Game Composer Listens to SOUL OF CINDER for the First Time

[@DaviVasc]

Dang, that plin plin plon caught me off guard. Btw, you can watch all my SoulsBorne music videos here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmSVe6GwZ7WVl80

[@Revoltine]

Glad to see you've finally been surprise plin plin plon'd by this amazing track 👌

[@dynamogaming3656]

I think you should totally do Darkeater Midir’s theme from Darksouls 3 The Ringed city. Truly an amazing score.

[@nightlord5102]

Could you make a Reaction on: Well of Souls from the The Legend of Spyro series?

[@moomanchu608]

I would like to hear you react to fire emblem music 😉😉😉. Rain versions of Apex of the World, tempest of seasons, chasing daybreak, between heaven and earth, blue skies and a battle. Then music from fates like Thorn in You, Justice RIP, dark fall… so many good songs i think you’d enjoy

[@Aleksey.Yero.SS.Araujo]

If you could try "This is what you are" from Keith Power - Warframe Soundtrack!

[@dorkmoonblade4315]

The lore for this one is fairly simple. The Soul of Cinder is the incarnation of all the souls that have previously linked the fire, including your own character in DS1. Eventually, however, the Soul of Cinder takes the form of its oldest Soul, the Soul of Gwyn, the original Lord of Cinder.

[@DaviVasc]

Ah, this makes sense

[@xanthiusdrake2775]

@@DaviVasc the saddest truth about it though, is that it means you are actually fighting yourself, because the lords of cinder were not just the ones in the lore, but players as well. If you look at the soul of cinder's fighting moves,he uses the many forms of fighting that players use, and during his second phase, he uses not only Gwyn's power, but there is a powerful combo attack that he uses that resembles the move Manus, the father of the abyss uses, and the only person to have both the soul of Gwyn and Manus, is the player. So in a way, it is you that is the final boss.

[@Quirderph]

@@DaviVasc I believe his original Japanese name even translates to "Incarnation of Lords".

[@night1952]

@@xanthiusdrake2775 More like every souls player ever and everyone they've killed, all of the souls that were burned through the ages to keep the first flame going... or what's left of them.

[@xanthiusdrake2775]

@@night1952 it is still canonical that the soul of cinder is technically the player from the first game, since the supposed "correct canon ending" is the player killing Gwyn and linking the fire. How the other lords got mixed up into it is up for interpretation debates.

[@855SuperMario]

Note: The first few seconds of the Soul of Cinder theme sounds exactly the same as the Firelink Shrine theme from Dark Souls 1 but more dramatic. A reference to it if you will.

[@DaviVasc]

Oh, I didn't notice that. Cool!

[@astrosuperkoala1]

i've got 500 hours in ds3 and i never noticed that, thanks man

[@diobrando1545]

And Gael theme has one part of the DS3 menu song

[@AmeenAlnaimi]

When u hear it u can't unhear it It turns a feeling of happiness and being safe at home into being frightened and lost

[@froqwo4851]

There's also a firelink shrine chord in that strong singular bar of strings in the climax of the first phase, right before the gwyn transition. It's at 8:07

[@zosyn6432]

you’re not fighting Gwyn.. you’re fighting Gwyn, yourself, and everyone else who has ever played Dark Souls

[@mattiatosi8350]

What if I didn't link the fire?

[@zosyn6432]

@@mattiatosi8350 well then I guess you’re just fighting everyone else then haha

[@stannisthemannis4199]

@@mattiatosi8350everyone who links the fire then

[@Leonhart_93]

No, you are fighting the Soul of Cinder 😂

[@Master-bush]

@@Leonhart_93 what is soul of cinder made from?

[@trymytree3155]

The accuracy on the lore you get just based off of music is just mind blowing. Especial the part where you said "It might be a reincarnation of Gwyn". Just wow.

[@DaviVasc]

The reincarnation thing was just me trying to think of something that would not be Gwyn but would be related to Gwyn. Villains reincarnating and coming back are a common trope in games so I went with it.

[@johnfan1015]

@@DaviVasc Dude, will you making another reaction to those Sekiro's themes too? They are also pretty beautiful.

[@heyitskyriii9815]

when Davi says that he doesn't think it's Gwyn i was like "I mean...you're not wrong bc he isnt gwyn but part not right cause he's not not gwyn"

[@noobminer61]

Couldn't agree more on this. Buddy here is scary accurate.

[@MightyMemeKing]

That just means that the composers were incredibly thoughtful when making the music.

[@vinny5682]

This song is a 'love letter' from Dark Souls to the fans and Gael is the last goodbye. The legendary plin plin plon starts on 8:27.

[@DaviVasc]

I was warned beforehand that this track had the plin plon but it still caught me offguard and surprised me. Powerful stuff.

[@arcangelanglero8816]

This is the most accurate way of seeing this. Ty fam

[@kaidanardono2691]

@@DaviVasc You should check out Slave Knight Gael's theme

[@CarlNiemi]

@@kaidanardono2691 hell yes, that's one of the most incredible pieces of music in the series

[@gazirelseiryuu7229]

@@kaidanardono2691 I agree on this. Gael is afterall the finale to a wondrous journey.

