Slave Knight Gael |
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| General Info | ||
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Location |
| 15,037 | 120,000 | Filianore's Rest |
| Drops | Soul of Slave Knight Gael Blood of the Dark Soul |
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| Defenses | ||
| Weak | Resistant | Immune |
 Strike Frostbite Poison/ToxicHollowslayer GS (2nd, 3rd phase) |
 Slash Dark (2nd, 3rd phase) Bleed |
N/A |
Slave Knight Gael is a Boss in Dark Souls 3. Gael is available with The Ringed City DLC, and is widely considered to be the final boss of the entire Dark Souls series. This Dark Souls 3 Slave Knight Gael Guide features locations, strategies and videos on how to defeat Gael easily, as well as tips, weaknesses, trivia and lore notes for the Slave Knight Gael boss. Slave Knight Gael is an aberration created by consuming the Dark Soul. It is unknown which kingdom Gael fought for or in which wars he was active. At some point during his life he found the Painted World of Ariandel and a young woman who wished to paint a new world. He wears a noticeably bright red cape. When players encounter him, he first moves and fights like a beast on all fours, but then straightens up when brought down to a certain health threshold.
Midir, descendant of the Archdragons, was raised by the gods, and owing to his immortality was given a duty to eternally battle the dark, a duty that he would never forget, even after the gods perished.
Jump to Stats of Slave Knight Gael (Boss) ↓
Dark Souls 3 Slave Knight Gael Boss
The fight against Gael starts out relatively simple, but grows in difficulty more damage he takes as he gets more aggressive, his combos gain extra attacks, and the arena becomes more precarious. As with all DLC bosses, this boss is optional to completing the game.
Bosses are unique and challenging Enemies that drop Boss Souls capable of being transformed into powerful Weapons, Spells, and Items for the player.
Dark Souls 3 Slave Knight Gael Location
Where to find Slave Knight Gael in Dark Souls 3?
- Slave Knight Gael is found after a short walk down from Filianore's Rest at the thrones of the pygmy lords. He will not attack the player until the cut scene is triggered for the first time. After this he will spawn at the thrones, and charge toward the player after they enter the fog gate.
- He can be first encountered as a non-hostile NPC in the Cleansing Chapel in The Cathedral of the Deep, serving as an entrance to the Painted World of Ariandel, should you own the DLC. See the Slave Knight Gael NPC page for full dialogue and information.
Dark Souls 3 Gael Drops
What do you get from defeating Slave Knight Gael in Dark Souls 3?
- Souls: NG (120,000) | NG+ (240,000) | NG++ (255,000) | NG+3 (264,000) | NG+4 (270,000) | NG+5 (288,000) | NG+6 (294,000) | NG+7 (300,000) | NG+9 (306,000)
- Co-Op Souls: 30,000 in NG
- Soul of Slave Knight Gael
- Blood of the Dark Soul
Gael Dark Souls 3 Notes & Tips
What should you know about fighting Slave Knight Gael in Dark Souls 3?
- Parriable: No
- No NPC summon available for this fight.
- Gael's attacks deals Standard, Strike (whole battle), Dark and Thrust (2nd and 3rd phase) damage.
- During the 2nd and 3rd phase, lightning will strike where Gael's soul projectiles land. There are also random lighting strikes on the edges of the arena. In phase 3 there are more soul projectiles, and therefore more lighting strikes. One attack in particular unleashes dozens of soul projectiles, and as such should be a time where the player looks at their feet lest they be smited. These lightning bolts deal Lightning damage and can hurt either the player or boss, however, the chances of being hit by one are incredibly low and they deal pitiful damage to Gael.
- Gael can be staggered, which breaks most of his attacks. Staggering the 1st phase is much easier to do than his 2nd/3rd phase.
- If during the 2nd or 3rd phase the player manages to stagger Gael by hitting his head, they can perform a riposte, but the time for performing this action is very short. 1st phase Gael can't be riposted, even if properly staggered.
- During the whole fight, Gael is weak to Strike Damage, Frostbite and Poison/Toxic.
- During the fight, Gael is resistant to Bleed and Slash Damage. Also, during the 2nd and 3rd phase he is resistant towards Dark Damage.
- At the the beginning of the second phase, Gael turns Hollow. This greatly increases his Dark defense, but makes him take 20% more damage from the Hollowslayer Greatsword. He is the only enemy in the game that can change its creature type mid-battle.
