The Role and Meaning of Dark Souls 1 Connections in Dark Souls 3

There are a lot of connections to Dark Souls 1 in Dark Souls 3, and I mean a lot. Such a volume of connections necessarily prompted me to consider the significance of this. Perhaps Dark Souls 3 acts as the “greatest hits” game of the Souls series. Perhaps it is simply fan service. However, these two interpretations feel a bit shallow and lacking. Fromsoft puts too much care and thought into their work. Dark Souls 3 uses Dark Souls 1 as the foundation on which to tell the story of the fading First Flame in order to elucidate the themes of entropy and decay, and the inherent beauty that exists even in a dying world.

In a recent interview with Vice, Director Hidetaki Miyazaki makes an acutely relevant statement regarding the use of familiarity in Dark Souls 3:

"Particular areas, notably at the beginning of the game, are 'classic' to the franchise. We've made it to resemble what players may have seen in the past." 

Dark Souls 3 is intentionally invoking familiarity to conjure memories from the player's experiences with the first game. But, to what end? Miyazaki offers an answer:

"The main concept of Dark Souls III is the first flame and its successors; the world has been in this cycle of reigniting the flame since the first game, but now it seems to be disappearing, almost dying. We're trying to draw out the aspects of this withering flame…We emphasize sadness and loneliness, too, which can be seen in both the environments and life forms within the game. What we want to communicate to the fans is that there's an inherent beauty that can be found within everything, beyond all the withering and decay."

The themes of “withering and decay” are not static and do not occur in isolation. These are kinetic, transformative ideas that imply history and the passage of time. Dark Souls 3 uses the familiarity of Dark Souls 1 imagery to provide contrast between the player’s memories of the first game and what is laid before them. This pulls the player’s mind between how they once understood a character or place and how this element fits into the world now. It is the space between the player’s memory and the contemporary scene that the degradation of this dying world is realized and felt.

An example of this from my experience with the game was when I found the corpses of the mushroom family in Farron Keep. Prior to that discovery I recognized Farron Keep as the poison swamp that is present in every Souls game. This area archetype speaks to the idea of a place that has either been corrupted or abandoned by the world.  The mushroom family evoke a connection to Darkroot Garden from Dark Souls 1. This was a big moment of realization, and also a real gut punch moment for me. These corpses, essentially a detail in the landscape, created this wonderful moment in which the entire area was both re-contextualized and given an emotional weight. As I remembered Darkroot and looked upon Farron Keep, I saw my memory of Darkroot wither away as this once sacred wood became corrupted by poison. The corpses of the family before me stewed in the toxic filth of the swamp, pointedly symbolizing the corruption of Darkroot and the undignified manner in which it was profaned. I would go on to find the corpse of Elizabeth and the clothing that Dusk wore, connections to the ancient land of Oolacile that preceded Darkroot. My experiences were not used to simply connect Farron to Darkroot and Oolacile, but to tell the tragic story of a land of golden sorceries being reduced to a fetid swamp as the vicious cycle of re-igniting the Flame reduces this world to ashes.

Siegward of Catarina is meant to invoke Siegmeyer of Catarina from the original Dark Souls. Beyond having similar names and armor, which could be true of any knight from Catarina, they are both well-meaning adventurers who often find themselves in a pickle and need the player’s help. With my memories of Siegmeyer from Dark Souls 1 being drawn upon, I expected him to take a passive role as I helped him overcome situations. I expected him to speak romantically about being an adventurer. I wondered if a Sieglinde-type character would show up to take him out when he Hollowed and became a threat. What I didn’t realize is that Siegward is actually the hero. As Sieglinde journeyed through Lordran to pass on her mother’s dying words to her father, Siegward journeys through Lothric to fulfill a promise he made to his dear friend, Yhorm the Giant. As Sieglinde had to kill her father to save him, Siegward promised to slay Yhorm so that the fire might be linked. In this way, Siegward is neither fully Siegmeyer or Sieglinde, but an amalgamation of these characters brought full circle. My expectations were used against me to more dramatically highlight Siegward’s heroism and sacrifice, and showcase the moments of compassion and love that can exist even in a world drowning in Darkness.

