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Ah, the Dark Soul. It’s always fun to get a title drop in a game when you play it, that feeling that makes you point at the screen when they say the name of the game. With how the storytelling is handled inDark Souls, it can be easy to forget that the Dark Soul is actually a somewhat tangible thing.
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The eponymous object itself is never directly seen in the series, yet it is core to everything occurring, even if you never need to directly interact with the idea of it. Many things in the game can be more direct than others, yet the Dark Soul itself is both in your face and hidden in everything in more obscure ways.
The Age Of Ancients, And Discovery Of The First Flame
Before the Age of Fire in which all the games take place, there was the Age of Ancients. This is a very specific period in the history of the world, one that would not and could not ever repeat. At this point in time, the world was grey, neither warm with fire nor cold with its absence. It was a barren landscape abundant only in Archtrees of incredible height, and the countless Everlasting Dragons that ruled.
At some point, for some unknown reason, the First Flame was born. With this, the world was suddenly no longer grey. Disparity existed. Light and dark, warm and cold, living and dead. Following this, Hollows came into existence. You may recall these in the original game as the form you enter once you die and lose your Humanity. At this point, it is important to realise that Hollows are simply empty vessels and not at all human, but waiting to be formed.
With the First Flame came the discovery of the Lord Souls by these Hollows, which led to the creation of Gwyn, Nito, The Witches of Izalith, and the Furtive Pygmy. Many of these names are well-known, and would quite literally immortalise themselves in flame through their defeat of the Everlasting Dragons, and constant kindling of the Flame. The Furtive Pygmy was different, as the Lord Soul they acquired was the Dark Soul.
Though the words ‘Human’ and ‘Soul’ have their own definitions in reality, Dark Souls relies on its own meanings, rather than those in real-life.
The Birth Of Humanity Through The Dark Soul
All Lord Souls could be splintered, broken down into something smaller and shared with another. Gwyn did this with Seath the Scaleless, the Witch of Izalith with her daughters, and plenty others. But with each shard, the whole got weaker, dwindling in power like those of the flame they were born of. The Dark Soul was different, instead growing in strength as it was spread.
Unlike the others, the Dark Soul was not splintered as it was shared. In truth, it seemed to have a limit in how much of its power could be shared in its full form, as evidenced by the Pygmies of the Ringed City whom the Furtive Pygmy originally shared its power. In a lesser form, however, it only grew. It inhabited Hollows and created Humans from them. This is why players become Hollows upon death, as they literally lose the Humanity that breathes life into their Hollow form.
This gave it a unique place. Other Lord Souls could easily be tracked. They beamed with power, and their carriers were high-profile as a result. It never spread from them. Meanwhile, Humanity spread naturally, making the Dark Soul itself almost irrelevant to its continued existence.
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The Ringed City Of The Pygmies
During the war with the Everlasting Dragons, it is often neglected what roles Humans played in that fateful encounter. Humans had in fact formed vast armies and had used the Abyss from which they were born to craft weapons and armour used to battle the Dragons. However, being Beings of the Dark Abyss, Gywn and the other Lords felt threatened by them. They were represented by Light and were thusly opposed to them.
This was countered in two ways: The first of these was branding Humans with the Darksign, an accursed symbol that stopped Humans from truly ever dying and marked them as Undead, and the second was gifting them the Ringed City. Though offered as a reward for their role in the war, it was in truth a prison for Humans and the Pygmies bearing the Dark Soul, in hopes of stopping its spread. To some degree, this was successful. Though Humans spread throughout the world, the pure fragments of the Dark Soul remained within the city.
As a gesture of goodwill, Gwyn also offered one of his daughters, Filianore, to the denizens of the Ringed City as proof of his love for them, and promised her he would one day return to her. This proved somewhat ironic, as Filianore herself was only ever seen embracing an egg that seems to have trapped the Ringed City in its current place in time.
Within the Ringed City, the opinion of the Lords was split. Many were grateful for the Ringed City as a place for Humans to reside, and the faith put in them with Filianore, with many growing to revere her. Others, however, opposed the gods and wished to destroy the Ringed City so as to unleash Humanity, and the Dark Soul with it, into the greater world. Though much occurred within the Ringed City, it would come to nought due to Filianore’s power.
