The Dark Souls franchise has built a reputation through its cold, unnerving worlds without any reprieve, filling the players with feelings of dread and loneliness, alone fighting through hordes of horrors with only some opportunities to get reprieve at safe spaces. But even in these massive worlds, deprived of civilization, players encounter their fair share of NPCs who are either on their own journeys or trying to thwart the players. These characters very rarely have happy endings, but they do bring splashes of color into the dreary ashen world, even if it is momentarily.
The typical Dark Souls NPC knights in the vein of Solaire or Seigward, brimming with life, are trying to help the player through their quest. But there’s a vast array of mages to be found too, some of these are rivals, some mentors and some maniacs out to kill players by any means necessary.
8 Hexer Nicholai & Castaway Witch Donna
These two are more like honorable mentions if we are being honest. Hexer Nicholai and Witch Donna both appear in frozen Eleum Loyce. Both these NPCs can be long ranged nuisances, especially coupled with the area itself. The most memorable part of these mages is how if a player dies to Castaway Witch Donna, she drops the famed "I’m sorry" carving that has become something of a meme in the Souls-community.
7 Daughter of Crystal Kriemhild
The daughter of the crystal Kriemhild is an NPC invader from Dark Souls 3, she fights the ashen one in the untended graves, before the clash with Champion Gundyr. She may also appear with the Black Hand NPC near the Grand Staircase. Not much is known about her, with some theorizing she’s related to the Crystal Sage. Nevertheless, this a powerful NPC who can be a nuisance, and relies exclusively on her strength as a mage.
6 Shira
Shira Ringed City DLC in Dark Souls 3, she stands as a loyal knight of the resting Fillanore, possibly the last one left. Shira is definitely strong and can be summoned to help fight Midir, one of the strongest bosses in the entire franchise. She can later invade the Ashen one, utilizing her crucifix and lightning arrows to great effect, but at this point in the game, she isn’t much of a challenge after the likes of Gael and Midir.
5 Big Hat Logan
Big Hat Logan is one of the most memorable characters in the original Dark Souls. Players encounter him relatively early on and he sells a multitude of spells. Having been undead for a hundred years, Logan was royal member of the Vinheim Dragon School. An inventor of sorcery Logan becomes obsessed with Seath and eventually goes insane.
Players can fight him in the Seath boss arena. He has a ton of sorceries in his arsenal so maybe give certain low damage classes troubles because he hits really hard, but depending on how far into the game players are, he should be relatively easy to deal with.
4 Orbeck of Vinheim
Orbeck is the mainstay sorcerer in Dark Souls 3 players can recruit him on the Road of Sacrifices, providing him with scrolls which he uses to teach the ashen one spells.
Orbeck has a cold and dry attitude and is on a quest for more knowledge. He can be summoned as an ally against the twin princes. This is where he proves how powerful a mage he truly is. It is, however alluded Orbeck falls after this battle, and his ashes can be recovered later.
3 Straid of Olaphis
Straid is a character in Dark Souls 2 who is known for his adept pyromancy and sorcery skills. Players can go to him to convert boss souls into weapons and items. He has the unique position of being one of the only characters in the franchise who can provide the player with spells from each of the four schools of magic. He’s lauded in the lore as being extremely knowledgeable with power beyond his time.
Straid is exceedingly arrogant, taking pride in putting others down, but in credit to him, he’s something of a prodigy himself. He’s credited for creating a multitude of spells including Homing Soul Arrow and Lingering Flame, as well as creating a few magical rings. While Straid isn’t hostile, so there’s no practical demonstrations of his magical powers, the lore makes it very clear, Straid is one of the most powerful mages ever.
2 Sirris of the Sunless Realm
Sirris is one of the most stoic characters in the franchise and a constant companion for the ashen one since early on in Dark Souls 3. If players aid Sirris can be summoned for 4 boss fights; Deacons of the Deep, Abyss Watchers, The Twin Princes and Dragon Slayer Armour, so her strength is apparent.
If players aid her in her fight against Creighton the Wanderer, and follow her questline, she will swear fealty. If players accept she is saved from going hollow and following in Hodrick’s footsteps. She eventually dies, but remains a stalwart companion for the ashen one.
1 Jester Thomas
Thomas might be the strongest mage NPC in the series. This guy is a troll through in through, from his clown outfit to how he mocks players when they fall he has everything. Thomas features in Dark Souls 2 and is extremely adept at pyromancy. He can even solo some bosses when summoned for aid.
On the flipside, Thomas invades players in the Sunken King DLC, and is quite a difficult opponent, spamming the ‘mock’ emote when he wins. Definitely a powerful and frustrating character.
