The Story of Sekiro ► Senpou Temple and the Dragon's Return

[@TheParryGod]

Heyyyyy, cameraman here. Hope you like the footage!

[@nexus8136]

You make Vaati's videos more amazing then they already are

[@marcogianesello6083]

Always great job man

[@kairowkuroshi1371]

You give these videos so much perfection my dude

[@chocobro___]

TheCameraGod lol

[@hamzafairs3262]

Great work

[@Strider-Ragnarok]

I'm still impressed on how Fromsoft build their lore so together to the point that even item location adds to it. If it wasn't for Vaati, I would've never fully appreciate the work they put in.

[@greylithwolf]

I'm pretty sure at this point FromSoftware rely on Vaati to explain the story to us.

[@rahmellbrown162]

Strider-Ragnarok you can say that again!!

[@codyrisling1718]

Strider-Ragnarok hopefully you played the dark souls series, sekiro is great. But dark souls has way way more “lore” and world development “ it’s a more complete story then sekiro is and that’s solely because of the weapons in dark souls , every single weapon has lore attached to it.. sekiro you only have one sword(I’m not saying this negatively) so you only got the one item description. And the souls games have hundreds of weapons and every place you find them or any item was purposely in that spot.. it’s up to you(or vaati) to figure out why.

[@lucidcactus4042]

@@greylithwolf , Yeah I wouldn't even understand 5% of the story if I didn't watch these vids. All the lore in the first episode alone made me feel kind of dumb. I thought that video would be it but there's tons of shit I wasnt paying attention to. This adds way more significance when I play now. I think this story is way more put together than Dark Souls.

[@SonOfHubris]

That just says how actually shit their story telling is, for vaati needing to explain it loo

[@orestisl6539]

15:40 The oathbound commit sudoku Very nice vaati

[@MetalHead1310]

Lol I'm glad I'm not the only one who caught that

[@JheLocoSoul07]

That caught me off guard

[@ryoumakoushiro7447]

Immediately after hearing that, I see this comment.... Damn, Vaati

[@maxmazza2987]

Glad I wasn't the only one that caught that. Lol

[@wesleiwdp]

And this is not the first time he said that in a sekiro video

[@HiroNakamuraa33]

Hundreds of hours watching your videos and studying lore: Vaati: "Commit sudoku"

[@corwin32]

Wolf must solve multiple mathematical puzzles in order to free the Divine Heir

[@loopeygoopey]

He says it in other videos too I think it's a joke lmfao

[@larkincarmichael4773]

I legit paused, un-fullscreened, liked, then went down here to comment this exactly.

[@Ri-Ci]

Noticed it too. Surely, it’s not intentional, right? The rest of the narration is well-thought out.

[@shreyanshsingh379]

It's actually "Kermit sudoku"

[@majesticmo]

A big moment in the game for me was realizing the Rejuvenating Waters themselves must carry the centipede larvae. Seeing the luminescent worms on the fish carcass was rewarding as it further supported that idea. I was really happy to hear you had the same conclusion Vaati!

[@karvenman]

Since Genichiro took the rejuvenating waters, would this mean he also has a centipede in his body?

[@ruh804]

​@@karvenmanI thought the same

[@VaatiVidya]

Thanks for all your likes & support, as always. I decided to split the rest of the story into multiple videos..so next we have the Sunken Valley, then Ashina Depths, then the Fountainhead Palace. It's amazing that I can make 25 minute deep dives like this and you all still have the passion to sit through and watch it. Not many KZbinrs can say that about their audience! Also, shoutout to the guy who designed the Notification Bell animation at 21:08! You can follow/commission him here twitter.com/rave20XX?lang=en luv u all

[@ackvendor]

I mean I would sit through them even if they were an hour long. The amount of hidden context and lore in Sekiro is astounding.

[@Silas-Inservio-Pax]

I would watch the video even if it lasted for hours, and when i am i growl at passing people. I lock the doors. Begging pets, screaming mothers and neighbors knocking for lower volume will be turned away. Even the power of immortal severity will lack in sufficiently to keeo me away. Sex, food and light queuing in line. We are unstoppable, limitless. We watch VaatiVidya.

[@BaldorfBreakdowns]

I'd watch an hour long lore video of yours, especially for Sekiro!

[@btmeph]

@15:38 You may have done this on purpose as a joke, however sudoku is the number puzzle one could find in the newspaper and seppuku is the ritualistic suicide. Forgive me if you knew this already.

[@vanjaarsic1616]

@@btmeph I think it was meant to be a throwback to an older video about 5 Things You Missed Iron Crown DLC when he said Sudoku and people made fun of it.

[@SuperCommenter1000]

15:42 commits sudoku... the oathbound gotta finish that 9x9 sudoku in under 10 minutes

[@samarobbins]

Lolol glad someone else heard that. Thought I was crazy

[@DrBreezeAir]

Should it be seppuku?

[@tasin2776]

@Pandemonical Insanity it's actually from a dark souls 2 video about sir alonne vaati made where he accidentally said sudoku instead of seppuku and it got turned into a meme

[@ohamatchhams]

@@tasin2776 Oh now I remember his video of Sir Alonne, it was like yesterday But I still don't find it funny even after reminiscence, I guess humours is subjected to each person afterall

[@Gr33nOfGrundleburg]

@@DrBreezeAir It's a running joke

[@stryfe8959]

1:59 "The monks may not be as evil as they are being portrayed." *Entire level has dead bodies just completely everywhere* Somehow I doubt it.