- Slave Knight Gael is not abyssal at any point in the fight.
Gael Dark Souls 3 Stats
| Playthrough | NG | NG + | NG ++ | NG +3 | NG +4 | NG +5 | NG +6 | NG +7 |
| Health | 15,037 | 15,263 | 16,789 | 17,985 | 18,315 | 19,842 | 20,605 | 21,638 |
Dark Souls 3 Slave Knight Gael Boss Guide & Strategies
DS3 Gael Video Strategy
How to fight and beat Slave Knight Gael
Strategy 1 (Melee)
Using an Ultra Greatsword or Greatsword will easily stagger Gael; however, ensure you have enough stamina to dodge afterward, as most of his combos consist of 3-4 attacks. If you prefer using other melee weapons, make sure they have a good attack range. Otherwise, you will need to stay very close to him. This is particularly important for curved sword users. Do not be afraid to charge a heavy attack right after Gael performs a plunging stab. When Gael's right shoulder is facing you and he appears to have finished a combo, be cautious as he may suddenly execute a sweeping attack. In phases 2 and 3, it is recommended to dodge towards Gael since his range is extended by his cloak, which acts as an extension of his attacks. Dodging towards him also positions you better for counterattacks. Note that the cloak usually follows his forward stab slightly, so be mindful of the timing. When Gael teleports to you, it is advisable to sprint away to evade his attack easily. As for his repeating crossbow shots, it is better to sprint away rather than roll, as some of the bolts may catch you at the end of your roll. By following these strategies, you can effectively manage your stamina and positioning to handle Gael's aggressive and varied attack patterns.
Below is a playbook on how to beat him.
- Gael kicks off the fight by galloping towards you on all fours. Don't be fooled by his terrible motor skills. He is a one-shot tank build with great speed, and if he doesn't one-shot you, he will require you to drink one Estus to keep from being one-shotted, and that happens very easily.
- Gael's moments where he throws his bigger melee attacks, like his jumping attacks, are moments to use Estus, but you only have 1-3 seconds to get in damage, so you would have to use your Estus immediately.
- Gael has a combo where he yells in frustration. Trying to dodge through this combo will compromise your stamina, so it is recommended to prepare for this eventuality by already being spaced out enough. The player wants about 30 feet since the player is waiting for Gael to throw heavy anyway.
- A large portion of this whole fight can be solved by focusing on the heavy aerial attacks thrown by Gael. When Gael is in his base form, before the first cutscene, he does a jumping attack and a lunging attack where his sword glows red, and this is a good time to hit him. However, expect a counter-attack, so give yourself about two seconds to hit him during these punishments. The rest of it is being able to counter-attack at the right time after these heavy aerial attacks while making sure you have ~80 points of stamina for dodging and sprinting.
- A large portion of the post-cutscene part of the fight takes place in an area with a large brick wall. This wall can be used to space out Gael from the player, so the player may heal.
- Gael has an attack where he shoots out golden discs of faith magic. You want to double-dodge roll to the left to get in between these and be circling so they avoid you completely and you don't use too much stamina.
- Gael will use attacks of varying speed, Gael is going to power up after the second cutscene, which happens during the fight. Keep at his lunging distance from him, and avoid the invisible walls and other wall-like objects. This whole sub-phase is about waiting for Gael to do his lunging attack, which may be followed up with a heavy counterattack. When he is not lunging, he will most likely just shoot arrows, or his way of white corona.
- From now on, Gael may do a jumping or lunging attack. The player has to look and see if he is queueing up to swing after such an attack, so do not hit him unless he has thrown an attack where he seems to struggle to heave himself to attack. So the player's queue is to wait for Gael to get tired while doing these follow-up attacks, and then attack, but expect a counter!
- In the end phases of the fight, it is important to watch Gael's weapons, and hands. He will summon red orbs and lightning, but the red orbs can be spaced out with sprint, and there will be bright spots on the ground where the lightning will hit. These may hit Gael, but they only do extremely minor damage.
- When he is open for being hit in his third phase, his red mist disappears, and he will either be tired, or he will assume his walking animation. This is confirmed for NG+7 and this is definitely a way to avoid getting hit in that phase.
- Irithyll Straight Sword is a reliable weapon in this fight, even in NG+7. The Black Knight Sword, Wolf Knight GS, and Vordt's Great Hammer are good, too. Definitely stock up on repair powders for this fight, too.
