No problem, don´t worry about it. 🙂☺ It is pretty easy to mix up things that is very close to each other some times. 😉 Just keep up the good job, you are doing great! 😁👍
My absolute FAVORITE interpretation of this song is that the female singer represents the Abyss, and the male choir are the Abyss Watchers. They slowly gather in strength to try and combat the Abyss' singing, building and building until they drown her out... only to fade and wane in strength, unable to fully defeat her. Then, once again, the hushed voices of the choir build up once more, growing and growing and growing, drowning her out once more, only to fail again... leaving only her.
Very close on the lore. Long story short, the Abyss Watchers formed after becoming inspired by Artorias, taking up his mantle to fight back the horrors of the Abyss. Eventually, however, they became somewhat akin to zealots, with rumors saying they would wipe out entire kingdoms at the mere hint of the Abyss. After linking the First Flame as a group, many of the Abyss Watchers began to become corrupted due to their proximity to the Abyss, leading to bloody civil war against one another. Whether through that abysmal corruption or the undead curse, they could not properly die, leaving them in a seemingly endless battle amongst each other until the end of their age. Even after being resurrected, the corruption of the abyss did not fade, sending them right back into their endless infighting. Until we, as the Ashen One, find and defeat them, ending the Watchers once and for all. Over the course of the fight, you start by fighting one, then two, then a corrupted one joins your side. In phase 2, one lone Abyss Watcher summons the strength of all his fellows in a last ditch effort to prove their strength, to no avail.
i dont remember the song in game but the fisrt phase you hear the male choir and the second part you don't, if i'm correct the women in the end of the song are mourning the watchers or are even the spirit of themselves seeing the end of all kinda mourning and kinda being liberated, or maybe i'm wrong
Humanity comes from the Abyss, it's inextricably tied to it. So in their zealotry they turn their blades on themselves, endlessly struggling against their own nature.
@@billquinton5565 He's technically a neutral entity but he almost exclusively targets the other Watchers. I've never seen him target me unless I struck him first by accident.
The beauty of video game music is that it can convey emotion and tone far better than words ever could. I sang for 7 years, while I am no longer pursuing that field, my class had me write a paper of rhetoric and I chose video game music, which I picked from dark souls 3 and destiny 2. This song and “Nameless King” were my songs of choice because they convey such extreme emotion that you’d never get from words alone. In some cases, songs can convey lore and knowledge better as well. This is what happens when true passion and care is given to the music aspect of video games. The music can be its most powerful immersion tool and yet most developers give it leftovers rather than it’s dedicated attention it deserves. Dark souls 3 is true, god-given art and I wish it could see mainstream media one day.
@@Noble03117 I played destiny 2 for a long time and i never realized just how good their music was until I gave it a real listen outside of playing. i was genuine surprise at how beautiful some of the songs are.
"Battle not with monster, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche I don't know why this quote seems so applicable to Dark Souls, but it does... Edit: I thought about this for a while. Here is my best answer. If you perceive your opponent as a monster, you will do monsterous things to stop it/them. Which would make you a monster also. If you perceive existence as futile/meaningless/devoid of meaning, then you will become indifferent to the fate of the people around you. My interpretation is that his is what it means to become hollow. Maybe I'm wrong idk.
For me, the most iconic part of this song. Are the male chorus, as if the Abyss Watchers are telling the Ashen One --- about their stories, their glory but also you can hear their chanting of tragedy. On how you can hear a harmonic mix between strenght but also sadness. AND THIS IS THE FIRST PHASE.
You're right , they're telling you their story and how the linking of the fire was a lie and all that , check one of those videos on youtube with translated lyrics
By the time they join the team to fight against abyss, they are destined to die and be corrupted. Just imagine how desperate of them to find out abyss still there after they burn themselves.
Oh boy do i have a surprise for you cause there are lyrics for ds3 themes. And if you wanna see the lyrics for the watchers here is the link m.th-cam.com/video/tMuhUbYcazg/w-d-xo.html
When the link of fire is threatened, the Bell tolls, unearthing the old lords of cinder from there graves. The bell indicates your taking on a Lord of cinder, at least that's my best guess.
I think the bell represents you, the ashen one, it signals your arrival. Lots of boss themes in DS3 specifically start with bells, i can remember deacons of the deep and spear of the church from the top of my head iirc
That's definitely the in-game explanation for the bells being used. But, I would guess that the composers are also well aware of the use of bells to indicate impending death.
Also some in game lore speaks of kingdoms ringing the bells as a sign that the abyss watchers were approaching and signify that the Abyss is present within the Kingdom.
"Is there more than one Abyss Watcher?" Yep. The fight sees them spawning in and fighting each other until you deplete the boss health bar. IIRC, there are three of them at once at one point
Easly my favourite fight in the game. The story behind them and their relationship with Artorias, the epicness of their moveset, even the sound in the door right before the boss fight, where you can hear the clashing swords of and endless battle... I love this boss so much.
I liked the argument that they didnt QUITE get Artorias though. Almost like a doomed tragedy to begin with - even copying his "form" but not realizing that form was only because of what happened to him (Since if I recall he USED to use a shield and was more protector before hunting the abyss?)
@@XonixDerps you would be correct in that :) and I never really thought about it like that though, even after all these years, this is why I love the Souls Series and always will
@@tylerswygert1661 Yeah I like learning new stuff about the series and a add on though I'd have to check is the game hints at them being ruthless in this hunt and such but Artorias wasnt much like that "Personality wise it seems he'd be more careful on who is and isnt till he was sent below" where as they would destroy a whole area. Basically they went to extreme with it, I still like their outfits tho!
I've just noticed that around 6:32 in the video you can hear a sigh. Pretty sure the male vocalist *took his last breath* there. Love how symbolic it is in the context of both the fight and the story of Abyss Watchers
4:52 "I won't stop for a while" Nah bro I LOVE these interjections, it's the entire reason I watch your vids. I think it's very interesting hearing the feedback from someone who's much more adept at analyzing musical compositions. Keep doin you!
I think that the Slave Knight Gæl theme would fit nicely on your channel. I absolutely love how much you can gather from listening to the soundtracks and that soundtrack in particular has a lot to dissect 😁
100% agreed, Gael's theme is an all time favorite of mine, it kind of really makes you feel that this is the impending doom, the end of it all, would love to hear his take on it
@@abandon4 Whaaaat?? Did you hear Rennala’s theme, Malenia’s theme? Regal Ancestor Spirit? Leyndell? Incredibly elegant pieces… As for Sekiro…the Lady Butterfly theme, Emma’s theme, and Divine Dragon are some of the most beautiful pieces she’s written…
@@abandon4 I can tell you I think you’re dead wrong with a straight face because at the end of the day, these are our opinions. Plenty of people adore her Elden Ring and Sekiro soundtracks as WELL as her DS3 stuff. Hell, I even think her stuff on DS2 was incredible…and the tracks she wrote for Bloodborne? Ebrietas and Lady Maria? Masterpieces. For Elden Ring, Rennala, Malenia, Leyndell, Black Knives, Regal Ancestor Spirit…those are absolute gems from her that I was happy to add to the list. She didn’t get to write much else for Elden Ring’s score anyway because there were at least four other composers. So, I’d say that makes just about every track she’s written for Elden Ring a gem. Plenty of people agree from what I’ve seen. As for Sekiro…I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe you simply discovered you’re just not a big fan of traditional Japanese percussion and string-play. That would make sense, because it’s not super accessible. I only love it because I grew up hearing it along with traditional Chinese. Even if that’s not the case, I recently played through Sekiro and can say with confidence that the whole soundtrack was a treat to hear when playing through that game. It fits so well. Most of it was field music sure, but it brought out the atmosphere so well. Plus, the boss themes…though I agree they maybe weren’t her absolute best, were still perfect for the setting? It’s not just a few either. Lady Butterfly Gentle Blade Divine Dragon Sekiro, One-Armed Wolf Corrupted Monk Demon of Hatred Sword-Saint Gyoubu Oniwa Divine Heir of the Dragon’s Heritage Genichiro Ashina Fountainhead Palace The Owl Just seriously…try those out at least and tell me they aren’t gorgeous. I think Kitamura did her best on DS3 and Bloodborne for the same reason…pretty much every track is a banger. However, that doesn’t automatically make her other soundtracks terrible lol. They may have “less bangers” but they aren’t awful by a long shot. The music is good quality and fits the setting perfectly. It’s still better than most generic action movie scores anyway. If you still don’t agree, then let’s shirk this off as a clash of differing opinions and move on. I won’t try to change your mind too much if it’s set, but I absolutely do not agree. That said, neither of us can be objectively right, so whatever. Edit: I JUST RE-LISTENED TO GENTLE BLADE LIKE TEN TIMES AND FOR THAT TRACK ALONE, SEKIRO DESERVES LOVE. Seriously, you don’t always get stuff this good in movie soundtracks…and I say that as a an OST fanatic.
