How to Beat Slave Knight Gael in Dark Souls III: The Ringed City
The final boss in the Dark Souls III: The Ringed City expansion is actually going to be a familiar face to those who have played the Ashes of Ariandel DLC. However, this time around Slave Knight Gael is not your ally, as this man is out for the dark soul and you get to be the one to put him down. This won’t be an easy task, as Slave Knight Gael has a rather erratic moveset that leaves players very few openings during combat, especially during the first phase of this battle. Given the sheer speed of this boss, we recommend not bringing a super heavy and slow weapon as it’s fully possible to miss any openings this big guy offers you. Magic is also hit or miss with Slave Knight Gael as he moves very fast early on, which can make actually hitting him with spells tricky.
When the fight starts, move out into the wasteland so you have more room to maneuver and won’t get caught on a wall when dodging Slave Knight Gael’s attacks. His attacks will seem very inconsistent and have a rather wide range, so be careful if you go to punish him for missing. Do not do more than one or two hits before rolling away, otherwise Slave Knight Gael has quick follow up’s that’ll deal serious damage, even if you stagger him. The move you want to wait for is when he launches himself into the air for a slam attack. This will leave him open for a few hits. He does this either when you are far away or at the end of his “wombo combo” move, so make sure to always make the most of these brief gaps in his attacks. You’ll also need to watch out for Slave Knight Gael’s attack where he launches himself at you like a dart. This is incredibly easy to dodge, so punish him with a couple of quick R1/RB hits once he flies past you.
After Slave Knight Gael reaches about 75% health he will move to his second phase in which he assumes an upright stance and a more traditional moveset. From here on out all of his attacks will have extended range and be imbued with a dark fire attack which gives them extra distance. To counter this, try and wait for the move where he somersaults in the air twice, as Gael is open after his second slam. He will sometimes do a third where he fires a barrage of arrows at the player, so make sure you’re clear before engaging. He will also release a barrage of light rings in a semi-circle. These act like boomerangs, so if you dodge them when they’re first fired be mindful as they’ll come back and hit you from behind.
This fight is one of attrition, so never get greedy with your punishes otherwise he will send you right back to the Dark Souls III “You Died” screen. When you drop him down to around 50% of his health, Slave Knight Gael will begin to summon lightning from above. Here, you’ll need to watch your footing to ensure you evade the strikes marked by small glowing circles. You can easily dodge these as they’re typically only clumped up into a single area. Given the actual arena is rather large, just make sure to always be on the move when attacking. Finally, Slave Knight Gael uses a powerful Area of Effect magic spell that sends a ton of skulls in the player’s direction, so keep your distance and either dodge them or let them dissipate.
Patience is the name of the game when fighting Slave Knight Gael. He’s the fastest boss in The Ringed City DLC, so just wait for openings and don’t get greedy with your strikes. Punishing him briefly will help you succeed, as Slave Knight Gael is very quick to retaliate if you hang around him for too long. With some practice and a quick, powerful weapon, you will vanquish the last boss in both Dark Souls III: The Ringed City and the series itself.
For more, guides, walkthroughs, and tips make sure to visit our Dark Souls III: The Ringed City wiki.
