Humanity

Humanity is a mechanic and consumable item in Dark Souls, allowing the Undead to reverse their hollowing.

Rare tiny black sprite found on corpses. Use to gain 1 humanity and restore a large amount of HP.

This black sprite is called humanity, but little is known about its true nature.
If the soul is the source of all life, then what distinguishes the humanity we hold within ourselves?

Usage

When used, Humanity will increase the player's humanity count by 1 and reverse hollowing. It will also heal the player to full health. 

Twin Humanities

Rare tiny black sprite found on corpses. Very unusual twin humanity. Use to gain 2 humanity and restore a large amount of HP.

This black sprite is called humanity, but little is known about its true nature.
If the soul is the source of all life, then what distinction is left for humanity?

Twin Humanities function near-identically to normal Humanity, but instead increase the player's Humanity by 2. 

Humanity Acquisition

Merchants:

• 1x sold by Female Undead Merchant in Undead Burg for 5,000 souls. 
• 3x sold by Patches the Hyena for 10,000 souls each in either Tomb of the Giants or Firelink Shrine.
• 13x sold by Marvelous Chester for 10,000 souls in the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. 
• Can be bribed from Patches if you talk to him before his first betrayal and choose not to forgive him after.

Enemy drops:

• Dropped by Humanity Sprites in the Chasm of the Abyss in the Artorias of the Abyss DLC:
  • Small Sprites: Single Humanity (4%), Twin Humanity (1%).
  • Medium Sprites: Single Humanity (8%), Twin Humanity (2%).
  • Large Sprites: Single Humanity (10%), Twin Humanity (5%).
• Dropped by Small Rats:
  • 5% chance in the Undead Parish, Depths, or Firelink Shrine.
  • 3% chance in the Depths or Painted World of Ariamis.
• Dropped by Large Rats (100% chance) in the Depths.
• Dropped by Snow Rats (5% chance) in the Painted World of Ariamis.
• Dropped by Skeletons (2% Chance).
• Dropped by Infested Ghouls (1% Chance).
• Dropped by Baby Skeletons (2% chance) in the Tomb of Giants.
• Dropped by most Bosses after patch 1.05.
• Dropped by Pisaca (4% chance) in The Duke's Archives.
  

World locations:

• Firelink Shrine: Found on a corpse hanging over the well.
• Undead Burg: On top of the sewer canal, beside the entrance from Firelink.
• Undead Parish: On a corpse in a barrel inside the church, near Lautrec's cell.
• New Londo Ruins: At the end of the walkway along the raised wall, close to the Valley of Drakes entrance.
• Valley of Drakes: In a small cave near the lone Drake blocking the narrow path.
• Painted World of Ariamis: Found on two hanging corpses; cut the chains to access them.
• Tomb of Giants: On the ledge at the end of the last slide, right above the first bonfire.
• Crystal Cave: Through a narrow passage with an invisible floor after the first Golem.

Twin Humanities Acquisition

Merchants:

• Can be chosen as a Gift during character creation.
• 1x sold by Patches the Hyena for 20,000 souls.
• Given as an atonement gift by Patches if you choose not to forgive him after the incident in the Tomb of Giants.

Enemy Drops:

• 1-2 dropped by Oswald of Carim when killed.
• Dropped by Giant Humanity spirits in the Chasm of the Abyss:
  • Large Humanity (10% chance), Medium Humanity (8% chance), Small Humanity (4% chance).
• Dropped by some Bosses in the game.
• Dropped by some Vagrants.
• Dropped by Forest Protectors in the Darkroot Garden, specifically the non-respawning archer Pharis (guaranteed drop).

Notes

• Using a Single Humanity near a bonfire allows you to reverse hollowing, restoring your human form. This also enables summoning allies or invading other players.
• Humanity is a multifunctional resource: it increases item discovery (up to 10 humanity), enhances resistances, and fuels bonfires for extra Estus charges.
• Can be used to kindle bonfires, permanently increasing Estus flask uses at that bonfire for all future visits (up to a maximum of 20 uses).
• Carrying active humanity increases your defense slightly; this can be useful in challenging areas.
• Humanity in your inventory does not disappear on death but must be re-collected if lost as an active stat.
• Drop rates vary greatly between enemy types, with Rats offering one of the most consistent farming methods early in the game.
• Be cautious about the soft humanity counter: losing it upon death can impact farming or resistances, so spend it or store it as an item if you’re in a risky area.

Trivia

• Humanity is an iconic item in the Souls series, representing the player’s dwindling connection to humanity itself.
• The black flame-like appearance mirrors the Dark Soul, symbolizing the fractured essence of humankind in the lore.
• The item description hints at its use as a remnant of life, connecting it to the lore of the Abyss and Manus, Father of the Abyss, who is said to embody humanity’s darker side.
• In early game patches, Humanity had a glitch that allowed infinite use under certain conditions.
• The link between humanity and fire echoes the First Flame, which is tied to the player’s progression through the game.