Covenants are a multiplayer mechanic that can add some interesting variance and perks to Dark Souls 3. Each covenant is charged with a different function and purpose that can often put them at odds with other covenants in multiplayer, forming an interesting dynamic behind the game’s main narrative and fleshing out the universe as a whole with their own histories.

They also provide a lot more incentive to co-operate with other players, invade another player’s world, or even act as boss of another’s game. The best covenants are obviously the ones that add the most interesting gameplay and have unique rewards, but which ones are truly worthy of the player’s time and effort?

Updated August 20, 2021 by Ben Baker: Covenants are arguably capable of some of the easiest and most difficult gameplay in Dark Souls 3. The best covenant in Dark Souls 3 may not be the best suited for certain players and their playstyles. Meanwhile, other covenants may be more rewarding even though they offer fewer rewards. To help players with this decision, it seemed important to include the rewards each covenant offerd for a player’s loyalty, as well as instructions on exactly how to join some of these covenants. A few are as simple as speaking to an NPC, while others can be locked away permanently if the player isn’t careful.

9 Way Of Blue

The Way of Blue covenant is for players who enjoy cooperative play, but don’t want to necessarily fight other players in PVP. Being a member of this covenant will result in Blue Sentinels and Blades of the Darkmoon being summoned to defend the player against invaders.

This covenant ranks at the bottom because it doesn’t add anything particularly meaningful beyond that. The player receives aid against invaders but there are no quests, no ranking system, or even rewards. A member’s only goal is to survive.

Rewards

While there are no rewards with this Dark Souls 3 covenant, the player will be able to receive the support of Blade of a Darkmoon and Blue Sentinel covenant members when invaded. However, this will not happen if invaded by Watchdogs of Farron or Aldrich Faithful members.

How To Join

Joining this covenant is rather simple. The player needs the item Way of Blue equipped to be part of this covenant. Emma, the High Priestess of Lothric Castle located in the cathedral on the opposite side of Vordt of the Boreal, is the only source of this item. It can be obtained by either talking to Emma or killing her and looting it from her corpse.

8 Aldrich Faithful

This Covenant charges its members with defending Aldrich’s territory from trespassers. This area is from the courtyard outside of Pontiff Sylyvahn’s arena to the stairway leading to Anor Londo. The player may be summoned to the trespasser’s world and must kill them to complete their task.

This area does happen to be a hotbed of PVP activity depending on the player’s soul level, so it can definitely shape up into an action-packed experience under the right conditions. However, the rewards are largely only useful to faith-based builds, making them sort of nichem.

  • Human Dregs
  • – For defeating a Host of Embers invader.
  • Great Deep Soul
  • – After achieving Rank 1/Offering 10 Dregs.
  • Archdeacon’s Great Staff
  • – After achieving Rank 2/Offering 30 Dregs.

To join this covenant players, will need to travel to the lower area of Irithyll of the Boreal Valley. Starting at Pontiff Sulyvahn’s bonfire, the player will need to cross to the other side of the courtyard, where the dead Giant Slaves are to the main building. Inside is an illusory wall to the left leading to a large ladder, which drops down into a flooded area with two Sulyvahn’s Beasts. These two creatures must be defeated as a condition to join. Afterward, the player will find Archdeacon McDonnell’s corpse, where they can ask to join.

7 Watchdogs of Farron

Watchdogs of Farron are charged with defending the Crucifixion Woods from any and all trespassers. Whenever an embered player sets foot in the swamp near the Halfway Fortress, there’s a chance that members of this Covenant will be summoned to their world to attack them.

Some players may enjoy harassing other players now and then, but it is conditional upon an embered player entering the swamps — which rarely happens by accident. Chances are players will run into a gank squad more often than not. The rewards are nice, however, with many players swearing by the Wolf Ring for PVP.

  • Wolf’s Blood Swordgrass
  • – Defeating an Embered trespasser.
  • Old Wolf Curved Sword
  • – Achieving Rank 1/Offering 10 Swordgrass.
  • Wolf Ring
  • – Achieving Rank 2/Offering 30 Swordgrass.
  • Wolf Knight’s Greatshield
  • – Rank 2/Offering 30 Swordgrass.

