Board Thread:Dark Souls II/@comment-46.64.182.203-20140312230146/@comment-81.131.150.16-20140512161801

O.o man Drangleic has a lot of souls from Lordran come back in some form or other. It's possible that Ornstein is just one of the ones strong enough to come back and still remember enough of who he is to look like himself, it worked for the Witch after all and no-ones denying that she's a re-incarnation. We also know the effect isn't just Lord Souls because regular ass people have the same effect, even Seath comes back and he didn't have one (people seem to gloss over that part, if all the Lord Souls get recreated then there should be a new Dark Soul too, Seath is only in the equation because he helped Gwyn out). The smashing of the Lord Vessel probably released a load of souls and so they all just went where they could and came back. It clearly happens because Nashandra only exists because Manus did it. Ornstein's just unique in that he came back looking really similar and apparently remembered enough to guard the cathedral and the "Darkmoon Blades" of his memory.

It's only a theory mind, but I'm doing my best cite precedent.