Dark Souls III Lore | A Complete Analysis of Lothric Kingdom

[@aquamarinemystique]

Everyone was so focused on Lothric when Lorian was _right there._

[@omicronlyrae6228]

Just before I watch any further. Seath was indeed a dragon, but he was not everlasting. He was born without scales, the things that gave the dragons their immortality. meaning he would eventually die of age if not slain. Seath went mad trying to find a way to sustain himself, to mimic the effects of the scales he did not have.

[@mitchl6896]

You're right. My mistake. The Primordial crystal gave him everlasting life while it was unbroken, is that correct?

[@omicronlyrae6228]

That is indeed correct.

[@omicronlyrae6228]

However, I am unsure of how it came into his possession. Edit: you responded very quickly, Brownie points to you.

[@omicronlyrae6228]

Anyways, I believe a better way to phrase what was said at whatever time in the video it was, is that maybe Oceiros was not only trying to imitate Seath, but maybe succeed where he did not, and find a way to true immortality. (I can't quite remember the exact phrasing, so this may be irrelevant)

[@mitchl6896]

Fiddy Cent Interesting. Perhaps Oceiros believed that acquiring the Moonlight Greatsword would, somehow, have a connection to the Primordial Crystal. Or maybe he was just insane and scrambling for solutions to fuckups. No problem! I enjoy chatting with people who take an interest in my stuff. Have a look at the new Carthus video I put up if you get time. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

[@digitaldeath5542]

In this time of pandemic (and shear boredom) I've decided to order the complete edition of DS3 and i know nothing besides my friends screaming about "Lothric units walking around" and it made me mighty curios. I come here and find they got some nice lore so I'm gonna dedicate my first run to none other than a lothric knight build. Nice vid broski, keep up the stellar work

[@mrvang2537]

From what I've gathered, Prince Lothric never linked the fire. If you look at his 'cinders' you'll see that unlike the other lords his head is still...a head. The others were skulls because they died to link the flame and awoke as hollows-their humanity spent. Lothric was born expected to link the dying flame, but he was sickly and frail. The royal family attempted to make him stronger so that he could link the fire but instead made him hate his 'destiny'. Lorian, the elder son, would have inherited the throne while Lothric would inherit the flame. That's why Lorian couldn't be lord of cinder-he was meant to be lord of Lothric. Instead, Prince Lothric would be the lord of cinder, his name kinda giving us a clue-his life would ensure the survival of the entire kingdom of lothric. Seeing his brother succumb to the curse, lorian voluntarily sacrificed his health so that lothric could live. Now both of the sons were disabled, which drove oceiros into madness-he wanted another heir, ocelotte, except this time he would ensure that his heir would be strong-thus began his thirst of dragon power. the brothers meanwhile have given up on linking the flame-opting instead for a life of peace. As soon as the ashen one walks in prince lothric makes a comment about us being another 'dogged contender'. to link the fire is basically to collect enough souls to burn. we're just one of many countless champions trying to collect souls to link the fire-and we do so through endless combat. both the princes are weary of the desperate fighting-and rightly so. The entire theme of dark souls 1 and 2 is the futility of our actions-and the never-ending cycle of struggle,respectively. Lothric chooses to do what some of us did in previous games-which is to simply let the flame die and walk away. Emma, who raised lothric, summons us to make the younger prince a lord. her interaction before she dies implies that he isn't yet a lord. He never linked the flame. and we're basically murdering him. Prince Lothric never had a say in his life, except the single choice not to link the flame, Finally we waltz in there and kill him anyways. also just to make it clear lothric did not have what it took to be an heir of fire. instead, it was his 'curse' that enabled him to have such a powerful soul that he could be considered to be a lord of cinder. this curse fused the princes' souls together-as lothric cannot live(or die) without lorian and vice versa. it is their combined power that makes them a candidate to link the flame-and that's why we had to kill both them. their two souls,fused, was equivalent to a lord soul. the lords awakened are yhorm, abyss watchers, aldrich, and ludleth. that's FOUR. four lord souls PLUS the chosen undead-which would be five total souls. in dark souls 3 you need five lord souls. prince lothric was meant to be the 'champion' who collected the souls. that's why he's still alive-he never linked the flame because he never gathered the souls of aldrich, yhorm, and the watchers. the neglected flame starts to actually die, finally triggering the ashen one to awaken. we're the unkindled- the champion of all those whom attempted to link the flame but failed. dark souls 3 is our character's chance to redeem themselves-by linking the flame or seizing it because we were salty about dying for no reason or simply letting it die out to end the cycle-just as lothric wished. the important thing to note is that the unkindled(we) had to be the one to end the age of fire. lothric would never have found the eyes of the firekeeper. there have been people before who chose not to link it, dark souls 2 basically tells us that even if they don't someone will come eventually and link it-meaning another chosen undead or even an ashen champion. so in the end we could grant lothric's wish through the firekeeper who sees the end of flame(basically meaning she knows how it ends-and literally knows how to 'end' it). at the end the 'ashen one'- the soul-less champion of all those who failed to link the flame is tested by the 'soul of cinder'- manifestation of all the powerful souls that succeeded. in a way, we're just like prince lothric. failures. but unlike him the ashen one seized their own fate and our own 'end'. that's why there's 4 endings to choose from haha. so that's dark souls 3 in a nutshell, at least my take on it. the true lesson of dark souls is to not give up and number 3 really emphasizes this recurring theme. great game. sorry i typed so much, i'm stoned.

[@mitchl6896]

definitely interesting! DS3 lore is a really fun place to theorise.

[@tristanbell8511]

spot on brother! lothric isn't a lord. he's pretty much what we were in dark souls one but he choose not to link it!

[@mitchl6896]

Tristan Bell Precisely.

[@tristanbell8511]

+Mitch L and he had a grown built because he was expected to link it?

[@mitchl6896]

Tristan Bell A crown, do you mean? I think so, as it is seen on his cinder. Lorian also wears a crown-like headpiece, which is interesting. Lothric had a sword, a scythe (cut content) and a number of other accoutrements that would have helped him on his quest, he just never undertook it. Basically, Lothric is a bit of a spoiled brat and an edgy teenager who thought he was too cool to follow his responsibilities, lol.

