Audio nerds will notice a lot of digital clipping in the music in this video. My bad.
But hey, wanna watch some cool videos where I didn't mess up the audio? Here are all my game music reaction videos in a playlist: th-cam.com/video/65IPMLbvL28/w-d-xo.html
@@bruhjesus251 I mean the game was initially going to be called like Dark Ring? Which had the implications of arseholes so they changed it. Also it was going to be called Dark Race, which of course would have sprouted racial issues.
0:50 that's because you're not fighting a sinister mastermind, or despicable villain. You're fighting what's left of an old man who gave away his family, kingdom, and all of his power so that the world he fought for could exist for just a little longer.
This, Gwyn's gone from this larger than life, God-Like figure, to a sad pathetic husk of a man desperately trying to cling to what little bits of his former glory remain.
And that pretty much describes every King in Dark Souls(not to mentioning Nashandra), every time you meet those kings you hear quiet and lonely music, if Gwyn had at least an armour and could more or less do 60 yard jumps in front of us Vendrik became fully hollow, unable to hold his blade normally
9:32 never fails to give me goosebumps. The entirety of this piece is played by two pianists, one of whom plays the low, repetitive, and slow part, and the other of whom plays the higher notes and dances around the piano gracefully. The two parts are directly represented by Gwyn and the player themselves: Where Gwyn is slow and predictable, yet powerful; the player is fast, dodges around Gwyn, and attacks unrelentingly. By the end of the piece, there is only one pianist left playing. You. The player. Unless you got bodied by Gwyn. lol git gud skrub
I really like Jaime Altozano's (Spanish TH-camr) interpretation of this piece. It goes like this, the first piano, with its left hand it plays the same A minor chord for 40 bars, repeating the same figure and with its right hand, it plays the melody. The second piano plays an F major chord that clashes with the first piano's Am chord and creates a big dissonance. But whats more, is that the second piano doesn't stay in F major, it goes in ascension step by step in the same hand position. For him, the first piano, represents Gwyn. With one hand (melody) playing the theme of what he once was. With the other hand (Am repeating chord), hollow, caught in the most simple same three notes repeating, lifeless, forever. The other piano represents the player, the constant ascension and perseverance. Constantly challenging Gwyn's repeating chord until eventually Gwyn gives in.
"The king is already defeated" man you touched the sting in my heart made me realized so much thing in real life. At my mid 30s I got achievements & reach the throne room of what I desired but then I found out pretty much the same thing you mentioned, "it's a useless battle the king is already defeated". Now I understand why I love this track so much and subconsciously chose to let the flame died out 5 years ago, thank you, really.
it sounds like the slashes impacting him, knocking him down (slash slash, boom) for one of the most hyped up/feared fights for the whole game, you're shown via music how easy it will be to get hits on gwyn via the first few notes having this plin plin plon, a realization that this burning flame could never last forever
Its hard to forget a final boss theme that instead of hyping up the fight makes you realize that you are just killing a sad old man that has lost everything and is afraid of change so you can use your own body as fuel so the age of the gods that you already killed can continue a little longer
I literally cried the first time I fought Gwynn. Throughout the whole game you hear of the mighty Gwynn who sacrificed himself to link the fire and prolong a decaying world, and yet the longer the game goes on the more it seems like a pointless and hollow endeavor for a world kept alive well past the brink of death. When you finally open the doors to the kiln of the first flame, it is desolate and empty, only inhabited by the mindless black knights. When you enter the boss room, it isn’t a grand throne room inhabited by the proud and mighty lord of sunlight, it is a tomb inhabited by the decayed and decrepit lord of cinders. There is no grand fanfare, no spectacle, just emptiness and a hauntingly beautiful yet anguished piano melody. Gwynn is unrecognizable, a hollowed out shell barely clinging to undeath, and you are not there to usurp him, you are there to put him out of his misery. Like Davi said, the king is already defeated.
I remember entering the kiln and seeing a handful of black knights, then thinking back to the intro cinematic where the all powerful gwyn had endless rows of knights. It is a faded, ash covered place with only a few knights charred black scattered about aimlessly along the path to a desperate hollow old man who was once a god.
Soulsborne, a series about beating up old men to sad music. Featuring the old vintage elders, loved by many. Including: Gwyn, Lord of Cinder Vendrick Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin Yhorm, the Giant Nameless King Slave Knight Gael Father Gascoigne Gehrman, the First Hunter and Sword Saint Isshin. If you hate old people, and love beating them up when they're at their literal worst point in life, this is the series for you!
I remember getting super deep into the dark souls 1 lore and going crazy thinking gwyn was gonna be an absolute mad man because of how glorious he was built up. And when I saw him in the boss room, it kind of just clicked in my head. Oh he's gone as well isn't he. Just like the rest of us in this dying world. I had to stop playing for a moment and just process how everyone was broken from the start anyway
I think youd like the soul of cinder theme, it is the theme of the final boss from Dark Souls 3, and actually references a few other bosses themes, as well as the boss itself referencing other bosses in its moveset, and is just overall an amazing piece
I think the brighter section might also reflect his memories, and even longing, of better times. Back when he lived in peace in Anor Londo with his family.
Just like if Gwyin during the fight was thinking "I carved my own path, you followed your wrath, but maybe we're both the same, the tables have turned, and so many have burned, but nobody is to blame! Yet, staring across this barren wasted land, I feel new life could be born beneath the bloodstained saaaaand!!"