[@solaireofastora417]

Also they killed children

[@HeavenShallTremble]

@@solaireofastora417 lots of children.

[@fox2569]

They killed children so I really don’t know why he said that lmao

[@micahfoley9572]

If not leaving a wake of dead bodies is a requisite for being good, we're all screwed.

[@williamhood7548]

Did you see the dead bodies with their hands bound and one of those terror-reduction powders beside them? Gotta wonder, did the executioner need to calm his nerves, or did they drug and pacify the resistant monks during the culling? I forget this is a Fromsoftware game sometimes.

[@Gr33kNinja]

Hey I'm not sure if this is useful info, but in ancient Japan there were Buddhist monks that would seek immortality to await the Buddha's return. They would do this through a mummification process where they would fast and meditate for like 1000 days at a time. The monks would fast on this tree bark that had a toxic chemical that acted as a way to kill bacteria. And ironically the mountains they resided in had water springs that were contaminated with Arsenic. This his how the monks were able to mummify naturally because the toxin build up in their body would prevent bacteria and insects from trying to decompose the body. The high priest looks exactly like the real high priest that really made this technique famous. While not Sekiro lore, maybe this can give you some extra leads on exploring the parallels with real Japanese lore. Seeing mummified Bhuddist monks that sought out immortality that look like real Bhuddist monks that did the same thing just really stood out to me. Anyway I hope this gives you some more homework to do :)

[@bacicinvatteneaca]

Also, that's "heretic" to a fundamental principle of Buddhism which is to seek enlightenment within a healthy life rather than an ascetic one (Siddhartha was Hindu then went "fuck this shit I'm done with starving myself")

[@Chadmeekins]

Really cool thanks for sharing

[@Nunyo-Bizznez]

Shokushin jobutsu will be the thing to google. Also there are only 13 succesfully made self-mummified monks, despite hundreds trying. And the last monk mummified himself in the last century, so they arent all that ancient really. The idea was to mummify yourself so that when the world ended you could guide the people that survived the apocalypse to nirvana personally

[@midshipman8654]

Urgency also during the sengoku period, many monk group were pretty martial, sometimes even bording on banditry or heavily pressuring people for “donations”. Many kinda just masked themselves as followers of Buddha, but practiced little of what they were supposed to teach.

[@Nevernotalone]

Urgency i don’t even want to accidentally imagine the extreme stomach pain and discomfort that process held in store for any practicing. The hallucinations and confusion....goodness. I read a small amount about the subject and scene many videos. I wonder what poor, brave soul was the first? There were most likely untold numbers of failures.

[@DebugMenu]

Oh wow, that smooooth free-camera looks so radical, I bet whoever got that up and running is a real bodacious dude!

[@Regufyz]

It was *TheParryGod*

[@svahn1]

@@Regufyz Lance (the dude you're replying to) is the guy who got the free camera working

[@Regufyz]

@@svahn1 im ded 😂

[@micahfoley9572]

Dis comment est kinda teh kyute. zomg.

[@duchi882]

*For me the **_"Gracious Gift of Tears"_* is when Vaatividya uploads a video

[@daddius]

He’s the best when it comes to breaking these From games lore. I’d be lost in the wilderness without someone holding my hand.

[@mr_rowboto]

"Prepare To Graciously Give Tears"

[@SirVyre]

I can proudly say that due to me being bad at Sekiro, I was able to get the Return ending on my first playthrough without a wiki due to my Rice addiction when I ran up against bosses.

[@lopeshick9607]

"Its impossible to reach the inner sanctum". Single door between the monk and the inner sanctum: Am I a joke to you?

[@Grakesch]

No, it's locked from the other side and we all know that makes it literally unreachable.

[@idudahkepake]

Yeah that doesn't make sense to me either.

[@spinyslasher6586]

Battering ram and gunpowder: Am I a joke to you? Like these dudes could just hire a bunch of those taro groups and blast and batter the hell off that door.

[@flamingburitto]

I never met that monk in my run .

[@ozaomar]

@@flamingburitto You have to go to the main hall pretty early

[@fenyx_007]

Vaati, the quality of your lore videos and the thought that you put into these is simply remarkable and well-worth the wait. Thanks for keeping it up despite your hectic time on being a new father: speaking of which, congratulations man!

[@lettuceprime4922]

*GASP* BAABIVIDYA

[@micahfoley9572]

The Nerd Lobby Appreciates your hard work, Vaati, as always. It's very true that much of the depth and art of the souls games would remain occluded to most of us without your labors. You and Jacob Geller are the only two subscriptions i had for a very long time. Imagine my surprise, to find genuine brilliance on one of the tubes.

[@childeater7327]

I’m glad fromsoft finally figured out what a centipede looks like (somewhat)

[@FreshPwncakez]

They clearly don't know what a giraffe is though

[@plague6566]

@@FreshPwncakez Wait till you see the pilgrim "butterflies"

[@danielhersey2469]

Bramblehart r/giraffesdontexist

[@micahfoley9572]

From knows EXACTLY what a centipede looks like. Centipedes are walking platforms for human-torso sized boobs. Spider legs, too.

