Dark Souls: Everything You Need to Know About Firelink Shrine

Firelink Shrine acts as the main hub in Dark Souls. It’s an area you arrive at very early in the game, and one you’ll keep returning to as you progress. It’s an important place that branches out to multiple other locations, and it’s where multiple NPCs end up.

Every Location Connected to Firelink Shrine in Dark Souls

Firelink Shrine connects to multiple other areas in Dark Souls. While this is an expected feature given that it acts as the central hub in the game, it can also be confusing and frustrating for newcomers to navigate. Especially since some of the areas that branch out from Firelink Shrine are intended for players at higher levels.

If a newcomer to the game ends up taking one route from Firelink Shrine to a level that’s intended for later, they’ll have an incredibly difficult time navigating that area and dealing with the enemies there.

That said, learn each path that leads out of Firelink Shrine and you’ll never have to worry about stumbling upon a place you shouldn’t be in yet.

Undead Burg

This is the next area you should head to after you first arrive at Firelink Shrine. From the bonfire, face the area where the well is located. There’s also a tree behind the well you should be facing.

Walk past the well and the tree to find a staircase. Walk up the staircase until you spot a bunch of undead enemies. Defeat them now for a few Souls. Be careful, though. There’s an enemy situated on a cliff above you that throws Firebombs at you.

Head up the staircase on the left and deal with the other undead enemies here. Then, climb up the narrow staircase and finish off the last undead enemy in this area. Continue walking forward. You’ll spot an item you can loot up ahead. This item is a Soul of a Lost Undead.

There’s an entryway on the left of an aqueduct. Enter it to progress onward.

If you turn left, you’ll spot a Sewer Rat. Defeat it and you’ll find another Soul of a Lost Undead. Turn around and keep walking down the damp corridor. You’ll find another door on the left.

Enter it, head right, go up the staircase, and you’ll emerge in Undead Burg.

New Londo Ruins

Start from the bonfire. Face the tree that’s closest to the bonfire. Walk to its right, then past it. Behind this tree is a staircase that leads down.

Continue walking forward and walk through the short and narrow archway at the end. Make a right, head down, and keep heading forward until you reach an elevator room.

Take the elevator down. Once you’re at the bottom, head out of the elevator room and keep heading down. When you reach the bottom of the final staircase, you’ll arrive at the New Londo Ruins.

Warning

Be sure only to come here after you’ve acquired the Lordvessel!

You acquire the Lordvessel as a main quest item after defeating Orstein & Smough at the end of Anor Londo and meeting Gwynevere.

Valley of the Drakes

Note

You can only open this path if you have the Master Key.

After reaching the New Londo Ruins from Firelink Shrine, head right and you’ll find another staircase.

Proceed here and keep going forward. You’ll find a locked door at the end of this path. Open this door with the Master Key and you’ll make it to the Valley of the Drakes.

This area also opens up a path to Blighttown.

Undead Parish

To access this shortcut, you must activate the elevator that connects Firelink Shrine and Undead Parish from the latter location. The elevator is inside the main parish, left of the staircase that leads to the upper levels of the building.

The Catacombs

Warning

Only come to this area after you clear out Anor Londo and receive the Lordvessel!

The path to the Catacombs and the level itself are filled with tons of skeleton enemies and they’re too powerful to tackle when your level and weapon level are still low.

Head to the area where Kingseeker Frampt lingers. While facing him, make a left and you’ll find a staircase.

Pass through here and make a right. Proceed forward until you reach a graveyard.

Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, proceed to the area on the right. Deal with the skeletons here. Continue forward while hugging the right wall and you’ll find an item a the base of a large tombstone. Loot it to get the Winged Spear.

Warning

Be careful, as another skeleton will materialize here.

After looting the Winged Spear and defeating the skeleton, continue forward until you reach the largest tombstone in this graveyard. At the foot of the tombstone is an item. Loot it to receive the Zweihander sword.

From where you found the sword, immediately head left and walk down the slope. There’s a corpse at the end of the cliff here with an item on it. Loot it to get the Binoculars.

Once done, turn around, head back up, and make a right until you find a descending staircase. Head down from here and you’ll find an opening to a cave. This leads to The Catacombs.

Northern Undead Asylum

To return to the Northern Undead Asylum from Firelink Shrine, you must have already unlocked the elevator between this level to the Undead Parish.

Ride the elevator up, then immediately turn around. A few feet up, you’ll find a surface to land on.

Walk off the elevator. Head forward and make it onto one of the pillars that leads up to the tower ahead. The pillar you should land on is the one furthest to the right.

You can make it to this pillar by rolling towards it.

Once here, walk forward, then make a right and ascend the staircase. After ascending the first flight, make a left, then hop on top of the roof ahead to loot an item. This item is the Undead Asylum F2 West Key. This will be useful in the Northern Undead Asylum.

Return to the ground and repeat the same process to return to the tower you were previously on. This time, ascend the staircases to make it all the way to the top. You’ll find a large nest here. You can interact with the nest to “Curl up like a ball” once you approach it. Do so and wait for the giant crow to snatch you up and take you to the Northern Undead Asylum.

Other Items to Loot in Firelink Shrine

Aside from the items you find along the way to the other areas that connect to Firelink Shrine, this legendary Dark Souls locale also has more notable items that are worth getting.

Morning Star and Talisman

Go through the same process as when returning to the Northern Undead Asylum. However, this time, after walking off the elevator, instead of rolling towards the pillar, jump down to the ground below instead.

You’ll find three chests here. One of these chests contains the Morning Star and the Talisman. Another contains a Homeward Bone. The last holds a Cracked Red Eye Orb.

Ring of Sacrifice

From the bonfire, walk up to the staircase past the well. After heading up, take the path to the right of the next staircase. When you’re done dealing with the undead enemies here, run and jump towards the area under the aqueduct across the gap.