Strategy 2 (Melee/Faith)
DO NOT USE DARK DAMAGE, DARK WEAPONS, OR DARK BLADE against this boss, as he will heavily punish the greedy and overly aggressive. For a more effective strategy, use Tears of Denial, 60 Faith, and fast weapons like a longsword, curved sword, or rapier. Enhancing these weapons with Lightning Blade and using Yorshka's Chime will significantly improve your chances. With Gael, it is a battle of attrition. His high health pool and significant damage output require quick but sustained attacks to whittle him down effectively. If he distances himself from you, utilizing Sunlight Spear or Lightning Arrow miracles can provide valuable poke damage. In the first phase, using a shield is viable. However, be cautious of his forward leaping attack, which is a grab that cannot be blocked. When Gael screams, roll away immediately as he will either unleash a three-hit flurry or a four-hit flurry ending in a leaping attack. This leaping attack provides an ample window for you to deal damage. In phases two and three, blocking is not recommended due to the added dark damage follow-ups to his attacks, which will quickly deplete your stamina. A guard break followed by a counter hit from Gael often results in almost certain death. Instead, focus on rolling dodges. Roll at the last possible second toward and behind him, as an early roll can still result in being hit by his dark damage follow-up attacks. When your Lightning Blade buff runs out, wait for one of Gael's longer combos or his leaping grab, as these moves have extended recovery times, allowing you to safely rebuff your weapon.
Strategy 3 (Pyromancy)
For pyromancers, it is recommended to bring Chaos Bed Vestiges (CBV) instead of Great Chaos Fire Orb (GCFO). CBV has a slightly faster travel speed and follows a straight trajectory, making it more reliable for hitting Gael. In contrast, GCFO acts like a thrown ball and has less base damage unless Gael enters the lava pool. Due to Gael's quick movements and low, hunched posture, GCFO might often fly right over him. Additionally, avoid using dark pyromancies against Gael. Regardless of which pyromancy you choose, try to cast only after Gael reveals an opening following a series of attacks. His rapid movements will cause your pyromancies to miss unless he is moving towards you or is very close. Pay attention to moments when Gael has a large delay before his next series of attacks; recognizing these opportunities will allow you to get a few shots off. In Phase 2, maintain your distance from Gael and avoid staying too close. His movements become less beastly, and he usually attacks twice in succession. If you are too close when he performs a downward slash, he might flick his blade upwards, catching you off guard. Observe his attack patterns and keep the range of his cloak in mind, as it usually travels along with his attacks. The exception is his forward stab, where the cloak follows slightly after.
Strategy 4 (Sorcery)
Sorcery can be quite tricky against this boss, potentially making it the hardest method to take him down. Due to his very high health pool, sitting back and shooting spells at him will deplete your FP before the fight is over. For a pure sorcery approach, it is recommended to allocate more uses to ashen estus flasks, equip the ashen estus ring, and deeply learn his attack patterns from fighting him or from other good guides and contributors on this wiki page. As a mage, using the Moonlight Greatsword is not advisable here. While it deals more damage per hit, its slower attacks are not worth the trade-off. In this boss fight, DPS and low recovery times are ideal. A raw Lothric Knight Longsword buffed with Crystal Magic Weapon, along with offensive spells of your choice, will be more effective. Keep in mind that dark damage is ineffective against this boss and might as well be punching him to death. For pure sorcery, stay away from him and pelt him with Great Heavy Soul Arrow and Crystal Soul Arrow. Avoid spamming Crystal Soul Arrow, as it can quickly drain your FP. Buffing a weapon with sorcery is the best strategy.
The easiest way to beat him as a sorcerer is by using Great Heavy Soul Arrow and Crystal Soul Spear if you have excess FP. Enter the fight with a balanced mix of healing and ashen estus flasks. For example, 7 healing estus and 7 ashen estus should suffice, with one used after the Ringed Knight. During the fight, sprinting is your friend. Play keep away, wait for him to start a combo, then hit him with CSS or GHSA. If he performs the discus attack followed by the crossbow, maintain medium to long range, roll to the left or right to avoid the discus, then roll back to avoid their return. This is a good opportunity to hit him with a spell. When he does the side leap at long range, roll through him and then roll away to avoid his second swing, providing another chance to cast a spell. Do not get greedy. Sprint away, bait out his combos, and then create space to cast. He does not seem to cancel his combos, so you should always have time for a spell or two. With proper spacing, you should only need to roll to dodge his leaping attacks.
