Dark Souls Lore | Astora: A Comprehensive Look

An extremely close look at Astora. Let me know of any issues.
In other news I’ve been 90% deaf in my left ear for like a week, send help

Twitter: / angered_courier
Facebook: / mitch-l-462561553915283

[@oscarofastora7422]

Finally, someone gives me credit

[@OldManMcLoyf]

Fucking Astorians....

[@pendalftheone9082]

Been cosplaying u since ds1

[@tibaronmagnus3672]

Marty McFly \[T]/ do you even praise bro?

[@francocarrera7190]

Marty McFly You arent grossly incandescent...

[@oscarofastora7422]

wut

[@appaloosahill4499]

Andre sees the curse as a blessing because he's technically immortal . As long as he's able to make weapons for people he always has a purpose . He won't go hollow

[@Akaarei]

A great reference to the blacksmith from Berserk. He too doesn't even really like smithing but he does that, because it's what he does and always has been doing. He likes the sparks tho.

[@viktor_v-ughnda_vaudville_476]

Appaloosa Hill Americas Millitary Industrial Complex in a nutshell, hey I can get paid forever if everyone is perpetually at war😂🤗 I'm not hating I'm American I'm just saying it's funny

[@aliekexie8467]

Appaloosa, but with the linking of the flame he becomes human, his immortality ends, so how did he live for so long?

[@cyrustpb6091]

Aliekexie because thats not how that works

[@jojolafrite90]

I've always though, that From Soft was telling us the value of work well done through Andre. It does makes him the most old sane being in the whole world of Dark Souls. He must be all powerful, by the end... With all the iron he's battle, with all the souls he had from all these people... And he never had to kill anyone... Or do politics... He is god.

[@edouardchan9445]

astora, home to the good guys

[@mitchl6896]

Too good it seems...

[@tripvic7629]

more like home of the easy marks

[@oscarofastora7422]

We're good guys, but all of us die at the end...

[@Meizuken]

Andre doesn't die!

[@Forbidden-Spaghetti]

edouard chan Astora: A Dark Souls Story

[@marekszmaly9509]

"Oscar of Astora kicks a corpse with a key attached into our cell. This act shows us quite a bit about natives of Astora." They use corpses as keyrings?

[@johntrains1317]

I thought he was gonna say, they're A holes. Caused he could've just gave you the key

[@sneezewax3567]

@@johntrains1317 You can't drop key items

[@zachariahjonahmaldonado5897]

Anri's sword mentions being found and the knight set says Anri felt called to Astora. This leads me to suspect s/he actually isn't Astoran but identifies with them, and at some point visited the ruined land and gathered the heirlooms from the desolate region, then championed Astora's legacy like some Last of the Romans kind of thing.

[@tommrz7254]

and i think it says that she killed the evil eye

[@torinjones3221]

Anri definitely killed the evil eye and further proof is that Anri is unkindled meaning she attempted to link the fire, failed and was subsequently buried in the Cemetery of Ash awaiting the bell. You have to do something noteworthy to even be considered for linking the fire and slaying a beast that nearly destroyed a kingdom would fit that description. The only inconsistency I can see is that Anri grew up in the same era as Aldrich as she was a child in the Cathedral of the Deep when Aldrich lived there. And unless the Cathedral is from Astora then I dont see how Anri can be an Astoran unless maybe she was sent away from home to be raised by the monks in the cathedral.

[@zachariahjonahmaldonado5897]