In the swamp by Farron’s Keep is a ladder guarded by Rotten Slugs. After defeating these foes and climbing the ladder the player will come across a wolf by a bonfire. Players need to speak to the wolf in order to join.

6 Warrior Of Sunlight

A true long-time fan favorite throughout the series, this covenant is geared towards cooperative play. Members will typically be joining other worlds to conquer particularly risky areas, guarding the host against potential invasions, and primarily to help them defeat difficult bosses, as that’s what nets them their reward items.

The rewards are decent, with the Sacred Oath miracle being particularly useful in co-op events. For players looking for a co-op covenant to fight bosses, this is the one. As mentioned, they can also participate in PVP to protect the host, but that’s not their main function. Warriors Of Sunlight must be summoned by way of summon signs.

  • Sunlight Medal
  • – Helping a Host of Embers defeat a boss or defeating a Host Of Embers as an invader.
  • Ember
  • – Helping a Host of Embers defeat a boss.
  • Sacred Oath
  • – Rank 1/Offering 10 Medals.
  • Great Lightning Spear
  • – Rank 2/Offering 30 Medals.

Players will need to go to the Undead Settlement to join this covenant. Go to the large area filled with Peasants and an Evangelist by a burning tree. In the house furthest to the left is a hole in the floor hidden by boxes and Cage Spiders. At the bottom of this hole is a table holding the Warrior of Sunlight emblem, near the pot of Estus Soup.

5 Blue Sentinels

Blue Sentinels are similar to the Warriors of Sunlight in a way, except they’re specifically geared towards protecting members of the Way of Blue from invasion en route to a boss. When someone invades the world of a Way of Blue member, Blue Sentinels may be brought in to either kill the invader or escort the host safely. The summoning for this covenant takes place automatically when the item is equipped.

Escorting another player to safety without voice chat can be annoying, and it takes quite a bit of effort to grind up to the rewards, which are mediocre at best. However, for those that want a more “good guy” PVP experience, this is the way to go.

  • Proof of a Concord Kept
  • – Defeating an Invader or successfully escorting the host to the
  • area boss.
  • Darkmoon Ring
  • – Rank 1/Offering 10 Concords.
  • Darkmoon Blade
  • – Rank 2/Offering 30 Concords.

Players will need to either speak to or kill Horace the Hushed to get the covenant emblem to join. He can be found at the Halfway Fortress bonfire on the Road of Sacrifices before Defeating the Deacons of the Deep. If the player has already defeated the Deacons of the Deep, he’ll be at the Firelink Shrine.

4 Blades Of The Darkmoon

The Blades of the Darkmoon essentially work in the exact same way was the Blue Sentinels — they are summoned when a member of Way of Blue is being invaded to defend them from the invaders.

The rewards are essentially the same as Blue Sentinels’ are. However, the Blades of the Darkmoon themselves are a callback to the original Dark Souls. Finding the method for joining is something of an out-of-the-way secret, lending an additional bit of depth and “cool factor” to being a member.

  • Proof of a Concord Kept
  • – Slay invaders/Defend Way of Blue host.
  • Darkmoon Ring
  • – Rank 1/Offering 10 Concords.
  • Darkmoon Blade
  • – Rank 2/Offering 30 Condcords.

To be able to join this covenant players, will need to have obtained the Darkmoon Loyalty gesture from Sirris of the Sunless Realms. She can be found at the Firelink Shrine. Players must get this gesture before she is killed or this covenant will be locked.

With the gesture, players must now travel to the Prison Tower in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley. The tower is reached by the rotating staircase connecting Irithyll and Anor Londo. Company Captain Yorshka will have the emblem needed to join.

3 Spears of the Church

Members of the Spears of the Church have the unique responsibility of essentially acting as bosses for other players’ worlds during the Halflight, Spear of the Church fight. While acting as a boss the player gets increased health, stamina, damage resistance, and more — in addition to the use of the Ritual Spear Fragment and Divine Spear Fragment. The aforementioned bonuses scale in relation to the number of phantoms the host has summoned.