[@blazouille2453]

I love the fact that this boss is unparryable, but can parry YOU. Guess people will be asking for Gael's theme now? (2nd part and "transitory lands" version are the best)

[@leonardotrujillo2919]

Yes! Gael's theme would definitely make for a good video. Maybe we'll see it soon, or not, either way, Soul of cinder is a great theme :))

[@valravnsshadow9422]

Never seen or heard of Cinder parrying a player ever.

[@gustavohernandez5900]

@@valravnsshadow9422 it does it sometimes in the piromancer mode

[@YEs69th420]

@@valravnsshadow9422 i got parried by it once and my jaw was on the floor, completely unexpected

[@nubsity620]

@@valravnsshadow9422 yeah it comes out of nowhere lmao, quite insane

[@cullenkuykendall]

Still king at guessing lore based on soundtrack. Some people have their own interpretation of what the soul of cinder is but it’s obvious that it’s the culmination of every soul that has linked the fire including you in the past games. This sequence is the end of the trilogy and depending on which ending you receive the end of an age of fire and the beginning of the age of man. So the finality chord feels fitting because fire fades and the age of dark or the age of man (whether good or bad) begins.

[@arcangelanglero8816]

I cried because of this 😭 it's literally the reason I didn't wanted to fight the soul of cinder. I may have killed him 249 times but still,it hurts me bro 🥲

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

Whether*

[@kingdomsoul8968]

@@arcangelanglero8816 just the thought of killing yourself from dark souls 1 makes it so hard 😂

[@arcangelanglero8816]

@@kingdomsoul8968 you have no idea 🤣🤣

[@YavNe]

King? Why? Did you see all the other contestants? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@NotAGoodUsername360]

This track holds a special place in my heart because I had a very close online friend many years ago when DS1 came out who absolutely adored the game and declared it his GotY while I was enamored with Portal 2. He sadly passed away from his lifelong heart condition. IIRC he did live to see DS2 but not Bloodborne or DS3. So suffice it to say when I got to DS3's ending and got to Soul of Cinder, at the halfway point where Gwyn's theme kicks in and removes any doubt of who and what the Soul of Cinder represents, and I can't help but think of my late friend and see him being represented by the Soul of Cinder... yeah, it just makes the whole scene go from normal Fromsoft melancholy to utterly soul-piercing.

[@Urlocalhunter]

im sure your friend was with you as you beat the souls games. He most certainly was proud.

[@whateverr64]

he was one of the souls that kindeld the flame after all

[@Majoraspersona]

Your instincts about that sense of finality are largely accurate. There's a sort of cycle of fire and darkness in the series, and a lot of problems are happening because heroes keep linking the fire and prolonging the world even though the best solution is probably letting the fire go out and letting an era of darkness happen. There's even an ending where you let the fire go out and it's arguable the "best" ending. Soul of Cinder specifically is made up of past heroes who have linked the fire. It uses moves and spells from throughout the series that the players can use. One of the heroes is also Gwyn, and the boss transitions into what's basically a rematch of his fight from Dark Souls 1; that's when his theme starts playing. Gwyn is so incredibly desperate to keep this age of fire going. Even when he's been dead for ages upon ages, his cinders still will to keep the fire linked.

[@juice2307]

Logically I think the world of Dark Souls has several people lying to the player character, and so our choices are more limited than they actually should be (but artistically so). The true answer is to take all of the Lord souls and use them on ones self, thus allowing the world to have both the light and the dark. The politics in the game never let us come to this conclusion though, because everyone has been manipulated by the serpents. Furthermore, it makes no sense for something like the first flame to dwindle over time, because one must then wonder where it got the fuel it needed in the beginning. It makes no sense that it cannot be sustained, even if that meant returning the Lord soul to the flame. Would it also not make sense for the flame to be an extension of the Lord souls? Perhaps for light to exist the souls ought to have remained.

[@hseanhill]

Also parallels the fact that this was to be the last game in the series, the developers decided that instead of prolonging the series past its lifespan and letting it rot, they let it end at its climax, even though it is likely to be sad/disappointing to fans

[@humanoidshrek5524]

I like to think that Gwyn is fighting you in DS1 and Phase 2 because he doesn’t want to prolong the age of fire any longer. He probably knew everything bad that happened was because of him, and his fear. So in Phase 2, Gwyn kind of pushes forward in a sort of “Enough, is enough,” kind of manner. Why else would he be fighting you not only in DS1, but also DS3? He knows why you’re at the Kiln, so why not just let you link it? Food for thought.

[@jooplin]

@@juice2307 my headcanon is that like in DS2 you have to obtain all lord souls and also all the crowns to be free from the curse yourself and that eventually everyone has to go through this to eventually end up in a world where the curse is lifted completely. Just takes nearly infinite cycles and rekindlings for this to happen.

