Pieces of The Past - Dark Souls 3

#darksouls #lore #story
An exhaustive list of all of the various easter eggs or references from dark souls 2 that are found in dark souls 3. or all the ones i can think of. and their lore significance

[@cheche2858]

See this is why I like dark souls 2 , as it actually feels like time has past ! Like lots of time ! Names of gods forgotten and stuff

[@minespatch]

You get this feeling especially after you successfully get down in the pit and come across "Harvel's rest". I assumed that might be Havel's name forgotten over the millenia.

[@cheche2858]

Yeah I love that not saying a fantasy game has to be realistic but like in real world how ancient civilizations have come and gone and while me may find remnants of them doesn’t exactly mean we know or understand it. With DS3 it just doesn’t seem like time has passed that much stuff still seems “fresh” if makes sense

[@Gemerl]

Dark souls 2 is the only game I've ever seen do this, and it's so powerful to me, only to be ruined by 3

[@ThommyofThenn]

​@@Gemerlinteresting opinion

[@ThommyofThenn]

​@@cheche2858That is by design I think. In DS2, the cycle is say, 3/4ths of the way done. Everything is seperated both in the physical sense and also in time. Who knows how many eons have passed to get to this point? While DS3 is at the END of the cycle and things are starting to come back together in a chaotic jumble. This is why we have odd occurences like the High Wall "appearing" out of thin air one day and also why everything is all lopsided and folding in on itself in the Dreg Heap. DS2 is the universe at its most thinnly spread,while DS3 is the big crunch.

[@Cricket0021]

50:34 the entire ringed city dlc is the player going from Dark Souls 3 (areas with Lothric knights) to Dark Souls 2 (Earthen Peak) to Dark Souls 1 (the old firelink shrine at the demon prince arena, Ringed city which is where the pygmies originated) such a brilliantly designed Finale DLC

[@TheHonoredMadman]

I really dropped the ball forgetting about patches/lapp hollowing. But perhaps i myself and begining to hollow

[@Zulmofo]

Dark Souls 2 is getting some much needed love recently and that makes me happy. I wish that they referenced Straid and Ornifex in 3, it wouldve been cool to even get some hints about them. Hell even Navlan or whoever is locked up in aldia keep lol

[@scottstockman4465]

someone made a very good argument linking Navlaan to likely being a Sorcerer from the Melfia Magic Academy, Olenford who was possessed by the Dark spirit of Navlaan in the Undead Crypt, who in turn was a dark magician obsessed with resurrection, executed along with his whole village for his heresies. Most of the magic users in Drangleic admit to coming to Drangleic seeking the Dark, "tempted and lured" by the Dark. Maybe after the Olenford was possessed he went to Aldias seeking a cure to his possession, or maybe he came to Drangleic seeking the dark and was found by Aldia who thought him useful in finding out more about the cycle and sent him to search the Crypt with a detachment of cleric knights (Insolent Knights) and he came back possessed and was imprisoned or used by Aldia. Heck, Navlaan might be the reason Vendrick found out about Aldias heresy, considering Navlaan invades multiple areas and causes chaos, so Vendrick locked ALL OF THEM away. Theres certainly many possibilities.

[@scottstockman4465]

/r/DarkSouls2/comments/2mfdy9/the_tale_of_navlaan/

[@minespatch]

The fact that Ornifex is the only female blacksmith in Fromsoft's library is impressive.

[@AdamOwenBrowning]

@@minespatch one of the only blacksmiths across the souls games who, doesn't seem to, be doing any smithing. She makes mention of "her people's ways" as if Velka's crowpeople flourished in some other way long after Velka was forgotten, and that she doesn't need a hammer nor an anvil to shape souls into weapons - a skill of her people

[@minespatch]

What about Ludleth? He transposes weapons. Madman mentioned this in the video.@@AdamOwenBrowning

[@jonaswest6993]

The ds3 merchant always struck me as possibly being or related to the soup spoon lady who took care of the ds2 keepers. And now she's the only one left.

[@insertedgynamehere___969]

I believe she's wearing the same outfit

[@Velvet_Crowe]

iirc ds2 was supposed to have a 4th fire keeper that’s never shown in game.

[@parallellines2568]

idk why but i always thought they were the same woman

[@SamDy99]

​@@Velvet_Crowe That's emerald herald not soup lady !!

[@LovelessDogg1]

Oh, Pate literally is Patches, at least he was originally. It's not just a player theory or anything like that, it's supposed to be him. That old concept art of Patches for DS2 belonged to Pate before he was changed to a different character, and if you use modding to remove his helmet you can see he's using Patches face and bald head. I think it was changed because he's kind of a trademark of Miyazaki. He seems to only really show up in games he's had a major hand in making and since he barely did anything for that game, patches was turned into Pate.

[@PretzelSage]

Could totally see him just pretending to be someone else. Not even an amnesia scenario like Lapp. Just puts on a helmet and wears a name tag that says "hi! I'm Pate"

[@RxAxIxNxBxOxW]

I absolutely love the setting and the whole story of DS2, is the game that makes me imagine the most, also the fashion is amazing!

[@happypill6195]

glad im not the only one

[@SmoughTown]

Great video bud!

[@BigHuskyGG]

everyone kept telling me DS2 was disconnected from DS1 and 3 and the more I played the DS2 and uncovering all of the story the more I kept commenting "but I thought this wasn't connected to the other games" in a sarcastic manner

[@Lord_St]

Zullie the witch (youtubers) deserves an in game reference on their next release. Imagine a dark witch invader who can clip through walls

[@blockwearingman]

the backlogs and jk leads would make sense too

[@jam34786]

Zullie the Witch is already an NPC in DS3 but that would be funny!

