BLACK SOULS: Walkthrough Guide

A complete step-by-step walkthrough from the prologue to the endgame and all endings in BLACK SOULS.

BLACK SOULS: Walkthrough Guide

Before you begin your journey, there are a few key decisions to make. First, create a name for your character. While your starting class isn’t critical since you can change it later, the Thief is a solid choice because of their starting weapon. For your initial item, select the Master Key to unlock doors early. Finally, decide if you will Skip or Don’t Skip the prologue. By choosing “Don’t Skip,” you’ll face a difficult but rewarding challenge against the Nemesis Dragon in the Dungeon, earning 8,000 gold—a huge advantage for the rest of your adventure.

Main Walkthrough: Prologue & Dungeon

The game’s prologue begins inside a linear dungeon. If you choose not to skip it, be prepared for a difficult but rewarding start. Simply move forward, saving your progress often to avoid losing ground.

The dungeon culminates in a battle with the Nemesis Dragon.

Nemesis Dragon Strategy

The key to this fight is patience and timing. Focus on using normal attacks and the Dodge & Parry skills. When the dragon buffs itself, respond immediately with a Dodge to avoid its powerful attack.

Upon victory, you’ll earn the Dragon Slayer Sword, an Upgrade Stone, and a valuable 8,000 gold, which is a massive boost for the early game. After the fight, you’ll advance directly to the Sacred Forest.

Main Walkthrough: Sacred Forest

Whether you completed the dungeon or skipped the prologue, your journey begins in the Sacred Forest. The area has three main exits: North, East, and a West underground passage.

• Prepare Yourself: Your first stop should be the Priest of Prayer. Invest all your gold into leveling up and equip the Dragon Slayer Sword you just earned.
• Challenge the Brokenhearted Hero: Find him by the lakeside and engage him in a duel. Be cautious, as he counterattacks frequently. Use Defend to block his attacks and then punish him with a well-timed Parry. Your reward is the Reckless Warrior’s Ring, which grants powerful critical hits. Equip it right away!

East Path: Harpy & Desert Route

Follow the east path to fight monsters and collect loot. Along the way, use your Master Key to rescue Harpy, who will then relocate to the East Sacred Forest.

Continue southeast. You’ll find a campfire near a large llama—stock up on Delicious Milk before heading into the passage that leads to the Desert.

Main Walkthrough: Desert

After exiting the Sacred Forest, you’ll enter the scorching Desert.

• Find the Mascot: Near the entrance, you’ll find a dying creature. Offer it your Delicious Milk to gain it as a rideable (and very useful) mount.
• Explore & Loot: As you explore, remember to save at the campfires. Be careful of a treasure chest you’ll find near a Pyramid—it’s a Mimic.
• Avoid the Giant: Outside the Pyramid, you’ll see a massive black giant. He’s a dangerous boss, so it’s best to avoid him for now.

Continue southeast through an underground passage to reach the Snow Country.

Main Walkthrough: Green Worm Farming

For a reliable way to make money early on, head north from the Sacred Forest to find the Green Worms.

• Strategy: Their high dodge rate makes physical attacks useless. Instead, use the Ice Bullet spell, which cannot be dodged.
• Rotation: Alternate between using Ice Bullet and Dodge to survive. When your MP is low, use a Herb Bottle M to restore it.
• Rewards: Each victory earns you a massive 10,000 gold. Return to a campfire to heal, and your Herb Bottles will automatically restock. You can repeat this process as much as you like.

When you’re satisfied with the gold you’ve earned, you can recruit the Green Worm as a companion.

Main Walkthrough: Bremen Band & Abandoned Mine

After farming Green Worms, continue through the Sacred Forest.

Bremen Band & Werewolf

• Bremen Band: Head to the ranch and find a small hut surrounded by boss mist. Inside is the Bremen Band. With your Ice Bullet spell at around level 35, this fight should be straightforward. Defeating them earns you the Grimoire: Invisible Body, which makes you undetectable by enemies outside of combat. This is a crucial item for safe exploration.
• Werewolf: Continue northeast to another mist-covered area. The Werewolf is the boss here, and just like the others, he’ll fall quickly to repeated use of Ice Bullet.