[@zacoliver5547]

The "Shield of Want" is the shield of King Vendrick from DS II. It looks the same in DS II and the final place in DS II is the "Throne of Want". Also in DS II, especially in the "Scholar of the first sin" edition, the theme that only a true monarch (king) is able to link the flame, plays a central role. Vendrick was close to being a true monarch and he would have linked the flame (description of his soul). But since he was no true king, he was never able to do so.

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks. I'm going to amend the shield of want bit shortly.

[@guilhermefigueiredo4210]

I think the "true monarch" thing is basically making a choice. I din't think the reason why vendrick didn't link the fire is because he is not a king, but rather the opposit. He chose to run away from the choice of linking the fire or let it fade (bringing the age of dark), for that, he was no true monarch.

[@aig_moon7855]

+Mitch L Did you play Dark souls 2 just asking?

[@mitchl6896]

DarkWinter I'm in the process of doing so. I haven't played Bloodborne yet but hopefully will when I decide to get a PS4.

[@aig_moon7855]

+Guilherme Figueiredo He found out about the queens true purpose (AKA MANUS'S DAUGHTERS) And he ran away to the Cyrpt and began to hollow n weaked

[@thishallwaysdangerous5074]

Love it! I'm always overjoyed that there are people like yourself who can take the time to read every item descriptions and put together very intelligent lore synopses for people like me who just want to pound and slash things. Gives something to think about after I finish each of these games. Great job

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you!

[@madkillerabdo]

I think a more appropriate proof regarding the Shield of Want is the explicit evidence provided in merely 2 items combined with our definitive knowledge of previous games. Knowing that Dragonriders served King Vendrick at his time, the Dragonrider Bow explicitly confirms that they were warriors who "served the King of Want" . Add on top of that the apparent similarities in Vendrick's lore to what the shield describes, and I believe we're good to go.

[@mitchl6896]

+madkillerabdo I have made an annotation in the video in regards to Vendrick, thanks for letting me know.

[@madkillerabdo]

+Mitch L Excellent video btw. Incredibly insightful and comprehensive. Thank you for all the effort you put to make this video possible.

[@mitchl6896]

madkillerabdo Thanks very much!

[@gokujimis]

ocelote could be invisible like percila was half dragons can be invisible if you look at him closely during the battle he consumes ocelotte

[@mrtoxicwasteland]

jimis karai karai indeed it's invisible because it's half and half. he didn't eat it. he crushed it on the floor out of anger when it wouldn't do anything. it's supposed to be a child of dragons, not a party trick.

[@mw333666]

One thing about your synopsis on Ocelot, the audio file was also accompanied by a model of a baby that Oceiros was suppose to be cradling in his actual arms. The crying was suppose to be happening during the right and the squash was when you hit his halfway mark and he enrages due to the death of Ocelot. My interpretation of that is, just like Priscilla the half-breed, they both possibly had the ability to become invisible. Oceiros may be blind, but you would think he can feel the fact that his baby is or isn't in his arms. When he rages, its obvious because something happens to Ocelot due to the fact Oceiros calls out his name and clutches where the baby would be. If that was just brought on by insanity how would Oceiros determine in his head that his child was dead?

[@mitchl6896]

Something interesting I've been thinking about is the whole concept of alternate universes in DS. Think about Oceiros' proximity to the Untended Graves, and how it almost exists as a physical "alternate" timeline in regard to Firelink. Could Ocellotte be alive... and dead at the same time? I haven't fleshed it out yet but with the physical world of DS tearing itself apart in DS3 anything is possible.

[@mw333666]

First off if i post anything on any of your videos that you want to use feel free to do it. I just ask for a mention. And also thank you for replying to my post, you are a first. I have a thought on that, but it's kinda reverse of things I've heard. I think the Untended Graves is the 'real' Firelink Shrine. It's a place that is actually physically connect to the rest of the world. You can literally walk there starting at any of the bonfires. The Firelink Shrine we all know is a little different. There is nothing connecting to it at all. its in its own space. and if you look at how the world is, its already kinda too late. The sky even has a dark sign on it, which leads me to believe that the darkness is already taking over. But in the DS universe we know that time is warped. Look at the kiln and compare it to the first time we saw it in DS1. There is a city twisted and warped everywhere you look. I think as a latch ditch effort because the lords refused their duties and the world was so far gone, they had to bring someone from a world less tainted. Look at Anri and Horace. They were victims of Aldrich, but also Unkindled. To me the way they speak of Aldrich it was before he became of lord of cinder that they were the only 2 to escape. It seems shortly after Aldrich was awoken to finish his duty as a lord of cinder that he returned to Irithyll (check that spelling). I think the Untended Graves it the after image of us linking or not linking the fire. Kinda like a paradox, because when you involve time, that's what's going to happen. I think that the canonical ending is where you and the firekeeper let the flame burn out. The eye you get from the untended graves are from the corpse of the firekeeper that helps you throughout the game. If it was the passed then why are all of the thrones there? Why isn't Ludleth, the lord that sits at his throne that has no legs to walk not there? Well when you take all the cinders and preform the ritual to go to the kiln they all burn up. Nothing is left. Also after you completed the game you can replay from the beginning or continue through the game. This might just be a mechanic, but after doing so Ludleth is gone from the ritual, Yuria talked to you about how you have become the Lord of Hollows, etc as if you have linked the fire. (or usurped it). So if the fire is linked why is the Shrine the only place it's noticed? That's because the Shrine is the alternate parallel universe. It's a place only Unkindled can be. And only through the bonfire can you get there. Each Lord also has an Unkindled that is connected with them somehow. Undead Legion-> Hawkwood Aldrich-> Anri/Horace Yhrom-> Seigward and Prince Lothric i believe is connected to us. Maybe not through a past, but beliefs. He believes that the darkness is the way the world should be to allow the cycle instead of perpetuating the linking of the fire and the sacrifices it brings. (Again this is to support the fact that letting the fire burnout with the firekeeper is the cannon ending). And because we let it burn out in our firelink shrine that leads it to become what you see in the untended graves. Wheat I'm trying to figure out right now and how he fits is with Gundyr, considering that its his armor and his story that leads us to believe the the untended graves is in the past. I know this is like 3 different theories, but it all just kinda came out all at once lol. P.S. If you feel like getting a hold of me to go more in depth on my personal theories or sound board yours off someone where you might be stuck feel free.

