Dark Souls 2 ► The First Sin, Explained!

If you take nothing else from this video - know that Aldia is a head & shoulder, not a blob.
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[@zephyrus1288]

I will admit that when Aldia came out from under the ground when I first met him, he scared the shit out of me.

[@scar432]

+Malevolent Eye i got mad for a sec, i was like cmon i cant trust bonfires now? haha

[@SuitulFhrost]

+scar432 I was prepared to die, but not to be jumpscared like that xD

[@SketchBookShortFilms]

John Smith oh my god same.

[@jordancantrell6598]

You are in denial my god I'm playing SOTFS for the first time and I keep pissing myself everytime he pops up.

[@rafaelrubio4443]

Fucking aldia, I thought he was a second boss after the rotten. I was like wtf, a boss in the bonfire when I thought there could not be a worst dick move than hiding bonfires.

[@nin2377]

"A lie will remain a lie" I personally love this line, the voice actor just delivers it so well.

[@ThatFalseHat]

6:01 *personal time tag*

[@marcoasierrabernal4893]

Voice actors

[@jhosp89]

Hell yea that line is awesome! You really get the feeling he means what he sais!

[@alfalldoot6715]

David Gant is the voice actor's name. He also voiced Oswald of Carim in DS1. It's a shame they didn't bring him back for 3

[@BigPanda096]

Aldia had some of the best lines in the series. His voice actor was on point.

[@carlsmith4568]

"No matter how tender, how exquisite.... A LIE will REMAIN a LIE!" what a wonderful line. Both in its truth and delivery.

[@yourbummednigga]

Idk he sounds butthurt like maybe he failed to manifest a promise and isnt saying anything absolute truly

[@yourbummednigga]

@@spencerfoote6977 🤢🤮🤮

[@yourbummednigga]

@@spencerfoote6977 wow the third choice is lord of hollows....whoaa

[@yourbummednigga]

@@spencerfoote6977 light, dark, or something else altogether (lord of hollows)? Make your choice detective! These are your options in life. Existentialism was too much for fromsoft to bear

[@yourbummednigga]

@@spencerfoote6977 well you are trying to fill in a blank (the third option other than light and dark in DS2) with the simplest bias confirming thing that comes to mind and patting yourself on the back with expanded exposition on it. Pseudo intellectual makes me angry because they always make sure their grammar is Max'd and they trade in "got em"s not bona fide insights

[@themanofsex6596]

I just realized that no matter how badass I make my character they are destined to be overthrown by an even more badass character

[@patrickseelye1485]

Or a less bad-ass character who spammed parry and got lucky

[@justjoking5252]

Or a less bad ass character who spammed parry -and got lucky-

[@jeremiahpheasant466]

Unless you use mods and break the fourth wall beyond worlds

[@philholm9017]

Unless its a naked guy with a stick

[@mkielson8290]

@@philholm9017 Let's be real: It's definitely a naked guy with a stick.

[@sawdysalamander]

Mad respect to Vendrick for embracing the dark. Sitting pondering the dark just like the hex teachers. Unlike Gwyn he had some balls. Just to go hollow in the end after fighting it so long. Sad but tuff

[@brazilianman92]

Gwyn is a fucking hero.

[@BFCnational]

Madson Barbosa nope

[@Jerorero]

Lol Gwyn was an asshole, better check the lore before you comment.

[@aagh8714]

@@brazilianman92 he killed the mf dragons who were just meditatin and smokin

[@mugzie11]

Madson Barbosa Filho literally doesn’t sound like sarcasm

[@gcaroppo]

So there is nothing , beyond light and dark. Just you and all eternity , watching the world destroying itself and then re-born , over and over again. That's fucking sad

[@lilith9249]

That's the real curse.

[@gcaroppo]

Amazing , but i have a question What the hell is Aldia

[@bobby_bretwalda]

Fuck the gods... #OccupyAnorLondo

[@ZotTheWise]

Cyrus Adaar Aldia is a composite being of numerous souls, in which his consciousness is ascendant. A horrible abomination, basically. The monstrous result of his sorcerous experiments. Aldia sought to 'cure' the curse any way that he could. Perhaps taking that form has protected him from the effects of hollowing... sort of. He certainly retains his sense of self.

[@TheAsylumCat]

ZotTheWise it feels like a way for him to learn, to fuse with another and gain all of their experience. in older times your brain was thought to contain your soul. which makes sense considering it controls who you are.

[@kenny6772]

It's pretty annoying how Aldia is not at all mentioned in Dark Souls 3, he was such a detrimental character, he essentially broke the curse for himself and became an eternal being. Wasted opportunity.

[@Retbullgivesyouwings]

+Kryce The Heide Knight Pretty much, same with the Bearer of the Curse.

[@kenny6772]

Retbullgivesyouwings And yet there are knights from Catarina and Astora for some reason, but no Aldia. Seems a little odd if you ask me, though I have a feeling he'll make an appearance in a future dlc. I hope so, at least.

[@Retbullgivesyouwings]

Kryce The Heide Knight Same tbh.

[@Kichiran]

+Kryce The Heide Knight Check the item description of Soul Stream. They strongly imply Aldia had a role in DS3, and I'd be really surprised if they didn't reintroduce or at least expand on Aldia's role in the DLC.

[@kenny6772]

+Kichiran it's a reference, albeit a weak one. I'm still hoping that we'll see him in future DLC, what's the point of creating an important character without even acknowledging what he did?

[@Kaoss134]

Some of these lines from Aldia sound like great Metal lyrics.

[@isaacjuarez5505]

Lol

[@unoriginal_name7091]

I could imagine Randy Blythe doing that lol But in all seriousness, I love the cryptic dialogue in this game. It's so dark and existential. Undoubtedly some of the greatest words ever penned. I'll always have massive respect for Mr. Miyazaki and his masterpiece of a franchise.

[@unoriginal_name7091]

***** YAAAAAHHH!!!! *BRUUUUUTALLLL!!!!!!*

[@Retro_WrathX13B]

Beyond the scope of light, beyond the reach of dark. Sounds perfect

[@And.Forget_]

@@Retro_WrathX13B A LIE WILL REMAIN A LIE .. ... .... *metal plays*

[@Macaulyn_97]

Makes sense for Vendrick to be afraid of humans who wouldn't die. I mean, when you think about it, the Dark Souls protagonists' canon ability to respawn, while looking like nothing more than a game mechanic explained by lore, is an incredibly scary ability for a character to have. It doesn't matter how many groups of monsters, or of soldiers, or gods or dragons kills the Chosen Undead/Bearer of the Curse/Ashen One, they always return, but now armed with more knowledge of their enemies' strengths, not to mention how they can slowly become stronger by gathering souls. Our protagonists are never-ending beings, and if they decide to face someone, the latter is likely doomed (save for a few exceptions).

[@justfun5479]

You're right. This so simple and yet so profound. GG bro.

[@harrisonfackrell]

Humans wouldn't be able to respawn like that, though, without the Darksign; and they wouldn't have that without the linking of the First Flame.

[@blackjoker2345]

@@harrisonfackrell The first flame was already linked by the time vendrick was around dude. In fact "Undead" didn't even exist before gwyn did the first sin("First age of Dark" hollows were much different before then as shown by the DS1 DLC). Respawning is 110% an inherent ability to being undead.

[@stevenneiman1554]

This was one thing that kind of pissed me off in Elden Ring. They justified the respawn mechanic just like DS and Sekiro, but that justification is cut out near the end of the game with no explanation for why the next death isn't a game over.

[@siralexander3359]

​@@stevenneiman1554 you mean once you release destined death? Yeah that bothered me too.

[@mranderson718]

Dark Souls 1: the struggle between light and dark Dark Souls 2: the fight between order and chaos Bloodborne: aliens impregnating humans and making squid babies

[@HeilerDerWelten]

+mranderson718 Demon's Souls: a blind chick lures a giant christmas tree to sleep I LOVE SOULS LORE!

[@jarix1670]

Order and chaos ? Don't u mean light and dark part 2

[@austoful]

mranderson718 dark souls one: light is not good and dark is not evil dark souls two: light is not worth protecting, and dark is not the end dark souls three: light and dark are the same thing bloodborne: ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power, to understand the infinite you must be destroyed, curiosity killed the dog, but the cat has 8 lives left.

[@Bjorick]

shouldn't it be 'curiosity killed the cat, but the cat respawns?' :)

[@casper6405]

christopher Christos what about demons souls And Valkyrie boss fights in the new God of War

[@vin8754]

'You were the only one who resisted the hollowing' My boy patches got something to say about that

[@HandsomeGamerGuy]

It's from 2015...