[@ragnerschwarzmane3412]

Dark Souls: Oh my god, we can‘t die anymore and will turn into mindless monsters! What do we do?! Sekiro: Oh my god, there’s a way for us not to die any more, sure it will turn us into mindless monsters, but still! How do we start?!

[@dragonlord595]

To be fair the undead curse isn’t exactly paradise

[@ragnerschwarzmane3412]

Neigther are the effects of the healing water or parasites.

[@hakon_dlc]

Still it's super mad to become such a mindless monster, they don't even have Purging Stones or the Purging Monument

[@jacobfreeman5444]

They are not mindless. Just on the opposing side of the issue from you. Thus has no reason to offer hospitality. You are just a trespasser who is undoubtedly up to mischief since who would wonder up there so confidently otherwise?

[@Ajehy]

Yeah, they’re not mindless. Look at Hanbei! 17:28 has a note written by someone who has been “blessed by the worm” for a long time. Priestess Yao is obviously still sane, using magic & being a respected gate guardian, while the Guardian Ape mourns his wife and seeks to court another. So yeah, not mindless, they just hate your guts. Edit: forgot Hanbei.

[@kairowkuroshi1371]

Sekiro Lore, I must feed on it's fruit of knowledge.

[@Kamamura2]

Which fruit? The fresh one, or the dried one? ;-)

[@andreapettinato8275]

mossfruit? commonfruit?

[@scottmikkelson3168]

RICE FOR ME I SAY

[@ShinigamiStudiosDE]

I always feel like the Armored knight is cursing me whenever i beat him. "Robertooooo!"

[@skuskuu]

Something to add: I don't think Robert is one of the devine children. I think he suffered from some severe illness that his father wanted to cure at all costs. This is the item description of Robert's firecracker sold by the Memorial Mob: Firecrackers from across southern seas. Can be fitted to the Shinobi Prosthetic to become a Prosthetic Tool. Makes a deafening sound, frightening to animals. Sold by little Robert and his father to raise funds for their travels. Their voyage brought them to Japan, where they would seek the "Undying" in an attempt to extend Robert's life.

[@daurham]

Sounds like the ministries army brat they’re dragging around. (Not being from Japan)

[@Jesse__H]

I don't think what you've said here precludes Robert becoming a victim of the monks' experiments.

[@Jacob-df5hr]

>son named Robert >dad wears western full plate armor >arrived in Japan with explosives from overseas >has to crowdsource healthcare expenses Americans confirmed

[@drnobody1908]

@@Jacob-df5hr Our healthcare isn't that bad........ is it?

[@Jacob-df5hr]

@@drnobody1908 the States have great healthcare and the best medical education system on the planet. The access to that care is abysmal. You either have good insurance, you play chicken with the debt collectors, or you start a GoFundMe.

[@doryaman]

5:58 I think you misunderstood these "short assassins." They weren't spying on Asina, they were residents of Ashina. You can see that they said "Genichiro on our side." If you noticed, there was one more short assassin hiding behind a tree. This short assassin is the "rat" that Isshin was after, and this one was spying on the two short assassins that were expressing their concerns for Isshin's health. Not all of the short assassins are rats.

[@mordirit8727]

They were spying on Ashina, and considered spies by Isshin (he rewards you with the Ashina Style scroll even if you only kill those two), but since they are clearly _also_ on Ashina's side going by their dialogue, I feel his conclusion that they are aligned with Senpou Temple is the most logical, the temple is by now almost an entirely different faction from Ashina, closed away from it. The temple is only on Ashina's "side" when it comes to the war with the Ministry.

[@luqadam408]

i killed every single munchkin i came in contact with

[@UniCops]

So Isshin is actually racist and can't tell the difference. Oof.

[@UnholyWrath3277]

@@UniCops well japan and china are by far the most racist nations on earth so its not far off lol

[@ghizghuth2088]

​@@mordirit8727 The "black hat" that you help to his son's grave is one such "rat" and he confirms that he worked for the senpou temple, so I think you're right.

[@chrosnowindolion1786]

*Haven't played Sekiro* *Watches Vaati video* *Sees underwater enemy* "Oh fu-"

[@greenskull3393]

Trust me; it is a pain to fight the headless underwater

[@crysosisback7115]

@@greenskull3393 Nah it's not that bad ... For real, i'd rather have them all underwater than on surface ... Only the two next to eachother actually are fucking annoyig ("x

[@Nygassso]

@@greenskull3393 it's *WAY* easier than the surface ones

[@greenskull3393]

@@Nygassso HOW?? I can't block, and those ghostly arrow thing keep hitting me.

[@likewater1429]

Underwater headless was the easiest one of them all. Just keep dodging in a circle and get some two hits in swim out and around again. Two hits in. Hitting him removes the heat seeking missile things also.

[@rayvincyful1]

12:52 Could it be that the "someone" who looked for the Mortal blade was Lady Tomoe? Why would Genichiro want the Red Mortal Blade? The Red Mortal Blade is meant for severing immortality. What he wants is to attain immortality.

