Dark Souls III Lore | Ornstein and the Path of the Dragon

Please forgive how my voice sounds in this, I've been a bit under the weather lately. As usual, put any corrections that you notice in the comments section and I will make an amendment. I cover quite a bit in this video including some new general Ornstein stuff, the Path of the Dragon, Hawkwood, Oceiros, Gwyn's firstborn, Knights, all the good stuff.
I'm away for a couple of weeks so they content may dry up a little bit. Stay tuned.
The Ashen Hollow's vid: • Dark Souls 3 Lore: Has...

[@Binary7]

Holy moly, the theory linking Ornstein to the Path of the Dragon and to the Storm Drake is amazing, and makes a lot of sense to me.

[@giovannicorraliza8552]

Dont say holy like that

[@KaranDas]

Man the Nameless King is such a cool looking boss. Sooo badass.

[@mitchl6896]

Indeed he is.

[@connordavis1085]

you and Hawkwood took the path of the dragon at the same time. you got one pice while he got the other. you can see this if you summon him near the nameless king boss and head towards the peak where you receive your dragon pice.

[@plaqeo2067]

Piece*

[@sandroguzelj1234]

funfact for all sunbros: if you fight the nameless king you are killing the guy you are praying to xD

[@mrcool20215]

My feels...i think something broke inside me ;-;

[@DreamWalkerDX]

Finally I see someone who notices that ! Gwyn's fistborn, whose father is so the ultimate ennemy of dragons, and his faithful knight recognized for his ability to kill them, dragonslayer ornstein, are respectively became king of a cult aiming to becoming dragon and indeed a dragon... what a mindfuck

[@fullofmoochabeans6538]

Praise the sun...!!!

[@MarkusKrassius]

I know, man, I know, but that's one sexy spear he's got ;)

[@enchanters_nightshade]

i think he was a sick scalie heretic we must become our own suns like solaire

[@Zzzonkedd]

Im not even joking I think you are actually one of, if not the best dark souls 3 content creators I have found, for Lore alone, definitely!! Seriously, keep up the good work man!!!!!!!

[@mitchl6896]

I will try my best! Thank you!!

[@theanarchistcook]

Hawkwood helps you defeat Oceiros, then you help him get to the top of Archdragon Peak. You each get one of the Twinkling Dragon Stones, then he tries to fight you for the other one to complete the set and ascend. If he beats you, he even takes your stone. So if you leave him alone at that point he ends up with both of them.

[@zuella4682]

I could not disagree with you more in you saying that the stormdrake the nameless king rides in battle was not the same one he befriended in the beginning. when you look at the nameless king killing his old friend you can see his hand tremble slightly, think about it, this drake started his entire life outside of his father's service, all of his struggles was started with this friend, and now he kills it and now he is pissed at you and all that energy is life rage as he prepares to wreck your shit for killing his best friend I do agree with you that Ornstein became a Dragon but I believe he became the Ancient Wyvern that we fight previously, I believe they aren't talking about the Dragon itself being ancient but rather the being that turned into the dragon, one of the oldest beings in lothric, Ornstein, I believe he brought himself to the nameless king, cast aside his armour and as given the blessing to become a true dragon

[@ouate-dephoque]

Havel cannot possibly be the dragon slayer that served Gwyn's Firstborn and Ornstein. If you recall, Havel was a cleric of the way of white, not a dragon slayer. He was a friend of Gwyn but nowhere is it mentioned that he ever served under Gwyn's firstborn or Ornstein. Aside from those points Havel led his own men, all who wore the armor we know and love (see the descriptions throughout the series). Havel ALSO went hollow and was locked away in the tower in the undead burg where we find him in Dark Souls 1. All of the other "havels" we see from this point on, I speculate, are simply Havel's warriors who don the same armor. My guess is the dragon slayer who served was actually the previous inhabitant of the dragonslayer armor, whoever that may be.

