A Dark Souls 3 Story Retrospective

[@GILGAMESH069]

What I really love about gael as a character is the irony the whole situation, that it's the thing gwyn tried to suppress so badly end up being the very thing that saves the world from HIS curse, on the flip side I like how gael is everything gwyn feared a berserk uncontrollable force that outlasted the very gods

[@MysteryKar]

also: the first fight of the game is you fighting a large hollow with a big sword, the last fight of the game is you fighting a large hollow with a big sword,

[@JuanAntonioGarciaHeredia]

@@MysteryKar No way in a game where everyone is either a hollow or demon you fight hollows at the start and at the end? 😱😱

[@toledochristianmatthew9919]

@@JuanAntonioGarciaHeredia It does fit well with the theme of the story and how humanity despite being held back of its true power has managed to reach the end of the world, outliving the very masters who enslaved them.

[@bigmannn2443]

@@MysteryKar I don't think you can really call Iudex Gundyr a hollow, he's more hollow in the literal sense with him not having his soul anymore and essentially just being an empty dead shell of a former champion being controlled by the pus of man

[@MysteryKar]

@@bigmannn2443 close enough

[@Lakefront_Khan]

Lothic also has the best line in the game, roughly: "This place marks our grave. But you may rest here too, I'd you'd like."

[@crsmith6226]

Why can't we say yes? Like "alright bro, cheers let's have a pint".

[@SnuSnuDungeon]

He's very cordial. Quite the gentleman

[@clara_g00]

Personally, I prefer: *"Rise, if you would. For that is our curse."*

[@Axecutor]

@@crsmith6226 cause we're dead, lol

[@warmonksLoL]

my fav fromsoft line is "THE LOATHESOME DUNG EATER". diff strokes for diff folks i guess.

[@rimantssiupienis1380]

Fun fact: You said that Yhorm and Aldrich have connections to certain NPC'S, you are correct, but the abyss watchers also have an NPC that is connected to them, the crestfallen warrior in firelink shrine. He is a legion deserter (has the same armour and there are abyss watcher swords in the firelink graveyard.) And if you complete his questline and fight him, he uses the abyss watchers greatsword.

[@noamias4897]

As well as him choosing for the fight to be in their arena

[@yummyquack4571]

He also joins the dragons

[@Dat-Boi-Camoja]

@@yummyquack4571 no lol

[@ieatmice751]

Bro how did you play the game and not see his name He’s not just a crestfallen warrior, he’s Hawkwood the Deserter

[@nicho.n1215]

@@Dat-Boi-Camoja But he did, well sort of join the dragon? I mean it's more of wanting to become a dragon.

[@galloviking4766]

The wasteland of ash is the future for sure. Gael says: "What, still here?" which tells you everything. He's surprised you aren't hollow yet.

[@jackpfefferkorn3734]

That line always makes me think of Ferris Beuller after the end of the movie.

[@a5hen]

I love that arena. It shows the world is full of ash after the constant linking and no matter how great your kingdom was, it lies there half sunk in ash. The imagery is so beautiful yet hard hitting.

[@xVuuM3]

Yea, so does Andre of Astora every time time you talk to him lol

[@xentiment6581]

​@@a5heni love that anor londo cathedral remains the only thing standing. Shows that it likely is the first thing made with the power of the flame and is tied to it.

[@dirojsnimons6896]

36:20, my theory for us not seeing Ocelotte is that he is a crossbreed like Priscilla. Priscilla had the ability to turn invisible during her fight so i always imagined that that was an ability unique to dragon crossbreeds. I imagine that during the fight Ocelotte is simply frightened and turned itself invisible, hence why Oceiros keeps telling Ocelotte to show themselves 'You were born a child of dragons, what could you possibly fear?'

[@kabrozkabroz]

The realistic answer is the cut content is in the games files, its simply an unfinished thing left as is. So canonically speaking without legal complications, Ocelotte exists and is visible, and whatever happens that makes Oceiros "lose sight of him" is unknown, because it's unfinished.

[@chaoticstarfish3401]

@@kabrozkabroz I don't think we should consider cut content as strictly canon. It could be, but making up explanations befitting the existent lore is better, not to mention that it's the game devs' intent.

[@sm901ftw]

That's a doyalist answer for why, but I don't think you can realistically argue Ocelot is visible in universe. The dialogue makes it clear Oceiros can't see him, and the camera quite clearly focuses on his hands, pretty much forcing the player to realise there's seemingly nothing there. That doesn't strike me as just being "unfinished" so much as "deliberately removed". The cut content isn't just missing. It's contradicted. Regardless of development reasons, it seems pretty clear that in-universe Ocelot isn't visible, if he's real at all.

[@kabrozkabroz]

@@sm901ftw I am of the opinion that regardless of canonicity, the Oceiros encounter is incomplete. It would make sense too as to why DS3 might have some missing pieces. DS2 was released in 2014. Some ideas were scrapped and completely overhauled the scope of the project. Only a year later in 2015 Bloodborne came out, and in 2016 only a year later DS3 came out. Finding a convenient way to make use of assets that's convincing doesn't make it not unfinished - though I know that's not what you're arguing with me on. My point is merely that the unfinished nature leaves it far too ambiguous. And this is a game series where the majority of our most solid blocks of lore are still based on speculation. And so I speculate that the original intent is closer to the truth than what we actually received.

[@retorikhal]

@@kabrozkabroz ds3 was very very rushed, fromsofts b team worked on ds2 while their a team (which included all the people that made the first game) worked on bloodborne, the a team started on the dlc and ds3 right after the release and due to the short amount of available time they had to cut a lot of stuff which is now probably in elden ring not to mention the complications during ds2's development and the eventual sotfs edition of the game also releasing in 2015

[@joshtompkins1538]

1:16:26 fun fact: if you directly translate Yuria’s last words from Japanese it’s something like “Kaath, your dying wish was in vain.” Kind of insane that a piece of lore like Kaath’s death could be lost in translation.