Strategy 5 (Aux effects, cheesy one, ANY CLASS)
Managed to defeat him on the first attempt with a 30 INT/30 FTH/~15 STR/DEX build. The key to this strategy iss using a Storyteller's Staff and a Bleed Bandit's Knife, both upgraded to +9 or +10. At the beginning of the first and second phases, activate the staff's poison effect. This poison burns through his health quickly, dealing around 35 damage per tick in the first phase and about 70 damage per tick in the second phase, requiring only 4-5 casts to apply the effect. Once poisoned, proceed to quickstep and hit him with the Bandit's Knife until he's dead. The biggest advantage of this strategy is that it does not require any specific build. Even a sorcerer with 60 INT can equip the dagger, as the bleed trigger damage does not scale with stats, only with a percentage of the enemy's HP. The only requirement is 12 INT to use the Storyteller's Staff. Keep in mind that Gael will cleanse himself of any effects at the beginning of the second phase, so you will need to reapply the poison. Additionally, you don't need to worry about enchanting two more weapons. By the time you reach this boss, you should have collected plenty of titanite chunks to upgrade the necessary equipment.
Strategy 6 (Ringed Knight Paired Greatswords)
To defeat Gael, obtain the Ringed Knight Paired Greatswords from the Ringed Knights and reinforce them to +5 (this strategy may work with lower reinforcements, but it needs confirmation). When fighting Gael, use the two-handed L1 attack of the greatswords. You might take some damage while delivering the first one or two hits, but after that, Gael will be permanently staggered for the duration of the combo, taking massive damage. In the second and third phases, exercise caution to avoid losing too much health during the initial hits. It is advisable to start the combo when you are at full health to ensure you can withstand any initial damage. Once you begin the combo, Gael should remain staggered, allowing you to deal continuous damage until he is defeated.
Strategy 7 (Frost/Fire Setup)
Gael is weak to both frost and fire, making a setup that exploits these weaknesses ideal for the fight. Any attack that can efficiently proc the frostbite status effect, combined with a fire-based attack, can achieve this effectively. The most efficient method involves a pure strength build, using Vordt's Great Hammer and an Arbalest loaded with explosive bolts. When frostbite is triggered, the enemy loses 11% of their max health, and a 30-second cooldown begins during which the afflicted enemy loses stamina recovery. Any fire-based attack can immediately nullify this cooldown, allowing a skilled player to continually stack frostbite on-hit effects. For a "quality" build, players can achieve a similar effect using the weapon art of the Pontiff Knight Curved Sword at close range. Casters can use Snap Freeze or Frozen Weapon in conjunction with Fire Surge or any other pyromancy. Firebombs and black firebombs, which scale with strength, also complement Vordt's Hammer well.
Strategy 8 (Full cheese)
This strategy can be used at any soul level, requiring a minimum of 15 Faith and 12 Intelligence, the necessary Attunement slots (recommended: 2 slots), and enough FP or sufficient Ashen Estus Flasks (around 5 or more +7s). This approach exploits a flaw in Gael's AI and the geography of the area, similar to the Flamelurker cheese.
Slave Knight Gael Lore Theories
He is the same missionary sent out by the Painting Woman to bring her the blood of the dark soul for her canvas. He originally helped the player begin the questline in the Cathedral of the Deep but does not seem to recall the player when met. He is seen feasting on the pygmies in the hopes of obtaining the Dark Soul. However, due to this, he is seen to have lost his sanity and part of his humanity. When damaged enough, he bleeds the is "blood of the dark soul." This is all in part of his quest for the Painted Woman that led him to ruin and the consuming of blood that destroyed him. When defeated, he drops the Blood of the Dark Soul which can be brought to the Painted Woman in order to paint a new world.
Slave Knight Gael Trivia
- In the lore of Dark Souls III, bright red cloth is said to represent the blessing of fire in the lore of the Deacon Robe and the desire for blood in the lore of the Drakeblood Armor, fitting facts given the nature of Gael, both in his past, desire for flame, and quest for blood.
