Talk:Aldrich, Devourer of Gods/@comment-168.216.132.178-20180515133055/@comment-84.52.163.29-20180518192241

I have a couple of thoughts on that.

1. It's generally accepted that Smough dies by the Chosen Undead's hand in DS1, while Ornstein leaves his post in search of the Nameless King. However, this somewhat throws out of whack the fact that you get Smough's armor from defeating Aldrich. It's possible that From wanted to just put his armor and hammer in the game as a callback to Dark Souls I.

2. It could also be likely that Smough somehow reincarnated after being defeated by the Cursed Undead - remember that Gwyndolin is still alive by the time of DS3 (although half consumed by Aldrich himself), and that he was an optional boss, thus not neccessarily required to die to proceed the game forward. It's possible that Gwyndolin brought Smough back with a fragment of his father's flame - as all of Gwyn's subjects and family members are likely to possess at least a shard of his Lord Soul, which, even as a shard, is still vastly powerful. Smough might've been resurrected by Gwyndolin to protect the Cathedral, which left him weakened, which caused him to become ill, hence how Pontiff Sulyvahn captures him and Yorshka with ease.

And by the events of Dark Souls 3, as we reach the cathedral, Smough's already been devoured by Aldrich, and Gwyndolin, helpless and alone, among corrupted (at least it's seemingly apparent that the remaining Silver Knights in Anor Londo are corrupted by the Deep/Abyss) Knights, ready to be consumed by the Devourer of Gods.

Ofc, this is just spitballing. It could be that we never killed Smough in canon lore, it could be that he was ironically cannibalized by Aldrich, it could be that his armor was just left in the Cathedral to rust after the events of DS1.