[@DreamWalkerDX]

"Havel ALSO went hollow and was locked away in the tower in the undead burg where we find him in Dark Souls 1" I don't think so, read the description of havel's weapon in DS3, it's say that it was dropped by Havel HIMSELF. And I find better a character like him to have his last fight among dragon corpses, hunting them since years to their last home

[@ouate-dephoque]

not dropped... "left". As in left as an heirloom or left behind. Also it's known that he was locked away in the tower in the undead burg because he went hollow. Read the description of the watchtower key from dark souls 1. 'Key to the basement of the watchtower in the Undead Burg. The basement of the watchtower forms a stone cell. There are rumors of a hero turned Hollow who was locked away by a dear friend. For his own good, of course'

[@DreamWalkerDX]

Ouate de Phoque sorry english isn't my native language But the word is "rumor", whereas in DSIII it's clearly say "HIMSELF" so I think the two ideas could be correct but I just prefer mine ! If it's actually not a rumor but a fact, it would be a bit strange choice of words between the two descriptions as they basically make wrong the other. Maybe I'm missing something

[@khalifacoe3694]

I hope you realize everytime a flame is linked the world is reset.

[@DreamWalkerDX]

Khalifacoe oh. I thought the actual reset not effective at this point, I mean I didn't know that EVEN characters reborn theirselves.... are you sure though ? In this case it will makes sense yeah..

[@Smokedmeatwad]

That cutscene of TNK stabbing his drake compared to Smough smashing Ornstein in souls 1 for pikachu powers really seals the theory for me.

[@duskripper6650]

Oooh I love the theory of the Nameless King's stormdrake being Ornstein, hadn't heard that one before. Potentially gives that boss fight a whole new meaning :o

[@empressthorne4075]

I absolutely love the idea that Ornstein is the King of Storms, sooo cool 😃

[@ryanpenix2528]

Yeah I was thinking that too such an interesting spin on it

[@kirramcdowell]

Great vid, thanks for uploading and putting together!

[@hanxopx]

Thanks man for all your efforts, you made the best lore videos on KZbin!

[@mitchl6896]

[@floatingdisc3427]

Great video! Awesome theory too. Can't wait to see more from your channel about DS3.

[@mitchl6896]

I can't wait for the DLC!

[@DaGirlzGoCrazy]

love lore videos like this. really great video!!

[@MisterJingo93]

Well, that has to be one of the best storylines I have heard of in some time. That´s just.. mindblowing. And freacking epic. Hell, I never followed Dark Souls lore myself, but I might just start doing so, if there are more hidden treasures like this I will have a lot of fun :D

[@lordzeraph9417]

The Dragon Slayers are a group of Archer Knights who were under the command of Gough but they are not a part of the 4 Knights.

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks for clarifying.

[@davishill3305]

Hey man love the videos you post. Keep up the good work!

[@supergahmja]

I'm in awe. I think a lot of people get stuck on minor details and restrain themselves from making any sort of reasonable story, but you do a great job of tying these ends together. Great video, great story! great series as well. I hope you enjoy Bloodborne too hah

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks mate! I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@arisniro3167]

Thank you so much for the video. Ornstein is one of my favorite characters. Thank you.

[@mitchl6896]

you're welcome!

[@takingiteasy17]

Very good video. I'm generally not onboard with the usual claims that this character turned into that, but the ending of this video was actually quite convincing. Thanks for posting!

[@SilentSpeak]

holy shit this is one of the best theories I ever heard and it totally makes sense ! you are awesome!

[@JoseNunez-gk4dx]

Great lore video, keep it going you make a fantastic job

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks dude!

[@nicklemay8056]

This was amazingly done. Very well put together, with great looking edits and phenomenal research. Surprised you don't have more subs. This is VaatiVidya levels of research.

[@mitchl6896]

Maybe Vaati is the current Soul of Cinder and I'm the Ashen Champion ;) All jokes aside, thank you!

[@mitchl6896]

+Inactive Hero in terms of Dark Souls 3 as an analogy I'm only up to the first Gundyr lol! Still a long way to go

[@trenbolone007]

WOW!!!!! VERy Good. VERy, Very, VEry good... Never thought of that theory. Kinda sad, then again, so is most the Lore for DArk Souls. Thank you so much for giving us this video. Look forward to future ones.

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks bud!

[@BLung-tq2mm]

Mitch!!! Back at it again with the AWESOME videos!

[@mitchl6896]

Wanted to go off on a high note before leaving you guys for a few weeks :P thanks Brian.

[@MrSterlingHarris]

Amazing video man, I really enjoyed it! My only slight correction would be that Ornstein's name, being derived partly from the German language would be pronounced with a "Sh" sound instead of a "s" sound, and that the "Stein" is pronounced "Shtine" (like "shine") instead of "Steen".

[@oddmetre]

Holy shiiiiiiitttt you blew my mind. You make the best DS3 lore vids!