- Wolf Knight's Greatsword +5 is capable of staggering Gael during the 1st phase in 1 fully-charged strong hit (up to NG+2) and in 3 light hits in any phase of the battle (NG and NG+). (Needs testing, if this applies to Farron Greatsword)
- The lightning in Phase III casts a blue aura around where it strikes, in contrast to the gold aura caused by weapons/miracles dealing lightning damage. Lightning weapons with identical aura appear in Dark Souls II (e.g. Syan Knight), which may give a clue about it's true nature.
- The manner in which Gael fights and runs in his first phase is very similar to how Guts from Berserk fights in the Berserker Armor. Gael's second phase also shows parallels to Gut's fighting style in his use of the Repeating Crossbow, akin to Gut's Repeater Crossbow, and the way he hides and follows his attacks with his cape.
- During the 2nd and 3rd phase, Gael has the same skin as hollows in Dark Souls II. This can be easily seen in his introduction cutscene, when the camera is behind Gael. True to this concept, in these two phases Gael takes extra damage to the hollowslayer sword, indicating that after the second cutscene Gael goes hollow.
- Gael is the only enemy in the game whose creature type changes mid-battle
- Gael's transformation in the second phase from a monsterous four-legged fighting style to a less bestial, more noble swordstyle following the occurance of a profound realization bears some similarities to what occurs in the bossfight the Bloodborne player may see against Ludwig, the Accursed in his transformation to Ludwig, The Holy Blade. Likewise, a greatly wounded figure attempting to escape heralds the arrival of both of these bosses, offering a warning about them.
- Several of the Gael abilities mirror Artorias, the Abysswalker (Dark Souls I), Lost Sinner (Dark Souls II) and Orphan of Kos (Bloodborne).
- The introduction cutscene bears some similarities to the introduction cutscene to the Artorias, the Abysswalker boss fight from the Artorias of the Abyss DLC in Dark Souls I, including the posture of Gael and him beginning the fight by throwing a corpse at you.
- Gael's appearance, wearing a face concealing hood and a bulky upper cloak, and wielding a broken sword, makes his appearance an interesting mixture between the extremely low states the player starts the game in at the start of Dark Souls I and Dark Souls II, interesting given that he is the final boss of the series.
Slave Knight Gael Trivia Contd.
- The Arena with Gael's boss fight is the largest arena of that type in the entire Dark Souls series, encompassing the entire level except for the bonfire at Fillianore's Rest. This area appears to be the one seen in Dark Souls III's intro cutscene and from it the player can see remains of several locations from the main game, primarily Lothric Castle and Anor Londo. The only boss arenas that are larger are those where the arena itself is part of the boss fight, such as against Saint Astrea in Demon's Souls, against The Ancient Wyvern in Dark Souls III, and against Micolash, Host of The Nightmare in Bloodborne. Even so, Gael's boss arena is sufficently massive that only Micolash's is definitively bigger.
- The lone Ringed Knight tucked away in the deep corner of the boss arena (to the left of the Filianore's Rest tower) will never target Gael, even when Gael hits him.
- During the 2nd, 3rd etc. attempt to kill Gael, Shira will not invade. She will attack only either before starting first attempt to defeat Gael or after he is dead. Being the Host of Embers is not required.
- If the player looks very closely when Gael teleports, he has a summon sign under him, and has the same visual effect when a white phantom gets summoned, implying that he is forcibly teleporting to near you using the mechanism used to summon other players.
- Gael is the only boss that can die without goading from the player as the lightning rain from the 3rd phase damages him and spawns semirandomly, but due to very low damage it is very difficult to achieve. Unfortunately, this does not grant a unique death animation.
- During 2nd and 3rd phase, around Gael's coat there are numerous red skulls. Identical skulls are at messages created by Slave Knight Gael (NPC), which players will see at The Dreg Heap, as are tatters of his red cloak. Similar skulls can also be seen in with the Executioner's Gloves in Bloodborne, hinting that there is a connection between the two. Much as the Executioner Gloves are the main tool in Bloodborne to rely on the power of Souls, Gael's abilities are among the few in Dark Souls that rely on the power of Blood, making the overlap between the two interesting, effectively serving as a thematic midpoint between the two games.
- Gael, unlike other bosses that can be riposted, has one death animation.
- If the player looks very closely at the gaping wound in Gael's chest, they can see a tiny hole that looks identical to the Dark Sigil.
- In one of the closed towers in the boss arena there is a model of standing Gael. This model is used during the animation in his introduction cutscene instead of the 1st phase version of Gael the player actually fights, likely due to the differences in rigging needed to achieve the respective motions of each character.