[@gohan78g]

A LobosJR reference too? One of the best players on yt and twitch

[@bilateriannewt4222]

​@@gohan78gwell, at least he is a pretty significant character in Lunacid

[@NCRRanger7753]

Zullie of KZbinrina

[@spookynya3066]

Another character reference (or reincarnation maybe) from DS2 in DS3: In the third DLC from DS2, in Elyum Loyce you get invaded by an npc called Holy Knight Aurheim who wields a greatsword and the Mirrah Shield. In DS3 you meet Holy Knight Hodrick, who also uses a greatsword and the same shield (now called the sunset shield)

[@qwirkt]

Sunset = Mirrah bodes well for Sunless Realms = Mirrah

[@YTDariuS-my6dg]

​@@qwirktnot to mention that Hodrick, who wears the Sunset set, is the grandfather of Sirris who, as her name implies, hails from the "Sunless Realms"

[@siamihari8717]

The Profane Capital and Yorms Section of DS3 felt unifinished, Im of the oppinion if the content here wasnt cut or time had permitted more ds2 would have been found surrounding yorm

[@onionsieglinde8718]

I love how DS3 shows that the Bearer of the Curse kept his promise to Lucatiel

[@JanJansen985]

Dark souls 3 has a reference to the best waifu of dark souls 2 Laddersmith Gilligan

[@RealEvilLordExdeath]

Very good Video, i also think Aldia is the reason why the people in dark souls 3 know so much about dark souls 1 while in 2 most of that was forgotten. I think aldia teached about the first sin and the old gods to the people of lothric

[@Maxiom5]

I have a lot of critiques of DS3 and it's plot, but one bit that I like to think was that the "Usurpation of Flame" ending was something akin to what Nashandra was planning to do with the Throne of Want.

[@kevindangelo1091]

Man we're on the same ds replay cycle. My kid came out of his room last week and said, are u playing ds2? Isn't that the worst one? His favorite is ds3 but I'm so proud of him.

[@BlankMannXrx]

Another downside to the blue moon great-sword is the lack of scaling

[@ctyoro5086]

I loved these references 👍 Faraam being the Nameless King is one of my favorite Dark Souls theories

[@oldworld-krizzy5630]

Well, ds2 is my first souls game. I love the story and lore about it. Never skip any dialog when i play it. I dunno why so many people hate this game. I learn power stance after 100 hours gameplay 😂

[@Jungus1999]

Because the basic mechanics (movement, animations, equipment) and micro and macro level design are amateur trash.

[@dorn0531]

Bingo. The story, locations & gear are cool but the basic mechanics are broken. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@LastProtagonist]

The oracles mentioned in the Profaned Capital use different kanji than what's used for Alsanna in DS2. Although they don't really seem related, the icons for the Prisoner's Chain for Gundyr and the Embedded Ring thing in DS2 are virtually identical. Btw, I also have been streaming reactions to some of your videos here on yt. You should be able to find them by checking out your "Mentions" tab. I appreciate the videos, there were definitely some references that I missed, so well done. Looking forward to more!

[@hhowdy]

Boo

[@Plaeya01]

Refreshing to find a new channel breaking down my favourite lore ❤

[@DivisionOfTheLight]

The dark firelink shrine is in another timeline (convoluted time shenanigans). A timeline where no lord or ashen one linked the flame and the age of darkness just begun. A timeline where the firekeeper didn't got her eyes pulled-out and she got thempted by a sliver of light, frightful images of betrayal. A timeline where Gwyn's black knights wander eternally seeking their king. A timeline that, maybe, could see tiny flames dance across the darkness. Like embers, linked by lords past...

[@JWalker444]

No it's just the past, when you talk to the handmaid in untended graves first, and then talk to the handmaid in regular firelink, she has extra dialogue where she recognizes you. Also Champion Gundyr (Champion of Ash) became Iudex Gundyr (Judge of Ash) after being bested by "an unknown warrior" which is FromSoft's way of saying "the player character traveled to the past" just like the Last Giant in DS2

[@DivisionOfTheLight]

@@JWalker444 wow I never noticed that Gundyr link. I love Dark Soul's lore. Thanks. I would maintain that it's another different timeline and not our timeline's past.

[@JWalker444]

@@DivisionOfTheLight it literally says that he was bested by an unknown warrior and then became the sheathe to the coiled sword on his armor set. At the beginning of the game you pull the sword out of his chest. They've had time travel to the past in every Dark Souls game. You are the one who killed Manus, not Artorias. You are the unknown warrior who took down the Giant Lord, leading to him becoming the Last Giant. And you are the unknown warrior who took down Champion Gundyr, leading to him becoming Iudex Gundyr. The leading theory is that Ludleth linked the flame some time after the fight between the player and Champion Gundyr

[@DivisionOfTheLight]

@@JWalker444 It seems to make sense when you put it that way but here are some questions: 1. How does gundyr get impaled by the coiled sword? The Ashen One doesn't has acces to it. 2. If the dark firelink shrine is in the past: A) why can we find the eyes of a firekeeper there? B) Why is it plunged into the Darkness? C) Why are Gwyn's Black Knights roaming arround and no traces of their presence is showed in the ''normal'' shrine? 3. As Ashen One you should be able to look at your own corpse: no corpse where you waked-up in the ''normal'' shrine...

[@JWalker444]

@@DivisionOfTheLight fair questions. 1. The bearer of the Curse also is not the one that brings the Giant Lord into its Last Giant boss room, and also is not the one that impaled him with the large pillar. It could have been anyone with the authority to annoint him as Judge. 2. I speculate that ludleth could have something to do with the eyes not being there in the present, as he has dialogue that's only there if you found the eyes. It's plunged into darkness because whoever attempted to link the fire last ended up failing. Ludleth came and linked it after. The black knights could be gone because firelink is so closely related to the first flame. 3. I always took it as, when you failed to link the flame in the past, you were completely burned to ash. But when the bell tolled and needed someone to link the fire, it reformed you becuase you had become part of it.

[@slightlytwistedagain]

Not fully into the video yet but I've got some quick points on some of the things you mentioned. When it comes to specific weapon types, slash weapons are the preferred type to use on undead as blood animates their bodies, so by draining undead blood you can imprison one in their unmoving vessel. You're spot on about the relation of Yuria's mask with the Crimson set mask from DS1. That's because they're Corvid, as in crows which means Velka. You seen other Velka symbology on the Crimson set such as a crescent moon pendent, as well as a pendent eye orb (the official art of the Crimson Set shows this as well). You would be surprised how many people overlook these details on this set. I don't know what the full circle on the Red Crimson set is exactly, but that could be a Way of White circlet seeing as Velka is the patron saint of the Way of White even though Allfather Lloyd is the head bishop.