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks dude! Mound Makers are up next ;)

[@LexIconLS]

Gough is the leader of the Dragonslayers, Silver Knights trained specifically to use Dragonslayer greatbows and spears. "Dragonslayer", in the case of Ornstien, isn't his role in Gwyn's army, but an honorific bestowed upon him for his service and heroic feats against the dragons. This is how you can reconcile Gough being the leader of the Dragonslayers and Ornstien being the Captain of the Knights of Gwyn. Ornstien uses the Dragonslayer spear because I think he was part of the firstborn son's retinue or bodyguard during battle(who I believe is Faraam, though he may have gone by another name before his exile), and so was trained in the use of the trademark spear, as well as being a sub-commander who likely directed Gough and his Dragonslayers to target dragons that posed the greatest threat on the frontline, where Ornstien would have often been fighting alongside the Nameless King. I love your theories in this video! It's definitely my favorite version of the story of Ornstien, and it reminds me of the book version of Barristan Selmy, from A Song of Ice and Fire. A man with a long take filled with honor, glory, sadness, nostalgia and tragedy, all guiding him back to the side of the one who he never lost his faith in (Dany/NK).

[@davidconnick2739]

Anyone else think that he does some of the best dark souls lore videos on KZbin?

[@zeke20132013]

Remove "some of"

[@sutterkane3264]

+rkoamfkpaf ,kfpafkfasd how dare you disrespect our lord vaati

[@zeke20132013]

+Oh Pasta Nothing lasts forever

[@mitchl6896]

+rkoamfkpaf ,kfpafkfasd :3

[@sutterkane3264]

+rkoamfkpaf ,kfpafkfasd but but.. Prepare to cry :(

[@SaintSeng]

Damn this is what we needed in the DKS lore community. Cinematic ass shots. Nice job on the framing and cutting between shots.

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you!

[@LucaDeravignone]

I definitely agree with passportboom, this one was amazing! Are you planning an in-depth analysis of Mound Makers covenant lore? I haven't found any good or extensive material about it at the moment and I think it could be really great. Keep on!

[@mitchl6896]

+Luca Deravignone maybe one day!

[@aandhimilne1626]

"I Might do some Bloodborne content one day" lol Mitch, as understated as usual

[@wecros3249]

Great video man!

[@SawdustAndCalluses]

Classy way to acknowledge a other channel's similar content.

[@thebigo3752]

you are the best lore youtuber around

[@michaelmorrell9780]

Awsome video man!

[@nickmercado5583]

Loved this. Great video.

[@videopostrrr]

Great vid, just to back up your observation that Oceiros may have been there- there is a room near the final bonfire, containing 2 banners bearing the coat of arms of the royal family of lothric.

[@mitchl6896]

Oh really? I hadn't noticed that. If so that's a great find!

[@VaNiTIII]

this guy has surpassed vaati

[@TumchieTheScot]

The only thing Vaati has over him is the voice, but everything else goes to this guy

[@pilkb7293]

Not hard to surpass a confirmed plagiarist

[@slothhq1929]

The battle of Stoicism is another silver knight trail (besides sens fortress). clues for this are Silver knight engravings in the room. It says in cowards purple stone that "victory in the battle(arena), once led to Anor Londo" It also says that it was runned by The God of War (nameless king).

[@roriksavant]

Gorgeous camera work. I love this theory, but I don't think the way of the dragon is JUST to ensure the Nameless's mount, I think it would make more sense for it's aim to bring back the dragons as a species. Excellent presentation and commentary!

[@mitchl6896]

That's a possibility too. Ornstein may have been the only one to be worthy so far.

[@roriksavant]

+Mitch L Yeah, or the only one to have stayed in service to the king.

[@WhiskeyTango76s]

I'm pretty sure Hawkwood gets his stone either when the player gets it or around that time. You can summon Hawkwood before you make it to the peak and he accompanies you to the top and even sits and uses the gesture alongside you which would explain why you only get half of the transformation while Hawkwood has the other. I'm sure he also learns the gesture alongside you as well once you summon him to fight the Consumed King.

[@Don-ds3dy]

2:00, parry, parry, parry, parry, *PARRY KING!*

[@walton836]

I got chills when I found smougs hammer great video

[@toolfan1993]

Excellent. Both you and Ashen Hollow are producing high quality analysis and videos. Please keep them coming.