[@tibarion]

English Translators are consistently shit across media so it checks out

[@Timebomb_19]

It’s more like “your final wish.” More so then dying. Considering the world status of the primordial serpents, kaathe could’ve just planned to leave londor and gave that last task to the sisters.

[@nowherenight5717]

​@@Timebomb_19in the fight with lady Friede there are curtains depicting 2 women crushing 2 snakes with poles,they are in the top of the wooden structures that burn down in the second phase,they both have names, acording to a developer note: "Crusher and stabber' , im not sure what that means but the relation to the only 2 named serpentents makes me suspect that kaathe and frampt May not be around anymore

[@iampfaff]

@@nowherenight5717well, take solace in the fact that bloodborne and dark souls don’t share a universe.

[@haziq12ish]

Who is kaath

[@Dadwell]

God, what a journey this has been. Finger, but hole

[@cosmosofinfinity]

Deep...

[@galeforcebeach]

Try finger

[@justsomeplantcells-]

Try hole

[@ramrodbldm9876]

Bunch of weirdo copy paste kids

[@kirillmaksimov9572]

6:30 we actually do get an answer why fire keepers are blind - to stop them from seeing world without the fire, to prevent them from betraying the flame. We get this answer from the fire keeper herself after we give her the eyes of the fire keeper found at the bottom of the tower that also contains remains of previous fire keepers. It’s a well established part of the lore and easily accessible as well.

[@riplix20]

So then why are none of the fire keepers in ds1 blind? Emerald herald was blind but she’s not even a firekeeper

[@starhammer5247]

@@riplix20 Because things change. It's been thousands of years since DS1, of course things are going to change, especially as the cycles keep repeating.

[@Vigrent]

Another theory about Ornstein is that he is a illusion in Anor Londo made by Gwyndolin. As it is explained that Smough was the last knight guarding the cathedral, even though when you get there Ornstein is clearly there. The reason why people think Ornstein is a illusion is because Gwynevere is a illusion aswell. What might’ve happened to Ornstein instead is that he left the cathedral and shared part of his soul so a illusion could be created in his image that wouldn’t immediately dissipate when hit. After leaving the cathedral he discovered dragon worship and Archdragon Peak. And eventually tried becoming a dragon, like all the other people and leaving his armor and weapon behind. Another hint that Ornstein didn’t die with his armor on is that it isn’t found on a corpse or in a chest like everything else. Its just laying there, which is strange and is implying he took it off and dumped it. Anyways enjoying the video so far! I and a lot of other people really appreciate the effort that goes into these videos. Keep it up!

[@omarfejzic2981]

Wait a sec we fought someone who controls lightning in ds3

[@alelliot3869]

Pretty sure that Ornstein left to serve the nameless king, it appears as though they were close as his armour set and the sacred oath miracle imply.

[@Bone_brake_hates_furrys]

I think that Gwyndolin is a illusion himself created by aldrich

[@P0STHUM4NS]

Interestingly Nameless kills his dragon and "absorbs" it's power similar to how the O&S second phase goes. ;)

[@bigmannn2443]

This theory actually makes much more sense when you realize that the guards that are protecting the fog gate to ornstein and smough are actually just illusions too which shows that it is indeed possible to strengthen illusions by means of powerful objects like titanite

[@maxchen9185]

Pontiff Sulyvahn left such a strong impression on me when I first encountered him, that I create all my characters to be like him in all the fantasy RPG games I played after (that allows character customization). Dual-wielding evil faith character that summons mirror image and has a flaming sword, dude was so damn cool.

[@darksuntoggafhd9947]

Haha that's exactly what I did in elden ring. I had a holy/death dex build with the mimic tear.

[@maxchen9185]

@@darksuntoggafhd9947 exactly, the fact you can create a character just like him in Elden Ring is just pure gold

[@rubencid2575]

At first, he was intended as the final boss. He, mastermind behind the decline of the fire, was changed by some reason

[@maxchen9185]

@@rubencid2575 dude was def. final boss-worthy

[@serPomiz]

I find it weird how he didn't point out how he's supposed to be a pontiff of sacred miracles, yet his sword sare one in the red flame of pyromancy, and the other (and his double during the fight) in that undefined purlple of magic in-between sorceries and hexes

[@caseyking8394]

The seigward cutscene before yhorm gives me goosebumps every time. Hardest cutscene in the series

[@shenwishes8787]

Oh, I agree. Got me really hyped

[@TheStraightestWhitest]

That fight is just not the same without the ''HYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!'' right as you run at Yhorm.

[@xsadvillainx1499]

100%. My favourite questline/character in the series.

[@cosmosofinfinity]

Siegward got the heroism in DS3 that Siegmeyer yearned for in DS1. Such a welcome comeback for our old onion friend

[@xinderx1039]

50:53 I just noticed that NK's spear is actually shaking before he kills his mount.

[@dsdsdsasd]

Nice catch!

[@heartnet40]

Given that it doesn't seem like the Everlasting Dragons were doing anything besides existing before Gwyn declared war on them, I always felt that the Nameless King realized that the dragons were the victims in this war and that was probably why he sided with them. He just seems so empathetic towards his dragon companion that I can't see any non-emotional reason why he would ally with them. The dragons lost the war, so it couldn't be he thought they were powerful allies. No I think he just saw them as being relentlessly hunted down for no good reason. None of the Nameless King's demeanor suggest it had anything to do with Gwyn or a lust for power is all I'm thinking.

[@samfoley6132]

@@heartnet40 I’m pretty sure they dominated everything that attempted to establish settlement on the surface

[@stevie7214]

@Zinc Deficiency well, they DID just discover it..? They never said they’re the first person to discover it 🙄😂 imagine spending your time going around on the internet trying to correct strangers for things that don’t even make sense to correct them for “my man”.