I think the thing I like most about the music is how it symbolizes the story. The way it repeats, how it legitimately feels like you are fighting the dying lord of a dying age, holding onto something that is meant to be forgotten.
As an Dark Souls fan i must say, that i really love your reaction to this Track. I already really liked your Monster Hunter reaction videos, but this got me hyped. I appreciate your work man, hope you stay healty :) Also my next suggestion for a Track you react on, would be Dark Souls III Soul of Cinder.
After watching your video I realised how more complex this theme is than it sounds and you managed to show me things I never noticed during all those years. For me I think Gwyn's theme does not represent only him but also how the journey of the player went through the game. While the game had melancholic tone from the start, there was a little feeling of harmony, that player has a purpose and can "save" whatever is in there. But the more we die as a player and more frustrated and hollow we become and the more we go deep into the world and its lore the more it becomes more faithless and hopeless we loose the gripe of even trying to save what is already dying the more disturbing notes start to enter the world and its slowly dying for real, for us and for the inhabitants of it. Ending of Dark Souls learned me a very important lesson though. We can't just live with one purpose, one goal and be blind on anything else. The point of the journey is needed to start, but the journey Itself should be more important to us. The beauty of both happy and sad moments, which both teach us something. Otherwise the goal might be a dissapointment, or maybe even depressing... we are all the chosen ones in our stories, some people will have a ton of faith in what they want from us or what we want of us, but don't run blindly into that last stop. Enjoy life, enjoy world that you live in, and fight for goals that you want to achieve. Don't you dare go hollow...
YES! Easily of of my all time favorite pieces of musical genius in a video game. Glad to see you break down this masterpiece, makes me appreciate it that much more.
One of my favourite Soulsborne pieces is the whole of Ludwig the Accursed's fight. That second phase is insanity and I can't get enough of it. Would love to see that be analysed sometime!
Definitely, a unique theme, while Ornstein and Smough, Sif, and the 4 kings have themes that I prefer. This one's special to me. I would also like to add that the lack of a huge orchestra would be because Gywn is weak and hollow, the piano is the only instrument that remains. But even the piano is starting to fall silent, only for it to be snuffed out by the chosen undead.
I remember the backlash from the final boss, everyone said they were expecting a boss like we got throughout the game, but we got a melancholy almost pitiful final boss, a God struggling to keep his world alive and a hollow fighting another hollow.
Thank you for this review the part near the end where you noticed to the slow decaying feeling of the song was something I always felt but never consciously realized until you pointed it out. Such a beautiful way of visual storytelling.
I’m no composer, hell I have no musical background at all. But I had a very deep and emotional connection with DS1 that helped me understand this beautiful song. There were so many subtle parts of this song that created deep impactful feelings while fighting Gwyn or simply listening to this song on repeat. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say this was one of the most impactful OSTs I have ever heard.
Great analysis as always. Your descriptions for the chords are always amazing. I’m super happy this week’s video is about Dark Souls! This theme is one of my favorite pieces of Motoi Sakuraba’s works. I love the pensive vibe in this beautiful theme . It feel like a requiem for Gwyn. I really enjoyed your analysis. Thank you!!
The vanity is also present lore-wise, as you have 2 choices after the fight: light the bonfire and, in essence, repeat the same cycle (in which case, what are you even fighting for?), or don't, and let the world plunge into darkness, ruin and death (in which case, again, no matter who wins). This makes you feel more and more the vanity and uselessness (so to speak) of this battle. No matter the outcome, this world will never be a better place. You aren't defeating "evil". You are defeating someone so that you can decide whether the world will be the same as it was up to now (which is chaotic and sad and futile), or even worse, be plunged into darkness and let everything here perish.
I'd be interested in your thoughts on Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin. It plays off of the Gwyn trope of a subversively simple and bare piece in comparison to a lot of other bombast, but it's a completely different mood, I don't know exactly what mood, I think maybe...pensive? Thoughtful?
I remember the reactions of people when the theme of the final boss of Dark Souls 3 "Soul of Cinder" reprises Gwyn's theme in the final phase. It was the story coming full circle.
Had to check this out after it being mentioned in the Star Conquering Traveler video. Thematically, I’m reminded of Sealed Vessel. The slowing down, the already weakened enemy. Very unique and unexpected for a final boss theme from such an infamously brutal series. “It’s brutal where it matters. The feels.” Ain’t that a line…
If you need more suggestions, Tri was my first Monster Hunter game and there are some iconic tracks there like Subzero White Knight (Barioth theme) and Usurper of the Deserted Island (Great Jaggi theme). For Dark Souls, Sif's theme really plucks my heart strings. These videos are great!
The two pianos represents Gwyn, wanting to keep the same, to keep the flame eternally going, and the second piano, it's the player, that have the will to change the world... or keep the flame light, for just a little more longer...
I know Gwyn is hollowed, however now at 7:44 in the vid, it makes me realize, in game we essentially are Gwyn. Overthrowing a Lord for our own needs. Gwyn has been hollowed for potentially a long time. As Davi states their is a bit of a slowdown towards the later half of the song. I feel is Gwyn remembering a bit of his humanity mid fight, seeing you as he was trying to overthrow a higher power to keep his kingdom (age of fire) alive. He acknowledges you a the new lord. (all speculation im no lore expert)
Man, I love the way you explain all the things that happen in the music. It shows how much work went into composing these pieces, and how much you know about composing :) Keep it up!