[@theanarchistcook]

I could swear I remember hearing the baby's crying during the fight.

[@galeden5700]

@@theanarchistcook I just fought him yesterday, there was indeed a baby crying throughout the fight.

[@AndrewWilkins70120]

@@mw333666 I know I'm late, but there is a video by another Dark Souls content creator that show the missing image file and model for the child, this was cut for offensive reasons, as he crushes the child in the 2nd phase of the fight. His name is VaatiVidya and page is here:kzbin.infovideos I have recently picked up DS3 again after 4yrs and am on playthrough NG++, I discovered all of these videos only a few months ago so sorry again for being late...

[@oddmetre]

Absolutely fantastic. Extremely well done. Love it!

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you!

[@nicholasmohl4012]

Here is an interesting fact about Angelic magic: When used, it leaves behind feathers, as suggested from looking into Gertrude´s cell. The magic the princes use to teleport around closely resembles that of Divine pillars of light, the miracle of the angels. This means that Lothric uses Angelic magic, something that is considered heresey. Another fun fact, the staff wielding Man-grubs also use Angelic magic. Although one can only speculate about why that is.

[@Kageryushin]

Something worth noting about Lothric's unique spells is that they are functionally identical in nature to Gwyndolin's from DaS1. Lothric's "light pillar" teleport uses the same magic circle that Gwyndolin's "flash" teleport uses, though this magic circle is common to several miracles across the series. What's more obvious is the magic projectile barrage, where Gwyndolin and Lothric both scatter a bunch of spheres into the air that then volley towards you. They both round out their spell list with a larger blast similar to a soul spear.

[@NamelessKing1597]

@@Kageryushin Maybe Gwyndolin was his private mentor, who better to teach your son to succeed your father than your brother. Also in being raised as something he was not, abandoned by his family and despite it keeping up the ruse of their presence he would have seen the linking of the flame as a curse and the cause of all of his suffering, his nephew is a frail sickly heir forced to take on responsibilities never meant for him not unlike himself and he would have passed on everything he knew including all of the lies and atrocities of the gods.

[@pauloh.alchaar]

@@NamelessKing1597 Uncle*

[@MCdeltaT-]

Pretty sure that's because rosaria is actually gwenevyr in hiding

[@shirokomorebi2944]

I’ve been binge watching your lore videos and noticed it’s been a while. Hoping you’re well and thanks so much for your work on these. I hope to see you making new lore videos in the future. I appreciate your storytelling with Ornstein and really hope to see other characters’ stories interpreted as well. Thanks again man

[@mitchl6896]

Joshua Pohl thanks mate, I am still alive, just been busy with working and life. Going to try to get more videos out soon.

[@ButcherGod]

Next time you fight Oceiros, when he goes enraged, he actually slams the hand he uses to cradle something into the ground in what seems to be rage by the scream he makes, and i have noticed that a liquid does splatter outward from his hand when he smashes his palm flat on the ground... i think DS3 was alot darker than we think, and i think the baby was just literally cut out of the fight visually so we can only assume things. Cause i've sat and listened to that strange wailing sound that you hear outside the boss room while waiting to be summoned... and i really don't think the King is the one making them... i think he really is holding something in his hand and Fromsoft just knew it would be a PC shitshow if we witnessed him smash a baby (even a malformed dragon thingy) into the ground during a battle, i mean him just being blind and crazy, that's too easy and lighthearted for Fromsoft. But this is just my opinion and observations on the mad Seeth wannabe.

[@ButcherGod]

Cause look to Bloodborne for another example of invisible babies, Mergos wet-nurse fight revolves around a baby carriage that clearly has a wailing infant in it, yet once you look inside, not a thing! not saying i want to see an infant get hurt!! but that Fromsoft is just smart enough to make them invisible so they can't legally get in trouble >< that's really the point to this whole ramble....

[@BrainlessMonke]

except you still hear the crying towards the back of the room even after he's in his enraged form

[@ButcherGod]

and? They cut out the whole thing, so yeah they just keep the cry on repeat to help you think he didn't just crush an infant. still doesn't invalidate anything.

[@TKUltra971]

yep. Oceiros smashes his own child and it went squish. Because of western audiences being applaud over such thing even in a fictional videogame FROM was advised to remove it. Hence we have lore removed but in sound files.

[@yosup7400]

Don't forget, Priscilla was a god/dragon hybrid, and was able to turn invisible. Who's to say Ocelot didn't just turn himself invisible as well?

[@oskarlindberg7895]

One of the best DS lore videos out there, great job man

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you!

[@penatio]

8:20 Did you notice that he actually blinks?

[@maxkand18]

wtf you're right

[@err0r0b0]

If Prince Lothric was influenced by Kaathe, that would mean the serpent statues around the city are of Dark Stalker Kaathe.

[@wilburforce8046]

err0r0b0 tbh I don’t think so. It seems more likely that it was pontiff or some other humanoid (maybe they were inspired by kaathe) this makes more sense as a giant ass serpent talking to the prince would probably garner a lot more attention and be talked about more in descriptions (as opposed to just an actual tutor teaching lothric)

[@GarudaPSN]

Dude, great video. very nice editing and research. My only advice is remembering to crossfade the sound between each cllip, so you dont have sudden changes in the whitenoise/volume from scene to scene.

[@mitchl6896]

+GarudaPSN Very true. I'll make sure to do that in future vids!

[@onearmedwolf6512]

Very well done. Definitely seems like you put in a ton of time and effort into this video. Loved it.

[@dejhrodejhro5198]

Many thanks for this great work. Liked and subscribed. I basically thought that Dark Souls saga story was solid and spread in environnent/items details, but after researching various lore explainations, I think we can now say that story details (not the main plot) is mainly based on unclear events / speculations/theories, instead of clarity. Therefore, I understand why From So kept story details kinda hidden in their games. Because it is not consistent.lol

[@RenZeffie]

I've had trouble figuring our Lothric's story. This video really helped!