[@dustgraystone9448]

@@samfoley6132 does anyone mention that/have lore that states that? I mean if that's true then why does Qwyn already have legions of Silver Knights when he first fought them?

[@Terminarch]

One of my great regrets in life was blitzing DS1. Getting to the end... breathing a heavy sigh of relief that fire zombie god was dead... then not understanding why I was expected to set myself on fire. THEN realizing I was literally standing in a kiln. Like holy shit the symbolism. So I did it all again. Meticulously sought and read every item description. Fast forward to DS3 and we get to see the meta narrative in Gael and the painter. Director commentary on the series itself. Fucking brilliant. Art on an inspirational scale.

[@donutello_]

The exact same happened to me with DS3. I played the trilogy back to back, and when I got to the middle of DS3 I just got burnt out. I LOVED the game to death but I just had to push myself to finish it. I might play it again someday fully.

[@ComfortsSpecter]

Vibe and a Half Incredible Story

[@radcut7404]

Aldrich: *A cannibalistic madman with frightening visions* The archdeacons: _We could make religion out of this_

[@airsphinx3965]

This was my first from soft game and tbh I think it’s one of the best to start with as far as gameplay is concerned

[@clara_g00]

But not the lore, definitely. I have a couple of friends who started playing DS since the third part and they say: "Ooh, Dark Souls' lore is impossible to understand!", And I'm like: "Seriously, dude?". I mean, I might not know some of the details or some of my guesses can be wrong, but I understand DS lore without watching all of Vaati's videos concerning it.

[@boogelymoogely8851]

Honestly, I think Sekiro is a good place to start. It's where I started, and I'm happy I did. Especially with Elden Ring being out and more refined in its combat, playing Sekiro then Dark Souls with Dark Souls III following (Elden Ring being first) would make Sekiro like a pallette-cleanser, since it's so different, going to Dark Souls won't feel like a massive downgrade in gameplay, and then to Dark Souls III will still feel like an upgrade. Especially lore-wise, Dark Souls III means so much more when played with the context of Dark Souls (and Dark Souls II, but nowhere near as much as Dark Souls), and I don't think you can replicate that as a first game. The emotional gut punch of the piano keys during the Soul of Cinder fight I find to be the best example of this, that would be like less of a donkey kick to the groin and more of a light slap in the face without having experienced Dark Souls first. Anyway, absolutely beautiful games in numerous ways, some of the best ever made. I love Dark Souls

[@aliceinwonderland4395]

It is by far still my favourite Dark Souls game out of the whole trilogy. Snappy and fluid mechanics, fast-paced, adrenaline-inducing combat, fair enemy design, amazing variety of locations, beautiful expansion and conclusion of its story and the most fleshed out of them all. Sure, there's a lot of things left to be desired, but in my opinion its quality far outshines the other 2 games, and its flaws aren't as gaping wide.

[@merify3391]

It was mine as well and that year was (so far) the worst year of my life, but Dark Souls III ironically was the only thing that kept me going despite the difficulty. I remember spending a whole week on the Lothric twins.

[@steve_exp]

me too, the most polished gameplay, and has enough lore exposition for me to get interested and play the other games, so i find it a great start too

[@Geese_boi777]

Another note about Ocelotte is that he may simply have invisibility powers as a dracanoid similar to Pricilla. This would be a clever in-universe method for From to censor child abuse while allowing it to occur in order to demonstrate Oceiro's animalistic depravity

[@AC-hj9tv]

It's what I did when I was a kid

[@ThisChannelIsAbandoned300]

interesting

[@TheMidnightVendetta]

There is another theory about Ludleth, based on his dialogue unlocked after killing him. That the gods or lords forced him to use his transposing skills to take/seal the Soul Feeder in him, so he had a huge amount of souls, then they forced him to burn to relight the flame. He speaks of it burning and that he is sorry, but that’s just a theory. a theory about games you might say

[@Somethingclever11111]

A practical game theory all things considered

[@davidhong1934]

I like to believe that Ludleth represents a SL1 or speed run. His soul level ain't high, but he abused a lot of tricks and glitches to force his way to the First Flame, which is why Firelink Shrine exists in limbo. Due to the nature of what he did, it's not clear if his feat was legitimate, which is why he has the nightmares.

[@uditvedantmishra9719]

Dark souls 3 is personally my favourite of the souls series, especially for its atmosphere and story

[@kaptenkladdkaka8769]

That ending hit hard. Last time I heard that song was on my brother's funeral. He was a long-time fan of Dark Souls so it was a fitting song for the end of his age of Fire.

[@ulvfdfgtmk]

Shit, that made me cry :( Sorry for your loss.

[@likemysnopp]

well god damn that was deep. May he rest in peace

[@vsGoliath96]

"This is the first time in the series where the game outright tells you who the main bosses will be." Except in the original, where it did exactly that same thing?

[@ursaminor2732]

LOL

[@spaghettibolognese5838]

I thought every game did this lol

[@MobyDrip]

1:08:53 I'm fairly certain that there was a ringed city knight still there at the end of time with us and Gael. And, there was also Shira who fights us, and she wasn't in phantom form meaning she was there in the flesh. Edit: And the pigmy who was crawling back to Fillianore, although he did die shortly after.

[@zade8586]

You are Correct.

[@alwest4472]

Ok, so last 2 beings that matter

[@user-ov1ep5rf2l]

What ringed knight

[@soupgirl1871]

@@user-ov1ep5rf2l to the left of where the Gael fight starts, there's a dual ultra greatsword ringed Knight walking in circles

[@a_fuckin_spacemarine7514]

I remember hearing back then that the ringed knight was left in by accident, but, the developers thought him walking in circles was interesting, so they left him.

[@kivsto8130]

Nameless king killing storm king and absorbing his lighting power is a pretty definitive call back to the ornstein and smough fight.

