Hollow

A Hollowed zombie.

Not to be confused with Hollow (enemy).

Hollow (Japanese: 亡者, Hepburn: Mōja, lit. 'Dead Person') is a degenerative state in the Dark Souls franchise which the Undead are doomed to eventually become unless they can find a steady supply of Humanity.

Gameplay

Dark Souls

In terms of gameplay, Hollow refers to an in-game mechanism which limits the abilities and possible scenarios of the Chosen Undead. Namely, not being able to summon NPCs and other players in the form of white phantoms. Alternatively, being Hollow might also be desirable at times as it prevents the player from being invaded by other characters and players.

It is possible to "Reverse Hollowing" by offering Humanity at a bonfire; however, death results in reverting to a semi-Hollowed state. Also, the darksign can recreate the Chosen Undead's body in order to be reborn.

Dark Souls II

Hollowing in Dark Souls II is similar to the previous game, with a few key differences:

1. Being hollow does not prevent being invaded by NPCs and other players.
2. Each death suffered will reduce the player's max HP in increments of 5%. This will continue until it caps at 50% of maximum HP, unless the player has a sin level of wretch, which will cap it at 5%. With the Ring of Binding equipped, the HP cap is halved.
3. The player's appearance visually degrades with each death.

Reverse Hollowing can be made instantly using a Human Effigy from the inventory. Alternatively, seeking Vendrick's blessing and wearing one of the four crowns will completely negate the effect of Hollowing, even upon death.

Dark Souls III

Hollowing works somewhat differently in Dark Souls III compared to the previous games.

1. Hollowing does not occur until the Ashen One has acquired at least one Dark Sigil. Every time the player dies, their "Hollowing" stat will increase by an amount equal to the number of Dark Sigils in their inventory. The Ashen One's body will start decaying after reaching a certain level of hollowing, but this effect is purely aesthetic.
2. Hollowing has no negative effects on gameplay. However, it is required for certain NPC questlines and provides a bonus to luck when wielding Hollow weapons, if the player's hollowing level is at least 15.
3. Unlike the previous installments, Hollowing and the "Host of Embers" status are unrelated; online interactions are governed only by the latter, meaning that hollowing does not affect invasions or summons.
4. Hollowing can be reversed temporarily or permanently through two mechanics:
   1. Temporary reversal through either consuming a Purging Stone, or through requesting Dissolution from the Statue of Velka or the Purging Monument. These methods do not remove the Dark Sigil from the inventory, and hollowing will continue to be accrued with each death.
   2. Permanent healing of the Dark Sigil, and thereby hollowing, through giving the Fire Keeper Soul to the Fire Keeper and selecting "Heal the Dark Sigil" in her dialogue. The cost of removing the Dark Sigils is equal to the soul cost of leveling up n times, for n being the number of Dark Sigils in the player inventory. Healing the Dark Sigil cannot be undone, and will stop questlines that require it. Although it is possible to heal 5 Dark Sigils and then perform the Avowal ceremony, 3 Dark Sigils will be gained from the ceremony as usual, the healing of which will cost the equivalent of 3 soul levels. Finally, healing the Dark Sigil may not remove the visual effects of hollowing, which requires the use of reversal methods given above.

Plot

A Hollowed Crestfallen Warrior

At the beginning of the Age of Fire, Gwyn marked the Dark Soul within every human being with a seal of fire, blocking its natural powers and causing humans to become mortal. As the First Flame began to fade, the Darksign's power consequently weakened and, as it was no longer able to adequately contain the Dark Soul, humans returned to being immortal, coming back to life with each death, and becoming known as Undead. However, humans are still marked by the Darksign, which consumes their Dark Soul as fuel to continue to exist. This leads the Undead to slowly lose their minds and become Hollows, as the strength that allows them to have a will and emotions and remain human is consumed from within them.

Many Undead characters encountered in Lordran will eventually turn Hollow if certain prerequisites are met. Most characters are fearful of going Hollow and try to ward it off as much as possible, though the Crestfallen Warrior seems to find the prospect of going Hollow to be desirable.

The Chosen Undead is already in a somewhat Hollowed state when escaping from the Undead Asylum and seems to be subject to a different progression pattern compared to other Undead characters in Lordran. Despite the Chosen Undead's appearance as a Hollow, they are able to maintain their free will and this is immediately recognized by other characters.

In general, it seems that Undead go Hollow more quickly when they have no further goals or purpose. Even characters like Blacksmith Lenigrast, who are visibly almost fully Hollow, can maintain their lucidity if they are focused on their craft. This is likely why the Chosen Undead never fully hollows during the course of the game, since they will continue on their journey for as long as the player is motivated.

At some point in time, Hollows developed their own civilization, most notably Londor, governed by the Sable Church.

Causes

The causes of Hollowing are not fully understood. Hollowing involves the loss of Humanity, the loss of purpose, or both.

Humanity seems to slow Hollowing. The characters closest to Hollowing do not drop any Humanity when killed. Using the Dark Hand, Humanity can be stolen from most characters, with the exception of several characters close to Hollowing (Crestfallen Warrior, Crestfallen Merchant, Undead Male Merchant, Undead Female Merchant). However, some fully Hollowed characters will drop large amounts of Humanity when killed, indicating that even Humanity cannot prevent Hollowing entirely.

Symptoms

The defining symptom of Hollowing is a gradual loss of free will. All Hollows seek souls, but some Hollows may also have attractions to things they valued before becoming Hollows. This might explain why so many have maintained stations at various posts as well as their aggression towards non-Hollows. Hollows are non-aggressive towards other Hollows, and also seem to ignore Undead who are sufficiently close to Hollowing.

Hollows are also referenced as mad or lost, also characterized by abhorrent stench. Hollows' minds are filled with fears.

While Undead are ordinarily reborn at a Bonfire after each death, it is possible for a Hollow to be permanently killed, after which they will not revive. This is the fate of many NPCs encountered in Dark Souls: they eventually become Hollow, are killed by the player, and never reappear.

Beyond this, drastic changes in physical appearance can be observed. Skin appears slightly decomposed and the body thoroughly dehydrated, prominent veins can be seen surrounding the heart although physical signs may only be indicative of progression into a Hollowed state and not of being entirely Hollowed.

Gallery

A male hollowed Chosen Undead.

A female hollowed Chosen Undead.