[@Rexhunterj]

@@jooplin Actually I'm pretty sure that plotline was to lead to the King's conclusion that staying the curse was no better than succumbing to it. Dark Souls 2 as a whole is meant to represent not the final decline of the era, but the murky times before that but after the world has fallen into ruin. Dark Souls 3 shows us a world that is beginning to lose its own cohesiveness, where different eras and realities are merging and churning themselves up into ash. Dark Souls 1 shows us a world that has mostly become still and forgotten.

[@yiangaruga4928]

This music is one of the big reason that makes this fight so impactful. When I first played through DS3 without knowing anything about the rest this fight felt kinda out of place and not that fitting for the end but after knowing the full context of the Dark Souls trilogy and of course Gwyn's theme it became something truly special

[@nomad6628]

Man, I see you everywhere. On Ragegamingvideos, on another video that I can't remember at the moment, and now here. Chalk it up to the KZbin algorithm recommending us similar things, I guess. (Not that I'm complaining-- Yian Garuga is one of my favorite monsters conceptually, even if it is super frustrating to fight in older games)

[@yiangaruga4928]

@@nomad6628 At one point I really was everywhere in terms of MH content, not so much anymore but I guess my profile is so memorable it's easy to notice me here and there. And yeah that just means we share similar interests :D Which is nice

[@Chireiya]

I know people who cried when Gwyn's theme started playing in phase 2 of this fight, the transition is so beautiful and a wonderful surprise for gamers who played the series from the start. It's one of my favourite themes in Dark Souls. And I wonder if maybe the weird home chords might also be a hint at the boss having a second phase after you empty his health bar once.

[@TriDFan18]

It literally stopped me in my tracks when it happened. I was just frozen in awe and got completely demolished a few seconds later. It's still one of my most memorable experiences in a video game

[@Dcookies100]

i legit was listening to it while driving home and started crying, it's so beautiful. after i learn how to play piano, im gonna take a violin class bc nah man i gotta learn how to play this shit lol

[@ZeRyFryGuy]

I dropped my controller and had tears in my eyes when the second phase happened

[@olavodecarvalho169]

I just love how brilliantly structured this theme is. The first part is heroic, because the Lords of Cinder are "heroes"; those who sacrificed themselves to save the world and keep the fire lit, losing everything in the process. But it's when Gwyn's notes kick in that the truth hits you in the face like truck: there is no hero in this. The Lords of Cinder never did anything effective or practical, they simply delayed the inevitable. This world is dying, and the last person left to stop you is the first man who started this cycle. Credit to Dinorex

[@YeetSpace]

All of this happened because ONE old man was too afraid of the dark. Their world was destroyed by the fear of one old guy and a bunch of stupid people who believed, or fundamentally understood what it is that was actually happening, That Gwynn was gonna do something that essentially made him a mortal god, and knew they wanted to get in on the action

[@popkhorne5372]

This boss fight has two phases : in the first one, this entity, the soul of cinder, replicates all the moves our player character does. The music goes with it : it is the final boss, and shows it, but it is also unspecial, in a way. Whereas in the second, the soul of cinder uses gwyn's powers. Some of which Gwyn could not use in dark souls 1 because he was but a shell of himself. This boss fight is about everyone who linked the flame. First all of our player characters, through this being try to stop us, and then the first lord of cinder tries to stop us one last time, as first and last protector of the flame. A good theme, but not the most interesting of all from software themes you could review. That said, it is indeed iconic.

[@biotoxin6280]

A selfish man to stubborn to die but none the less it began with him and it will end with him at last and finally the fire can fade and the world can begin again

[@francescomorganti4581]

The first phase's theme is actually the firelink shrine theme from ds1

[@Bluecho4]

The way I interpret the role of the Lord/Soul of Cinder is as a test for a would-be linker of fire. It's there to determine if the one seeking flame is strong enough to do it. If they're too weak to beat the Soul of Cinder, they're obviously too weak to kindle the flame.

[@popkhorne5372]

@@Bluecho4 whether its intended as a test or as a protection, its serves as both anyway.

[@moonlitwyvern6840]

@@Bluecho4 It's more or less testing the strength of the next inheritor of the fire, the more struggle they've been through the stronger it makes them. And they're there to make as big as a struggle as possible, just so the flame can burn a little longer.

[@hartattack2739]

I would love to see a review of Sister Friede's theme... it is absolutely bone chilling

[@meyrooph3979]

Ooooh maaan yeah

[@hahahahahaha1946]

Gael has joined the chat

[@kowjuice11]

I cant believe you just punned friede’s fight

[@DaviVasc]

Sounds cool, thank you for the suggestion

[@mingQWERTY]

@@DaviVasc The Twin Princes would also be an excellent addition! The violin and the choir is awesome

[@DasMilC]

"like a flame slowly fading away" THAT'S JUST THE ENTIRE SUBTEXT OF THE GAME GDI HE DID IT AGAIN

[@boofenshmirtz6426]

Correct on saying Lord of Cinder isn’t Gwyn. He’s an amalgamation of everyone who’s linked the first flame, hence why the final phase is Gwyn themed

[@mt2r-music]

The biggest musical inspiration in my life has to be Yuka Kitamura. I’d give so much for an autograph of her. I truly love her work. Great breakdown by the way. I’m so glad I found your channel. Your videos are really enjoyable. The dark souls 3 soundtrack is breathtaking so I hope in the future you’ll cover even more of it.