@@queenvictoriann a fellow connoiseur! my favourite Sekiro tracks are from Sunken Valley (both ambient and combat, which is called Snake Eyes). When I study, I just put Sunken Valley on the loop and immerse in euphoria
@@abandon4 Well, that’s a pretty rough take on it, but whatever. You do you. As musician and a soundtrack freak…Kitamura is one of the most unique and talented composers I’ve ever come across. I’ve collected all her stuff and I simply disagree all the way. DS3 is her best in my opinion, but Bloodborne, Sekiro, DS2 and Elden Ring contain some of her best work as well. Ambient music and all. Her classical violinist’s take on game soundtracks is a fellow violinist’s dream come true. So, agree to disagree.
@@Kaadmon Yess! I love those tracks! I recently wrote a research piece on Japanese architecture from the Heian Period which left remnants of its culture in the Sengoku Period that Sekiro takes place in. It was similar in atmosphere, to say the least. When studying it, I just listened to those ambient Sekiro tracks on repeat and it was perfect. Fountainhead Palace is my favorite. That divine mix of flute and strings just enhanced the whole experience. I love the Sunken Valley theme as well, fellow connoisseur!
One of my favorite bosses from ds3. The vocalizations in this always felt so sad which is very fitting for the lore connected to the Abyss Watchers. Warriors devoted to fighting the Abyss, a strange affliction that consume everything and snuffs out the light of the First Flame. Upon finding the ones who survived, you see they have fallen to the Abyss themselves. Yet, still they gaurd catacombs that lead another area consumed by the Abyss. incredible how you can get so close to the lore through music alone.
Yhorm the Giant is a perfect one for you to react to due to it having incredible vocals and being able to portray a sense of scale in a musical way. Love this reaction.
I think the thing here is that each of the tracks actually fit so well to the boss its almost impossible to imagine the boss without the music and vice versa. In that regard I think pretty much every Souls game has like, absolutely amazing tracks.
So far, Bloodborne and Elden Ring probably are my favorite FS soundtracks. I also rank Sekiro highly just because of how different it is from all the others.
There's a looot of bells like this in DS3. Pretty sure the Deacons of the Deep and Spear of the Church have some aswell! I think his association of "for whom the bell tolls" is pretty spot-on
Oh ds3 has lots of bangers man. Probably my fav fromsoft game musicly. Still gota play Elden ring a few more times to see if it would change but damn ds3s music is just amazing. I could name like 10 other bosses with themes I love from this game. Soul of cinder, twin princes darkeater midir and geal man theres lots in this game. I think abyss watchers was the first boss theme that kicked me in the gut with emotions and gave me chills whilst fighting.
@@MarcoMeatball Haha yeah I sorta understand that actually. There was one fight that I never really realised how good the music was until a friend pointed it out and now its one of my favs from this game.
Midir probably has my favorite theme from DS3, though I do think 3's soundtrack can feel a bit similar at times. Bloodborne has my favorite soundtrack overall (Lawrence is one of my favorite songs ever), with ER trailing at a close second (Mohg, Radahn, Godrick and Fortissax are standouts).
@@Yilue I personally admire the minor detail in the Pontiff track, the second set of choir steps in the moment Pontiff starts walking towards you. Such a small touch, but once you notice it it's just uhhh..
As someone who is uneducated in music i love your explanations on why certain things sound a way, it helps a lot to put a finger on it. Thank you. When I heard the song it also kind of reminded me on a funeral in the latter part with the bell. It felt like the choir (female voice and supported by the males) is warding off the listener from the dread and drama in the song. The more the song progresses, the more the choir, our wardens, start to blend into the song, by supporting the drama and dread or wandering off from the main female voice. More singers turn over to the song instead the choir and you can also hear whispers. However a faint voice, that comes and goes, always tries to keep warding off, sometimes gaining some support back sometimes losing some from the other voices. Sort of bittersweet.
There are a few topics to remind and the song seems to explain them. 1. There are more Watchers. You fight a main one and more other 2 and the arena is surrounded by corpses of these Watchers. 2. The clash you told can be explained by the fact they are fighting each other. They sworn to fight the Abyss, even if it means fighting themselves when possed by it. The initial cutscene even shows one Watcher killing his partner and one of the 2 other Watchers who appear in first phase is neutral and can attack anyone who appears. 3. When voices are reunited it can be explained by when the remains of the Wolf's Blood from all others Watchers are joining to a single one. Remember Wolves go in a Pack and they have an Alpha or Leader. 4. The Bell has an important role in the story of Dark Souls 3. It is a sign of calling an unkindled ash or a former lord of cinder with a the task of linking the first flame.
Literally my favorite track from DS3. The Abyss Watchers were tasked with endlessly fighting the Abyss wherever it showed up. Using Wolfblood and unique fighting techniques they were pretty good at their job, but ended up corrupted by the very Abyss they swore to defeat, leading to a constant internal and group battle. When you down one, the blood passes to another, often a corpse of an Abyss Watcher, and they rise to fight you and the other Abyss Watcher. In second phase they all fall, but then contribute their blood/soul to make one last stand against you. One of the string instruments, I think, is mimicing a heartbeat (5:38 for reference) to indicate that while they have been lost to the Abyss there is still humanity in them. They refuse to let the Abyss win, rather killing their own brothers and sisters than letting Abyss leech out into the world. I know you said you hear tension, but I hear sorrow in the music, a yearning to stop fighting but knowing they can't.
I’ve always felt that fromsoft music gives the feeling of finally putting something to rest. Like soothingly “it’s ok. It’s over. It’s been over. It’s time to stop” while whatever you’re against, he’ll even the world, struggles to persist because they feel like they should even though there time has long since passed. Like you’d expect a game with the gameplay like dark souls to have music that invokes a struggle between a small but determined hero vs a overwhelming force. But it’s always sad and reluctant like it’s finally time for something to end
Such a beautiful song written once again by our genius Kitamura. I often play the violin along with hers in this track for fun and it gets _so_ emotive. The soprano is Kokia who has such a beautiful voice. What I love is the age-old interpretation of this song and how the female voice seems to represent a lament, but the male voices chant with martial resolve. Then towards the end, they all wail together in this almost “wolf-howl” manner which fits the Abyss Watchers in so many ways.
Tbf it is said that the soul of the wolf knight is one with the abyss watchers'. You are in a way, fighting Artorias again It sure feels hearwarming amidst the grief
Amazing reaction as always and easily one of the best tracks in the game! You absolutely must listen to Dragonslayer Armour OST from Dark Souls 3, so bombastic and epic!
Man rehearing this song after replaying the souls series reminded me how much I loved this fight. Probably one of my favorites in the whole game. First Boss that I had found mad respect for.
I always interpreted this theme as being a dirge, hence the bell and the calm. The watchers knew their time was limited, their vow to fight the abyss would end in them falling to it, but they are undead and can do nothing but cut each other down time and again to prevent each other from escaping their fate. They welcome the death, in a way, and now you've come. One of you wont leave this alive
The struggle against the Abyss, to stop it's creeping into the world, but the Abyss cannot be stopped; it is the violent corruptive result of trying to contain and control the dark soul of man given form. The more Farron's Legion fought the Abyss, the more exposed they were to it, the more it began to seep into their very being. Until the Watchdogs of Farron turned upon each other; cursed undead unable to die, forever fighting themselves.
