This fight is one of the most difficult fights in Dark Souls 3. To know how to beat Darkeater Midir, read our complete guide.

Midir, a descendent of Archdragons, is a mighty four-winged dragon that serves as one of the Ringed City’s fierce defenders. Midir, who was raised by the Gods, was entrusted with fighting the dark for all eternity. Even when the Gods were destroyed, this obligation was never broken. As he fought the evil, he began to pour Abyss magic straight into his lethal fire breath.

Because the corruption spread so swiftly, the Church’s Spears are scared of what may happen if Midir were ever totally consumed by darkness. Shira, Knight of Filianore, gave the Ashen One the order to kill Midir before the Abyss consumed him. Even though it is optional, players must beat Midir in order to join the Spears of the Church. Here is our guide that will teach you how to beat Darkeater Midir in Dark Souls 3.

Fight with darkeater midir
Gameplay (YouTube)
Read Dark Souls 3 – A guide for this nightmarish hellscape

Location of Darkeater Midir

When you enter the Ringed City for the first time, you are greeted by Darkeater Midir while the First Flame has not yet faded. When you cross the bridge over the abyssal swamp, he will ignore you. Atop a cliff, he awaits your approach, then flies down in a frenzy and breathes fire down onto the bridge and nearby paths.

How to beat Darkeater Midir: Part one

When you approach the bridge, you will have your first encounter. Taking note of Midir’s long landing time, you can land directly underneath him. Midir can use his claws to swipe at you, which is less dangerous than his fire breath. You can use the large rock just before the bridge as cover, to heal, or to adjust your gear.

The danger that Midir poses is real, as he is a dangerous foe. Midir actively responds to a player’s tactics unlike many other bosses in the game. When you camp beneath Midir for too long, he’ll fire dark energy across the entire bridge, causing you to either die or fall into the abyss. When you camp behind a rock to avoid Midir’s breath, Midir will adjust the trajectory of his flame in order to hit you from above, which will force you to move or die. Over time, Midir will sustain enough damage to fall into the chasm beneath the bridge if you balance your attacks. It doesn’t end here, though. 

Read Best Weapons in Elden Ring – Weapons You Should Be Using

How to beat Darkeater Midir: Part two

Fight with darkeater midir
Gameplay (YouTube)

Midir’s health and defense are both strong. If you hit him in the head, your damage will be doubled by two. Because the battle against him will be protracted, you should concentrate all of your efforts here. If you try to strike him somewhere else, you’ll require twice as many blows to knock him out, and you’ll almost always be killed by one of his devastating attacks.

In addition to firebreathing, bites, and even a laser beam, Mirdir’s head is used for a variety of other attacks, as well. Even at its lowest point while Midir stands, it rests just above the player’s head, meaning that many weapons will have difficulty hitting this weak point easily. Axes, hammers, and great weapons are able to swing overhead (with the strong attack), allowing them to clip the vicious violet dragon’s head.

In this strategy, players commonly use lighter and faster axes or hammers to hit the boss twice or three times per opening. However, a greataxe or greathammer can deal nearly the same damage with a single strike. Havel the Rock’s Dragon Tooth and the Dragonslayer Greataxe would both be excellent choices for such a heavy-handed approach.

Read All Boss Fights in Elden Ring – Ranked

The Dragon Tooth

The Dragon Tooth is an unequaled physical devastation weapon. With this weapon, one gains a 12.5% reduction to magic and fire damage, which will come in handy when fighting Midir’s flaming breath. With its Perseverance weapon skill, one can also increase their poise for improved survivability while also making them more resistant to damage.

The Dragonslayer Greataxe

As well as possessing an innate lightning attack, Midir’s greatest weakness, the Dragonslayer Greataxe is a better choice. However, its weapon skill will be greatly useful here as well; it can be used to deal huge damage to the boss with strong attacks on Midir’s head. Players who use the Falling Bolt ability will unleash a severe strike of lightning in an explosive explosion that will surround them. Performing this on Midir’s head will result in colossal damage to the dragon.

Read Best Armor in Elden Ring – Ranked

Stay at the center with Midir

Fight with darkeater midir
Gameplay (YouTube)

Even though Midir’s enormous size is intimidating, its ability to change camera angles can complicate the fight. When the camera flips, make sure that you are centered with Midir so that you are able to see his incoming attacks and move in the right direction.

Even though Midir uses claws and the tail to attack, these are less deadly. However, you should beware of his flaming attacks, lunging bites, and dark beams. Midir begins channeling the Abyss once he loses half his health to summon large humanity orbs that follow you. He currently has a deadly attack in the form of a dark energy beam that covers almost the entire arena and can cause a series of explosions.

Read How to Beat Iudex Gundyr in Dark Souls 3 – Guide

When he rushes at you to bite, roll back to avoid the attack. When he employs a flurry of lunges, you should narrow the space between you a couple of times. You just have a few seconds to assault his head while it’s exposed. 

The closer you get to Midir, the less likely it is that he will be able to unleash his beam strikes, which are quite hazardous in the second portion of the fight. Furthermore, if Midir captures you in his mouth, he may virtually toss you across the entire arena. This roar should be avoided since it is always preceded by a loud, continuous roar.

Rewards

Rewards from darkeater midir
Rewards (YouTube)

After Darkeater Midir is destroyed, there will be some rewards for your efforts. Midir will do so first by dropping the Soul of Darkeater Midir and the Spears of the Church. The souls dropped by Midir are also the most of any of the bosses, totaling 1,115,370 when all soul-boosting equipment is used.

Upon transposing Ludleth of Courland’s soul with Darkeater Midir’s soul for 5,000 souls, you may obtain one of the game’s most powerful yet delicate weapons, the Frayed Blade. The Soul of Darkeater Midir can also be transposed with the Soul of Ludleth of Courland for 15,000 souls to obtain Old Moonlight, a powerful greatsword. Make your choice wisely, however, since only one of them can be purchased for the price of Midir’s soul.

The Titanite Slab, a component needed for upgrading weapons to their maximum level, can be obtained from Shira. As a final option, the Spears of the Church item can be equipped to join the covenant.

For more Guides, Tips, and Tricks

You can also check out our dedicated Video Games Guides section.

Published by Omer Khan

Omer has a proven track record in the online media industry as a Content Writer. He holds a bachelor's degree in international journalism and mass communication and enjoys sports and video games.