Elden Ring Boss Guide: How to Beat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil

After you meet Blaidd in Elden Ring, he asks you to help find a man named Darriwil, who’s supposedly near the Mistwood in the eastern parts of Limgrave. He’s not exactly wrong, but “close” in this case is relative to the rest of the map, not Limgrave itself. With that in mind, you may be wondering where to find Darriwil and, subsequently, how to beat them.

In this Elden Ring guide, we’ll tell you how to find the elusive Darriwil, defeat him, and earn both a reward from Blaidd and progress his questline.

Where to Find Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Elden Ring

At the southernmost tip of Limgrave, on a hill just before reaching the Bridge of Sacrifice, is a strange circular structure marked as a purple circle on your map. It’s called the Forlorn Hound Evergaol, and Darriwil lurks trapped inside. You’ll note it from a distance as it’s surrounded by equally odd spherical creatures, which guard the circular platform set into the ground.

Approach the blue, glowing sigil in the middle of the platform and select “Yes” when asked if you want to enter the Evergaol. If you’ve talked to Blaidd in the Mistwood Ruins, his summon sign will glow yellow near the center of the pocket dimension that is the Evergaol. Know that you cannot take summoned co-op players into the Evergaol.

You’ll see a glowing pool at one side of the arena. Move toward it with or without Blaidd to summon Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, just the man you’re looking for.

Bloodhound Knights become standard wandering enemies in areas beyond Limgrave, and Darriwil is likely your first introduction to them. They don’t have many attacks, but the ones they do use are fast, hit hard, and cover a lot of ground very quickly.

How to Beat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Elden Ring

Attack 1: Disappearing Lunge

Darriwil’s primary means of attack is to put his sword to his back while low to the ground, then vanish as he charges toward you, slashing at your feet shortly after reappearing.

Attack 2: Retreating Slash

Darriwil will quickly slash the area ahead of him if he needs to get away, then jump backward and reset the sword at his back. There’s a near-instantaneous windup to this attack, so while dodgeable, it’s far more likely you’ll take a hit.

Attack 3: Grinding Claw Swipe

Another approaching attack will see Darriwil pull out a large set of claws and drag them, sparking through the ground at you. This attack has a long delay before actually connecting, so as hard as it may seem, try to be patient and don’t panic roll.

Attack 4: Jumping Slam Ender

The last attack you need to worry about is sometimes part of a one- or two-attack combo. If Darriwil is close to you, he might not use the special attacks listed above, instead swinging his sword once or twice at you. During these combos, or on its own, he will jump into the air and slam down after a few seconds. There’s a brief delay before the hit connects, so use patience if you can muster it.

Don’t be afraid to make use of Blaidd for this fight, as he’ll quickly put Darriwil in a repostable state. Blaidd’s damage isn’t particularly good, but unless you’re massively over-leveled, it will be a welcome addition to the encounter.

And that’s where to find Darriwil and beat them in Elden Ring. You might want to bring some poise to the Darriwil fight. Check out our guide to poise for more on that mechanic. Summoning spirits is a much more likely solution, and our spirit summoning guide has everything you need to know. Our Elden Ring guides hub, of course, has plenty more.