[@DaviVasc]

Thanks man. I'll definitely do more DS3 videos!

[@mt2r-music]

@@DaviVasc im looking forward to it :) I’m very familiar with the soulsborne OST because I hear it all the time and personally I think the greatest ones of them you should listen to (in private or in the form of a video) are: -Laurence the first vicar (bloodborne, one if not the best OST from the game) -Living Failures (bloodborne, cosm) -the twin princes (DS3, the definition of melancholic and tragic but epic fights) -dark eater midir (DS3, beautiful rythm in a piece that tells story) -Aldrich devourer of gods (DS3, intense and disturbing reprise of a DS1 OST). Personally I think DS3 doesn’t have any bad OST at all. Every single one is either simply good or breathtaking. There are a lot of others that are great too but the ones I listed are pretty much the fan favorites you haven’t heard yet. Honorable mentions: pontiff Sulyvhan, the abyss watchers, dragonslayer armor,

[@LaJin9292]

I'm afraid a lot of these has Kitamura's name stamped on it but were actually composed by other members of From Soft's musicians. It's a bit of unfortunate politics.

[@mt2r-music]

@@LaJin9292 yea it was very hard to figure out the actual composer for some of them. If I remember right for example Aldrich’s OST wasn’t made by her but still got her name on it sometimes.

[@takezokimura2571]

You can clearly see each thought passing through his brain as the Gwyn part kicks in: 8:27 He's expecting a great "Bang" to finish this epic song. 8:29 "Wait, what is this?" 8:30 "Is that...No, I have to be sure." 8:36 "It is!"

[@aarondier8652]

8:40 - if we recognize it? I'm crying every time over that plin plin plon.

[@abigailfiltness4635]

This is great, such a huge, cinematic, climactic piece to start and then to change to such a sad and solemn ending. It made me think of time running out, not in a hurried way, but I got the vibe of an old broken clock, slow and out of sync. Like the battle was slowing as the boss was getting weaker. Lots of good stuff, loved the vocals and the violin. Very cool! Thanks Davi!

[@AugustoXRock]

Beautiful way to put it, I agree, the feeling of time running out in a sense of inevitability. Awesome :)

[@DaviVasc]

That is a fantastic articulation of this piece, Abigail.

[@dumbsterdives]

a bit i noticed and really like. At 13:17 the Gwyn piano melody becomes very high pitched and gradually gets quieter and quieter as it repeats throughout the section, almost fading out entirely before suddenly swelling back to prominence at 14:13. Even as he's fading away, he still can't bring himself to let go. And after it comes back, the discordant low notes become very prevalent, like the melody itself is suffering for refusing to end, much like the world of Dark Souls is suffering and contorting because of the Age of Fire's refusal to end.

[@mr.einwood2384]

I really, really, REALLY love this theme. Gwyn already managed to carry extremely strong symbolisms and philosophy about life, acceptance, men weaknesses, fear and mistakes. From my perspective, this song easily represents how, no matter how many things occurred during the ages after Gwyn (represented by the more complex structure of the song, with "new elements, new instruments" added), nothing really changed: the world is still doomed, since men never changed.

[@KVKaoruko]

Respectfully from one musician to another, I have just a minor correction - quite literally. The notes for 'plin plin plon' (E > D > A) are actually exactly the same as Gwyn's original theme - rather, it was the _key_ that got shifted (from A Minor to D Minor). That's why the motif has a slightly different take in this song.

[@Marcotonio]

Thanks, I was getting really confused as to why such a mistake could even happen, as the difference is so big to me (perfect pitch), but a harmonic explanation makes sense.

[@Purpelou]

Dark Souls 3 has my favorite soundtrack of the trilogy, honestly. Twin Princes, Darkeater Midir, Slave Knight Gael and Deacons of the Deep are all super good boss themes.

[@zangy3748]

Always getting goosebumps listening to this theme. Glad you analysed this one.

[@DaviVasc]

Thank you for watching, man

[@dirt_dert_durt]

I would highly recommend giving Ebrietas' theme from Bloodborne a listen. The composer said she had visions of the end of the universe whilst composing it.

[@canjica_]

I love these analysis, is a whole trip of "Oh shit he's right!", not to forget the moments where he points out an arrangement you've never paid attention to. Great work, keep it up!

[@shinobiqueenv6583]

The first time I heard that 3 note sequence... absolutely beautiful, a weird empty nostalgia that STILL sends shivers down my spine.

[@AlmostJordan]

The resolution you mention. That’s so fitting. In dark souls there is always a cycle of fire and dark. You always know how it will end. And someone inevitability will try to link the fire and stave off the darkness. But in the end only darkness will remain. It’s destined to be repeated over and over again. The repetition in the music represents this cycle. It’s predictable and inevitable but at its core it creates the feeling of triumph…but also acceptance

[@SenaSLaYeRx]

Please Davi, do Gael's or Alonne's themes sometime. They're my favorite souls themes together with Lady Maria's (we can scratch that one off the list). God bless Yuka Kitamura. Great video as always btw. Glad I found your channel.