It says that the Evil Eye was killed by the Sword of One Most Noble. Anri is the obvious indicator but again, Anri isn't a noble from Astora, or doesn't seem to be anyways since it's said she travelled there (indicating she wasn't 'from' there). Then again the Irythilians are kidnapping assholes and Aldrich probably also employed kidnappers since children have a long development time so he probably exhausted the local supply in short order. It does not say who wielded the sword when the Evil Eye was killed. It could have been Anri but then again, why isn't Prince Ricard wearing his armour in the Dragon place? Anri's sword is said to have once belonged to an earnest noble lord, and we know Prince Ricard didn't have it by the time he hollowed in Lordran... To me it sounds like Anri showed up after Astora was destroyed and either the Evil Eye was already slain or she found the sword there and slew it later. The Evil Eye ring says it nearly destroyed Astora, but the Astora sword says the land was eventually destroyed anyways, so its possible that the Evil Eye was fended off and killed somewhere else, Astora's fall coming later As to Anri linking the flames, I don't think anything actually says that Unkindled are Undead who died linking the flames. Bizzarely enough, despite it's ubiquity in fannon, I think that's speculation. The game uses undead and unkindled almost interchangeably, but does say that unkindled can not become true Champions. And since death, rebirth, hollowing work like in DS2 after you get Vendrick's blessing (you drop souls but don't loose humanity or become cursed unless you jump through hoops, which Anri did since it seems that she had her own version of Yoel manipulating her), there's as much evidence to support that Unkindled are a sort of evolution of the Undead. Notably, Seigward, Hawkwood, Irena, Eygon, Sirris, Orbeck, and Cornix never hollow. I even speculate that the Bearer of the Curse didn't link the flames and went on to become the First Unkindled. Protected from hollowing, s/he sought transcendence through gaining flame, not darkness (as reversing humanity worked in DS1). Heck, even though Seigward and Anri are explicitly unkindled, they're not seeking the Lords or to rekindle the flames as the whole Ash Seeketh Embers thing implies. Seigward is after Yorm because of a promise made and dissapears upon completion, Anri is after Aldrich because of vengeance for eating all the kids, and hollows upon completion. Hawkwood isn't a after a lord despite having been an Abysswatcher, he's on a selfish quest for dragonhood completely unrelated to the Lords. So it doesn't even seem like relinking the flame is explicitly why unkindled rise despite what the game says, especially since the bells awakening the unkindled would imply they all woke around the same time and have the same mission, which clearly isn't the case since Iudex challenges one at a time and- hey, did Anri and Siegward have to fight him too? He never comes back and you take the coiled sword from his body and another one doesn't seem to exist. And anyways Anri and Seigward have obviously been doing this a long time by the time you show up. Also the fact that Anri was fed to Aldrich as a child raises further questions. Was she bourne unkindled or did she become undead later in life? Was this before or after Aldrich was fed to the flames? I don't think it was before since Anri seems surprised that Aldrich isn't at the Cathedral anymore despite his coffin being there, that's what she and Horrace were doing there anyways, so they obviously thought Aldrich was there. Meaning him moving to Irythil is a very current event, reinforced by lore notes that upon awaking he moved to devour the gods instead. Substantiated by the Deep Church seeming to have only recently moved in, since they haven't found Yorshka, cleared out all the Silver Knights or local Irythilians, noticed the Mimick in the Pope's arena, and that Aldrich hasn't hasn't finished eating Gwyndoline yet. And you'd think Sirris would have something to say if it was common knowledge Aldrich killed the Moon God by then. On the earlier note about people not being considered for Cinder Lords if they're not remarkable, I don't think anything says that. I mean it applies to Lothric but that's because by the time he was reaching adulthood the whole kingdom has developed a religion about the flame linking so he's just part of that. And for Aldrich he was pressed to do it as a way of getting rid of him. But Yorm volunteered himself by all indication and Ludleth literally willed himself into doing it, no one asked him. No one even wanted him going by the 'may be small but die a colossus' line. And if we presume unkindled are Undead who failed to link the flame then that would indicate that anyone can walk over and try given the sheer amount of these dudes running around. Unless you think Hawkwood was just so gung ho to one up the Abyss Watchers (membership for whome is dependent on being undead) that he went to the Kiln, which you don't seem to be able to even walk to anymore. I also always read that as they could have (in theory) been champions but were unable to link the flames or didn't want to, not that they explicitly died trying.

[@Slender_Man_186]

@@zachariahjonahmaldonado5897 Iudex Gundyr does technically come back, or at least he somehow did before when we killed him in the past when he was Champion Gundyr. My guess is that he’s an undead who’s become more and more hollowed as Unkinded beat him, hence why he’s far weaker when we fight him than he is in the past, well that and whatever the Fuck that weird black sludge monster is, does DS3 ever actually explain what those are?

[@aromardu]

Thank you for taking into account that DS2 lore still exists. I'm more partial to DS1 and 3 overall, but it's getting ridiculous how little attention is spent on details found in 2 that connects to 1 and 3.

[@mitchl6896]

I have grown a fondness for DS2 and its lore lately, much more than I used to. It has a great amount of detail and worldbuilding.

[@aromardu]

It really does, you get a lot more info on the surrounding world, which also bleeds into DS3. There's also some interesting tidbits in 3 that ties in or retcons details in 2. Manikin blades, Straid's pyromancy, Aldia's heirloom, Wolnir's esteemed guest who might have trained his warriors etc. That's not even touching the reuse of Thrones for the First Flame or Nashandra's wish being fulfilled by the Lord of Hollows (usurping the power of the First Flame).