[@mitchl6896]

Check out a guy called RADEC as well at some point, he does some great stuff.

[@NdustrialN8]

I never thought of the, now, obvious homage to Ornstein placing a hand on Smough, when the Nameless King places a gentle hand on the Storm Drake. That's what kind of sold the idea of Ornstein' path of the Dragon. & the fact it breathes lightning too.

[@Kyser666]

another awesome Video thanks!!!

[@davesteinharter8849]

I think the dragonslayers were an independent group lead by Gough. they were the great military achievement that caught gwyn's eye and lead to Gough becoming one of the four knights.

[@peterdupke8949]

very well done, many speculations but backed up quite reasonable. have a Sub ;)

[@mitchl6896]

Peter Dupke thanks!

[@boufns8]

The "crown" you noted on Ornstein's head is actually a more accantuated lion's mane.

[@21awesome]

I've never seen the Nameless King's face before this, whoa.

[@jvillain9946]

Anyone think maybe Aldrich is Smough? Both cannibals, both found in the same place and Smough's armor says he was the last to stay but doesn't say he left. Just thought about this, maybe the nameless king and Ornstein both went to dragon peak, just like ourselves and Hawkwook, and each received a piece of the dragon stones. Then had to battle each other for their piece, just like us.

[@AC-uy3bb]

Great video Mitch L thanks

[@falloutghoul1]

I swear, there's a connection between Oceiros, the Wretches, and the Way of the Dragon pose that I don't see many people talking about. -Did Oceiros experiment with the Way of the Dragon pose for the purpose of channeling Seath's soul aspects to become a Paledrake? -Did he use prisoners from Irithyll Dungeon as test subjects, hence why they're described as "failed"? -Was Sulyvahn aware of this? If yes, does Sulyvahn have any other connections to the Lothric bloodline?

[@xxJAC22xx]

It be cool if the Nameless king fight had like a cutscene if you were wearing full Ornstein armor.

[@WolfHreda]

I believe the giant dragon on the mountainside is the Archdragon mentioned in the place's name.

[@brayachdragonbane7529]

you can summon hawkwood on archdragon peak to attain his dragon stone, and as you and he are each half a dragon and are 'brothers' in that right... a duel between you two allows one to fully ascend

[@Mofriese]

20:00 i disagree, since there is a cutscene in the fight that is exactly as described in the item text. but that is the point of dark souls, its up to interpretation.

[@NamelessKing1597]

3:52 Solaire, we're looking at you.

[@giacomorinaldi8803]

Faithful *First* Knight is Ornstein The brave dragonslayer is the owner of the dragonslayer armour in Lothric Castle. It's all about the placement of the miracle Sacred Oath, just a few steps from the bossfight

[@widneyburton448]

amazing video!!!!! :D

[@bobisdoinsomething895]

also another addition which sorts out the whole smough being knight we know his main goal must be ranked along with the four Knights so might be quite possible he was at least considered somewhat of a knight as well as an executioner just not rank he wanted

[@colonelnasty3600]

Damn you blew my mind! It all makes sense

[@saldabest]

I like to think of the Dragon Acolytes stones littering Archdragon Peak and the temple past Occeiros as humans in process of becoming Everlasting Dragons, after all, the Everlasting Dragons weren't alive and we're pretty much sentient stone dragons. Maybe the state of the Acolytes are in is between life and death, awaiting to obtain their true power as Everlasting Dragons themselves.

[@Nutshell2K]

Very very very interesting! Thanks

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you!

[@blumiu2426]

[Ornstein is believed to be the captain of the Four Knights. His golden lion armor is imbued with the power of lightning and should provide good protection against it.] Specifically, it said "is believed", not is. I think for all the reasons you stated the assumption comes from that, while he actually wasn't. After all, Hawkeye Gough took down a dragon with one shot.

[@noviceknowing5961]

I like the lore and style of the bosses of dark souls. I wish the elder scrolls could take inspiration from it, it would be really cool.