Abandoned Mine

Once the forest path is clear, enter the Abandoned Mine. This is a maze, so be careful.

• Loot & Navigate: Check all side tunnels for loot as you descend. The correct path forward is down the southwest staircase.
• Boss Fight: You’ll find a campfire midway through, so be sure to save. The final boss of the mine is a Dragon Monster, who is also vulnerable to Ice Bullet. After defeating it, you’ll emerge at the Valley Checkpoint.

Main Walkthrough: Valley Checkpoint & High Tower

You’ve made it out of the mine and into the Valley Checkpoint.

Valley Checkpoint

Inside, you’ll meet a Fallen Sage. You can choose to fight him, but be aware that defeating him will increase your Sin value.

Warning: Once your Sin reaches 5, powerful Dark Knights will begin ambushing you on the world map. They are extremely dangerous, with high speed and strong attacks (~2,000 damage per hit). While they can be profitable to defeat, it’s a huge risk. The only way to cleanse your Sin is much later in the game.

High Tower (Lost Empire Tower)

This area is full of fast, strong enemies who can ignore your invisibility. It’s best to run from fights whenever possible.

• Trigger the Switch: At the bottom-left of the map, near a hat, you’ll find a staircase. You must go down and trigger a switch to proceed.
• Peter Pan: On your way back up, you’ll be blocked by Peter Pan, one of the tower’s toughest bosses. He’s fast, strong, and resistant, and you can’t escape the fight. Save at every staircase to avoid losing a lot of progress.
• Guardian Dragon & Rapunzel: Continue upward, saving at the campfire. If you’re blocked by an iron gate, it means you forgot to flip the switch. At the top, you’ll meet the Guardian Dragon. He’ll try to trick you, but the correct choice is to kill him with Ice Bullet. After the fight, you’ll meet Rapunzel and must make a pact with her to continue the main story.

Rapunzel’s Quest

Rapunzel will ask you to retrieve the Phantom Rose from the Desert. It’s located northwest of the oasis, in a patch of grass. While in the Desert, you can also take on the giant black demon you previously avoided for a large reward of ~65,000 gold.

Return the rose to Rapunzel to complete the quest. She’ll reward you with her strongest ring, which you should equip immediately.

Main Walkthrough: Forsaken Forest & Witch’s House

After completing Rapunzel’s quest, head north into the Forsaken Forest.

Forsaken Forest

Save at the campfire before you enter.

Warning: Do not pick up any items from the grass. Doing so will corrupt Hansel & Gretel and turn them into monsters. Instead, go directly to the Witch’s House in the northwest.

Witch’s House

• Hansel & Gretel: Inside, you’ll find the human siblings. To keep them safe, talk to them and give them candy to advance their event. Attacking them will immediately turn them into monsters.
• Dorothy: Go upstairs to meet Dorothy. You’ll need to buy two grimoires from her: Soul Radiance and Soul Burst. Accept her offer to become her disciple and she’ll give you a new quest.

Dorothy’s Tasks: Defeat the Three Companions

Dorothy’s quest requires you to defeat her three companions, who only appear after you accept the quest.

• Cowardly Lion: Found inside a warehouse next to the Witch’s House (requires Master Key).
• Scarecrow: Appears in the Forsaken Forest wearing yellow clothes.
• Tin Man: Found inside a ranch fence in the Sacred Forest.

Match Girl’s Side Quest

Next to the Witch’s House, an NPC will ask you to buy matches for 5,000 gold.

• If you refuse and kill him: Your Sin will increase.
• If you buy the matches: He will monsterize later, but killing him at that point will not increase your Sin. This also opens up the option to recruit Hansel & Gretel (they can never become full companions, however).

Once you’ve completed all three tasks, return to Dorothy. She will officially join your party as a companion.

Main Walkthrough: Sewers & Corruption Street

After recruiting Dorothy, your path forward is through the Sewers.

Sewers

• Boss: The only boss here is the Pied Piper. He blocks the recruitment of the Match Girl if you leave him alive, so it’s best to defeat him.
• Exit: Once you’ve cleared the Sewers, you’ll emerge into Corruption Street.