[@ProfessorNoobster]

Mitch L Dark Souls 2 lore doesn't get enough credit, it's surprisingly good. I liked the fact that the NPCs actually talked about the lands they came from, it really did give the world a whole other dimension, if I make sense.

[@sugarhighmegaming5008]

Commissar Professor Noobster I think the general "lower quality" game design that most people associate with DS 2 really makes it difficult for the community to accept the lore. Don't get me wrong, I like the lore of 2, but I totally get why so many people seem to be trying to forget it. I think all the games are good in their own right.

[@aromardu]

The horrible controls and the downgraded visuals break it for me, but it's still decent. All three games have something that sets them apart, no two games are exactly the same. Even with the recycled animation and FROM not giving 90 % of the cast moving mouths.

[@donpacificbobcat9er615]

You know the body that you pick the Ashen Estus Flask in the Cemetery of Ash also wears Elite Knight's armour; this could just be a nod to Oscar but who knows this is Dark Souls lore is convoluted.

[@insertedgynamehere___969]

The Astoran Knight corpse is even in the same pose as Oscar when he gives the estus flasks

[@NiCoNiCoNiCola]

@@insertedgynamehere___969 it isn't Oscar though because he died twice back in the first game

[@insertedgynamehere___969]

@@NiCoNiCoNiCola I know it's a different Astora Knight. I was merely pointing out that this Astora knight is in the same pose as Oscar, and is likely a reference to him at best

[@NiCoNiCoNiCola]

@@insertedgynamehere___969 I don't remember Oscar patenting his pose Can't even lay down in Lothric

[@chickenwarriorr]

@@NiCoNiCoNiCola I hope you realise that he went hollow meaning he's immortal and thus can go through the ages "alive" but insane and thus there he sits rotten but still he helps the unkindled on their journey

[@Jombridge]

anyone else feel weird hearing Anri as a boy

[@oscarofastora7422]

Maybe getting flashbacks of a certain guy who saved you from prison...

[@battlemaster1719]

There can only be one male elite knight of Astora that talks. Thats are main man Oscar! My favourite character in all the games!

[@moviebad109]

The male voice actor for Anri is terrible compared to the female one. The girl speaks with emotion, the guy sounds like an awful robot. Lol

[@sinkmc3682]

Ya make me feel weird because I made some many I want to bang anri jokes

[@JigglyBooties]

I only ever played as a girl so anri as a girl is weird for me lol

[@Morbak546]

ZullieTheWitch translated the runes on the handle of the Astora straight sword: The Setting of the Sun was Delayed, A wound cuts deeper into Humanity. This is interesting because it would mean that despite knowing about the first sin, the nobles of Astora have chosen the link the fire no matter what. I believe it is a good insight into their mindset because it shows that they reject the true appearance of Humanity, that wich the hollows of Londor fully embrace, and that they instead prefer to cling on to the great illusion of life as Aldia calls it. Indeed this very illusion was what allowed Astora to become a prosperous nation and they are not willing to give it up, hence why the Astoran nobility made it their duty to fulfill the undead prophecy.

[@Knight_647]

Fuck yes man

[@Morbak546]

@@Knight_647 completely forgot about this comment, thanks for bringing me back to such good memories. Praise the Sun

[@NT-sx2bd]

SUCH a good comment!

[@AgionAgion]

Maybe. Just Maybe. A theory, which I have in mind, it might be wrong. But what if Aldritch was the Evil Eye, which ravaged throughout Astora and upon his defeat, was made a lord of cinder, due to his strength of souls. Maybe Aldritch was a part of the Way of White, an upstanding Cleric. But when he was touched by the Abyss, it might have turned him into the devourer he was. And since Astora was a medieval place, the care of orphans was referred to bishops and, during the Middle Ages, to monasteries. Maybe the two were orphans when Aldritch turned and became that monster. I mean, what better way than obtaining food by devouring those abandoned by society and given in care to clerics. As Hawkwood mentioned, Aldritch ate so many people, that he bloated up and turned into sludge. And since he was an uncontrollable force of destruction, he must have ravaged Astora from within. When "slain" by the most noble of swords, hinting Anri's sword, Aldritch was placed into the Cathedral of the Deep and made a Lord, not by choice. And said nobleman/woman has given Anri the blade to slay Aldritch if he'd ever rise again. It's only speculations, I don't know. But still, this video was very fun to watch and made me think about it. Thank you for the video, Mitch L. And thank you, the reader, for reading through my comment. Have a nice day and I'll meet you in the Ringed City.