[@Sticky-Slome]

I love lore videos about some of my favorite games and even more so with the dark soul's series.

[@jordonlewis4749]

Shared like a story to keep me in to the very end. Love the video! Subscribed!

[@DaddyMaster76]

This is such a cool and mostly overlooked part of dark souls lore.

[@saunajaakko699]

I would love to see you doing a complete analysis of Archdragon peak. Because nowhere I have found a video taking comprehensive look of what actually has happened there, or anything explaining the reason for place to exist or it's history. Why people are transformed into dragons in first place? Why exactly did firstborn ally himself with dragons? What is there to gain to create this sort of "survival of the fittest" game of becoming a dragon? The stage is too big for it to be just training ground and stable for firstborns steed. Also the presence of way of the dragons and wyverns in Lothric kingdom raises more questions. If this alliance was so detested by the Gwyn's clan so much that he lost his status and his name was removed from the history. Why are they then tolerated and accepted? What does this tell us of Gwyndolin's and Gwynevere's stance on him and dragons? Enemies of their father. Especially considering that Firstborn was exiled after Gwyn died. Why are all dragon kin there now dead? Why Havel is there and standing next to dead wyvern (if he even is havel himself)? Why firstborn looks like a hollow?

[@ArgentiVT]

I'm surprised nobody has noticed, or at least mentioned it, but when Oceiros transitions to his secod stage, you see him holding "Ocelotte" up in the air, before promptly smashing his hands on the ground. Not like just wildly flailing around, but more so like actually smashing something against the ground. In the game files, it shows texture files for Ocelotte, including one that actually states him as being dead, along with showing a very heavily injured baby when put on a baby model, and when looking at Oceiros's model, he's actually holding an invisible skeleton rig of a baby. My own theory about this is that, originally, Oceiros was meant to actually be holding a baby Ocelotte, and when he transitions to his second phase and completely succumbs to his madness, he kills the baby, which is where that sound file of the baby crying and then the squishing sounds would come in. This might have been cut from the game for very obvious reasons.

[@mistah6898]

The baby squishing audio is one of the only things I've heard or seen online that unsettled me. I remember serious shivers going down my spine listening to it with my friend

[@healingchurchpotluck5352]

Something a lot of people don't bring up is the fact that gwynevere was not only a goddess of sunlight and bounty but also a fertility goddess. I think the fact that she was quietly removed from the public eye was due to her cursed offspring, which obviously could be taken as a sign that her divine power had waned. Maybe the consumed king married her specifically because he wanted her to birth a dragon. How interesting that a daughter of Gwyn would birth a dragon- when the defeat of the dragons helped seal the god like status of the Lords of Anor Londo. Maybe Ocelot's birth was an omen that Gwyn's age of fire was meant to end.

[@l.k.2355]

Loving that Game of Thrones soundtrack use here!

[@mazenstudio]

Great Job ..I was looking for a good and comprehensive Lore for Dark souls 3 and here it was ..Thank you so much I really thought that Oceiros is one of the main pillars of the lore of the game and if it were not for him, I would say the game has no lore at all . You have brilliantly linked it all and made it more interesting Thumbs up ..

[@mitchl6896]

Appreciate your support, dude!

[@AhWai_Documentary]

This is the best video about the lore of ds3 i have seen so far in youtube, but as a non-native english speaker, i desperately hope you can add subtitles to the video to make it easier for non-native english speakers to fully understand your narration.

[@mitchl6896]

+Vic Xu I'll definitely consider that for the future, thank you.

[@griffinj1204]

This is so well done. Subscribed.

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you!

[@Dev_Six]

The knights remind me of the dragonriders from Dark souls 2.

[@gabrieltaba9296]

Wonderful video. Artistic and articulate.

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you!

[@austinreale1848]

Onikiri translates to "demon slayer" or "Demon killer" not "Demon Mist". Onikiri is most likely taken from the word Hitokiri, meaning man-slayer (A distinction given to samurai that had felled over 100 enemies in battle for his lord)

[@jacobglassmeyer5961]

Good video, maybe add some very soft music in the background while raising your voice levels.

[@mitchl6896]

Thanks! If you check my newer videos, my editing and audio has improved a lot.

[@lukemiller7450]

It really has! Been watching your videos for a while and they've never been of poor quality but man have you come far

[@alexcruz3043]

I personally figure that sylivan was the private mentor to prince Lothric as he helped aldrich turn the church's from the gods to enabling the age of darkness and was described as a powerful user of magic.

[@wadafaq3229]

15:52 "draaagon" all jokes aside i very much enjoyed this video. u get 1 sub

[@reidnorris2903]

There is a texture file in the game called "dead ocelotte" that is on the floor of ocerois's boss fight when he enters phase 2 the baby death audio file is played when he slams his hand where he's holding ocelotte

[@andrevieira8700]

Great vídeo man! Keep it up!

[@chromatosechannel]

This helped me through the last paragraphs of a 93-question-paper-turned-essay midterm paper. Thank you! lol

[@jvillain9946]

I don't believe Lorian is crippled. He has use of his legs but never stands on his feet, as if he is kneeling. I believe the angels visited Lothric/Lorian just like they did Gertrude, hence the feathers throughout the bossroom. Gertrude sacrificed her sight, and Lorian sacrificed his voice and chooses to kneel. Those on the outside, or those who think them heretics see their sacrifices as a curse.

[@wilporter2135]

Dude your off the mark on so many points.

[@d.w.k.7383]

Thanks for keeping out the cut baby cries. I've heard them personally and they're extremely cursed and extremely unsavory.

