Bluepoint has done a more in-depth review of what Demon’s Souls looks like. Its remake is more of a reinterpretation, adding small details and suggestions that give us clues as to what the team itself may think about the link between Bloodborne, Dark Souls and this game. Get ready for a fun helping of theories and curiosities.
Following the release of Dark Souls for Playstation 3, Japanese podcast Game no Shokutaku host Tomomi Isomura asked Hidetaka Miyazaki if there was any connection between Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls . The director’s response was: “they would scold me if I didn’t say no.” Demon’s Souls is licensed by Sony, unlike the Dark Souls trilogy, which is owned by Bandai Namco. Therefore, they are considered two totally different brands without, supposedly, possible connection . In the rest of the interview, Miyazaki must have remembered the contracts he had signed because he assured that what he did do was take the characters that Dark Souls liked the most, but nothing more. But nevertheless,He has never been entirely clear on this ; with the authentic meaning of their stories, about who is hiding on the other side of the armor…. The reason is explained in the same interview. He makes “a story for the game, not a game for the story. So as long as the story fits what the game needs to create immersion, that’s fine with me. I want the player to experience the story, that’s why not we make linear stories. I want the player to unravel it using their imagination and our clues. “
Hidetaka Miyazaki stayed true to this principle in Dark Souls III, stating, “I have no intention of forcing the officiality of a story played by one player over that of another, and there will never be an official statement about the true story of the game.” . On a personal note, this is what has fascinated me the most about his games. Their stories are puzzles, they are games in themselves that have no solution. For this reason, books have been written that bring together the history of all games, pages and pages in the forums dedicated to discussing theories about who’s who and, of course, thousands of blogs and websites that theorize about a possible connection between all the games. Because we all enjoy following Hidetaka Miyazaki’s gameand interpreting what we see in their productions; and I say “everyone” including also Bluepoint Games.
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The Texas studio has remade Demon’s Souls after the release of the Dark Souls and Bloodborne trilogy; and it shows that all these games are on the street and that their members know them well. They have changed small details , added aesthetic modifications and nuanced elements to the point that we can believe that the study has joined the solving of this puzzle, to theorize about a possible connection between the games. And, in fact, through its remake it is easier to weave a story that unites Demon’s Souls with Dark Souls, but, above all and as I will explain, with Bloodborne, also owned by Sony. Maybe it’s not a coincidence. Before starting, do not forget that everything I will explain are nothing more than theories that I encourage you to discuss and enjoy in the comments, also to contribute your own. And it is that the Souls community lives like this, right ?: passionately sharing the discoveries we make, game after game . Of course, everything you read below contains maximum spoilers .
WATCH OUT! THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM DEMON’S SOULS, BLOODBORNE AND THE DARK SOULS SAGA
The main thread that unites all these games is the historical period of their architecture. As the chapters progress, the buildings become richer, more detailed, more ornate, and more modern, and they do it in order. Demon’s Souls, at least the original, seems to exist in a sort of High Middle Ages , while Dark Souls evolves into the late Middle Ages (the end of that historical period). Dark Souls III shows a spectacular gothic ; Mainly because the game is about invading the houses of the gods, and Gothic is defined by its structural richness, by its height, by almost touching the sky with its pinnacles. Finally, we come to Bloodborne and its Victorian era as early as 1800.
The leap from Dark Souls III to Bloodborne, from Lothric to Yharnam, is articulated by one of the most magical and mystical characters in this entire universe: the painter. My theory? That what he is painting on his canvas is what will later become Yharnam, once the flame and fire change it to what it is today . She tells the player that she will paint on her canvas “a cold, dark and very pleasant place”, a new world illustrated with very particular pigments, with the dark soul of man.
I have no intention of forcing the officiality of a story played by one player over that of anotherHidetaka Miyazaki There are more connections between Dark Souls III and Bloodborne; in this case related to blood. The heirs to the will of Artorias, the Watchers of the Abyss, already fed his body with the blood of the wolf of Farron, and we can find in them some precursors of the hunters of Yharnam. That is, in the world of Dark Souls III it had already been discovered that there was power in the blood; Maybe so much feeding on powerful souls ended up giving energy to the blood itself? And how it all connects this with Demon’s Souls ? Let’s look at a detail that Bluepoint has changed with respect to the original.
Have you noticed the sword of The Impaler?
