Souls of a Giant carry over when you begin New Game Plus in Dark Souls II, and they still weaken Vendrick. The effect depends on how many you hold, up to five, so keep any you need before choosing Journey 2 to Drangleic.
Do Souls of a Giant carry over into NG+?
Yes. When you begin NG+ at the Far Fire bonfire in Majula by choosing Journey 2 to Drangleic, Souls of a Giant remain in your inventory. Although the game removes certain items, including key items, a Soul of a Giant is not a key item and is explicitly listed as carrying over. See the NG Cycles reference and the Soul of a Giant reference.
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You do not need to collect them again just because you entered a new journey: carried souls count toward the number affecting Vendrick in that cycle.
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Each Soul of a Giant you hold halves Vendrick’s defense. The effect caps at five souls: with none, his defense is 32 times its base value; five halvings bring it back to 1× base defense. Holding more than five does not reduce it further. Details are listed in the Vendrick reference.
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The effect is passive: the souls need to be in your inventory. If Vendrick is still alive and you have fewer than five, keep what you have rather than consuming them for ordinary souls.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you keep or consume them before NG+?
Consuming a Soul of a Giant grants 10,000 souls, but you give up its contribution to weakening Vendrick. The three souls found in the Memories of Jeigh, Orro, and Vammar do not regenerate through Bonfire Ascetics, so spending them can leave you short of the five-soul threshold.
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| Choice | What it means |
|---|---|
| Keep it | It remains in your inventory through NG+ and counts toward Vendrick’s five-soul defense reduction. |
| Consume it | You receive 10,000 souls, but that soul no longer helps weaken Vendrick. |
If you need additional Giant Souls, the Ancient Dragon is the repeatable source; Bonfire Ascetics do not restore the memory souls. The listed sources also include the Black Gulch Elite Giants. See the Soul of a Giant reference and Bonfire Ascetic reference.
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What to do before starting Journey 2
- Check how many Souls of a Giant you have in your inventory.
- If Vendrick is still alive in your current journey, keep the souls you may need for the next encounter; the five-soul effect is the maximum.
- At the Far Fire in Majula, select Journey 2 to Drangleic to start NG+. Your retained Giant Souls will carry over.
- After Vendrick is defeated, consider consuming any souls you no longer need for his defense. Each consumed soul is worth 10,000 souls.
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