[@Dat-Boi-Camoja]

He didn’t kill it we did and he just absorbed it

[@sentric_]

@@Dat-Boi-Camoja well you can see both ornstein and king of the storm move a bit in their cutscenes, the bosses still finished their comrade and mount whilst we just brought them to that point.

[@keeganwullaert4996]

@@sentric_ The big difference is nk cared about his mount, smough doesn't seem to have any care about ornstein

[@krishnoffski2895]

That's not how that works, the Nameless King is Gwyn's firstborn and already has plenty of lightning powers himself. I'd argue he absorbs the wind powers his strikes leave behind

[@JusticeforLiberty]

Pretty sure Fire Keepers are blind now is to keep them from seeing things they shouldn't see. I think there is a description on the fire keepers eyes item

[@yurinoworry]

To keep them from seeing visions of a world without fire!

[@NotYurAverageJoe]

I always interpreted the handmaiden’s lines as indicative of just how woefully out of touch she is with the world around her, having presumably just been sitting in that same spot for ages.

[@gooma7942]

Dark Souls 3 has easily my favorite main menu/ main theme of any of the souls games. It's absolutely breathtaking and gorgeous (note, i have not played demon souls)

[@cosmosofinfinity]

Personally, I like how the other games have silence on just a black screen, with as little text as possible. It's evocative of old NES games. Dark Souls 3's goes a little too hard right out of the gate, but that's not necessarily a bad thing since it is the finale after all

[@btchiaintkidding7837]

DS1 has the best character creation theme. the OST that plays on the character menu is awesome, shame that the game barely gets used ij the game, at least tons of youtubers use it in souls video essay lmao

[@TheShane209]

Love DS3 it’s my favorite of the souls games. I’ve been dying for you to cover this can’t wait to watch it

[@BaldinBlack]

There’s a theory that implies that Lothric’s teacher, the scholar that pushed him in making the decision of abandoning the linking of the fire was actually Sullyvahn before taking Anor Londo. In Lothric there’s a statue of a Scholar that handles the Profaned Greatsword, the same weapon the Pontiff owns. I think this theory is great because it adds more to the Pontiff lore and makes it look like the actual villain of the game. In fact, in the cut content of the game he was actually gonna be the Final Boss called The King of the Eclipse. Ps: The Orstein of Ds1 was actually an illusion created by Gwyndolin. In the Smough set description it tells you that he was the LAST guard that defended the Cathedral. This can be true because if you attack Gwenevere in the first game and make Gwyndolin show us the true face of Anor Londo, you should notice that the Giant guards disappeared making obvious that Gwyndolin could create tangible illusions.

[@meathir4921]

I also want to point out that Ornstein in DS1 is surely much stronger than what we fight; Gwyn’s four knights are all presented as extremely strong (Gough shoots down Kalameet whilst blind, Artorias kicks the player’s ass with his off hand and no shield, although Ciran is a pushover she’s an assassin so perhaps she’s out of her element). This is a guy who slated old dragons at his peak. It makes more sense if Ornstein was part of the illusion; Gwyndolin can make illusions that can fight but not match Ornstein’s actual strength.

[@cthulhuhoops]

it also makes us ganking the guy halfway through the game a nice, hearty 'fuck you' to him. he's the VILLAIN, sure, and all his schemes succeeded, yet he's just a stone on our road as an unkindled one.

[@Arthorius12345]

“Dark Souls is back and it’s time to kick some ass” is the best way to describe this game

[@ftorididk4198]

I believe, Lothrick's teacher was Aldia himself. "The first of the Scholars doubted the linking of the fire, and was alleged to be a private mentor to the Royal Prince."

[@arathoras12]

I don't subscribe to most DS fan theories but this one does not sound too far fetched.

[@AC-hj9tv]

Wowowow

[@NanashiAkai]

Kaathe did have a hand on the Sable Church, but the Japanese text where Yuria name drops him implies that Kaathe is no longer around. The line being something around the lines of "Kaathe I have failed your dying wish"

[@scorpionO3]

I truly feel like if you were on you're deathbed and a nurse would say "what's Ur final wish" and I said to watch this video again death would say go ahead a complete masterpiece I watched it from start to finish in one go without distractions mate keep it up I can't wait for another souls game so that u can do the same thing truly I do

[@Gingy]

That's incredibly thoughtful thank you :) In case you were unaware I actually combined this video and the other videos (Dark Souls 1 & 2) into a larger video. Here's the link in case you want to watch the whole trilogy uninterrupted. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4K9mmN4d85ng6M

[@ramrodbldm9876]

You're a weirdo

[@alexcoleman6199]

This is my intro to the series and my favorite. The voice acting, music, and bosses in this game are some of the greatest in video game history.

[@KRdHaene]

I think one of the big revelations of The Ringed City DLC is that, yes there were Ages of Dark. Countless Ages of Dark overcome by Ages of Fire overcome by Ages of Dark, and so on endlessly. The point being that there will always come a being strong enough to force their will on the cycle. But, as described by Aldia and fully shown in the Ringed City, both ages are two sides of the same coin. The First Sin was Gywn welding the Dark of Man to the Light of Fire. It could never be the True Dark originally destined with the dying of the First Flame. Gywn essentially damned the world to burn endlessly until everything was ash. We see this at the end of time.

[@ethanmcguire-zi5rb]

These souls games are are straight up masterpieces that give you whatever emotions they give you and ugh😩the piano playing in the end always gets us

[@josetomascamposrobledano4618]

Thanks for this series. I love seeing a positive post release opinion on every game of the series. In truth, I’m not saying I agree with every point the uploader made in these 3 videos, but that’s the best part. What I’m saying is that when looking at these type of videos, the best parts are usually the personal takes of the uploader. Mostly because I bet most viewers are veterans of the series that already played the games and therefore summarizing the story is bit of “death weight” for some of us.

