10 Insane Dark Souls Shortcuts You Totally Missed
2. Staircase Plunge - Painted World Of Ariamis
What makes the Painted World of Ariamis unique - aside from it being a literal world inside a painting - is the fact that you can't warp out of it from the bonfire once you're in. To escape the frozen nightmare, you have to travel right through the level and plunge down from the plank in the boss arena back into Anor Londo.
So, then, if you've wandered in by mistake, or are just impatient, you're going to want to find the quickest way to get to where you need to be.
The main shortcut in the Painted World is right in plain sight: a huge door just up the steps from the bonfire. As you travel up to the levels above this main courtyard, you can do either one of two things. You can a) climb the tower behind you and drop to a ledge that offers a fairly steep fall to the door; or b) you can get there even easier by jumping over the bannister of the staircase below.
Whichever one you choose, having this shortcut open provides that reassuring safety net when traversing the Painted World, as all it takes is a short run to collect your souls if you die.