- Gael, like many characters in the Souls series, bears some resemblance to knights from the King Arthur myth.
- Gael bears some similarities to Sir Kay, a powerful knight from Arthurian legend that is Arthur's foster brother and most trusted knight, who swore himself to servitude as Arthur's seneschal. In early myth, Kay is attributed with the abilities to go for nine days and nights without the need to breath or sleep, to radiate supernatural heat from his hands, and grow as tall as he wanted. In later myth, it is Kay breaking his sword that causes Arthur to seek a replacement, accidentally pulling Excalibur from its stone. Kay is often depicted as crude in speech and bestial on the battlefield, yet immeasurably loyal.
- Gael also bears considerable resemblance to Galahad the unassuming knight notable for his absolute faith and unwavering determination in searching for the Holy Grail. Among other details, Galahad is often depicted in myth as presenting himself to court wearing a ragged red robe, and is referred to as The Red Knight in the Lancelot-Grail Cycle. He is depicted as being meek and unassuming when encountered, yet distinguished as the greatest knight in the land due to his faithfulness and determination. His search and constant sacrifices for the grail, used as a vessel for the blood of Christ, is well documented, as is his relationship to the Fisher King, the lame wounded king ruling over naught but a wasteland, quite similar to the role played by the Pygmy Lords, although far less brutal in its conclusion.
- His Birthday is March 3rd as stated by Miyazaki himself.
Slave Knight Gallery
AnonymousFromsoft sure does love three phase climactic swaordsman boss battles where the boss pulls out a repeating ranged weapon without warning and there's lightning in third phase.
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bro pulled out the gat and I accidentally spit my drink all over my keyboard making him the true final boss...of my peripherals
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Only boss that would utterly destroy me and I'd be smiling and nodding my head. Tremendous fun.
- Anonymous
Even after elden ring dlc, still best bossfight in the entire franchise. PCR wishes he was half as fun to fight as Gael is
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So..a melee boss..that you're supposed to fight in close range...has a 30% resistance to physical attacks...what?
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"What...still here? Hand it over, that thing. You're 'Dark Soul.' For my ladies painting."
Absolute cinema. That one line, was, absolute, peak, cinema. i wish i got it on camera for the first time.
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Don't be afraid the elden ring DLC final boss has only strengthened the place you occupy in my heart
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This makes me remember the time i fought an old man in a desert for a bucket of paint. Glad they recreated it
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Mid boss overrated by DSIII tourists. Basically Artorias but worse
- Anonymous
My favorite boss in this game, no run back, not stupid tanky like Midnir and Demon prince, 3 phase, no npc summon, just 2 random face each other in a middle of no where, perfection.
- Anonymous
Cool multi-stage boss with varied movesets and a great arena, though the excessive health pool makes the fight and retries drag on pointlessly. I too relied on the Storyteller's Staff and the poison does help balance the health pool quite nicely. Learned about casting on the side too. Remember to use all the tools available to you in the game and it will be enjoyable!
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My last comment was regarding my thoughts on AoA and TRC fights, but I'd also like to share my thoughts on the ER dlc here as well, given there seems to be a lot of negative sentiment on this wiki:
It was really good! I think the most fun I ever had with it was fighting Bayle solo at Scadu 5 with a Lance, I just loved how aggressive he was and how much you had to flow between rolls and strafes throughout. He's also my pick for the second-hardest bossfight they've ever made (behind unnerfed Consort) but I guess that's not a very honest opinion given how many powerful tools the game offers you to make him much easier. At blessing 20 with the Dragonwound Katana and Igon (in my opinion the setup they sort of intended players struggling to use) he becomes a very cinematic but also decently easy fight. Other than Bayle, I really enjoyed Rellana, Messmer, Putrescent Knight (possibly controversial?), Radahn (certainly controversial but I'm a bit of a masochist), and just generally loved the open-world and new dungeons. I think Elden Ring is certainly a very, very different product to anything they've put out before, and SOTE shows that more than anything with it's unique form of challenge and strong focus on exploration and build variety. I don't like to rank games so I'm not going to say I liked it better than DS3 or anything, but I think that a lot of fans of Fromsoft aren't giving it a fair shot.