[@Justlildude]

I can't say I completeley agree with Aldritch being the monster that ravaged Astora. I mean if he was a lord of cinder, then wouldn't his soul be fed to the First flame so that it could continue burning How could his soul also be trapped in the Ring of the Evil eye? I mean, Gwyn was able to split parts of his soul and give them to others but I think he did that willingly. Why would Aldritch split his soul in that case?

[@saxogatley1166]

@@Justlildude I think the entirety of Aldrich’s soul not being burnt makes him fit with the other Lords of Cinder. Yhorm’s populace were burnt and The Undead Legion were an organization of many. This seems to be why the Lords of Cinder are the ones summoned to save the Age of Fire: there’s actually something left of them. We know they’re not the only people to have linked the fire and yet they’re the only ones called again. The only answer is that the others were entirely burned. I’m thinking a portion of Aldritch’s soul - the most vile and abyss-tainted part - was stripped and sealed. The rest was burned to link the fire.

[@Nightmareblader]

I always looked at Anri's story from a gloomier point of view. I believed the reason she returned to the Cathedral was to visit the graves of the other children. I mean you could say it's the grave of Astora's final knight, but why so many small graves around the shield? Think about where we find Klimt's bident, in front of 2 gravestones, 1 big and 1 small. Could these be the graves of a possible wife and child? Could this be why he turned his back on his faith? It just makes more sense to me for it to be the grave of the children. She either visits Horace or them.

[@mitchl6896]

Definitely possible!

[@Gracklef1int]

This makes the flavor text on the Broken Straight Sword that much more heart wrenching. "Ønly a mad Hollow would choose to fight with this."

[@jmartens759]

a dark beast you say? hmmm.... bloodborne connection confirmed!

[@mitchl6896]

Paarl gets around

[@err0r0b0]

Sad thing is that Andre knows much morr than lets on.. He never goes hollow for the same reason he answers no questions..

[@skycrafter2042]

He wont go hollow as his motivation is to share his craftmanship with people so as long as there a person to share with hell be fine

[@Ghost26872]

This is top tier content as somebody who hasn’t been able to play the souls games but still loves the lore I rly appreciate being able to find ways to immerse myself in the world with videos like this 🙏🏼🖤

[@sleepinhaystacks]

Your audio choice is always superb for these.

[@Ivan_1791]

I wish someone will make a videogame that happens in Astora. It would be pretty epic.

[@XYZsolution]

Your videos are so comprehensive, I love them.

[@danielshets97]

Love your well informed, concise and interesting style of video making Mitch, we all appreciate the obvious great effort you put into them! Much love my friend

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you! You make it all worth it.

[@josephpersaud9]

i haven't commented in a while so i'd just like to say that your video's still retain it's quality. Personally I really enjoy the videos that cover less talked about topics. Keep it up!

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks for sticking around!

[@UnholyWrath3277]

Bruh I love the Rohan music in the back. Hit me right in the nostalgia

[@allmight9840]

Deserves more likes

[@samuelm4042]

You're my new favorite channel.

[@mitchl6896]

And you're my new favourite viewer!

[@TheManlyman21]

Yay! My favorite DS lore channel! I am actually really happy that you are discussing Astora. Astora is one of the most important and mysterious location in the games, but nobody talks about it. I have heard some of the best theories about Astora. For example, a former friend of mine has said that Astora is where Lothric is located. Lothric is the capital city of Astora and Astora is where all the gods and goddesses escaped to.

[@mitchl6896]

Perhaps! They seems to collecting Astora relics at the very least. Thanks for your continued support.

[@TheManlyman21]

Mitch L Don't mention it, it's nice to have a creator interact with fans. Even if it a little bit. If you get big and I mean Really Big! Then, it will be much harder to reach out.

[@oscarofastora7422]

Astora is beautiful. We have more cathedrals and chapels than dark souls 3 but... it's always sunny in Astora!

[@joel-in5cq]

from needs to make an Astora and Carim DLC or a short area like the memories of the giants from DS2

[@DracoSouls]

I just subbed a few days ago and I have subbed to many Lore channels(Silver Mont, Ashen Hollow, Vaati,etc) but you are the most informative and useful so keep up the great work!

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks very much :) Means a lot!

[@gwynthefirstlord8494]

this was a great video,I especially liked the part about Richard and how his legend is told differently between kingdoms. This video also gave me newfound respect for anris quest line, it really is sad to see the last knight of Astora hollowed. Great video

[@mitchl6896]

I'm glad you enjoyed the Ricard bit. It was something I'd always toyed with but never gone deeply into it.

[@lauraguglielmo]

This channel just keeps getting better, amazing job Mitch!

