Dark Souls Remastered: Gaping Dragon

Approach and preparation

Gaping Dragon is the Depths boss on the normal Lower Burg route. Rest at the Depths bonfire and open the nearby doors on your way through the sewers before committing to the boss. From the large open room, climb to the upper walkway and kill the Channeler before you return to the fog. That is preparation, rather than a shortcut: the surrounding enemies still respawn, but the Channeler stays dead and can no longer cast support magic into the arena. Repair a weapon with a reliable side attack, bring repair powder if you own it, and decide before the fog whether you actually want the tail reward.

Fight from the rear quarter

At the start, let the Dragon expose its enormous mouth, then move to a rear leg or the tail instead of standing in front of the teeth. Its long crawl-charge is the opening to learn first. Step sideways early, let the body travel past, then follow the rear for a short attack string while it turns around. Do not chase the head after a charge; the tail and legs give you better sight of the next move and keep you away from the bite and grab.

When it stands upright, pay attention to the torso. A foreleg swipe and stomps ask you to leave the front quarter. A body lift or slam means you should get out from underneath. The acid release is the move to respect most: the Dragon wriggles, then leaves a spreading pool that damages equipment. Run directly away until the pool stops growing rather than rolling through it and paying the repair cost. If it takes flight for a smash, keep moving sideways and reclaim the rear after it lands.

Cutting the tail awards the Dragon King Greataxe, but make it a deliberate detour. The tail can sweep behind the Dragon, and lingering there for a weapon can cost the safer kill. If you want it, take individual tail hits after a completed charge, then return to a rear leg. Otherwise, ignore the tail and use the charge-recovery rhythm until the boss falls. There is no separate phase; the arena gets harder only when acid and your own camera position shrink the safe lanes.

Reward and next step

The main reward is the Blighttown Key, which opens the normal door onward from the Depths. Use it, then take the lower route into Blighttown and work toward the swamp bonfire before trying to clear every side path. Quelaag is the next bell boss. The Dragon can be bypassed through later keyed travel, but this is the clean first-run route and gives the key that makes the Depths exit understandable.