[@ExtremeMan10]

Tbh, Creighton we fight in DS3 is the REAL murderer from Mirrah. When you first meet Cole he tells you how he managed to defeat lot of Mirrah knights and then escaped, if we go by the fact how Lucatiel and her brother are strong, then thats really solid feat. But the Creighton in DS2 is slow and predictable, easiest NPC to parry. So the one in DS2 is imposter, which would explain why the one in DS3 is so strong and agressive.

[@PretzelSage]

He got lore accurate

[@ExtremeMan10]

@@PretzelSage It would make sense though. We also learn from Pate and Cole that Creighton was silent entire time. The one in DS2 screams and taunts you when you fight him, but in DS3 he is creepily silent. Plus the way he fights is also really interesting.

[@PretzelSage]

@@ExtremeMan10 I think Creighton was silent because he wasn't trying to expose himself too much. I think it was all a tough guy act in DS2, and we see in that game how pathetic he really is. Come DS3, it's very clear the fight on the bridge is his "final death" or rather the last one before he goes hollow. By that time, his mind is gone, he's insane. It's been thousands of years since we saw him. That would explain the brutality and silence in DS3. I think Creightons inconsistencies in DS2 can be chalked up to him trying to fool the player or somebody else. The Impostor theory is a great explanation that I've never heard before though.

[@minespatch]

Modder moonlight Ruin tried to get the pursuer armor to be a actual set but it's a bit tricky to mod but he's trying.

[@vagabundorkchaosmagick-use2898]

That the Bearer of the Curse was also the First Scholar of Lotric is not only interesting, it also makes sense because in DS3, previous characters appear as the final boss. The boss is an amalgamation of those who linked the fire, but what about those who didn't? One of them might have ended as this scholar. It also makes perfect sense Dark Souls 3 uses fewer elements from 2 than from 1, because 3 and 1 happen in the same land, only separate in time, while 2 happened in a different land, probably far away from the other. This means, even if land and time collide, there are more things taken from closer areas than from faraway areas.

[@victorprati7908]

Very awesome video my dude! The theme of hollowing and forgetting your memories from DS2 still is present in DS3 Anri of Astora goes hollow after fufilling his quest Horace goes hollow after falling off the bridge before High Lord Wolnir The entire Patches/Lapp questline from the Ringed City DLC revolves around this same concept The whole premise of lords not willing to link the first flame in DS3 could also be attributed to DS2 ending where you go for something else entirely ignoring the cycle and trying to break free from it. which leads to the stagnant state of the world we see in DS3. Not saying that the Giants didn't sail in long boats but the wrecked ones you see in DS2 have the Drangleic banner so it's safe to say those are from Vedrick's team It would be cool to see a video about ds2 concepts used in Elden Ring

[@lelans2011]

You really deserve alot more praise for these videos amazing 👏

[@Soul_Biscuit]

\\[T]// Praise The MADMAN!!

[@torgo_]

I always kinda thought DS2 wasn't canon, but this video changed my mind. Was lovely listening to this on my wireless headphones while I made an elaborate dinner.

[@typalmer6850]

Man, what a treat it was seeing this in my recommended feed!

[@DeeEll1]

My thoughts are that ds2 happened after yorhm linked the flame and that eleum loyce was built on top of it with the profain flame being the old chaos. As for why it's under anor londo, I'd wager its because time and locations are converging

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

Logically, assuming we're not being lied too, Yorhm has to link the flame before Dark Souls 2, for the Last Giant to be the Last Giant. Then again, there's more giants who aren't undead, including some in 2. So....... I think we're being lied to. Unless you're canonically supposed to go down to Black Gulch and kill those guys before The Last Giant? But then there's at least, like, a half dozen giants who are doing "fine" in 3.

[@arealhumanbean3058]

​​@@aprinnyonbreak1290 The Last Giant is the Last KNOWN giant that still is in Drangleic, not the last giant of the entire world

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

@@arealhumanbean3058 Mmmm. I guess. Would have been hilarious if that was his name though. "The Last Giant In Dranglaic, Probably"

[@sheikhshit]

@@aprinnyonbreak1290 Is Yhorm similar to the giants in 2? I always thought he's a different kind of giant since in the Siegward cutscene, he has human like head/face.

[@minutosdesapercibidosesp-e4508]

​@@sheikhshit he is not (probably) this guy has a vid dedicated to giants in DS if you want more (bits of) info

[@garymadison3401]

The great thing about doing Lucateil of Mirrah's questline is that you don't have to complete the final dialogue after getting her armor set depending on if you meet all the requirements

[@errantvice7335]

I do think the theme of hollowing out and forgetting who you are is still present, it is after all what Lapp’s quest is about in ringed city. Also the world itself has forgotten what it is, shifting whole lands and resurrecting the dead to perpetuate itself

[@TheHonoredMadman]

Thats a great point, i had forgotten about lapps quest after doing it so many times haha

[@minespatch]

Patches transformation into Lapp feels like a combination of different characters. As though a bit of Seigward, Greirat, and Lucatiel inhabited him.@@TheHonoredMadman

[@Ponce1656]

I don't recall if you mentioned it while talking about Lion Knight Albert but another shield to return and my personal favourite is the golden wing crest shield. It's the turquoise shield the golden bird that parries spells. It's just the golden wing shield from DS2, it looks exactly the same and parries magic.

[@errantvice7335]

@@Ponce1656 speaking of shields, the war god shield in the pit of hollows is also the shield the lion men in shaded woods used. Those lion men are forossans, transformed into lion men similar to how the followers of Velka transformed into the corvians. Their lion-esque deity being Faaram, or as he is known in ds3, the nameless king

[@Ponce1656]

@@errantvice7335 so sorry, I hadn't meant to post this in the replies to your own comment. I'm gonna post in the general comments section but thanks for the reply. I really like that idea of the nameless King being both gwyn's son but also the god of war that came to be worshipped in Forossa.