[@Aerowarrier]

I'm gonna be honest, I don't think Anri is even from Astora. Her/His equipment mostly talks talks about how it is found in Astora. Now, this could simply be saying it is from Astora, but from is usually pretty purposeful with wording. Also, one description, I forget which but you showed it in the video, says how Anri was drawn to Astora, this broken, decrepit home. I take that as she went there, hoping to find something, but returned with only some armor, a shield, an old, dull sword, and the ring.

[@Aerowarrier]

I mean, for all we know, she got the armor from the corpse in the untended graves.

[@dezopenguin9649]

Indeed, this is a theory I've heard as well, that Horace and Anri armed themselves in their initial flight from the cathedral and that is why we find scraps left behind there: the Executioner's Greatsword in one place, the Astora Greatshield in another, and the Crest Shield in yet a third. It might be that Anri is not even "of Astora," but merely adopted the name because the legend of the fallen land called to him/her, although it might also be that Anri, being Astoran, chose his/her gear specifically to reflect his/her homeland. (As an added note about Anri though irrelevant to the video, I really like that Fromsoft made it possible that you can tell male Anri from female Anri by their stance even though they're both wearing identical suits of plate armor. I'm not even sure I could point to the actual differences, yet you can tell almost immediately which is which.)

[@Aerowarrier]

DezoPenguin males stand broader legged is one. Player characters do it too

[@raimethefumeknight2062]

DezoPenguin * Astora Greatsword not greatshield* Berenike is the land of greatshields.

[@Aerowarrier]

DezoPenguin I meant the armor from untended graves, where we get the ashen Estus. I'd imagine she was there, but I'm probably wrong about that.

[@cnewms23]

You really did such an excellent job with this video. I like how you make comparisons to the real world and how in-depth you go in your videos. Keep up the good work :)

[@MizanQistina]

I think Astora is the first who get the curse of the Undead since Oscar mentioned about his family prophecy. He also know where to find The Chosen Undead, how long he's being searching? We don't know. There's also Astora Knights who fought the dragon in the Valley of Drakes, why? We don't know. And one Knight fought Black Knight in Dark Root Garden, why? We also don't know. We also found Elite Knight set not far from the shield, and the Black Knight is guarding a tunnel to the Valley of Drakes. Knight set found near the Hydra. What are they doing in all these places?

[@anthonyzenti7019]

Aimlessly searching for the path to Sen's Fortress? Looking for humanity? Hydra Hunting?

[@MizanQistina]

That is possible, but there are too many Astora knights in Lordran for some reason....and they didn't changed, DS3 showing them wear the same armor, shield and weapon, with no changes at all. So for how many years they're wearing the same thing? If Astora have been destroyed, it must be a very long time ago, before the curse of Undead and before Oscar found The Chosen Undead in the Asylum...yet Anri is the same like Oscar, wearing the same gears...not to mention a merchant in Drangleic sold the same armor...

[@oscarofastora7422]

"Thou who art undead art chosen, when thine make exodus to the undead asylum, thine fate, thou shalt know."

[@MizanQistina]

Thine fate is to become hollow because woe betide those who throw a dead body into a cell, not just the key...

[@ziegander]

It's implied that undead generally have to fail and die many times before they go hollow. My headcanon is that Oscar made several attempts to rekindle the First Flame, dying several times in the process, before he accepted his failure and returned to the Undead Asylum to free other Undead to continue the quest in his stead. He believed he was the Chosen Undead until he realized he just couldn't do it. And then he hollowed. :'-(

[@Liz-be1wq]

Love your use of what sounded like "King of the North" from Game of Thrones! AND "WINTERFELL"

[@Nightksa1995]

man, it's like going to another world watching your videos...

[@Kriskazam]

Oscar of Astoria reminds me a little of Ostrava of Boletaria

[@josephjuncaj5784]

It seems with the release of darksouls 3 a lot less lore videos are being made compared to the amount made for the other 2, or at least im not finding them, and its interesting to see a video on something the spans across them. Nice video

[@vasylpark2149]

Anri isnt from Astora. Anri only took up the title of being from Astora. Probably as a way of putting up an air of bravery. It's a land of knights and duty, and he/she Carry's the duty of putting Aldritch on his throne. Items mention Anri is only from Astora in name, and the country has been destroyed for a very long time.

[@ShogunMaxxx]

Always awesome and original topics man. Great video. Would love to see you take on Ludleth.

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks! Maybe in the future :)

[@pacoramon9468]

Feels like all NPC are from Astora: Solaire, Anastasia, Oscar...Even Andre who was suppose to be Gwyns son.

