After Several Years And Countless Bossfights, Slave Knight Gael Lives In My Head Rent-Free

On March 28th, the highly anticipated second and final DLC for Dark Souls 3, “The Ringed City,” was released, bringing the exhilarating and challenging journey of the Dark Souls series to a close. The expansion featured two new hauntingly beautiful areas, and incredibly challenging bosses (except you Halflight). 

Slave Knight Gael is the boss fight that alone made The Ringed City worth buying despite its flaws. Initially appearing as a non-hostile NPC in the Cleansing Chapel, he serves as a poignant reminder of the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This sentiment holds especially true, making him one of the most memorable bosses in the series.

Gael Is Probably The Perfect Final Boss For The Trilogy

The Ringed City, to be fair, isn’t the best DLC, but despite that, Gael’s fight alone is worth dying repeatedly. The fight has so much to offer. Upon visiting the Cathedral of the Deep bonfire, you will find Gael lying prostrate. 

After the first contact, he will not appear until you’ve forgotten about him and face him at the end of The Ringed City DLC, where he’s ripped and ready to kill you hundreds of times with his broken Greatsword. He is an Undead Slave Knight, not a god, monster, or ghost; he’s a nobody just like us.

He is full of moves that will deplete your HP bar in the blink of an eye, but instead of frustration, you will be left in awe, I assure you. It is almost poetic: two nobodies fighting in nowhere; I don’t think Dark Souls 3 could get a better ending than this.

Yuka Kitamura Made The Fight A Hundredfold Better With The OST

Dark Souls would not be the same without the significant contributions of the choir singers and violinists, who create hauntingly beautiful music even for the less memorable bosses. Gael’s soundtrack is no exception; it stands out as one of my favorite compositions, going beyond its role as a video game soundtrack to become a truly exceptional piece of music.

Dark souls 3, in my opinion has the best song from any Fromsoftware game.
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Yuka Kitamura not only composed the track but also did the haunting singing that we hear in the track, enhancing the experience significantly. I had a hard time with Gael, and despite the difficulty I faced with Gael, the soundtrack transformed the battle from frustrating to thoroughly enjoyable.

Half of my deaths happened when I got too absorbed by the OST forgetting it was Gael I was facing. The OST is a perfect blend of three different phases, just like the boss. It starts with a mellow and melancholic tone which gets intense whenever the player triggers a new phase.

The Boss Arena Couldn’t Get Any Better

When I first reached The Ringed City, it appeared as a thriving, beautiful city until reaching Filianore’s Rest. You encounter a serene woman in a deep slumber, cradling a shell, upon defeating members of the Spears of the Church covenant, 

Touching the shell reveals the ugly truth behind the beautiful facade; the Ringed City is not a flourishing city at the world’s end but a desolate wasteland. In this bleak setting, there’s nothing left for you to conquer except one last hurdle, waiting in the barren waste, gouging on a corpse.

The design of the final battle with Gael is something else, set in a desolate land, without distractions, epitomizes a fight to the death that is a true homage to the lore and gameplay cherished by fans. It is hard to imagine a more fitting arena for this fight in my opinion.

Closing Thoughts

I may appear biased in favor of this boss fight, but with just cause. While The Ringed City may not be FromSoftware’s finest DLC, Slave Knight Gael transcends every shortcoming of the expansion. I enjoyed Elden Ring, but even after the latest installment, Gael still holds the reins as one of the best bosses that FromSoft that I have ever faced.

That said, I do have high hopes for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Feel free to check out the latest details about the upcoming expansion.