[@core-nix1885]

I think Havel and Tsorig are a reference to the anti-communist revolutionary politicians Vaçlav Havel (Czech Republic) and Sanjaasürengiin Zorig (Mongolia). The characters are both archetyped as strength/endurance-build warriors, though Havel is connected to Dragons whereas Tsorig is more connected to Chaos (E.Loyce and Izalith).

[@joaomaciel2544]

Big if true

[@ThommyofThenn]

Dude I can't unsee the Majula crack looking so similar to Profaned Capital. Fascinating 16:42 another neat parallel is from ASOIAF. Criminals get ahold of a characters armour and wreaks havok while character gets blamed for it

[@crabking9215]

one thing to talk about with the old firekeepers is im pretty sure the dragon herald is the one that sends to back in time at the start of the game. the things betwixt is like in the future of the rest of the game. i think.

[@Golgottha]

Excellent re-cap and exploration of the Lore. Always enjoyed DS 1, 2, AND 3 equally. I always imagined that the world of DS changed alot over eons of time. For example - in our real world imagine being an ancient Egyptian or ancient Roman and getting transported to the present year. You would probably be very confused about where your old temples and towns are. That's always how I imagined the DS world lore between each of the games.

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

Especially since A: The macro architecture implies either literal magic being used to conjure castles and such, or truly profound quantities of mining and quarry activity taking place between games. Either there is literally just an entire castle plopped onto your hometown, or else one was built there, and also Mt. Everest is missing, because someone used it to build the castle on your hometown. And B: Things in fact literally move around. The least of which being Lothric Castle literally moving about 500 feet upwards before the start of 3, leading to more significant changes like Anor Londo packing its bags and leaving, or the Ringed City of 3 plastering the Firelink Shrine of 1 a few hundred feet away from the sideways castle Lothric.

[@BigBroKuma]

I was listening to some dark souls 2 and 3 lore and was wondering this a little bit because of some stuff on the Giants and the Drang knights. So thanks for this video

[@RunCMD97]

Kingdom weaker than surrounding armies, hires a band of mercenaries that has a bird of prey as their icon. God damnit it isn't just Miyazaki

[@happyskeret5692]

I’m not sure if you mentioned this but the prisoner’s chain ring that you get from transposing Champion Gundyr’s soul is identical to the ring of the embedded that you get from the Elysium Loyce dlc on ds2.

[@TheHonoredMadman]

Totally missed that one. I knew there was gonna be a few, i didnt even notice they were the same ring, great catch

[@happyskeret5692]

No problem love your work.

[@bajscast]

"Ring crafted from the chains of the Embedded. Receive various benefits, but at the cost of increased damage taken. The chains of the Embedded have the power to transform people into slaves of pleasure, setting them on a path of ruin. This ring augments that peculiar quality." wonder if this implies anything. I know Gundyr was originally gonna be fought in Oceiros' boss room (Ds3 is probably the single most torn apart and put back together game of the series and that's saying something)

[@diredier]

Godess of tears and Mourne, in Elden Ring Castle Mourne is in the WEEPING Peninsula, there's gotta be some connetion! Not to forget the blind Irina as well

[@jonaswest6993]

Morne is also in Ds3 as a Holy knight who protects a priestesses

[@wintah2908]

@@jonaswest6993 that guys name is eygon not morne

[@jonaswest6993]

@@wintah2908 You're right, it's him armor that's named Morne

[@TheHonoredMadman]

Definitely. Down the road im gonna do an elden ring references one too but im waiting for the dlc

[@bruschetta7711]

And Faraam potentially referring to the Nameless King from DS3, a War God not too different from Godfrey who turned out to worship Dragons, and Faraam Azula being the place where dragons come from Or how Forossa Knights also called Lion Knights worshipped Faraam and Faraam Azula having many primitive beast-like men who to be potentially led by Serosh, the one Lion of Elden Ring

[@AnotherSyouz]

Great video, and i think Nepheli lu is a reference from darksouls 2 since she herself its a falconer she says it when you bring the storm king ashes to her, and since the director from darksouls 2 play a huge part in the making of elden ring its possible... maybe?

[@topcat59]

Also I do find it fascinating that patches use the pursuers great shield.🐱

[@codyconnor6981]

Shield of Want was my go to shield in DS3.

[@nbmoleminer5051]

Thank you for the long form version of your content it gives me something to chill out and or sleep to

[@Ponce1656]

I don't recall if you mentioned it while talking about Lion Knight Albert but another shield to return and my personal favourite is the golden wing crest shield. It's the turquoise shield with the 'engraved' golden bird that parries spells. It's just the golden wing shield from DS2, it looks exactly the same and parries magic.

[@axir1323]

"The great swamp" most likely just references Izalith, since it was a swamp for a long time during development of Dark Souls 1. So any pyromancer who comes frome there is actually from Izalith

[@QuxMax]

Bong rip at the end was the chief’s kiss first video of yours I have seen I will be watching your stuff

[@garroon4056]

good video just wanted to say the pursuer can show up in the iron keep, in the smelter demon arena and iin the throne room in dranglac castle (in fact theres two fighting you at once in that one

[@NovusNiveus]

Great video - lots of stuff I never noticed before. Also loved that mega bong rip at the end. 😄

[@Snoopy813]

Wish there was at least a reference to Vengarl he was hella cool

[@fluberdub2815]

much love powerstancing the warped sword. its a great weapon and deserves more love

[@dorn0531]

The Faraam Set is my absolute favourite set in Dark Souls. So glad it showed up in DS3.

