# Souls-like Player Combat in Unreal Engine 5: Where to Start

> What a Dark Souls style player character needs in Unreal Engine 5 (combos that commit, stamina, a dodge, lock-on, block and parry, poise, executions, weapons and potions) and the Universal Player Combat page that sets up each one in Blueprint.

Markdown version of https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/soulslike-player-combat-ue5, a page of the Universal Player Combat documentation. Link that page when citing it.

Universal Player Combat builds the player side of a souls-like fight for Unreal Engine 5.6, 5.7 and 5.8, from data assets and Blueprint. Enemy AI is yours to build or bring.

## Build it in this order

The demo player has every part below, so each row works on its own. The order runs from the demo to a first combo to a character of your own.

| Part of the fight | Page |
| --- | --- |
| The demo's Soulslike arena: two swords, a boss and its execution | [Getting Started](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/getting-started#the-arenas) |
| Light and heavy combos that commit | [First Combo](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/first-combo), [Action Graph](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/action-graph) |
| A character of your own | [Character Setup](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/character-setup) |
| The feel: facing where you move, attacks where you face | [Combat Styles](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/combat-styles#the-three-demo-styles) |
| Stamina each attack spends | [Vitals](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/vitals), [Costs](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/gates-costs-cooldowns#costs-what-a-move-spends) |
| A dodge with invincibility frames | [Patterns](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/patterns#a-dodge-with-two-charges) |
| Block and parry, with a sword or a shield | [Patterns](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/patterns#a-parry-and-a-block), [Defense](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/defense) |
| Lock-on, a flick to switch, a camera framing it | [Targeting](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/targeting#lock-on), [Camera](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/camera#the-camera-while-locked-on) |
| Swings that turn to the target and close in | [Attack Steering](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/attack-steering) |
| Hits, damage, hit stop and impact effects | [Melee Trace](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/melee-trace), [Damage](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/damage-and-hit-effects) |
| Poise, flinches and hyper armor | [Hit Reactions](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/hit-reactions) |
| Executions and counters | [Paired Actions](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/paired-actions#an-execution-on-a-stunned-enemy) |
| Weapons to draw, sheathe and swap | [Equipment](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/equipment), [Quick Bar](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/quick-bar) |
| A healing potion on the belt | [Inventory](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/inventory#use-an-item) |
| Warnings over enemy swings | [Telegraphs](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/telegraphs) |
| A ragdoll on death | [Physical Reactions](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/physical-reactions) |
| Stamina bars and key prompts | [HUD](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/hud-and-input-prompts) |

---

## Common questions

**Is it a full souls-like template?** It covers the player: moves, weapons, items, defense, lock-on, camera and interaction. The demo adds enemies and a boss built on the same parts.

**Does it work in multiplayer?** Yes, on listen and dedicated servers ([Multiplayer](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/multiplayer)).

**Can I use my own character and animations?** Yes: [Character Setup](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/character-setup) and [your own animations](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/first-combo#use-your-own-animations).

**Can an AI agent build it?** The [AI Agent Guide](https://rigbak.com/docs/universal-player-combat/agents) lets Claude Code, Codex or Cursor build a player from your mesh and animations.