The Dark Lord, also known as the Lord of Men,[1] is a character/position in the Dark Souls trilogy.
Lore[]
This section of the lore lacks sources and is in need of further expansions and explanations
The Dark Lords are beings who were meant to become Lords of Cinder, but refused to link the First Flame and extend the Age of Fire, with the specific intent of bringing forth the Age of Dark (also referred to as an "Age of Man").[2] Dark Lords, while powerful enough to overcome the trials involved in linking the Flame, apparently don't have to inherit a primordial force (such as the First Flame) in order to be deemed worthy of their title. For instance, if the Chosen Undead chooses to become a Dark Lord, abandoning the power of the First Flame, several primordial serpents will nevertheless bow before their new Lord (including both Kaathe and Frampt), even as the Chosen Undead lacks the extraordinary power granted by the Flame.
Contrary to what the title itself might convey, the Dark Lord is not necessarily a malevolent force. Rather, it merely refers to the Dark Soul found within all Humans, an antithesis to the First Flame and the sunlight of Gwyn. According to Primordial Serpent Kaathe, the Dark Lord is prophesied to bring down the reign of the Anor Londo gods and their "unnatural" world order, liberating Humans from the oppression of the Darksign and the curse of the Undead.[3][4]
The interpretation of the Dark Lord's role in founding a new world order seems to have varied over time. The "Dark Lord" ending of Dark Souls I entails abandoning the First Flame to die out and beginning a new age from naught; the "Usurpation of Fire" ending of Dark Souls III however is somewhat different. Many millennia past the time of the Chosen Undead, the Sable Church of Londor, founded by three sisters who were disciples of Kaathe, are searching for a worthy Lord of Men.[5][6] If the Ashen One cooperates with Yuria, a sister of the Sable Church, they are asked to "usurp the Flame", to "wrest it from its mantle". In doing so, the Ashen One would inherit what little lifeforce remains of the First Flame, and thus become a worthy Lord of Men—that is, a "Lord of Hollows", as it has come to be referred to. By this time, the notion that Hollows were the "true face of man" had become more accepted, propagated especially by the Pilgrims of Londor, melding the two titles of Dark Lord into one.[7]
List of Dark Lords[]
While only the Chosen Undead has been specifically referred to by the title of Dark Lord, other beings have fulfilled similar roles in the series.
Dark Souls[]
- Furtive Pygmy (attempted)[2]
- Chosen Undead*[8]
Dark Souls II[]
- Bearer of the Curse*[9]
- Nashandra (attempted)[10]
Dark Souls III[]
- Sister Friede (attempted)[11]
- Ashen One*[12]
Depending on the player's chosen endings, the Chosen Undead, Bearer of the Curse and Ashen One could all become Dark Lords.
References[]
- ↑ Darkstalker Kaathe dialogue: "Enough of this...and farewell to you. I shall return to the Abyss, and await the true Lord of Men."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Darkstalker Kaathe dialogue: "... Your ancestor claimed the Dark Soul, and waited for Fire to subside. And soon, the flames did fade, and only Dark remained. Thus began the age of men, the Age of Dark."
- ↑ Darkstalker Kaathe dialogue: "Clinging to his Age of Fire, and in dire fear of humans, and the Dark Lord who would one day be born amongst them, Lord Gwyn resisted the course of nature. By sacrificing himself to link the Fire, and commanding his children to shepherd the humans, Gwyn has blurred your past, to prevent the birth of the Dark Lord." and "... You must destroy the fading Lord Gwyn, who has coddled Fire and resisted nature, and become the Fourth Lord, so that you may usher in an Age of Dark."
- ↑ Darkstalker Kaathe dialogue: "Ahh... If you wish, I shall grant the art of Lifedrain, the legendary power of the Dark Lord. It can preserve your humanity while Undead, and cast off the shackles placed upon your brethren."
- ↑ Billed Mask description.
- ↑ Yuria of Londor dialogue: "(upon death) Kaathe, I have failed thee..."
- ↑ Yuria of Londor dialogue: "Our Lord and Liege. I prithee play the usurper. When the moment cometh to link the fire, wrest it from its mantle. The Age of Fire was founded by the old gods, sustained by the linking of the fire. But the old gods are no more, and the all-powerful fire deserveth a new heir. Our Lord of Hollows, it shall be, who weareth the true face of mankind."
- ↑ Ending (Dark Souls I)#The Dark Lord
- ↑ Ending (Dark Souls II)#Leave the Throne
- ↑ Nashandra dialogue.
- ↑ Soul of Sister Friede and Onyx Blade description.
- ↑ Ending (Dark Souls III)#The Usurpation of Flame