What i love about this music Is that during the boss fight, which happen in the middle of a Sea of corpses, every time you hear the Bell One of the watchers gets up and joins the battle
Thank you so much for putting up my request!! Abyss Watchers is easily my favourite track from Dark Souls 3. Knowing the lore behind the Abyss Watchers, I find this song absolutely tragic. Like, you can hear them lament having to fight (each other) for eternity but there's also this grim acceptance that there is no choice. I love the pace of the music, how it slows down when the soprano voice is alone (a moment of respite, maybe?), but then everything picks up again and becomes intense and the fighting continues aaaah, goosebumps, goosebumps! Again, thank you so, so much, I really love your channel!! 🌻
I love how close you got to the story just from hearing the song and seeing the title. Someone else explained so I won't go into a lot of detail, but yes, the abyss did corrupt the abyss watchers. There were thousands upon thousands of them. They devoted their lives to destroying the abyss, only for it to corrupt them in the end. But even in their corruption they were dedicated to their cause and began killing each other to quell the abyss, only to be raised again over and over. By the time you get there the arena is covered with bodies of abyss watchers, you watch one kill another, and the fight is on. The entire theme of ds3 is raging against the night. The end is coming, but everyone is fighting the inevitable in their own way and it only prolongs the suffering of the world. Many of the OSTs have that underlying theme of futility, especially this one which is why it's calmer than the rest I think.
Its really interesting how you brought up how it sounds like a siren song Sirens would lure sailors to steer their ship towards them so that they can die to the sirens and they did it through reminding them of their families, their lives before the sea Now replace the sea with the abyss and its pretty accurate Also there is a remix of this song called all for one and it is so good
Great to see another dark souls 3 song, this boss fight was definitely one of remeberable ones. Loved your thoughts and your reaction to the song. Cant wait for the next one!
Man you're the Best. You are reacting to Game OST's that come from some of my ever favorite franchises, Nier? Check. Elden Ring? Check. Dark Souls? C H E C K. I really do suggest you review the trilogy's OST, they have got musical masterpieces.
"Your time is coming, thats the vibe I get." lol. The bell is literally calling for the lords to return and link the fire again. But the lords refuse to link it, hence we wake up, an ashen one, to defeat the lords and become the cinder that links the fire so the world can usher in a new age. The music is as deep as the story.
This song, Ludvig (both halves) and Slave Knight Gael are the three tracks that I actually delay finishing the fights to enjoy lol - I kinda wish I could forget them to re-experience them for the first time again. I always took the ending of this song (phase 2 of the fight) as a relief of duty, that the soothing, declining melody was meant to represent these soldiers finally being spared from their endless, ultimately futile fight against the abyss. However I think that the overarching themes of the games are also well reflected in that fight - the whole story of Dark Souls is basically the world's futile struggle against entropy (mostly wrought by the gods). The Abyss Watchers are fighting an enemy they have no hope winning against, to the point that they themselves are corrupted by what they swore to eradicate. They, like you, are trying to fight an enemy that cannot be stopped; no matter how many times you link the fire throughout the series, the age of gods will eventually flicker out into an age of dark - kindling the flame only delays the inevitable. DS3 however offers a different, albeit somewhat defeatist idea about the state of the world: what if an age of dark isn't necessarily a bad thing? What if there is a sort of soothing appeal to a 'cold' world bereft of light and all the conflict trying to maintain it brings? I can see that kind of mentality being expressed by the softer melodies from the end of the song, the siren song of the dark: eerie but somehow calming, embodying its cold 'embrace'. But that's just my opinion though - the cool thing is that the souls series is pretty open-ended with interpretations of themes or character motivations. I could be reading more into it than it is - if nothing else it's a great callback and sort of conclusion to one of the series' most beloved characters.
5:14 for me when the bell was tolling it reminded me of going through the opening stages of the first dark souls when you could hear the bells of awakening being rung by other players. the abyss watchers are the first lords of cinder you face after all
This fight is absolutely phenomenal. Like, first of all, the thing you'll immediately notice as you approach is that you can already hear the boss fighting something, and you're like, 'who is the boss fighting?'. Then as you approach you meet your first Abyss Watcher, but then suddenly another one joins the fray. You go like "oh so this is one of *those* fights" and then another one spawns...but it attacks the boss and you're like, just speechless. Start to end this fight is just absolutely amazing. EDIT: Oh, one suggestion, listen to Sir Alonne from DS2. Its one of the more heroic tracks that Fromsoft has made till date (ofc, excluding Elden Ring).
I think that for the calm of final notes perfectly fits a quote from Game of Throne: "And now his watch is ended". Abyss Watchers were established to watch and fight the Abyss. But the Abyss gazed also into them and corrupted them. So Watchers were sentenced for an infinite struggle. They're fighting each other even during a bossfight. Only the player's character puts an end to their struggle and their watch.
Dude. TODAY, I woke up with the urge to listen to this song. And I wanted to see a reaction from an expert. And this guy just uploaded it. What are the odds?
Sorry for the late comment. I find it interesting that the female singers take over. I think it's the Abyss that is calling you to join. Just like the sirens you mentioned.
7:20 yeah absolutely! the Abyss Watchers are the Undead Legion, there were many that held their charge to defend the world against the rising abyss, but much like the hero they derived their legion from eventually fell to the dark abyss. Now the legion is forever locked in mortal combat against one another as they see the darkness within each other, but being unable to die continue to rise and engage in unending combat. It is sort of the sad tragedy of their story, as they are unable to break this cycle, this unending curse or to break their oaths. Thus we come into the picture to end their suffering.
When you brought up about the aspect of a respectful feeling, i immediately thought about the gesture the abyss watcher does at the beginning of the fight. He lifts his sword up towards you and it almost feels like he's accepting your challenge or saluting you before you fight, almost as a sense of "Maybe you are the one strong enough to end this once and for all"
I also love the bells in beginning of the song because it works so well with the lore with the bells of awakening starting the fight. Such amazing atmosphere!
Hi, great video, I love your analysis as an expert (more on that in the second part of this comment). First, I just want to suggest, for later DS3 reactions, that you took the audio from Yuka Kitamura's channel. The sound is better quality (so no more headphone saturation like in this video), no gameplay, and the transition between the boss (and music) phases are very clean. Because I know every comment will share their favorite DS3 Track I will not do it myself (unless you ask of course). But I want to suggest two soundtracks, with very "operatic" vocal parts. -Phantom, requiem for the phantom - "Canzone of heart", absolute banger of a child vocal trio (I think ?). -The Vision of Escaflowne - "Arcadia", and "Gloria" (my favorite). This ones have very strong classical inspirations. Arcadia has a serious soprano part, and you could easily say this is from a "early modern" composer and peoples would have no clue. Best anime OST of all time (with phantom) in my opinion. Plus, because the anime is from the late 90's it was recorded with an actual orchestra.
My fav boss. I've sitted on him for 2 months(ds3 is my first sl game). I hate abyss watchers, but the time I've spent on them, the emotions which I experienced after this times - wow. And watching this video, the first notes gives goosebumps. Super!
Never played dark souls 3 but I know the story of the abyss watchers well enough and it's tragic events are represented so clearly through the music it's insane.
It takes a true connoseiure of music to be able to gather so much information for the fight depicted just by hearing their theme. You are always so on point with your interpretation of the lore just from the music. That or fromsoft are very good at telling the story through a melody.
The thing that made this music so sad for me was when i realized i was fighting the last bits of Artorias that were still in the world. Artorias is one of the few in DS you can call a good guy. I didnt even want to fight him in DS1. But then we get this. The last bits of a great hero falling. One thing i was glad at the end of this fight i finally felt like i put Artorias to rest.
Hey love the video and your reaction, I was going to note at your comment around 4:00 for what it's worth most of the lyrics in these games they sing in Latin. So in this instance I'm not 100% sure what they are saying in Latin but I'm positive it's actual lyrics and not humming or whatever. But either way love your interpretation and it's so true the vocals add so many layers to their songs ❤️
It is lyric in Latin, and the Abyss Watchers are telling you pretty much that their oath is a false oath, that darkness and fire are both fading and eating away at each other, and that they’ll tell you the truth of this false oath, and that truth is that they loved this false oath dearly. “Amabam”
Augh, this SONG. It tears my heart out of my chest! It's so tragic, like two tired old friends that must fight, even though they'd rather do anything, *anything* else...