[@MikeHesk742]

Now that we have the concepts and terminology from DS3, I'm curious about how the concept of a "Lord of Cinder" fits into DS2. Someone deemed "worthy" or destined to link the flame. And whether the world from DS3 could have any retroactive implications for DS2's world. Vendrick's role was almost identical to the role of King Lothric, but just with different jargon. They were both monarchs who refused to link the flame. In DS2 the jargon was that the land needed a new "monarch" to take his place, in DS3 the jargon was that another Lord of Cinder must take his place. Eventually the lack of linking the flame had the world resurrect old Lords to try and fulfill the role, warping the lands. This makes me wonder if what NPCs refer to as a "true monarch" in DS2, is them starting to understand the fact that only certain beings are worthy to be Lords of Cinder. This similarity then piques my curiosity that DS3 concerns the player-character slaying old Lords of Cinder to usurp their power, return their crowns to their thrones, and use this power to... do some kinda strange ritual where the crowns combine, and then the character is teleported to the end of the world? (maybe i'm missing the obvious but I've never seen nearly enough discussion about what's actually happening in DS3 when you perform that ritual with all the Lords). Compare this to DS2 where the player-character must slay old monarchs, sieze their crowns, and then perform a ritual to combine their power. Here is my logical leap, that the monarchs from DS2 were all potential Lords of Cinder. Bearing in mind the title is applied in DS3 not only to those that linked the fire, but also those that held that potential but never did the deed like Prince Lothric. IMO Vendrick is already confirmed as someone who had that potential, given his role in the story. The Old Iron King reigned over a land long long ago (before Drangleic), and this land was also experiencing the undead curse. This means that the Old Iron King was around in a previous cycle of linking the fire to Vendrick (as the curse only started in Drangleic some time into his reign). We know that characters like Aldrich could be a Lord of Cinder through might alone, rather than virtue, and the Old Iron King was one of the mightiest of his day. The Ivory King had a will sufficient to stand against chaos, he inherited fire in his own way doomed to burn for all time. The Sunken King is the least known. And the Giant Lord could even theoretically be counted in the rank of monarchs we slay and usurp the power of. A character that is speculated to be an ancestor of Yhorm. TLDR - did we perform the "crowns" ritual in both games? Or was the ritual in DS2 a precursor to the ritual in DS3 that allows us to fully break the cycle?

[@Proud11Peacock]

It may be obvious but I wanted to say the Vulgan Falconers themselves are probably a reference to the band of the hawk in Berserk. In my opinion of course lmao

[@cross-eyedhollow]

1:00:48 Is that the Lord of Frenzied Flame?!

[@AtreyusNinja]

added this amazing video to my preferite, thank u for your work

[@simondiamond5107]

I just wish there was a follow up on the crowns that where forged into one stopping hollowing for one person never being brought up again cause would think the PC from Dark Souls 2 would still be alive and with the mind intact possibly

[@giovanniprovost]

DS2 reminds me of Alzheimer's disease, especially the beginning cinematic and the idea of information not being reliable over time. DS2 represents fragmented recollection.

[@NocturnalNick]

Definitely. DS2 as a whole is all of the themes of DS, but on the micro, personal level rather than the macro view of DS1

[@CaptainPointless]

The idea that Dark Souls 2 isn't canon only stems from the dislike people have for the game. Playing through all games and examining the lore will clearly demonstrate it is part of the bigger whole. lorewise, it is undeniable that it is part of the entire stories, I find it disheartening people still thinking it isn't

[@NeoPreston]

Love the video man. The drang knights possible giant uprising was a really cool thought, for some reason I had never really given much thought that they were overlooking a field of decrepit giants.

[@OldManMemes]

Anor Lando and Irithyll are two different places. They are just converging in DS3. This is evident by Irithyll not being there in DS1 and also mention in DS3 of Pontiff Sulyvahn and Aldritch coming in later after this convergence presumably from Irithyll and taking over Anor Lando.

[@marcogreedo4963]

Bro I've been wondering so much about why there's a lack of content on ds2 lore and the interconnectedess of ds2 to any games for like the past weeks, perfect timing

[@heybro4000]

I feel like jhorm is a descendent of vendrick. While the giants certainly wreaked havoc ultimately vendrick is ultimately responsible for the ruination of his kingdom. Vendrick himself is quite large, and it'd be a nice bit of irony if the descendant of the man who fought a war against giants is named "the giant". Also vendrick originally fought with sword and shield but when we encounter his hollowed form in ds2 he simply has a large sword.

[@craigmacpherson7432]

keep it up man i always love your vids

[@specialnewb9821]

The shrine maiden shop keeper has the same VA and voice as Strowen the main retired Firekeeper. I always call the DS3 lady "not-Strowen." ED: DS3 silver cat ring imo, conflates Shalquoir and Alvina who DOES sound like an old lady and we know was from the Age of Gods. Time just mushed the two legendary cats together.

[@paid14]

28:24 - I'm busy making music tonight so I'm just watching this gradually as I come down to listen back and relax for some time. But. This is the perfect place for me to get back to work and use this EMOTIONAL ANGER FOR CREATIVE OURPOSES because by goSH DID THEY DO MY BOY DIRTY. *Insert godfather "massacred' scene reference here* :( lovely video so far though, always hated how much people rejected DS2 so this is nice ❤

[@paid14]

I'm back. And. Another pause. HOW DARE U COMPARE HIM TO PATCHES! #LEAVEGILIGANALONE I WILL WATCH MOre as my rage eases but please no more smearing of the good laddersmith

[@kamantariq2513]

The ultimate crowns from ds2 that prevent hollowing is why the ashen one does not hollow by default in ds3. Only if the ashen one is hollow going into ng+ in ds3 will hollowfication be enabled. If cured by curse stone, hollowfication is perminitly gone going into ng+ Vendricks plan to use the crowns did indeed work and from what you say, allowed Aldia's plan of a 3rd choice to be executed. Both brothers one of light , one of dark are needed to end the curse of the undead.

[@YUFlysofast]

I like your vods. they're both mellow enough that I fall asleep to them. I also find them interesting enough to watch while I eat din din. the bong thing at the end gets me too lmao see you soon

[@wiseguy240Winston]

Memory unlocked just now wit that feature presentation 😂

[@Etticos.]

Yesssss more DS2 lore

[@AlexanderMartinez-kd7cz]

TBH I like DS3's subtle DS2 references way more than the heavy handed DS1 fanservice. like the feanchise is based on long stretches of time passing, gods being forgotten, heroes being misconstrued and reinterpreted and all that. and then you get copypasted anor londo lol edit: yhorm is not a DS2 giant, but he definitely has their influence all over him. you can't convince me that his headpiece making him look exactly like like an old giant until his eyes light up isn't done on purpose.

