Many games, after being cleared for the first week, leave players with a comprehensive understanding of the plot. The remaining two weeks often focus on studying patterns or completing content missed during the initial playthrough.
But Dark Souls is different. Even after the first week of clearing the game, a significant portion of its content remained unknown.
For example, without a guide, first-time players might not realize that Dark Souls offers more than just lighting the fire, encountering NPC or player invasions, or summoning help for boss fights. Certain boss rooms even allow NPC summoning under specific conditions.
In the Lothric Ice Dog boss room, for instance, if the blade has been defeated earlier at the Firelink Shrine, the blade's spirit can be summoned to fight alongside the player, revealing the blade's name as Expert. Similarly, outside the door of the Big Fat Winged Knight, Lion Knight Albert's spirit mark will appear to the left of the steps—visible only if the player is in the Ember state.
Unfortunately, by the time many players reach this points, they often lose their ember state after enduring mobs' relentless assaults.
One unique feature of Dark Souls is its reliance on side quests, a hallmark of ARPGs. These quests, however, don't provide clear prompts; players must discover the triggers independently.
The more side stories one uncovers, the clearer it becomes that Dark Souls is a game steeped in despair. The world, story, and gameplay difficulty all reflect this overarching theme.
The journey begins with Garrett, a hooded thief imprisoned beneath Lothric's high walls. When he's rescued, Garrett relocates to a corner of the Firelink Shrine, where he offers a prop enabling players to visit the Undead Settlement and find a woman named Loretta.
Loretta might be Garrett's lover, or perhaps a close relative, but it's evident she represents his emotional anchor. Out of gratitude, Garrett ventures out to steal useful items, selling them to the player at prices far cheaper than those of the old merchant woman near the blacksmith.
When players reach the Undead Settlement, they may accidentally knock down a hanging corpse, retrieve a glowing relic, and realize it belongs to Loretta. Returning the relic to Garrett confirms her death.
"Ah… so… that woman… is dead."
"Thank you. I already had a feeling about this. Strange… I feel much lighter now. Take this ring—it's my thanks."
The calm tone barely conceals Garrett's despair.
Even so, he continues helping, stealing items for the player. The first attempt is successful. On his second trip, to Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, Garrett also returns safely, recounting how an Onion Knight saved him.
But when Garrett proposes visiting Lothric Castle for a third heist, tragedy strikes. Players, recalling his earlier successes, might agree—but this time, Garrett never comes back.
"Hey... listen to me. I want to steal some more things from Lothric King City. There's probably something you'd want."
"I know... this city seems very dangerous, but I still want to go."
"After all, I don't want to be a lowly street rat until I die."
On the roof of the big library, the player finds the ashes of the thief's brother. Recalling the conversation before his departure, the player's heart feels mixed emotions.
After learning about Loretta's death, the thief carried a death wish alongside the desire to repay Ashes for past help. This drove him to put himself in danger repeatedly.
For the first time, players fight alongside a real, living NPC—not a ghostly Onion Knight. The first encounter with the Onion Knight reveals a character who seems a bit dumb and clumsy. Yet, his optimism and righteousness shine through.
When Ashes battles the Flame Demon, the Onion Knight steps in without hesitation, later drinking and praising the sun together after the fight. Throughout the journey, the Onion Knight interacts with the player several times, eventually sharing his mission in Illusir.
His goal aligns with Ashes'—to personally send his old friend, King Yum, the Giant King of the Capital of Sin and one of the kings, on his way. It is a knight's highest promise, born of honor and friendship.
When the bell tolls to awaken King Yum, he rises from slumber to see his capital in ruin, its people turned into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Beneath his sorrow lies burning hatred for the fire. His hope was twisted into a deformed flame that devoured all, corrupting his soul and breaking his mind.
Yum discards the shield that had served him for years and takes up a greatsword, defending the heart of the Capital of Sin with paranoia and rage, attacking all intruders.
Meanwhile, the Onion Knight, Jack Bardo of Catarina, prepares to fulfill his promise. He will kill his old friend himself.
Two giant-slaying swords, the Stormmasters, exist. One rests by Yum's throne; the other is entrusted to his closest friend.
"Yum, my old friend!"
"The Knight of Catarina, Jack Bardo, has come to fulfill his promise!"
"May the King of Sin be with the sun!"
After a fierce battle, the exhausted Onion Knight sits beside the fallen body of the Giant King, mirroring the scene when he and Ashes first defeated the Flame Demon.