[@sahajthind7234]

2019 bois

[@thegrunch6448]

@@sahajthind7234 ye

[@De34thl1v3s]

Patches for the president!!!

[@p9ul133]

Damn, time changes

[@jtotheroc]

Even after all these years, I still believe dark souls 2 SOTFS has one of the best storylines in the entire series. I absolutely love Aldias musings at the end of the game if you choose to abandon the first flame and not link it.

[@mr.mischiefiknowyourpasswo8224]

Yeah not only that. I prefer the entire philosophical aspect that feels more related to real struggles. Every emperor, monarch and ruler has one way or another feared death, feard his bloodline to end, due to the lack of a make heir, their reign to end by revolution. Or by simply being afraid to be forgotten. Being forgotten thus "never having existed" has been a strong drive since the dawn of man. That is why we built monuments, why we write down history. When everyone we know has died, we also stop existing. That's why the curse in ds2 is the most emotionally impactful one in my opinion. Not only do we forget our reason for our journey. We are forced on the throne not by choice, or intentions. We are there because of might, we are getting used by powers we have no control over to sit and accept the real curse. Having to watch everyone we know like lucatiel go hollow. While we found the "cure" that is more of a curse itself. Since it only works for the king himself. Which is why the topic of "what makes a king a king" gets brought up. It means nothing since we don't have a kingdom, since everyone else hollows and withers before us. It is like being the only one immune to dementia. The only sane in a sea of insane people. Sanity doesn't matter at this point.

[@stevenlee3240]

It elaborates on the lore of the world more than the lore of the individuals. Dark Souls 3 is more like a fanservice for players and DS1 lover and it focuses more on the lore of individuals than inclusive lore.

[@desuite2413]

@@stevenlee3240 I love all off them but ds3 is let down in this area

[@krisnatherryano4610]

Well it's not really abandoning the first flame, but we refuse to be involved with the cycle of dark and light anymore. When we ascend the throne Emerald Heralds says "It is your choice to embrace or renounce this" so when you ascend the throne, two things could happen : you link the flame, or you could let it fade. When you leave the throne, you march forward into an uncertain future, unhollowed and will never be hollowed, "beyond the scope of light and the reach of dark"

[@stevenlee3240]

@@krisnatherryano4610 So, the Bearer and Aldia are literally the only and the first ever achieved true escape and peace. They have gone beyond the world itself and ascended to something else that the current world is no longer their problem.

[@Highs009]

Those giant candles at the end look like the petrified bodies of the big snakes in Dark souls, but of course with their heads chopped off.

[@nothingbutsmith7243]

You mean Frampt and all of the other primordial serpents? They do yes, especially that last shot, it's pretty much identical to the dark ending for DS 1 if you look at it, with the serpents lined up either side but this time they have no heads just light that... Fades

[@SwedetasticGames]

Holy shit... You know what? Going to throw a curved ball here: what if the Serpents where the link to Fire and Dark ITSELF? That would explain why both types of Serpent (Kaathe and Frampt) are okay with the Dark Ending, as they are technically linked! And when they "die" or petrify, they then only exist either as a flame or as a dark spot, and if both of these end, they end. And the 3'd serpent would be the Lord of Dark from the ending of the first game, as he/she gets linked to both! WOOO. WOOO. Mind Blowing theories right here.

[@thoz7]

Yup. Rehash of DkS1 ending. Oh look.. another rehash in DkS2 - didn't see that coming..

[@shroommush4034]

If you muted the sound and just looked at the visuals, then yes, it is a rehash. If you actually listen to Aldia and pay attention to what's been going on this whole time, then you'll realise that this ending is pretty much the total opposite of either DkS1 ending. In those two you are just continuing the cycle. In this one you've figured out how to break it.

[@thoz7]

Shroom Mush Doesn't take away from the fact that the Ending Cutscene itself is a rehash. If only audio differentiates 2 things from 2 different games, then there's a problem.

[@giatsu4229]

Am i the only one that doesnt understand aldia when he speaks? Thank god for subtitles(btw. I love vendricks Voice Actor, it sounds so calm, yet wise)

[@hardlicks5878]

Couldnt undestand a thing from that guy(gal?) without subs. His voice was pretty annoying, probably the most annoying in the Souls series.

[@theliveisnoshit]

Hard Licks not as bad as vamos' voice in DS1

[@genesistoomega]

Yeah, they had Vamos talk through a tin can for his dialogue lol. Its so bad.

[@TheRealBitterbub]

Hard Licks It's a dude. He's the brother of Vendrick.

[@gorkemvids4839]

i didn't even understand what the fuck he said witha subtitles.

[@atomicwinter31]

So basically Gwyn fucked up the world by having a childish tantrum over his sand castle bring swept away by the tide so now everyone's fucking dead because of him and you're just helping him?

[@DerAykac]

Reminds of what Atreus says "Odin and Thor, ruining everyhthing for everyone"

[@marcuspriest9570]

It makes sense when you find out who the nameless king us.

[@hypertensiontwist6953]

Lord "If I can't have a good time NOBODY will" Gwyn

[@madgoonproductions8406]

Hey gwyn sacrificed himself to attempt to save his sandcastle and his people, that’s not a feat to scoff at. And after all, why should he care about those who are not loyal to him anyway? Sure it seems selfish from the outside looking in, but we can’t easily say that we would not do the same thing if we were in his position.

[@PierreLucSex]

@@madgoonproductions8406 I bet I can

[@jonathandevers6609]

Aldia is easily my favorite character in soulsborne, it’s a real shame From pretends DS2 never happened.

[@Gwyn770]

You can find his statues in lorthic castle.

[@jonathandevers6609]

@@Gwyn770 Wow, one of the most influential characters in lore was given a statue I and many others probably didn’t notice. I’m not saying you’re wrong or anything but it’s just sad that he didn’t even get into an item description or something, it really feels like they tried sweeping the game under the rug.

[@weasel003gaming7]

@@jonathandevers6609 Meanwhile, stuff like Lucatiel's equipment got revamps, Lucatiel pretty much got name-dropped in DS3, and there's many more references. Hell, the Drakebloods exist only as a DS2 reference. At least even if he isn't name-dropped, mentioned or anything, and only has a statue to him, his words still have major influence over DS3's story.

[@florin6657]

@@jonathandevers6609 He's mentioned as the "First Scholar" who mentored Lothric and is widely accepted as the reason Lothric refused to link the fire. But yeah, pretty underwhelming otherwise.

[@andrewramirez3998]

Well it’s a pretty terrible game so that’s expected

[@tychoazrephet3794]

The whole thing with the Ancient Crowns fascinates me, because what you said is true, we are the only undead ever to transcend the curse. It is the ultimate rejection of everything that we were told would happen, that all undead are fated to lose everything and hollow, even someone as great as Vendrick. However, as much as I love this concept, I think it is bittersweet in a way. Clearly, Vendrick understands what the Ancient Crowns do, Aldia understand this as well. They both reached this conclusion on their own. Yet, instead of seeking the crowns himself, which he very well could have done, Vendrick chooses to flee from his kingdom to keep Nashandra from the Throne. Why? Why not take the crowns and break the cycle, or if not him, then why not Aldia? I think it's a result of the massive irony presented by Dark Souls 2. There is not one curse afflicting the people of the world, there are two. The curse of Undeath, and the curse of Want. Of desire, of life itself. Nashandra is the physical embodiment of this, a tiny and vulnerable soul, filled with an insatiable lust, a need for power. For control. Is this not an allegory to us, to all of humanity? The Firekeeper's are right, we truly don't know why we do anything, we simple make up motivations like honor, love, revenge or resolution to disguise the truth. The truth being that to live, to simply exist, is a curse unto itself. Vendrick and Aldia, like countless great souls before them, realized this in their efforts to cure the curse of Undeath. Vendrick was filled with hopelessness, the harsh reality that all his accomplishments amounted to nothing, that no accomplishment would amount to anything, broke his spirit. Aldia, being the man of reason and natural philosophy, refused to except this. Instead, he forged on with his twisted and unholy experiments, until he was reduced to what we see him as. Still, he lingered on out of the same driving force he always had. Curiosity. Curious to see if we, or any undead for that matter, will come to the same conclusion he did. That the only thing beyond Light and Dark, is Want. The one thing we, inherently, can never escape.

[@gnone4140]

+Tycho Azrephet The problem with this interpretation is that you use a lot of polarized word with good/bad connotation. How can you want something that is not ? Maybe you just need to be. There is no want in observing.

