Demon’s Soulsis a tough game with a punishing world. This par for the course as far as Souls games are concerned, but when it comes toDemon’s Soulsespecially, there are some sections of the various worlds with runs to the boss that are often harder than the actual boss. So, even if you aren’t fighting a behemoth, you’ll still need every little advantage you can get to survive. A good weapon, a hardy shield, and some helpful spells are always good to have, but inDemon’s Souls, I found that Rings were often the best way to stay alive.
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There aren’t many rings inDemon’s Soulscompared toElden Ring’sabundance ofTalisman counterparts,for example. However, the thirty rings on offer all have a unique effect that makes them worth seeking out. However, the question remains: which of these rings are the best? Well, that’s a question I aim to answer right now.
10Dull Rat’s Ring
Rescue Lord Rydell in 3-1
When health is 30% or less, it raises defense by 50%.
We begin proceedings with a ring that acts as a bit of a safety net for players who aren’t quite as skilled in battle as some veteran Souls players out there. The Dull Rat’s Ring grants the player a 50% buff to their overall defense when they drop below 30% health. This essentially means that when the chips are down, this ring kicks into gear, and it can keep you alive long enough to heal, gather yourself, and turn the tide in a fight.
This ring’s sister item, the Clever Rat’s Ring, is also one to consider as it gives you an attack buff when you drop to 30% health instead, which can allow you to play on the edge and attempt to finish the fight faster with a bit of a glass cannon approach. However, of the two, I would say the Dull Rat’s Ring is the safer option and the better of the two.
9Providential Ring
Starting Gift Option
Trade Sword of Searching to Sparkly The Crow in 4-1
Increases Item Discovery
Next up, we have a ring that players can actually get before they even start the game. The starting gifts inDemon’s Soulsaren’t great, to be honest, but the pick of the bunch is definitely the Providential Ring, which ups your character’s item discovery. This is great early on because you’ll have no other rings anyway. It’ll allow you to stock up on healing items, firebombs, and Pine Resin, and chances are you won’t be pouring points into Luck, so this is a great tool to grind for drops you need.
You’ll need to jump through a few hoops in 4-1 to obtain this when not chosen as a starting gift, so just be wary of that. But, once you have this one, it’ll allow you to get the hands-on items you need a lot faster. Just watch that item weight, though, or all your stuff will go straight to Stockpile Thomas.
8Ronin’s Ring
Dropped by Scrivir the Wanderer in 2-2
Found in the Slug Caves in 4-2
Decreases weapon degradation by 50%
Weapon degradation is something that pops up in a lot of Souls games, but inDemon’s Souls, in particular, the degradation rate is much higher than just about any other game in the genre with this feature. Which usually leads to you spending a lot of Souls for Ed the Blacksmith to repair your gear, or purchasing a few of Ed’s Sharpening Stones so you can repair weapons on the go. But there is a way to avoid spending so much on weapon maintenance.
The Ronin Ring is a great ring to equip if you want to keep your weapon in tip-top shape, as this lowers the weapon degradation rate by 50%. This is especially ideal when dealing with strong enemies that hide behind their shields and on long runs to bosses where enemies are abundant. Plus, you can spend your Souls on leveling up, amongst other things. What’s not to love?
7Ring Of Poison Resistance
Gates of Boletaria 1-1
Smithing Grounds 2-1
Multiplies poison resistance by 4
You may think resistance rings are a boring choice when ranking the best rings inDemon’s Souls, but if you know how certain areas of the worlds you explore play out, you know that two of these rings are darn near essential if you want to survive. The first of these is the Poison Resistance Ring, which multiplies your base poison resistance by 4. This can be helpful in a few scenarios, but there’s one in particular where this ring shows its worth.
In 5-2, you’ll travel through the Swamp of Sorrow, a punishing section of the game where most of the area you’ll travel through is covered in toxic sludge, and the longer you spend in the thick goo, the more poison you’ll build up. This could be a death warrant, but with this ring equipped and some Royal Lotuses on hand, you’ll be able to explore this area without too much issue, making it a must-have ring.
6Flame Resistance Ring
Obtained from Patches in 2-2 when his trap is disabled
Adds 40 points of flame resistance
It was a toss-up between the Poison Resistance Ring and this one as to which is more important. But due to the fact that there are more cases where the Flame Resistance Ring comes in handy, we think this one just edges it. This ring adds 40 points of fire resistance, which is something that is greatly appreciated in many different scenarios.