[@arisniro3167]

A very beautiful and well-made video as always, Mitch, thanks for sharing~

[@justincurll1110]

Great video. Love the Winterfell theme playing in the background. Can't wait for Elden Ring. GRRM and Miyazaki are two of the best story tellers of the modern age.

[@kazmark_gl8652]

I wonder if Astora might be a project of Gwen specifically designed to produce beings dedicated to linking the fire.

[@addictedtoRS]

Imagine if the next game in the Souls series was a prequel set in Astora, unraveling the events that lead to the lands demise. That would make a perfect premise and would be great fan service.

[@DaGirlzGoCrazy]

Great video as always!

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks!

[@GhostofSkyrim]

I had to watch this video twice, because apparently your voice can lull me to sleep. The more you know.

[@countdread6467]

Knight Oscar is my favorite NPC in all of souls lore not including Demon's Souls but seeing him in the cut scene walking away in what I think is the best looking armor again in all of souls lore made me make him. Lol I have had Oscar's set the entire time I've played the game. Beaten it with the same set dozens of times. Love the video and Lore of Astora. Thanks so much. Hope you do more. What I want to know is who wielded the Dragon's Crest shield? Another Knight of Astora we didn't know about?

[@mercury6509]

I really like your Videos, always interesting Stuff that doesn't appear much elsewhere. Don't go Hollow Mitch :)

[@dreadcannibal3395]

that part you said prince ricard is like the soul of cinder blew my mind dude!! genius no sarcasm

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks!

[@cfakatsuki17]

I share your intrigue in the geography of fantasy worlds and darksouls is a really convoluted one I might have to sub just to keep an eye out for that map you mentioned

[@mitchl6896]

It should come sometime in the future!

[@LightningfistCal]

I find it interesting that you think of Thorolund not as a separate country/kingdom but a part of Astora. I always assumed Thorolund was a separate kingdom, albeit a small one (think an island of sorts) but was in close proximity with Astora, thus the similarities with Rhea's maiden set and Anastacia's dingy set. I also have this headcanon that Thorolund eventually became Courland once the ruling family was deposed, but that's just me.

[@mitchl6896]

Good to see you here again Cal. Courland is something that interests me as well. Hopefully it gets touched on at some point.

[@LightningfistCal]

Yeah, I hope we get at least a bit more information on Courland in The Ringed City DLC. As for the Thorolund-Courland thing, it's admittedly a tinfoil hat theory but the idea just sort of popped in when I realized that in Japanese, "Thorolund" (トロラーンド) and "Courland" (コーラーンド) sound phonetically similar. So maybe there might be something to that since Londor is heavily implied to be New Londo and the names also sound alike. And the Ringed City itself looks like an amalgamation of several lost kingdoms, so maybe bits of Thorolund/Courland and even Astora are in there somewhere.

[@aaronphillips2246]

Oh dear, where's Aegon? Surely he'll be here soon.

[@azeria5438]

Amazing video! And my fanheart skipped more than one beat when I heard Rohan's theme at 23:23 :D

[@WorldBeater123]

I always wished the end of the Dark Souls series would end where it started, with Oscar of Astora kicking the corpse down into our cell. That would have been cool if they could have closed that loop

[@balaam_7087]

WorldBeater123 Ha never thought of that. Definitely would have been a fantastic way to end it all

[@insertedgynamehere___969]

Well there's a corpse weariing the elite knight armour that is in the exact same pose as Oscar, it even gives us the ashen estus flask. You can argue that this is the Oscar of Astora equivalent

[@coreytrevor1920]

Your videos are really something else man good job

[@DefecTec]

There’s still descendants of Astora as stated in the character build, they probably either immigrated to other countries or made a new country after Astora fell

[@ztarhaven7658]

Huh, I never thought about Thouroland being a province rather than a land. So then this Thouroland might of been near Carim, which in DS3 is now the home of the Way of White Guess it's a bit more logical than Carim conquering Thouroland...

[@Ea_Rapture]

I appreciate the work you put into this.

[@mitchl6896]

I appreciate you!

[@MrPF]

It would be really cool to have to fight a beast of the evil eye in one of the dlc's Just to add more lore to Astora And to have the chance to find a beast that has been foreshadowed since ds1

[@timeturnselastic921]

Random choice of music, is that a variant of the Stark theme?

[@mitchl6896]

I think one is the Stark theme and the other is "The North Remembers?"

[@KitsuneYojimbo]

I actually had a theory that if the Souls series shares a timeline, Astora may be what Boletaria became after the events of Demon's Souls.

