- For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation).
Souls are the universal currency of Dark Souls. They are used to level up, purchase items, upgrade/ascend weapons, enhance armor, and repair equipment.
Souls are dropped upon death, but can be retrieved from the player's bloodstain. They are lost permanently if a player dies again before reaching their bloodstain.
Gathering souls[]
Souls are gained by doing the following:
1. Slaying enemies
2. Feeding items to Kingseeker Frampt
- The “Lost Undead” soul items contain fewer souls than what Frampt offers if they are fed to him.
- Boss souls from female bosses can be fed to Frampt for more than the amount obtained if the player consumes them.
3. Consuming items that give souls
  Souls
|
 Feed Value
|
Consume
|
| Soul of a Lost Undead | 500 | 200 |
| Large Soul of a Lost Undead | 500 | 400 |
| Soul of a Nameless Soldier | 500 | 800 |
| Large Soul of a Nameless Soldier | 500 | 1,000 |
| Soul of a Proud Knight | 500 | 2,000 |
| Large Soul of a Proud Knight | 500 | 3,000 |
| Soul of a Brave Warrior | 500 | 5,000 |
| Large Soul of a Brave Warrior | 500 | 8,000 |
| Soul of a Hero | 1,000 | 10,000 |
| Soul of a Great Hero | 1,000 | 20,000 |
| Core of an Iron Golem | 8,000 | 12,000 |
| Guardian Soul | 10,000 | 12,000 |
| Soul of Artorias | 10,000 | 16,000 |
| Soul of Gwyn, Lord of Cinder | 40,000 | 20,000 |
| Soul of Gwyndolin | 20,000 | 16,000 |
| Soul of Manus | 10,000 | 18,000 |
| Soul of Ornstein | 8,000 | 12,000 |
| Soul of Priscilla | 15,000 | 12,000 |
| Soul of Quelaag | 10,000 | 8,000 |
| Soul of Sif | 4,000 | 16,000 |
| Soul of Smough | 1 | 12,000 |
| Soul of the Moonlight Butterfly | 8,000 | 1,200 |
Souls from enemies[]
Almost all enemies drop souls. How many are dropped depends on the enemy type, the current difficulty level (the higher the NG+, the more souls), and whether or not the player overkilled the opponent (dealing more than 150% of an enemy’s total HP in one hit).
Overkilling enemies grants around 20% more souls per kill. It is possible to further boost the amount of souls gained from killing enemies by wearing the Symbol of Avarice and/or the Covetous Silver Serpent Ring. The maximum percentage of souls attainable is 172.8% per kill.