[@yeehawidv4618]

Hi! I know this is an old post but this peaked my interest and i felt like dropping my thoughts. In my opinion i think thats its not entirely crazy to think that the ornstein in anor londo was indeed an illusion based on smoughs great hammers description from ds3 about him being the last at his post meaning ornstein had already departed to look for NK. Ornstein seemed is portrayed as honourable to a fault in ds1 especially during the cutscene during the bossfight where he acknowledges smoughs death by laying his hand on him before absorbing his power. NK was gwyns heir and was supposed to be the next in line to link the flame. Once the gods departed from anor londo due to the fading of the flame he felt honour bound to bring NK back to finish his duty. Moving onto ds2 and for his change to dark/hex magic. In DS1 there was a type of weapon called occult weapons which where used to combat the gods. Just how dragons are weak to lightning gods are weak to dark. At some point in time he became exposed to darkness similar to velstadt or artorias but instead of being overcome by it honed it to be used against NK it would have also imbued itself upon his armour causing the change in its appearance. The fact that the NPC after defeating the old dragonslayer makes no mention of him also leads me to believe he wasnt a resident of the cathedral and that he was still on a journey. As for DS3 its fairly obvious ornstein made it to archdragon peak but not much information is given as to what happened here. His armour is not found upon a corpse implying that it was merely discarded. The NPC hawkwood showed that it is possible to become a dragon. Infact all armour is has to be removed for the individual dragon pieces to be used a reason why ornsteins has just been left there. It is also possible that ornstein may have given up on trying to bring NK back to anor londo due to its new "residents" and instead gave up his knighthood to serve the last of gywns line and became NKs storm drake. This of course is all speculation although the cutscene of when nks storm drake dies and when smough dies are both eerily similar. Anyways i doubt very few people will read this and im sorry its so long but thats my theory XD

[@roriksavant]

I believe the four knights of Gwyn were seperate to the "dragonslayers", can you imagine Ciaran doing any good vs a dragon? I think the dragonslayers were the silver knight archers, led by Gough, and Ornstiens title could be an oversight. What else would you name a slayer of dragons after all?

[@ZaBreaker]

I think my hope for the well known Dark souls youtubers having more collaboration have been slightly Dashed even more

[@mitchl6896]

Why?

[@livingtoaster1358]

I believe that the armor was referring to another knight that was associated with O who you may ask? well I believe it is the OD because guess what he was protecting? A cathedral.

[@vernonpennington5269]

what about the big dragon on the mountain and I wanna know more about the arch dragons

[@kennethramirez3116]

enjoy it brother!

[@TheGardner81]

Hey @Mitch L prehaps ornstein is with smough in darks is because he was set to be executed for betraying gwen and trying to join up with the nameless one tand that he even became a dragon but the dragon stone that allowed him to turn into one was taken from him so he could not turn back to one and this probably happened when been scarificaed him self or something but that's just a guess I could be really really wrong lol

[@cesara.1772]

No Old Dragonslayers from Dark Souls 2? I'm actually relieved xp

[@xaviertolland5705]

Just a quick thought on the Pilgrim butterflies, they remind me of the butterflies from Dark Souls 1, and they were made by Seathe, who the king of the castle they reside above is trying to follow in Seathes footsteps

[@mitchl6896]

I'll do a video on them at some point!

[@xaviertolland5705]

Thanks, I love your video

[@DreamWalkerDX]

Yes good point ! I immediatly thought of Seath when I saw Oceiros ! A scale-less dragon who uses crystal attacks !

[@jemijohnson257]

I was thinking when you fight The Old Dragonslayer in DS2 That was the real Ornstein. Its true that the one in DS1 was fake maybe he found out about gwyndolin's illusion over the city and was angry with that reality, he left to look for the real princess of sunlight and guard her properly. Of course also looking for Nameless king he would discover the peak and perhaps instead of becoming a dragon he makes peace with them as well, that would explain why the wyvern next to the bridge is alive and asleep in SoTFS. Ornstein maybe had also left his armor and weapon there for Nameless as for something to remember him by. Now the one in DS2 could also be a descendant or just an outright imposter. But still a great lore vid man

[@howescookies]

I'am late here, but what about Old Dragonslayer in Dark Souls 2 ? It's Ornstein on his journey, just Random guy in his Armor or another illusion ? I Cant stop think about this since i watch this video.

[@blumiu2426]

Didn't Ornstein's description say "commonly assumed" or along those lines, when stating that he was Captain of the Four Knights? I think it slipping that part in many missed it and didn't realize the giant was actually the leader.

[@nicod4910]

"THE STORM DRAKE IS ORNSTEIN" Me: *looks up HOLY SHIT

[@madmanvarietyshow9605]

yep. My brain just exploded.