This is the most striking song for me in the game; I can hear the part where their blood coalesces into a single enemy after it's clear the ashen one has interrupted their constant war with themselves as they have become corrupted. It's awesome how you nailed all of that sadness over that corruption and the necessity to be forever killing themselves as a consequence; they must stop the abyss from spreading after all, even as it has spread to themselves.
I love how so many of the main boss themes echo elements of the title screen music (or perhaps, rather, that the boss themes are echoed in the title screen) - the main menu acts as a genuine overture for the rest of the game.
It's like a lament for the inevitable crawl of time crushing purpose into powder. And without purpose, even an unbreakable resolve will leave you no more than a shadow of what you once were. Such is the tale of the Abyss Watchers. Their resolve to fight the Abyss would never waver, but once it corrupted their own ranks, their purpose was lost, locked in eternal combat with each other in an abandoned cathedral. A bloodbound brotherhood of a timeless oath reduced to a haunting vestige of their former selves.
the quote is nietzsche here it is “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Followers of the mighty Knight Artorias what has become of thee. The very Abyss you were supposed to destroy and contain you allowed it to consume and corrupt thine souls. Now here you stand locked in eternal battle with your brothers slaying each other to attack the Abyss, only to then realize the Abyss you hate is now YOU! You have fallen like your master into the darkness forever!
Sickness, corruption. A cycle of curse never to end. The dance of the of undying abyss watchers, or a rotting husk of what it once was. Such is the fate of those who live.
Always great hearing your take on these pieces. I’ve been in love with the Octopath Traveler soundtrack since its release a few years ago, and if I had to pick two pieces to suggest, the first would be “They Who Govern Reason,” and the latter is “Daughter of the Dark God.” Definitely my favorite songs from what is all-around an stellar ost.
Love how melancholy and mournful this piece is. Miyazaki often said he wanted to convey something noble, even beautiful, under the ever present decay and corruption and it's well evoked in this. Even the visuals: comrades savagely butchering each other atop their fallen brethre in the ruins of their home, but it's still for their sworn duty; their mien still martial and their skill unfaded. Through ashes, flames and smoke they charge at you with a purpose, and not just for the sake of violence.
When you mentioned there being multiple voices, when you do the fight there's one Watcher who fights "with" you. I put with in quotes there because he's more neutral towards you. His main adversary during the fight is the main Watcher you fight. My guess is the more "heavenly" or "positive" voice throughout the song is that Watcher and the darker, lower voices are the Watchers corrupted by the Abyss
I can't wait for you to eventually hit on Lady Maria's theme from Bloodborne. The dance-like pace of that particular theme always gets me. Especially how the song gets louder and louder while simultaneously getting more frantic while Maria taps into more and more of her power until finally, you can hear this one clarion voice that pierces right through the melody almost to show your hunter standing there against the storm of fire and blood swinging at you with all its might. Ludwig might be a great piece, but Maria's theme to me will always just barely beat it out.
This became my favorite boss theme of the game bacause it hit hard when the male chorus syncs with the cutscene of the blood of the Abyss Watchers flowing through the one last body as if merging in as "one legion" for one last time.
On youtube i tried to look up translations for the latin used in the music and.. It tells their story, about their struggle to contain the Abyss, and their realization that flame isn't that good either after they first linked it, so they fight against both to help the world and to keep honoring the Oath of the blood of the Wolf even thoug their oath was for the flame.
Hawkwood the deserter was an abyss watcher but he deserted sometime before the watchers fell into civil war. He will at first fight with a bastard sword and shield but after he reaches the alter on arch dragon peak he will leave his shield in firelink shrine and await to fight you in the abyss watchers boss room. Having discarded his shield he once again uses his faron great sword. His boss fight is basically a much harder rematch of the abyss watchers phase 2.
this definitely my favorite of DS3 and probably the entire souls trilogy, always glad to listen to it I hope you check out Jhin's theme from league of legends since you checked out Pantheon's. Jhin's theme is such an exceptional piece of composition from it's instrumentation and multiple phases it goes through. I always imagine it like a short telling of one of Jhin's performances
I'd like to point out that the bells are literally the bells of awakening so i don't think they're a symbol of approaching death but the tragedy of the cycle. Keep up the great stuff, im loving it and Dark souls 3 has a special place in my heart so these vids mean a lot Edit: i also just love someone else jamming so hard to these tunes
That quote from Nietzsche fits so well for Artorias and his Abyss Watchers, that it might inspired Miyasaki for the lore! "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." And then you have this song that shows exactly that. The Abyss, represented by the female voice is taking over the male choir, representing the Undead Legion which is fighting against and with it at the same time. First quiet, then building up it last strength ending in heroism to then been completly overtaken by the female solo and the abyss. FromSofts Yuka Kitamaru is genius!
Man, The Abyss Watchers were a real struggle for me in my DS3 playthrough. No idea why, but it took me dozens of deaths to get past them! Glad to finally get to appreciate the music without that stress haha
OKAY I MADE A MISTAKE AND REFERENCED “SNAKE FOREST” that’s from Bloodborne not dark souls 3 🤣 but the point stands. Hate that place 😅
Although there is no snake forest i immediately had to think about the swamp .... Which is on the same level of disgust :D
Hey, understandable. The Forbidden Woods will dominate every FromSoft player's psyche regardless of which game we're talking about!
Can relate, I was sweating like crazy because the snakes really creepy
Yeah, lol! I was confused for a sec, searching my memory like "what forest in dsIII..?" Yeah, the Bloodborne forest was nightmarish.
No problem, don´t worry about it. 🙂☺
It is pretty easy to mix up things that is very close to each other some times. 😉
Just keep up the good job, you are doing great! 😁👍
My absolute FAVORITE interpretation of this song is that the female singer represents the Abyss, and the male choir are the Abyss Watchers. They slowly gather in strength to try and combat the Abyss' singing, building and building until they drown her out... only to fade and wane in strength, unable to fully defeat her. Then, once again, the hushed voices of the choir build up once more, growing and growing and growing, drowning her out once more, only to fail again... leaving only her.
Very close on the lore.
Long story short, the Abyss Watchers formed after becoming inspired by Artorias, taking up his mantle to fight back the horrors of the Abyss. Eventually, however, they became somewhat akin to zealots, with rumors saying they would wipe out entire kingdoms at the mere hint of the Abyss.
After linking the First Flame as a group, many of the Abyss Watchers began to become corrupted due to their proximity to the Abyss, leading to bloody civil war against one another. Whether through that abysmal corruption or the undead curse, they could not properly die, leaving them in a seemingly endless battle amongst each other until the end of their age.
Even after being resurrected, the corruption of the abyss did not fade, sending them right back into their endless infighting. Until we, as the Ashen One, find and defeat them, ending the Watchers once and for all. Over the course of the fight, you start by fighting one, then two, then a corrupted one joins your side.
In phase 2, one lone Abyss Watcher summons the strength of all his fellows in a last ditch effort to prove their strength, to no avail.
The corrupted Watcher doesn't join your side. Red simply fights whomever is nearest to him, be that the other Watchers or you.
@@billquinton5565 Like I said, long story short.
i dont remember the song in game but the fisrt phase you hear the male choir and the second part you don't, if i'm correct the women in the end of the song are mourning the watchers or are even the spirit of themselves seeing the end of all kinda mourning and kinda being liberated, or maybe i'm wrong
Humanity comes from the Abyss, it's inextricably tied to it. So in their zealotry they turn their blades on themselves, endlessly struggling against their own nature.
@@billquinton5565 He's technically a neutral entity but he almost exclusively targets the other Watchers. I've never seen him target me unless I struck him first by accident.
Man it’s almost scary how accurate you can be on the lore just by hearing the music
I was close. And then I remembered after the recording that I has taught these guys. I was close!
I mean, he has played the game. Even if he cannot recall the exact details, he starts with a strong pointer and general themes.
