How to Get to the Grand Archives in Dark Souls 3
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How to Get to the Grand Archives in Dark Souls 3
Grand Archives Tips
The Grand Archives is Dark Souls 3’s penultimate area — a towering library filled with sorcery-mad scholars, hostile books, and the cursed wax mechanic that rewards attentive players who notice the wax pool at the entrance. Its vertical structure and interconnected floors make it one of the more complex areas to navigate, but also one of the most rewarding to fully explore. The Twin Princes fight at its summit is widely considered one of the best boss encounters in the game — a worthy finale to the area’s challenging buildup. After the Twin Princes, only the final boss remains before the credits.
FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
How to Reach the Grand Archives
Defeat Aldrich, Devourer of Gods in Anor Londo and Yhorm the Giant in the Profaned Capital — both are required. After both fall, a cutscene plays and the large golden doors in Lothric Castle (near the Dragonslayer Armour fog gate) open automatically, granting access to the Grand Archives.
1
Defeat Aldrich, Devourer of Gods. Aldrich is found in Anor Londo — accessed through Irithyll of the Boreal Valley after defeating Pontiff Sulyvahn. Defeating Aldrich is one of the two requirements to unlock the Grand Archives. His soul is also valuable for transposition at Ludleth.
2
Defeat Yhorm the Giant. Yhorm is found in the Profaned Capital — accessed through Irithyll Dungeon. Defeating Yhorm is the second requirement. Use the Storm Ruler greatsword found in his arena and hold R2 to charge its Ash of War — it deals massive damage and is specifically designed for this fight. Yhorm falls in minutes once you use the correct weapon.
3
Watch the cutscene after both bosses fall. After defeating both Aldrich and Yhorm, a cutscene triggers automatically showing the Lords of Cinder being summoned to their thrones. This cutscene marks a major story milestone — you do not need to do anything to trigger it beyond defeating both bosses in any order.
4
Return to Lothric Castle and find the golden doors. Fast travel to the Lothric Castle bonfire or the Dragon Barracks bonfire. Navigate through Lothric Castle toward the Dragonslayer Armour boss fog gate — the large golden ornate doors just before it are now open. Pass through them to enter the Grand Archives.
5
Defeat Dragonslayer Armour first if you haven’t. The Dragonslayer Armour fog gate is on the path to the golden doors — you must defeat it to reach the entrance comfortably. After the Dancer, Lothric Castle opens and Dragonslayer Armour is the next required boss before the Archives. Activate the Grand Archives bonfire immediately upon entry.
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Dip your head in wax at the entrance: the Grand Archives contains Scholar enemies that curse you with a Crystal Curse — their touch stacks curse buildup rapidly. Just inside the entrance a large wax pool sits on a desk — interact with it to coat your head in wax, granting temporary curse immunity. Re-dip whenever the wax wears off.
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Exceptional loot throughout: the Grand Archives contains some of the best items in the game — the Scholar’s Candlestick (boosts sorcery damage), Gotthard Twinswords, Crystal Chime, and multiple Titanite Slabs. Explore every bookshelf, elevator, and rooftop thoroughly before fighting the Twin Princes.
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Three Winged Knights on the roof: the rooftop of the Grand Archives has three Winged Knight enemies — the hardest standard enemies in the game. Each drops a large amount of souls and has a chance to drop Titanite Chunks. They can be knocked off the roof with a well-timed attack during their animations — a risky but efficient strategy.
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Recommended level 85–95: the Grand Archives is one of the game’s final areas before the endgame. Arrive with a +9 or higher weapon and Soul Level 85+. The Scholar enemies and Lothric Knights inside are among the most aggressive standard enemies in Dark Souls 3.
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Multiple elevators connect floors: the Archives is vertically complex — multiple elevators and hidden ladders connect its many floors. Activate every bonfire you find: Grand Archives at the base and Twin Princes bonfire at the top after defeating the boss. Getting disoriented and losing your way is common on the first visit.
How do you unlock the Grand Archives in Dark Souls 3?
Defeat both Aldrich, Devourer of Gods in Anor Londo and Yhorm the Giant in the Profaned Capital. After both bosses fall, a cutscene plays and the large golden doors in Lothric Castle near the Dragonslayer Armour fog gate open permanently, granting access to the Grand Archives.
Do I need to beat Dragonslayer Armour to enter the Grand Archives?
Yes — Dragonslayer Armour is a required boss in Lothric Castle that must be defeated to progress comfortably to the Grand Archives golden doors. The doors are past the Dragonslayer Armour fog gate area, so you need to have cleared that boss to reach the Archives entrance properly.
What is the wax for in the Grand Archives?
A wax pool near the Grand Archives entrance lets you coat your head to gain temporary immunity to the Crystal Curse inflicted by Scholar enemies inside. Scholars can quickly build up curse with their touch attacks — dipping in the wax before engaging them prevents rapid curse accumulation. Re-apply whenever the wax effect wears off.
What boss is at the top of the Grand Archives?
The Twin Princes — Lorian, Elder Prince and Lothric, Younger Prince — are the boss at the top of the Grand Archives. It is a two-phase fight widely considered one of the best in Dark Souls 3, requiring you to defeat Lorian while Lothric periodically revives him, then deal with both simultaneously in Phase 2.