[@Integer_Overload]

I believe it was Genichiro because he sought the Mortal Blade after he lost to Wolf. He says before his 2nd fight with you "in order to obtain the Dragon's blood I'll have to kill you" so it makes sense he could seek the mortal blade so he can defeat Wolf. Also, the Illusury Hall Monk specifies "he" so it's probably Genichiro

[@random-assdude4986]

Then again, the monk in the Illusory Halls said "He" Lady Tomoe is female so it has to be a male

[@napalmdeath2375]

I thought the dead giant carp was infested with the "truly precious bait" that the pot noble gives. Since there are many giant carp corps, I thought it was like a cyclical thing. Pot noble poisons giant carp, he becomes giant carp, then another pot noble poisons him. So on and so on.

[@d.aardent9382]

Interesting, the dragon being in this reminds me of similar sounding Old Ones in Bloodbourne as coming from another place and they are where they were not intended to be and they are wrong and causing problems. The Dragons blood is the origin of much strangeness, Like Kos, parasites warping the inhabitants in the old fishing village (bloodbourne), and the other Old One that they find inthe underground caverns n Bloodbourne where the original experimenters use the old blood for healing and longevity, but it causes mutations into beasts and other strangeness. It just stood out to me to sound like all the games have similar ancient creatures that fell out of some other reality or dimension, Except Dark Souls dragons seem to be more numerous in its lore,and perhaps the Sekiro dragon is a refugee from the purge of dragons in the dark souls world. But then Demon Souls doesnt fit the pattern, except that Demons are prevalent in that game and also in Sekiro. They are all very fascinating.

[@enchanters_nightshade]

The Sakura dragon is holding a sword like the 7-branched sword. a ceremonial sword given to the Japanese emperor by a Korean king.

[@micahfoley9572]

Ooh, good factoid. The 9 tailed fox, 7-branched sword, 12 ancient kings of awesome, the 8 balled porn star of vibrating doommmmm... Japan really knows how to do mythology. There's always a process of ascension and growth. Coming of age and progressively more difficult obstacles. It's kinda like ancient greeks myth, but with flash and flair.

[@TheKueiJin]

@@micahfoley9572 For research purposes, what do you mean by the 8 balls?

[@micahfoley9572]

@@TheKueiJin exactly what you think. 😁 It was a joke

[@altromonte15]

Is the DLC gonna be "Senpou Wonka candy factory"?

[@aidanbautista]

The fucking rats are the oompa loompas of senpou temple. HOLY SHIT!!

[@plague6566]

Even Emma's ass is eatable

[@Boamere]

Apparently not

[@durkadurkerjackson1664]

Sekirot

[@GKinWor]

nothing

[@sound_soup]

Alternative Video Title „What your Sugar of Choice Says about you“

[@davidhong1934]

Gachin: You never take risks. Ever. Yashariku: You take too many risks but probably have enough skill to come out ahead. Ungo: You don't actually win arguments. You wait until the other person is too exhausted to continue. Ako: You're the most basic of basic people. You saw how effective these are for speed runs and now never use anything else.

[@nguyeninhtri1155]

@Diego Jerez then you're a person who enjoys the game in it's raw mechanics, or you're an idiot who doesn't know how to utilize consumables

[@fox2569]

David Hong You forgot Gokan’s

[@davidhong1934]

@@fox2569 Gokan: You're low on health and out of better options. Alternatively, you're practicing your parry and need training wheels.

[@fox2569]

David Hong Nice, other alternative- you like playing on the easy mode game journalists wanted. Seriously, Gokan’s is easily the sugar with the most immediate and noticeable effect, hands down the go to sugar if you need a clutch win

[@mrhypnobear1481]

I’ve been waiting this video since the first day the game came out... greets from Mexico, I love your Bloodborne videos

[@CLEAPEY]

16:35 .. “he must have looked into a wiki or something” totally agree.

[@jhh7238]

The depth he goes into is so amazing, just makes you realise how deep the story is

[@gabzdark07]

Shura is not a demon. According to Isshin's words it's what you become (not possessed by) when overcome by bloodlust. It's a reference to the demi-gods called Asuras in buddhism. The demon of hatred is NOT a Shura.

[@quelatielofmirrah188]

Yes. Demon of hatred is not the same as Shura according to the rage demon memory. Although i do think that Shura is just another demon, like the bell and rage demons. In Sekiro demons are non corporeal creatures that possess hosts.

[@cagevick]

Soldier of Wotan how is he not shura? I’m sure “Demon” is more of just a title than actual classification, he’s most definitely shura

[@gabzdark07]

@@cagevick Memory description explicitly said Sculptor failed to become a Shura, and was possessed by the flames of hatred instead.

[@cagevick]

Soldier of Wotan oh shid

[@UnholyWrath3277]

Shura is basically a serial killer. Demon of hatred is what sculptor became because he suppressed his inner rage for so long

[@pedrooginio]

"Commit Sudoku" LOL

[@charliesheet6699]

for the meme.

[@bouttobreak12]

Top kek

[@thekrustaceox5181]

what are you guys laughing about? Sudoku is a serious thing and nothing to be joking about.

[@felixryan9798]

TheKrustaceoX yes, a serious game

[@Watcher-hh4mu]

PSA: sudoku is a running joke on vaati channel.

[@julesa1134]

Commits Sudoku "yes my lord. . .to save you I have to solve this math puzzle"

[@tomskeleton]

"My lord, I got a 98% on my last exam, I am finally ready to commit sudoku"

[@inactiveaccount6095]

Thomas Wallace “Wolf, a 98% is not enough. You must strive for those last two percent.”