[@tychoazrephet3794]

T Maliszak There are some philosophies that function on the notion that to live is not the same as to want, that desire can be removed from the equation, but I don't think this applies in the context of Dark Souls. The world of Lordran, Drangleic, Lothric, they all share an ineffable quality. Desperation. People are desperate to chase after their desires, be it some arbitrary objective, or an abstract concept of purpose. Almost every single character present in both Dark Souls games exhibits this desperation I speak of, some overtly, some are better at disguising it. It isn't about whether or not their motivations are good or bad, it's simply about their pursuit of something, of anything. That is the nature of both the curse of Undeath, and of Want. Although, I suppose there is one exception to my theory. The Crestfallen. The only two characters who exist in these worlds, and seem to want nothing, for they have given up. They are content to simply be, ambivalent to the rest of reality, they understand the futility of fighting against curses and so they don't bother. In a way, they're far closer to truly being above curse than anyone else, because they deny what gives curse its power. The vain struggle to cure it.

[@gnone4140]

+Tycho Azrephet They are in state of desperation because of desires that curse created! You are but a next person who as Dark souls 1 show going to do only 1 more cycle, unless as Dark souls 2 show you will break cycle and disconnect yourself from all of that became something that dont exist, you are something new. No place for want because it only a properties of world that curse made. Not one of people did what you do. Those who gave up are not closer to being above curse, they simply are in state that curse leaves them and lost what drives them they lost 'want', and ego simply look for excuses. Crown gives you power to be above struggle of this world you are in state of 'do'. You can observe. You dont need to want. Sure, maybe because you are human you still have it but you dont need it to define yourself as all those in curse state. Curse always make 'want' a thing for everyone since they are immortal. You are immortal and yet you will never be in need of 'want'

[@laurobel2983]

Tycho Azrephet, you almost got it right. It's not that the only thing beyond light and dark is desire/want. Quite the opposite. The cycle of light and dark is nothing but a metaphor for human desire. Aldia is the Buddha of Dark Souls 2, telling you to break free from desire, from all want, from all duality. Living is not the curse. Living for one's desires is the curse (instead of simply living without desire).

[@tychoazrephet3794]

@@laurobel2983I can see what you're saying yeah, Aldia definitely does seem like he's angling for us to seek some kind of ascension, to reach a higher plane beyond our physical desires. Similar to Buddhism and it's concept of attaining Nirvana.

[@killerkuerbis6845]

Just played DS2 for the first time, this game's story seemed to be the most interesting next to Bloodborne

[@jelleh9610]

🧢

[@tikwithehappybirdie1825]

🧢

[@jonathandevers6609]

@@tikwithehappybirdie1825 Better than DS3 & Demon’s Souls

[@tikwithehappybirdie1825]

@@jonathandevers6609 True, but ds3 had better bosses

[@jonathandevers6609]

@@tikwithehappybirdie1825 The comment wasn’t referring to bosses though

[@themindset4164]

Conversations in dark souls are just one big ASMR experience

[@mr.mischiefiknowyourpasswo8224]

Except that blacksmith in ds1 that Audio quality is still toasty and shit. Remaster my ass.

[@fatusopp4739]

@@mr.mischiefiknowyourpasswo8224 never diss my homie vamos

[@brakistroier]

And some people say Dark Souls 2 lore is weak...

[@magejag2977]

And some people are miyazaki fanboys...

[@fast.food.ninjalarry954]

@@magejag2977 Ouch...!!!

[@magejag2977]

wwwwhardcore insult haha

[@Late0NightPC]

It's mainly that DS2 WAS weak, then Scholar of the First Sin came out and it became a lot better. Prior to Aldea, sure there was story and world building, but it was somewhat shallow and entirely opposite of the messages that DS1 tried to give. SotFS reversed it so that the message of DS2 was an extention of DS1, and the lore and world builindg had a reason to be that way.

[@magejag2977]

@@Late0NightPC lmao it was weak. btw souls games dont have lore anyway

[@GreenToast]

man, anyone else ever start one of Vaati's lore videos, lay down on the bed, eyes closed, picturing Vaati himself lying next to you whispering sweet lore to your ear? mmmmmm. Great vid Vaati.

[@Valkitsune]

I stopped doing that because I got to horny and creamed my bed multiple times

[@demiboi0315]

I do put on a playlist of his lore before sleeping. Its like him telling you a bedtime story. He got a perfect storyteller voice.

[@MeetTheJoves]

WTB Vaatimakura

[@Hadophobia]

He has a great voice. It goes well with the extraordinary voice acting of Dark Souls.

[@KnownAsNappzy]

sounds sexy

[@thecomfyknight5594]

when you use the crowns, you... "GO BEYOND DEATH"

[@johanneshaukanes4531]

Rouge warrior 2 !

[@karelsvobodnik6299]

That is exactly what wolnir wanted, and it is said in his crowns. Descriptions that he concquered others and ground their crowns to dust and created his own

[@danirodriguez3682]

So Dark Souls is really just the consequences of Gwyn reaaalllly needing a nightlight because the dark was too scary

[@jacthing1]

I mean....your not wrong lol

[@efaristi9737]

It was the end of his people, the end of the gods, it entails a little more than "the dark is scary".

[@MichaSennin]

Look at the Darksighn itself, there is dark and outside the line of Fire that is holding the dark to spread. So what i mean is that the Fire around the Dark, is picturing Gwyns Sin. It´s just me but i think its the symbol of what Gwyn did. Because the darksighn is a direct result of linkin the Fire by Gwyn.

[@blackbomber72]

Ringed City

[@insomnisxannim4675]

Aldia speaks of "Destroying the Order" and clearly is a creature of Chaos by now. The choice of Dark Souls 2 was not between light and dark, it was one of Chaos and Order.

[@boldfacedbroom3374]

I've never thought of that the only question is which is chaos and which is order.

[@AMubher]

+Drn Montemayor Aldia is a creature of Choas, he resembles the Bed of Choas in his design. the branches and the flames that shine dark red around him. his words at the end is clear, seeking something beyond light and dark. Choas by definition. The age of dark is coming through the natural order. but that ending is clear that you chose not to be the dark lord or take a part of the cycle. instead, you walked into uncertain fate. Again, Choas by definition.

[@AMubher]

+Drn Montemayor Aldia encourages the player to break the cycle, not to abandon his task like Vendrick the "almost true monarch". To seek something beyond. The witch of Izalith tried to break the order but she was consumed by the Choas. Aldia also tried to break the order but he stated that he failed and lost everything as well. Surly the similarities are too much to mean nothing.

[@mrbigbooties]

cegfgfhe

[@bloodfiredrake7259]

+Drn Montemayor it was never said that you were still a part of the cycle...

[@SNOWSOS]

My theory is that Chaos is that "thing" that isn't light or dark. Aldia says choosing light or dark is an "order to inherit", chaos being the exact opposite. If you look at his appearance and attacks it very much suits the whole chaos magic vibe with the fire and roots. Then again the Witches of Izalith tried creating their own flame and made chaos, chaos was made from the flame but brings despair so it has characteristics of both.

[@oldmastermakoto7361]

Aldia is against the specific order that Gwyn set (or rather the cycle) - it was Gwyn's false order. The real order (logic of the world) was that there were eternal dragons (gray world) then there would be the age of fire and then there would be the age of darkness - that was the logic of the world. And Gwyn had broken the ORDER and set up a new one (this is The First Sin)- by sacrificing himself and lighting a fire that was going to be extinguished so that the age of dark would come - that was the truth Aldia knew - so talking about chaos is pointless As for Aldia's resemblance to "chaos": (if it is true that Aldia has something to do with chaos) This is a sign that chaos is not the right thing to choose - both Aldia and Izalith have failed - the fire of chaos has died out - so it's more evidence that Aldia doesn't want that we may go his way. Chaos flame is way too weak and unstable to effectively take over the world.

[@dark-side-ninja8598]

@@oldmastermakoto7361 you are a true masterpiece to write all of that lore

[@MartinVladimirov]

I have the same theory, also confirming is the Soul of the Lost Sinner in NG+.

[@oramudajoestar9082]

Also I personally believe that choosing chaos would actually bring the reign/age of demons instead of fixing things, so chaos is pretty much out of options.

[@steventylertriesit897]

Its what happens when the light (the concept if time in dark souls) meets a well of life. (Life in dark souls doesnt seem to end, so why put time into the mix, as it limits life?) The demons born from that are warped by the concept of time. Immortal, yet intrinsicly linked to the very wellspring that created them. Burdened by time. In essence, demons are no different than the gods. Demons werent just mindless beasts. As they created the demon ruins, and the area befire the smoldering lake. They know math, and have hatnessed pyromancy, that i would say is just as powerful, if not nore powerul than regular pyromancy. The fact that its chaotic makes its it stronger.