The beauty of video game music is that it can convey emotion and tone far better than words ever could. I sang for 7 years, while I am no longer pursuing that field, my class had me write a paper of rhetoric and I chose video game music, which I picked from dark souls 3 and destiny 2. This song and “Nameless King” were my songs of choice because they convey such extreme emotion that you’d never get from words alone. In some cases, songs can convey lore and knowledge better as well. This is what happens when true passion and care is given to the music aspect of video games. The music can be its most powerful immersion tool and yet most developers give it leftovers rather than it’s dedicated attention it deserves. Dark souls 3 is true, god-given art and I wish it could see mainstream media one day.
@@Noble03117 I played destiny 2 for a long time and i never realized just how good their music was until I gave it a real listen outside of playing. i was genuine surprise at how beautiful some of the songs are.
@@Noble03117 that's the beauty of music mate, bro videogame music.
Listening to the Abyss Watchers always brings a tear to my eye.
"The very thing that you swore to destroy is the very thing that you will become"
Inevitably so, that is the nature of war. Nobody comes back alive, you all die and turn into something else. We don't get back the people we sent.
"Battle not with monster, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
I don't know why this quote seems so applicable to Dark Souls, but it does...
Edit: I thought about this for a while. Here is my best answer.
If you perceive your opponent as a monster, you will do monsterous things to stop it/them. Which would make you a monster also.
If you perceive existence as futile/meaningless/devoid of meaning, then you will become indifferent to the fate of the people around you.
My interpretation is that his is what it means to become hollow. Maybe I'm wrong idk.
Artorias😢
The corruption of the abyss (female voices) vs the Sanity and duty of the abyss Watchers (male voices).
And how by the end, the male voices are almost completely absent. 😢
@@tealishpotato Yes... indeed.
For me, the most iconic part of this song. Are the male chorus, as if the Abyss Watchers are telling the Ashen One --- about their stories, their glory but also you can hear their chanting of tragedy. On how you can hear a harmonic mix between strenght but also sadness. AND THIS IS THE FIRST PHASE.
You're right , they're telling you their story and how the linking of the fire was a lie and all that , check one of those videos on youtube with translated lyrics
By the time they join the team to fight against abyss, they are destined to die and be corrupted. Just imagine how desperate of them to find out abyss still there after they burn themselves.
Oh boy do i have a surprise for you cause there are lyrics for ds3 themes. And if you wanna see the lyrics for the watchers here is the link
m.th-cam.com/video/tMuhUbYcazg/w-d-xo.html
When the link of fire is threatened, the Bell tolls, unearthing the old lords of cinder from there graves. The bell indicates your taking on a Lord of cinder, at least that's my best guess.
🤔😧
I think the bell represents you, the ashen one, it signals your arrival. Lots of boss themes in DS3 specifically start with bells, i can remember deacons of the deep and spear of the church from the top of my head iirc
That's definitely the in-game explanation for the bells being used. But, I would guess that the composers are also well aware of the use of bells to indicate impending death.
Also some in game lore speaks of kingdoms ringing the bells as a sign that the abyss watchers were approaching and signify that the Abyss is present within the Kingdom.
Though there is also a bell that plays at the beginning of Artorias’ theme as well, could also be a callback to that
"Is there more than one Abyss Watcher?"
Yep. The fight sees them spawning in and fighting each other until you deplete the boss health bar. IIRC, there are three of them at once at one point
Adding how you enter an arena just littered with _hundreds_ of them, and sometimes they just up and start fighting!
@@ItsDaKoolaidDude Oh yeah, I totally forgot about the floor made of corpses! It's just everyday fare in Souls games I guess
He payed the game. He knew there were more than one abbys watcher, he was just triyng to look smart, its what he did the entire time. Cringe
"Is there more than one Abyss Watcher?"
My brother in Sir Artorias, we are innumerable!
Easly my favourite fight in the game. The story behind them and their relationship with Artorias, the epicness of their moveset, even the sound in the door right before the boss fight, where you can hear the clashing swords of and endless battle... I love this boss so much.
Definitely agree. People often talk about Midir and Gael, but the Abyss Watchers really are underappreciated.
I liked the argument that they didnt QUITE get Artorias though. Almost like a doomed tragedy to begin with - even copying his "form" but not realizing that form was only because of what happened to him (Since if I recall he USED to use a shield and was more protector before hunting the abyss?)
@@XonixDerps you would be correct in that :) and I never really thought about it like that though, even after all these years, this is why I love the Souls Series and always will
@@tylerswygert1661 Yeah I like learning new stuff about the series and a add on though I'd have to check is the game hints at them being ruthless in this hunt and such but Artorias wasnt much like that "Personality wise it seems he'd be more careful on who is and isnt till he was sent below" where as they would destroy a whole area. Basically they went to extreme with it, I still like their outfits tho!
No joke, this music with this fight alone compelled me to go buy DS3, my first FromSoft game. I was crushed by this breathtaking music.
I've just noticed that around 6:32 in the video you can hear a sigh. Pretty sure the male vocalist *took his last breath* there. Love how symbolic it is in the context of both the fight and the story of Abyss Watchers
4:52 "I won't stop for a while" Nah bro I LOVE these interjections, it's the entire reason I watch your vids. I think it's very interesting hearing the feedback from someone who's much more adept at analyzing musical compositions. Keep doin you!
❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏
The church bells always give off that menacing ambience.
I think that the Slave Knight Gæl theme would fit nicely on your channel. I absolutely love how much you can gather from listening to the soundtracks and that soundtrack in particular has a lot to dissect 😁
I agree. That's probably my favorite ost of all time
100% agreed, Gael's theme is an all time favorite of mine, it kind of really makes you feel that this is the impending doom, the end of it all, would love to hear his take on it
After playing Elden Ring, it's still my favorite fromsoft ost. Godrick's probably close second, or Laurence. I'm not sure, too many great music.
Agree
Epilogue by Yuka Kitamura (dark souls3 ost) i want to see this
Kitamura brings so much elegance to DS3 with her writing 😍
@@abandon4 Whaaaat?? Did you hear Rennala’s theme, Malenia’s theme? Regal Ancestor Spirit? Leyndell? Incredibly elegant pieces…
As for Sekiro…the Lady Butterfly theme, Emma’s theme, and Divine Dragon are some of the most beautiful pieces she’s written…
@@abandon4 I can tell you I think you’re dead wrong with a straight face because at the end of the day, these are our opinions. Plenty of people adore her Elden Ring and Sekiro soundtracks as WELL as her DS3 stuff. Hell, I even think her stuff on DS2 was incredible…and the tracks she wrote for Bloodborne? Ebrietas and Lady Maria? Masterpieces.
For Elden Ring, Rennala, Malenia, Leyndell, Black Knives, Regal Ancestor Spirit…those are absolute gems from her that I was happy to add to the list. She didn’t get to write much else for Elden Ring’s score anyway because there were at least four other composers. So, I’d say that makes just about every track she’s written for Elden Ring a gem. Plenty of people agree from what I’ve seen.
As for Sekiro…I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe you simply discovered you’re just not a big fan of traditional Japanese percussion and string-play. That would make sense, because it’s not super accessible. I only love it because I grew up hearing it along with traditional Chinese. Even if that’s not the case, I recently played through Sekiro and can say with confidence that the whole soundtrack was a treat to hear when playing through that game. It fits so well. Most of it was field music sure, but it brought out the atmosphere so well. Plus, the boss themes…though I agree they maybe weren’t her absolute best, were still perfect for the setting? It’s not just a few either.
Lady Butterfly
Gentle Blade
Divine Dragon
Sekiro, One-Armed Wolf
Corrupted Monk
Demon of Hatred
Sword-Saint
Gyoubu Oniwa
Divine Heir of the Dragon’s Heritage
Genichiro Ashina
Fountainhead Palace
The Owl
Just seriously…try those out at least and tell me they aren’t gorgeous. I think Kitamura did her best on DS3 and Bloodborne for the same reason…pretty much every track is a banger. However, that doesn’t automatically make her other soundtracks terrible lol. They may have “less bangers” but they aren’t awful by a long shot. The music is good quality and fits the setting perfectly. It’s still better than most generic action movie scores anyway.