Oh dear, I'm very late this week! This is an amazing piece, it's so clever. It has so much depth and yet it's very simple and effective. They way it changes along the way. It's very sad and lonely, but also almost alien. At the end where the piano sounds like it's out of tune, and the repetition and the pauses just make me feel like drowning, struggling, losing consciousness. This was great, thank you Davi!
I feel like the song sounds like a dwindling campfire. The dancing of the keys in the background like the crackling of the coals as the main fire is the melody
I felt the same about this conclusion, how he talks about final boss themes typically being big and explosive and grand. This one made me think wait, the music's so sad, am I doing the right thing?
The first time I heard this song play when I got to Gwyn, the atmosphere and music really made me feel as though I was not the hero. In fact, it made me feel like I was doing something wrong. Upon reflection after the fight, I think I figured out why: this was a man who gave everything to keep the fire lit. He tried his best to keep things under control and now he is a shell of his former self because of his sacrifice. He's lost everything except that fire. And now I've come to take it from him. The music made me feel that way. That's some God tier music to make me unconsciously feel that way.
God, this theme is so sad and heartbreaking, walking into the battle expecting something grand, this instead punches you in the face with sorrow. Especially after the game had primed you too expect great orchestral pieces. Genius choice.
One track i also love and, its not even featured in the ost, is a track when you make your way into the kilm of the first of the first flame... right after you unlock the door and you see a lot of ghostly apparition of gwyn knight.... All of them... possibly knowning that lord gwym is lost... yet trying so hard to serve their lord....
Yoooo Dark souls is prob my favorite franchises and I really like its music. I am really happy that you did a video on it :) I don't know about you but "Epilogue" is my fav soundtrack from the dark souls franchise. Keep doing your thing dude this is amazing
Something interesting that is easy to not realize about this song is that it written for and played on a Bösendorfer with extra keys in the bass. It makes use of them very nicely too.
The dying of the flame, thinking of the nostalgic glory of the past only to be brought back to an insane present. This song definitely covers the desperation of an old god clinging to power, knowing that he was the one who destroyed all that he loved. Not that he knows anything in the game-time though, being hollow. Great breakdown!
Cool, thank you for the suggestion. I've been kinda out of touch with DS (like I said in the video, I played it 10 years ago) so suggestions are welcome since I don't really remember which tracks are good.
What i would give to play this game for the first time again. And seeing this hollow and just crying about 10 minutes later after beating him. That that was the dude who essentially saved and lifted the world once… slightly tearing up again lol. (Big baby.)
The melancholy is not just seeing the Lord of Sunlight in such a state of disrepair, a literal shadow of his former self cast by the light he had created. But but being so weak as to fall to the will of a lowly undead. Being put down like a sickly dog.
When I played through this game and got to the fog gate, already knowing what's coming up the music and whole tone of the buildup and the fight itself caught me off guard. I defeated Gwyn but I didn't feel any accomplishment. I only felt sorry for Gwyn and that all he was fighting for and all that he accomplished was futile. It was only a moment of peace, happiness and joy for humanity but in the end every fire turns to cinders. Every light fades one day and everyone of us dies in the end. This whole fight and theme just tells us that. And the talking cat in Dark Souls 2 even humours this with the line "Noone even remembers their names anymore." Even though the cat makes fun of this it is actually quite meaningful in saying that humanity is just a small unimportant part of the whole world itself.
As I was listening to the analysis, I found myself also enjoying the gameplay in the corner. It was logic, but also fascinating for once to see a proper fight against the old man and not just a parry spam like many of us do nowadays.
I'm a big soulsborne fan and I like your boss ost reacting and explaining the feelings and telling the lore of bosses from just the soundtrack. I didn't know that was possible. Great videos keep them up :D Maybe try Maiden Astraea boss soundtrack from Demon's Souls remake or Nameless song from Dark Souls. Some of my favourites from the soulsborne series. I can guarantee that you will like them ;)
Gwyn at this point, was a husk of his former self, it's not even known if he had his own thoughts and mind anymore. He had fallen from god, to burnt corpse, none of the glory left, only a dull pain.
You are very good at breaking down whats behind the notes. Please have a go at the Maiden Astraea OST from Demon Souls, its also a very sad piece with an equally sad story
It's fascinating to me that you pointed out the way that the repeating emotionless chords feel like a vicious cycle. The main premise of all 3 Dark Souls games is built on this idea of choosing to perpetuate the vicious cycle of rekindling the First Flame, or choosing to let it fade into darkness, until a new lord rises to rekindle it. An endless cycle of lords and kingdoms, and ALL of it started with Gwyn. And while you battle him you can hear the rise and fall of entire kingdoms, reduced to nothing more than a part of the slowly fading cycle of Flame and Dark. Dark Souls is the gift that keeps on giving, man.
His theme is so fitting, a warrior who's lost himself, just a husk of his former self, not some overpowered super strong enemy but a foe. It's sad, which is why the theme works so well
@@DaviVasc On a serious note, the story behind the fight is that Gwyn was so obsessed with keeping the First Flame alight that he used himself as its fuel multiple times. He was used as kindling so many times that he ended up becoming hollowed as a result. The fallen god only moves now to protect the First Flame from any intruder because his decrepit mind deems anyone who enters the kiln is there to extinguish it.
This song is supposed to signify the dying moments of a flame. Once a great and powerful light, diminished to but a whisper in the darkness... any moment being its last... holding on as long as it can.
