Dark Hand
The Darkwraiths, incited by Kaathe, use the power of the dark soul to absorb humanity, an art shared by this weapon, which also acts as a special shield. The ancients, particularly,
could sap the humanity of even a replete saint in the blink of an eye.
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| Dark Hand as a shield |
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| Attacking |
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| Stealing Humanity |
Availability
Join the Darkwraith Covenant
Dropped by the Darkwraiths in New Londo Ruins (1% drop rate)
General Information
This weapon cannot be upgraded.
The Dark Hand can be used multiple times without making NPCs hostile, as long as no damage is done.
To absorb humanity from sitting NPCs like Patches at Firelink Shrine, make them stand up by hitting them with very weak attacks (barehanded punch, Pyromancy Flame punch, kicking, using Force, etc.)
Beware that using the drain attack in tight spaces or with a seated target (or other non-standing posture) does a glowing punch rather than the drain. Ensure ample space or make them stand prior to draining to avoid making NPCs hostile.
When equipped as a shield, a right hand catalyst can buff it with Strong Magic Shield for much better stability, but there will be no visual effect. The upside of this is that it can trick players in PVP.
The amount of maximum Humanity absorbed per attack scales with the player's Darkwraith covenant rank.| Darkwraith covenant level | Max. Humanities absorbed per use |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1 |
| +1 | 3 |
| +2 | 5 |
| +3 | 10 |
| Image | Name | Damage | Critical Bonus | Durability | Weight | Stats Needed Stat Bonuses |
Damage Reduction % |
Stability | Aux Effects | Frampt Souls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Hand | 200/0/0/0 (Strike) |
100 | 999 | 0.5 | 0/0/0/0 -/-/-/- |
80/80/80/80 | 30 | 0 / 0 / 0 / 130 | 1 |
Move Set
+ Show Move Set - Hide Move Set
| R1 — R1 | Right hook punch into backhand blow. | |
| R2 | Grab. | |
| Roll — R1 | Backhand blow. | |
| Backstep or Run — R1 | Running backhand blow. | |
| Forward + R1 | Knee kick. | Same effect as a regular kick. |
| L1 (left hand) | Guard. | |
| L2 (left hand) | Parry. |
- When equipped in the left hand slot, the weak attack (block button) will spawn a blackhole-like shield with no deflection. The strong attack will parry.
- When equipped in the right hand slot, the strong attack will do a grab attack, similar to the Darkwraith enemy, that can absorb (soft) Humanity from invading online players and some NPCs.
Humanities Absorption on NPCs
Depending on the player's Darkwraith covenant rank, one may need to use the Dark Hand several times to fully drain an NPC's Humanity. Some NPCs may end up Hollowed if their quests are finished or when all their items are purchased. Hollowed NPCs yield no Humanity when the Dark Hand is used on them.
For the sake of completion, the list below also contains NPCs that have no drainable Humanity, but can be targeted by the drain move of the Dark Hand.
| NPC Name | Max. Drainable Humanities |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lord's Blade Ciaran | none | - |
| Crestfallen Merchant | none | - |
| Crestfallen Warrior | none | - |
| Domhnall of Zena | none | - |
| Dusk of Oolacile | none | - |
| Griggs of Vinheim | 3 Humanities | Will become hollow if all his Sorceries are bought |
| Ingward | 4 Humanities | - |
| Lady of the Darkling | none | - |
| Laurentius of the Great Swamp | 5 Humanities | Drain him at Firelink Shrine, after being saved from Depths Will become hollow if let go to seek Quelaana of Izalith |
| Dark Spirit Kirk, Knight of Thorns | none | - |
| Knight Lautrec of Carim | 8 Humanities | May become lost; see his page and Anastacia's for more details |
| Big Hat Logan | none | - |
| Dark Spirit Maneater Mildred | 8 Humanities | Refer to Phantoms on how to spawn her |
| Oswald of Carim | none | - |
| Oscar, Knight of Astora | none | Initial meeting in Undead Asylum. |
| Patches | 7 Humanities | - |
| Petrus of Thorolund | 2 Humanities | - |
| Quelaana of Izalith | none | - |
| Rhea of Thorolund | 12 Humanities | Drain her in Undead Parish, after being saved from Tomb of the Giants See her page for more details |
| Sieglinde of Catarina | 10 Humanities | - |
| Siegmeyer of Catarina | 4 Humanities | See his page for more details |
| Solaire of Astora | 5 Humanities | May become lost; see his page for more details |
| Vince of Thorolund Nico of Thorolund |
5 Humanities 3 Humanities |
Drain as soon as met at Firelink Shrine |
| Darkmoon Soldiers | 6 Humanites (3 each) | |
| Forest Hunters | none | - |