[@PhantomOfNewVegas7]

I am so glad I read the description near the end of the video, bc tho I've fought Aldia already and seen him multiple times, I DIDNT KNOW HE WAS A HEAD AND SHOULDER, I literally thought he was a blob with a face of some sorts, so thank you for that, bc I can see the head and shoulder now

[@alfalldoot6715]

Makes you wonder if he has a whole body under there

[@kuroazrael2069]

"Conqueror of Adversities" Is the best title a game ever game me

[@Chakeis]

I'm a bit curious how this leads into DS3. It seemed the DS2 "true ending" shown in this video only affected the player itself and not the world at all. Seems he merged with the different paths as the torches were lit around him supporting the Undead aspect, whilst also being able to walk in the dark like the original humans did. Maybe the players actions in DS2 leads into the "apocalypse" that's happening in DS3?

[@InsaneReaper961]

+Miguel Rossington May be a few weeks late, but from what seems to be hinted right now and with the Ember system from the recent network test being revealed, its looking like DS3 might be going the way of trying to gather enough power to break the cycle via trying Izalith's 'Create a new Flame' plan again. Mind you, that one failed, but the Chaos seems to be separate of the cycle so it could theoretically work.

[@mreboric2215]

+Miguel Rossington Here is my take on it. The chosen undead (or true king if you will) makes a choice that will ultametly effect the entire world. By no longer being able to hollow he can let the first flame die out and unlike every time that has happend in the history of this world he will not become a dark lord. After that it does not matter how many new chosen undead come to link the flame because they will still be effected by hollowing. Even if they fight the new crowned king and kill him he will just return without losing any part of himself while everyone else that dies will go hollow and become a mindless monster not fit to link the flame. The crowned king can not be broken or unseated and after an undetermined amount of time (maybe thousands and thousands of years, who knows really) the flame will burn out and the cycle will be broken. No more age of light but also no coming age of darkness. No one knows what will happen then. Dark souls 3 could be about the consequences of breaking a cycle that has gone on for as long as anyone can remember. Or maybe it will take place just before the flame is about to fade out for good. The rising lords of ash could very well be the flames last gasp to defend itself from burning out. It is a super powerful living soul after all.

[@Thjr13enGhost]

+Miguel Rossington perharps in DS 3 we can end the cycle or find the answer from killing the primordial serpent??

[@bruno17289]

+ScarletSoul That is a terrible idea

[@Ohem1]

+ScarletSoul I have a slightly different interpretation, but it might be the same you're going for. My thought is that it's going for a third timeline, like Zelda. Where the choice never occurred, never obtained all four lord souls and sacrificed them. And so here we are, covered with ash and the world barely lit up.

[@commentorTD]

So let me get this straight: Grey crags and stone dragons. K. Flame erupts, creating the age of light As the flame fades, Gwyn fuses the flame with humanity, creating a cycle of light and dark Re-lighting Gywn's flame makes humans mortal (the 'fleeting' state of humanity) But as the flame fades, the curse returns and humans begin to become immortal hollows again Not re-lighting the flame furthers the age of dark, but then another hollow inevitably begins the age of light again Cycle repeats The flame is an intolerable lie to some characters, and a ticket out of the world for others But then one of the cursed undead finds a way to remain un-hollow without lighting the flame and so he creates an alternate path where he can break the cycle and thus destroy the world? Lovely. Let me know if I got everything.

[@Parklout]

+commentorTD To me that pretty much sums up what I've interpreted with a different point of view. The Age of the ancient dragons was grey, not much in it, nothing changed and nothing neither lived nor died but it was a world and an existence in itself. When the Flame came, the possessors (Gwyn, Nito and the witch) wanted to be in control and had to make a new world by destroying the grey one (destroying the dragons and burning their homes) and built a new world with new rules based on their Fire. As grand as it seemed at the time, it was not to last and the fires faded and the world they had built started to crumble as was the "natural order". Gwyn interrupted this, simply hoping their world could continue and thus caused the cycle. Now this crumbling world should be destroyed so that evolution (maybe) could make something true and lasting. Maybe hollows were a form of seed for the dark/next world that was supposed to come. Hopefully DS3 will give some answers. I've always been a fan of dragons and destroying the current world as a revenge for their's being destroyed seems fitting to me.

[@delawrenceperkins9917]

+Parklout From what I can understand, it seems that the world itself can no longer survive the system Gwyn created. There is also this fear of the future, of the unknown. So with the curse of hollowing lefted, the character rejects the law of cycle Gwyn constructed, and walk bravely into a uncertain future. With the advent of Dark Souls 3, it appears that some force is doing whatever it takes to bring back the system.

[@Parklout]

Delawrence Perkins Yes, and maybe these dark-jelly-mutations is some evidence of how the Dark could be a more cancerous mutation than evolution that I understood it as from DS1. And the Abyss being an accelerated and, shall we say, unhealthy form of this evolution/change?

[@notoriousbig3k]

i am debunking it now DS 3 Ringed City confirmed ending all that is will die forever and never turn back again in its state you are last Dark Lord the choice is easy kill keeper keep fire light flame and extend humanity let it fade and it never lights again (neither if u light it its the last time) the world is swallo by abyss

[@gorkemvids4839]

1- let the flame die 2-use a humanity 3-use a humanity on a woman hollow 4-fuck da woman 5- kill the baby and gain new humanity 6-use that humanity when you go hollow 7- profit.

[@elliscleveland4906]

Sometimes, I believe that even from software doesn't even know to lore, and just leaves the fans to figure it out yet will never say if any of it is right From software, you so silly

[@jacksoned4773]

Lol just goes with it

[@powerless_imp0682]

They leave us with the tools to figure it out ourselves, I kind of like that. It feels rewarding

[@user-yk7dc9hu2k]

+mo. ack it's a lot like the gameplay theme of dark souls, the game doesn't treat you like an idiot it has faith that you can figure it out on your own

[@aliamarneh9541]

Thats why we love fromsoft we are the ones that play and make choices not them.

[@farmsalot1233]

Thats ignorant I'm sorry to even say this. But these games are deep in lore you just don't see it that way.

[@Saivid]

I love dark souls 2 for this ending and I hate how dark souls 3 doesn't acknowledge it (like a lot of dark souls 2). there better be a DLC that pays this ending tribute or something.

[@DarknessAmongUs]

Endings 2 and 3 of Dark Souls 3 only make sense BECAUSE of Dark Souls 2. Dark Souls 2 acknowledges that to link the fire or let it fade is futile, so being a lord of hollows or a lord of cinder is pointless. Dark souls 3 gives you the options to break the cycle.

[@Saivid]

+DarkestScratch I just want evidence of this ending happening. Maybe in an item description or 2 and why the bearer of the curse failed to end the cycle. did he(or she) lose the crown? get trapped? get bored? rage quit?

[@Saivid]

hell, if you could fight the bearer in a DLC or something that'd be cool as fuck.

[@spinyslasher6586]

+B A T Z (IrishPie101) by following Yuria's questline.

[@ToriRocksAmos]

That's wrong. The only way to end the cycle (allegedly) in DS3 is to give the firekeeper new eyes, and summoning her in the end. She will then tend to the flame while it slowly dies. If you follow yuria's questline and become lord of hollow's your usurp the fire, it's not gone but it's transformed into your reign of darkness. The curse is not gone, not broken, and since you are immune to it, you truly are a lord of hollows, the one hollow that doesn't suffer from the curse.

[@SpaceDisco1]

Could it be that after destroying the cycle of light and dark, that the world reverts back to the state of grey? It was kind of the first thing that popped up in my head, when Aldia said "Beyond the scope of light, beyond the reach of dark…"

[@balbaal9393]

Maybe a "colored" world for a change. haha

[@SpaceDisco1]

PelicanPubes And Rainbow Dragons?! Seriously, I want a rainbow in a souls game. Would be very absurd.

[@shroommush4034]

In all seriousness? Yes. Without Fire, there is no light or dark. Which is how the world was in the Age of Ancients. Unfortunately, without light there's no colour. So rainbow dragons are out of the question.

[@sammycw2000]

Shroom Mush Damn, imagine if there was an actual impact from that ending, the one in which you chose to leave the throne. And it carried over into dark souls 3. Impossible though, since not everyone is bound to make the same choices.