If you still don’t agree, then let’s shirk this off as a clash of differing opinions and move on. I won’t try to change your mind too much if it’s set, but I absolutely do not agree. That said, neither of us can be objectively right, so whatever.
Edit: I JUST RE-LISTENED TO GENTLE BLADE LIKE TEN TIMES AND FOR THAT TRACK ALONE, SEKIRO DESERVES LOVE. Seriously, you don’t always get stuff this good in movie soundtracks…and I say that as a an OST fanatic.
@@queenvictoriann a fellow connoiseur!
my favourite Sekiro tracks are from Sunken Valley (both ambient and combat, which is called Snake Eyes). When I study, I just put Sunken Valley on the loop and immerse in euphoria
@@abandon4 Well, that’s a pretty rough take on it, but whatever. You do you.
As musician and a soundtrack freak…Kitamura is one of the most unique and talented composers I’ve ever come across. I’ve collected all her stuff and I simply disagree all the way. DS3 is her best in my opinion, but Bloodborne, Sekiro, DS2 and Elden Ring contain some of her best work as well. Ambient music and all. Her classical violinist’s take on game soundtracks is a fellow violinist’s dream come true. So, agree to disagree.
@@Kaadmon Yess! I love those tracks! I recently wrote a research piece on Japanese architecture from the Heian Period which left remnants of its culture in the Sengoku Period that Sekiro takes place in. It was similar in atmosphere, to say the least. When studying it, I just listened to those ambient Sekiro tracks on repeat and it was perfect. Fountainhead Palace is my favorite. That divine mix of flute and strings just enhanced the whole experience. I love the Sunken Valley theme as well, fellow connoisseur!
One of my favorite bosses from ds3. The vocalizations in this always felt so sad which is very fitting for the lore connected to the Abyss Watchers. Warriors devoted to fighting the Abyss, a strange affliction that consume everything and snuffs out the light of the First Flame. Upon finding the ones who survived, you see they have fallen to the Abyss themselves. Yet, still they gaurd catacombs that lead another area consumed by the Abyss. incredible how you can get so close to the lore through music alone.
Yhorm the Giant is a perfect one for you to react to due to it having incredible vocals and being able to portray a sense of scale in a musical way. Love this reaction.
in my opinion DS3 has the best OSTs of the entire saga :) nice reaction btw really like your videos!
Thank you!
I think the thing here is that each of the tracks actually fit so well to the boss its almost impossible to imagine the boss without the music and vice versa. In that regard I think pretty much every Souls game has like, absolutely amazing tracks.
One word. Bloodborne
@@Randybobandy024 Gehrman the first hunter ost. The best since it's so poeticly beautifully written tragedy with a somewhat weird yet happy ending.
So far, Bloodborne and Elden Ring probably are my favorite FS soundtracks. I also rank Sekiro highly just because of how different it is from all the others.
Uhh, been waiting for this one :)That first bell hits sooo hard and sets the tone perfectly imo.
There's a looot of bells like this in DS3. Pretty sure the Deacons of the Deep and Spear of the Church have some aswell! I think his association of "for whom the bell tolls" is pretty spot-on
Oh ds3 has lots of bangers man. Probably my fav fromsoft game musicly. Still gota play Elden ring a few more times to see if it would change but damn ds3s music is just amazing. I could name like 10 other bosses with themes I love from this game. Soul of cinder, twin princes darkeater midir and geal man theres lots in this game. I think abyss watchers was the first boss theme that kicked me in the gut with emotions and gave me chills whilst fighting.
It’s weird that I’ve played this so much but it was so intense that I don’t remember any of the music lol
@@MarcoMeatball Haha yeah I sorta understand that actually. There was one fight that I never really realised how good the music was until a friend pointed it out and now its one of my favs from this game.
Midir probably has my favorite theme from DS3, though I do think 3's soundtrack can feel a bit similar at times. Bloodborne has my favorite soundtrack overall (Lawrence is one of my favorite songs ever), with ER trailing at a close second (Mohg, Radahn, Godrick and Fortissax are standouts).
@@MarcoMeatball hear twin princess theme its a good one too
@@Yilue I personally admire the minor detail in the Pontiff track, the second set of choir steps in the moment Pontiff starts walking towards you. Such a small touch, but once you notice it it's just uhhh..
Well this sure is a surprise. The Abyss Watchers is my favorite boss and the soundtrack that comes with the fight is just amazing
The moment I meet Abyss Watchers, fighting them and listen to their theme, I know this game will be one of my all time favorite.
Best of luck to you on your journey then, ashen one
As someone who is uneducated in music i love your explanations on why certain things sound a way, it helps a lot to put a finger on it. Thank you.
When I heard the song it also kind of reminded me on a funeral in the latter part with the bell. It felt like the choir (female voice and supported by the males) is warding off the listener from the dread and drama in the song. The more the song progresses, the more the choir, our wardens, start to blend into the song, by supporting the drama and dread or wandering off from the main female voice. More singers turn over to the song instead the choir and you can also hear whispers. However a faint voice, that comes and goes, always tries to keep warding off, sometimes gaining some support back sometimes losing some from the other voices. Sort of bittersweet.
Mhm. Thanks for this insight!!!
There are a few topics to remind and the song seems to explain them.
1. There are more Watchers. You fight a main one and more other 2 and the arena is surrounded by corpses of these Watchers.
2. The clash you told can be explained by the fact they are fighting each other. They sworn to fight the Abyss, even if it means fighting themselves when possed by it. The initial cutscene even shows one Watcher killing his partner and one of the 2 other Watchers who appear in first phase is neutral and can attack anyone who appears.
3. When voices are reunited it can be explained by when the remains of the Wolf's Blood from all others Watchers are joining to a single one. Remember Wolves go in a Pack and they have an Alpha or Leader.
4. The Bell has an important role in the story of Dark Souls 3. It is a sign of calling an unkindled ash or a former lord of cinder with a the task of linking the first flame.
0:51 that's my face when I see the first question on the math test in which I need a perfect score
Literally my favorite track from DS3. The Abyss Watchers were tasked with endlessly fighting the Abyss wherever it showed up. Using Wolfblood and unique fighting techniques they were pretty good at their job, but ended up corrupted by the very Abyss they swore to defeat, leading to a constant internal and group battle. When you down one, the blood passes to another, often a corpse of an Abyss Watcher, and they rise to fight you and the other Abyss Watcher. In second phase they all fall, but then contribute their blood/soul to make one last stand against you. One of the string instruments, I think, is mimicing a heartbeat (5:38 for reference) to indicate that while they have been lost to the Abyss there is still humanity in them. They refuse to let the Abyss win, rather killing their own brothers and sisters than letting Abyss leech out into the world. I know you said you hear tension, but I hear sorrow in the music, a yearning to stop fighting but knowing they can't.
There is a super good "remix" of this OST called "All for One". I can recommend it too!
I’ve always felt that fromsoft music gives the feeling of finally putting something to rest. Like soothingly “it’s ok. It’s over. It’s been over. It’s time to stop” while whatever you’re against, he’ll even the world, struggles to persist because they feel like they should even though there time has long since passed. Like you’d expect a game with the gameplay like dark souls to have music that invokes a struggle between a small but determined hero vs a overwhelming force. But it’s always sad and reluctant like it’s finally time for something to end
Such a beautiful song written once again by our genius Kitamura. I often play the violin along with hers in this track for fun and it gets _so_ emotive. The soprano is Kokia who has such a beautiful voice.
What I love is the age-old interpretation of this song and how the female voice seems to represent a lament, but the male voices chant with martial resolve. Then towards the end, they all wail together in this almost “wolf-howl” manner which fits the Abyss Watchers in so many ways.
One off the best ost they made , there is much feeling in it 😢
Tbf it is said that the soul of the wolf knight is one with the abyss watchers'. You are in a way, fighting Artorias again
It sure feels hearwarming amidst the grief
Amazing reaction as always and easily one of the best tracks in the game! You absolutely must listen to Dragonslayer Armour OST from Dark Souls 3, so bombastic and epic!