I think that's about all I have to say. Please comment all sorts of mean things about me wasting my time under this post, and if you didn't like it be sure to leave a dislike! Love y'all
- Anonymous
I like this fight, but I feel like it becomes Slave Knight Stale after you learn the punish windows for each phase. Similar to Midir head strats and Friede backstab strats, Gael basically just revolves around baiting the same few attacks over and over again for like 6 minutes until he dies. I like the bosses in this game a lot, and I enjoyed all the fights I just listed + those strategies for fighting them, but I really can't imagine doing them with extremely low damage (i.e. SL1 NG+7 or SL1 +0 both of which I have had more fun with in ER). I don't know if I'm stupid or something but I just sort of got tired once I realized you barely even have to roll in Midir and Gael's fights at all, even as a big strafedodging guy. Midir is a spacing game, Gael is a spacing game. I think generally DS3 struggles with it's boss design because it really incentivizes players to just use rolls for everything, but once you realize that for the majority of bosses rolling constantly is one of the least opportunistic and efficient strategies, everything gets shaken up. I think my favorite fight in this game is still probably Midir, but from a pure gameplay perspective I find the moveset of Dragonslayer Armour or Friede (no backstabs) to be significantly harder and more engaging. These are all just personal opinions though and feel free to clown on me in the replies
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Good boss but I wish he was harder for a final dlc fight. He only spams the same three moves in phase 2 and 3 over and over again.
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Yeah, I know this topic has been beaten to death by now but geal is easily one of the best, if not the best boss fromsoft has made period. And probably one of the best bosses in video game history.
- Anonymous
I heard so much about gael and was ready to get my butt kicked. Turns out I did it in my second try.
The bossfight was amazing and the patterns are really great to learn, but the fight isn't difficult enough, kinda sad.
Everything was perfect for a final fight WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS. I wanted to struggle for a few attempts at least...
- Anonymous
Also known as the Ernest Khalimov from the World of Dark Souls
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Amazing fight, finally fought a new favorite boss (previous fave, Sword Saint Isshin)
- Anonymous
Finished Midir, Gael and the DLC for the first time today! Had a lot of fun! ggs
Gale took me around 30 mins to beat - same as the DS3 final boss Cinder
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Midir and this guy in 4 hours. This amazing feeling will never come back.
This is in my opinion the best boss from ever made.
And after playing all the way thru erdtree dlc and fighting Miquellested consort in the dlc, I'm convinced it will stay that way.
- Anonymous
after all the hype, i finally managed to beat both Midir and him in one sitting. that was probably my fav souls experience they both lived up to it
- Anonymous
Probably the most cinematic dude in armor fight, and I genuinely can't be convinced otherwise. The attack where he flips midair after slamming his sword, just to pull out the crossbow mid flip and slam his sword again. The most badass thing in any game for me.
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Currently replaying DS3 and it really puts a shine on how bad most Shadow of the Erdtree bosses are
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Just killed him with toxic/poison on ng+5 i cant even say it was a long fight it was a long run
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It was perfect, perfect, everything down to the last minute details
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Really fun fight, hes always in your face but gives you an opening every time you dodge an attack. Sooo much better than horrible Midir
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- Anonymous
My first time fighting him was really fun and honestly not that hard (killed him in my 2nd try). I used the Irithyl Straight Sword and a Quality build.
Recently I replayed the game with a Str/Fth build using a Heavy Lothric Knight Ultragreatsword and buffing with Lighting Blade, and the fight felt a lot harder this time despite having more AR. Took me some good 5 or 6 tries and varely survived with an inch of HP. Not sure if the split damage hindered my DPS or if the slower moveset forced me to trade more and die faster. Oposite case for Midir, this time around he was a walk in the park.
- Anonymous
I was hoping that maybe elden ring can surpass gael. But unfortunately, I was wrong.
Still the No.1, my beloved.
- Anonymous
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He’s still the best after Elden Ring DLC, but I think Messmer is a new close second in the series
- Anonymous
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Heavy Drang Hammers works really well against Gael and easy to get
- Anonymous
I first tried this boss, much easier than Friede, I took almost a whole hour fighting her but Gael was just a walk in the park in comparison.
- Anonymous
Ah back well bosses didn't have a flash bang built in with their attacks and half sec full screen teleports...
- Anonymous
He is so cool! After the annoying gank boss, and the very mid dragon boss, Gael is such an awesome fight that he's worth the entire dlc!