[@DaviVasc]

Thank you for the suggestions. I'm glad you joined the channel too :)

[@wren6387]

@@DaviVasc gael's theme is incredible

[@Churi_Venatriss]

I really like Alonne’s theme, too. I had a hard time with him, but wasn’t even mad because it meant I could keep listening to the song. X3

[@BaldinBlack]

Dude, Dragonslayer armory is a really underrated song in this game. If you could give it a try, it would be great

[@DaviVasc]

Sounds cool, thank you for the suggestion

[@FalcondelSur]

I fully support that statement and join the request 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@mohamedbelbaali659]

I am surprised that even tho I know this music like the back of my hand I still manage to learn a lot by watching you break it down. Musicians clearly have a far better understanding of the meaning behind the music. I mean you could even guess a bit of the lore just by listening to the soundtrack which is quite surprising.

[@Aya_Albion]

I totally agree.

[@DaviVasc]

Glad you learned something from this Mohamed, thank you for watching :)

[@ZeCrimsonGamer]

It's amazing how much one can tell just by music. As someone who has played all FromSoftware games in the Souls-like genre music, more specifically Boss Music, has some of the most powerful heart-wrenching soundtracks I've ever heard in a game.

[@MossOwnsYouYT]

The home chord also leads directly into Gwyns theme breaking in, which adds a lot of gravitas and indeed does lead to finality in the story. I just love the way this song sounds like its building up higher and higher until it breaks, much like the logs in a bonfire once they begin to break down. I just love how wonderfully this song personifies the end of this gruesome age of flame. Its majestic and melancholy, yet struggles to hold itself all together. Once it begins to crack, that's when the ambition of Gywn breaks in and the second phase of combat starts.

[@MrFredd38]

Your face during the surprise plin plin plon is brilliant

[@gurpgoober]

As someone who just loves music, especially video game music, it makes me very happy to see someone take time to pay attention and notice interesting bits from a song. Sometimes while your playing you don't hear the theme that well so you head back and actually realize how gorgeous it is

[@banga8679]

8:23 THE REALIZATION!!!! IN THAT SECOND HE KNEW- HE COULD FEEL AS WE DID. THE POWER SUGING THOUGH THE PLAYER, AND NOW HIM. Now he feels as we did. It’s such a great, powerful peace. I could never describe it- it’s perfect. I don’t know how I would be with out ds3, but I know I wouldn’t have had as much joy though my life. Also as much frustration- pain- isn’t that what dark souls is about though? It’s not about joy, it’s about death, and yet it bring us so much joy. From the friends I turned on to it, from meeting greirat, from beating soul of cinder. Thank you dark souls 3. For everything-

[@colterrobertson9221]

I love your dissection of the Second Phase "Gwyn" theme and I notice you kept recognizing a particular melody and you said it seems to be another portion of Gwyns theme however I believe the credits song "nameless song" from DS1 fits it more accurately particularly the very first few seconds of "nameless song" and I believe even later in the soul of cinders theme the section from around 1:38 of "nameless song" also begins to play

[@kevinbarraza6196]

I love how accurate you get to the games story based on music, you should react to the Twin Princes ost from Dark Souls 3 as well. Its an amazing track

[@DaviVasc]

Thank you for the suggestion, my friend

[@kevinbarraza6196]

@@DaviVasc thank you for your content! I appreciate your work, have a great day!

[@lefourbe5596]

THAT is some kind of new level reaction. Actually sharing musician knowledge to us. as average player we have memory of the OST and what it make us feel for the lore. But you went and explain with EXAMPLES the idea and intent behind the genious mind of the composer. it makes me like it even more :D.

[@LorisNoKami]

Oooooh, time for weekly Davi goodness. This is definitely gonna be a goodest of the good one.

[@DaviVasc]

fresh off the oven for ya

[@Equites279]

I love your energy and your musical analysis of different chords going on in the background. Very different from other people. As well as your perception of figuring out the lore through music is soo good

[@DaviVasc]

Thank you for saying that :)

[@FormedBox]

Honestly, not only you nailed it, but you solidified my feeling that the composers absolutely nailed the scores for this game. When you were talking about the feeling of finality, and how you thought there was more to it than it just being the final boss of the game. You couldn't be more correct. This was the end of a trilogy, but in-game lore, the game is entirely built on the concept of cycles. Dark Souls III being the official "end" to those, or THAT cycle. The fact that the music was able to convey that concept about the game is utterly amazing.