[@Kriskazam]

Also, if the Chosen Undead is taking up the quest meant to be fulfilled by Oscar, then Solaire was supposed to be Oscar’s “Samwise Gamgee”. Solaire is meant to be the fellow national, lower class, gung-ho and zealous comic relief kind of character that would just pair up well with Oscar’s seriousness to fulfill the prophecy if he didn’t turn out to be a fallen protagonist

[@Kriskazam]

I think there’s a better comparison to Samwise Gamgee but u get what i mean

[@87Gaming]

Another entertaining and insightful video. Speaking of insight... any plans to return to Bloodborne in the future?

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks! I think so. I've been taking a bit of a break from Bloodborne lately but as soon as I find a topic that interests me enough I'll be back to it.

[@87Gaming]

Mitch L I suggest the Chalice Dungeons! They play such a pivotal role in the grand narrative and they're rarely ever given an extensive look by the lore hunters.

[@mitchl6896]

That's true! I'll consider that. To tide you over in the meantime, I did a stream a while back talking a bit about the Chalice Dungeons. Should be like 4 hours long but I do talk about the Dungeons :)

[@pareidolia_phan]

Well done, great analysis

[@JohnRaines]

Somewhat old, but I'll note that Anri is an Unkindled. That just means that they were a "Chosen Undead" that tried and failed to Link the Fire, but it never says anything about the Unkindled coming from anytime recent, they could have been from the Cycle right after Gwynn for all we know.

[@tol9090]

I cannot see Anri capable of slaying a monster that destroyed an entire kingdom/land. I feel like she/he is kinda weak. Need horace, need us...

[@wyatttrumpower5326]

That Game of thrones track in the background goes amazing with this video

[@jandeiification]

Oh dear Anri...

[@Hashbrown221]

Congrats on the 10,000 subs dude, well deserved.

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks!

[@chimericfox]

Love the music in the background, very nice!

[@SwitchFeathers]

Hey there! Just wanted to say that I just discovered these lore videos and I love them to bits! Some great theories on display here and I've spent the past hour or so binge watching a few. Definitely going to come back to them when I wake up tomorrow, too. Just wanted to say I'd love to see a video on Vinheim, as it's one of my favorite areas/topics in the Souls franchise, would be down for discussing it on Discord, too, if you still use that. Great job with this series, in any case. Very much looking forward to your next video!

[@t-roj7849]

I think Astora is undergoing the same kind of cycle the rest of the world is, a cycle of rise and fall. When the flame gets linked, Astora rises and becomes a powerful kingdom, then the undead curse comes and it falls. The Old Knight Set is said to be so old that no body remembers who wore it, and it is extremely fragile, but in each installment, the weapons of Astora seem in great condition, so either a few people are keeping Astoran artifacts in Drangleic and Lothric with far greater technology than we have or Astora keeps reappearing.

[@Pilbsu]

Lesser nobles are absolutely normal in a monarchy. It's called feudalism. Kings>Dukes>Counts>Barons

[@SNESpool]

I'm not saying it'll ever happen, or even necessarily that it SHOULD happen... But if Dark Souls ever gets adapted into a show or an anime, I think expanding on the lore and culture of Astora would probably be the best possible setting/premise for it.

[@kabisue1997]

Andre is forging both versions Ricard's rapier.

[@jojolafrite90]

Who knew the position in which we find Oscar, dying, is due to the fact he was fighting the demon on the roof! The demon made him ^pass through the roof of the room he is dying in. Then the demon gets down to attack us... He is doing the job he was assigned to do! Defend the asylum from invaders and prevent us, undead from going out... Cool, uh?

[@traumadoc3883]

When you start Dark Souls 3 you can see Anri's body at the cemetery.

[@mitchl6896]

TraumaDoc or just a body wearing the Elite Knight set, something that is worn by many different people.

[@grandaidthebandaid6307]

So... there’s only one evil eye ring? The ring in each game is the same as the previous and later games? That seems pretty cool...

[@nicolasmcclelland]

so... solaire is guts?

[@dakotaguthrie8928]

Pacman64 I think at this point everyone is Guts

[@JacOfAllTrades.]

Artorias is Guts. Nobody else, just Artorias. That’s not to say that Solaire isn’t the true protagonist of DS1 though.

[@UnholyWrath3277]

@@JacOfAllTrades. have you never seen slave knight Gael? He is literally guts far more so than. Artorias even down to his first phase moving exactly how berserker armor guts is drawn to move

[@ADuBToR]

but thats not the real end of anris questline ... what about marrying her in that wired ceremony ?