The sword of the Impaler, the boss of zone 1-3 from Demon’s Souls, in the original title was infused with a magical blue color. In this game, magic is supposed to be cursed , as it comes from the power of demonic souls. This magic is usually represented with a bluish tone. However, Bluepoint has preferred to exchange this magic for blood. The fight begins with this majestic warrior nailing his long edge to the belly of one of the very heavy fat officers, as if he obtained power from his demonized body, from his viscera. This is very similar to what Lady Maria does in Bloodborne when fighting her . He sticks his weapons in his body so that they drink his blood.
This change carried out by the Texan study seems minimal, but if we understand that the management of blood is key in Bloodborne and has its representation in Dark Souls III, what Bluepoint has done is to suggest that blood also had power in Boletaria. At least, that’s what his own interpretation of the game’s facts seems to reveal. And beware, Bluepoint has made an effort to make us pay attention to this boss, because what is hiding behind the mysterious secret door that they have added to the game ? Oh, wow. Could the Impaler be a precursor to the will of Artorias that was later passed down to the hunters of Yharnam? Through the Bluepoint remake we can see how everyone used blood to get stronger. Because if the Watchers used Farron’s wolf blood to strengthen themselves,did Artorias use Sif’s ? Was his love for the wolf then out of interest?
To this detail we can add another three more that put us on the track of the connections between the worlds. They are found in Latria, The Ancient One, and Patches. The most interesting we see in the wonderful level of La Torre de Latria. The composition of this level powerfully reminds us of The Nightmare of Mensis that occurs in Bloodborne; Of course, in the title of Playstation 4 there was not a great blood pumping heart, but the Mother Brain. Was the monk in the yellow robes channeling the power of mighty blood demon souls into Latria to be immortal? Would this place be the forerunner of the School of Mensis?
Let’s compare Micolash with the Ancestral Monk. They both carry an element on their tall and vertical head to communicate with a higher power. Both have their stages surrounded by chairs and both shared the hobby of creating abominable beasts through experiments. The question is, if this theory were correct, how could the ruler of Latria have obtained knowledge of the existence of this power? Well, it would actually be simple if we value that The Old Man could be a Great One . The Elder is a force that lives outside of reality. Although he seems like a villain, he has a practically neutral ethic. He seeks servants to feed him souls. He is a being hungry for them, and enjoys communicating with holy men to make them believe that he is their god; while giving life to the demons they fight. Umbasa . If we understand that demons are part of The Elder and that this is a Great One, what the Ancestral Monk intended and knew makes sense as part of The School of Mensis.
Finally, there is another connection between the different games: the good old one from Patches . This funny grave hunter always enjoys the same thing: laughing at the greedy by kicking them in the ass. At the end of Dark Souls III, in the Ringed City DLC, Patches appears and says: “It seems that the greed of man has spoiled all ages. I don’t care, because I have no earthly needs.” With this simple phrase he hints that he has been there from the beginning. And if we understand that each Miyazaki game is an era, also in Demon’s Souls , laughing at the clerics and the foolish player, who is nothing more than a puppet in the hands of The Ancient One.
The eyes of the Lady in Black
Finally, there is another significant detail. The best graphic quality and high definition presented by the Demon’s Souls remake makes it clear, without a hint of doubt, that the eyes of the Lady in Black are covered in wax . Covering your face with this material will be common practice in the future. In Dark Souls III, the scholars of the Great Archive did it to diminish their senses and not fall prey to the madness caused by according to what knowledge.
The interesting thing is that the woman who takes care of the Nexus seems to hide information from us. Actually, it does not prepare us to be a good demon slayer, but to be a good servant for The Ancient One. He wants us to be a suitable replacement for King Allant. Could it be that he covered his eyes with wax to avoid acquiring the knowledge of knowing and loving you? Can he do it so as not to go mad and be able to fulfill his mission, as the scholars themselves did?? What you have to keep from this article is how much a story can change with the modification of four little details. Bluepoint, just by changing the color of the Impaler’s sword aura, by better detailing what covers the Lady in Black’s eyes or by giving Patches a mocking voice, has made it easier, willingly or not, for us to see new connecting threads among all these games.
Personally, I believe they all share the same universe, one that the grave robber has traversed mocking humanity’s greed, one that the Great Ones have always watched from their distant home, and one that has always been populated by men and women who they longed to be more than they were, with a tremendous sacrifice in return. The question now is will there be connections between these games and the Elden Ring ? Hopefully we can talk about this soon .
