Summary
- Dark Souls 2 features a variety of challenging and cunning NPCs that invade the player's world to disrupt their progress.
- These invaders rely on trickery, camouflage, and superior weaponry to defeat the player, making each encounter a tense battle.
- Players must remain cautious and prepared for surprise attacks, as these formidable enemies can pose a significant threat to their success.
As with all Soulsborne games, Dark Souls 2 boasts a collection of nasty enemies that, alongside enemy players looking to end someone's flawless run, spawn into the world to disrupt the normal tension of gameplay. Spawning in as red phantoms and dark spirits, these Dark Souls 2 NPCs will invade with the sole target of killing the host player.
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Dark Souls 2 builds on these villains of the first game to further enhance both their devastation and trickery, as well as, in some cases, their story importance or means to punish players who kill an NPC or two. With such surprises in store for those beginning a Dark Souls 2 playthrough, it's no wonder they turn every corner with suspicion.
9 Holy Knight Aurheim
Relies on Trickery And Camouflage To Defeat Players
- Locations: Frozen Eleum Loyce
- Equipment: Ruler's Sword, Mirrah Shield
- Drops: None
Holy Knight Aurheim is a one-trick pony in this controversial Souls game, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous. For players looking for an easier time, they should destroy every barrel near the end of the inner wall, as he is using the chameleon spell to disguise himself as one.
If players don't deal with him, he will backstab as soon as the chest is opened, meaning that although it is unlikely to be fatal, it still puts the player at a significant disadvantage. Dueling Aurheim almost certainly guarantees victory, but wariness over his trickery is recommended when starting the fight.
8 Rhoy The Explorer
Wears Invisible Armor That Can Dupe Players Into A False Sense Of Safety
- Locations: Grave of Saints
- Equipment: Shotel +5, Heavy Crossbow +5, Aurous Set
- Drops: Aurous Set (Transparent), Heavy Crossbow +5, Shotel +5
Rhoy, at first glance, is harmless, but in actuality represents a particularly nasty challenge if players are unprepared, or unaware, of the items he is using. Kitted out in the invisible Aurous armor and double illusory rings, which make his weapons invisible, Rhoy's nakedness is merely a trick to cause players to drop their guard.
Combined with The Grave's tendency to deposit ambushing rats, Rhoy can represent a great difficulty. Overwhelmingly though, a well-prepared player can easily overcome his sly tactics and amusing items like any miracle.
7 Dark Spirit Dragonfang Villard
Wields Rare Weapons And Powerful Armor
- Locations: Dragon Shrine
- Equipment: Black Dragon Greatsword, Black Dragon Shield
- Drops: Dragon Scale, Black Dragon Greatsword (very rare), Black Dragon Shield (rare)
Incredibly intimidating upon first appearance, Villard is actually somewhat straightforward, although that by no means makes him a pushover. Guarding the Petrified Egg, which is pivotal to those wishing to join the Dragon Remnants Covenant, Villard wields the equipment of other dragon guards in an effort to prevent the player from obtaining it.
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What makes Villard more straightforward than the dragon guards is the fact there is only one of him. Sure, his AI is more advanced and allows him to retreat and heal, but facing one dragon guard instead of twenty or so means that players do not have quite as much pressure in the egg chamber as they had to reach it.
6 Vorgel The Sinner
Relies On Mobs To Overwhelm The Player
- Locations: Belfry Luna
- Equipment: Winged Spear, Hollow Soldier Shield
- Drops: Winged Spear +5 (rare)
Vorgel's challenge comes from his arena more than the invader himself. Although a little bit of a pain to duel given the long reach of his winged spear, Vorgel is something of a pushover, provided players deal with the dangers of his arena beforehand, equipped with some strong armor to fight.
In Belfry Luna, Vorgel spawns in a pit full of stray hounds, which can easily overwhelm the player when combined with the devious invader. For the best chance to defeat him, players should move around to prevent being trapped, or climb the ladder to finish him off at range.
