two, the barrage tracks you and lasts much longer.

As soon as he raises the bow:

1. Stop attacking.
2. Sprint away along an open route through the hall.
3. Follow a broad loop so you have space to keep moving.
4. Watch Aldrich for Soul Spears while the arrows pursue you.
5. Return to melee range only after the barrage ends.

Avoid getting trapped between a pillar and a wall. Give yourself enough turning space to maintain movement without running back into the trailing arrows.

Use rolls to dodge individual Soul Spears when necessary. Repeatedly rolling in place leaves you inside the barrage’s path and spends stamina you need for escape.

Watch for Overlapping Spells

Aldrich can fire Soul Spears while the arrows are active. Keep him visible as you run so you can react to the next projectile instead of focusing entirely on the floor behind you.

He can also produce a Lifehunt Scythe and perform two sweeping spins. Connecting with this attack restores some of his health. Watch the scythe form on his weapon, evade both sweeps, and punish the recovery.

Pyromancy, Sorcery, and Vow of Silence

Pyromancy

Use fire spells such as Chaos Bed Vestiges to exploit Aldrich’s weakness. Upgrade your Pyromancy Flame, and equip the Great Swamp Ring and Witch’s Ring if they are part of your available equipment.

Cast during a clear recovery window. His large body is easy to target, but standing still for another cast becomes dangerous when homing projectiles or arrows are already active.

Sorcery

Aldrich’s magic resistance makes a straightforward exchange of ranged spells costly. Pestilent Mist offers an alternative when you can keep him inside its area.

Place the mist during a stationary opening, then concentrate on avoiding his response. Do not stay beside him merely to preserve damage when he begins the tracking barrage.

Twisted Wall of Light can deflect the small homing projectiles and the arrow barrage. It does not protect you from Soul Spears, so continue watching for those larger shots.

Vow of Silence

Vow of Silence suppresses most of Aldrich’s magical attacks, including his arrows, homing projectiles, and Soul Spears. For a character with access to the miracle, it can remove much of the pressure that defines this encounter.

Its duration is short. Use the opening to attack with your weapon, then find a safe moment to renew the effect. Continue respecting his physical swings rather than treating the silence as complete protection.

Rewards, Anri’s Fight, and Where to Go Next

Defeating Aldrich awards 50,000 souls on the first playthrough.

Return the Cinders to his throne at Firelink Shrine. After the fight, use either side elevator in the arena to reach Gwynevere’s former chamber and collect the Sun Princess Ring, which restores 2 HP per second.

Anri’s Aldrich Encounter

Anri of Astora can summon you for assistance against Aldrich.

Progression After Aldrich

Your next destination depends on which Lords you have already defeated. If Yhorm remains alive, continue through Irithyll Dungeon toward the Profaned Capital.

If Aldrich completes your victories over the Abyss Watchers, Yhorm, and Aldrich, you will be transported to Emma at the High Wall of Lothric. You can leave and prepare before approaching the statue that triggers the Dancer encounter.

Who Aldrich Is—and Why He Looks Like Gwyndolin

Aldrich’s appetite for humans transformed him into a mass of sludge and remains.

The human figure rising from the sludge is Gwyndolin, whom Aldrich is consuming and manipulating. That explains the familiar bow and magical attacks: the creature below is using the god’s body to fight.

His Lifehunt Scythe also connects to a dream of a pale girl in hiding, encountered while he consumed Gwyndolin.

That history gives the arena its horror. The Aldrich Faithful guard the old cathedral, bones cover the floor, and the god who once belonged to Anor Londo has become part of the monster waiting inside.