To knock the Iron Golem down in Dark Souls 1 , you usually need about 400 damage to one leg/ankle to trigger the first stagger, then about 200 more damage within roughly 15 seconds to make him fully topple over. If you don’t land the second chunk fast enough, the stagger can reset.

Practical meaning

  • Focus attacks on one lower leg.
  • Once he starts wobbling, keep pressure on the same leg.
  • Heavy, high-damage weapons make the knockdown much easier.
  • If you’re near the edge, the topple can push him off the bridge for a quick kill.

Simple answer

If you want the short version: around 600 total leg damage, split into a 400-damage stagger and a 200-damage follow-up.

Extra tip

A lot of guides also note that the safe spot is near his legs, and that keeping him close to the arena edge can let the knockdown turn into an instant fall.