I don't play Dark Souls but I listen to some of the more "epic and violent" tracks while I draw, it was nice to hear something so gentle and heartfelt :D
Oi Davi. This choice of theme is a real change of direction. It’s actually left me feeling quite melancholic. Looking forward to the next video! Congratulations on passing 6K subs, by the way :)
I highly recommend listening to Aldia's theme from Dark Souls II. It portrays its story in a very similar way, but portrays a different story entirely, even though Gwyn's theme and Aldia's theme may sound similar to the untrained ear.
The happy chord might be referencing the Age of Fire that Gwyn created and loves and is sacrificing himself to continue, with the disturbing chord referencing the encroaching Age of Dark threatening to take it away, and him sacrificing his life and leaving his family behind in pieces
This song for the final boss of the first Dark Souls males sense. It's both sad, depressing, yet not epic for a reason as it'll play into the story and lore of the Dark Souls story. It's a never ending depressing cycle till the Painted World. The cycle never ends, it both sad and epic. But never grandiose. Cause your character never knows between games that what you do dosnt matter till 3. To clarify each game is a different "protagonist". I love your break down that Gwyn is already defeated when you get there in game which is roughly true. Of the Dark souls series this is the most important story fight of the whole series cause it sets the whole president of the series as hopeless. That's the the whole theme for the "humans"/Hollows of the series for the rest of the games. It's a depressing series of lore and games. This song is darkly beautiful. Music is emotion.
You earned another sub! Great breakdown, i really hope to see more fromsoftware music breakdowns and would love to see your thoughts on Ludwig The Accursed, The main menu for dark souls 3 (yes the _main menu_ music) and Slave Knight Gael.
Audio nerds will notice a lot of digital clipping in the music in this video. My bad.
But hey, wanna watch some cool videos where I didn't mess up the audio? Here are all my game music reaction videos in a playlist: th-cam.com/video/65IPMLbvL28/w-d-xo.html
Gwyn's theme is played in only white keys... Because he was afraid of the dark
Just to make it a bit more sad
nah g he aint afraid of the dark he just racist lmao
@@bruhjesus251 In that universe that's basically the same thing
@@bruhjesus251 making things about race in a video game soundtrack reaction ? Damn.. 😂
@@francescdoniet380 im just making it racist coz its funny my guy smh
@@bruhjesus251 I mean the game was initially going to be called like Dark Ring? Which had the implications of arseholes so they changed it. Also it was going to be called Dark Race, which of course would have sprouted racial issues.
9:08 "feels like being stabbed in the heart"
Best explanation of "you can parry Gwyn, but you can’t parry the feels"
0:50 that's because you're not fighting a sinister mastermind, or despicable villain. You're fighting what's left of an old man who gave away his family, kingdom, and all of his power so that the world he fought for could exist for just a little longer.
What he didn't know, is that he cursed the whole world.
@@jacktheomnithere2127 he prevented the natural order of the world
This, Gwyn's gone from this larger than life, God-Like figure, to a sad pathetic husk of a man desperately trying to cling to what little bits of his former glory remain.
The Lord of Sunlight reduced to a Lord of Cinder.
And that pretty much describes every King in Dark Souls(not to mentioning Nashandra), every time you meet those kings you hear quiet and lonely music, if Gwyn had at least an armour and could more or less do 60 yard jumps in front of us Vendrik became fully hollow, unable to hold his blade normally
9:32 never fails to give me goosebumps. The entirety of this piece is played by two pianists, one of whom plays the low, repetitive, and slow part, and the other of whom plays the higher notes and dances around the piano gracefully. The two parts are directly represented by Gwyn and the player themselves: Where Gwyn is slow and predictable, yet powerful; the player is fast, dodges around Gwyn, and attacks unrelentingly. By the end of the piece, there is only one pianist left playing. You. The player.
Unless you got bodied by Gwyn. lol git gud skrub
Holy crap. Thank you for pointing this out. I always thought it just sounded sadder. But this really explains it
Okay, you got me in the first part ngl xD
what's funny is that gwyn actually moves faster than you.
i really love this comment
I really like Jaime Altozano's (Spanish TH-camr) interpretation of this piece.
It goes like this, the first piano, with its left hand it plays the same A minor chord for 40 bars, repeating the same figure and with its right hand, it plays the melody. The second piano plays an F major chord that clashes with the first piano's Am chord and creates a big dissonance. But whats more, is that the second piano doesn't stay in F major, it goes in ascension step by step in the same hand position.
For him, the first piano, represents Gwyn. With one hand (melody) playing the theme of what he once was. With the other hand (Am repeating chord), hollow, caught in the most simple same three notes repeating, lifeless, forever.
The other piano represents the player, the constant ascension and perseverance. Constantly challenging Gwyn's repeating chord until eventually Gwyn gives in.
"The king is already defeated" man you touched the sting in my heart made me realized so much thing in real life. At my mid 30s I got achievements & reach the throne room of what I desired but then I found out pretty much the same thing you mentioned, "it's a useless battle the king is already defeated". Now I understand why I love this track so much and subconsciously chose to let the flame died out 5 years ago, thank you, really.
i came here to watch not to feel
It's crazy how deeply some of these tracks can hit us
Don't give up skeleton!
Be safe friend, don’t you dare go hollow
Yeah. It felt cruel to keep the flame going.