[@TheOneWhoSouls1405]

That isn't what the franchise is based on. And the point of Ds3 is to show you that forcing things that should have ended long ago to continue only hurts everyone more than letting it go. We see Anor Londo, but it is decrepit and a husk of its former self. It has remained, but barely. Just like the rest of the world, it too will soon come to its end. Ds3 is about letting things go, so it shows you Anor Londo to help you let go of it. It won't remain, and neither will the age of fire. It shouldn't remain forever. Ds3 is quite literally anti-sequel. And it being anti-sequel makes it the perfect sequel to Ds1 and 2. Ds1 is about fear of the unknown, Ds2 is about how all things with beginnings have ends, and Ds3 is about letting go of things and not forcing something that should have ended to continue to avoid the unknown. I consider Ds3 one of the few times that fan service was done right. Obviously not every callback has some thematic meaning to it, but the major ones do. They aren't just randomly throw in, but they are intertwined with what this game, and this trilogy, is trying to tell you.

[@unclet9825]

Absolute banger as usual

[@GunRunner106]

benhardts blue moon sword is the design of the original sword. from the older games.

[@caseymcdonald9714]

Forgetting the duel pursuer fight In castle drang down in the throne room

[@TheHonoredMadman]

Damn i mustve forgotten about those because i went back to the room for some clips and they didnt appear, must have already killed them haha

[@caseymcdonald9714]

@@TheHonoredMadman good to know someone can beat them 😂 I get wiped out 2 seconds after they spawn 🤣🤣😂

[@PaullyRobots]

Sure I'm not the only one saying it, but the cat sold the ring in 2 and it's also her 1st appearance. Directness confirmed.

[@keighne7650]

6:35 it's literally the Cainhurst Helmet

[@NCRRanger7753]

In my head canon, Drangleic was a kingdom further away from Lordran and Lothric, but still affected by the curse. Like Carim and Catarina. Then over time as the world kept slowly collapsing in on itself, Drangleic merged with peices of Lordran and Lothric.

[@dalewilson2741]

Straid is a Chaos Sorcerer, Flame Swathe draws from The chaos aka the profaned flame.

[@waltuh11121]

Dude you have some intelligent theories, I liked the "Pontiff is a Forlorn" one

[@thekeeper1287]

Another one is denial, or tears of denial in ds3. In ds2 it was a miracle found in Shulva. But in 3 its a miracle from carim, specially a miracle from morne. But the miracle seems like it has caitha origins too. I like to believe that it was a hidden protected miracle that was eventually passed down and reached shulva

[@kafkabigmon]

Bruh the bong rip caught me so off guard 😂

[@Gamefreak2998]

Personally I don't believe the fire keeper taking the flame is the true ending. Right as the light fades you have a brief window of time where you can control your character and if you use it to attack her a unique cutscene plays and you get the only ending that doesn't have an achievement and is voiced by the narrator of the beginning of the game.

[@RootVegetabIe]

Wait what

[@Gamefreak2998]

@@RootVegetabIe Yes.

[@josetomascamposrobledano4618]

Chad Souls 2 strikes again. Too many people came to these games thanks to Elden and now too many things have been lost with time. One of them is that in DS3 Ringed City you are asked “who is your God” and you reply “Gwyn”. For many newbs this is a quick check of the game. But for people who were following the game. DS2 showed us a world with so much story. The Gods of DS1 are no longer “common knowledge”. So entering this city full of statues of Gwyn as well as the pigmy lords. As well as all the lore about humanity fighting alongside Gwyn against the Ancient Dragons lead to a 10/10 DLC with a lot of weight because THE STORY GOT SO MUCH RICHER! Too bad I can’t say the same about a certain Shadow Root. And how characters can suddenly have Twins with 0 dialogue or how the many Eggs of a certain Haligtree didn’t lead to any creepy and cool insect-revelations.

[@JWalker444]

The old woman cat is Alvina from DS1

[@mothmantis0708]

Here's a wild detail about the Suspicious Shadows and Londor. I'm 8 minutes in you're probably gonna address what I'm about to type in a couple of minutes and I'm gonna look like a fool. I love your work, but I gotta go to bed. The Shadows have a crest on their helmet that looks kind of like a heart, I think it represents two dragons or serpents facing each other. We see a similar design on Vendrick's Shield or the Caduceus (small) Shield. Guess who also has this symbol? The DS2 Manikins: attendants to and creations of Queen Mytha of Earthen Peak. What else do we find in Earthen Peak? GRAVE WARDENS [produces detective board and box of pins] Yuria's attendant Pale Shade carries Manikin Claws, and Yuria rewards us with Darkdrift. Darkdrift was given by Agdayne, leader of the Grave Wardens, to the Chosen Undead as proof of their favor. Like if you really, really try to work out all the details there is a definite through line involving Mytha turning the Iron Kingdom she inherited into Carthus (Brotherhood of Blood, Grave Wardens, Skeleton Lords and a lava castle become blood-crazed skeleton grave warden pyromancers), and then morphed into Londor following the fall of Wolnir. The "Eternal Dark Empire" even exists in the Dreg Heap, has a queen, pyromancers and everything. I don't know if anyone buys into the theory that Londor's "present time" is at the end of time, where we fight Gael, and all of their actions in Lothric's present are being carried out by time/dimension travelers. You could imagine that the Pale Shade, to us, is the Londor equivalent of the Chosen Undead traveling back to get Manus, or the Cursebearer going back to get the Giant Lord or the Ashen One going back to get Gundyr. As far as how far in the future, the Pilgrims seem to be wearing the same outfits as the Ringed City clerics, who were already very, very old if they've been at their posts since around since Gwyn's Firelinking.

[@sebastiansteven9588]

Lucatiel still went hollow if her questline was complete.

[@trustmeits610pm2]

She's on the brink at the end. We never actually see her go hollow.