[@LaFlammeAzure]

A personal theory that I have, and I don't know if others share it, but I've not yet seen it developped in a video like this one, is that Gwynevere AND the firstborn may in fact be the founders of Lothric. I think it was the Ashen Hollow who made a very convincing case of the firstborn being the founder, or the godfather of Lothric kingdom. So I won't make the entire explanation again, and take this for granted. Then you have the ressemblance, and almost explicit link between the Queen and Gwynever, indicating that if they are not the same person, they are without a doubt related. i personally think Queen Lothric is a descendent of Gwynevere. Now finally and more importantly, as to the union, between the firstborn and Gwynevere, I'm persuaded, even though there no evidence to back it, that flame god Flann is actually the firstborn. Ever since DS1 I've always wondered who this Flann is. If he's married to Gwynevere, he must be rather important, yet there is no mention of him anywhere, absolutely zero except that one line in one item description pointing him as the husband to Gwynevere. Even his name is odd, "Flann", even back in DS1 days I thought it was weird. That doesn't really mean anything and should not be taken as a valid argument, but in my opinion, "Flann" doesn't really sound like a godly name, sounds me like a commoner. I'd think it's a surrogate name, a pseudonym used by the Firstborn when he married his sister after she had fled Anor Londo. I would love to see this theory fleshed out. But in all honesty, I don't really think there is enough material to give it proper credance.

[@hugomiguel8293]

Siblings marrying?!? Game of thrones much? And Flann it's similar to flame... he's the God of flame after all, also, it's more convincing that the name of the nameless king being faraam like the set in DS 2 and making an appearance in DS3. I get it that this is speculation and theories, but at least make them without throwing the base lore to smitherings.

[@Nightmareblader]

"Invaded by DAUGHTER of Crystal Kriemhild" Lmao, though it's a decent theory, how do you explain her armor set NOT being the Black Hand Set, or why the Lion Knight is with them? When she invades in Untended Graves, she is clearly named the daughter of Crystal Kriemhild. Kriemhild could have been the first scholar, a scholar, or simply the Crystal Sage's favorite pupil (Sage's Crystal Staff description), but it's clear that he/she isn't in the game.

[@Xodus4Lyf]

Can't it be read as "Daughter of Crystal, Kriemhild"?

[@Nightmareblader]

+Raime maybe but it would show up like that in game. Miyazaki is that specific.

[@Xodus4Lyf]

most npc phantoms have a title before their name, the lack of a comma may just be a different language thing ;x

[@Nightmareblader]

+Raime that's also a good point. I haven't tried looking up different translations. If that were the case, then Untended Graves should be visited before the archives 0.0 It's like Tsorig, he invades in Catacombs, and then appears in Demon Ruins hostile. She invades in untended graves, and then will appear in archives hostile.... I wonder if she will still invade after killing her in archives...

[@soraninjaX]

lothric and lorian is such an pain to kill, even whit help i could not kill them....

[@geoha5581]

The knights of lothric dropping sunlight medals, the warriors of sunlight covenant being on lothric castle, as well as the dragonslayer armor, the fact that the knights rear dragons and even the dragonman beyond the consumed kings room leads me to think there is a strong connection between the establishment of lotrhic and the nameless king. It is only but a theory but, the nameless king, gwyns firstborn after leaving he might have gone and established a new kingdom that being lothric, before eventually withdrawing to where we meet him in game.

[@mitchl6896]

Food for thought. I'll consider this! It's also interesting how brightly the sun is shining in Archdragon Peak, compared to the rest of the game-world.

[@hugomiguel8293]

@@mitchl6896 yeah, you can see both the sun and the moon.

[@iWillWakeYouUp]

I adore your in-depth lore content. The extremely melodramatic voice is a bit too much for me though from time to time. Sometimes I'm in the mood and it fits and I'm immersed, other times I'm... well not "cringing" but it's just too much for me. Overacted may be the word I'm looking for.

[@mitchl6896]

This was my first "proper" lore video so I didn't have my own style down pat yet. I think if you watch my more recent videos you'll find they are less like that and a bit more focused on the information. Thanks though!

[@Reemus4]

I think Ocelotte is just invisible like priscilla was when we fought her, it just fits the whole encounter more. At some point FromSoftware had a texture for a mutant baby and included the baby killing, but they removed it when they thought:"This is just too disgusting, lets not do that". So when we kill Oceiros Ocelotte has left the room and is the only royal of Lothric still alive at the end of the game. It seems the most intresting theory.

[@JohnnyOrgan]

I'm a bit late to the party but your videos are excellent. Subscribed!

[@prjctch4os]

I would like to point out that you state it to be the duty of the eldest son to link the flame, however Lorian is the elder of the two, but it is Lothric who was destined to link the flame. So unless Lorian first rejected the duty, to be followed by Lothric to carry the mantle but also have rejected it would then take the two to as a sort of pseudo Lord of Cinder.

[@ChrisLoganComedy]

Here to study for my GM role for Dark Souls RPG. Thanks!

[@Draagonys77]

On 29:40. I just think that it was Lotric that changed his mind as he didn't believe in the linking of the fire due to been thought by the sages of the Archives (or reading) and the first Scholar. And conviced his brother to do the same. I don't think he was torture, He was just cursed from birth and that's why he wears the Prayer set as stated. I believed since he was cursed he started to seek knowledge for a cure but found that linking the fire is not the answer. And In order to link the flame both brothers need to do it. As when you defeat them you only get one soul and also Lotric dialogue states "it is our course". I believe when they didn't want to to do it, then the Sages started to experiment with others and other things. Even the king try to have another child and ended up with a half breed. The twins stayed away. Also, Lorian was cripple for fighting with the Demon prince and probably while defending Lotric and his beliefs as the Demon Prince wants to continue the age of FIRE.

[@philipioliveira6039]

Before the game release I thought that it was going to be in the land of Astora, I always imagine astora being like Lothric.

[@malingering9794]

Has anyone noticed the striking similarity with the irithyll prisoners and ocieros? They have the beginnings of a tail and wings, and although still looking human the head has started to elongate. Too much of a rabbit hole for me to figure out the link but whatever process theyve undergone i'd wager ocieros had something to do with it

[@dezimengomez4694]

I couldn't help but notice that the picture shown of the woman at 10:30 looks similar to Rosaria the mother of rebirth. I was thinking that Rosaria could be the Queen, due to that you could trade her soul for Bountiful Light. In relation, Leonhard does go to the same room where the princess ring is found. Maybe there is a connection or hints that her name includes rebirth or you can receive the obscuring ring from her.