[@WhiskeyTango76s]

Eh wtf, I'm could've sworn I subbed to your channel months ago.. Guess not, I am now. Great uploads man

[@BigboiiTone]

I wonder if the whole "evil eye" thing has any connection to Italian folklore. I remember that Sopranos episode where he goes to Italy and is bemused by that womans strange habits, which he later learns are practiced to ward off the evil eye. I'm not qualified to talk about Italian folklore but maybe someone more knowledgeable can find some connections.

[@benjaminkeith1417]

“New Londor will be the rebirth of Astora...” My head canon for my “Astora” character.

[@Crimm323]

Wish we could of had a dark souls game where we got to go to more then one kingdom.

[@wedding2710]

Now we do

[@Piratadoidao]

@@wedding2710?????

[@wnihaunter3943]

Ricard disappearing in the North probably means he went to the undead asylum, his hero's journey is probably the same legends Oscar tells us

[@MaitreMechant]

I don't care how badass every other armor in DSIII looked like, I just couldn't play without the elite knight armor, I just love it

[@Dylan_McCombe]

Excellent as always.

[@Togekab00m]

i do not think we can use the crestfallen warrior's dialogue concerning anastacia as indicative of anything in Astora specifically given that he himself says he has never spoken to her, and the set she's wearing specifically obscures any geographical origins she might have had. His speculation about her blasphemy is also just that for the same reason.

[@blazingreaperx1394]

Astora-the land of bros and waifus

[@MaximillionPegasusJ.Crawford]

I know this video is 6 years old but in the context of the ring If the evil eye, the german translation actually outright states that it was Artorias who slayed the beast. Not sure how canon that is tho, the german descriptions seem to make stuff up a lot, especially in ds1.

[@klayn5611]

I know im late to the party, but theres something i noticed. Astorian knights use plate armor, a expensive type of armor. But solaires armor appears to be coat of chainmail, a still effective but cheaper type of armor. I think that helps show the difference betwen then. (They are also not enchanted.)

[@klayn5611]

His helmet is also a simpler bucket shaped greathelm. While knights use the more complex round helmet.

[@Uthislith]

Is it possible that Aldrich was the creature referred to by the Ring of the Evil Eye? Aldrich's appetite seems to have parallels to a creature strengthened by the killing (or consuming) of their enemies. That would add extra impetus for Astorans to be seeking to re-kill the ancient enemy of their land when they found out Aldrich had been revived.

[@PatrickKellyLoneCoder]

Dark Souls 2 actually had both a craftsman and a blacksmiths hammer. Craftsman's hammer was from McCoy, Blacksmith's hammer was from Lenigrast.

[@raimethefumeknight2062]

that actually explains Lautrecs duty of killing the fire keeper. The way of White and the clerics of Carim are at opposites with each other and it would make sense for them to hire a holy knight to assassinate one of their officials. Lautrec was captured and imprisoned in the undead parish until you came and freed him. Like Eygon, he makes an oath to help you out or in this case, help you kill the gaping dragon. In other words, Lautrec isn't a serial killer like Yurt from Demon souls since he was assigned to kill the keeper and only the keeper. Those who stand in his way are killed out of self defense. Now here in Drangleic, clerics hated by the king except for paladins which he awkwardly likes. There's also the archdrake sect but they don't do anything only that they mastered the art of being unparryable.

[@t-roj7849]

any updates on the map your making? id love to see a map of the world

[@Khotgor]

Wrong about the Craftsman Hammer. Was in Dark Souls 2, held by the Blacksmith in Lost Bastille. If you light a torch in his "room", he sits up from the chest he was sitting on and it has it.

[@Elipus22]

Anri could have easily returned home from Aldrich's cathedral to slay "The Evil Eye" as we know others to have lived through several ages, such as Andre of Astora and Patches the Unbreakable (who survived until the end of the world, despite existing in DS1). I find it unlikely, however, but it's fair to say Aldrich was alive and consuming human flesh while the gods hid away in Anor Londo. I find it more likely, however, that this occurred between DS1 AND DS2, meaning a relative destroyed the beast passed the ring on in their family.

[@KellyCalKelsey]

Astora is just Dark Souls’ version of Canada.

[@LenloXD]

I've only seen this video now, but the Oscar's set (the top) has the same crest as on his shield.

[@StormFoSho]

Fuckin love the fact he used the stark house music.

[@jacthing1]

anyone else notice andre is always working on a rapier? in dark souls 1 its a actual rapier while in dark souls 3 its a estoc

[@roriksavant]

Excellent video!

[@mitchl6896]

:)

[@eliteknightfanboy1619]

I only liked this because Oscar of Astora is in this Video...