DARK SOULS 3 Ashes of Ariandel: DLC Walkthrough Guide

How to Start Ashes of Ariandel

A snowy chapel hides a fight that demands careful use of every Estus charge. DARK SOULS 3 Ashes of Ariandel takes you into the Painted World, where branching paths lead to unusual weapons, an optional boss, and Sister Friede. You can enter relatively early, but saving the main fights for late in your playthrough gives you more room to learn their attacks.

To enter the expansion:

1. Install the DLC, whether purchased separately or included with your edition or Season Pass.
2. Travel to the Cleansing Chapel bonfire in the Cathedral of the Deep.
3. Speak with Slave Knight Gael beside the altar and accept his request.
4. Interact with the scrap of painting to enter Ariandel.
5. Light the Snowfield bonfire.

If you have already completed The Ringed City, interact with the painting scrap left at Gael’s location instead.

You can warp back after lighting the bonfire, so entering does not commit you to clearing the expansion immediately. Neither DLC is required for the base game’s achievements or trophies. If you still need the expansion, visit the Ashes of Ariandel Steam page.

Boss and story spoilers follow.

Snowfield, Millwood Tower, and Ariandel Chapel

The opening snowfield introduces Farron Followers, wolves, and Millwood Knights. Groups can drain your healing before you reach the next bonfire, while archers make lingering in open ground dangerous. Pull nearby enemies away from their companions before committing to a fight.

Follow these landmarks through the opening area:

1. Pass the collapsing snow shelf. Continue through the wolf territory toward the clearing occupied by Millwood Knights.
2. Explore the tower. Climb to the upper levels and collect the Captain’s Ashes.
3. Search outside before leaving. The Millwood Greatbow lies in the surrounding area guarded by Millwood Knights.
4. Continue uphill. The Greatwolf appears again along the route. Keep moving toward the Rope Bridge Cave bonfire.
5. Cross the rope bridge. Speak with Sir Vilhelm outside, enter the chapel, and light the Ariandel Chapel bonfire.
6. Talk to Sister Friede. Continue her dialogue to receive the Chillbite Ring.

Take the Captain’s Ashes to the Shrine Handmaid to unlock additional merchandise, including Millwood equipment.

The bridge also connects to an optional route below the chapel. Leave that descent until you are ready to explore the Depths of the Painting; the main route continues toward the Corvian Settlement.

Corvian Settlement and Snowy Mountain Pass

Return across the rope bridge and take the descending path near the Rope Bridge Cave side. Follow the route into the settlement, climb the ladder into the house, and speak with the Corvian Settler. Tell him you are Ash, then light the nearby Corvian Settlement bonfire.

The crawling residents and the armed Corvian Knights pose very different threats. The knights attack aggressively, so avoid drawing one into a fight while you are still surrounded by other enemies.

Reach Sir Vilhelm and the Painter

Work around the houses and climb onto the rooftops. Use the elevated bridges to reach the church, then open its doors and the nearby gate to establish a shortcut.

Before moving on, collect Way of White Corona inside the church and search the settlement’s side routes for Crow Quills and Crow Talons.

Enter the building beyond the church to face Sir Vilhelm. Defeat him to receive the Onyx Blade and Contraption Key. Use the key to operate the mechanism leading upstairs, speak with the Painter, and continue outside to the Snowy Mountain Pass bonfire.

Open the Chapel’s Hidden Passage

The mountain route eventually brings you beneath Ariandel Chapel:

1. Follow the pass uphill, searching side paths for upgrade materials and weapons.
2. Knock down the decayed trees when you reach them to create shortcuts.
3. Enter the cave leading into the fly-infested chapel basement.
4. Open the shortcut upstairs to the Ariandel Chapel bonfire.
5. Explore the lower chamber and activate the lever.

That lever opens the passage behind Friede in the chapel. Return upstairs when you are ready for the main boss.

The basement also contains an illusory wall leading outside toward a separate arena. Explore that branch for the Pyromancer’s Parting Flame and the encounter with Livid Pyromancer Dunnel.

Depths of the Painting and the Optional Boss

To reach the lower route, return to the chapel side of the rope bridge, cut its supports, and wait for it to collapse. Climb down the hanging bridge, then carefully descend the roots to the frozen lake.

Light the Depths of the Painting bonfire before exploring farther.

Champion’s Gravetender and Gravetender Greatwolf

The optional boss arena lies below a ledge near the bonfire. The encounter begins with the Gravetender and several ordinary wolves before the Greatwolf joins.