[@SpaceDisco1]

Sam Curtis-Weight I will be pretty disappointed if the leaving ending is not the canon ending though.

[@TheValiantBob]

What I'm curious about is how Aldia ended up the way he did, and more specifically, WHO is the female voice that joins him, and how he says "Show US your answer" before the boss fight.

[@eliottheowl1384]

***** That thing in Eleum Loyce is the Bed of Chaos right? If it is so, maybe Aldia found a way to get a fragment of it soul and make experiments with it. And just like the "Demon Flame" of the bed took over the son and the sister of the witch of Isalith, it took Aldia too. At least that is the theory that I came with.

[@SeppukuAddict]

He probably absorbed Nashandra before you got into the boss room.

[@SwedetasticGames]

Giantdad Lives His voice shifts to female during the entire dialogue secquence throughout the game. More likely is that he absorbed the Bed of Chaos's chaos-soul and the "body" of the Everlasting Chaosroots melded with his soul, accidentally bringing him outside of the normal cycle.

[@demiboi0315]

the female voice should be alsanna since she was credited in the end credits. there's Aldia, Alsanna, and i think the third was Vendrick. Aldia's character design is really chaos-like, his flames orbs and sun looks like chaos flames and his root-like appearance reminds me of Izalith and the Bed of Chaos. Could it be that Aldia also delved into chaos and found Alsanna in the process? Since chaos cant be controlled and such is the trait of men, that Aldia, a man, wanted to break free from the world's cycle? Just another undead rambling.

[@shroommush4034]

They credited Alsanna and Vendrick because they didn't when they released the DLCs. I doubt Aldia has anything to do with the Bed of Chaos. They look similar because they were formed in similar ways. The Witch of Izalith tried to create a new First Flame. Aldia fused with the true First Flame. That's the reason for the similarities.

[@theal1n]

I believe the story of the Undead is a metaphor for human existence. "Beyond the scope of light / Beyond the reach of dark / What could possibly await us ?" .... Isn't that how humans have felt since we know history ? We see countless examples throughout time of people going beyond the paths of light/dark or pleasure/suffering seeking insatiably for something entirely different...call it enlightenment/realization/liberation. I think that is the fate of all mankind... to die and be reborn over and over until we make our own path to the unknown, not knowing what will await us or IF anything will await us once we arrive. The only thing we know actually, is the fact that we cannot resist its calling. Thank you for your videos Vaati, especially this one. It's inspiring to see the representation of human desire for the unknown in such a creative way :)

[@inkajoo]

It's the Tao, the way of purity of the soul. To renounce attachment to pleasure and pain, and simply experience them, without clinging or resentment. In any case the end result is the same, we all live and then die, but one can draw on the infinite within, and choose to simply live, and not multiply suffering by ruminating over it, or dreaming beyond reality, as we humans do.

[@ingonyama70]

Aldia is an excellent example of the kinds of complex, interesting characters Dark Souls can create. On the one hand, he's responsible for so many horrible things in Drangleic -- he invented Mimics, which alone should put him in the "UNFORGIVABLE!!!" camp (since time is convoluted, I can safely assume he invented all the Mimics who found their way to Lordran/DS1 as well). He's massacred and experimented on giants, combined Undead with dragons, turned people into awful monstrosities and trapped them in horrific prisons. But on the other hand, out of everyone -- the primordial serpents, the Herald, Nashandra, even Vendrick himself -- I'm more inclined to believe what Aldia has to say about the nature of humanity and the Curse of the Undead than anyone. I believe its mainly to do with the fact that unlike everyone else in the game, Aldia doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives. When he tries to kill you at the end, it's more of a final test of your prowess, your 'worthiness', than any sort of personal ambition. He's not out to prolong the Age of Fire like Gwyn, or usher in the Dark like Nashandra. He instead wants freedom from the cycle, and for humanity to come into its own. Now, what that actually MEANS is anyone's guess -- between the two Dark Queens, what happened to Oolacile, Manus, and Aldia himself, it looks like an Age of Dark would be pretty terrible for us. The things they turned into are arguably worse than Hollows. But is that the natural progression of things, or simply scientific and magical experiments gone horribly wrong? Is Humanity's Dark Soul inherently evil, or does the Dark created by the Abyss (which was created by humans, not natural) make these things worse than they actually are? What does humanity look like when we're free from the shackles of Fire or the warping, corrupting influence of Dark? It's literally anyone's guess. Even Aldia doesn't know. That's what makes him, and this game -- hell, this entire series -- so fascinating.

[@caturiges]

11:39 Why there is an image of Nashandra in one frame in this part of the video?

[@VaatiVidya]

you didn't see anything

[@formatomi]

because Nashandra is the female voice is Aldia's

[@manbeard8678]

VaatiVidya hahaha

[@XxPlus6xX]

I don't see what you mean and now I want to know :(

[@caturiges]

Bruce Wayne It's a bit hard to see it, because it is only a single misplaced frame.

[@maxclifford937]

"Did gwyn place the dark sign on humanity" turns out yes he did

[@midgetydeath]

The problem with the Age of Dark endings is that due to the curse Gwyn placed, we will have no humanity and so it would not be an Age of Man at all. Without the fire, hollows will be eventually drawn to the Dark Soul again. Probably only the strongest such as the player character. But even then that runs the risk of the hollows simply being enslaved by the Dark Lord instead of uplifted. The Furtive Pygmy uplifted and helped humanity, but there is no guarantee his successor will. This is also why the player character never losing his sanity is important. He alone retains the ability for rational thought and he also actively helps people and cares about others. Which means he will find the Dark Soul and uplift the hollows by restoring their Dark Souls in an Age of Dark. This means the Age of Dark will lead into an Age of Man. They are not synonymous thanks to Gwyn’s interference.

[@akiraigarashi2874]

Well since in DS3 the cycle is still going on so the DS2 player must have failed.

[@Psaliet]

@@akiraigarashi2874 DS2 has been said to be set in an alternate timeline, and it's events have no direct bearing on DS3. DS3 is set on a separate continuity to DS1, than the one DS2 was on.

[@midgetydeath]

@ Subham Roy DS2 is not an alternate timeline. There are many lore references to DS2 and the Drangleic capital is blatantly the same as in DS. Anyway, DS3 has a section in the Age of Dark. So, the DS guy might have allowed the Age of Dark to arrive and now is a new Age of Fire. With the degradation of knowledge and how the cycle of light and dark is reflected by the cycle of civilizations, most likely each game is set in an Age of Fire ending but separated by an Age of Dark.

[@Jinginator]

Alternate Timelines ensue that these things exist in multiple versions of the same world, just with different events, so not quite a parallel universe, but different enough to not be the same universe. The reason we can find remains of Earthen Peak (from DS2) in DS3, is because it also existed in that timeline, but it never housed Mythra, or was used for different reasons.

[@JP-kp6xv]

You can say whatever you want about Gwyn, but the guy literally and successfully resisted the nature of the entire world itself, by himself, that's badass

[@vince8237]

Nah I'd call it a dick move. When the age of fire was ending Gwyn went out of his way to do anything possible to keep humanity from taking over and keep them shackled and also made sure to keep them brainwashed. He offered himself to the flame at the cost of everyone and everything. Look at the state the world was in when you traveled years into the future after waking Filianore from her endless sleep.

[@JP-kp6xv]

@@vince8237 Still badass

[@jogzyg2036]

He can beat the immense power of the course of nature itself. But he can't beat the only thing stronger than that. THE PARRY

[@hoked2194]

Not by himself. He manipulated and abused and entire race to facilitate his plan. Sure, he found the strongest soul and setting himself on fire bought him a lot of time, but without humans the world would've burnt out a lot sooner.

[@lookylookman]

Well, he had help from Seath the Scaleless, Gravelord Nito and The Witch of Izalith.

[@zootinatorr]

Back in 2019 But... I believe Gwyn’s linking of the fire created the cycle.

[@brunodeandradeful]

Nonaverted yes, for me this is the first sin

[@TheJohny727]

I really really hope FromSoftware release a lore book of sort for all their games (DS1,2 Blood borne and DS3 later) That would be epic!

[@ehoffart529]

I think it's VV's prepare to why video but the lore only has so much actual story to it. We are suppose to interpret it in our own unique way. I like watching these videos to get the base of the story then piece somethings together that make sense to me. It's why I really like the souls series besides the hard rewarding gameplay.