[@queenvictoriann]

You’re so spot on! The first half is definitely playing into the fact that the world of Dark Souls is finally coming to an end, and the final fight against the Soul of Cinder is essentially a fight against everyone who came before. The music is so darkly glorious, dramatic, tragic, heroic, and finalist all in one piece…just like the fight. Then when Gwyn’s theme comes in, it just turns resigned, restful, and sadly familiar. We go straight back to where it all started, and finish off that original catalyst by defeating what is essentially a reborn spirit of Gwyn. The piano piece paired with the sad violins really encompasses the sadness of what happened. It was all born from the fear of one person…Gwyn. We’re putting it to rest and it’s so mournful. Once the fight is over, we make the defining choice for the world’s fate, but it’s clear that no matter what you choose, the world will end one way or another. Even if you prolong the end, or try to prevent it entirely, it’s over. All must and _will_ come to rest. It’s so beautiful and tragic. Soul of Cinder perfectly captures all those feelings. You guessed everything so well! I am very impressed and glad you appreciated the detail of this song. :)

[@matheussampaio1529]

This song makes me wanna cry, I just love these games so damn much

[@MrSpqr84]

This music and boss fight are incredible! And when the music for Gwen kicks in, its so hard to hold back tears!!!

[@archgerbil3276]

I am not ashamed to admit that the first hour against the Soul of Cinder I couldn't beat him purely because I found the theme so beautiful and sad. The tears flowed...

[@edwardvelez1758]

The biggest smirk just crept up on my face the minute you reacted to the piano start up

[@bloorb0569]

Man whenever the 2nd phase hits I can feel the tears build up every time.

[@frostbitebeast1425]

Just discovered your channel, liking it a lot so far. It’s great how you interact with the comments and community, too. Keep up the good work!

[@victorribeiro6772]

Even though I've never played it myself... I freaking love the Souls games, there music are simply breathtaking

[@xinsinx3457]

Indeed

[@patrikhigl1032]

Never too late to get started. I myself began playing Soulsborne because I loved the music and wanted to experience the whole package. The games are really not as hard as people make them out to be, they're challenging but you can get used to it pretty quickly

[@victorribeiro6772]

@@patrikhigl1032 oh I know, the game is a fun challenge but not an impossible task, and since I'm a Monster Hunter veteran, I know I'll enjoy the playstyle of the weapons and the combat. What holds me back is lack of free time and where to play the game on

[@zetta8277]

Another great video to one of many great themes. One theme that doesn't get brought up much but would love a reaction to is the Epilogue Theme in Dark Souls 3 played after the last DLC. It's different from the original but gets me every time since it a fitting goodbye theme.

[@PANICWORKS]

I don't know why, but I find myself revisiting your videos often. I am a huge Soulsborne fan and hearing your insightful analysis accompanied by the music makes me enjoy the music far, far more. I get goosebumps when you give an apt thematic description about the piece while the piece is playing as well, it almost feels narrative. Either way, I really enjoy your content and it is truly insightful! It makes me understand music theory in a really damn simple way, and as a result enjoy music more.

[@jeffsblima]

Glad to know you're Brazilian, dude. Keep up the good work.

[@l0rd_maxwell271]

Another fantastic video. It's amazing how well you can interperet the lore and the meaning of the game just from listening to the soundtrack alone.

[@EldradDinkleberg]

Dunno if comments still get read on his older stuff, but if anyone knows more about this kind of thing can confirm? The "masters of denying us a build up" point he makes (2:04) about From building up to something then carrying on without progressing the song. Could this also perhaps be a method they use to accommodate the music and still make it sound natural in gameplay? When players will reach different stages of the fight at different paces, causing the song to have to adjust. I feel like having more 'points' in the song for them to progress to stage 2 gives them far more freedom to adjust the song to progress when the player does.

[@sklungofunk]

1:24 in my opinion the "continueous" "satisfaction" is due to a kinda storytelling of the story from this track, every resolution, every satisfaction, is a sign of a story coming to an end, dark souls fans will understand perfectly what i mean thank you for making me acknowledge this and many other musical touches that makes us understand how the composers and the musicians wrote dark souls history in that sheet of music. seeing you have the same face every fan had when ds1 gwyn piano solo came up only listening and analyzing the music was so emotional to me. and it shows how much technicality and passion went into the writing of it but you know seeing how much from soft has become famous already at the time of dark souls, it seems kinda odd to me reading "game composer" that never ever played dark souls at least for the arcade side of it, from software wrote a piece of the history of storytelling, and seeing game related artists taking at least some notes from them wouldn't seem unreasonable to me

[@Justjustinp]

What’s so emotional about this theme is that you start off in Dark Souls as a lowly undead with no renown, and the world will treat you as nothing special. But when you enter the Kiln of the first flame to fight the Soul of Cinder, you realize everything has come to this. From nothing, you are about to gain power over an entire age. And the first part of the theme communicates that. But the second part gets somber, bringing you back to the beginning, to Gwyn. And it makes you remember how meaningless the linking of the flame was in Dark Souls I. You go from feeling that you have overcome an age to, once again, feeling like a meaningless undead. The age of fire would end no matter what you did. You are either ending what has already been a prolonged death or giving it its last breath. It is still epic, but somber, to end this journey that you have put so much effort in to overcome. You have no idea what comes next, but that doesn’t matter, you will simply rise up once again when the next age comes, the next stage of life. And you realize that it is not power that you are taking with you, but the understanding that all challenges can be overcome, even if all things must come to an end regardless.