I like how almost everyone knows this theme as plin plin plon... like... it could be a lot of other themes but this one is special in some way
it sounds like the slashes impacting him, knocking him down (slash slash, boom)
for one of the most hyped up/feared fights for the whole game, you're shown via music how easy it will be to get hits on gwyn via the first few notes having this plin plin plon, a realization that this burning flame could never last forever
Um exschuuuse me it's 'Sad Plin Plin Plon' 🤣
Its hard to forget a final boss theme that instead of hyping up the fight makes you realize that you are just killing a sad old man that has lost everything and is afraid of change so you can use your own body as fuel so the age of the gods that you already killed can continue a little longer
Those three notes hurt. And I’ve still never played any of the dark souls
"A vicious cycle... an endless cycle."
Nothing encapsulates the world of Dark Souls more perfectly than that.
I literally cried the first time I fought Gwynn. Throughout the whole game you hear of the mighty Gwynn who sacrificed himself to link the fire and prolong a decaying world, and yet the longer the game goes on the more it seems like a pointless and hollow endeavor for a world kept alive well past the brink of death. When you finally open the doors to the kiln of the first flame, it is desolate and empty, only inhabited by the mindless black knights. When you enter the boss room, it isn’t a grand throne room inhabited by the proud and mighty lord of sunlight, it is a tomb inhabited by the decayed and decrepit lord of cinders. There is no grand fanfare, no spectacle, just emptiness and a hauntingly beautiful yet anguished piano melody. Gwynn is unrecognizable, a hollowed out shell barely clinging to undeath, and you are not there to usurp him, you are there to put him out of his misery. Like Davi said, the king is already defeated.
You hit the nail right on the head
You took the words out of my mouth.
I was so disappointed by my journey to the Kiln, I've let 1 star and half on Tripadvisor.
I remember entering the kiln and seeing a handful of black knights, then thinking back to the intro cinematic where the all powerful gwyn had endless rows of knights. It is a faded, ash covered place with only a few knights charred black scattered about aimlessly along the path to a desperate hollow old man who was once a god.
As a wise man once said:
You can parry Gwyn, but you can't parry the feels 😔
Gwyn is temporary, the feels are eternal 😔
Soulsborne, a series about beating up old men to sad music. Featuring the old vintage elders, loved by many. Including:
Gwyn, Lord of Cinder
Vendrick
Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin
Yhorm, the Giant
Nameless King
Slave Knight Gael
Father Gascoigne
Gehrman, the First Hunter
and Sword Saint Isshin.
If you hate old people, and love beating them up when they're at their literal worst point in life, this is the series for you!
Ah damn, I forgot the mist noble. That's his fault for being so weak.
lol
Jesus
ouch, thats nasty. but its kinda right at some point.
You play Dark Souls for the lore, music, atmosphere, challenging combat and boss fights.
I play Dark Souls to beat up old people.
We are not the same.
I remember getting super deep into the dark souls 1 lore and going crazy thinking gwyn was gonna be an absolute mad man because of how glorious he was built up. And when I saw him in the boss room, it kind of just clicked in my head. Oh he's gone as well isn't he. Just like the rest of us in this dying world. I had to stop playing for a moment and just process how everyone was broken from the start anyway
Happy to see you branching out, this is great to see. There’s a LOT of good Fromsoft music.
Fromsoft games were the most suggested in a recent thread where I asked what people wanted to see
@@DaviVasc analyze living failures and Laurence
I think youd like the soul of cinder theme, it is the theme of the final boss from Dark Souls 3, and actually references a few other bosses themes, as well as the boss itself referencing other bosses in its moveset, and is just overall an amazing piece
Cool. Thanks for the suggestion!
@@DaviVasc I second this! Soul of Cinder is just poetic. And it has a lot of lietmotifs! I know you enjoy those.
A soul of cinder theme analysis would be awesome, especially after watching this great breakdown of gwyn's theme
Not to mention the first five brass notes in Soul of Cinder are the same five notes in the beginning of DS1 Firelink Shrine's theme
@@ygorschuma3059 you're the first person I've seen to ever notice that! I thought I was alone. Good work!
props to this guy for fighting gwyn without parrying
All credit for the game footage goes to this person: th-cam.com/video/g15MPGHtZ0M/w-d-xo.html
I think the brighter section might also reflect his memories, and even longing, of better times. Back when he lived in peace in Anor Londo with his family.
That is a very interesting take on it
Just like if Gwyin during the fight was thinking "I carved my own path, you followed your wrath, but maybe we're both the same, the tables have turned, and so many have burned, but nobody is to blame! Yet, staring across this barren wasted land, I feel new life could be born beneath the bloodstained saaaaand!!"
japanese devs are just on ANOTHER level when it comes to sound design and boss theme music , they are the best by a long shot
I think the thing I like most about the music is how it symbolizes the story. The way it repeats, how it legitimately feels like you are fighting the dying lord of a dying age, holding onto something that is meant to be forgotten.
As an Dark Souls fan i must say, that i really love your reaction to this Track.
I already really liked your Monster Hunter reaction videos, but this got me hyped.
I appreciate your work man, hope you stay healty :)
Also my next suggestion for a Track you react on, would be Dark Souls III Soul of Cinder.
Glad you enjoy it, my friend!
After watching your video I realised how more complex this theme is than it sounds and you managed to show me things I never noticed during all those years.
For me I think Gwyn's theme does not represent only him but also how the journey of the player went through the game. While the game had melancholic tone from the start, there was a little feeling of harmony, that player has a purpose and can "save" whatever is in there. But the more we die as a player and more frustrated and hollow we become and the more we go deep into the world and its lore the more it becomes more faithless and hopeless we loose the gripe of even trying to save what is already dying the more disturbing notes start to enter the world and its slowly dying for real, for us and for the inhabitants of it.