[@davidhong1934]

@@inactiveaccount6095 Genichiro: Please, young lord. Take me into your divine study group.

[@madbloodgod9442]

This journey to the west to me sound like a reverse of the famous "Journey to The West". It about a monk, his horse who is a former dragon, 3 demons. The demons act as his protectors and students, learning compassion and decency. They go to the west, the land of the immortals and Buddha himself to attain the text that would allow humans to achieve enlightenment and immortality. In Dragon's Return, the protector would be Sekiro, the monk is now the one carrying the dragon, and they go to the West to return immortality to its birthplace.

[@gregorytreacy7085]

Be likely that that ending is the one setting up a sequel, sekiro journey to the west or something like that

[@wakatsuki4563]

@@gregorytreacy7085 that would be epic

[@cyanxsnare]

I think the Senpou High Priest might have learnt of the Dragon's return through the old women seers. One of them guided Sekiro towards that vision too. Also interesting to note is that there are Senpou assassins located in areas that lead to the giant snakes. There's one dying at the entrance of the Sunken Valley, one with the medicinal note just after the first snake encounter, and one flying the kite that leads to Sunken Valley entrance. This could imply that they were sent to retrieve the viscera. Good job, Vaati! This video is very well put together and feels like the best analysed lore video for Senpou temple!

[@badtiming2208]

I think someone already suggested this, but Prepare to Cry for Sekiro should be "Sekiro: Shadows Cry Twice" :)

[@DasJiggly]

I mean, its mentioned exactly like that in the description sooooo ... ig guess thats already gonna be a thing ? =)

[@yahiaaymankamaly3518]

He already said in the previous video it will be cry twice , pay attention scrub xd

[@massakatoni]

Shadows may cry

[@joshuakim5240]

I find it darkly funny how Senpo Temple is basically a super evil version of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, complete with their own little oompa loompa minions.

[@josephinejekyl5848]

I just played this game for the first time recently and this comment was so dam funny to me 😂

[@bobbobingtonson2846]

‘Hesitation is defeat’ - Isshin, Sengoku Japan

[@NG_v1]

I swear, if I have to hear that once more, I will lose my sanity Somebody pls send help, he's kicking my ass :( Though on second thought, I might do better on a controller... I've only been playing with a mouse and keyboard. Need to buy a controller and try again :D

[@BigDBrian]

and then he pulls out a glock

[@dylanhastings4816]

@@NG_v1 in phase 1 if he punches forward, jump and stomp, if he does side attack dodge into the mbriki counter, his basic combo reflect twice then side step for damage. Phase 2 just run like fucking hell and hope for the best lol

[@NG_v1]

@@dylanhastings4816 yeah, I knooooow, but I really lack the reflexes for phase 1. Then again, that might be because I'm playing on mouse and keyboard. I've gotten to phase 2 multiple times though, it's just that the spear attack he does where the only way to dodge is to jump on his head; that's the attack that screws me over

[@moonmessiah9368]

NG if you can’t beat Genichiro without taking a hit tire going to have a rough time. I’d say his final phase is actually his easiest if you make it there the lightning attacks are super easy to reverse

[@StarlightDragon]

Vaati on the Centipedes: "That may be their goal, but.. will get to that later." WHEN'S LATER, Vaati??

[@micahfoley9572]

You know you're gonna watch all of all of them, regardless. :)

[@evanseifert8858]

I'm sure he'll get around to it as soon as he makes that Maria Prepare to Cry video.

[@RileyJ3866]

@@evanseifert8858 and we’re still waiting 😐

[@myheathenheart1259]

I still come back time and time again to these videos. The stories behind all the fromsoft games are so incredibley detailed and beautiful

[@SmoughTown]

This is awesome Vaati. Well done and congrats on being a father. Hope you hit me up for a collab some time. Much love

[@neurohack9038]

SmoughTown He doesn’t work with has beens.

[@kylemclaren617]

Sorry Smough I gotta say it. I'm subbed to both you guys but you put all your lore vids up early with a smaller amount of research/theory exploration. There was a point in one of your vids that you mentioned you didnt know where Hirata estate was in relation to the rest of the locations(you obviously know now about the world map at sculptor idols). Vaati clearly waited until he was confident in his script and took his time compiling the information. I dont think a collab would be advantageous for him. Your content is still engaging and I enjoy your voice but just something to think about to improve.

[@SmoughTown]

@@neurohack9038 I'm surely more of a never been?

[@SmoughTown]

@@kylemclaren617 Fair enough - thanks for the honest feedback. Appreciate the sub!

[@kylemclaren617]

@@SmoughTown no problem man I appreciate your level head and openness to criticism

[@omarmohanad9342]

The story of the children of rejuvenation is really sad. Great video as always, Thank you

[@maxlcook]

The depth of the story in this game has got to be in the running for one of the best of all time. It’s absolutely incredible 👏🏼

[@rya635]

15:43 i could be wrong but i think you meant seppuku. beautiful video as always

[@rasmusdegn9690]

3:08 Sekiro and the Candy Factory is the Dark Souls of Roald Dahl adaptations.

[@Deekman]

"The monks at Senpou temple may not be as bad as they appear" THEY EXPERIMENTED ON CHILDREN KILLING MOST OF THEM WHILE BETRAYING THE CYCLE OF REBIRTH!