- Anonymous
Killed him first try on sl 110 while being embered up from fighting midir before him, am i overleveled?
- Anonymous
To Any elden ring fanboys here to dunk on geal.
I know that you know geal is better then any boss in elden ring, but you cling onto the idea that your beloved and precious elden ring is the most perfect and h flawed game in history. You can’t handle the fact that another game could even has a boss remotely capable of being better then all of your bosses. Seeth and mald, dislike all you like but that only proves to your own delusion.
- Anonymous
Overrated as all hell, saw a lot of lists putting it on first in difficulty but I managed to beat first try, easier than friede and midir by far
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Elden ring dlc proved that fromsoft will only get worse from gael, they never learn.
- Anonymous
Elden ring trying to make fair, hard, and fun humanoid fights like kos, Gael, and sword saint in base game/dlc (impossible).
- Anonymous
Actually first tried him but had to bone out twice before because of poor flask management
- Anonymous
came back after the shadow of the erdtree final boss disaster, this guy still staying at top
- Anonymous
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After Dung sort Radahn playing DS3 was like a breath of fresh air, especially regarding DLC bosses. I miss the time where bosses were fair, didn't require a single cheesy strategy to beat and had no arificial difficulty like rollcatches, endless aoe spam and immunity to everything. Thank you, old man
- Anonymous
I thought we would get a final boss as good as him, not 100x worse
- Anonymous
After that final boss in Elden ring I don’t think you will ever be surpassed uncle Gael….
- Anonymous
Nonsense lore, aggressive never-ending combos, bloated healthbar and damage negation, magic spam, pillars of light and cape that ruins players’ visibility. This isn’t “the best boss in the Dark Souls trilogy”, this is a prototype version of Consort Radahn.
- Anonymous
i literally use save states to fight this guy over and over again, he's just so awesome
- Anonymous
yeah this guy still reigns supreme in terms of final bosses, elden ring's was predictably underwhelming, obnoxious and mediocre lore and gameplay wise
- Anonymous
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felt so good to fight after midir, i've died couple of times purposely jus to fight him again
Anyone still struggling and may need help DM me or reply below.
- Anonymous
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Warning: very likely headcanon. I think Gael has such enormous defense stats (and health) because he's an absurdly high soul level. And I guess he's beefed out from eating dark souls. And people.
- Anonymous
I beat him first try when i delete him form the game files.
- Anonymous
Got him second try! 10 minutes of chipping away thinking 'nah probably not gonna get him' until the very end where you realize 'oh shiz i might win' and your hands get all shaky haha
- Anonymous
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if you're here to say what a lot of other people have said, no there is no chance any boss in the elden ring dlc will ever hope to compare to this one
- Anonymous
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dark souls 1 was about humanity
dark souls 2 was about the curse
and dark souls 3 was about the cycle.
- Anonymous
Someone I once saw pointed out that you start the first dark souls game as a pitiful hollow wielding a broken sword, and the most powerful being at the end of time itself - at the end of the final game - is a hollow wielding a broken sword. I cherish and adore Gael for everything he represents.
Dark souls is not just about the futility, frustration, and deterioration that follows attempting the same thing over and over again, following the same ideals and singular focus, but also the potential for those of even the most meek, pitiable, and downtrodden origins to accomplish great feats.
It's about how one's origin and perceived worth has no bearing on their ability to accomplish their goals, and how staying true to those goals and purpose can carry us through even the most terrible and hopeless circumstances, even if those goals are in spite of those circumstances, and even if those circumstances are inescapable.
Dark souls tells you to let go of things you can't control, and to pursue your purpose with unbreaking resolve.
- Anonymous
I beat him 1st try, in my 8th playthrough of Ds3. After dying 30 times first playthrough.
- Anonymous
Got him to like 10% the second try.
Then spent nearly 2 more hours to actually win the battle.
I love this fight, the most epic battle area I've ever known.
- Anonymous
Best boss in gaming history. If you dont agree with me, f*** u.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Today is my day. SKG os history. The strategy with the RKGS +5 worked fine for me. Stamina is everything in this fight. 1st time used the Estus Ring and the Divine Blessing (that i didn't use). I tried two times poison and two times frostbite. Did not work that well. So in my fourth run using the RKGS SKG was defeated. This boss was not as hard as expected but overall a joy to fight. So, my friends, git gud. It is worth to do so.
- Anonymous
One of the best bosses in the series, hands down
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