There are certain shortcuts and locked doors that would either make your journey shorter or lead you to other hidden secret areas in Dark Souls. These doors require specific Dark Souls keys to unlock them. There are many ways, you can find these keys if you want to get access to these blocked doors/shortcuts and our Dark Souls Keys Location guide will help you in reaching those.
For more help on Dark Souls, read our Humanity Guide, Crystal Lizards Locations, and Soul Farming Guide.
Dark Souls Keys Location
Defeat a certain boss and get the key in dropped items, buy them from merchants, or find them in different locations throughout the game world.
Archive Tower Cell Key
Location. Serpent Soldier – You will find him in Sen’s Fortress and The Duke’s Archives (in the prison).
Use. Tower Cell Key is Used to escape from the prison after fighting Seath in The Duke’s Archives.
Archive Tower Giant Cell Key
Location. It can be found in a chest, present in a room close to the exit from the Duke’s Archives, which take you to the Crystal Cave.
Use. It is used to open the giant cell at the bottom of Duke’s Archives
Archive Tower Giant Door Key
Location. The Duke’s Archives / Crystal cave –
Use. You will need it to escape from Duke’s Archives, Archive Tower.
Archive Prison Extra Key
Location. The Duke’s Archives / Crystal cave –
Use. It opens a number of optional prison cells within Archive Tower – if you want to get all the items in the area, you should get this key.
Annex Key
Location. Painted World of Ariamis – You can find this key behind an illusory wall in the sewers/tunnels in the Painted World. You can get access to these sewers by a wall in the courtyard with the Phalanx. Go for the solid section of the wall at the first turn.
Or you can pick it up by destroying the wall to the left of the switch in the large sewer area with skeleton wheels. Turn right, past the illusory wall, and then left. You will encounter Skeleton Wheel but that’s OK, you can defeat them. Get the key at the end of the corridor.
Use. Annex key is used to open the entrance to the Annex in the Painted World of Ariamis.
Basement Key
Location. Undead Parish – You will find this key in the area immediately after the Armored Tusk. Look for it on the corpse in a room with several dredges.
Use. It opens the locked door on the bridge before the Hellkite Dragon, next to where you first met Solaire of Astora
Big Pilgrim´s Key
Location. Undead Asylum – When you meet the Asylum Demon for the first time, run by escaping through the gate that opens to your character’s left towards the middle of the wall.
If you are more of a fighter, defeat the demon with your broken sword. If you do, the Asylum Demon will drop Big Pilgrim’s key and Demon’s Great Hammer. You can always get these from Snuggly the Crow.
Use. Big Pilgrim’s key Opens up the large doors that lead to the exit.
Blighttown Key
Location. It is dropped from Gaping Dragon (Area boss).
Use. Blighttown key Unlocks entrance to Blighttown.
Broken Pendant
Location. It is dropped by a Crystal Golem who is present close to the entrance of Duke’s Archives. This Golem respawns.
Use. Opens a portal where Dusk was rescued. Going through this portal takes you back in time, granting access to the Artorias of the Abyss.
Cage Key
Location. Sen’s Fortress – Look below a tower reached atop by jumping over a broken pathway.
Use. Cage Key is for unlocking different cages in Sen’s Fortress, including the one for the shortcut to the top.
Crest of Artorias
Location. You can buy it from André of Astora for 20,000 souls.
Use. It opens the locked door in Darkroot Garden right to the first hidden bonfire.
Crest Key
Location. Oolacile Township – it can be obtained from a Mimic, right before your battle with the Chained Prisoner. Get to the balcony by jumping off of the wooden bridge to your west.
Use. It unlocks the door which takes you to Hawkeye Gough.
Dungeon Cell Key
Location. Undead Asylum – It is on the corpse which is tossed into your cell
Use. It opens the northern door in the Undead Asylum.
Key to New Londo Ruins
Location. Blighttown – You will choose this item at the beginning of the game.
Use. It opens a shortcut from the Valley of Drakes to New Londo Ruins.
Key to the Depths
Location. Undead Parish – Dropped from the Capra Demon.
Use. It unlocks the door to The Depths along with shortcut and vendor towards Firelink shrine.
Key to the Seal
Location. This key is given to you by Ingward After you retrieve Lordvessel or it will be dropped when you kill him.
Use. Key to the Seal opens the door to the lever that drains water from the ruins and unlocks the lower parts as well as a shortcut through an elevator.
Master Key
Location. Part of the starting equipment for Thief Class – You can also select as a gift in character creation screen.
Use. You can use this key to open different basic Locks that will open different shortcuts.
Mystery Key
Location. Undead Parish – It can be found where the Hollows with the swords are present. Behind Armored Tusk, go down the stairs; the key will be on a corpse adjacent to a ladder.
Use. You can use this key to free Knight Lautrec of Carim from his cell in Undead Parish
Peculiar Doll
Location. Undead Asylum – Look for in the starting cell when you return to the Undead Asylum.
Use. Using this key, you get access to the Painted World of Ariamis through the large picture in Anor Londo.
Residence Key
Location. Undead Burg – You can buy it from the Undead Merchant for 1000 souls.
Use. It opens several doors in Undead Burge similar to what Master Key does. Most importantly, it opens door to Griggs of Vinheim.
Undead Asylum East Key
Location. Undead Asylum –
Use. It opens the gate on the eastern side of the second floor in Undead Asylum.
Undead Asylum West Key
Location. Undead Asylum –
Use. This key opens the gate on the western side of the second floor in Undead Asylum.
Sewer Chamber Key
Location. The Depths – It can be found on a corpse in the Giant Undead Rat chamber
Use. Opens a shortcut that leads to a bonfire in The Depths.
Watchtower Basement Key
Location. Darkroot Garden – You will find it on the body of a Dead Blacksmith after you defeat the Moonlight Butterfly.
Use. It opens the tower door next to the lake in Darkroot Basin, which will lead you directly to Havel the Rock’s Lair in Undead Burg.