[@putyograsseson]

Deekman is...is that you Miyazaki?

[@Deekman]

@@putyograsseson OH SHIT I'VE BEEN CAUGHT!

[@vitalviral8865]

I think the argument he made was that they tried to return the dragon's heritage back to the land it belonged in by creating the divine child as a cradle which would stop the corruption in Ashina and hence stop the corruption of people by the fountainhead waters.

[@Deekman]

@@vitalviral8865 then why would they attack you and the divine child herself tell you to be careful and specifically that they've betrayed the buddha

[@vitalviral8865]

@@Deekman well they did betray the Buddha as they sought immortality which they most likely got form the fountainhead waters(since they and the ape had centipedes) but the experiments were performed to return the Heritage, not to gain immortality (as they already had it). I am not sure about why they attack you, either because they are tasked to stop anyone from entering and disturbing the experiment or because they knew we, at that time sought immortal severance, which would put a stop for them to return the heritage as they would have to wait for the next divine heir.

[@ChaosTheoryV2X]

I thought the green thingys on the giant carp corpse was the special bait

[@yellowsaurus4895]

Yeah i definitely dont think theyre centipedes, they look nothing like the ones infesting corrupted monk/ape or the giant black ones inside the temple monks

[@nickj357]

Thanks for the video! This makes me think that the entire rash of infestation below was in fact thanks to simple noble hierarchy struggles. There is only ever one carp, evidenced by the rivalry between the two pot nobles who want you to kill the current carp (you can only help one of them succeed). The Nobles convince others to poison their current Carp with Truly Precious Bait, the Bait becomes the infestation that leaks all over the palace and to the lands below, and they continue with their power games even after their society collapses. All so they can become an "immortal" Carp that will almost certainly be assassinated by the next successor. Allegory!

[@obsolete18]

The sudoku running joke gets me every time, I literally never expect it

[@wastehazey6468]

I rewatched Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood today and noticed that Toshiro Mifune's character has a banner with a centipede on it. Pretty cool little detail, made me think of Sekiro's centipedes.

[@ParsonWilkerson]

Sekiro was my first fledged souls game. I dabbled with Bloodbourne but not nearly of the extent of Sekiro. Needless to say a rude awakening. But, a pleasant one.. on top of a great story. By far the best game ive played so far.

[@Frenzwolflol]

0:10 daaamn what a sick stick

[@shioniiluxion6457]

Camerawork was amazing and these lore videos are very informative, thank you vaati very cool

[@Flippie95]

15:43 Commiting Sudoku really is the greatest sacrifice

[@mrkitewine7700]

A stunning video with amazing visuals and great depth. Thank you for taking the painstaking time to put it all together.

[@blackbetty8566]

Finally beat the game, now to dive into the lore with Vaati

[@ted4488]

congrats, wish this game had more lore though like dark souls

[@blackbetty8566]

@@ted4488Isshin took me days, yeah and more side quests too

[@vitalviral8865]

@@ted4488 I don't know if too much lore would have suited this game that well or atleast not in the style it presents lore in. Sekiro's lore is based a lot on mythology and each piece could be comprehended to be of different mythologies and it can get quite heavy on speculation. Personally I enjoyed the more emphasis on speculation but I can easily see how people might not like it as much as they enjoyed the lore in dark souls.

[@blackbetty8566]

@@vitalviral8865 don't get me wrong I loved it, expected the quests to be longer tho and more NPC's - but the game is a 10

[@blackbetty8566]

@Gustavo Ramos starting up NG+ tomorrow, the combat is too good

[@oubaidaa6860]

Waited so long for this video, well worth the wait. Great video my man :)

[@RazorOfArtorias]

22:55 I always thought those bugs are like the Truly Precious Bait that you give to the Great Colored Carp to kill it, not centipedes. Like foreshadowing the death of the Great Card because it's not quite clear that the Precious Bait kills the carp.

[@davidhong1934]

Precious Bait makes the carp leave you alone. Truly Previous Bait kills the carp.

[@DarkKosmic]

Not sure if it was known when making this video but, the divine child is in a side room in the main hall, you can open a door to get from the inner sanctum to the main hall. Seemed like in the video you thought her room was in its own realm

[@xNanukax]

Even though I already knew most of this, the way you deliver is outstanding, really amazing how you piece together the whole picture and come up with theories which are almost either always right or damn close. Love what you do and i'm always super excited to watch more, really makes me want to go back to the game as well whenever you release a video

[@someone-mh1bo]

it's 12 am . . . I have a quiz tomorrow. * see 25 minute * Awh shit . . . here we go again.

[@json7730]

I've got my IB French exam lmao

[@Gohanitos]

go to bed before your mom hits you kid

[@kobiestarr4770]

W

[@json7730]

@@codyrisling1718 damn chill the fuck out you overweight 14 year old with daddy issues

[@sunpraiser96]

I've got an anatomy finals exam tomorrow

[@rvo757]

Brilliantly put together. Editing, lore knowledge and story telling 10/10.

[@funghiciabatta551]

1:54 the way vaati says "rotten degenerates" is frickin hilarious!

[@Ixxlostinabox]

We need more people like Vaati for other series, his dedication to researching these things is astonishing.

[@thezerbs9286]

I never even noticed the candies were named after the headless nor considered that Senpou distributed them. You're videos are very good because they open my eyes to a way of thinking of the plot I never considered before!