[@MPGamingbruhs]

great video man. love the depth of the lore I found it very informing and 99% correct

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you!

[@UnholyWrath3277]

Loved it one note tho I believe the shield of want was vendricks. Purely because the whole game centered around the throne of want and nashanra even sais a king he was not

[@eddernalejantoniocastrotor7119]

amazing job. well done

[@Crazed32100]

The pontiff could have been lothrics teacher being that kaathe is most likely in londor if he is even still kicking around really especially if you know what yuria says (in the Japanese translation) when you kill her before becoming a lord of hollow.

[@thelouster5815]

I was hoping for more speculation on the Angelic Faith and an explanation as to why Cathedral Knights were patrolling the Garden.

[@alyseleem2692]

The Angelic Faith is the interpretation of a faction of Knights regarding the visions of one Gertrude, Heavenly Daughter, declared heretical by the Three Pillars for the worship and imitation of " angels". Aside from completely indecipherable writings, what is known is that Gertrude was visited by an " angel", hence the name. In the Dreg Heap, we see beings of the same name emerging from the Pilgrims Of Londor, indicating a connection to the Dark, but despite this, they still use Light miracles. What is an angel? To define that, I have to ask you a question; Have you ever met a Darkdiver? A strange sect, to be sure, worshipping the Dark as sacred, it's homes as Holy spaces to be traversed for spiritual enlightenment. Why am I telling you this? Because the answer to said question lies at the end of the Dark Chasm. This thing, this " Darklurker", takes on the appearance of an ethereal, winged creature, commanding both Fire and Dark, and uses both to assail those who attract it's attention. It is beckoned by a ritual, involving the slaying of mysterious ghosts and the lighting of three vessels of fire, each in a different Chasm. A secret altar within the Shrine Of Amana depicts what appears to be this " Darklurker" in the process of splitting in half; an act it has been reported to be capable of doing. Praying at this altar allows release from Hollowing, though one must not possess" effigies" to do so. Perhaps, some sort of deity? The arrival of the Darklurker is treated by the Darkdivers as a revelation, denoting their achievement of the highest rank among their fellows within the Covenant. The "Dark" within them is greater than ever; they have recieved the greatest mystery within their faith. But what does this mean? What does such a meeting represent? What is this being? Answer: A paradox. This Darklurker controls both Fire and Dark. It isn't confined to one side or the other. A being that is somehow Light and Dark at the same time. A being beyond divisions and cycles. An existence through which cycles become meaningless, by ascending as a being whose Light and Dark have become one. A thing neither God nor Man; an " angel". Indeed, it is clear why such notions are considered heresy in Lothric. P.S: It is likely the Cathedral Knights were originally, and in some capacity still are, part of the royal guard of the kingdom of Lothric, and the bloodline ruling it. This is indicated by their greatshields. Rosaria is likely a member of it herself , explaining their presence and role within the Cathedral Of The Deep; to guard not only it, but Rosaria herself, from impurity. Evidently, they failed.

[@quincyquincy4764]

this is amazing!

[@YT-jg3kz]

Perhaps Yorshka is not daughter of Gwen but his granddaughter. Yes, Yorshka is Ocelot, sister of Prince Lothric.

[@dillonqaphsiel7977]

What’s with that one blue knight outside the dancers boss room?

[@davidfletcher6703]

I noticed when I stand on the edge of the High Walls of Lothric, looks to the distance between The Undead Settlement and the Cathedral of the Deep I noticed a small city way of in the distance, what city is that?

[@frankiecardona1656]

I see the more you know the more you will enjoy this game

[@brayachdragonbane7529]

lothric failed to kindle the fire the lords returned the lord denied their calling the ash arose the lords were brought to heel by their chosen ash (yorm to sirward, aldrich to ahnri, the legion to hawkwood, and the failed prince to the chosen ash.) the chosen ash challenged the soul of fire a final choice was made.

[@cingenedovenaugustus4558]

The Mentor isn't Kaathe but Sulyvahn.

[@boomerlizard3184]

The Shield of Want is Vendrick's shield in dark souls 2, they share a model

[@jordanbrown2485]

I'm pretty much convinced that there is an illusion going on in lothric and you are seeing a lot of illusions of the past but when U kill osirios that illusion breaks, in my opinion the reason you start the game with gundyr is because he was originally planned to the be the failed. Heir to line of lothric. Lorian became heir after nameless king sided with dragons and ocelot was dead or a failed gundyr, when the presumed line heir, the nameless king left to side with dragons rather than become dragon, ocirios became mad and lothric descended into chaos

[@TheNamelessScholarOfficial]

Oceiros is basically the King Leoric of Dark Souls Because they are both went Insane because of their sons.

[@TheFibrewire]

I think King sought to cure his son Ocelot as he was imperfect similar to Seath who was born Handicapped, scaleless and deformed. His entire life was dedicated in creating scales and to fly like his brethren but he never succeeded and he also gave the way to trick to penetrate the Dragon scales to Gwyn. He sought the cure using the sages bu it all went wrong and he himself became the dragon and mad.

[@WolfHreda]

I don't believe Krimhilde was one of the Black Hand. However, if you notice in the fight you get into on those stairs, you have representations of three out of the four Pillars of Lothric. Albert is a Knight, Krimhilde is a Scholar, and Kamui is a Hunter. I don't remember which video it was, but someone posited that the Unkindled One was the third Black Hand, given that each Unkindled we meet is linked to one of the Lords of Cinder. Siegward for Yhorm, Anri for Aldrich, and Hawkwood for the Abyss Watchers. Ludleth didn't need an Unkindled, because he came to Firelink of his own choosing. The only Lord of Cinder we don't meet another Unkindled for is the one who never became a Lord of Cinder: Lothric. But, if we were the third Black Hand, it would make sense that we would be connected to Lothric, sent to insure he did his duty.

[@glory2marik]

--->correction: SHIELD OF WANT refers to the king of dranleic from dark souls 2. The comment of "a king that was no king after all" comes from nashandra, queen of dranleic and child of dark

[@mitchl6896]

I made a correction to this in an annotations.