[@ehoffart529]

my bad the video is dark souls: why it's different

[@alwaysdrunk5461]

That would be epic. Of course after dark souls 3 release and after many years maybe. I really want to know the truth

[@welshgamer98]

+L3VIATHAN, Scholar Of The First Fap Most people just follow KZbin videos to understand the story and lore and then they accept that as the canon so the "interpretation of the lore" isn't as popular as people think. Some people, like ENB, know the definitive answers to lore questions yet their not allowed or unwilling to share that info. From that we can gather that a lot of the mysteries have answers and that some of the most popular theories may be completely false. I really don't see how a book would be that impractical...

[@serbarristanselmy2482]

even better...a movie

[@WithinandThroughout]

The first sin wasn’t exactly the linking of the flame, but how the undead curse is intrinsically tied to the first flame. Darkness was supposed to bury and cover flame. Instead, darkness (humanity) is burned (consumed). It’s a literal paradox.

[@ricsouza5011]

the first sin is the inability of living beings to accept death

[@WithinandThroughout]

@@ricsouza5011 I wouldn’t say it’s exactly “death” because nito is a great example of living death. Or “death as destruction of the body and soul”. Pinwheel splicing souls and life force is a great example to that. It was the manipulation of the fabric and physics of the world through will. Through sheer will alone Gwen set his mind in motion. How the Lord of Light was able to understand the darkness (the force to inherit the world through entropy and atrophy) could be used a fuel, is a whole other question in itself.

[@DarshanBhambhani]

I just love the way Aldia says “HUMANITY”

[@despacito_deux]

Please read this, it took me an hour to write it all in English, and I'd really like to get your opinions about it. Btw I'm only 16 and I'm French, so my bad if I made any kind of mistake. *1)* I don't really agree with the theory about Gwyn linking the Fire to Humanity so that we could kindle the Fire, and I'll explain why My theory about what Gwyn did when he linked the Fire is that he was AFRAID of Humanity Aldia says that The Ancient Lord of Sunlight once took away from his kingdom everything that stemmed from it. But why would he ? Because Humanity gave *counsciousness* to men. And that counsciousness made men turn their backs to the Gods (remember Havel, who "discovered" the Ocult weapons and probably killed Gods. Why did he become like that, even after having served Gwyn for so long ? Because he was Human, counscious, he had an opinion, he disagreed with his masters at some point) But Humanity comes from Dark, and Dark is the perfect opposite of the Lords' power. By destroying Humanity, Gwyn would destroy the only thing that could possibly interfere with his reign. And what better way to destroy Dark than burning it in the First Flame ? You cannot feed the Fire with a fragment of Dark, even though it's some kind of soul. *2)* You didn't talk much about the most important thing in this uptate : Aldia. *2.1* - Aldia is the scholar of the First Sin. But what exactly is the "First Sin" ? In your video,you say it's the fact that Gwyn started an infinite cycle where Light and Dark are both stuck. But I'll give you my opinion : Aldia is the First Sin himself, and I'll explain my theory. First thing : What do you get when you kill Aldia ? Nothing. You don't even get Aldia's soul. Why is that so ? *Because he has none.* During the end of his life, Aldia was locked in his manor, doing his experiments. In my opinion, Aldia, by some kind of way, managed to find the soul of the Witch of Izalith, the one soul with the Chaos (aka the Fake First Flame) "inside" of it : *2.1.1* Aldia looks a lot like Bed of Chaos, an awful bunch of roots and flames *2.1.2* Right before The Lost Sinner, which has the soul of the old Witch, we meet 3 of the half-men half-dragon guys, the ones who loot the malformed skull. Aldia created those guys, why would they be there if the Sinner herself didn't have something to do with Aldia ? *2.1.3* Aldia has a lot of knowledge from the Lords. Isn't that odd ? He may have gotten that knowledge from the soul of the Witch, which was there when the Age of Fire started, and was also there when it disappeared... Aldia did experiments on the soul. As his brother, he had the power to infuse souls. With that power, within the Chaos of the Witch's soul, he discovered the most important thing ever : *How to get rid of his soul.* He discovered how to stop the curse, how to be immortal, as the Ancient Dragons before Gwyn and the other Lords. He knew, then, how to cure everyone. But, why didn't he ? Because the realm was already "dead" because of him, and because all the souls weren't as powerful as his, so they wouldn't handle the Chaos. But Aldia was there. He got rid of his soul, but continued existing. He didn't need Light nor Dark to exist. He became more than a God : He became *a Dragon*. A real one. A Dragon that did not need Light nor Dark, Life nor Death, Heat nor Cold. He has everything of a Dragon, except the physical shape. He became the opposite of the First Flame, the perfect contrary. As the First Flame reprensented a "religion", as the Lords became Gods, when he found this power within the Chaos of the Witch's soul, he became the First Sin. Even after being "killed", physically destroyed, he is still there, talking to you, explaining... *2.2* - What does Aldia want you to do exactly ? Quote : "I am Aldia. I sought to shed the yoke of faith, but failed." He tried to stop the curse, but didn't manage do to it in the end. Quote : "Seek the throne. Seek Light, Dark, and what lies beyond..." Aldia is conscient that there's something more than what Humans believe. He reached it himself, but in his new form, can't do the same to the others, as he has lost his soul. So, he tries to guide you to it. He gives you pieces of advice that guide you to the Throne, and once Nashandra is dead, he wants to know if you truly are a Monarch, if you have the right to choose the fate of the world. It's entirely your choice : You can Link the Fire, let it fade, or listen to Aldia, go away from the "path" (the undead curse) and create something new, without Light nor Dark. If you choose the Third option, you will probably create a new Age, an Age where Men became "Dragons", immortal beings, with no soul, no curse, no illusion of Life and Death. (I can't even believe I managed to write all of that even though I wasn't born an English speaker, I'm so freakin' proud of myself right now xD I hope you guys enjoyed it, and don't forget to give your opinion, even if it's the total opposite of what I said, it's always a pleasure for me to debate about the Dark Souls lore c:)

[@lilith9249]

Havel learned that they were not Gods at all, but beings with powerful souls that could be challenged. Vaati has gone over Aldia, the Emerald Herald, The Ancient Dragon, and other experiments in previous videos. His experiments roam parts of Drangleic (the ogres for instance). Aldia could have transformed himself with an artificial flame, hence his strange and deformed appearance. He could have splintered his soul to be where he is now. I believe Aldia wants us to make a choice. The crown will let us live forever, this gives us a way to learn and discover the answers to all things. Maybe we can change the machinations of the world, bring an end to the flow that exists and bring the true Age of Man. Maybe that is supposed to be how we are here now, typing these long messages, because the cycle has been broken.

[@fzilloDE]

I don't think, I agree on Aldia being "the first sin" (or better the first sinner). But the rest is pretty plausible (and well written).

[@gajiodea]

But when Aldia fought the player at the end, was he trying to intercept the player from kindling the fire? What if his work was not finished and needed more time or something.

[@despacito_deux]

Klas . S Nope, Aldia is done working He's just "awaiting an answer" now (I'm quoting him)

[@despacito_deux]

fzilloDE I don't see any other plausible explanations Aldia is like immortal, he is invulnerable to Light and Dark, he has no soul, he is nothing known from Men He just exists He's like everything tha the First Flame isn't, and as I explained, the First Flame is a kind of "religion" Maybe Aldia isn't the Sin himself, and the Chaos Flame created by the Witch is, as it's a "fake flame" But still, Aldia definietly took his power from the Chaos, so he's part of that I'd be more than happy to heay your theory about it so we can debate ^^ (And also, thanks, as I said I'm pretty proud of myself)

[@Opalance]

Well, if he can neither hollow, now die, wouldn't he simply be unliving, or grey? Like the dragons? Since it goes in a cycle or grey, light, dark, back to grey, moving into unlife, devoid of death or shackles of humanity with the curse, you would become the first grey human.

[@pomax1464]

Wouldn't undeath technically fit that description? Unable to die, unable to live?

[@PierreLucSex]

Dragon path babe

[@retrocayu]

DS 1-3 has to have the most insane voice acting in any game, it makes everything in the game feel more immersed.

[@Dust54321]

Nah

[@matthewboyle2641]

I think DS3 actually provides the solution of "breaking the order" that Aldia talked about. The Usurpation of Fire ending seems the true ending to me simply because it is the only one that really differs from what was possible in the first two, plus it's the hardest to get. It's kind of like we embrace our dual nature, dark souls but bound to flame, but instead of being slaves to the flame and Gwyn's successors we take ownership of it and make it our own, dark flame.

[@ultimateeick2910]

That and the Painted World

[@CrackHardy]

Thank you.