[@zachsin2411]

The thing about ocelot is that he’s a crossbreed like Pricilla meaning he could just straight up he invisible and ocerios doesn’t know where he is, it’s also heavily implied that aldia was the mentor of prince lothric

[@edfmed1080]

"Let the sun shine upon this lord of cinder" Is such a badass phrase.

[@ColetheFlame01]

I love how it also seems a lot of people in universe share in Solaire's "Praise the sun" stuff a lot, and I'd love it if somehow Siegward was secretly made of the Ashes of Solaire and Siegmire since Siegmire was just a beloved character and so was Solaire. It would explain why he has Solaire's personality but fights like Siegmire and wears Siegmire's armor (or at least the same kind of armor)

[@DOC_951]

Been waiting for this one!! Saving this for tonight, I’m gonna order my favorite food and watch this on the big screen and crack open a few tall boys

[@KOPPEN-mx8xq]

Sounds like heaven

[@thillee8800]

Sounds like a fun classy evening :)

[@plumbus7253]

Lmfaooooo🤣😂🤣😂

[@billhughes7927]

Stealing this great idea

[@robbiediaz9893]

A man of culture

[@xuanathan]

About the Dragonslayer Armour in the DLC, I'm 90% sure the only reason they brought him back is because they made the baffling decision to not have his armour set in the base game, so they just haphazardly added him in so you could wear his armour.

[@squiddlety]

Man, i'm not one of those guys who get emotional a lot. But shall i bee damned you got me big time with this epic of an ... "movie". I've learned so much from it and kept listening to the music till it gets black. You shall be praised for this huge amount of service you did to all like me, who sunk many hours in these games, but never dove that deep into the lore on our own. You did me a huge favor and i owe you big time.

[@ramrodbldm9876]

Man you are g.y if you get emotional over some random kid who's not good at games talking about a game then you are super soft and a female minded bozo

[@cloudybebop]

I know I’m a bit late to this, but I just finished all the soulsborne games for the first time and just want to thank you for these videos. You’ve explained the lore in all these games extremely well and made it easy for me to understand. You’ve truly enhanced my experience

[@Zerum69]

Linking the Fire or Letting it die out is the same ending, you always participate of a cycle The Lord of hollows ending is the only way to truly break the cycle because you turn the nature of the cycle upside down, instead of hollows being fuel for the fire until they refuse and the fire inevitably dies off You force the Fire to fuel You, a Hollow, something that needs no Fuel You glitch the system entirely, it's like going from s dying Star to a perfectly stable almost inmortal Massive Black Hole The Fire will never weaken again, because it doesn't exist anymore and the Darkness will never take over because the Fire that doesn't exist never died and never will die you force all the hollows you met in your travels to instantly regain their sanity as if they became humans in the age of light but they also keep all the benefits of the age of dark most notably true immortality That's the True ending of the series to me, an ending where we stop the cat and mouse game of light and dark and force them to work together to build something new, an ending where no one tells you "oh yeah all of this will happen again", it's an ending where everyone can finally move forward and progress

[@TheLastGame666]

I honestly never felt more fun playing anything else, It made me feel alive playing these games.

[@joeyxl3456]

They're amazing

[@Ariverfish]

The painter girl is the true ending. She will create a new world (not Dark Souls, metaphorically Elden Ring or other future titles). In conclusion, yes, Miyazaki did, in fact, turn himself into an anime girl.

[@erickenji7354]

i think Elden Ring is more pre-souls series than an ending for Dark Souls

[@ColetheFlame01]

@@erickenji7354 wasn't it confirmed they are not connected in any way?

[@erickenji7354]

@@ColetheFlame01 idk

[@spaghettibolognese5838]

@@erickenji7354yes it was confirmed

[@PurpleXTiger9]

Gwyndolin was alive because what we fought was an illusion. His illusions were powerful enough to have a physical presence.

[@alexrn416]

My theory on why the Lords of Cinder rejected their calling is that, just as the player character in the first game, they were "tricked" by the light (all the npcs and quests suggesting the kindling of the fire is the right way to go) into lighting the flame in their respective eras. All the Lords have "wants" that, perhaps, they thought the kindling of the fire would fulfill. Maybe the Abyss Watchers were tricked into thinking that lighting the fire would end the Abyss for good (which it didn't), Aldritch hoped that it would bring the era of the Deep Sea, which again it didnt, and maybe Fraampt, or another agent of Gwyn, convinced Yhorm that rekindling the flame would bring back "the one he wished to protect", as it says on the description of his shield. When these Lords came back and realize that the kindling of the flame did not bring them what they wanted they refused to light it again. It would also make sense that, despite having nightmares about lighting the flame, Ludleth is the only one who arrives on his own at firelink since the lighting of the flame might give him a chance at returning to his former glory, in the form of the Soulfeeder beast. And maybe this same conclusion was reached by Prince Lothric with the teachings of the scholar that lured him away from his role as a Lord. He found out that the lighting of the flame is just a trick of the gods and their kin in order to try and keep the age of light from giving way to the age of dark (the age of man).

[@terisian]

Cool theory, but I see it differently. Aldritch is not after anything. He was MADE a Lord and this suggests to me, that he didn't become a Lord of cinder of his own volition. It is also hinted that Yhorm became a Lord of cinder to extinguish the profaned flame and not necessarily to revive his precious one.

[@alexrn416]

@@terisian Hmm, kinda true. You could argue, under my theory, that Yhorms "want" was to extinguish the flame and not the revival of a loved one, but it still involves a want. With Aldritch you have a point, his lordship was imposed. However this doesn't negate the fact that he was a gluttonous monster, most likely even before becoming a lord, his lordship might've been imposed but his lust for power wasn't. Also, his relationship with the Age of The Deep Sea is unclear; maybe it's just visions of a possible future, maybe he does yearn for it. Still, I would have to find more evidence that backs my claim. Also the "want" is somewhat of a theme in Dark Souls as a series (Throne of Want, wanting the Age of Light to endure, wanting to bring the Age of Man, etc.)