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It’ll help keep you alive in boss fights against Dragon God, Flamelurker, and Penetrator. Plus, it’ll help you navigatethe Dragon sectionsin Boletaria as well. Fire damage is pretty prevalent inDemon’s Souls, so having something that can cool you off in those situations is a very welcome thing indeed.
5Ring Of Avarice
Bought from Royal Mistress in 3-1
Upper Latria 3-2 (After Heart is Dropped)
Increases Soul intake by 20%
Unless you’re a masochistic type who doesn’t have any interest in leveling up and getting new gear because you want to make things even more challenging, you’ll probably see Souls in this game as the most important commodity of all. More Souls to spend means better items, gear, and the ability to level up your stats to meet the skill requirements for the top-tier weapons you find on your adventure. But, unless you find a way to farm souls, you may feel like the volume of Souls you are gathering is pitiful.
Well,a way to increase the number of Soulsyou can harvest is by equipping the Ring of Avarice, a ring that will increase the amount of Souls gained per kill by 20%. This is great when exploring, farming souls, and taking on bosses if you are confident enough to donate a ring slot to this one. You need to engage with grinding in Souls games to make ends meet at times, but with this ring, it needn’t be a burden.
4Fragrant Ring
Trade Brass Telescope to Sparkly The Crow in 4-1
Bought for 50,000 Souls from Patches
Found in Upper Latria 3-2
Royalty Class comes equipped with this item
Passively recovers MP at a rate of 1MP per 4 seconds
How much you agree with this one will depend on two things: Whether you are a keen user of magic and how much Aged Spice you happened to pick up when working through 3-1. However, I don’t think that it’s a controversial take that the Fragrant Ring is a wonderful thing to have access to inDemon’s Souls. There are loads of replenishment items in the game for players to pick up as they go, which makes this ring’s sister item, the Regenerator’s Ring, a bit of a dud, but due to the lack of mana-boosting items, this ring can be a real asset to mages.
This ring will gradually replenish your MP over time, which can be a great way to avoid wasting Aged and Fresh Spice when exploring. Not to mention, it will also allow you to cast more spells without needing to replenish MP. This one won’t be much use to melee purists, but considering how useful knowing at least some magic inDemon’s Soulsis, I see this one as a must-have ring whether you’re a mage or not.
3Ring Of Great Strength
Dragon’s Nest in Gates of Boletaria 1-1
Dropped by Biorr
Increases Max Character Weight by 50%
There are a lot of dangerous things in Souls games, but I would argue that one of the most dangerous is to find yourself assigned the ‘heavy load’ label. As soon as that happens, your character will become less mobile and begin to fall roll, and I cannot stress this enough: fat rolling is a death wish inDemon’s Souls, especially against faster, more mobile enemies.
Due to the rather wonky item and character weight systems inDemon’s Souls, it can be a pain to manage your inventory and keep your weight below 50% to stay agile. However, with the Ring of Great Strength equipped, you’ll be able to carry more gear without the worry of becoming encumbered. You will need to avoid the Dragons in 1-1 to get this one early, but it’s worth the hassle, trust me.
2Cling Ring
Increases HP in Soul Form by 40%
Our runner-up is a ring that we reckon you will rarely have off your finger at all throughout your entireDemon’s Soulsplaythrough. You see, inDemon’s Souls, when you die, you enter your Soul Form, which cuts your max HP down to 50%. This can make you very flimsy, especially in the early hours of the game, but with the Cling Ring, your health is boosted by 40%, giving you added chances of survival.
Unless you know this game like the back of your hand and are a skilled Souls player, chances are that you will spend the vast majority of the game in your Soul Form, so having that additional 40% bump to your health will often be a no-brainer. If you have Stones of Ephemeral Eyes burning a hole in your pocket, then definitely use them before boss battles and swap this ring out, but before long, you’ll be in Soul Form again and slipping this back on.
1Thief Ring
Makes it harder for enemies to detect you
Then, in our top spot, we have the Thief Ring. It’s a ring that you would think would be far too situational to be of any real use, but in reality, this ring is a godsend that can trivialize sections of the game that would otherwise be a nightmare. This ring allows you to sneak past Dragon God with more consistency. It allows you to make the fight against the Old Hero a cakewalk, and it allows you to de-aggro and hide from bosses like Maneater and Adjudicator.
There are just so many situations in this game where, if you’re struggling, the Thief Ring, combined with the Cloak Spell, will allow you to get over that hump and overcome adversity. So, while it’s not going to be useful for every single moment of your Demon’s Souls campaign, it comes in clutch when you need it most, and that’s why we think it’s the best of the bunch.
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