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Why We Love the Characters in Dark Souls


The Dark Souls series is well-known for its strenuous gameplay and incredibly hard to understand lore. There's also a special charm to the Dark Souls series that isn't acknowledged, but it's a very important part of what makes Dark Souls so unique and lovable. A big part of this is all the well designed characters, along with their writing respectably.

My personal favorite example of wondrous character writing in the Dark Souls mythos is Lucatiel of Mirrah. The player encountered Lucatiel in Dark Souls 2 and at first she hides her true identity. Later on she tells you that she traveled to the area to search for her brother, but came in contact with the same wasting condition that affects much of Drangleic, the setting of Dark Souls 2. After Lucatiel helps you on your journey, she eventually disappears, succumbing to the hollowing disease. At some point, you do encounter Lucatiel's brother, who fights you as he's not much more than a soulless adversary.

Lucatiel's story may not be the most expansive or complicated in the Dark Souls series, but it has just as much care put into it as any other story. This kind of care and attention to detail is exactly what makes the characters in Dark Souls feel so alive. Every person has a reason to be there. They each have their own lives, their own stories, et cetera.

I implore you that next time you think about a character in-depth, analyse their wants, their fears, the things that make them cry, and everything else. A character is more than just a sprite or a 3D model, they're a living, breathing personality, a culmination of everything that creates them. The characters within Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, and Dark Souls 3 are exactly what we love because they feel like the real people we want. We love seeing Sieglinde's perseverance, Solaire's determination, and everything that makes these characters who they are.

Now if only we could clear up all the loose ends...
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