5 Royal Sorcerer Navlaan
Relentless Mage With Many Abilities
- Locations: Forest of Fallen Giants, Brightstone Cove Tseldora, The Gutter, Drangleic Castle, Aldia's Keep, Dragon's Aerie
- Equipment: Chaos Item Set, Various Hexes and Sorceries
- Drops: Chaos Hood
Navlaan is a completely avoidable invasion, imprisoned in Aldia's Keep until a player chooses to ignore the dozens of messages on the floor demanding that they don't pull the lever. If curiosity gets the better of them, however, Navlaan's questline will immediately end, and he will begin hunting the player in multiple locations.
The only way to end these invasions is to kill his mortal form in Aldia's Keep. Failing that, Navlaan will ambush players multiple times with hexes and spells that are dangerous against those who favor up-close-and-personal confrontations.
4 Forlorn
Long-Range Weapons & Unpredictable Arrivals
- Locations: Black Gulch, Forest of the Fallen Giants, Huntsman's Copse, Harvest Valley, Iron Keep, Dragon Aerie, The Lost Bastille, Shaded Woods, Drangleic Castle, Aldia's Keep, Frozen Eleum Loyce, Undead Crypt, Shrine of Amana, Shulva - Sanctum City
- Equipment: Random Greatsword / Random Scythe
- Drops: Human Effigy
Difficult to prepare for and impossible to predict given their seemingly randomized spawns, Forlorn are reoccurring invaders that players will no doubt face multiple times during a Dark Souls 2 playthrough. Tanky and able to guard break, Forlorn are dangerous when encountered in a populated area, and punishing when dueling alone.
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A good way to combat Forlorn is to bait their jumping attack, which occurs when a player attempts to drink Estus nearby. Failing that, players should keep their distance to avoid the heavy-hitting weapons they wield.
3 Maldron The Assassin
Advanced AI That Tricks, Baits & Mocks Players
- Locations: Brume Tower, Eleum Loyce
- Equipment: Rebel's Greatshield, Heide Greatlance
- Drops: Alva Helm, Royal Swordsman Armor, Royal Swordsman Gloves, Royal Swordsman Leggings
A cowardly invader, Maldron has a tendency to run towards strong enemies whilst he is on low health, hoping that these AI enemies will finish the player off. This would normally be a slight problem, given that invaders are somewhat predictable in their AI, but Maldron will always do that when his health is low, forcing players to brave a disadvantage just to put an end to him.
Aside from that, he will backstab, gesture, and try to have players killed by minibosses. A Seed from the Tree of Giants will help the first time around, but in Eleum Loyce, players will have to fight him on his unfair terrain.
2 Oliver The Collector
A Large Arsenal Of Interchangeable Weapons
- Locations: The Iron Keep
- Equipment: Puzzling Stone Sword / Majestic Greatsword / Smelter Hammer / Bone Fist / Santier's Spear
- Drops: Human Effigy, Minotaur Helm +2
True to his name, Oliver's large collection of weapons makes him one of the most difficult invaders in Dark Souls 2. Ranged attacks might be something that players can exploit, but his appearance in a generally well-covered area means that it is likely he will have to be faced head-on.
Oliver favors a playstyle that sees him continuously change weapons, making his next attack impossible to predict and deadly depending on player range. With lava pits all around, he will frequently attempt to knock players back into them, proving that he is one of the most despicable invaders in the game.
1 Prowlers
The Only Gank Squad Invasion
- Locations: Brume Tower
- Equipment: Berserker Blades
- Drops: Mad Warrior Set, Berserker Blade
What's more difficult than one invader? Or two, three, or four? A group of five spawn at intervals to make defeating any one of them a nightmare. Prowlers all come equipped with simple weapons, but players shouldn't let that lure them into a false sense of security; their numbers will easily overwhelm even the most careful player.
Likely to be Predator inspirations given their attire and act for hunting, this group invasion is an infamous nightmare to deal with, as they will not simply be content attacking players like regular enemies; they will run, retreat, gang up, and hide if necessary. Four are weaker than their leader, and with backstabs and the right amount of Area of effect weapons, they can be defeated.
Dark Souls 2
- Released
- March 11, 2014