Ending of Dark Souls learned me a very important lesson though. We can't just live with one purpose, one goal and be blind on anything else. The point of the journey is needed to start, but the journey Itself should be more important to us. The beauty of both happy and sad moments, which both teach us something. Otherwise the goal might be a dissapointment, or maybe even depressing... we are all the chosen ones in our stories, some people will have a ton of faith in what they want from us or what we want of us, but don't run blindly into that last stop. Enjoy life, enjoy world that you live in, and fight for goals that you want to achieve. Don't you dare go hollow...
Those chords literally pull my heartstrings
Same
Darksouls was really special about its atmosphere and tone, the music reflected it pretty well I would say whenever it plays during important moments.
I already loved the music of Dark souls, but you have given me new appreciation
That makes me happy
YES! Easily of of my all time favorite pieces of musical genius in a video game. Glad to see you break down this masterpiece, makes me appreciate it that much more.
Sakuraba is a legend
One of my favourite Soulsborne pieces is the whole of Ludwig the Accursed's fight. That second phase is insanity and I can't get enough of it. Would love to see that be analysed sometime!
I'll definitely get to it!
Definitely, a unique theme, while Ornstein and Smough, Sif, and the 4 kings have themes that I prefer. This one's special to me. I would also like to add that the lack of a huge orchestra would be because Gywn is weak and hollow, the piano is the only instrument that remains. But even the piano is starting to fall silent, only for it to be snuffed out by the chosen undead.
I remember the backlash from the final boss, everyone said they were expecting a boss like we got throughout the game, but we got a melancholy almost pitiful final boss, a God struggling to keep his world alive and a hollow fighting another hollow.
9:05 ''feels like being stabbed in the heart'' my guy you have no idea how much i agree with that statement
The lore of dark souls really show in this theme
Absolutely. You can get a feel for the lore just by listening to the music.
Thank you for this review the part near the end where you noticed to the slow decaying feeling of the song was something I always felt but never consciously realized until you pointed it out. Such a beautiful way of visual storytelling.
2:15 a endless cycle that is basically the lore behind gwyn but its also very true for life itself.
Listened to the song over a hundred times always saying "I wont cry" and then ten seconds in I'm crying my eyes out.
I’m no composer, hell I have no musical background at all. But I had a very deep and emotional connection with DS1 that helped me understand this beautiful song. There were so many subtle parts of this song that created deep impactful feelings while fighting Gwyn or simply listening to this song on repeat.
I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say this was one of the most impactful OSTs I have ever heard.
Great analysis as always. Your descriptions for the chords are always amazing. I’m super happy this week’s video is about Dark Souls! This theme is one of my favorite pieces of Motoi Sakuraba’s works. I love the pensive vibe in this beautiful theme . It feel like a requiem for Gwyn. I really enjoyed your analysis. Thank you!!
Oh, a requiem for Gwyn is such a good description for it! I hadn't thought of it like that. Thanks for watching, Aya :)
The vanity is also present lore-wise, as you have 2 choices after the fight: light the bonfire and, in essence, repeat the same cycle (in which case, what are you even fighting for?), or don't, and let the world plunge into darkness, ruin and death (in which case, again, no matter who wins). This makes you feel more and more the vanity and uselessness (so to speak) of this battle. No matter the outcome, this world will never be a better place. You aren't defeating "evil". You are defeating someone so that you can decide whether the world will be the same as it was up to now (which is chaotic and sad and futile), or even worse, be plunged into darkness and let everything here perish.
I'd be interested in your thoughts on Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin. It plays off of the Gwyn trope of a subversively simple and bare piece in comparison to a lot of other bombast, but it's a completely different mood, I don't know exactly what mood, I think maybe...pensive? Thoughtful?
Hmm... That sounds interesting. Thanks for the suggestion!
So awesome to see an aldia recommendation! He's my favorite character from the entire series and his theme is just the embodiment of ds2
I remember the reactions of people when the theme of the final boss of Dark Souls 3 "Soul of Cinder" reprises Gwyn's theme in the final phase. It was the story coming full circle.
Had to check this out after it being mentioned in the Star Conquering Traveler video.
Thematically, I’m reminded of Sealed Vessel. The slowing down, the already weakened enemy.
Very unique and unexpected for a final boss theme from such an infamously brutal series.
“It’s brutal where it matters. The feels.”
Ain’t that a line…
If you need more suggestions, Tri was my first Monster Hunter game and there are some iconic tracks there like Subzero White Knight (Barioth theme) and Usurper of the Deserted Island (Great Jaggi theme). For Dark Souls, Sif's theme really plucks my heart strings. These videos are great!
I'll do a video on a theme from 3U very soon, a highly requested one...
It's so sobering to realize that the Lord of Sunlight, The King of Gods, is really just a sad old man whose scared of the dark
Oddly relatable
The two pianos represents Gwyn, wanting to keep the same, to keep the flame eternally going, and the second piano, it's the player, that have the will to change the world... or keep the flame light, for just a little more longer...