[@christianpeterson588]

Lol Sieth was not an everlasting dragon that was the whole reason he betrayed his own kind and stole the crystal because he wasn’t immortal. He sought the same and wanted it so bad he sided with Gwyn and killed his own kind to obtain immortality.

[@wyp4388]

I think the curse on Lothric should have sth to do with the "curse" mechanism in DS2, which involves people going insane over time unless keep absorbing powerful souls to keep oneself strong. The curse occurs when the fire fades to "encourage" people to gather souls scattered around so that one's soul can be strong enough for linking of the fire (of course, since it involves sacrifice the hero or the lord, link it or not is totally up to the person himself. remember in each DS game, if choose not linking the fire, the only sane human left in the world would probably be the main character himself). Based on above context, we are able to explain the behavior of each lord of cinders. Ludleth is probably the former main character (which means he used to have super powerful souls by farming or defeating bosses like we do) who used to choose not to link the fire. But he may have regrets in his choice so now he decides otherwise. Yhorm used to be a mighty warrior and obtain strong souls by years of fighting. But he has no plan in linking the fire at all (it's possible that he has no idea about the curse or the fire or the mechanism at all) and would rather "chill" in the profaned capital. He went insane as the curse took its toll (he is not absorbing souls to keep himself strong, and he gradually lose his mind like every other sane beings). Abyss watchers inherit powerful souls from Artorias as well as defeating enemies. Their only purpose is "watching" the abyss which might involve some fighting but definitely is not a efficient way to keep their souls strong. So we find them fighting each other as a strong evidence of partially going mad. Aldrich is doing well in maintaining his sanity by eating people. He is very likely aware of what's going on and intentionally choose not to link the fire for it does him no good (definitely not a self-sacrificing type). It's also likely that he know that the only way to survive the long darkness after the fire is out is by absorbing many many souls to keep his own soul strong. So he decided to eat the god to achieve this purpose, for whose souls are stronger than the god's? Finally we have Lothric. Lothric may be born with somehow strong soul. But because of his frailty, he can not continuously obtain souls to fight the curse (he can neither defeat soul-rich huge monsters like Lorian nor eat lesser beings like Aldrich). So it's likely that his soul was becoming weaker and weaker, and Lothric was going mad just like Yhorm and the abyss watchers. To save Lothric, Lorian offered to share his strong soul with him which left himself crippled. From then on, the two shared one soul. It's possible that Lothric choose not to link the fire because of kathe as mentioned by the video. It's also possible that he, like Aldrich, simply realize it's doing him no good by linking the fire. But unlike Aldrich, he can not keep a balanced soul diet and he decide to do nothing but sit there to see the whole world going down with him in the coming darkness (he probably think it's much better than sacrificing himself).

[@hugomiguel8293]

Well, Ludleth was the last one to link the fire, there's a dialogue when he's sleepong and dreaming stating that, but he had a fragile soul and so didn't extend the age of fire much, my take it's that Gundyr arrived late to the party, to the kindling of the fire, and so Ludleth did it but it kept the flame alive for such a short period ence starts the game. Yhorm also linked the flame, but since he was a Giant, it backfired and instead of consuming him, it consumed all the humans in the profaned capital and gave birth to the profaned flame (profane because I think that the fire was never meant to be linked by other beings other than humans and Gods). We find the Abyss watchers fighting each other because dark resides in all the humans, remember when Elizabeth says about Artorias that even he has a nary murmur of dark, and so all of the abyss watchers are prone to be consumed by the abyss, ence, they fight each other.

[@TitanHammer1776]

Anyone else notice the image of Lorian's Sword on the front of the Winged Knight armor?

[@shadowmaster335]

hmm as a side note and a wierd one of that is dks2 firekeeper has lotte in her name and she was also a "child of dragons" and so is ocelotte so maybe a connection somewhere in there

[@kingsteele6760]

The decapitated heads of the statues are actually something similar to what people used to do in the past after beheading people; i can't remember where i read it, or where to find it again; but if i recall correctly, it is some kind of mockery of the deceased.

[@mitchl6896]

Very interesting. I'd love to read more about it if you found a source or something

[@JayWhipp1e]

Shield of want belonged to vendrick not oceiros

[@LSB44446]

Fuck Vaati, you work your ass off and bring in long, interesting, and new content, sparking fresh ideas and new things. Subbed, I like you.

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you! The best is yet to come :)

[@Draagonys77]

So why the feathers in the Twin Princess room? Did the angelic force wanted to aid him and were betrayed, or did they want to force the prince into something.?

[@myles7978]

Great video, but I have a couple of thoughts about the soul stream item description. It says when lothric and the grand archives were young. I believe it is referring to the KINGDOM of lothric, not prince lothric

[@leoxgamer1342]

I herd from another video that the blue lothric knights could be followers of the angelic faith because they ware the same colors as the winged knight and they also know blessed weapon miracle but I also BELEVE they are the royal guards of the prince idk what’s right or wrong

[@dandrerankin1479]

The shield of want is literally King Vendricks shield in Dark Souls 2 my guy

[@AB0VETHALAW]

Perfect video.

[@picklefathernurgle2719]

Not gonna read all 311 comments to see if someone else has said this but the shield of want is Vendric's shield. Generic however is very similar to Oceiros in his ambition though.

[@Dev_Six]

Subbed, because why the fuck not? Nice to see new names rise in lore or storytelling of Dark souls.

[@mitchl6896]

Thank you, glad to be here!

[@Dev_Six]

Mitch L I would believe that it was Aldia, scholar of the first sin, who convinced Lothric to abandon the thought of becoming a lord of cinder and linking the first flame. Frampt convinced us to link the first flame in Dark souls 1, i'd believe that he did the same to other lords of cinder. What do you think about that theory?

[@mitchl6896]

Mr Skeltal It's definitely possible. The only thing that would make me question it is the current debated nature of DSII lore and how it fits in with DSIII. You might want to check out Redgrave, who talks about how for DSIII to be a thing, the events in DSII cannot possibly have happened. We won't have a full picture of what FromSoft want to tell us until all the DLC comes out, but your theory is still intriguing!