All of this isn't to argue that there isn't fan service in Dark Souls 3. Andre is a prime example of a character that returns in in this game because he was beloved in the first game. However, even Andre serves a purpose beyond being a callback. He speaks to the very nature of Lothric, where the transitory lands of the Lords of Cinder converge. You cannot pin a particular lore significance to the presence of Andre, but his presence itself is intended to hint toward the folding and overlapping nature of reality in Lothric. Similar to Lordran, time and space are convoluted in Lothric. In Dark Souls 2, the player abstractly traveled across the kingdom of Drangleic. In Dark Souls 3, the player logically travels through an abstract amalgamation of disparate lands drawn together through time and space.

Miyazaki has always spoken about these games in terms of how he wants the player to feel as they experience the game. A huge part of the brilliance of the Dark Souls series is that the experience of the player struggling to play the game are intimately tied into the mechanics and narrative. In Dark Souls 1, Lordran was a land of gods that beckoned heroes and legends to make pilgramage. Characters like Laurentius and Griggs fawned over Quelaana and Big Hat Logan respectively, traveling to Lordran for the very purpose of finding them. Dark Souls 3 puts us in the role of Laurentius and Griggs, as we are offered the chance to travel to a land where we learn the fate and legacy of these legendary figures and places that we know so well. And just like them, we learn that there no happy endings in Dark Souls. The cycle of Light and Dark tear at the very fabric of the universe, and we are taken on a guided tour of this.

As Miyazaki stated, "Particular areas, notably at the beginning of the game, are 'classic' to the franchise. We've made it to resemble what players may have seen in the past". The beginning areas of the game present the most familiar elements, the previously mentioned Farron Keep being among them. As I have previously stated at length, these familiar elements found in these areas are meant to invoke memories and provide context and meaning in order to display the tragedy of this world as it withered and decayed. As this is done within each area, this is also being done with the structure of the narrative. As Miyazaki said, "[t]he main concept of Dark Souls III is the first flame and its successors," and as the narrative continues the familiar increasingly gives way to the unfamiliar as the line of successors to Gwyn, the First Lord of Cinder are explored. At the zenith of this tour, we encounter Aldrich, the Devourer of Gods. He is one of the most abhorrent examples of corruption. The successors to Gwyn, the First Lord of Cinder become increasingly reluctant to bear this burden, to the point that Aldrich, Devourer of Gods turns against Gwyn and his kin, consuming Gwyndolin. Aldrich can be found in the ruined cathedral of Anor Londo, an element directly ripped from Dark Souls 1. This ultimate expression of the familiar combined with the most potent example of the corruption of Gwyn's legacy draw together the concept of the First Flame and its successors with the theme of decay in a dying world in a powerful and evocative way. 

As the final entry in the series, Dark Souls 3 does a wonderful job drawing upon my experiences in order to provide context and elucidate the themes of the narrative. In turn, Dark Souls 3 enriches the world of Dark Souls 1 by providing a legacy to the major players and places in Lordran, at points even re-contextualizing my understanding of elements in the first game (Ex. Ornstein was an illusion and Xanthous King Jeremiah was part of a group of scholars searching for lost sorceries). This works well for a final entry, giving a sense of completeness and closure to the series. It is bittersweet, but effective. That being said, I'm not convinced that Dark Souls 2 got its fair shake. If anything, I think Dark Souls 3 serves to further complicate the relationship Dark Souls 2 has with the series. The volume of connections with Dark Souls 1, while being effectively used, only make the absence of substantial connections to Dark Souls 2 more evident. Characters in Dark Souls 2, chiefly Aldia, the Scholar of the First sin, deserve to be given more consideration in the meta narrative of the series. In this instance, I'm hoping that the DLC for Dark Souls 3 connects Aldia into the narrative in a meaningful way.

Ultimately, Dark Souls 3 is about the end of a deeply beloved series. Dark Souls has had a massive impact on my life. It changed my perception of how video games as a medium can be used to tell stories and create experiences. I fell head first into the world and lore created by Dark Souls, and years later I still find more to discover and consider. I found a community that I really enjoy interacting with, and I've made some great friends. Miyazaki knows Dark Souls cannot continue on forever, and he wants to end it on a high note. As he said, there is the "inherent beauty that can be found within everything, beyond all the withering and decay". 

Even the bittersweet beauty of a beloved series coming to a close.