Look, we've all been there. You finally beat that nightmare boss after 30 tries, hands shaking, sweat dripping, and you get this glowing thing called a boss soul. Now what? Should you gobble it for souls? Turn it into a weapon? I remember my first playthrough, I accidentally consumed the Crystal Sage's soul and missed out on the Crystal Hail spell. Big regret. This guide cuts through the confusion so you don't make those mistakes. We're covering everything about boss souls Dark Souls 3 - which ones to transpose, which weapons are worth it, and what's secretly garbage. No fluff, just hard-earned experience from hundreds of hours in Lothric.
What Exactly ARE Boss Souls?
When you kill any major boss in Dark Souls 3, you get their soul - a special item that either gives you a truckload of souls if consumed or can be transformed into unique gear. Unlike regular souls, these are irreplaceable until New Game Plus. Here's the kicker: once you use that soul for souls, it's gone forever that playthrough. Poof. No take-backs. I learned that the hard way with Lorian's soul. Transposing is done through Ludleth of Courland at Firelink Shrine, but only after you give him the Transposing Kiln from the Curse-Rotted Greatwood. Don't skip that boss!
Ludleth's Transposition Process Demystified
Find that little dude curled up on his throne? Here's how it works step-by-step:
- Kill Curse-Rotted Greatwood (yeah, that tree in Undead Settlement)
- Grab Transposing Kiln from its arena
- Give kiln to Ludleth (he'll say something cryptic)
- Select "Transpose Boss Soul" from his menu
- Pick between weapon options (if multiple)
- Done. Gear goes straight to inventory.
Important note: Some souls like Vordt's only make one item, while others like the Nameless King's give two choices. Choose carefully - no refunds. My buddy spent weeks regretting picking the Lightning Storm miracle over the Dragonslayer Swordspear.
Every Single Boss Soul and What You Should Actually Do With It
Below is the complete breakdown - boss soul Dark Souls 3 options ranked by usefulness. I've included soul values if consumed, but seriously, don't do it unless you absolutely need that exact soul amount for a level-up before a tough boss. Transposing is almost always better.
| Boss Name | Soul Value | Transposition Options | Real Talk Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iudex Gundyr | 3,000 | Coiled Sword Fragment (tool) | ⭐ Skip - just a worse Homeward Bone |
| Vordt of the Boreal Valley | 3,000 | Vordt's Great Hammer (hammer) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Frost build beast |
| Curse-Rotted Greatwood | 7,000 | Hollowslayer Greatsword (GS) / Arstor's Spear | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hollowslayer is early-game MVP |
| Crystal Sage | 8,000 | Crystal Hail (spell) / Sage's Rapier | ⭐⭐ Rapier has item discovery boost |
| Abyss Watchers | 18,000 | Farron Greatsword (UGS) / Wolf Knight's Greatsword | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Both fun with unique moves |
| Deacons of the Deep | 13,000 | Deep Soul (spell) / Archbishop's Staff | ⭐ Mostly useless |
| High Lord Wolnir | 22,000 | Wolnir's Holy Sword (GS) / Black Serpent (pyro) | ⭐⭐ Situational pyro |
| Old Demon King | 25,000 | Demon's Greataxe / Chaos Bed Vestiges (pyro) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Vestiges is pyro god-tier |
| Pontiff Sulyvahn | 28,000 | Greatsword of Judgment / Profaned Greatsword | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Both solid quality weapons |
| Yhorm the Giant | 36,000 | Yhorm's Great Machete (greataxe) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Massive AR but slow |
| Aldrich, Devourer of Gods | 50,000 | Darkmoon Longbow / Lifehunt Scythe (miracle) | ⭐⭐ Skip unless bow build |
| Dancer of the Boreal Valley | 60,000 | Dancer's Enchanted Swords / Soothing Sunlight (miracle) | ⭐⭐ Dual blades are tricky |
| Dragonslayer Armour | 57,000 | Dragonslayer Greatshield / Dragonslayer Greataxe | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Greataxe deletes bosses |
| Oceiros, the Consumed King | 58,000 | Moonlight Greatsword / White Dragon Breath (sorcery) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ MLGS is iconic |
| Champion Gundyr | 60,000 | Gundyr's Halberd / Prisoner's Chain (ring) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chain is broken for any build |
| Lothric & Lorian | 85,000 | Lothric's Holy Sword / Lorian's Greatsword / Twin Princes' GS | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Twin Princes is unique |
| Ancient Wyvern | 70,000 | Dragonhead Shield / Dragonslayer Spear | ⭐⭐ Shield has niche uses |
| Nameless King | 80,000 | Storm Curved Sword / Lightning Storm (miracle) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lightning Storm melts groups |
| Soul of Cinder | 100,000 | Firelink Greatsword (UGS) | ⭐⭐⭐ Solid but late-game |
Top 5 Weapons Worth Transposing
- Hollowslayer Greatsword - Deals bonus damage to hollow enemies (which is like 70% of the game). Carried me through three zones after getting it. Hyper-armor during swings feels amazing.