[@Dev_Six]

Mitch L I believe that Kaathe is still in the abyss and Londor, and it was a statue of Frampt around Lothric castle. But i agree with you that we will probably get a bigger picture in a DLC. I think that Kaathe and Frampt dislike or even hate each others. Frampt wants to continue the age of fire and Kaathe wants to have a dark lord, but the third ending would fit for Aldia the best. I believe it would make sense that Aldia came to the Lothric castle after Frampt had left the king's service. However, neither of them are nowhere to be seen. There are only tales of the first scholar, who was the mentor of Lothric and there are some unrecognizable statues as well as statues of whom(i forgot how to english) i believe is Frampt.

[@Balkanero10]

What set of armor are you wearing at 2:00 ?

[@mitchl6896]

Nameless King's set.

[@c.j.velvet5985]

a baby cries during the fight with Osiris, if ocelot is partly dragon then perhaps he can turn invisible like Priscilla dark souls 1? maybe Osiris feels the baby in his hands but has no idea its invisible since he cant see anyways

[@jeremiahmills5015]

Great video

[@christopherrapczynski204]

hey, what if rosaria is gertrude. Rosaria is the person who grants you the ability to switch your identity in a sense. She is hidden in a special bedchamber in lothric castle. She has her own defense force, and presumably those grubs were once humans, and likely humans native to lothric. Gertrude was made blind and unable to speak by the angle, rosaria has no tongue and no eyes. her cage is defended by a mangrub utilizing lothric sorcery. We know from the dlc that angels form when humans become cacoons and angles rise outward, and also I believe the angel model has no eyes, and ofcourse it just shrieks, rather than speaking. what if the engel touched gertrude, starting her transformation into one, wherein her wings were cut and she was forced to remain humanoid, and that thing she holds was her forming caccoon. Considering 3s themes of becoming things to survive, like becoming a dragon, the hollows turning into trees, the pilgrims, the angles, etc, what if the grubs became that way as to become caccoons for their angel forms, but were unable due to the cancellation of angelic faith and transofrmation via lothric itself. Maybe that's why the winged knights are peculiarly fat, because inside they are transforming into giant angels and are carrying their cacoons inside their armor, or are large grubs. And ofcourse, gertrude was renamed rosaria to protect her identity, and to reinforce the theme of becoming something else to survive. Just my impression,, might be wrong based on some descriptions.

[@ZuluRed123]

Question? - so does if the blue lothric knights are wearing blue because it signifies their guarding the royal family directly i assume. so does that mean the blue cathedral knights "the ones in the kings garden" are wearing that blue to signifie them guarding the king ? which is royal so ? sorry if i writ the question weird

8:18 try focus on Gotthard eyes, he is blinking. Spooky right?

[@cissuperdroid]

Just a nitpick, but the Lothric Knights guarding Prince Lothric/Lorian have blue cloaks, not purple, although purple being royal is true. I guess the blue jut means "elite" knighthood, as obviously they are more powerful with improved AI and glowing eyes (red eyes are probably just a game mechanic- in their human days, they likely were just better trained).

[@SnlDrako]

Actually it is very possible that Ocelotte is in fact there with the Consumed King. Remember how Priscilla, another halfbreed could turn invisible? Yeah...

[@vasylpark2149]

I'm of the opinion that The Queen is Rosaria. The Queen is heavily speculated to be Gwynevere. And Gwynevere I believe is both Fina and Anastacia due to their name meanings. Anastacia is a parallel to Rosaria. They both are killed and taken to Gwynevere's room. Gwynevere I believe is playing many different roles. Seathe was not an everlasting dragon he did everything he did in the first game because he was a scaleless albino dragon and was going to die.

[@RaggedViking]

I personally prescribe to the theory that Pontiff was the teacher who taught Lothric and Kaathe taught Pontiff. My evidence for this is before you can head to undeadburg you must fight vordt of the boreal valley and before you enter Lothric castle you must fight the dancer of the boreal valley both bear the title of the boreal valley and both hinder your progress to getting to the lords of cinder but notice how the dancer specifically uses similar weapons to Pontiff and how the dancer guards the entrance to Lothric castle. My theory is that the Pontiff instilled the doubt into the young prince about the first flame and had his dancer guard the entrance to Lothric castle in order to prevent the prince from leaving if he changed his mind and its implied that the Pontiff locked up gwyndolin in Anor Londo and allowed Aldrich to feed on him I think he did this to make sure gwyndolin dosen't interfere and go against his plans. Thats just my theory though. On a different note who would love a mother of lothric dlc where it focuses around Gwynevere since she is pretty much the only direct connection left to Gwen and we don't know if she is dead or alive so dlc focusing on that would be pretty cool.

[@mitchl6896]

That's a very interesting theory! Had not considered that.

[@RaggedViking]

Mitch L Thanks.

[@slightlytwistedagain]

Brilliant, though you could do with speeding up the narration a bit. Just some bits I've noticed in the lore that I have yet to see anyone else mention. I think Gwynevere disappearing is a very literal term. Crossbreed Priscilla can tern invisable and Ocelotte is invisable in Oceiros's hands. As for the manserpents in DS1, I would say they are descendants rather than experiments, this is not an uncommon thing in the world of Dark Souls.

[@mitchl6896]

+slightlytwistedagain I like your thoughts about Priscilla and Ocelotte. I suppose it would be possible that Gwynevere may have stolen Ocelotte from Oceiros when she left the capital, as she may have feared for her child's safety. This would have made Oceiros go into an uncontrollable rage, I'm sure. Also interesting is the fact that you can obtain the "Obscuring Ring" from Rosaria, which "hides the wearer from a distance." Might have been used by Gywnevere to escape. Hard to confirm, but fascinating none-the-less.

[@mitchl6896]

+slightlytwistedagain Also thanks for the feedback about speeding it up. I definitely got a bit indulgent at parts!

[@slightlytwistedagain]

Mitch L Ha you pointing out the obscure ring is making Gywnevere's disappearing powers more concrete. The lore thickens. XD

[@Hug0Pro]

Great video man! Could u make a video about more dark souls 1 and 2 lands? :)

[@mitchl6896]

Like which ones?