How to Parry in Dark Souls 3
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How to Parry in Dark Souls 3
Parrying TipsParrying is one of Dark Souls 3’s highest-skill mechanics — a successful parry into riposte is deeply satisfying and represents a complete mastery of the game’s combat rhythm. The learning curve is real: most players attempt parries too early for their first dozen hours, get punished consistently, and conclude the mechanic is broken. It is not — the timing simply requires more patience than most action games. The key shift is understanding that you press L2 when the attack arrives, not when it starts. Once that click happens and you land your first clean riposte on a difficult enemy, the mechanic becomes addictive. Practice on Hollow soldiers in High Wall of Lothric, equip the Buckler, and spend dedicated time specifically on parry training rather than trying to learn it incidentally while playing through the main story — the focused practice translates to reliable parries within a single session for most players.FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
How to Parry — Step by StepTo parry in Dark Souls 3, equip a Small Shield, Buckler, or Parrying Dagger in your left hand and press L2 (PS) / LT (Xbox) just as the enemy’s attack is about to connect — not when they raise their weapon. A successful parry staggers the enemy — immediately press R1 while close to perform a riposte for massive damage. The Buckler has the most forgiving parry window for beginners.
1
Equip a parry-capable item in your left hand. Not all shields can parry — only specific items have the parry function. The best options for beginners: Buckler (sold by the Shrine Handmaid at Firelink Shrine for 1,500 souls — most forgiving parry frames) · Small Leather Shield (starting equipment for some classes) · Parrying Dagger (found in Undead Settlement — fastest startup but smallest window) · Target Shield (dropped by enemies in Lothric Castle). Equip your chosen item in the left-hand slot and hold it in your offhand during combat.
2
Press L2/LT at the correct timing — not too early. The most common parry mistake is pressing L2 too early — when the enemy raises their weapon. The correct timing is pressing L2 as the attack is about to make contact with your character — roughly when the enemy’s arm/weapon reaches the midpoint of its swing. The parry animation has a startup phase (inactive frames), an active phase (parry window), and a recovery phase. You need the enemy’s attack to land during your active phase — press too early and you parry too soon, press too late and you get hit.
3
Perform the riposte immediately after a successful parry. A successful parry staggers the enemy — they freeze briefly in a vulnerable state. Immediately move close and press R1 to perform a riposte. The riposte deals 3–4× your normal attack damage and is the highest burst damage available outside a critical hit backstab. If you hesitate or step too far away the stagger window ends and the enemy recovers — always be close to the enemy before attempting a parry so the riposte is instant.
4
Practice on Hollow enemies in High Wall of Lothric. The best location to learn parry timing is the High Wall of Lothric — the first area of the game. Hollow soldiers there use predictable one-handed sword attacks with very readable telegraphs. Practice the parry exclusively against their standard R1 swing — wait for the swing to start, press L2 as it comes toward you. Spend 20–30 minutes only parrying without trying to riposte first — get comfortable with the timing before adding the riposte step.
5
Learn which attacks are parryable and which are not. Not every attack can be parried. Parryable: most standard one-handed and two-handed sword attacks from humanoid enemies · most player PvP attacks · some boss attacks (Iudex Gundyr Phase 1, Pontiff Sulyvahn, etc.). Not parryable: Nameless King, most large boss attacks, any attack from behind, Weapon Art attacks (Stance attacks), and jump attacks. Attempting to parry an unparryable attack still triggers the parry animation — you take full damage during recovery.
6
Use the Hornet Ring to maximise riposte damage. The Hornet Ring increases critical hit damage (ripostes and backstabs) by 30%. It is found in the Untended Graves — a hidden area accessed later in the game. Equipping it alongside a Sharp or Heavy-infused weapon makes ripostes deal devastating damage, often killing standard enemies and dealing 30–50% of a boss’s health bar in a single critical hit. The Hornet Ring is standard equipment on any parry-focused Dex build.
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The Buckler has the best parry frames for beginners: different parrying items have different active window sizes. The Buckler has one of the largest parry windows in the game — more forgiving for players still learning the timing. The Parrying Dagger activates faster but has a smaller window, punishing mistimed inputs more harshly. Start with the Buckler until you are consistently landing parries, then experiment with faster tools once the timing feels natural.
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Watch the enemy’s weapon hand, not their body: most beginners watch the enemy’s torso or face for attack cues. Instead, watch the weapon hand and arm — it moves first and gives the clearest read on when the attack will connect. As the weapon arm passes the halfway point of its swing, that is your L2 press moment. This visual cue works consistently across most humanoid enemies regardless of their weapon type.
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Never try to parry two-handed R2 attacks as a beginner: two-handed R2 attacks (heavy attacks) are slower and more powerful — many players instinctively try to parry them because the slow windup feels readable. In reality they are harder to parry than R1 attacks because the timing window comes much later in the animation. Master R1 parries first across several hours of play before attempting R2 parries — mixing them up early creates confusion about which timing pattern applies.
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In PvP, parry attempts are highly readable — mix with rolls: experienced PvP players recognise the L2 parry animation and will deliberately bait it with fake attacks or delayed swings. Do not spam parry attempts — mix in dodge rolls and only attempt parries when you are confident you have read the opponent’s pattern. A failed parry in PvP during recovery leaves you completely open to a punish. Use parries sparingly as a surprise tool rather than a primary defence.
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Backstabs deal similar damage to ripostes — use both: backstabs (pressing R1 directly behind an enemy) deal the same critical hit multiplier as ripostes and are often easier to land in PvE. Against enemies that do not telegraph their attacks clearly enough for reliable parries, position yourself behind them and backstab instead. Equipping the Hornet Ring boosts both backstabs and ripostes equally — it is useful for any critical-hit-focused playstyle regardless of whether you parry or backstab primarily.
How do you parry in Dark Souls 3?
Equip a Small Shield, Buckler, or Parrying Dagger in your left hand. Press L2 (PlayStation) or LT (Xbox) as the enemy’s attack is about to connect — not when they start the attack animation. A successful parry staggers the enemy. Immediately press R1 while close to perform a riposte for massive critical hit damage. The Buckler has the most forgiving timing window for beginners.
What is the best shield for parrying in Dark Souls 3?
The Buckler is the best parrying shield for beginners — it has one of the largest active parry windows in the game and is sold by the Shrine Handmaid at Firelink Shrine for 1,500 souls. The Parrying Dagger activates faster but has a smaller window. The Target Shield and Small Leather Shield are also reliable parry tools. Avoid large and medium shields — most cannot parry at all.
How do you riposte after a parry in Dark Souls 3?
After a successful parry staggers the enemy, immediately move close and press R1 (light attack) to perform a riposte. The riposte deals 3–4× normal damage. You must be within melee range when you press R1 — if you are too far away the stagger window will end before the riposte connects. Always position yourself close to the enemy before attempting a parry to ensure the riposte lands instantly.
Which bosses can be parried in Dark Souls 3?
Several bosses can be parried in Dark Souls 3: Iudex Gundyr (Phase 1 only), Pontiff Sulyvahn, Champion Gundyr, and Slave Knight Gael are the most notable. Most large bosses like the Nameless King, Dragonslayer Armour, and Abyss Watchers cannot be parried. In general, humanoid bosses of similar size to the player are parryable — large or non-humanoid bosses are not.