[@BigManStan]

I always assumed DS 2 happened like after DS3 but like long before the slve knight gale fight if that makes sense

[@Hewasnumber1]

DS2 takes place the furthest in a mostly stable timeline. DS3 takes place when time itself is starting to fall apart, the ancient past and distant future are melded together. The Gael fight takes place even further after that, when the world has well and truly collapsed.

[@AlvaTheWayfaringKnight]

Maybe Dangleic was more Dreg Heap. You know basically a puddle compared to a sea. Pulling in power to relight the flame.

[@eno6712]

On my first 5ish playthroughs of DS3 i named my character variations of Jon/John Snow. Maxe my character look just like him with that early cloak and built-in character options. Before patch One even, with the " bESToc " aka the Estoc with Max Str before the first NERF.

[@craig-machine8137]

I didn't love Dark Souls 2 but I definitely felt it was kinda shafted by not getting many nods in Dark Souls 3. I didn't know about some of these references you brought up though so it's cool to see a couple more.

[@ThommyofThenn]

Bruh I'm not even 30 seconds in and I already liked it. And I think DS3 having more DS1 references is actually perfect. Time being bent whichways and back is a theme explored in all the games.

[@leonlacroix2638]

To me dark souls 2 is dark souls 1 that went through a planet wide reincarnation. They are the same soul but diffrent bodies and memories. Dark souls 3 is the end of dark souls 1 possibly moments before the reincarnation.

[@cheeky_casual]

If Tarkus is Daniel, then Tsorig is The Cooler Daniel

[@anonymousk8623]

Best video yet man

[@nazgulsenpai]

As someone who recently played through Dark Souls 2 again for the first time in 5 years I still personally think its a terrible game but I have a newfound respect for its unique atmosphere. It has a vibe all of its own and I can appreciate it for what it is.

[@TheHonoredMadman]

I wont lie the atmosphere is definitely what grabbed me. Hated the gameplay at first but it grew on me alot once i got used to it

[@SilentSpeak]

Dark souls 2 was amazing for a couple reasons. The first is that it had tthe best pvp. Hands down some of the most fun I ever had pvping in any souls game. Especially running round as Velstad with his bell hammer.... Anyway the other reason the game was awesome is all the Knights and Kings intrigue . Everyone wanted to complain that there was too many human enemies, but if u just consider how cool some of these knights were, the looking glass knight, Velstad, fuem knight, alant army and him himself. Also Vendrick in his undead form.....this game __😢😢

[@williamkensington2772]

1:04:03 Alvina of the Dark Root Wood

[@bruschetta7711]

Alvina is too fat tho

[@alyseleem2692]

OK. This was a banger! That said, I believe there is even more to it: An important thing we should start with is this fact: Drangleic is not Lordran, and has never been Lordran. This is pivotal to understanding the sequence of events I am suggesting. I believe that the lands we travel in Dark Souls 3 are Lordran, with slightly changed geography due to the convergence. Now, let's start with this: The Spirit Tree Shield. At first, it seems like you said; not a very important reference... But then, you remember that Emma gives you the Way Of Blue covenant. Then, you remember that there is a Drakeblood Knight enshrined behind Oceiros' boss room; the one who gives you the Path Of The Dragon gesture and, after killing his counterpart in Archdragon Peak, his armour. The Drakeblood Knights wielded Spirit Tree Shields in Dark Souls 2, indicating them to have achieved at least Rank 1 within the Blue Sentinels covenant, the covenant bound to the Way Of Blue. The Clerics of Lothric Castle do not use tailsmans like those of former Thorulund; they use sacred chimes. Chimes that invoke a buff similar, if not identical to, Sunlight Oath. Strangest of all are the Pillars Of Lothric; would you believe me if I said this was not their first appearance? They can be found depicted on the Tower within Heide's ruins. This is technically their first appearance; whether they represented the same concept of government within Heide is a question on it's own. The question is; what does this all mean? What precisely IS Lothric? "The knights of Lothric have since tamed dragons, but were once hunters of dragons themselves. This explains their special hunting gear, and why they worshipped the sun." We can all agree about the Drakeblood Knights' essential goals; the attainment of sacred dragon blood, and it's use in the path of Man's ascension. Despite their regrets, this goal was likely shared by their successors; the Archdrake Sect. "Little is known about the Archdrake sect and its ancient rituals, and those who dare to indulge their curiosity have been known to simply vanish. The Archdrake sect are the keepers of Lindelt's histories, including the only record of its foundation, a tome they have good reason to keep hidden away." Lindelt is unlikely to be Anor Londo, first because of distance from Drangleic( whom their cleric knoghts fought against), and second because the Archdrake Sect helped found Lindelt, and are thus the keepers of it's histories. They alone know the story of the Drakebloods, Shulva, and the legacy of both them and Heide, the origin of the Way Of Blue and the Blue Sentinels that served it. They kept the miracles and relics of both, including those left by the gods of Anor Londo, many of whom came to Heide.... But it was not enough. "Staff of members of the Archdrake sect of Lindelt. A catalyst for sorceries and hexes. In Lindelt, known for its clerics and their miracles, sorcery is believed to be a profane practice. But as with anything, such beliefs are part faith and part front, and this staff was born of that hypocrisy." As such, it is not surprising that the ones we find in Shulva were merely one among many, many expeditions to come. _ What's the first thing you think of, when you wonder where a dragon might be found? Because it is almost certainly not underground. Rather, when you think of finding dragons, true dragons like the ones in the old tales of the gods, you think of something far more obvious: You go where these tales took place; the places told of only in myths and legends. It is a far more obvious conclusion, if one predicated upon faith; how do you even know such a place truly exists? Unless of course, someone comes to visit. The Giants. The Giants proved the existence of the ancient land to the north, didn't they? Didn't they prove that such tales were no longer impossible? For indeed, the land of ancient Lords has gone without visitors for a long while, has it not? _ The Grand Archives are among the two places holding whatever is left of the legacy of Logan and Seath. When viewed from Anor Londo, they seem to be built near the same location as the Duke's Archives in Dark Souls 1. The greatest library in history; the home of the grandfather of sorcery... And the target of their ambition. The Archdrake Sect followed the path their forefathers took, seeking both the knowledge of the Archives and the remnants of Seath The Scaleless, himself an archdragon of yore, spoken of only in tales as a " great pale being". Through this expedition, both of the the Sect's greatest goals would be fulfilled. What they found, of course, were empty, ruined archives, and an absent paledrake, replaced by a pair of twins. The order would go on to found Lothric as we know it today, dividing it's government based upon the ancient precepts of Heide: Scholars, Clerics and Knights. The Scholars, in a logicak step from their predecessors' works, would follow the preaching of the Twin Sages, and fall to the twisted worship of Seath The Scaleless. Meanwhile, the Clerics and Knights would distrust the Scholars, and after discovering Archdragon Peak, would change their ways and follow the example of Gwyn's Firstborn; their banners adorn it's halls, though they likely did not build the place. In both cases, the goal was the same as always; achieving Man's ascension through the secrets of dragonhood. _ But then, what happened to Drangleic? You may remember my theory of Wolnir avenging the Giant Lord, crushing the Crowns and conquering the place, but what happened after that? What was left of the place? "Claws used by the manikins of Harvest Valley. " "Weapon of the Pale Shades, assassins of the Sable Church of Londor. " "Hex that casts a dark flame upon corpses, causing them to combust violently.Hexes such as these, that tamper with life itself, are particularly abhorred." "Sacrilegious miracle of the Sable Church of Londor. Bless corpses, transforming them into traps .Londor, the Hollow Realm, is a society of undead, comprised of the corpses and shades of those who led unsavory lives. Is such blessing really something one must ponder?" What happens after a land is destroyed so completely, when the Crowns protecting them from Hollowing disperse into dust, and they are ruled by a merciless tyrant condemning thousands to gruesome deaths? Answer: you get a kingdom full of Hollows. This explains a few things: Friede seems to know Black Serpent, and was once herself a swordswoman. It is likely that,before founding Londor and the Sable Church, she and her sisters were among the students of Wolnir,along with his Grave Wardens. I have further theories on Grave Wardens, but another time. Londor is what is left of Drangleic. _ I have a theory regarding Lucatiel... And you probably won't like it. As we said before, the Undead Settlement shows remnants from Carthus in it's people's clothing. The Grave Wardens of the Catacombs are the only enemies that routinely drop Vertebra Shackles; this, along with the Wargod Wooden Shield being a covenant reward for the Mound-makers ( indicating w connection to the Nameles King. More on him later) and the existence of the Archdragon Peak within a desert climate, as well as Farron Swamp's architecture besides the bridge to Lothric, indicates that Carthus covered all these territories in some way or another,and that the Mound-makers were founded within Carthus itself. The specifics are not ones i can judge easily, but given the fact that Lucatiel's sword can onky be found in the Curse Rotted Greatwood( where " cursed things" are thrown) and that her mask can ne exchanged for a Vertebra Shackle, I think she became an infamous member of the Mound-makers after Drangleic fell to Wolnir. The war waged by Wolnir would've exacerbated her Hollowing, causing her and others to find solace in a new covenant such as the Mound-makers, one that simultaneously hunted down warriors of Carthus as revenge and made a " family" of their " shackles". By the time she died, she'd likely forgotten herself already, or gone made like Hodrick,who seems to carry her shield; he was likely her former apprentice. Strangely, Gael also wields the Mirrah Shield, indicating him having history either there or with Lucatiel and the Mound-makers.