[@cr90captain89]

@@CrackHardy i have a theory that ds 3's usurpation of fire ending is the dark soul being reunited with the first flame. (the other three lord souls were put back into the flame, but the dark soul was always missing) & since the dark soul is immortal, the first flame no longer fades. with that ending the first flame burns eternal, with man claiming its birthright as it should have eons ago.

[@midgetydeath]

If I remember correctly, that ending says you spread the first flame to everyone so that as humanity’s population grows, the Age of Fire will return but will grow stronger as humans grow, ending the cycle.

[@killerspring100]

I don't know why people don't like the new ending. 2 options of ending were in every Souls game

[@KaiserAfini]

Because they can be interpreted as simple rehashes of the Dark Souls ending. DS, follow fate blindly or attempt to defy it. DS 2, follow fate blindly or attempt to defy it with another method that might work. In addition, while Dark Souls was a self contained story, a full experience, the ending of this title is a blatant sequel bait.

[@killerspring100]

What I understanded about this video is that you're out of the curse of linking the fire/let it fade. Even If some undead eventually links the fire, or if the world turn into darkness, you're not gonna be affected. The endings were more about "Turn into the True Monarch" or "Walk away and turn into a spectator of this world". No matter what ending do you get, you still got a little hope, that one day, you, will finally break the curse for all.

[@KaiserAfini]

killerspring100 So hope is knowing some dumb undead could seat the throne again and start things over ? And that you were stabbed, smashed, shocked, burned, frozen, exploded and pummeled just so you could walk away hoping someone solves your problems for you ( no crowns ) or walk away with a talking tree in your head and no plan, stuck in the land of lords, forced to remain while all else fades, punished in the same way as Cain or Prometheus (if you have thepower of the crown) ? You have a strange definition of hope, friend

[@tgamagedon]

KaiserAfini This way the sequel at least has a meaning and is not completely pointless like before, where we would have just got another meaningless cycle. For me this is just a bonus for the sequel which we're all gonna buy anyway, let's be real.

[@killerspring100]

KaiserAfini I believe that if you survive in many cycles, maybe you finally solve the problem of how to break it.

[@alfonshedstrom9859]

I really like that DS3 answered your question, actually breaking the cycle for once.

[@sorrisn5396]

"The First Flame quickly fades. Darkness will shortly settle. But one day, tiny flames will dance across the darkness". - The Fire Keeper

[@spinyslasher6586]

+SorrisN Dude do you even know about the Usurping of the flame ending?

[@Cryolyptic]

DS3 didn't break the cycle, All it did was end the age of fire. The cycle is between flame and darkness. At the end of DS3 you enter the age of darkness, only to one day reach the age of fire again. The cycle still continues

[@spinyslasher6586]

Cryolyptic unless you choose the Usurpation of fire ending.

[@farmsalot1233]

Depends on the ending you get if thats true.

[@MrDaredevil96]

LMAO, some of this video was in the dark souls 3 honest trailer. Congrats man, on the exposure.

[@Imagine727]

Beyond light and dark exists the age of waters which Aldritch envisioned. Water can extinguish the flames, yet cannot be smothered by the dark.

[@atahanakay]

Wow that’s a very good idea

[@Imagine727]

@@atahanakay it is in truth not "water" though...but a different sort of plasmic energy which resembles liquid: it is spirit

[@egg2100]

@@Imagine727 likely not, but given aldrich's inherent relationship to the deep, i feel like when he speaks of the "age of waters", he speaks about the age of the deep.

[@zecrocodile3374]

@@egg2100 That makes sense, The deep is shown by somewhat watery in apprenace but I think it ultimately is an extension of dark, just like abyss.

[@jynflyn3650]

I feel like I've never heard someone say this before, but you as the player character in the dark souls games are actually a gigantic badass. Doesn't really feel like it getting your ass kicked up and down the block but in every game you basically end up slaughtering every god, demon, and warrior that came before you to take the throne as the ultimate ruler of the world.

[@midgetydeath]

And with what The Ringed City taught us, the lie becomes all the worse. As does what Gwyn did to humanity.

[@kankeydong2500]

Is light an ilusion of man created to believe in false hope, rather than accept their true nature of the darkness?

[@Parklout]

Basically, yes. But you make it seem that Dark is inherently a bad thing while in this universe it's more of a substance that makes a change in the world. First the world was grey with only existence in it, then come Life, Death and Light, usurping the world as it was, bringing in an age of light while the Dark settled in the shadows, starting to grow as the Light fades to take it's place in the world becoming something new, perhaps something to last. Which of course, was hindered by the Lord of Light, constructing a facade of life cycling back and forth.

[@Artrysa]

Sounds like religion.

[@k.forsythe8348]

*abrahamism

[@brazilianman92]

Parklout the Ambers always return. Only freaks cling to the shadows.

[@johanneshaukanes4531]

I think when the age of men settles. All will be normal. And the world as we know it, will start. All that has happened, will be remembered as fairytales and legends.

[@overwatchnord1370]

"A lie will remain a lie" The best line ever

[@asdergold1]

humans were mindless BEFORE the dark soul...there is that as well...

[@asdergold1]

afterwards,they became something ...more...but whatever now...

[@Guille2033]

We can assume they were Hollows, as that's what humans become when they lose their humanity aka their fragment of the Dark Souls. But we don't have solid evidence to support this, just speculation. Only Dark Souls 3 will tell.

[@LPAmir]

+Arty23 In 1 week from now on we might now it finally lol

[@CeroAshura]

+vitor hugo Chaves That makes sense, if you look at the furtive pygmy and his ilk, they all appear hollow and like hollows they are nude. It's possible that that was the origin of humans until they attained the dark soul.

[@Joricky12]

+vitor hugo Chaves This is probably the best explanation for hollowing I have ever read. Humans just keep reverting to their original state.

[@ocping]

In a way, Dark Souls' backstory is pretty analogous to actual human life, isn't it? Why are we here? Why is the universe this way? Also, what we say or do will eventually amount to nothing since entropy ensures the universe itself will disappear one day.

[@Mmmmkay126]

You could say that about any story.

[@Akaritomi]

Life is fuck...

[@XSLASH562]

Haha I'm glad I wasn't the only thinking this. Are we supposed to be the ones who link the fire or reject it?

[@nothing4youhere540]

I've been thinking the same thing. How many different parallels are there between DS lore and the universe we inhabit? What was the author trying to say?

[@brazilianman92]

Nothing4YouHere he was making a more fantastic version of the Bible. Just like all stories are. Specially Japanese ones. The abrahamic tones are hardcore in this series.

[@jameskelly5667]

Dude you have one of the best narrator voices ever. Not only do you know your stuff, the narration brings life to the story. Best lore videos out there man.

[@dem0nchild610]

Many years later and I still find myself going back and rewatching this channel again and again

[@kalicula7718]

So this is the hollow ending of Dark Souls 3, the world has finally moved on and became the world of man

[@MoreImbaThanYou]

Basically, the creation of humans is kinda similar to greek mythology. With fire, tere was conciousness, but that wasnt what the gods demanded. (Similar also to the forbidden fruit, given to Adam and Eve by the Lightbringer.) Become aware of one self means alot of things: Joy, happyness, but also anger, suffering and pain. Maybe this is, what "the first sin" refers to? As in greek and christian mythology, this self-awarness wasn't what the gods intended. But it happened, and with it, there was free will. And with free will, there was a possible resistance against the gods reign - something Gwyn and the others would not tolerate.

[@toomanylies7716]

Interesting theory.

[@peeweeherman9411]

I thought of Prometheus someone who gave fire to humanity

[@JimothyRoss]

that sounds similar to Hollow Knight

[@madmanvarietyshow9605]

I like this theory, and now that DS3 is out it makes even more sense.

[@willriseabove6858]

MoreImbaThanYou actually what the forbidden fruit did was take away their innocence. they were already happy in the garden of eden however a snake of the garden which was the devil convinced eve to eat the fruit for knowledge (kinda like framp) however all the fruit had done was peel back the veil of wrong and right, where before being naked was something natural it now felt wrong so much so that they had to hide from God. we are of gods image so being ashamed of yourself is to be ashamed of God. in the end it was not about free will, if it was how could she have had the will to eat the fruit?

[@yevheniishudrenko3898]

Great video, explaining quite a thing for me, of which I wasn't previously aware. Thank you for such an entertaining and involving lore explanations, Vaati. Keep it up!