[@JackHackworth-nr7sv]

“Praise the sun!” 🫵🌞

[@rangedweevil6150]

I just realized; with all the finale chords happening on the first section, combined with each immediately being followed by a new layer to the music, the whole song is a perfect parallel to what dark souls 3 is all about. The song keeps trying to finish, it wants to be over, but it keeps getting revived when a new layer is added, just like how the flame is supposed to burn out but keeps getting kindled by a new warrior who wants to perpetuate it. It's a cycle that wants to end but is forced to continue. Very clever

[@leonardimiguelcarpio687]

Just stumble across this vid, really amazing how your able to decipher this. It would be nice if you do laurence the first vicar in bloodborne, trust me you will be blown away.

[@UnitA3]

Absolutely love this theme! Had to try my best to not lose the fight from tearing up when the "Plin Plin Plon" hit lol since we are on the top of DS music, I'd love to hear a breakdown of Slave Knight Gael. Really ties the DS series to a great end :) Funfact: Soul of Cinder actually gains Gwyn's moveset for his second phase when the music changed. Loving the reactions a whole lot, keep up the best VGM reaction content out there!

[@noneshallknowmyname]

This boss gives me goosebumps...i’ve always loved the idea that a game’s final boss represents the player in some way...like, after all the challenges you’ve overcome, the game basically says “okay, but how well do you know yourself?” like, challenging the player’s knowledge of their own move set. The way it’s done with the Soul of Cinder is utterly perfect. Everything about this boss brings so many powerful emotions... you feel like you’re fighting an old friend throughout the entire fight, even players who don’t know anything about lore will recognise the similarities in his moveset to the weapons they themselves used.

[@bdizzle7072]

Related to this one, you should definitely listen to the "Epilogue" that plays over the credits for DS3. Probably my favorite piece in the whole game, extremely sad and final. It's an excellent farewell song to represent the passage of the flame and the end of the cycle, and since it's not a boss theme it has some extra freedom of expression.

[@boof994]

The final boss of dark souls 1 possesses the soul of cinder and fights just how he does in the first game. Its Gwyn returned and its beautiful

[@tophatwolf]

Woo, one of my favorites. This track is just so powerful, especially in phase 2 when the boss starts using Gwyn's moves and the piano kicks in. Excellent video as always! Dark Souls 3 has some of the best boss themes in the series imho. Twin Princes, Darkeater Midir, Slave Knight Gael, all amazing.

[@0rteku]

It's funny that you pointed an ending of a cycle, because the final part of the game is about cycles. In some kind of multiverse the battle against the Lord of Cinder is happening again and again, and the boss we fight in DS3 is the hero from DS1 who take the place of Gwyn. I love when you guess something about the game because it shows how mucho information the music give to us.

[@LucasSouza-jf1sm]

Hey man, do the abyss watchers... That's my favourite fight in all souls games because of how much the music and moves come together to tell the story

[@DaviVasc]

Thank you for the suggestion!

[@doubleh3978]

i reached this boss just the last night, the OST is dope as hell!!

[@skiadrum9029]

I remember the first time i got to phase 2 i was fighting to the rythm of the soundtrack. Important to note i had come from ds1 and 2. Then plin plin plon happens. I stopped running, stopped everything, just absorbed the symbology and blade of soul of cinder while he skewered me to death. Had to sit for full 5 minutes just... dumbstruck. It was the end of an entire journey. It was awesome. And yet i still have goosebumps every single time i hear that 3 notes.

[@stalhein62]

Saw this on another video, but all the forms in phase 1 are the Chosen Undead who linked the flame before. Imagine if one of the forms had a sword and a shield bearing the mark of the sun. I’d have cried.

[@NetherStray]

What you're doing with the soundtrack is the same sort of thing I do with the architecture and decoration found in video game locations. There's a lot you can figure out about a location from the environmental storytelling of what influences they chose, what stories they tell with the wreckage, and going beyond just "there's a skeleton here with a sword through it, looks like it died in a battle." Lost Izalith is especially great for this sort of thing with its Khmer influences. Love these videos! I don't know if you've listened to Aldrich's theme, but I'm guessing it would be a trip.

[@Aya_Albion]

Amazing video as always! I love Soulsborne’s boss themes that always have vibes which is not only violent, but also melancholic. I became a big fan of Yuka Kitamura a few years ago from this piece. I feel the vibes of emptiness and fullness, transience and eternity live together which express the both flames burning bright and out beautifully. So brilliant theme. Thank you for sharing your reaction and breakdown, Davi. I really enjoyed it.

[@DaviVasc]

Thank you for watching, Aya!

[@cpdgranderio9043]

I would love to see an analysis of the Twin Princes theme. They're one of my favorite boss battles in DS3.