Humanity And The Abyss
Much of the world seen in Dark Souls games are tangible locations. Lordran, Lothric, Oolacile, and plenty more. Places inhabited by many people, but all under the light of the Lords and the Flame. But this is not where Humanity is birth, nor where Humans are intrinsically tied. Those of the Dark Soul, and by existence those in possession of Humanity, are instead connected to the Abyss.
The Abyss itself is a place of pure dark, never given an exact point at which it came into existence. It can be theorised to have come into existence with the birth of the First Flame. The world of grey stopped existing with its flame, yet simultaneously introduced the dark of the Abyss in contrast. Hollows exist in between, with those of the Lord Souls linked with the Fire, and those of the Dark Soul and Humanity of the Abyss.
The Abyss is said to exist on the edges of the world of light, which can be seen across the games. In the original Dark Souls, we see it buried beneath the ruins of Anor Londo, and a Chasm of the Abyss alongside the depth of Oolacile due to the awakening of Manus. Manus themself is seen as the Primeval Man, presumably one of the first Humans created with Humanity, and strongly versed in how the Abyss functions. As such, Humans themselves can traverse the Abyss unharmed, and this is why wisps of Humanity can be seen passing across this vast space. For the Abyss is the true home of Humanity.
The Abyss exists in parallel with the light; when one moves, so does the other. As the Flame burns, the dark recedes. Yet as the fire dwindles, the Abyss grows to consume it. As such, the Abyss encroaches further upon the world as the fire fades, and the strength of Humans grows with it. New Londo is a fine example of this, having been consumed by the Abyss and birthed the Darkwraiths from the Knights of the Four Kings, but later receded, only leaving its vestiges in its wake.
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Slave Knight Gael’s Search, And The Dark Soul As Pigment
In Dark Souls 3, we see clearly that the world has hit its expiry date. The First Flame is left as nought but ash and embers, and the Lord Souls have dwindled to but a glimmer of their initial splendour. As even evidenced bythe game’s various endings, linking the Flame no longer keeps it alight, and the world is riddled with dark creatures of the Abyss, the Abyss Watchers themselves having to fight endlessly to stop its encroach.
It is here, in this crumbling world, that you meetSlave Knight Gael. They envision themselves as a saviour in service to their lady. When we first meet them, they bring you to the Painted World of Ariandel, a blatant response to the Painted World of Ariamis from the original Dark Souls. Here, Gael asks you to free his lady, the Painter, and to let her see Flame so that she can paint a new world that has been hidden from her.
This is followed up in The Ringed City DLC, taking place in the titular Ringed City. Here, you are tasked with finding the Dark Soul itself, as it is the final thing the Painter needs to paint her perfect, eternal world. The Flame was not enough, seeing as in time, it will extinguish and can never be eternal. However, the Ringed City is trapped in time or an illusion itself by Filianore, one which is dispelled by the player upon which it is revealed that indeed much of the world has been left as little but ash and dust. However, the Pygmies were eternal with the Dark Soul. Their bodies failed them and their blood dried up, but it was enough for Gael.
Gael consumes them, gaining the power of the Dark Soul himself, making his blood pulse with its properties. Here, he challenges the player to defeat them and return their blood to the Painter to create their perfect world. And that is exactly what happens. As we have seen, these painted worlds are inhabitable, empowered by their medium. In a world painted with only the Dark Soul itself, the light would never threaten it. Its power would persist to create a perpetual world.
Summing Up The Dark Soul
Rather interestingly for a series named after it, the Dark Soul itself is only truly witnessed in the final DLC of Dark Souls 3, yet its impacts are left across each game. Thematically, the Dark Soul is the most powerful of all souls. It multiples endlessly, growing to encompass all. It doesn’t need to be full to utilise its true strength, ironically showcasing its greatest capabilities when divided. It is in this way that only Humans can succeed the world, and only they have the ability to finally bring the world into a new age by ending the Age of Fire.
In the original game, we are shown Kingseeker Frampt and Darkstalker Kaathe. Both are described as Primordial Serpents, yet the duo oppose one another. Frampt seeks to utilise Humans to extend the Age of Fire, while Kaathe wishes Humans to usher in an Age of Dark. While both can be assumed to be creatures of the Abyss due to their statues present in the Ringed City inhabited solely by Humans of the Abyss, it is important to note they still rely on Humans on issues from both Light and Dark. Whether it is to extend the Flame or quench it entirely, Humans are required.
Therein lies the true power of the Dark Soul. It can never be reunited into a single soul, and that makes it next to impossible to destroy.