[@Die4Gesichter]

I had a shitty day today. I stumbled upon your DS1 video and listened all the way through, while commuting today and while chilling at home. It was a bliss. Thank you. I'll definitely replay these videos regularly, you did an amazing job

[@TheVenusarus]

57:00 The reason Friede is unkindled is because she was supposed to be the Lord of Hollows but couldn't beat Soul of Cinder, so when she revived she did so with the knowledge that she could never fulfill her life's purpose

[@derpybungalow6200]

Yhorm is actually one of my favorite bosses. I know alotta people say his fight is lack luster, or simple. But I kinda love that. He set himself up to do good and upheld his ideals of good to then not only trusting his friend to put him down should he go astray but also arming the world with the means to stop him. So that should he ever fall from grace good can still prevail. His fight is simpler because he wants you to win. He might be the only lord of cinder rooting for the player. Trusting that like him, the player, and all good things, must come to an end.

[@garciasth217]

The problem is he is so easy to kill & he is die so fast that don't really need seigmail help for fight make him one of mediocre boss fight in DS3

[@darkstalkerkaathe4582]

One interesting thing I noticed about the dreg heap that no one seems to mention. Well two things. One, when you first arrive in the dreg heap, you are actually in the high wall of lothric, near where greirat is imprisoned. Next, the area with the Harald knight and the murkmen, is an exact replica of the first part of the high wall. At world's end, you are where you began.

[@davidhong1934]

It's like the Hunter's Nightmare in Bloodborne. Just as James Bloodborne must first push past a blood-adled memory of Cathedral Ward to find the truth of the past, so too must John Dark Souls the 3rd push through a ruined Lothric to see the future.

[@IbrahiemLegoFilms]

Couldn't agree more, this game is definitely my favourite of the Trilogy, not only because of the superior gameplay, but the world, the story as you see, it created an atmosphere that I can't rightly explain but I know exactly how I felt and I adore it.

[@drowzydullahan]

I still get tingles every time I see and hear that transition of the Soul of Cinder. I know it isn't the hardest fight (granted convergence mod made that fight way harder and a LOT more interesting imo.. But that's a mod lol) but man, I think it's my favorite 'final' boss. Such a perfect send off for the series in terms in my books.

[@louisb.6149]

This game is probably my favorite single player game to play. I love how it’s gotten a second wind after the release of Elden Ring, too. Something in this game presents a philosophical narrative that is fairly difficult to grasp without jumping head first into the rabbit hole of the entire series and it’s common themes

[@KeanuChrist]

Nice, another one to watch later when I’m done with DS3. I’m currently going through Dark Souls 1 for the first time but I have your videos saved to watch when I’m done because your Bloodborne one was amazing. Damn Elden Ring got me started.

[@pabloguaramato1217]

This is one of the best videos you have made so far. It's been an honor accompanying you as you covered the entire Dark Souls trilogy. Keep up with the good work.

[@Romeox1994]

perfect timing. just finished the second part. thank you for this series since it helps me a lot focusing during my lab work at night

[@abrielrobertsson4160]

DS3 is definitely my favorite just for the sole fact that it took so many elements which made Bloodborne successful and Bloodborne is one of my favorite video games of all time so, yeah.

[@pirateofms]

I loved the twin princes fight. My son complained about how much he hated it, how much his friends hated it, etc. I thought it was one of the most fun fights in the game.

[@serPomiz]

the fight is fine, there are a couple of hitboxes that are not in line with the animation, so it's easy to get clipped even when you should have avoided it, and the first teleport if you didn't win on the first try is a bit clunky, but aside from that, it's a perfectly fine fight

[@PandemoniumGameDev]

A beautiful ending to a monumental franchise. Thanks for making this, subbed!

[@hahahahahaha1946]

Gael is a true gigachad and every day when I listen to the theme, I shed a single tear

[@ramrodbldm9876]

You're a creep

[@Voidaken]

This game's Epilogue OST are the best in a video game. They alone elevate the impact of this game's story to perfection.

[@ueaghf]

I just finished the game and this came out Fantastic Gingy 🙌

[@bringinthedope5929]

I love watching video essays or retrospectives on games I just beat lol, It's the perfect cherry on top really.

[@Dat-Boi-Camoja]

I am currently stuck on the king

[@matthewgibson9235]

i have played a total of 3 hours of dark souls 3 yet i have come back and watched your retrospectives on DS12 and 3 multiple times. The story is remarkable and how you convey it is amazing. Im sure i will return to these videos in another year from now lol

[@ZeroNeedsCoffee]

goobie

[@pro-pain8327]

As beautiful as the ending to the series is I’m still sad to see it go.

[@jbark678]

Definitely left an impact on me. The collective story that's been going on between the games and the fact that I'd been watching lore videos for half a decade lent a weight to its goings on.

[@miss_bec]

I was gifted the Dark Souls 3 DLCs by a friend, about two years after I beat the game for the first time on Xbox One. I wasn't enjoying Ashes of Ariendel though, so I put the game down and didn't touch it for a long time. Earlier this year (or possibly late last year, I forget when exactly), I decided to play through the whole game again, and I'm very glad that I did. I finally played The Ringed City and let Gael finish his mission. He's my favourite boss fight of any boss, in any game, ever. Second place is Radagon (and ONLY Radagon, fuck elden beast), third is Soul of Cinder. The arena, the combat, the music, the context leading up to it all, Gael is a fucking masterpiece that more people should experience (even if they never will, because they'll never make it far enough into DS3 to do it). He cemented my adoration for the "last duel at the end of time and all things" trope and has inspired so many characters I've played in tabletop RPGs and stories I've written for myself and my friends. Fromsoft do not get enough recognition for it, but I want everyone who worked on Dark Souls 3 to know they did amazing and that their game will outlive us all.

