Who is the most difficult boss in Dark Souls III? Including both DLC expansions, that title goes to the tragic Darkeater Midir from The Ringed City DLC. No one knows how long he fought against the darkness to keep the world safe - or rather, safer than it could be - only to succumb to creeping corruption.

Who Is Darkeater Midir?

Midir, the descendant of Archdragons, is a massive four-winged Dragon who serves as one of the formidable guardians of the Ringed City. Raised by the Gods, Midir was tasked with battling the dark for all of eternity. This responsibility has been carried out without fail, even long after the Gods perished.

Unfortunately, as Harvey Dent might say, "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." As Midir continued to do battle against the dark, it began to taint him, granting him the ability to channel Abyss magic directly into his deadly fire breath.

The corruption soon spread., which is why the Spears of the Church are terrified of what could happen if Midir were ever completely consumed by the darkness. Shira, Knight of Filianore, asked the Ashen One to slay Midir before the Abyss consumes him. Although it is optional, Midir must be defeated if players wish to join the Spears of the Church.

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Where Do You Find Darkeater Midir?

Darkeater Midir is seen early on when you first enter the Ringed City, where there is still sun in the sky despite the First Flame fading. He will ignore you until you reach the bridge past the abyssal swamp. Perched atop a cliff, he will wait until you get closer, at which point he will fly down in a frenzy and breath fire down on the bridge and its connecting path.

via vg247.com

The first encounter happens when you approach the bridge. Since Midir takes time to properly land, you can get into position directly beneath him. This might force Midir to swipe at you with his claws, which poses less of a threat than his fire breath.

Immediately before the bridge, there is a large rock that can be used for cover, to heal, or to adjust your equipment.

However, be wary - Midir is a dangerous foe. Unlike many other bosses in the game, Midir actively adapts to the strategies of a player. Midir will fire dark energy across the entire bridge if you camp beneath him for too long, which will either kill you or knock you into the abyss. Midir will also adjust the trajectory of his flame to hit from above if you camp behind the rock to avoid his breath, which will force you to move or be burned alive.

If you balance your attacks, eventually Midir will sustain enough damage and will fall into the chasm beneath the bridge. However, this, of course, is not the end. In fact, it's not even the beginning, as the damage that is inflicted upon him doesn't carry over to the real fight later.

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How Do You Defeat Darkeater Midir?

To find Midir, you must find the secret passage through the Ringed Inner Wall’s second shortcut. There, you will arrive at the chasm beneath the same bridge as before, where Midir will be waiting.

Midir has exceptionally high health and defenses. His head is his only major weak spot, as any hit to it will multiply your damage by a factor of two. This is where you will want to focus all of your efforts since the fight against him will be long. Attempting to hit him anywhere else is not as effective, as it will take you twice as many hits to take him down and players will usually succumb to one of his many powerful attacks.

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Consider using a fast weapon, as you will only have a few opportunities to strike at his head. Sellsword twinblades, Warden twinblades, Carthus, Caestus, Corvian Great Knife, or whatever you consider the quickest weapon for your playstyle should work. Since Midir is an Abyssal enemy, he has a weakness to the Wolf Knight's Greatsword and the Farron Greatsword. However, they are slow weapons, so they won't do you much good.

While Midir’s massive size is intimidating, it can also shift your camera angle, which can make the fight more complicated. To avoid this, make sure that you are centered with Midir so that you can see his incoming attacks and avoid moving in the wrong direction when the camera flips.

While Midir will also attack with his claws and tail, these aren't as deadly. You will want to be wary of his lunging bites, flames, and dark beam attacks, though. Once Midir has lost half of his health, he will begin channeling the Abyss to summon large humanity orbs that will follow you. At this point, his deadliest attack is the dark energy beam, which will cover almost the entire arena and cause a series of explosions that can be fatal.

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When he lunges towards you to bite, roll backward to dodge the attack. When he uses a flurry of lunges and spins around, roll towards him a few times and close the distance between you. There is a brief window when his head will be vulnerable and you can move in for an attack. Staying close will also prevent Midir from using his beam attacks, which are very dangerous in the second half of the fight.

Midir can also grab you in his mouth and fling you almost across the entire arena. However, this is always preceded by a long, loud roar, so make sure to avoid it.

What Rewards Do You Recieve?

When Darkeater Midir is finally destroyed, you can expect to receive some hard-earned rewards. First, Midir will drop the Soul of Darkeater Midir and the Spears of the Church. Midir will also drop the biggest amount of souls of all of the bosses, which, using all soul-boosting equipment (Covetous Silver Serpent Ring, Shield of Want, Mendicant's Staff, etc.), nets a total of 1,115,370 souls.

via reddit.com (Joneza_)

Transposing the Soul of Darkeater Midir with Ludleth of Courland for 5,000 souls will reward you with the Frayed Blade, one of the most powerful yet fragile katanas in the game. Alternatively, transposing the Soul of Darkeater Midir with Ludleth of Courland for 15,000 souls will reward you with Old Moonlight, a powerful greatsword. Choose wisely, though, since only one of them can be acquired at the cost of Midir’s soul.

You can speak with Shira to receive a valuable Titanite Slab, which is a component needed to upgrade weapons to their maximum level.

Finally, you can equip the Spears of the Church item to join the Spears of the Church covenant.

Overall, Midir is a deadly foe. However, the rewards are worth the effort. If you manage to defeat him, congratulations on the victory - you deserve it.

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