[@kaitierutherford1284]

What do you think the dead, bound men scattered around Senpou Temple mean? They wear different robes and their bodies appear to be hidden almost out of sight which I thought was interesting. It made me wonder if the monks we see there now took over Senpou Temple from the “real” monks that were there before. And then seeing the Buddha statue at the bottom of the river seemed like it could be associated with this. No one has addressed this in any videos and I would love to know if you have any insight!

[@PermianExtinction]

Big props for using some of my favorite music for the BGM, love August Wilhelmsson.

[@yazeedgaming1413]

can you tell me what's the name of the bgm at 2:45 please?

[@LDillon]

@@yazeedgaming1413 Did you ever find this out? Would love to know the first couple of tracks but Vaati doesn't seem to cite his music anywhere. Description just links to Epidemic Pop :/

[@LDillon]

@@yazeedgaming1413 I found it!! Took a while but it's 'Hero's Hand 2', by August Wilhelmsson. Now if only I could find out what the first one was... -_-

[@yazeedgaming1413]

@@LDillon holy shit that's it! Thank you very much ❤️

[@veyvey6461]

It's possible that it was Takeru/Tomoe who chased the Folding Screen Monkeys, as despite seeking the Mortal Blade they could not obtain it. Perhaps the Monkeys were the reason for this?

[@davidhong1934]

If that's the case, time must work differently there. Takeru was several generations ago, and Tome would have to be at least as old as Isshin

[@chuck2846]

This is one of your best videos for sure. In terms of the script, camera angles, music etc. 10/10.

[@danielb6631]

I just want to say I love you. You gave me an incredible appreciation for Miyazaki's ability to right well layered stories :]

[@mlproplayer171]

It would be really cool if the dragon's heritage was related to the immortal dragons from Dark souls 1

[@giovannifederici673]

Great stuff, you really bring out a new dimension to these already amazing games, but you also must have a very good imagination because your videos inspire me to do something creative. I've watched most of your videos since the Dark Souls days, these games deserve a person like you who so expertly and lovingly weave together the dots. Further proof that videogames can be a unique artistic medium capable of delivering its own brand of amazing feels...

[@TheViridianDusk]

Did anybody else get the dragons return ending first? I really love Senpou Temple and the Divine Child is probably my favourite character. I just kept going to talk with her and get that sweet rice. Once she told me about returning the dragon's blood, I knew it's what I wanted to do. Though I did have to look up the damn puppeteer kite thing, not gonna lie.

[@evodolka]

when you mentioned the myths of dragons and centipedes it just made me think that it would be great to hear mythology lore from you

[@Boamere]

This is the one thing about from software games I love so much, a lot of games would copy paste statues just to fill the space, but most stuff in from games mean something.

[@Joel_Inosin]

4:56 There's actually another possible theory here: I'm massively simplifying it, but Fudou Myouou is a guardian buddha. He typically holds a sword in its hand (it also typically has it in the right hand as opposed to left as it would be in the game, but for now let's ignore this point) called the Kurikara sword, which is actually the sword form of a black(!) dragon god that wraps itself in flames(!). If you take a closer look, that hand is completely burned off. The black immortal edge's name is "Open gate", as in to the underworld; it's why it has the power to bring back Isshin in the game. It would make sense to think that such a sword can manifest the feelings of those in the underworld, such as the flames of hatred. If both of the immortal edges were in the hands of the Senpou monks (We were never told if only one or both of the immortal edges were at Senpou Temple, only that Isshin knows at least one is/was there), the natural solution [for monks] to a blade with such an issue would be to place it in the inner sanctum out of reach of the people, in the hands of a guardian buddha would could bear the onus of withstanding that hatred. Assuming that's the case, there's an in-game explanation as to why the Monkey is the bearer of hatred: the Monkey took the blade from the buddha, thus receiving the onus of being the bearer of hatred. It would explain why he continues to sculpt buddhist statues, because he knew that's how the hatred was withheld before. Why would the monkey steal the sword? Because Tomoe wanted the Immortal Severance. Seeing what it did to the monkey, however, probably changed the minds of Isshin and Tomoe in some way that ended up having the former cut down his own shinobi, and the latter never achieveing Immortal Severance. It'd also explain why Geniichiro knew where the sword was, seeing as it was a matter resolved by the Ashina top, they would have records of where they sealed the sword. 7:40 If I have my facts straight, ema only mentions Doujun as a disciple of Dougen. From the note Dousaku writes to Doujun, it sounds like Dousaku and Dougen were rivals in their research, rather than disciple and master. 22:06 It's not a translation error. The Japanese text for the fragrant flower note says (partially) "The water which flows from the source is the key to the fragrance. Where the water of the fountain...in other words, the rejuvenating water, collects, you might find that white, fragrant flower bloom." It out right says the two are one and the same. 23:01 I don't think those are centipedes, but there's also no need to confine the infested to centipedes, as we know there certain other infested manifests themselves as other bugs as shown by the vomitting monks. 24:08 What if it was the dragon who told him about it? After all, who else would know better than the divine traveler itself? If you consider how detailed the dragon's return was written, it sounds almost as if the children of the rejuvenation were meant to be potential cradles for the divine heir, right? How else would the child come to the conclusion that she can become that cradle, after reading the text? Once you let the child eat the persimmon/hearts, the old ladies that pray to her seem to know already that they will be heading for a journey (They're also the people guiding you to the snake persimmons), so it sounds like this was part of the original plan all along. The exile of one of them (on the bridge to Ashina castle) would also be evidence of the change in the Senpou monks' ways, as they would not want to follow the original plan of sending the dragon off, which would cut off their possible immortality.

