Darklight Catacombs walkthrough - Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree

Looking for a full rundown of the Darklight Catacombs in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree? The Darklight Catacombs is a mini-dungeon in Elden Ring's DLC Shadow Of The Erdtree that's bathed in darkness and packed with imps who'll stab you from the shadows. This is a pivotal dungeon to surmount in order to progress further into the Land of Shadow, and those who reach the end will find themselves with a nice spear as a reward, as well as a clear pathway to the Abyssal Woods.

Prepare your torches or light-creating magic. In this guide, we'll explain exactly what you need to do to clear the Darklight Catacombs in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree.

Darklight Catacombs walkthrough

The Darklight Catacombs separate the wider Scadu Altus region and the Abyssal Woods, and finding the catacombs' entrance is a tricky adventure in its own right. Check out our guide on getting to the Abyssal Woods for information on the secret passageway in the Shadow Keep that leads to the Darklight Catacombs.

When you've made it to the Darklight Catacombs Site of Grace, be sure to get out some form of illumination, like a torch or the Starlight sorcery. As you might expect from its name, the catacombs are dark as heck, and while it's possible to get through without a light source, it's much easier with one.

Once your light is ready, head north and watch out for an imp. Pick up the Grave Glovewort [5] and go down the path to the east, taking note of the Yellow Fulgurbloom on the way. These plants give off a dim glow, and if you don't have a torch of your own, you can rely on their meagre light to guide you through the catacombs.

Keep going straight, turn left, and pick up another Yellow Fulgurbloom. Soon you'll find yourself on a ledge with two more imps. Once you kill them, hop off the ledge and you'll see a passage that leads to a lever. Pull it, and a chasmous stretch of the dungeon that was previously dark will now be illuminated by torches. Go back to the ledge and then venture in the opposite direction, taking out another imp.

You'll emerge in a room that overlooks the chasm area you just illuminated. Carefully jump down from the railing onto a narrow ledge, and navigate along this ledge until you reach a room with a Veridian Amber Medallion +3 contained within a chest. Exit the chest room and drop onto a pathway that crosses the chasm. Turn around, because there's a spellcaster behind you who will shoot ricocheting projectiles along the tunnel wall. Take out the spellcaster and the imp behind them and pick up 2 Yellow Fulgurbloom and a Grave Glovewort [1]. Once the area is emptied, follow the path and you'll eventually come across a lift.

Go north down the ramp. If you want, you can hop off the left side of the ramp onto the jagged ledge and climb up a ladder to access a platform with a spellcaster and a corpse that holds a Shadow Realm Rune [5]. Jump off the platform, kill the imp, and loot the nearby corpse for Ghost Glovewort [2]. Then retrace your steps to the ramp, fight another imp, and keep going until you come across two towering pillars. A Yellow Fulgurbloom lies on the wall opposite these pillars, and as you pick it up another imp will probably try to ambush you from behind. Once you're dispatched it, climb the ladder on the pillar.

From your new vantage point, turn east and jump into a room with a lever that you can pull to turn on more illumination throughout the dungeon. Jump off the ledge with the lever and you'll land on a staircase. There's a corpse with 4 Thin Beast Bones in front of you. Grab these, then go up the stairs. You should see a teeny ledge to your right beneath the stairs and railing; you can drop down on this to enter a chamber with a spellcaster, a Yellow Fulgurbloom, and an imp hanging to the ceiling. Also hidden here is a corpse carrying the Death Knight armour set, an excellent arrangement of gear that'll more than justify the twisty turns of this dungeon.

After nabbing the armour, turn around and exit via the ladder to the north. Kill the spellcaster who attacks from your right as you follow the platform, and loot the corpse on your left for a Ghost Glovewort [9]. Jump off the platform to land in a room with a Yellow Fulgurbloom and an imp. Then exit via the ramp leading downwards to reach another lift.

Go straight and you'll eventually see the silhouette of a bigmouth imp standing on a platform in the distance. This huge miscreant will fire explosive shots at you, conveniently illuminating the area but also requiring you to dodge and roll. Jump down, sprint forward, and kill the two imps in front of you beneath the platform holding the bigmouth imp. Go north and pick up 3 Yellow Fulgurbloom and keep running until you reach a chamber with a lever. Pull it and the room with the giant imp will light up - and even better, the platform holding the massive bastard will lower. Now you can rush up and kill him - thankfully, he doesn't have an extended health bar despite his size.

Once the big boy is gone, you can breathe easier. Explore your surroundings to find a Great Ghost Glovewort and 2 more Yellow Fulgurbloom guarded by an imp, and then head north to find a chest with the Bigmouth Imp Ashes. Aww yeah, now you can summon this guy to blast away bosses. Now climb up the ladder and run down the passageway. Another imp drops from the ceiling. Off him, drop down to the stairs, go north, and grab a Ghost Glovewort [4] from the corpse. Then retrace your steps and hop on another lift. When the lift touches down, you'll be in the chamber overlooking the Darklight Catacombs' boss.

How to defeat the Darklight Catacombs boss

Jori, Elder Inquisitor, is one of the more annoying bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree if you're a pure melee fighter with nothing in the way of range. He fires off rune arc projectiles that'll slam into you from afar, and he summons a bevy of helpers to attack you from all angles, including a particularly chonky fellow who spins like a top and will bounce on you when you're nearby.

Luckily, it's a pretty big boss arena scattered with trees and gravestones, all of which can serve as good cover against Jori's attacks. If you're a Spirit Ash user, dodge the projectiles and summon your Ash of choice. Jori and his helpers will focus on your summon, giving you time to let off your own attacks. If you don't use Ashes, you'll need to dodge around the room, periodically getting close to Jori for a few quick attacks before rolling to cover again.

Jori's attacks are all telegraphed when he raises his staff in the air, and when he does this and you see energy swirling around him, start running. He'll cast ground spells at the areas you're standing in, but you can dodge them all if you sprint quickly enough. Ultimately, the best strategy during this battle is to always stay moving.

Once Jori's dead, you'll receive the Barbed Staff-Spear and 260,000 Runes. The Forsaken Graveyard Site of Grace will become available, and you'll now be able to travel onwards to the Abyssal Woods.

Congratulations on making it out of the Darklight Catacombs and into the Abyssal Woods! For more Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erdtree dungeon walkthroughs, take a look at our guides to the Ruined Forge Lava Intake and the Fog Rift Catacombs. If you'd rather read up on reaching tricky areas of the Shadow Realm, check out our guides for getting to the Cerulean Coast, the Cathedral of Manus Metyr, Charo's Hidden Grave, and the Stone Coffin Fissure.