• Clear the smaller wolves first. Reduce the number of attackers before concentrating on the Gravetender.
• Pressure the Gravetender early. Try to defeat him before the Greatwolf turns the encounter into a fight against two major targets.
• Keep the Greatwolf in view. Avoid spending your remaining stamina on extra attacks when you need it to escape its next rush.

Defeating the Greatwolf at both of its earlier locations reduces its health in this boss encounter. Resolve those encounters beforehand if you want that advantage.

Victory awards Valorheart and the Champion’s Bones. Return to Firelink Shrine and burn the bones at the central bonfire to unlock Undead Match, the dedicated PvP option.

Explore the Frozen Lake

The other branch from the Depths bonfire leads past giant crabs into a passage lined with Tree Women. Follow it to find Snap Freeze.

Kill the hostile tree at the far end to reveal a ladder, then climb the ladders to reach a Titanite Slab. This route gives you another reason to explore the depths even if you are leaving the optional boss for later.

Sister Friede Boss Strategy

Sister Friede’s encounter has three phases, each requiring you to empty another health bar. Pace your healing through all three phases.

You can summon Slave Knight Gael near the chapel before entering. Use his distraction during the second phase to attack Father Ariandel.

Phase One: Sister Friede

Friede fights alone with her scythe and periodically turns invisible. Losing sight of her invites a damaging surprise attack, but her movement leaves clues.

Watch the displaced snow when she disappears and listen for her footsteps. Move toward her position when you identify it; finding her creates an opportunity to interrupt the attack she is preparing.

Friede can be backstabbed. Look for openings after committed attacks, and leave enough stamina to disengage if your attempt misses. Avoid chasing every retreat with a long attack chain.

Phase Two: Friede and Father Ariandel

Father Ariandel joins the fight, and the pair share a health bar. His lower defenses make him a practical target while Friede is occupied elsewhere.

Stay aware of both enemies:

• Attack Ariandel when Friede is distracted.
• Reposition when their attacks begin overlapping around you.
• If Gael is present, use the space he creates to attack or recover.

You receive a Titanite Slab after clearing this phase for the first time. Keep your attention on the arena, because the encounter continues.

Phase Three: Blackflame Friede

Blackflame Friede adds black flame attacks to a more demanding assault.

Wait for a sequence to finish before closing in. Favor a brief punish over an extra swing that leaves you unable to dodge. Backstab openings remain useful, but take them after attacks you recognize rather than circling blindly at close range.

If Gael survives the second phase, his distraction can create additional openings. Stay ready to defend yourself whenever Friede changes targets.

Weapons, Spells, and Gear to Look For

Several rewards sit away from the direct path to Friede. Use these landmarks to guide your exploration without clearing every branch in one trip.

Item	Where to Find It	What It Offers
Captain’s Ashes	Upper section of the Millwood tower	Expands the Shrine Handmaid’s inventory
Crow Quills	A side route in the Corvian Settlement	A weapon from the expansion
Crow Talons	Settlement rooftops	Claw weapons
Onyx Blade	Defeat Sir Vilhelm	His greatsword
Frozen Weapon	Painted World of Ariandel	A sorcery
Snap Freeze	Tree-lined passage beyond the frozen lake	A frost-producing sorcery
Way of White Corona	Inside the settlement church	A miracle
Pyromancer’s Parting Flame	Hidden exterior route from the chapel basement	A pyromancy catalyst
Floating Chaos	Defeat Livid Pyromancer Dunnel	A pyromancy

For Dunnel’s encounter, follow the hidden basement route outside and descend the roots toward the circular arena. Be Embered to trigger his invasion.

After defeating Friede, revisit the Corvian Settler for another Titanite Slab.

Ariandel’s Story and the Path to The Ringed City

The Painted World shelters the forlorn: people and warriors who have lost their place outside it. Farron Followers and Millwood Knights carry the remains of those earlier lives into its snowbound landscape.

Its central conflict concerns what should happen when that refuge begins to rot. The Corvian Settler wants the world burned so something new can take its place. Friede and Father Ariandel preserve the existing painting, allowing its decay to continue.

Friede was once Elfriede, the eldest of the three sisters who founded the Sable Church of Londor. Sir Vilhelm followed her into this life and remains devoted to protecting her. Ariandel, meanwhile, uses his own blood to suppress the flame threatening the painting.

The young Painter offers a future beyond that struggle. She intends to create another world, and seeing flame is part of her preparation.

After defeating Friede, return to the Painter in the chapel attic. If you also own The Ringed City, the travel bonfire at the rear of Friede’s arena takes you to the Dreg Heap. That expansion continues Gael’s journey and eventually lets you bring the Blood of the Dark Soul back to the Painter.