Once here, head to the right and you’ll find the Ring of Sacrifice at the end of this area on a corpse that’s sitting on the ground.

The NPCs at Firelink Shrine

Firelink Shrine is also home to a plethora of NPCs in Dark Souls. Many of them are already here when you arrive, some will eventually find their way here on their own, and some will make it to this area after you discover them out there in the world.

As the game’s central hub, it comes as no surprise that this place is home to so many other characters. This is a great opportunity for you to learn about the various personalities in the game, as well as get to know a little bit about the world and lore.

Crestfallen Warrior

The Crestfallen Warrior will already be at Firelink Shrine when you first arrive here. You’ll find him sitting next to and facing the bonfire. This NPC acts as your initial guide and will let you know what you need to do when you first arrive in the area.

Anastacia of Astora

Anastacia is the Fire Keeper of the bonfire in the area. You’ll find her behind a cell, down the stairs left of where the Crestfallen Warrior is sitting. Anastacia can reinforce your Estus Flask for a Fire Keeper Soul.

Petrus of Thorolund

You’ll find Petrus of Thorolund in the ruins on the way to the elevator that leads to the Undead Parish. He’ll already be here when you first arrive at Firelink Shrine. He won’t interact with you much when you first speak to him. However, if you continue speaking to him, he’ll eventually give you a Copper Coin, and will also ask you to join the Way of White covenant.

Petrus will also sell you Miracles.

Vince of Thorolund

Vince of Thorolund is one of Petrus’ companions. He’ll appear in Firelink Shrine after you defeat the Capra Demon in Lower Undead Burg.

Nico of Thorolund

Nico is another of Petrus’ companions. He too will appear in the area after defeating the Capra Demon.

Reah of Thorolund

Reah of Thorolund appears in Firelink Shrine alongside Vince and Nico. She appears to be the leader of the party that consists of the other NPCs from Thorolund. Like Petrus, Reah also sells Miracles, but more advanced ones.

Knight Lautrec

You find Lautrec behind a locked cell on the second floor of the church in the Undead Parish. This door is opened by the Mystery Key. After freeing Lautrec, you’ll find him across Anastacia’s cell.

Griggs of Vinheim

Griggs of Vinheim is a sorcerer you free from a closed door in Lower Undead Burg, which is opened by the Residence Key. Once you free him, he’ll be in Firelink Shrine, standing across the tree that’s beside the staircase that leads to Undead Burg. Griggs of Vinheim sells sorceries.

Laurentius of the Great Swamp

You can find Laurentius in a room past where the second Butcher is in the Depths, trapped in a barrel. Once freed, Laurentius will be sitting down next to a tree in Firelink Shrine before the area where Kingseeker Frampt is located.

Domhnall of Zena

Domhnall of Zena is an NPC and a merchant you first encounter in the Depths, in front of the door that leads to Blighttown. After you ring both Bells of Awakening, Domhnall will automatically transfer to Firelink Shrine, under the aqueducts that lead to Undead Burg—next to where you find the Ring of Sacrifice.

Domhnall will sell crystalized equipment and boss armor to you.

Big Hat Logan

Big Hat Logan is first found in Sen’s Fortress, behind a destructible wall. To destroy this wall, make your way to the area in Sen’s Fortress where you can rotate the mechanism that controls the direction of the boulder that rolls around in the fortress.

Have it point towards the path that’s beside a small entryway. This will cause the boulder to roll down into a wall where a Man-Serpent is sleeping while leaning on it.

Tip

Be sure to point the boulder in another direction before heading down.

Pass through the newly opened passageway and you’ll eventually find Big Hat Logan behind a locked hanging cell. This cell can be opened with a Cage Key or with the Master Key.

Once rescued, Big Hat Logan will make his way to Firelink Shrine beside Griggs.

Kingseeker Frampt

Kingseeker Frampt is a Primordial Serpent and an essential character in the game’s main quest. He automatically appears in the center of Firelink Shrine after you ring the two Bells of Awakening.

Ingward

Ingward is the NPC in New Londo Ruins who gives you the Key to the Seal, a requirement to access the Abyss and face the Four Kings. After defeating the Four Kings, talk to Ingward again and he’ll tell you that his duty is fulfilled. He’ll then move to Firelink Shrine, in a ruin to the right of the staircase that leads to where Petrus usually hangs out.

Siegmeyer of Catarina

Siegmeyer of Catarina is an NPC you first meet outside Sen’s Fortress. Once the fortress is open, you’ll find him again sitting on a ledge in an area right and below where the first boulder runs through. After this, you’ll find him in Anor Londo in a tower that’s guarded by a Silver Knight, before a room that’s filled with more Silver Knights.

After helping Siegmeyer in Anor Londo, he’ll then visit Firelink Shrine, where you’ll find him standing next to the bonfire.

Sieglinde of Catarina

Sieglinde of Catarina is Siegmeyer’s daughter. You’ll initially find her trapped inside a Golden Crystal Golem in the area outside the Duke’s Archives and before the Crystal Cave. After speaking to her here, she’ll make her way to Firelink Shrine, standing next to the bonfire.

Patches

Patches will first be in the Tomb of the Giants, near the first bonfire. When you speak to Patches here, he’ll tell you to look over a pit. After which, a cutscene will play showing Patches pushing you down the pit.

Make your way out of this pit and speak to Patches where he’ll ask for your forgiveness. If you forgive him here, he’ll move to Firelink Shrine. He’ll be sitting before a wall left of where Kingseeker Frampt resides.

Firelink Shrine is a very important place in Dark Souls. It’s so important, in fact, that it makes a reappearance in Dark Souls 3. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the area to know it like the back of your hand.