Corruption Street

• Brothel: In the northeast, you’ll find a brothel. In version 1.14, your only option is to assault the prostitute and take her to the Sacred Forest. If you ignore her, she will eventually monsterize.
• Match Girl: You’ll find a campfire in the central-west part of the map, next to the Match Girl’s house. Returning the matches isn’t required but does affect her fate.
• Old Corruption Street: The far northwest path leads to an extremely dangerous area with high-level monsters (100+). You’ll also experience constant SAN drain. You must use Grimoire: Invisible Body to explore safely, and you should ⚠️save before entering. Avoid the hexagram circle in the center, as it will drag you into a fight with monsters.

True House & Naked King

• Naked King: Head northwest into the True House. Go upstairs first to avoid the back door, and you’ll confront the Naked King. Summon the Green Worm to break his defenses, and he’ll be a fairly easy boss.
• After the Fight: Loot his room carefully. You’ll find a Maid NPC inside—don’t assault her if you want to recruit her as a companion later. Exit through the back door to reach the Fortress.

Main Walkthrough: Fortress, Jeanne d’Arc & Cathedral

After leaving the True House, you’ll enter the Fortress area.

Fortress & Jeanne d’Arc’s Remains

As you enter the Fortress, find and pick up Jeanne d’Arc’s Bones on the ground—they are a required item for later. In the lower-left prison, you can use a Master Key to optionally rescue the Rabbit Knight. If you’re out of keys, you can buy more from the Priest of Prayer in the Sacred Forest.

Wandering Knight Event

Head east of the Fortress to find a Wandering Knight under attack. Rescue her to receive a Magic Stone. You’ll encounter her again later in the Cemetery.

Cemetery Street & Cathedral

Proceed into Cemetery Street. A good rule of thumb here is to always save before entering houses, as 80% of them are traps that will waste your valuable Master Keys. Your main objective is the Cathedral, located further in. Before you reach it, you’ll find the Wandering Knight in the higher-class graveyard to the southwest. Rescue her again to get another Magic Stone.

Inside the Cathedral, clear out the enemies. The boss here is surprisingly weak. After your victory, find the campfire east of the Cathedral and save. From here, you can continue north into the Skeleton Labyrinth.

Skeleton Labyrinth & Jeanne d’Arc Resurrection

In the upper-middle cave, you’ll find a Skeleton Mage. Give him Jeanne d’Arc’s Bones and the Tentacle Relic (dropped from an earlier boss). He will resurrect Jeanne d’Arc. Do not attack her! She can be recruited as a companion.

Explore further north to unlock another campfire on the lower floor. Return to the central staircase to fight the Monsterized Saint Guard. After the fight, awaken the Saint Girl. She will first go to the Cathedral to pray and can later be recruited with Jeanne’s help.

Main Walkthrough: Great Bridge, Filth Swamp & Frog Princess

Great Bridge

From the Cathedral, head west to the Great Bridge. Save at the campfire here. At the end, you’ll have a rematch with the Nemesis Dragon. She’s back for revenge but is surprisingly weaker than before. Spam Ice Bullet to finish her quickly. After the fight, she’ll explode, leaving a crater. Jump in to proceed.

Filth Swamp (Corrupted Marsh)

You’ll land in the Filth Swamp. Be cautious as you explore; the area is full of SAN drain and poison effects.

• Triggering Dark Knights: In the southwest, you’ll find an NPC who sells Sin. You can kill him to gain +1 Sin, which is a safe way to quickly reach 5 Sin. This will trigger a fight with Miranda the Condemner, who is incredibly fast (you’ll need over 200 Speed to outpace her). If you defeat her, you can recruit her as a companion.

Frog Princess

In the northeast of the swamp, you’ll find the Frog Princess. While you can form a pact with her, it’s not very rewarding and only adds to the difficulty. It’s highly recommended to simply kill her. She’ll drop loot comparable to Miranda’s, and you’ll avoid any unnecessary burdens from the pact.

Main Walkthrough: Mermaid Princess & Snow White

Mermaid Princess

When you encounter the Mermaid Princess, remember a critical piece of information: her human form has a permanent perfect Dodge. You cannot damage her. Your strategy is simple: stay on Defend until she transforms into her monster form. Once she does, unleash Ice Bullet and finish her off. Her pact has extremely high costs, and most players choose to kill her to avoid the hassle.

