Dark Souls III, along with the rest of the Dark Souls trilogy, is known for its lack of hand-holding. FromSoftware doesn't provide players with any sort of map, objective markers, or in-depth tutorials. Because of this, there are tons of gameplay mechanics, bosses, and even entire areas that many players will completely miss on a blind playthrough.
One of the many aspects of Dark Souls III that this 'show don't tell' style affects is the items. The game is littered with items to collect, many of which provide players with an edge that will greatly benefit them in their punishingly difficult adventure. Most players will be aware of the most beneficial items such as the Estus Shards and Fire Keeper Souls, but there are a few hidden gems in Dark Souls III that can benefit players immensely.
10 Seed Of A Giant Tree
The Seed of a Giant Tree is one of the best PvP items in the game, as it makes enemies hostile against an invading player.
Many players don't actively seek out PvP confrontations, but even they should keep a few of the seeds in their inventory as it's a reliable way to fend off unwanted invasions from players. The item isn't just great for PvP, as it also works against NPC invasions.
9 Greirat's Ashes
Greirat's Ashes are obtained by either killing Greirat or waiting for him to die at the end of his questline.
Numerous ashes are obtainable throughout the game and can be given to merchants in exchange for new purchasable items. Greirat's Ashes unlock a great collection of new purchases, most notably 6 embers.
8 Dragon Chaser's Ashes
The Dragon Chaser's Ashes are found in the secret area Archdragon Peak, which contains both the Nameless King and Ancient Wyvern boss fights.
The ashes unlock three key items for upgrading weaponry; Titanite Chunks, Twinkling Titanite, and Titanite Scales.
7 Transposing Kiln
The Transposing Kiln it dropped by the optional boss Curse-Rotted Greatwood and is one of the best non-essential items in the game.
When given to Ludleth of Courland in Firelink Shrine, players can utilize Soul Transposition. Soul Transposition allows players to exchange boss souls for weapons, spells, or rings.
6 Titanite Scale
Following on from the previous entry, the Titanite Scale can greatly enhance boss weapons that are provided by Ludleth, reinforcing them to +4.
Another great factor of the Titanite Scale is that the game is littered with them. Unsurprisingly, most of them appear in late-game areas such as the Grand Archives which has 13. However, there are a few early areas that contain Titanite Scales, such as Farron Keep which has 2, giving players an excellent early boost.
5 Alluring Skull
The Alluring Skull appears in all three Dark Souls games but doesn't get the appreciation it deserves.
Granted, the skull isn't the most glamourous or interesting item, but it still provides a useful service that shouldn't be underestimated. The Alluring Skull is a throwable item that will attract the attention of most enemies for around 5 seconds. It may not sound like long, but it provides a perfect opportunity to either escape a tough area or to group numerous enemies to attack them collectively.
4 Undead Hunter Charm
The Undead Hunter Charm is another excellent PvP item. The throwable charm will explode into a cloud of smoke upon impact, preventing anyone who walks through it from using their Estus Flasks for 25 seconds.
Undead Hunter Charms can also cause mimics to take an impromptu nap, allowing players to take their items safely.
3 Orbeck's Ashes
The third and final set of ashes on this list are Orbeck's. Like with Greirat's Ashes, Orbeck's Ashes are obtained by either killing the NPC in question or by waiting for them to die at the end of their questline.
Orbeck's Ashes unlock a plethora of great spells including the Soul Greatsword, Great Soul Arrow and Heavy Soul Arrow.
2 Dark Sigil
"The darkness of humanity seeps from this bottomless pitch-black hole, the gap filled by the accumulation of the curse."
This item description, which is in the running for the world's sales pitch, may make the Dark Sigil sound like something to avoid. However, the Dark Sigil has a couple of important uses.
Firstly, the item will turn the player hollow and give them a hollow level. If the player surpasses hollow level 15 they will be able to infuse their weapons with a hollow gem, which can improve a weapon's luck stat. Secondly, the Dark Sigil is essential for reaching the Usurpation of Fire ending.
1 Tower Key
The Tower Key is sold by the Shrine Handmaid in Firelink Shrine for 20,000 souls which may sound excessive, but it's an excellent early game item. The bell tower that the key opens contains numerous great early-game items including a Fire Keeper Soul, Estus Ring, and an Estus Shard. Killing Irina of Carim is another way to obtain the key.
There was a glitch that allowed players to reach the tower by leaping off a nearby tree onto a roof, but this was patched. The jump is still possible, but it is considerably harder to do making it an unappealing option for most players, especially those who want to play the game as it was intended.