Waiting for a player to trigger the correct boss fight may take a while, but it’s one of the game’s many truly unique and worthwhile experiences.

  • Be another player’s boss
  • and use the Ritual Spear Fragment and Divine Spear Fragment.
  • Filianore’s Spear Ornament
  • – Defeating another player.
  • Young Grass Dew
  • – Rank 1/Offering 10 Spear Ornaments.
  • Divine Spear Fragment
  • – Rank 2/Offering 30 Spear Ornaments.

To join this covenant, the player must defeat the Darkeater Midir. To fight him players must exit the Shared Grave Bonfire and fight him on the bridge to the Church of Filianore. He’ll fall into the chasm below the bridge. To reach him, players must use the secret path from the second shortcut in Ringed Inner Wall. Defeating him in the chasm will yield the emblem to join.

2 Rosaria’s Fingers

Rosaria’s Fingers is an interesting, hostile PVP-centric covenant that allows the player to reassign attributes and change the physical appearance of their character five times in a playthrough. It also unlocks more of Ringfinger Leonhard’s quests. However, it does lock-off Sirris’ quests, preventing the player from obtaining some useful items.

In multiplayer, members are straightforwardly hostile invaders looking to kill the Host of Embers. If blue spirits are present, then the player will receive rewards for each blue spirit that dies — (this includes death to the environment or enemies). It’s an easy Covenant to rank up in assuming you’re somewhat well versed in combat mechanics, and the rewards are good.

  • Respec attribute points and change appearance five times in a playthrough
  • – Costs a Pale Tongue.
  • Ability to summon Yellowfinger Heysel at Keep Ruins bonfire
  • – Defeat Yellowfinger & Pay a Pale Tongue.
  • Proper Bow gesture
  • – Defeat Yellowfinger & Pay a Pale Tongue.
  • Pale Tongue
  • – Defeat Host of Embers.
  • Forked Pale Tongue
  • – Defeat Blue Spirits defending Host of Embers.
  • Obscuring Ring
  • – Rank 1/Offering 10 Tongues.
  • Man-grub’s Staff
  • – Rank 2/Offering 30 Tongues.

To join Rosaria’s Fingers players simply need to speak with Rosaria, Mother of Rebirth. She’s located in the Cathedral of the Deep by the bonfire in Rosaria’s Bed Chamber.

1 Mound-Maker

The Mound-Maker Covenant is the best in Dark Souls 3 for a number of reasons. First and foremost, every member of any Covenant is fair game for a Mound-Maker member when they invade a world — they can hit hosts, defensive phantoms, and hostile phantoms alike. Their challenge is to either kill the Host of Embers or a certain number of phantoms that are either defending or attacking the host in order to earn their reward items. It’s delightfully chaotic, and the wild purple tinge of a Mound-Maker phantom is a nice aesthetic touch.

They’re totally unpredictable, putting every player involved in the invasion on edge by introducing an unknown variable, which is fun for both the Mound-Maker member and the other players. The rewards aren’t all that impressive, but most people joining this Covenant are doing so for the fun and chaotic PVP experiences.

  • Vertebra Shackle
  • – Defeat the Host of Embers/Kill a number of any colored phantoms.
  • Bloodlust
  • – Rank 1/Offering 10 Vertebrae.
  • Warmth
  • – Rank 2/Offering 30 Vertebrae.

To join the best covenant in Dark Souls 3, the player cannot have already defeated the Curse-rotted Greatwood. If it has been defeated players can still join but they must wait until after defeating at least two of the four Lords of Cinder.

If either condition is met, players can go to the Undead Settlement. There is a hidden area teeming with Thralls and a Hollow Manservant holding a cage. Interacting with this individual will allow the player to hide in the cage and be taken to the Pit of Hollows. There, the player can talk to Holy Knight Hodrick near the Sacrificial Altar for the Covenant, he’ll give the player the emblem and a Homeward Bone.

If this path is locked by the death of the Greatwood, the player can follow Sirris of the Sunless Realms’ quest to defeat Hodrick and loot the emblem from his corpse. If both the Greatwood and Sirris are dead then the best covenant in Dark Souls 3 is locked entirely.

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