初めまして。日本人のゲームプレイヤーです。
好きな楽曲の動画だったので今回初めて貴方様の動画を見ました。
私自身この曲が好きなのですが、私では思いもしなかった楽曲の素晴らしさを伝えてくれる貴方の動画がとても好きになりました。これからも動画投稿楽しみにしています。
それと、もしよろしければ、ペルソナ3の「すべての人の魂の戦い」という曲をいつか聴いていてみていだけたら嬉しいです。
長々と日本語のみのコメントで、すみません。
伝わっていれば嬉しいです。
1:58 like Gwynn wants the world to do
I know Gwyn is hollowed, however now at 7:44 in the vid, it makes me realize, in game we essentially are Gwyn. Overthrowing a Lord for our own needs. Gwyn has been hollowed for potentially a long time. As Davi states their is a bit of a slowdown towards the later half of the song. I feel is Gwyn remembering a bit of his humanity mid fight, seeing you as he was trying to overthrow a higher power to keep his kingdom (age of fire) alive. He acknowledges you a the new lord. (all speculation im no lore expert)
Just finished my first Dark Souls Playthrough last week and this theme was really unique and the first boss theme in the game that i liked.
Man, I love the way you explain all the things that happen in the music. It shows how much work went into composing these pieces, and how much you know about composing :) Keep it up!
Beautiful theme, and perfect Last Boss music.
Oh dear, I'm very late this week! This is an amazing piece, it's so clever. It has so much depth and yet it's very simple and effective. They way it changes along the way. It's very sad and lonely, but also almost alien. At the end where the piano sounds like it's out of tune, and the repetition and the pauses just make me feel like drowning, struggling, losing consciousness. This was great, thank you Davi!
Thank you Abigail!
I can never not cry at this, no matter how muvh i listen to it. The emotion just never gets old
Listen to dark souls 3 final boss track aswell, and im crying the fact that you listen so well to every detail🥺
Thank you for the suggestion. Glad you're enjoying the videos!
I feel like the song sounds like a dwindling campfire. The dancing of the keys in the background like the crackling of the coals as the main fire is the melody
I felt the same about this conclusion, how he talks about final boss themes typically being big and explosive and grand. This one made me think wait, the music's so sad, am I doing the right thing?
"It reminds me of an endless cycle, a vicious cycle..."
Perfectly put, as that is basically the story of Dark Souls.
The first time I heard this song play when I got to Gwyn, the atmosphere and music really made me feel as though I was not the hero. In fact, it made me feel like I was doing something wrong. Upon reflection after the fight, I think I figured out why: this was a man who gave everything to keep the fire lit. He tried his best to keep things under control and now he is a shell of his former self because of his sacrifice. He's lost everything except that fire. And now I've come to take it from him. The music made me feel that way. That's some God tier music to make me unconsciously feel that way.
They're being brutal where it matters, on the feels...
We all felt that
Ah yes, the mighty plin plin plon, great analysis
The build up to me represented his attempt to fight the flame going out. Trying to fight off death
I never noticed that pattern that you pointed out! Love it!
Man ,this analysis has put me emotional
God, this theme is so sad and heartbreaking, walking into the battle expecting something grand, this instead punches you in the face with sorrow.
Especially after the game had primed you too expect great orchestral pieces.
Genius choice.
I like to think of this theme as rewarding you with a sad goodbye. It's like its saying "Look how far you've come, be proud of yourself".
I *LOVE* how there is no stereotypical ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in this game!
years of playing these games and listening to this theme and this is the first time I noticed that super low note on the left speaker. Damn 😳
One track i also love and, its not even featured in the ost, is a track when you make your way into the kilm of the first of the first flame... right after you unlock the door and you see a lot of ghostly apparition of gwyn knight....
All of them... possibly knowning that lord gwym is lost... yet trying so hard to serve their lord....
Yoooo Dark souls is prob my favorite franchises and I really like its music. I am really happy that you did a video on it :)
I don't know about you but "Epilogue" is my fav soundtrack from the dark souls franchise.
Keep doing your thing dude this is amazing
Thanks Mohamed!
I'm super happy to see you cover a souls series song!!
Thanks! I got another Dark Souls video coming this week!
da one theme that kills us in da feels.
DEM 3 DAMN NOTES
Something interesting that is easy to not realize about this song is that it written for and played on a Bösendorfer with extra keys in the bass. It makes use of them very nicely too.
The dying of the flame, thinking of the nostalgic glory of the past only to be brought back to an insane present. This song definitely covers the desperation of an old god clinging to power, knowing that he was the one who destroyed all that he loved. Not that he knows anything in the game-time though, being hollow. Great breakdown!
Thanks man
This song always makes me tear up.
Your analysis is sooo good, but I can't get the meme out of my head: pling pling plong.
I really want to see your reaction on Lothric and Lorian theme
Cool, thank you for the suggestion. I've been kinda out of touch with DS (like I said in the video, I played it 10 years ago) so suggestions are welcome since I don't really remember which tracks are good.
What i would give to play this game for the first time again. And seeing this hollow and just crying about 10 minutes later after beating him. That that was the dude who essentially saved and lifted the world once… slightly tearing up again lol. (Big baby.)
The melancholy is not just seeing the Lord of Sunlight in such a state of disrepair, a literal shadow of his former self cast by the light he had created. But but being so weak as to fall to the will of a lowly undead. Being put down like a sickly dog.
I really interesting to background music since I play Monster Hunter, I really apreciate u make contents like this XD
Thanks bro
When I played through this game and got to the fog gate, already knowing what's coming up the music and whole tone of the buildup and the fight itself caught me off guard. I defeated Gwyn but I didn't feel any accomplishment. I only felt sorry for Gwyn and that all he was fighting for and all that he accomplished was futile. It was only a moment of peace, happiness and joy for humanity but in the end every fire turns to cinders. Every light fades one day and everyone of us dies in the end. This whole fight and theme just tells us that.