[@twilightofapprentice8280]

Soul of cinder is literal amalgamation who those link the fire including first lord gwyn , bro ur reaction is cool especially the disturbing part at end of first phase keep it up bro

[@junkiiramen]

I haven’t played all the Dark Souls game and you know it’s good when the “plin plin plon” still hits hard to someone who has little experience with the games

[@noir371]

I love your ability to get stories from music. The reverse is exactly how I write my own music

[@arthurbuffon430]

Your abiility to disect the notes of the song is intresting, makes me want to learn about music a little more, so i can start perceiving those little details.

[@TheDarkBorne]

I love the soulsborne music. Now I found you and I'm learning more of the brilliance from this Game music. Damn. Video game Soundtracks are underrated😅

[@mahdirajabi5207]

Oh man u r incredible, I cried when u explained as someone that did play the game

[@4_Ambition]

I'm so hyped about you listening to all my fav OSTs in these games. There are left in Bloodborne Laurence (I'm sure many ppl already suggested) but also like more simple but not worse ones like the Hunter and The Darkbeast. In DS3 you can literally listen to ANY OST(the best are still in the DLCs like Midir, Gael). They are all great. (a little note that Vordt of the Boreal Valley is very, very underrated but most of the ppl didn't even listened to it to the end bc the boss itself is too easy and you can kill him with great speed. Great job again!

[@SkyeBerryJam]

Your comment about the cycle coming to an end was absolutely spot on. The entire series to this point has been a cycle of light and dark, dark souls 3 finally provides a 3rd option. And the bittersweet finale, well that's how us as players felt, knowing that DS3 was the final game in the series

[@SuperAde321]

i would absolutely LOVE if you reacted to the Maiden astrea theme from the Demon's souls Remake (specifically the remake version)

[@DaviVasc]

Thank you for the suggestion!

[@leadfaun]

I would love if he specifically reacted go the original version...

[@g.a.s.3722]

I found the channel by accident, but have been loving to watch and learn. One good suggestion, I think, would be the Nameless Song, from Dark Souls 1.

[@DaviVasc]

Glad you're loving the videos, my friend. Thank you for the suggestions!

[@notoffensivenpc8400]

the song gives so many finale chords or however you called em because it is a finale piece. a finale to the series. to the contract that made fromsoft make the three games instead of one like they wanted. a finale for the fans and a finale for the cycle and story that it told. a beautiful piece, really.

[@kingroberti9643]

I would love to see you do Darkeater Midir next. My personal favourite track of the game, surely fitting for fighting a direct descendand of the ancient dragons.

[@whatTheFup]

Yupp, that 2nd phase transition in the song still hits home, it legit made me lose first time I got him to 2nd phase back in 2016

[@eliteslayer66]

Same i was freaking out so much i couldn't concentrate

[@MojoPjojo]

My first reaction when i got to phase 2 and noticed his moveset and music just being gwyn fucked me up so hard. God I adore this game. Btw, if you ever feel like doing a dark souls 2 track i suggest either aldia or sinh’s theme.

[@nodnarbionking]

I always get teary eyed when listening to this track

[@Ringdald]

It amazes me how much you can get spot on about the story and whatnot purely through music

[@sorrymommy8190]

That denial of resolution is so real. I've never heard someone put it into words before. Something always feels missing from the boss music, this is it.

[@annegilbert4786]

Oi Davi. Great video. That plin plin plon is the best! I always appreciate the clear and easy to understand explanations you give. Thank you :)

[@DaviVasc]

Haha the plin plin plon is great. Thank you, Anne.

[@Tvanon]

I've seen some people already recommending it, and I just wanna add another vote for "Slave Knight Gael" from Dark Souls 3. Also, "Laurence" from Bloodborne.

[@wallnut1311]

Even if you didn’t play the first DS this song makes you feel bittersweet just for the melancholic melody alone but somehow when you find out about the previous games you got the nostalgia feeling anyways… so powerful music indeed.

[@nils7825]

Because of your videos, I now see the boss fights in a completely different way and enjoy them more.

[@DaviVasc]

That makes me happy :)

[@DurpyKraken]

Love your videos man. I hope you analyze more soulsborne-Sekiro tracks. So many great ones!

[@DaviVasc]

I will!

[@Jobes0001]

As a cheap yet avid audiophile and souls fan I enjoy these videos a lot. You should take a listen at the abyss watchers theme. Always been one of my favorites

[@bunnygodofchaos574]

I always love how well people who have never played a given game can come to understand the themes, meanings, and ideas by the music alone.

[@darthcerebus]

The greatest thing about this game and the songs, locations, and even some bosses are that it's entirely just to say "You remember how much you loved Dark Souls 1? We do too." It comes through the absolute most in this fight and song because not only are you fighting essentially the characters from 1 with all the popular builds people actually used in the game AND Gwyn in the second phase when his theme kicks up, but the first part of the boss theme is actually the original Firelink Shrine music just beefed up to be a boss theme. Much like how the Nameless King's first phase is VERY similar to Ornstein and Smough's from Dark Souls 1 as well.

[@junkdunkster7201]

I feel like when the tempo or whatever it’s call drops then starts up big again symbolizes the fading of the the flame, and whenever it starts up again that aforementioned flame bursts anew, and a new track that suits the next game fills in