[@tritebs1673]

Best evidence I have to argue this is incorrect is that The King of Storms was reasonably the cause for The Firstborns betrayal due to the respect he gained for the beast during a confrontation. Secondly the Ancient Wyvern drops the DragonHead Stone which was used in rituals to transform oneself into a dragon. It's possession of this item leads me to believe that it is indeed Ornstein.

[@KreStoK5o]

I don't even... dude you're awesome 👏

[@ShogunMaxxx]

I like to think that Solaire got rememberance of his name and powers after he helps you defeat Gwyn. This liberates him in some form and goes back to his true self: The Nameless King. Then, sensing his power or some bullshit like that, Ornstein sets on a path to find him. Don't know if this can be proved but it's something I like to think.

[@Nesree0]

Solaire did link the flame if he makes it to the kiln with you says Miyasaki.

[@mitchl6896]

I think it's pretty certain at this point that Solaire is not Gwyn's firstborn. Look the the description of Solaire's armour. Doesn't really jive with how the Nameless King is described as a God of War, inheritor of Sunlight and all that.

[@panthera2]

Mitch L what about god;s and ingrave rings are important to dark souls 3 will you make a video on rings next time

[@xdan-]

Ornstein is the stormdrake, Solaire is Gwyn's firstborn and Laurence is the Bloodletting Beast. The Dancer is Nashandra, W.D. Gaster is Papyrus and Sans who is also Ness and a revenant, and Peach is a goddess. Luigi is jealous and evil, Bowser just wants hope for his children beacuse he was Orphan -of Kos- and Mario is comunist, mental and faster than Sonic (both father Mario and son Mario). And let's not forget Link is dead in Majora's Mask.

[@xdan-]

Good video by the way.

[@21awesome]

Stahp.

[@giacomorinaldi8803]

Why you hurt me so?

[@lynackhilou4865]

that makes sense

[@xdan-]

+Dennis Choomac Fucking love you XD

[@jmartens759]

I always assumed that because the nameless king lost his godhood status that he became susceptible to hollowing. and thus when we find him, and when Ornstein found him, he was not But a mad God.

[@mitchl6896]

Possibly!

[@ninjataco7777]

Cool vid

[@milhaus924]

Also the Strom Curved Sword says beside not a top. Just another thing to add to the probability of this being true.

[@michaelmann3670]

Could the Lion Knight be the God of War of Forassa??? It would make sense if Gwyn intended for his soul given to him, to be another sacrifice to maintain the Age of Fire

[@Zac99]

I feel like there is a flaw (or two) with the "ornstein is the stormdrake" theory, one of them being the "he placed a caring hand like it was a good friend" and the description of the sword you get from the soul of the Nameless king, the other being the "Storm of lightning. Also I apologize if this seems a bit long. A: The Stormdrake's Sacrifice and death. As with most people would regard a pet (or owned steed in this case), respect and a bond is paramount. The way the Stormdrake and Nameless King fight is almost as if the bond is there, and while it may have been Ornstein, it could very well also just be a random dragon the Firstborn bonded with. Not only that, but by allying with the dragons, its also possibly the firstborn bonded with his first steed and it held strong for a long, long time up until it's death. This would mean that judging by how Soulstein in the first game places his hand on Smough before claiming Smough's soul, it was a sign of respect and grievance as their friend died. This ties in with the description of the sword; "The Nameless King, ally of the ancient dragons, fought beside the Stormdrake in countless battles. When the great beast fell, the king claimed his soul, as was the custom in the age of gods." Judging by the description, it seems more apparent its a respect for his old customs even if some aspects of it he disagrees with. B: The Storm of lightning when he kills the Stormdrake. The issue with it is that, the nameless king is essentially lightning. If we read the Dragonslayer Swordspear it says; "Its owner was the Nameless King, a deific hunter of dragons. The swordspear is imbued with lightning, of which he was the heir." Heir indicating that it was to be, or already was, passed down to him whether it'd be in title or power I have no clue, but its clear in his fight that he is very much a powerful user of lightning. This would indicate, and lead to the possibility that rather than the lightning coming from the power of the Stormdrake, the lightning solely came from the Firstborn while the "storm" that comes from the Firstborn absorbing the drake's soul. If you take another look at the Storm Curved Sword, it not only does no Lightning Damage whatsoever (which it would be doing if the drake was Ornstein and managed to keep his lightning power imbued into his soul), but it does solely physical damage and nothing else. It's weapon art also doesn't include any lightning whatsoever using what is solely wind to simmulate the "wrath of the storm drake" in the form of a miniture tornado. Not only that but during the fight, the Stormdrake only ever used Fire during the fight (as is the staple with "true dragons" in the series), with the only Lightning attacks coming from the Nameless King himself as he rides on the back. With all that said, it does seem like a lot of things are pointing towards the "Ornstein became the Stormdrake" theory being true, but these are two holes that people seem to forget exist with the way you, and if I remember correctly the Ashen Hollow, pointed these out (although it would only apply to Point A, not B as I don't remember Ashen Hollow bringing up the Lightning storm) and they need to be taken into some consideration, especially when making those points.