[@serPomiz]

yeah, ashes is possibly the weackest part of the franchise. even with everything else, is just not strong enough to stand on his own

[@soupgirl1871]

@@serPomiz Ashes isn't supposed to stand on it's own, and nor is the Ringed City. They are two halves of a story. Without one story, the other is made worse

[@serPomiz]

@@soupgirl1871 I meant as raw amount of content; every DS dlc is 'just a part' but there is still quality and quantity of offer difference between ashes and, let's say, sunken city

[@soupgirl1871]

@@serPomiz every dark souls dlc leaves much to be desired because they're just so short. If you instead referred to Ivory King's dlc instead of Sunken I'd say yes, leaves much to be desired, but the lore and good bosses are there, difficult ones at that

[@MightyThor10]

Its amazing how many epic fights this game has. GOAT in that matter, imo

[@gabenvandenbrink9114]

Argument for Gwynevere being the queen that you didn't include: The Dancer's soul.

[@traehunt1176]

Bro I've watched you since your for honor days from years ago. I really like this twist of genre you've taken. This whole project with game retrospectives are so detailed that you genuinely deserve so much praise. So ill like all the retrospectives I've seen and hopefully that helps you out:)

[@mr.fister4738]

Regarding Ornstein I think he was just an illusion in DS1 made by Gwyndolin just like Gwynevere. This would mean that he left in search of his master(?), the Nameless King, before the Chosen Undead arrived. The Chosen Undead then killed the illusion and the Old Dragonslayer from DS2 is just some random guy cosplaying his hero.

[@airhead4740]

The knights you fight on the way to O and S are also Gwyndolins illusions. So there is other evidence of his illusions being physical not just visual.

[@thesnowmiser6728]

@@kabrozkabroz ok 👍

[@mr.fister4738]

@@kabrozkabroz You should still watch it. I think that's the only mistake he made

[@Gingy]

This was another theory I read during my research on the topic. It’s hard to truly know since we can’t kill gwyndolin before O&S to my knowledge but what has bothered me was the fact that Ornstein drops a soul but Gwynevere doesn’t. Gwyndolin also drops a soul and seeing as they are siblings Gwynevere should too but she doesn’t which connects with her being an illusion. The beauty of the game is that most theories work since it’s always up to interpretation. I’ve never liked the illusion theory due to the aforementioned soul discussion and because it feels like a cop out answer. Honestly, it probably would have been better if they just didn’t mention him in the game. Would have caused less headaches.

[@sasaki999pro]

@@Gingy You absolutely can kill gwyndolin prior to beating ornstein and smough, if you have the dark moon seance ring from the catacombs it unlocks access to gwyndolins chamber early, its the only way you can become a Dark Moon Blade covenant member in DS1, however you can still trespass and trigger the boss fight with gwyndolin and even get unique dialogue for doing so. Yet the illusiary anor londo (along with Ornstein and Smough) will NOT dissapear unless gwynevere is attacked regardless of whether or not gwyndolin is still alive.

[@thekidwhodraws]

I love the lothric fight. Super fun rhythm that was impossible to follow at first but is now burned into my brain. It’s pure fun to fight him now. But the room that the fight takes place in is soooo sick. At the highest room in the tallest tower of the biggest castle in the game, overlooking literally every other zone of the game, you fight prince lothric in his bedroom. It’s so intimate. Just a boy who is unwell sitting in his room as the world rots around him. Super cool

[@leodressani]

AMZING SERIES you did, dude! I’ve grown without playing any of the souls games ‘cause my folks couldn’t afford a console, and even after I got one myself I’ve looked over all of the souls games for their excruciating difficulty lol But after finishing Sekiro and Elden Ring, I’ve deepened my heart into the Dark Souls trilogy and it is an OUTSTANDING experience… Your videos portraying the whole narrative in a cohesive story shows how deep and delicate are the forces that moves the whole events and lore of the game… Absolutely amazed! Keep it up!

[@TheDragons345]

Just fought Aldrich in Dark Souls 3. Man I feel bad for Gwyndolin.

[@pauldillon2308]

I've got to say your lorian and lothric fight was magnificent. The most satisfying thing in the dark souls franchise is when you have the I-frames down perfectly with split second dodges. Well done on the video

[@TheGreyLock]

I'm surprised you didn't mention during the Aldrich bit that the purple energy blade is the Gravelord Greatsword - implying that Aldrich has absolutely consumed Gravelord Nito

[@SineWave289]

If i'm not wrong, the reason that there aren't many mention of ds2 is that Miyazaki didn't want to temper with lore he didn't make to avoid mistakes and loopholes.

[@BaronSterling]

In regards to Aldritch, I always interpreted his situation slightly differently. I don't think he's in the middle of consuming Gwyndolin in the boss fight, but he already has, and part of his ability to take the powers of those he consumes means he can also take Gwyndolin's form. Also, I always felt like the game was telling us that Aldritch _did_ consume Priscilla, just subtly, and most of the community just didn't want to believe it because waifu. We have a cannibalistic monster who consumes gods to take their powers, he has a premonition that shows him Priscilla, her powers and her location within the painted world, and then _mysteriously_ she goes missing and Aldritch has her power. I feel like the game is trying to imply that he tracked her down and ate her much more than that he memorized a story related to her from a dream.

[@soupgirl1871]

You actually hear Gwyndolin's laboured breathing and pain throughout the fight, even if you don't hit Aldrich at all. Also, Priscilla never went missing or is indicated to do so. We never return to her painted world and Aldrich dreams of her through Gwyndolin's memories, which is why she can use her miracle since they are memories turned into magic

[@caliber_v]

No matter what I watch, when I wake up my life comes back to darksouls. I can’t escape the sad story.

