Bonfires are the checkpoints of Dark Souls, but they also serve other useful purposes. When the player encounters a new Bonfire, it must be lit, or rested at to serve as the new spawnpoint if the player should die.
- Resting at a Bonfire will respawn all nearby enemies, but the player will be safe while resting at a Bonfire.
- Resting at a Bonfire replenishes all health and Estus. The Rite of Kindling increases the amount of Estus.
- After acquiring The Lordvessel, you can use the Bonfire to warp to other - lit - Bonfires.
Rest at Bonfire
After the player lights the Bonfire and rests there, several options are available. Some will also become available later when certain stats or conditions are met or items are aquired.
- Resting at a Bonfire will replenish the players stock of Estus and Spells.
- Flaskswill not be reset if the player's current stock exceeds the amount replenished by the Bonfire (If the player has 7 in stock while resting at a Bonfire that replenishes 5, it will still be 7 after leaving).
- Resting at Bonfire cures the player of Poison and Toxic statuses.
- Curse cannot be healed by resting at a Bonfire.
- Resting at a Bonfire will respawn all enemies, excluding bosses, minibosses, certain non-respawning enemies, and npcs.
- Bonfires cannot be accessed if the player is engaged in battle close by.
- Online: Bonfires cannot be accessed while the player is being invaded.
- Online: Bonfires cannot be accessed if the player has summoned phantoms.
- Online: While a player rests at a Bonfire, mirages of other resting players can sometimes be seen around the fire.
- Online: If in human form while at a bonfire you can be ejected from the bonfire and whatever menu you are in at any point should your world be invaded by another online player or you are being summoned.
- If the player kills the Fire Keeper of a bonfire, it will extinguish and can no longer be rested at, but can still be warped to once the Lordvesselis obtained.
Actions
Leave
Leave the Bonfire.
Level Up
Players can level up to reinforce their stats at the Bonfire.
- Leveling costs souls, which can be collected by killing enemies, bosses, or by collecting lost souls.
- The amount of souls needed to level up increases with each level.
- The bonfires in the Undead Asylum can not be used for leveling during the tutorial.
Reinforce Weapon
Players can do weapon reinforcement at the Bonfire after purchasing a Weapon Smithbox.
- Weapon reinforcement does not include ascension, which must be done by a qualified Blacksmith.
Reinforce Armor
Players can do armor reinforcement at the Bonfire after purchasing an Armor Smithbox.
Repair Equipment
Players can repair their own weaponsand equipment at the Bonfire after purchasing a Repairbox.
Attune Magic
Manage memorized spells.
- Attuned Magic will become available to the player after learning a spell.
- The starting classes who are equipped with a spell will have this option available from the start.
Access Bottomless Box
Players can store items and equipment at the Bonfire after purchasing a Bottomless Box.
Warp
After obtaining the Lordvessel, the player is able to warp to certain bonfires.
- Firelink Shrine
- Sunlight Altar (Warrior of Sunlight covenant at the end of Upper Undead Burg)
- Anor Londo (First bonfire in the area)
- Chamber of the Princess (Princess Guard covenant at the end of Anor Londo)
- Darkmoon Tomb (Blade of the Dark Moon covenant in Anor Londo)
- Tomb of the Gravelord (Gravelord Servant covenant normally accessed via the Catacombs)
- Daughter of Chaos (Chaos Servant covenant in Quelaag's Domain)
- Stone Dragon (Path of the Dragon covenant in Ash Lake)
- Abyss (Darkwraith covenant in The Abyss)
- Depths
- Catacombs (Remastered only)
- Tomb of the Giants (First bonfire, near Patches)
- The Duke's Archives (Last bonfire before Seath)
- Crystal Cave
- Painted World of Ariamis
- Undead Parish (Next to Andre and Sens Fortress)
All DLC bonfire can be warped to. This include :
- Sanctuary Garden
- Oolacile Sanctuary
- Oolacile Township
- Oolacile Township Dungeon
- Chasm of the Abyss
Notes:
- You can warp to a bonfire even if the Fire Keeper for that bonfire is dead, however you can not warp from that bonfire since you are unable to rest at it.
- The Abyss bonfire can also be warped from without possessing the Lordvessel. Any warp-able location, rested at prior, should be available as a destination as well.
- The bonfires in the Painted World of Ariamis and The Duke's Archives Prison can not be warped from at all.
Kindle
Bonfires can be kindled, or strengthened, to increase the player's stock of Estus.
- Kindling a Bonfire will cost the player 1 piece of Humanity, and can only be performed if the player is in human form.
- An undead player must therefore use 2 pieces of Humanity to kindle a fire.
- A bonfire can be kindled more than once, after the player receives the Rite of Kindling in the main quest. A fire can then be kindled up to three times past its default, and will refill 10, 15 or 20 Estus Flasks, rather than the default 5.