- Chaos Bed Vestiges - Essentially a chaos fireball. Deletes mobs and chunks bosses. My pyro build became easy mode after getting this.
- Prisoner's Chain - Not a weapon but insane ring. Gives +5 to VIG, END, VIT at cost of 4% absorption penalty. Worth it 100%.
- Dragonslayer Greataxe - That weapon art? Thunder slam that pancakes enemies. Hits like a freight train even at 40 STR.
- Moonlight Greatsword - Classic FromSoftware weapon. Int-scaling greatsword with projectile attacks. Pure magic builds rejoice.
Transposition Strategy: Be Smart, Not Regretful
Your build determines everything. That cool greatsword means nothing if you're a sorcerer. Here's my no-nonsense advice:
Strength Build Focus
Priority list: Vordt's Great Hammer (early frost), Yhorm's Great Machete (highest AR), Dragonslayer Greataxe (epic weapon art). Avoid spell options unless respeccing later.
Dexterity Build Focus
Grab Farron Greatsword for flashy moveset or Storm Curved Sword from Nameless King. Pontiff's Greatsword of Judgment works if hybrid INT.
Magic Users
Crystal Sage soul gives Sage's Rapier (+100 item discovery) which helps farming. But real prizes: Crystal Hail (sorcery), White Dragon Breath (Oceiros), Deep Soul (Deacons) for variety.
Pyromancers
Chaos Bed Vestiges (Old Demon King) is mandatory. Black Serpent (Wolnir) tracks enemies well. Both beat weapons for pure casters.
Technically? Yes. Realistically? Bad idea. Boss weapons often have unique movesets you can't get elsewhere. That Dragonslayer Greataxe WA alone justifies it. Besides, consuming gives mediocre souls - you get more from farming Lothric Knights for 15 minutes.
Brutally Honest FAQ: Boss Souls Dark Souls 3 Edition
RIP. Gone until NG+. Happened with my Aldrich soul - no Darkmoon bow that run. Quit out immediately if misclick? Doesn't work. DS3 autosaves aggressively.
Only via trading. Ludleth won't transpose duplicates. If you want both Nameless King weapons, either trade or wait for NG+.
Yep! They use Titanite Scales instead of regular shards. Scales are rarer - found in later areas or sold by Patches. Max +5 instead of +10.
Soul of Cinder (100k), then Twin Princes (85k), Nameless King (80k). But again - DON'T CONSUME THEM unless you're absolutely certain you won't want the gear.
Prisoner's Chain is meta. Dragonslayer Greataxe weapon art catches rollers. Profaned Greatsword charged R2 launches people. Avoid slow weapons like Yhorm's Machete against good players.
Advanced Tips From My Screw-Ups
After hundreds of hours across ten characters, here's what I wish I knew earlier about boss souls Dark Souls 3:
- Weapon preference beats meta. That S-tier Dragonslayer Greataxe felt terrible with my low stamina build. Test movesets before committing!
- Some weapons require stats beyond their class. Lothric's Holy Sword needs DEX/FAI even though it looks like a straight sword.
- Infusions beat boss weapons sometimes. A Heavy Claymore outdamages many transposed greatswords on STR builds.
- Store duplicate souls immediately. Accidentally consumed Soul of Boreal Valley thinking it was a regular soul. Pain.
New Game Plus Considerations
NG+ lets you get souls/items again. Plan around this:
- Consume late-game souls you already transposed (Soul of Cinder etc.)
- Grab the alternate item from souls with choices (e.g. Lorian's sword vs Twin Princes')
- Boss souls Dark Souls 3 reset, including Iudex Gundyr's
Final verdict? Most boss souls are worth transposing - except maybe Deacons or Ancient Wyvern items. Even "bad" weapons have niche uses. That Wolnir sword? Useless in combat but looks fabulous for fashion souls. At the end of the day, experiment and find what clicks with your playstyle. Just please, for the love of Gwyn, don't consume that soul until you check the options!
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