[@yussefkahatt1317]

Vendrick is actually mentioned in the Shirle Of Want item description, outside the old demon king boss fight

[@krisyums]

Beautiful video, still gave me goosebumps and tears when you spoke about Gael, as that was the most emotional I ever was during a boss fight. Every time I hear his theme song, I want to go immediately fight him with music on 10 and sound effects on 4, so that I can just enjoy it on full blast ❤

[@coolgamer3000]

If I'm not mistaken, there a discription in ds3 that points to Smough being the only guardian of Anor Londo, which implies that Ornstein in ds1 is an illusion made buy Gwyndoline. I believe that the old dragonslayer from ds2 is the original Ornstein on his quest to find nameless king, ending up on the dragon peak, near the nameless king himself

[@aronwith2a]

What an ending to a trilogy! You truly outdid yourself with that one! Good job!

[@wormwood8352]

The sunless realm is most likely mirrah, the place lucatiel is from. The shield used by hodrick is the same as lucatiel's and there are similarities between the armors of lucatiel hodrick and sirris. It is likely the case that they are all knights originating from mirrah due to the similarity of their equipment.

[@greg8996]

From what I know in Japanese it's heavily implied that it's the Boreal Valley, so it's probably a mistranslation.

[@user-ns4zm8qe9p]

I thought it was pretty cut and dry, the sunless realms are irityhll and anor londo

[@thetruephoenixful]

My favourite thing about the dlc final boss is the pointlessness of it all. Two broken warriors fighting over nothing at the end of time. Perfect summation of the series.

[@Banana-senpai]

The millwood knights must have come from oolacile or a close region. Their capes have a white tree drawn on them, and thir arrows and bows mention an abyss dragon, from which we only know two of. The ethereal oak tree they mention might have been the same kind of tree the oolacile magic items is made of, like the catalyst from ds1, and the bow and branches from ds3, tho they call it a white birch.

[@BrawnyStream]

Absolutely fantastic video great work! When discussing the fight with Gael I remember seeing a comment once on a video (forget which one) that describes the fight between us and him perfectly. It went something along the lines of “Two nobodies, fighting in the middle of nowhere, at the end of time.” This fight really does expose a sort of irony that in a world with gods and kings, the last two beings to survive are a slave (Gael) and a failure (the Ashen one). The lowest of the low who gained power not by randomly finding a soul, but through their own grit and might.

[@sault213]

I think it's a bit dishonest to say this is the first game that outright tells you who the bosses are. DS1 pretty much does the same thing but makes them sound like heroes of legend. Anyone watching it could easily come to the conclusion that these powerful characters are bosses

[@wheatbreadcrumbs]

Amazing timing for this, I just beat DS3 for the first time and it was a journey. Fantastic video for a game that truly took me on a journey, challenged me and touched me emotionally in ways I did not expect.

[@ilucasz]

44:05 there are also decoration in Lothric Castle that has a similar form to Aldia, which also enforces that he was Prince Lothric's teacher. Maybe his title was just changed by the time, just as the term Lord of Cinder changed from what it meant for Gwyn (being lord of a kingdom that now is only ashes) to what it means for the other Lords (that is being someone who extends the flame).

[@ceejayyvr]

25:40 i love that the knight managed to get into the room for your dancer boss fight and was just clawing to get back out

[@cthulhuhoops]

"dark souls 3 is a perfect game" yes, good, 100% true, no lies detected, thank you. ♥

[@lilyofdesire]

the ending made me so emotional 😭 this series was such an incredible journey

[@wojtekthegreat2115]

the beauty of dark souls is that it's the most consistent and beautiful story based game in history Or has the worst, convuluted, misplaced and inconsistent story to exist And these major differences ENTIRELY depend on how much effort you put in to understand it

[@steamedhamlet]

Or how much effort you put in to understanding history. Hidden history of course... for those with the requisite insight

[@chasetaylor2988]

A popular theory for Ornstein is that he was never actually in ds1. He left a fragment of his soul with smough and left for archdragon peak before the chosen undead reaches anor londo. This is supported by smough’s armor, which says he was the last knight defending the lord vessel (paraphrased). The old dragonslayer’s armor is just a replica, which is why it’s not gold. The armor in archdragon peak is the real ornstein.

[@niksonrex88]

And then we have ER lore 💀

[@leoneyamada5408]

Gael is such an insanely badass guy... Bro knew what he had to do and saw it through without exception.... He was the last man standing, a man at the end of all things. The edge of the world and at the end of time. He fights from the very beginning of this series until the very end. He has SPENT COUNTLESS LIFETIMES trying to do his duty and has earned his rest

[@Voidaken]

2:00 Uhhh, no it's not. Dark Souls 1 clearly outlines the main bosses to defeat.

[@Garl_Vinland]

After years of contemplation, I think Ornstein is a similar case with Havel. “The Dragonslayers” are a unit if you will, once led by the nameless king. Their armor has the lion motif, and they were Silver, as suggested by both The Old Dragonslayer, and the Dragonslayer Armor (which was The Nameless King’s old Armor). Ornstein, for his services in the dragon war, was promoted to captain of the four knights, and later inducted into the princess guard. His Armor was made Golden, much like how Smough when he was promoted from executioner was also given golden Armor. And you can see this “promoted by given golden Armor” theme mirrored with Sir Syan in DS2, and also in Japanese themes such as the “Gold General” and “Silver General” game pieces in their version of chess: Shogi. So my theory is, after he was promoted to the Princess guard, before the events of DS1, he had enough of guarding Gwyndolin’s lie, so he left his ring behind as a symbol of “I Quit” to find his old Master The Nameless King In Archdragon Peak, where you find his real remains (the helmet with the plume). And the “Ornstein” you fight in DS1, is an Illusion created by Gwyndolin, through the memories of his Ring.

[@AstonishingRed]

As much as I hated DS2, I can acknowledge that it introduced the choice to NOT choose between an Age of Fire and an Age of Dark as an third and interesting choice. Basically all the Lords of Cinder made that choice.

[@ursaminor2732]

you’re wrong for hating ds2 and should revisit it

[@OldoTravel]

One of the best Storys in the World and thx 🙏 for this Video