How can I backstab?

[|Nick]

No matter how often I try it, I simply do only a normal attack.
I stand behind an enemy, only a sword in my hand, no shield, but I cant backstab him.
How does it work?

[Lord Bob]

Is the sword in your right hand?
As far as I know, backstabs with offhand weapons (left hand weapon slot) are not possible.

Usually standing behind an enemy and pressing the attack button (main hand) works to perform a backstab.
Something that occured to me a few times: if you just stand behind an enemy and attack, you might be a little too far away or not have the right angle to successfully backstab.
Try getting to the back of the enemy as close as possible and attack.

[|Nick]

I wield it with the right hand. Does the weapon need to be in the right mainhand slot aswell? You have 2 mainhand slots, I'm not talking about the slots for shields.

I'm as close as possible to the enemy, and I tried different angles. Does wielding the weapon with one or two hands a difference?

Another question, does my armour type affects weather enemies can hear me?

[Lord Bob]

One or two-handing your weapon does not make a difference in performing a backstab.
I'm really clueless about your backstab problem, sorry :/

Yes, at least in the original Dark Souls it did and I suppose it works that way in the remaster too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jvXjtqfUpQ

Also, what affects how fast enemies hear you is your walking speed.
When walking slower, you will almost always be able to walk up close to an enemy to perform a backstab, although the timing can be a little tricky sometimes, as enemies will turn around when you get too close to them.

[Melth]

Backstabbing can take a bit of practice, because the zone in which you trigger a backstab instead of a normal attack is not always what you expect.

When I was a new player, I often tried to be directly behind the enemy's back. That's the wrong thing to focus on. Most enemies' backs/chests rotate around a lot when they're preparing to attack, so it can mislead you. You want to be behind their butts really.


The general procedure is this:
1) Make sure the enemy CAN be backstabbed.
Most humanoids can be backstabbed, but some are immune. Most non-humanoids are immune. Most/all bosses are immune.
NPCs you are not currently hostile to are immune
People who are currently standing up from a backstab or riposte are immune

2) Have a weapon in your right hand. 2-hand vs 1-hand does not matter

3) Stand in the sweet spot, which is somewhere behind the enemy and will take some practice to find

4) Click the basic right hand attack button. Do NOT press the strong attack button or press forward on the control stick or anything else which might make you do anything other than a basic right hand attack


A good place to practice is against the basic hollow warriors between firelink shrine and undead burg. Lead one into a nice open space where you have room to circle around him and then practice hitting him from various angles behind him until one works.

[CyberDoge]

Also important thing, you should NOT use shield or block with weapon
If you try to backstab while blocking it will do normal attack

[nomoreblues]

also you can only backstab "human"-like enemies, did you try the hollow soldiers?