[@mintspears6714]

these are so well done and edited and voiced that I'm still enjoying watching them years after the game. they are done in a way that explains everything but still bro 's you the same sensation as if we discovered it all ourselves thanks for the vids I hope your able to continue work like this

[@yukaslegion2]

i was waiting for this video so bad! once again thanks vaati

[@Misfu88]

If DS2 was never released, and Scholar of the first sin would be the actual release, then i'd say DS2 is as good as DS1 imho

[@mr.schrader1093]

*cough cough* Shrine of Amana...

[@ragingMJCaboose]

Yeah, I wish the first version would just never have been released and we had gotten the incoming version of it instead..

[@Cubicthing]

Bro Show *cough cough* Blightown...

[@ragingMJCaboose]

ares5566 Your argument makes no sense.

[@ragingMJCaboose]

What was he making then, smartass?

[@ZweiofPembroke]

I come back to this video quite often, almost whenever I finish a good game. Dark Souls 2 started my journey into the Soulsborne universe and it will always blow me away.

[@GarrMatey428]

In a catalog of insightful, well-crafted videos this is my absolute favorite

[@RonZertnert]

I still come back to this video every couple months or so. One of the best videos you have ever done Vaati if not one of the best ever done for the series. Incredible work.

[@IDKGeorge123]

Always was impressed when you enter the dream of the ancient dragon it’s grey and completely silent. Loved that detail.

[@kremmet5221]

In DS2, the Bonfire Aesthetic states that “as the fire grows stronger, so too does the Curse.” Hence, no Flame=no Curse.

[@georgehouliaras7239]

But when the Flame is linked, the Curse is temporary cured until the fire starts fading again centuries later. If the fire dies completely, the curse won't even have that one temporary solution.

[@jonathanjoestarwithpluck4930]

@@georgehouliaras7239 true, even Kaathe doesn’t claim that bringing the age of dark will lift the curse, only that it will empower the player character.

[@IamPs3Fan]

Oh God, thanks for the subtitles in Portuguese-Br for a large part of your channel. I've followed your channel for some years now and every time I see your videos, I'm grateful for that.

[@MrMhtmht]

So the true ending should be listening to Aldia, taking the 3 DLC crowns and search for a new purpose. I was always unsure if I would link the flame and be like Gwyn clinging to the flame, or trying to find another solution like Vendrick and Aldia. Vendrick sadly didn't have the 3 DLC crowns and had suffered from Nashandra's corruption(which he knew at the end). So I will listen to Aldia, I think that is the only version on how the story will take new paths.

[@Bl00DY617]

@vaatividya you really bring the souls universe to life man im a casual souls player but I love lore and stories

[@sheodagana2863]

I liked your reading of this, Vaati. I literally just beat the game for the first time, so I when I came to realize that I was going to have to Link the Fire again (or not) I was glad that I was given the option of walking away. For my part, I felt robbed, because I didn't end up finding the answer I was looking for. I just came to Drangleic to break the curse, not become wrapped up in in the Fire and Dark business. Great video, as ever.

[@zakproudfoot3815]

Thanks for these videos, really helps round out your own thoughts and deepen the experience of the games

[@jl7065]

"there is no path. beyond the scope of light, beyond the reach dark, what could possibly await us? and yet, we seek it, insatiably. such is our fate." so true as i try to get that item at the end of the hallway past a horde of knights only for a couple souls

[@nylster7156]

I love all your videos, I'm French, and sometimes I'm not sure about what you say, but you articulate so good, than KZbin detect pretty all your words correctky. Because of you I start playing Dark Souls 3

[@Nurfarious]

I don't think I could possibly explain how much I love your videos. Keep it up man!

[@CruitNOR]

I just realized how well you nail the mood in each video Vaati.

[@akiraigarashi2874]

Aldia was the coolest DS2 character

[@Ducky195]

So beyond the light and the reach of darkness, humanity still searches for its purpose. I feel that Gwyn’s real fear was not the darkness but man’s free will to act on its own. So he manipulated man’s free will for his own selfish need to preserve his age of light.

[@wesleyomena672]

The best explanation I've ever seen so far + one sub man !!!

[@eloyrodriguez6558]

AAAmazing story, heart shred into pieces every time, thanks for enduring so mouch pain and do this video

[@olympus10001]

oh gosh, lore gives me life, great video.

[@karlsigamoney]

So I was thinking about how Miyazaki takes obvious influence from Kentaro Miura. Specifically, I was thinking about the Brand of Sacrifice and how this very closely relates to the Dark Sign. Guts is marked with the Brand during the Eclipse ceremony in which Griffith becomes a member of the God Hand. This can directly to translate to how Gwyn links the fire, thus begining the fire linking ceremony, and how humanity is then branded with the Dark Sign. In the very same way Guts is hunted by creatures of the night, so too are the undead who are Branded with the Dark Sign.

[@olganechay9392]

Hi! I've made Russian subtitles for the video and would much appreciate if you approve them or somehow make it so that they would appear in the subtitles list. I really want my DS-loving friends to watch this awesome video and I also want to translate some other videos, but it seems more complicated than I've thought at first. This channel is awesome and makes me tear between wanting to play DS3 and watch the lore videos right away. You are doing great job, man!

[@davisleekin1211]

your voice were crystal clear mate, i can finally lower my volume down just to listen to explanation!

[@adrianvega4817]

Been waiting for this!

[@FearGX]

From adding the dark ending to Dark Souls 2 was the best thing they have done for the game. It fixes so much.

[@elpimpi829]

indeed.

[@Moody_bluess]

This wasn't the dark ending. Taking the throne can be both light or dark but abandoning it is forging a new path beyond the scope of light and the reach of dark

[@sheilasomogyi6431]

I love your channel man dark souls may be a game but I think it's a life changing experience. It's lore is soo rich that even years later we still get lore videos and people discovering new secrets. I believe that dark souls is about the struggles of depression in its much bigger deeper picture. your characters struggle through light and dark, getting knocked down and getting up again and over coming great adversity. subbed

[@MasterNinjaXz]

Perfect, Vaati. I can come back years later with confusion still present and have it wiped away by your theories. More fact than theory really, you always go above and beyond evidence.

[@MuhammadHamza-wj4ev]

"Beyond the scope of light, beyond the reach of Dark, what could possibly await us? And yet we seek it insatiably" It is a very interesting line. What I think is that as we know of three ages (Age of Ancient Dragons, Age of Fire, and Age of Dark), we think about other worlds that are not affected by this. There is an indication that devs are talking about other games such as Bloodbourne, Elden RIng, and Sekiro as they are released after DS2, DS1 & Demon Souls. We know of Demon Souls and we seek other games too but in a different universe (other souls like). As we want other souls game with their own stories. That is what we seek another realm/world/universe/reality.

[@jeffvader3748]

Scholar of the first sin's ending is still my favourite ending in the Dark Souls-series.

[@silvertemplar8061]

Jeff Vader nice

[@igordomanski3477]

Revisiting this pearl from few years past. VaatiVidya, without your work, souls games would not feel whole.

[@novasakigake]

Beautifully made. Well done.

[@xeniver1]

I've had this in my mind and it's very interesting to me as i rewatched this video, Dark souls 2 talks significantly about a "true monarch" and that vendrick was he who "almost" became a true monarch. Vendrick is able to give you his blessing and it is safe to believe he had this blessing for himself, a human undead, dark in nature, fuel for the fire. As a seeker of fire he was able to harness the fire through the crowns and yet it was different from inheriting the fire, though he was able to go beyond death he achieved it effective only for himself, he could not break the world free from the cycle. In comparison to the ashen unkindled who is a being of fire that possess the undead curse but strangely does not hollow, they are born of fire and are vessels for souls it would seem they are the ones that truly did inherit the fire in nature and acquiring the dark sigils enables them to harness the dark thus is the only existence now able to usurp, inherit or take the first flame without being totally consumed! unlike the previous chosen undead. The ashen unkindled then fits vendrick's description, inheriter of fire, harnesser of dark and is now worthy of the title of "true monarch" one who can finally break the world free from the vicious cycle. Pardon me for the wall of text, it was such a eureka moment for me but if i'm right maybe i got to see the resolution of this series after all.

[@fernandosales8320]

What Gwyn did to humans was the binding and containment of their power by using the Flames to create the Darksign, which branded the undead. The Darksign prevented Humanity, or the Dark Soul from flourishing, thus making humanity assume "a fleeting form", devoid of their true power, which would've been a threat to the Lords and their Age of Fire.

[@kersaherpafuqer784]

Dood I fucking LOVE your voice. Especially when you did the BloodBorne videos

[@rangon5]

Hey man I'm a big fan of DS and BB, the lore is awesome and your explanation with your soothing voice is a perfect relaxing combination. So thanks!