And the talking cat in Dark Souls 2 even humours this with the line "Noone even remembers their names anymore." Even though the cat makes fun of this it is actually quite meaningful in saying that humanity is just a small unimportant part of the whole world itself.
As I was listening to the analysis, I found myself also enjoying the gameplay in the corner. It was logic, but also fascinating for once to see a proper fight against the old man and not just a parry spam like many of us do nowadays.
All credit for the excellent gameplay to SourceSpy! th-cam.com/video/g15MPGHtZ0M/w-d-xo.html
I'm a big soulsborne fan and I like your boss ost reacting and explaining the feelings and telling the lore of bosses from just the soundtrack. I didn't know that was possible. Great videos keep them up :D
Maybe try Maiden Astraea boss soundtrack from Demon's Souls remake or Nameless song from Dark Souls. Some of my favourites from the soulsborne series. I can guarantee that you will like them ;)
Gwyn at this point, was a husk of his former self, it's not even known if he had his own thoughts and mind anymore. He had fallen from god, to burnt corpse, none of the glory left, only a dull pain.
the best reaction i've ever seen to this song, soooooooooooooo good
that simply why i love fromsoft and soul in particular
You are very good at breaking down whats behind the notes. Please have a go at the Maiden Astraea OST from Demon Souls, its also a very sad piece with an equally sad story
Thanks man. And thank you for the suggestion
It's fascinating to me that you pointed out the way that the repeating emotionless chords feel like a vicious cycle. The main premise of all 3 Dark Souls games is built on this idea of choosing to perpetuate the vicious cycle of rekindling the First Flame, or choosing to let it fade into darkness, until a new lord rises to rekindle it. An endless cycle of lords and kingdoms, and ALL of it started with Gwyn. And while you battle him you can hear the rise and fall of entire kingdoms, reduced to nothing more than a part of the slowly fading cycle of Flame and Dark.
Dark Souls is the gift that keeps on giving, man.
Yess! Dark Souls!!
I just got into the franchise
I need to get more into it. I only played the first one
His theme is so fitting, a warrior who's lost himself, just a husk of his former self, not some overpowered super strong enemy but a foe. It's sad, which is why the theme works so well
PLIN PLIN PLON
Plin plin plon indeed, my friend. Plin plin plon indeed.
@@DaviVasc On a serious note, the story behind the fight is that Gwyn was so obsessed with keeping the First Flame alight that he used himself as its fuel multiple times. He was used as kindling so many times that he ended up becoming hollowed as a result. The fallen god only moves now to protect the First Flame from any intruder because his decrepit mind deems anyone who enters the kiln is there to extinguish it.
Awesome. Thank you for the info, I didn't remember this at all. I played this so long ago.
@@DaviVasc Released exactly a decade ago, at least in my timezone. Time flies so fast...
@@DaviVasc You can check out VaatiVidya videos if you need a refresher on Souls lore
This song is supposed to signify the dying moments of a flame. Once a great and powerful light, diminished to but a whisper in the darkness... any moment being its last... holding on as long as it can.
I don't play Dark Souls but I listen to some of the more "epic and violent" tracks while I draw, it was nice to hear something so gentle and heartfelt :D
Yeah, I was surprised by how gentle this track is too. Also I know I said this already but I love your dog
Oi Davi. This choice of theme is a real change of direction. It’s actually left me feeling quite melancholic. Looking forward to the next video! Congratulations on passing 6K subs, by the way :)
Thanks Anne. It's crazy that we're at 6k already!
Alway great to see people appreciating these games music
Great to see you guys appreciating game music in the comments too. Fills my heart with joy.
What makes the piece beautiful is that is only played on white keys which is an in game reference of gwyn being hollowed (dark)
My God I'd love to see you talking about The Longing's main ost! But it is such a unknown indie game...
Lord of Cinder feels quite lonely and sad, I really love this track.
Wasn’t notified yesterday, but here I am! Great video my man
I'm catching up with old comments. Thank you so much Mr. Palpatine!
Gwyn's theme reminds of several tracks from king's field 4, namely dark reality. The dark one even reminds of Gwyn too.
I highly recommend listening to Aldia's theme from Dark Souls II. It portrays its story in a very similar way, but portrays a different story entirely, even though Gwyn's theme and Aldia's theme may sound similar to the untrained ear.
The happy chord might be referencing the Age of Fire that Gwyn created and loves and is sacrificing himself to continue, with the disturbing chord referencing the encroaching Age of Dark threatening to take it away, and him sacrificing his life and leaving his family behind in pieces
This song for the final boss of the first Dark Souls males sense. It's both sad, depressing, yet not epic for a reason as it'll play into the story and lore of the Dark Souls story. It's a never ending depressing cycle till the Painted World. The cycle never ends, it both sad and epic. But never grandiose. Cause your character never knows between games that what you do dosnt matter till 3. To clarify each game is a different "protagonist". I love your break down that Gwyn is already defeated when you get there in game which is roughly true. Of the Dark souls series this is the most important story fight of the whole series cause it sets the whole president of the series as hopeless. That's the the whole theme for the "humans"/Hollows of the series for the rest of the games. It's a depressing series of lore and games. This song is darkly beautiful. Music is emotion.
You earned another sub! Great breakdown, i really hope to see more fromsoftware music breakdowns and would love to see your thoughts on Ludwig The Accursed, The main menu for dark souls 3 (yes the _main menu_ music) and Slave Knight Gael.
I got another Dark Souls video coming this week :D
Greate video
Thanks for talking about this.