Dark Souls 3: Ringed City - Show your Humanity puzzle solution and Purging Monument

Publish date: 2023-04-30
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The Purging Monument and Show your Humanity puzzle branch off from the Ringed City Streets area of the Ringed City DLC, tasking you with working out one of the most difficult puzzle solutions to find in the game. It's an optional place to branch off from the main sequence of the story, but what would Dark Souls be if you didn't stray off the beaten track for a surprise beat down?

We'll be covering that here, but if you need help with other parts of the DLC meanwhile, then take a look at our Dark Souls 3: Ringed City guide and walkthrough hub for plenty more.

[SPOILERS!] Dark Souls 3 vs Dark Souls 1 Graphics Comparison

Show your Humanity puzzle solution and how to find the Purging Monument

If you've been talking to Lapp throughout your quest in the Ringed City, you will have heard him speaking about his mission to find the Purging Monument. Reaching it is one of the final Dark Souls 3 DLC's biggest secrets, requiring you to solve a puzzle that's even more opaque than the roof of a nuclear fallout shelter.

If you head to the Ringed City Streets bonfire, by a toppled statue in the corner there is an inscription on the wall. It reads: "show your humanity". If you then travel to the swamp and use either the Chameleon spell or the White Branch item twice, you will transform into a humanity sprite. Travel back to the wall and interact, and a ladder will shoot down from the chute above.

It's a long climb, but up there you will find a giant, two ringed knights, and the Purging Monument itself.

You'll have to fight the knights and the giant or run past. Just behind the giant are some stairs - that's where you need to go. Don't worry about sweeping this top level, as there's nothing of interest up here.

Find the stairs leading down, then drop off to the right halfway down, landing on the ledge below. Head towards the glowing item, watching for the enemy lying in ambush, then grab the Dragonhead Shield.

Now stay on that level and run to the other side, crossing the bridge and grabbing the Large Soul of a Cresfallen Knight. The purging monument should be directly on your right. You can pray to it to do the following: - Request Absolution (sin), Dissolution (hollowing), or Reinstate King's Decree (revives Judicator Argo).

Reviving Judicator Argo lets you take on the Halflight boss again in the church, where you can also take part in a spot of PvP and ruin another player's day by joining the Covenant nearby.

Here's that process again in simple steps:

  • Head to the Ringed City Streets bonfire
  • Go out into the swamp
  • Use Chameleon or a White Branch until you turn into a humanity sprite
  • Head back to the bonfire as the sprite and read the inscription on the wall
  • Head up the ladder
  • Drop down and fight or bypass the enemies
  • Drop off the stairs leading down, or climb down the ladder just after
  • Get the Dragonhead Greatshield from you right
  • Go the opposite direction and cross the bridge
  • To the right you will see the Purging Monument

    • That should be everything here - heading back to the main sequence though, you can progress on to the next area after the Ringed City Streets, which is covered in our page on the Shared Grave and Halflight, Spear of the Church boss fight; or, head back to our hub page for the Ringed City DLC walkthrough and guide, and choose your next steps from there!

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