While fans of Dark Souls and Bloodborne continue to wait for hopefully soon-to-be-released Eldin Ring, they may be heading back to the older games out of nostalgia. For anyone looking to play through Dark Souls 3 again and find all of the hidden areas, they may be wondering where all the illusory walls in the game are and where they lead.
Illusory Walls
Illusory walls are walls in Dark Souls that don't actually exist. If a player hits one of these illusions with a weapon, like one of the best spears in Dark Souls, the illusion will shatter and it will open up a new passageway. These shortcuts allow players to roam the map easier, access secret areas, and sometimes even secret bosses. Illusory walls appear in all three Dark Souls games, Demon Souls, and in the Chalice Dungeons of Bloodborne. Included below are all the illusory walls for Dark Souls 3.
Firelink Shrine
In order to access this first illusory wall, players must first purchase the Tower Key from the Shrine Handmaiden. From the central Dark Souls Bonfire, head up the stairs and outside to the locked tower and unlock the door with the key. Climb to the top of the tower, then exit onto a bridge. Drop to the orange-tiled roof of the Shrine to the Ashen One's left, then walk down the slope of the roof to the left. Once the player is close to the front of the building, there will be a place to drop down and a doorway in front of them. Follow the stairs to the back of the building and look for a room with great big curved beams that cross the room. Walk across these beams and continue straight until there is a wall. This is the first illusory wall; if the player hits it, it will disappear and let them pass.
Farron Keep
Travel to the Wolf at Farron Bonfire. While Farron Keep is one of the worst locations in any Dark Souls game, players won't have to spend long here. There is a door across the room from the Wolf statue; exit and take the balcony around the building. Immediately at the top of the first set of stairs, there is an illusory wall to the left.
Catacombs of Carthus
In the Catacombs, there are two illusory walls For the first, players will need to visit the Catacombs Bonfire, then will need to follow the same path as the strange Dark Souls skeleton ball that rolls down the corridor. Being careful not to get crushed by the ball, players need to head down that path into the room with the rats. Turn left, then look for a very well-lit stairway. The illusory wall is between it and the next lighted stairway area.
For the second wall, players will have to start at the Abyss Watchers Bonfire. Head down into the Catacombs, then take the first left at the large pillars. After a few steps, turn right to head across a bridge. There will be skeleton enemies and others here, so be cautious. At the end of the bridge is a doorway with a short staircase at the back wall that head left. Go up the stairs, then turn left, then the first right. There are more skeletons here, and an arrow trap that will trigger. Go down the ladder at the end near where the trap is located. There is only one way out of this room; it's a small door to the left of the player as they climb down the stairs. Go through the door and the illusory wall will be on the player's right as soon as the room opens up.
Smouldering Lake
There are five total illusory walls in Smouldering Lake, and it would be a big mistake for any Dark Souls 3 player to make to miss them.
The first illusory wall is in the same room with the Old King's Antechamber's Bonfire; just look for the only wall not covered in vines. Behind it is one of the locations of an Undead Bone Shard.
The other four walls are all located in the same area, and require similar instructions. First, travel to the Demon Ruins. Head down the corridor opposite of the staircase near the Bonfire. Make a right once in the passage, and head down the stairs. Walk out into the room with the pyromancers, then turn right at the first pyromancer. There will be a staircase leading down. At the bottom of the staircase, turn left. then make another almost immediate left. The hallway is more overgrown with roots than the rest, and has grey lighting instead of warm, orange, torch lighting. After a few steps, there will be a hole in the floor that leads to a giant rat enemy. Fall into the hole, kill the rat, and then start looking for invisible walls.
- After falling into the hole, there is an illusory wall immediately to the player's right.
- After opening the above illusory wall, there will be a treasure chest behind it. Behind the treasure chest is the next illusory wall that opens up a shortcut.
- After falling down the hole, keep moving forward. Turn left at the end of this hallway, then go up the stairs. Make the very first left. The first illusory wall is in the far back left corner, behind the rat enemies.
