Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

How to Beat Looking Glass Knight

Defeat the Looking Glass Knight in Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin. Learn to counter his greatsword attacks and reflective shield, and manage summoned p.

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Boss: Looking Glass Knight

The Looking Glass Knight is a formidable boss found at the end of the King's Passage in Drangleic Castle. This heavily armored knight wields a massive greatsword and a reflective shield, making him a challenging encounter. Be prepared for a fight that tests your dodging and spacing skills, and be wary of his unique summoning ability.

Preparation

  • Equipment:
    • Armor: Medium to heavy armor with good physical defense is recommended. The Havel's Greatshield or Gyrm Greatshield can be useful for blocking, though dodging is often preferred.
    • Weapons: Fast weapons that allow for quick hits and rolls are excellent. Weapons with lightning damage are particularly effective against the Looking Glass Knight. Consider infusing your weapon with a Boltstone if you have one.
    • Rings: The Chloranthy Ring (+stamina regen) is invaluable for maintaining your dodges and attacks. The Ring of Blades (physical attack boost) and Flynn's Ring (if your equip load is low) are also strong choices for damage.
  • Consumables:
    • Estus Flasks should be fully upgraded.
    • Lifegems can provide passive healing if you need to create distance.
    • Green Blossoms will further boost stamina regeneration.
    • Gold Pine Resin or Great Magic Barrier (for magic users) can enhance your damage or defense, respectively.
  • Summons:
    • NPC Summons: Benhart of Jugo can be summoned for this fight if you have spoken to him in the previous areas (FoFG, Majula, Shaded Woods, Drangleic Castle). His summon sign is located near the fog gate. He can serve as a valuable distraction.
    • Player Summons: Consider summoning other players if you're struggling. Their presence can draw aggro and provide additional damage.

Boss Strategy

The Looking Glass Knight has a relatively straightforward moveset, but his speed and the environment can make him tricky. The arena is circular and open, allowing for plenty of movement.

Phase 1: Standard Attacks

The Knight primarily uses wide, sweeping attacks with his greatsword. Most of these can be dodged by rolling into or to the side of the attack. Rolling backward often leaves you vulnerable to follow-up strikes.

  • Greatsword Swings: He has several horizontal and vertical swings. Learn their timings and roll through them.
  • Shield Bash: A quick, close-range attack with his shield. This can stun you, so be careful when directly in front of him.
  • Overhead Slam: He will raise his sword high and bring it down. This has a slight delay but a large AoE. Roll to the side.
  • Lightning Bolt: Occasionally, he will charge his sword with lightning and perform a powerful, long-range thrust or sweep. This attack deals significant damage, so dodge it.
Phase 2: Mirror Summons

Once the Looking Glass Knight reaches approximately 70-60% health, he will begin to use his signature ability: summoning through his shield. He will plant his shield into the ground, and a phantom will emerge from it. There are two types of phantoms he can summon:

  • Invading Players: If you are online and a player invades your world as a Mirror Squire, they will emerge from the shield. This can be the most dangerous scenario, as player phantoms are unpredictable.
  • NPC Phantoms: If no player invades, he will summon an NPC phantom. These are typically less aggressive and easier to deal with.

Strategy for Summons:

  1. When the Knight plants his shield, immediately focus on the emerging phantom.
  2. Prioritize defeating the summoned phantom as quickly as possible. They can quickly overwhelm you if left unchecked, especially if you have Benhart with you.
  3. While you're fighting the phantom, the Looking Glass Knight will continue his attacks. Try to keep both in your line of sight.
  4. Once the phantom is defeated, return your full attention to the boss. He can summon multiple phantoms throughout the fight, so be ready for repeats.
General Tips
  • Stay Close, But Not Too Close: Being too far away can provoke his lightning attacks, while being too close can make dodging his wide swings difficult. Find a comfortable mid-range.
  • Stamina Management: This is crucial. Don't over-commit to attacks. Always save enough stamina for at least one or two dodges.
  • Exploit Openings: After his larger, slower attacks (like the overhead slam or a full combo), he will have a brief recovery period. This is your chance to get in a few hits.
  • Lightning Weakness: As mentioned, lightning damage is very effective. If you have a weapon with innate lightning damage or can apply Gold Pine Resin, do so.

Reward

Upon defeating the Looking Glass Knight, you will receive:

  • Soul of the Looking Glass Knight
  • 78,000 Souls (NG)

The Soul of the Looking Glass Knight can be traded with Straid of Olaphis for the Looking Glass Knight Helm, Armor, Gauntlets, and Leggings, or with Weaponsmith Ornifex for the Thorned Greatsword or the King's Mirror shield.