[@lordofcider6640]

Vaati is bae Edit: Pog

[@GonAdventures]

19:16 Is it my imagination or is the dress of the divine child very similar to the attire the corrupted monk wears?

[@davidhong1934]

Priestess Yao? I think she might predate the Senpou Temple.

[@RedBishopGaming]

I also thought so

[@mememan2.074]

@@RedBishopGaming yao is the name of the corrupted monk

[@yatogamikakashi8426]

Finished Sekiro in 2020 and watched your lore videos. still watching your lore videos throughout 2021 and 2022!

[@superinferno1000]

I must be another person to Gush all ove Vatis videos. When you beat the game with one ending, but weeks pass then listening to this video has me booting it back up! Well produced

[@stafmf8079]

8:25 No, I´m domkey, remember?

[@nebs6888]

*Dunky

[@Wing0Alchemist]

Staf MF ROBEEEEEERT!

[@Tarutokun]

"Commits Sudoku" Lol I caught that, Vaati!

[@EAGLEOFJAX]

These videos really get your mind thinking about all the weird and wonderful things you’ve seen whilst playing through sekiro. I’ve almost finished the game (my choice I’m waiting to kill isshin) I’ve been exploring world & I’ve came across all sorts of unusual beautiful things. Can’t wait till you cover Orin of the water & all the freaky tragic characters in this masterpiece. Can’t wait to see how the story progresses as I’ve almost finished it sending the dragon home to the West & im excited!

[@MarioGMan25]

I think it's hilarious that the Inner Sanctum has the vibes of being in some other realm beyond or dimension but in actuality is just in a locked room a few feet away from the table with the bell that brings you to the monkkes.

[@SushiUnhinged001]

The way you talk and the way you make the videos flow...i sheded a few tears.

[@it_all_r3v0lv3s7]

i love so much how Myasaki somehow hides some borderline fucked lore behind all of the different locations in each game

[@saintsundere]

Vaati I got my sweater in the mail and I gotta say, it is the comfiest hoodie I have, I have lot of music concert hoodies but the material of your merch is as snuggly and warm-hearted as your vids are!! Thank you again for all you do!

[@the_shadow_realm5110]

The Guardian Ape’s gas is the key to immortality.

[@oklin2376]

Your voice is so beautiful and soft. I could fall asleep listening to it at the right pitch of volume

[@jordanandrus5439]

I always wondered about the monkeys and that "see no evil, hear no evil, etc." concept, it's really interesting to learn there was a fourth monkey in that legend too!

[@throwdown1776]

*remembers that in dark souls dragons were immortal and people to gods to even dragons wanted their immortality* Ah, shit. Here we go again

[@amolnk]

What?? What are you saying?

[@altromonte15]

So anyway here is my theory for why Tomoe is Gwyn firstborn and the Senpou monks are worshippers of velka-

[@AliJ23]

Dark Souls happened in the western land confirmed

[@smzee27]

I was thinking the same thing. The meditating monks remind me a lot of the meditating "half-dragons" in DS3. Obviously meditation is not a Soulsborne exclusive thing, but the theme of achieving immortality through transformation/corruption is very similar.

[@shinmalphur9214]

@@altromonte15 also your name is very similar to dolboeb which stands for retard in russian so that adds to the appeal of your theory as well

[@Ventus_S]

OH MY GOD! Vaati, I've been waiting for you to do Sekiro lore for awhile now! Bless you!

[@RainCloud123]

Giant Carp are just Magicarp change my mind.

[@TedOlivier1]

Dude this video is magnificent. Thank you so much.

[@Kikori_Fanri]

I never noticed the bugs crawling around on the priest at the monkey bell... suuper creepy, but awesome camera work!

[@alyssagoss2299]

If one watches Dan Floyd play Sekiro on Playframe one can observe that he is completely immune to the temptations of the sugars, is this proof of the incorruptibility of his very soul?

[@kingcole5977]

Well actually he's avoiding the secret bad ending: DIABEETUS

[@Zer0_Ph34r]

Amazingly, these videos have come out at the exact perfect time for me. I literally got past Owl the day before the first lore video came up and I literally beat the game for my first time and got the dragon return ending yesterday. Being able to watch these videos with the story so fresh in my mind is something I wish every one could experience. Also, (SPOILERS), I really really really hope that the dragons return ending is canonical and we get a direct sequel to Sekiro. I have completed every From Software game so far and loved them all, even Dark Souls 2. But Sekiro is on a whole different level for me and I really want to go through the experience again. Let's go to the west!

[@BroTatoe-kg4ei]

Jordan Smiley from what I heard the return ending is the true ending. So I guess that makes it the canon ending.

[@jaegerdanger5192]

15:38 committing 'sudoku' lol

[@Hubin12]

Really nice to see how much this channel has grown. Always loved your get ready to cry series.

[@malekaiwebos3045]

Your editing skills have really grown with this video! Beautiful