The last illusory wall is located after the pyromancer room, down the stairs, then turn right instead of left. There is a doorway at the end of this room, but be careful of fireballs courtesy of the pyromancers. This doorway leads to long hallway, and there is an illusory wall at the very end of it. This will lead to one of the many hidden areas in Dark Souls 3.
Irithyll of the Boreal Valley
From the Church of Yorshka Bonfire, there are three illusory walls close by.
- Head outside and to the right, looking for a large balcony with a crystal lizard on it. The first balcony railing is a fake wall.
- Head out of the Church, down the stairs, and into the main street. Take a left. Follow the street to the end and look for a Lightning Gem. Next to it will be a large stone wall that isn't actually a real wall, hit it for some treasure.
- Take the side exit out of the Church that leads to the lake. Turn around and take a look at the stairs; there are several alcoves, and one of them is illusory.
The fourth wall in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley isn't a wall at all. To find it, start at the Pontiff Sulyvahn Bonfire. Head up the elevator, then take the second right to the archway that leads outside. Cross the courtyard and head up the stairs and into the tall building at the other end of it. One of the walls to the left is fake, and becomes an invisible ladder.
For the last wall, players just need to complete the Anri of Astora's questline, who is looking for the Lords of Cinder, and the illusory wall is revealed at the end of it.
Wall of Lothric
Head to Oceiros, the Consumed King location in Lothric. Go through the door and down the stairs into the hallway lined with dead bodies. Turn right at the dead end and into a room with a large font in the center. On the other side of the font is a wall that has candles on either side of it and a chest in front of it. This is first illusory wall.
Cemetery of Ash
From Champion Gundyr, the player needs to head out the double doors into the Cemetery proper. Head straight forward and a little to the right, following the broken up cobblestone pathways through the dark until reaching the unlit Firelink Shrine. Head straight across from the entrance, down into the pit, and immediately to the left of the left-most throne. There will be a wall on ground-level with a decorative arch. This is the illusory wall here.
The second is to the left of the first wall; head to the left to an open archway from the left-most throne. Turn right as soon as possible to fall off the ledge, head forward, then turn right after the stairs. At this dead end is another fake wall. Both of these fake walls lead to Irina of Carim's sanctum.
Lothric Castle
Both of these walls are located deep within the Grand Archive, and the least few minutes of this video is a great help to find them both:
And that is every illusory wall in the base game of Dark Souls 3; now onto the illusory walls of the DLCs.
Painted World of Ariandel
The Painted World of Ariandel is the setting for the Ashes of Ariandel DLC, and there are two fake walls to find. From the Snowy Mountain Pass, look for the crypt filled with Giant Flies. Look for a Giant fly that is staring at the wall to the far back left; it's letting players know that the wall it faces is fake.
Head down into the newly opened downstairs through the last fake wall, then turn left into another bloody room filled with Flies. Hug the right wall, and there is another illusory wall in the back of the room, on the right-hand side. Behind this wall is a one of the hardest Dark Souls 3 NPC invader fights.
The Ringed City
Next are the false walls in the Ringed City DLC. After the tower falls in the courtyard of the Dreg Heap to create the shortcut, head past it and a little to the left. There is an entrance to a building at the top of the snowy hill here. Go in, then continue straight until there is a dead end. There is the first fake wall to the left under the decorative archway. Behind that illusory wall is a lot of items, enemies, and a rare and powerful ring for Dark Souls 3 players.
Next, head to the first location that players face the mighty, fiery Midir. In the building behind the dragon, there is an illusory wall immediately next to the stairs that are right inside the doorway of this building. There are several illusory walls behind this one, so keep hitting the backwall until the Ashen One can no longer continue.
Halfway down the elevator from the Inner Wall of the Ringed City is a room filled with statues. Only one of these holds no weapons, and this statue hides a fake wall.
Dark Souls 3Â is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: DarkSoulsFandom, DarkSouls3Wiki, YouTube