Snow White

If you didn’t form a pact with her earlier, you can deal with her now. Ice Bullet won’t work on her, so use the grimoires you bought from Dorothy (Soul Radiance and Soul Burst). Like the Mermaid Princess, a pact with her comes with heavy downsides. It’s recommended to simply kill her for a more straightforward progression.

Main Walkthrough: Endgame Fortress & Final Routes

Fortress & Beauty and the Beast

Return to the Fortress gate and continue to the end. You’ll face Beauty and the Beast inside a boss mist. Spam your powerful spells like Ice Bullet, Soul Radiance, and Soul Burst to defeat them. After the fight, the only way to save the Beast from the gallows is to violate him.

Sighing Garden & Looping Maze

Next, you’ll enter the Sighing Garden, where you can pick up the powerful grimoire Storm of Ruin. Defeat the Pumpkin Carriage boss to enter the most frustrating area of the game: the Looping Maze. The navigation is designed to disorient you, but once you make it through, there’s a campfire just ahead.

Cinderella’s Revelation & Wandering Knight

After the maze, you’ll meet the Wandering Knight again, who is revealed to be Cinderella’s son. Collect his skin, then visit the Memory Hall to awaken Cinderella’s body for a special CG. After this event, you can choose to kill him to conclude his arc.

Great Bridge (Rabbit & Turtle Knights)

Back on the Great Bridge, you’ll see the Rabbit Knight fighting the Turtle Knight. You can kill one or both of them. Continue forward to a treasure chest, which is actually a trap. Nearby, you’ll find the White Dragon. Save before you fight it; killing it grants you the White Dragon Sword. Before you leave the area, don’t forget to grab the Fairy Tale Book.

Endings Overview in BLACK SOULS

There are a total of 14 endings in BLACK SOULS, comprised of four main endings and ten alternative/side endings. They range from triumphant conclusions to tragic or darkly comedic bad ends.

Main Endings

• Ending A – The Pact Ending
  • Condition: Recruit the main heroines (excluding Red Riding Hood and Alice), keep your pact with Rapunzel, and kill the other Demon Princesses. After the Cinderella event, choose the option “Everyone Together” to secure this ending.
• Ending B – The Collapse / Ban End
  • Condition: This is a default bad ending triggered by making poor choices. It happens if you fail heroine quests, allow key characters to monsterize, or make ill-advised pact choices. The result is a world-collapsing conclusion.
• Ending C – Fairy Tale Completion
  • Condition: This is the completionist’s ending. It’s unlocked by collecting all of the Fairy Tale Books scattered throughout the world.
• Ending D – The Red Riding Hood Route
  • Condition: This is an exclusive character ending. To unlock it, you must successfully complete Little Red Riding Hood’s unique questline from start to finish.

Side / Alternative Endings (~10 total)

These endings are often triggered by specific failures, wrong choices, or character-specific events.

• Hansel & Gretel Monsterization End: Triggered by picking up the poisoned bread in the Forsaken Forest, which corrupts the siblings.
• Match Girl End: A bad end that results from failing her side quest, leading to her death and corruption.
• Prostitute End: Occurs if you ignore her in Corruption Street, leading to her monsterization.
• Sin Overload End: Triggered when your Sin value becomes so high that the fatal Dark Knights encounters are unavoidable.
• Miranda Fail End: This ending is a consequence of losing the fight against Miranda the Condemner in the swamp.
• Snow White Pact Collapse: A bad end that occurs if you attempt and fail her pact.
• Mermaid Pact Collapse: Same as the above, but with the Mermaid Princess.
• Frog Princess Pact Trap: Choosing to form a pact with the Frog Princess leads to an unwinnable route.
• Cinderella’s Son End: This is an alternative conclusion to his story, triggered by following his quest to the Memory Hall CG but not resolving it properly.
• Miscellaneous Joke/Trap Ends: These are dark or humorous bad ends caused by SAN collapse, hidden flags, or making specific, incorrect choices throughout the game.

With the four main endings and ten side endings, these 14 conclusions comprise the full range of outcomes in BLACK SOULS.