"I'm so sorry for always making you save me," he admits, raising his glass. "But thank you. Thanks to you, I fulfilled my promise."
He hands Ashes another glass of his brew. "Let's toast together one last time."
"May your courage and mission, and my old friend Yum, be with the sun!"
"Now, I'm going to take a nap. I must, after the celebration."
"My friend… may you complete your mission safely."
The Onion Knight lowers his head. Unlike before, he doesn't snore. When the player walks away, the faint thud of something falling to the ground is heard.
All players understand: that the Onion Knight will never appear again on this journey.
The game offers countless characters who leave lasting impressions.
The disheartened brother at the Firelink Shrine constantly spreads negativity. A former member of the Undead Legion, he regains hope after players overcome the challenges he deemed impossible. Inspired, he decides to carry forward the Legion's will.
Instead of pursuing swordsmanship, he seeks the power of dragons. After defeating the Ancient Dragon, he obtains half of his destined Dragon Stone. His journey ends at the Farron Keep Temple, where he fights alongside his comrades one final time.
Brother Xin, who picks up his greatsword once more, takes the Estus Flask of the Undead Legion. He battles Ashes over the Dragon Stone. The victor gains the power of the ancient dragon-- the defeated finds eternal rest.
The Fire Keeper carries the burden of becoming the Fire Maiden. Contract with the Dark Tome drives her to madness, leaving her vulnerable to the darkness. Yet, if she avoids the tome and fulfills her role, she becomes nothing more than a machine, mechanically leveling up players and awaiting death in a tower filled with the corpses of other Fire Maidens.
And the knight Yiguo, who had guarded her faithfully, felt her mission had come to an end. She first took the dragon hunting armor to draw a white talisman as repayment for Ashes' favor. Finally, she returned to the dungeon where the Holy Maiden began her journey and chose to end her life.
The hero Gouda, the unknown king, the twin princes—whether BOSS or NPC—each has a unique story filled with sorrow and despair.
No matter the effort or actions taken, every path seems to lead to tragedy.
As the game's title, Dark Souls, suggests, the more one uncovers, the darker and more oppressive the world becomes.
Initially, most players believed that continuing the flame was the true, orthodox ending. This belief was reinforced by Chen Xu's official blog posts prior to the game's launch and the promotional trailers, which heavily emphasized the theme of spreading fire.
However, as players explored the game further, three additional endings were discovered beyond the fire-passing conclusion:
The Ending of Extinguishing the Fire: The entire world is plunged into darkness, forsaking the flame.
The Ending of Stealing Fire: This involves attacking the Fire Keeper during the extinguishing process and seizing the fading embers for oneself.
The Ending of the King of Wandering Souls: By aiding the pilgrims of Rondore, players uncover and draw out the dark power hidden within their characters. Those who follow this path eventually gather eight dark rings, consume the final flame, and ascend as the King of Wandering Souls.
Whether spreading the fire is the right choice has become a heated debate among players.
Supporters of the fire-passing ending argue that continuing the flame symbolizes the perpetuation of hope. They believe that letting the flame die plunges the world into darkness, creating a realm filled with wandering ghosts—a reality devoid of hope.
Conversely, those favoring the extinguishing ending claim that spreading the fire is a deceptive cycle. They echo the Fire Keeper's words, suggesting that in the darkness, a new flame will eventually emerge. This ending even allows players to stay with the Fire Keeper, embracing the eternal darkness together.
Others assert that the King of Wandering Souls represents the true conclusion, while some even advocate for the fire-stealing ending.
The reasoning is straightforward: in the fire-stealing path, the protagonist, consumed by longing for the embers, mirrors the desperation evident at the game's beginning. This alignment with the narrative is emphasized by the presence of a final voiceover, unique to this ending.
Regardless of preference, Dark Souls employs a fragmented, open-ended storytelling style.
Each player forms their own interpretation, and in their eyes, it becomes the correct one.
Many players who complete the game delve into its narrative like archaeologists, uncovering hidden details and searching for evidence to validate their perspectives.
Although Chen Xu hasn't released a sequel, the rich, intricate content of this game alone leaves players speculating about the epic tales that could lie behind it.
The more players dig, the more emotional the experience becomes.
While the challenge and suffering inherent in the game remain its hallmark, Dark Souls is far more than just hardcore or difficult. It offers a profound, multifaceted experience that resonates deeply with those who journey through its lands.