Can you jump in Dark Souls?

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Jumping in the Souls series can be a bit confusing. Dark Souls 3 has a dedicated jump button but requires the player to be sprinting to do so. There are jump attacks as well that the player can perform while standing still, but these mechanics won't be useful for any parkour.

To perform a jump, players must be in the middle of a sprint, or dash.

• PlayStation 4/5 - While holding O, tapping L3 will cause the player to jump.
• Xbox One X/S and Xbox Series X/S - While holding B, tapping LS will cause the player to jump.
• PC - While holding Spacebar, tapping it again will cause the player to jump.

Related: Best Dark Souls 3 Mods

How to jump attack in Dark Souls 3

Players have two forms of jump attacks in Dark Souls 3. The first of which is a plunging attack that can be performed when falling with a light or heavy attack.

The second method of performing jump attacks is more direct. Players can press forward and heavy attack to jump attack. Different weapons will have different animations for this and players will have to input these simultaneously.

For more Dark Souls 3 guides, check out Best Pyromancer builds in Dark Souls 3 on Pro Game Guides.

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• Updated: November 24, 2021, 3:19 AM EDT
• /   2 min read

The jump mechanic in Dark Souls 3 seems inconsequential. In fact, jumping in Souls games is a very underutilized mechanic. However, in certain situations and areas, it can indeed be a very useful move.

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To jump in Dark Souls 3, sprint first by holding down the “backstep” button, which is Circle for the PlayStation and B for Xbox. While sprinting, press L3 or the left thumbstick to perform the jump.

That’s all it takes to jump in Dark Souls 3. It’s a mechanic people don’t use often when compared to dodging or sprinting, but given the correct situations, it can have its useful moments.

When Is It Useful to Jump?

There are certain situations in Dark Souls 3 where jumping is beneficial. Most players use jump to get from one platform to another, reaching places that would have taken longer to get to if they followed the game’s basic path towards it.

One very good and well-known example of this is the area above Firelink Shrine. There is an Estus Shard located just above Firelink Shrine which you can get to by purchasing the Tower Key from the Shrine Handmaid. The Tower Key costs 20,000 Souls, which a lot of players believe is Souls better spent elsewhere, particularly on upgrading their characters.

Thankfully, players can bypass the key by simply going upstairs and back outside Firelink Shrine to find a tree right beside the structure. The player can then run up this tree and jump onto the roof of the shrine. This will allow them to get to the Estus Shard without having to spend 20,000 Souls.

The Jump mechanic in Dark Souls 3 is heavily used by speedrunners to skip levels and end the game quicker. This is a matter you really don’t have to get into if you just want to play the game casually.

When playing the game, whenever you come across a platform that’s within jumping distance, make sure to do so. Chances are, there’s an item there waiting for you. Just keep in mind to refrain from using jumps during combat. That’s what dodging is for.