Thank you! ❤️
Man rehearing this song after replaying the souls series reminded me how much I loved this fight. Probably one of my favorites in the whole game. First Boss that I had found mad respect for.
I always interpreted this theme as being a dirge, hence the bell and the calm. The watchers knew their time was limited, their vow to fight the abyss would end in them falling to it, but they are undead and can do nothing but cut each other down time and again to prevent each other from escaping their fate. They welcome the death, in a way, and now you've come. One of you wont leave this alive
The struggle against the Abyss, to stop it's creeping into the world, but the Abyss cannot be stopped; it is the violent corruptive result of trying to contain and control the dark soul of man given form. The more Farron's Legion fought the Abyss, the more exposed they were to it, the more it began to seep into their very being. Until the Watchdogs of Farron turned upon each other; cursed undead unable to die, forever fighting themselves.
"Melancolic violence", yep! That's a Dark Souls' OST for sure!
What i love about this music Is that during the boss fight, which happen in the middle of a Sea of corpses, every time you hear the Bell One of the watchers gets up and joins the battle
Thank you so much for putting up my request!! Abyss Watchers is easily my favourite track from Dark Souls 3. Knowing the lore behind the Abyss Watchers, I find this song absolutely tragic. Like, you can hear them lament having to fight (each other) for eternity but there's also this grim acceptance that there is no choice. I love the pace of the music, how it slows down when the soprano voice is alone (a moment of respite, maybe?), but then everything picks up again and becomes intense and the fighting continues aaaah, goosebumps, goosebumps! Again, thank you so, so much, I really love your channel!! 🌻
I love how close you got to the story just from hearing the song and seeing the title. Someone else explained so I won't go into a lot of detail, but yes, the abyss did corrupt the abyss watchers. There were thousands upon thousands of them. They devoted their lives to destroying the abyss, only for it to corrupt them in the end. But even in their corruption they were dedicated to their cause and began killing each other to quell the abyss, only to be raised again over and over.
By the time you get there the arena is covered with bodies of abyss watchers, you watch one kill another, and the fight is on.
The entire theme of ds3 is raging against the night. The end is coming, but everyone is fighting the inevitable in their own way and it only prolongs the suffering of the world. Many of the OSTs have that underlying theme of futility, especially this one which is why it's calmer than the rest I think.
Its really interesting how you brought up how it sounds like a siren song
Sirens would lure sailors to steer their ship towards them so that they can die to the sirens and they did it through reminding them of their families, their lives before the sea
Now replace the sea with the abyss and its pretty accurate
Also there is a remix of this song called all for one and it is so good
Great to see another dark souls 3 song, this boss fight was definitely one of remeberable ones. Loved your thoughts and your reaction to the song. Cant wait for the next one!
You should check out the Oakvale theme from Fable. So many memories are attached to that piece.
Man you're the Best. You are reacting to Game OST's that come from some of my ever favorite franchises, Nier? Check. Elden Ring? Check. Dark Souls? C H E C K.
I really do suggest you review the trilogy's OST, they have got musical masterpieces.
If you liked this, you gotta react to Slave Knight Gael. The choir and solo female voice are some of the best parts of it.
"Your time is coming, thats the vibe I get." lol.
The bell is literally calling for the lords to return and link the fire again. But the lords refuse to link it, hence we wake up, an ashen one, to defeat the lords and become the cinder that links the fire so the world can usher in a new age.
The music is as deep as the story.
This song, Ludvig (both halves) and Slave Knight Gael are the three tracks that I actually delay finishing the fights to enjoy lol - I kinda wish I could forget them to re-experience them for the first time again.
I always took the ending of this song (phase 2 of the fight) as a relief of duty, that the soothing, declining melody was meant to represent these soldiers finally being spared from their endless, ultimately futile fight against the abyss.
However I think that the overarching themes of the games are also well reflected in that fight - the whole story of Dark Souls is basically the world's futile struggle against entropy (mostly wrought by the gods). The Abyss Watchers are fighting an enemy they have no hope winning against, to the point that they themselves are corrupted by what they swore to eradicate. They, like you, are trying to fight an enemy that cannot be stopped; no matter how many times you link the fire throughout the series, the age of gods will eventually flicker out into an age of dark - kindling the flame only delays the inevitable. DS3 however offers a different, albeit somewhat defeatist idea about the state of the world: what if an age of dark isn't necessarily a bad thing? What if there is a sort of soothing appeal to a 'cold' world bereft of light and all the conflict trying to maintain it brings? I can see that kind of mentality being expressed by the softer melodies from the end of the song, the siren song of the dark: eerie but somehow calming, embodying its cold 'embrace'.
But that's just my opinion though - the cool thing is that the souls series is pretty open-ended with interpretations of themes or character motivations. I could be reading more into it than it is - if nothing else it's a great callback and sort of conclusion to one of the series' most beloved characters.
5:14 for me when the bell was tolling it reminded me of going through the opening stages of the first dark souls when you could hear the bells of awakening being rung by other players. the abyss watchers are the first lords of cinder you face after all
This fight is absolutely phenomenal. Like, first of all, the thing you'll immediately notice as you approach is that you can already hear the boss fighting something, and you're like, 'who is the boss fighting?'. Then as you approach you meet your first Abyss Watcher, but then suddenly another one joins the fray. You go like "oh so this is one of *those* fights" and then another one spawns...but it attacks the boss and you're like, just speechless. Start to end this fight is just absolutely amazing.
EDIT: Oh, one suggestion, listen to Sir Alonne from DS2. Its one of the more heroic tracks that Fromsoft has made till date (ofc, excluding Elden Ring).
I think that for the calm of final notes perfectly fits a quote from Game of Throne: "And now his watch is ended".
Abyss Watchers were established to watch and fight the Abyss. But the Abyss gazed also into them and corrupted them. So Watchers were sentenced for an infinite struggle. They're fighting each other even during a bossfight. Only the player's character puts an end to their struggle and their watch.
Best Dark Souls song ever. I cried first time I heard this. Your analysis is amazingly accurate wow
Dude. TODAY, I woke up with the urge to listen to this song. And I wanted to see a reaction from an expert. And this guy just uploaded it. What are the odds?
👀
Sorry for the late comment. I find it interesting that the female singers take over. I think it's the Abyss that is calling you to join. Just like the sirens you mentioned.
7:20 yeah absolutely! the Abyss Watchers are the Undead Legion, there were many that held their charge to defend the world against the rising abyss, but much like the hero they derived their legion from eventually fell to the dark abyss. Now the legion is forever locked in mortal combat against one another as they see the darkness within each other, but being unable to die continue to rise and engage in unending combat. It is sort of the sad tragedy of their story, as they are unable to break this cycle, this unending curse or to break their oaths. Thus we come into the picture to end their suffering.
When you brought up about the aspect of a respectful feeling, i immediately thought about the gesture the abyss watcher does at the beginning of the fight. He lifts his sword up towards you and it almost feels like he's accepting your challenge or saluting you before you fight, almost as a sense of "Maybe you are the one strong enough to end this once and for all"
The abyss watchers are the selling point of the game for me, I downloaded dark souls 3 because I wanted to fight them after watching videos about them
I've been asking for Gael for a while but I've recently discovered how much of a banger Pontiff Sulyvahn also is. Keep up the good work Marco!
I also love the bells in beginning of the song because it works so well with the lore with the bells of awakening starting the fight. Such amazing atmosphere!
Hi, great video, I love your analysis as an expert (more on that in the second part of this comment).
First, I just want to suggest, for later DS3 reactions, that you took the audio from Yuka Kitamura's channel.
The sound is better quality (so no more headphone saturation like in this video), no gameplay, and the transition between the boss (and music) phases are very clean.
Because I know every comment will share their favorite DS3 Track I will not do it myself (unless you ask of course).
But I want to suggest two soundtracks, with very "operatic" vocal parts.
-Phantom, requiem for the phantom - "Canzone of heart", absolute banger of a child vocal trio (I think ?).
-The Vision of Escaflowne - "Arcadia", and "Gloria" (my favorite).
This ones have very strong classical inspirations. Arcadia has a serious soprano part, and you could easily say this is from a "early modern" composer and peoples would have no clue.