[@alyseleem2692]

Notes: Caitha's status was likely staring at us in the face since Dark Souls 1; there is no indication the statues found in Undead Parish are of Fina. The Cathedral Of The Deep shares various animal motifs with Undead Parish; New Londo's statues depict a woman comforting a child, and we find a Tearstone Ring before it's gate. As for why she was remembered across the ages, that comes from her direct efforts to " help to suffering" along with Morne and her disciples; unlike the other gods, she used her long life in service to others, and even when she died, had people who had met her and known her by name. Thus would also explain the size of her cult in Dark Souls 3; such compassion can only be rewarded with so much devotion. It is likely the Profaned Capital shares origins with Lothric; the gargoyles can be found depicted under the famous Lothric/ Sulyvahn statue, as well as guarding the Grand Archives. The court sorcerers of the Capital were sorcerers, but also former " oracles"; priests, thus shoeing the same "hypocrisy" as the Archdrake Sect by using both miracles and sorceries, such as the Wrath Of The Gods found in the Capital. The Capital itself was originally supposed to be Wolnir's location; it is likely he conquered them among many kingdoms in both Lordran and Drangleic thereafter. His downfall opened the way for their independence, and simultaneously for Lothric's creation. Regarding Mirrah, I believe that after Wolnir was dead and gone, Irithyll took control of rehabilitating the region. Tsorig is unlikely to have actually found the sword in Brume Tower; it among other things,was likely an heirloom of the Bearer of the Curse, along with the Crowns. Judging by the presence of the Shield Of Want and Dragonrider Bow, he was likely part of a group that either inherited or stole such artifacts from Drangleic, with him later being the only survivor,finding his way to the Demon Ruins. The Crowns don't combine in DS2; you wear one of them,which bears the united blessing of all of them. Judging by this codependency, it is likely all of them canonically held the same blessing after being brought together, with the Bearer eventually giving them away; "bequeathing" them ,as it is said.

[@andrej177]

Waffling

[@alyseleem2692]

@@andrej177 Meaning? I know it's too much. Don't read if you don't want to; it's for the man himself. He's surprisingly diligent when it comes to reading those. The terrifying thing is, I still have more notes. That said, I did know I had to stop.

[@TheHonoredMadman]

Holy shit now this was a comment inwish i wouldve seen before finishing this video because those are some amazing connections, im on mobile rn but ill reply in full later. This is a great write up and honestly ill probably by citing it in a video about connectiong all three games in the future because bravo

[@TheHonoredMadman]

That lucatiel theory was great i was wracking my braining trying to come up with a reason her sword was in the curse wood but i didnt want to dwell on it too long in this video