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The ring of steel protection worn by Knight King Rendal.
Knight King Rendal (Japanese: 騎士王レンドル, Hepburn: Kishi Ō Rendoru) is a mentioned character in Dark Souls.
Lore[]
The face of Rendal on the Silver Coins.
Dark Souls[]
Rendal was the legendary "Knight King" of his homeland Balder.[1] He wore a special ring capable of granting its wearer with the protection of iron, leading many legends to circulate about him. One of them claimed that not even the claws of a gigantic wyvern would be able to damage it.[2][Note 1] Silver Coins were even minted portraying his face[3], similarly to those of the gods McLoyf and Allfather Lloyd[4], which denoted his importance to mankind.
However, with the fading of the First Flame, more and more Undead started to appear among humans to the point that Balder was overrun by them, which caused the kingdom to be reduced to ruins in the ensuing chaos.[1] Because of this, the Knight King gathered the remaining Balder Knight of his country and left for Lordran[5], the ancient kingdom of the gods. According to a legend, the Undead would make pilgrimage and overcome various trials to learn about their fate.[6]
In an attempt to reach Anor Londo to link the fading Flame and thus save what remained of their kingdom by nullifying the Curse of Undeath[7], Rendal and his knights arrived at the Sen's Fortress which tested the potential Chosen Undead with deadly challenges.[5] However, even if they were able to navigate the fortress, the knights of Balder never managed to overcome the Iron Golem, the last trial to overcome if they wished to reach the city of the gods.[8]
They continued to try for decades, failing each and every time[9], until even the Knight King himself died, losing his ring in the fortress.[10] His now hollowed men were now left to wander around the fortress aimlessly, lacking purpose and the guidance of their legendary leader.[5]
Dark Souls II[]
The figure of the Knight King lived on past Rendal's death, reaching even Drangleic and the nearby regions carried by his ring of protection. However, the tales surrounding him, much like his name and kingdom, were lost to the passage of time, with even the greatly wizened having no recollection of his once-legendary exploits.[11]
Dark Souls III[]
His protective ring persisted to the age of the kingdom of Lothric, which seemed to have a better recollection of the Knight King despite his name still being long-forgotten. In fact, legends of this time claim that he was lined with steel on the inside, such that even the talons of mighty dragons did him little harm.[12]
Artifacts[]
- Silver Coin
- Ring of Steel Protection
- Ring of Steel Protection (Dark Souls II)
- Ring of Steel Protection (Dark Souls III)
Notes[]
- ↑ While the English localization claims that "one of the more well-known [legends] speaks of his standing down a giant drake and slashing it to pieces", the Japanese version says "は数多く巨大な飛竜の爪ですらも 彼を十分に傷つけなかったという", which would better translate to "It is said that not even the claws of a giant wyvern were not enough to harm him". This highlights the defensive capabilities of the ring as opposed to giving an unrelated anectode about the Knight King's strength, and the description for the ring in Dark Souls III lines up with the original Japanese much better.
Trivia[]
- In Demon's Souls, Old King Allant's model is internally called "レンドル王" which translates to "King Rendal", the same name of the legendary Knight King of Dark Souls. Whether this was done intentionally by the developers or not remains a mystery.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Balder Side Sword, Balder Shield and Balder Set descriptions.
- ↑ Ring of Steel Protection#Trivia description.
- ↑ Silver Coin description.
- ↑ Copper Coin and Gold Coin descriptions.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Balder Knight#Location
- ↑ Oscar, Knight of Astora dialogue.
- ↑ Kingseeker Frampt dialogue.
- ↑ Core of an Iron Golem description.
- ↑ Crestfallen Merchant dialogue.
- ↑ Ring of Steel Protection#Availability
- ↑ Ring of Steel Protection (Dark Souls II) description.
- ↑ Ring of Steel Protection (Dark Souls III) description.