- Kindling is permanent, but it only strengthens the kindled Bonfire; other fires are unaffected.
- Any bonfire with a visible Firekeeper present restores 10 Estus Flasks by default (Firelink Shrine, Anor Londo, Daughter of Chaos, and Stone Dragon)
- Online: When a player kindles a fire, it will also grant some players in nearby worlds one extra volume of Estus.
- All bonfires retain their level of Kindling upon restarting the game in New Game+.
- The "fire" visual effect when a bonfire has been kindled varies, which is a nice detail. The flame is huge when the bonfire has been kindled to 20.
Reverse Hollowing
Reverse Hollowing revives an undead player to human form.
- Reviving costs 1 piece of Humanity.
- Reviving cannot be performed if the player is Cursed.
- Human form players are able to kindle Bonfires (see above).
- Human form players are able to summon Phantoms, but are also open to invasion.
- This includes onlineplayers as well as some offline NPCs.
- Human form players are still able to be summoned as a Phantom.
- Human form players can use the Cracked Red Eye Orb, Red Eye Orb, and Red Sign Soapstone multiplayer items.
Bonfire list
Beginner Route Bonfire Progress
List of Bonfires following the beginner suggested path of the game.
- Undead Asylum-Escape Route
- Found in the sewer like area in the Undead Asylum
- Undead Asylum-Court Yard
- Found at the door just before the exit from the Undead Asylum
- Firelink Shrine
- You will automatically be dropped just before this bonfire as soon as you complete the Undead Asylum
- Undead Burg
- In the central room after killing the hollow archer
- Behind the Wyvernguarding the Undead Burg Bridge
- Undead Parish
- Found to the right of the Undead Chapel, down the stairs to the Andre the blacksmith
- (The Depths) Behind the door with the Slimes (need to retrieve the key or have the master key to open the door to this bonfire)
- Blighttown- Sever
- In the middle of the swamp, inside a tunnel, once you have descended the waterweel
- On the path between the bottom of Blighttown and The Depths
- Quelaag's Domain - Daughter of Chaos
- Behind a hidden wall, after you kill Quelaag.
- The Abyss
- After killing the boss in The Abyss a bonfire will spawn
- Sen's Fortress
- Reached by jumping off the second balcony while running away from the fire bombing giant's bombs
- Accessed by using portal from Sen's Fortress once you kill the boss
- Anor Londo - Darkmoon Tomb
- At the very bottom of the spiral stairs
- Anor Londo- Central Room
- In a side room just below the Titanite Demon
- Anor Londo- Chamber of the Princess
- Accessed once you kill Ornstein and Smough
- Darkroot Garden
- Next to the door of Artorias behind a hiddenwall
- Darkroot Basin
- In the tunnel leading to the Valley of Drakes
- The Duke's Archives
- Just after you kill the second Mecha Boar
- The Duke's Archives- Prison Cell
- Story Element has your character locked in a prison cell, Bonfire is next to where you wake up. This Bonfire is isolated from the others, meaning it can not be warped from
- The Duke's Archives- Balcony
- Lowest level below the casters, out on a balcony
- Crystal Cave
- After defeating final boss a bonfire will be available
- Demon Ruins
- As you enter there is a bonfire
- Demon Ruins-Central
- In the ruin with Capra Demons
- Demon Ruins-Lower
- Just before the Centipede Demon battle
- Lost Izalith
- Right after the Centipede Demonbattle
- Lost Izalith
- In the lava field, right beforethe giantbranche which leads to the upper ara with a lot of Stone Demon. There is a building with an hidden wall with the bonfire inside.
- Lost Izalith
- After killing theBed of Chaos
- Catacombs
- In entrance, near aNecromancer
- Catacombs (remastered only)
- Catacombs
- Hidden by an illusory wall before the second turning bridge, near thecontraption where you can findPatchesthe first time
- Tomb Of Giants
- Near the second encounter withPatches.
- Tomb of Giants
- Close to the secondSkeleton Beast
- Tomb of Giants - Gravelord Nito's Tomb
- After killingGravelord Nito.
Special Bonfires
- Firelink Altar
- The Lordvessel
- Kiln of the First Flame
- The playercannot rest at this bonfire. Pressing the action button will lead to the Link the Fire ending and conclude the game.
DLC Bonfires
- Sanctuary Garden
- Right at the DLC entrance
- Oolacile Sanctuary
- Next to Elizabeth
- Oolacile Township
- Right after killing Artorias
- Oolacile Township Dungeon
- After defeating the Chained Prisoner, take the elevator.
- Chasm of the Abyss
- Right after Manus Fight
Other - Not progress related
- The Great Hollow
- At the entrance
- Ash Lake
- After exiting The Great Hollow on the beach
- Ash Lake- Stone Dragon
- Following the beach to the end in Ash Lake allows you to reach the Ancient Dragon
- Painted World of Ariamis
- Found just after entering Ariamis
