Dark Souls 3 boss guide - how to defeat every top tier enemy

High Lord Wolnir 

You’ll fight plenty of skeletons in the Catacombs of Carthus, but High Lord Wolnir is by far the largest one you’ll face. And he doesn’t play nice.

High Lord Wolnir hovers in the back of his dark cave – which yes, does have boundaries. You might be tempted to go for his chest. Don’t. If you get to close, the mist around him will start rapidly sucking away your health. Instead, focus on the bracelets on his hands. Breaking all three will drain his HP bar.

Wolnir will start with simple swipes and fist slams, and these are easily avoided by rolling to the side. If he starts crawling toward you, roll backwards until he stops, as this will keep you away from the mist at his torso. He may also summon skeletons into the area, which only serve to get in your way, so you might want to get rid of them before turning back to the boss. The last of Wolnir’s attacks is a cloud of shadows he’ll spew from his mouth; keep your distance to avoid damage.

Once two bracelets are broken, Wolnir will draw a sword from the ground. During this phase, his basic attacks have a much farther reach, and deal more damage. He may also slam the sword into the ground, blasting yellow energy into the air. Like with his Shadow Breath, you’ll need to back away.

High Lord Wolnir looks very intimidating, but as long as you stay away from his deadlier attacks, you’ll be all right. Focus on the bracelets, and don’t stand too close.

Jump to Boss:

Iudex Gundyr
Vordt of the Boreal Valley
Curse-Rotted Greatwood (Optional)
Crystal Sage
Abyss Watchers
Deacons of the Deep
High Lord Wolnir
Old Demon King (Optional)
Pontiff Sulyvahn
Yhorm the Giant
Aldrich, Devourer of Gods
Dancer of the Boreal Valley
Oceiros, the Consumed King (Optional)
Champion Gundyr (Optional)
Dragonslayer Armour
Lothric, Younger Prince
Ancient Wyvern (Optional)
Nameless King (Optional)
Soul of Cinder

Freelance Writer

Tony lives in Maryland, where he writes about those good old-fashioned video games for GamesRadar+. His words have also appeared on GameSpot and G4, but he currently works for Framework Video, and runs Dungeons and Dragons streams. 

Latest in RPG
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
CD Projekt boss says "cutting-edge single-player games" – you know, like The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 – will "continue to enjoy great popularity" despite industry shifts
Cyberpunk 2077
Despite releasing exactly zero new games, CD Projekt bagged $120 million in profit for 2024 – the Witcher and Cyberpunk studio's third-best result ever
Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 "is done," but it's been delayed again to October for "bug fixing, stability, and performance"
Assassin's Creed 3 screenshot of Desmond hilding a circular Isu artifact
Assassin's Creed Shadows' modern storyline is kind of non-existent and I couldn't be happier about it
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot of an enemy falling backwards through the air away from Yasuke who's just performed a War Kick
Forget the hidden blade: if you're not yeeting enemies in Assassin's Creed Shadows, you're missing out
The Witcher 4 cinematic screenshot showing a closeup of Ciri, protagonist of the new adventure
"We slept under our desks and lived in chaos": Before the Witcher 3 became an RPG phenomenon, CDPR's CEOs had a tough time making the original game
Latest in Guides
Assassin's Creed Shadows Nishinomiya Shrine
All Nishinomiya Shrine locations in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows riddles Naoe answers
All Assassin's Creed Shadows riddle answers for NPC encounters
Fortnite Henchmen Walkie Talkies
Fortnite Henchmen Walkie Talkies: How to eavesdrop on Kane
Assassin's Creed Shadows Makino Kurumazuka Kofun
How to get in the Makino Kurumazuka Kofun in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe looking at map
Assassin's Creed Shadows map size and all regions
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe wearing black kosode
How to acquire a kosode in Assassin's Creed Shadows and should you choose red or black?