[@RainbowHanryu]

On part b: Since apparently Ornstein was given a piece of a lord soul it can be assumed that that was where his lightening powers came from. But if he did give his piece of the soul up for the illusion then he would no longer have innate lightning powers since the spear itself is said to be imbued with lightening. I think this theory is cool but again, still a theory. Unless Miyazaki confirms it but how often does he give any lore bits?

[@Zac99]

RainbowHanryu Too be fair, from what the souls in the Dark Souls universe seem to be is that as they get stronger you can practically take pieces of it and still leave the rest of it intact. In fact we've seen it with gwyn as he does it twice with Seath and the Four Kings. Plus we also don't know what factors play into it, especially since if the soul is powering the Ornstein illusion, then it is entirely possible he only needed to give a little to power the illusion. Hopefully we see more in the more-than-likely Londor DLC in 3 this way we know just a bit on how someone in the Souls-Universe would be able to do such a thing. Although another variation of the "It's an illusion" theory is that it could just be a piece of armor and spear he power and left behind, similar to the Dragonslayer armor in Lothric Castle and the Golems in DkS2 (althou the golems served more of a "convience" tool rather than a guardian, that and the pilgrim butterflies were most likely controlling that armor with magic).

[@jacobdeacon2221]

whoa I just noticed that Ciaran uses a dark blade and a light blade and so does the dancer, maybe ciaran stayed with different kings till whatever transformed her to what we fight ( I can't remember ) just a little theory with not much to back it but it's fun to think about

[@GreatKingIso]

a poison/bleed or silver and gold not light and dark ya dipshit

[@xdan-]

Perhaps Ciaran took the Path of the Crow and transformed into a Corvian and she is now Pontiff Sulyvahn!!!

[@livingtoaster1358]

There's a counter argument that no one really seams to address, which is, actually 2, when illusions die they vaporate away but when you look at O's death scene by Smough he doesn't vaporate whatsoever in the scene also when you kill gwyndolin before fight O and S all the illusions disappear, When you fight the Boss though, both O and S are still there so O being an Illusion debunked Edit: I meant to say O is still there along with S but S isn't as important cuz thats not important.

[@Danymo242]

2:10 nice parries 😂

[@mitchl6896]

I need some practice :P

[@andrewmahabir3313]

you know people keep saying ornstein is the storm drake but I'm still curious about the abyssified ornstein in dark souls 2

[@sandroguzelj1234]

he might just be a dragonslayer that mimics ornstein. he probably heard of this legendary warrior and immitated him but since he was fighting mostly humans he chose to use dark instead of lightning. ( his soul is not corrupted by the abyss after all)

[@DreamWalkerDX]

I think that actually, nobody seems to give a fuck about Dark Souls 2 lore

[@sandroguzelj1234]

Sans Masko Artorias well i do. and i know a lot of people who really like the lore surrounding vendrick and aldia

[@DreamWalkerDX]

Sandro Guzelj Yes yes I love DS2 lore too, it's great, the problem is indeed what I've said, in DS3 nothing remembers DS2.. :/

[@singularsymmetry]

I love this theory

[@jman9838]

I think the dragonslayer is the nameless king

[@livingtoaster1358]

I feel that the servant is the Old Dragonslayer

[@johngun7418]

the dragon slayer spear charged r2 wrecks that dragon in nameless king fight. well if you can land it anyway

[@Chris-iu6qh]

Nice video, but there is one question I can not stop thinking about. So some humans can become wywers (or dragons?) with "the path of the dragons". Is this transformation pure "luck" or do you just need a lot of souls to become a dragon and why is the nameless king hollowed? Can anyone explain this to me?

[@mitchl6896]

I think that the Nameless King makes the final choice on who becomes Dragon or not. It's pretty impossible to confirm.