Best anime OST of all time (with phantom) in my opinion. Plus, because the anime is from the late 90's it was recorded with an actual orchestra.
My fav boss. I've sitted on him for 2 months(ds3 is my first sl game). I hate abyss watchers, but the time I've spent on them, the emotions which I experienced after this times - wow. And watching this video, the first notes gives goosebumps. Super!
Never played dark souls 3 but I know the story of the abyss watchers well enough and it's tragic events are represented so clearly through the music it's insane.
Love how much insight you pull from these tracks. Underrated channel
one of my favorite pieces by yuka, thanks
It takes a true connoseiure of music to be able to gather so much information for the fight depicted just by hearing their theme. You are always so on point with your interpretation of the lore just from the music. That or fromsoft are very good at telling the story through a melody.
One of my favs from ds3. I would recommend giving Sister Friede ost a try
This is legit my favorite souls ost
The thing that made this music so sad for me was when i realized i was fighting the last bits of Artorias that were still in the world. Artorias is one of the few in DS you can call a good guy. I didnt even want to fight him in DS1. But then we get this. The last bits of a great hero falling. One thing i was glad at the end of this fight i finally felt like i put Artorias to rest.
Really insightful point towards the start about the use of motif (re: menu music) in this piece
It is multiple Watchers, you are correct. But they are more of a fanclub of Artorias (from DS1) if anything.
A fanclub able to crush kingdoms
I have always seen this track as a lullaby for the watchers, trying to partially relieve their failure and fall
Omg yessss, I was thinking yesterday about recommending this
Hey love the video and your reaction, I was going to note at your comment around 4:00 for what it's worth most of the lyrics in these games they sing in Latin. So in this instance I'm not 100% sure what they are saying in Latin but I'm positive it's actual lyrics and not humming or whatever. But either way love your interpretation and it's so true the vocals add so many layers to their songs ❤️
It is lyric in Latin, and the Abyss Watchers are telling you pretty much that their oath is a false oath, that darkness and fire are both fading and eating away at each other, and that they’ll tell you the truth of this false oath, and that truth is that they loved this false oath dearly. “Amabam”
Daughters of Chaos is extremely melancolic and tragic, you should also try listening to it
I love your channel man
Sincere thanks. ❤️
Melancholic Violence has become my new favorite description.
Augh, this SONG. It tears my heart out of my chest! It's so tragic, like two tired old friends that must fight, even though they'd rather do anything, *anything* else...
I could never focus enough on how good the music is cuz my brain is in constant overload trying to stay alive in boss fights xD
Literally thiugh
This is the most striking song for me in the game; I can hear the part where their blood coalesces into a single enemy after it's clear the ashen one has interrupted their constant war with themselves as they have become corrupted. It's awesome how you nailed all of that sadness over that corruption and the necessity to be forever killing themselves as a consequence; they must stop the abyss from spreading after all, even as it has spread to themselves.
This one and sister Friede genuinely give me goosebumps
I love how so many of the main boss themes echo elements of the title screen music (or perhaps, rather, that the boss themes are echoed in the title screen) - the main menu acts as a genuine overture for the rest of the game.
It's like a lament for the inevitable crawl of time crushing purpose into powder. And without purpose, even an unbreakable resolve will leave you no more than a shadow of what you once were. Such is the tale of the Abyss Watchers. Their resolve to fight the Abyss would never waver, but once it corrupted their own ranks, their purpose was lost, locked in eternal combat with each other in an abandoned cathedral. A bloodbound brotherhood of a timeless oath reduced to a haunting vestige of their former selves.
the quote is nietzsche here it is “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Followers of the mighty Knight Artorias what has become of thee.
The very Abyss you were supposed to destroy and contain you allowed it to consume and corrupt thine souls.
Now here you stand locked in eternal battle with your brothers slaying each other to attack the Abyss, only to then realize the Abyss you hate is now YOU! You have fallen like your master into the darkness forever!
You should give Dark Eater Midir a go, easily my favorite track from DS3.
Sickness, corruption. A cycle of curse never to end. The dance of the of undying abyss watchers, or a rotting husk of what it once was. Such is the fate of those who live.
Always great hearing your take on these pieces. I’ve been in love with the Octopath Traveler soundtrack since its release a few years ago, and if I had to pick two pieces to suggest, the first would be “They Who Govern Reason,” and the latter is “Daughter of the Dark God.” Definitely my favorite songs from what is all-around an stellar ost.
It’s coming :)
Love how melancholy and mournful this piece is. Miyazaki often said he wanted to convey something noble, even beautiful, under the ever present decay and corruption and it's well evoked in this.
Even the visuals: comrades savagely butchering each other atop their fallen brethre in the ruins of their home, but it's still for their sworn duty; their mien still martial and their skill unfaded.
Through ashes, flames and smoke they charge at you with a purpose, and not just for the sake of violence.
When you mentioned there being multiple voices, when you do the fight there's one Watcher who fights "with" you. I put with in quotes there because he's more neutral towards you. His main adversary during the fight is the main Watcher you fight. My guess is the more "heavenly" or "positive" voice throughout the song is that Watcher and the darker, lower voices are the Watchers corrupted by the Abyss
I wished for abyss watchers for a long time, didnt find anyone, and now its even you, nice :D your videos are amazing
Thank you!
I can't wait for you to eventually hit on Lady Maria's theme from Bloodborne. The dance-like pace of that particular theme always gets me. Especially how the song gets louder and louder while simultaneously getting more frantic while Maria taps into more and more of her power until finally, you can hear this one clarion voice that pierces right through the melody almost to show your hunter standing there against the storm of fire and blood swinging at you with all its might. Ludwig might be a great piece, but Maria's theme to me will always just barely beat it out.
Maria is the best song from Bloodborne. Period. I can’t wait to edit that video because it was an amazing experience for me.
This became my favorite boss theme of the game bacause it hit hard when the male chorus syncs with the cutscene of the blood of the Abyss Watchers flowing through the one last body as if merging in as "one legion" for one last time.
On youtube i tried to look up translations for the latin used in the music and.. It tells their story, about their struggle to contain the Abyss, and their realization that flame isn't that good either after they first linked it, so they fight against both to help the world and to keep honoring the Oath of the blood of the Wolf even thoug their oath was for the flame.
2:40 Interesting choice of words.
Hawkwood the deserter was an abyss watcher but he deserted sometime before the watchers fell into civil war. He will at first fight with a bastard sword and shield but after he reaches the alter on arch dragon peak he will leave his shield in firelink shrine and await to fight you in the abyss watchers boss room. Having discarded his shield he once again uses his faron great sword. His boss fight is basically a much harder rematch of the abyss watchers phase 2.
Snake forest? In ds3? I think I'm forgetting it because the only one I remember is in bloodborne.
Oh wait. Shit you’re right. They all blur together 🤣
Yup the forbidden woods is in Bloodborne UGH
this definitely my favorite of DS3 and probably the entire souls trilogy, always glad to listen to it
I hope you check out Jhin's theme from league of legends since you checked out Pantheon's. Jhin's theme is such an exceptional piece of composition from it's instrumentation and multiple phases it goes through. I always imagine it like a short telling of one of Jhin's performances
I love these videos! Keep em coming by guy!
I'd like to point out that the bells are literally the bells of awakening so i don't think they're a symbol of approaching death but the tragedy of the cycle.
Keep up the great stuff, im loving it and Dark souls 3 has a special place in my heart so these vids mean a lot
Edit: i also just love someone else jamming so hard to these tunes
That quote from Nietzsche fits so well for Artorias and his Abyss Watchers, that it might inspired Miyasaki for the lore! "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." And then you have this song that shows exactly that. The Abyss, represented by the female voice is taking over the male choir, representing the Undead Legion which is fighting against and with it at the same time. First quiet, then building up it last strength ending in heroism to then been completly overtaken by the female solo and the abyss.
FromSofts Yuka Kitamaru is genius!
Man, The Abyss Watchers were a real struggle for me in my DS3 playthrough. No idea why, but it took me dozens of deaths to get past them! Glad to finally get to appreciate the music without that stress haha