I vouch for the age of water foreseen by Aldrich. From the Dark, water will rise. And with the Water, the trees will form. Even in Ash Lake, which represents the world prior, the Trees are submerged in water, and it then seems the world is built upon the trees like a canopy. It makes more sense than the trees just popping out of nowhere. Although I guess you can argue trees do grow out of ashes, like forest fires. Perhaps the Fire was to restart the world?
I like that thought for sure! I was always under the impression that the word "deep" in DS3 indicated the Abyss. So when it said he dreamt of the Deep Sea, I just imagine waves of darkness crashing over the land! Fire does seem a likely choice to restart the world in a sense, as fire is the great purifier!
I wonder if Lords of hollows turn into the snakes like frampt in the end, and other people that turn into dragons from covenants and the pus of man are the other ancient dragons. Just grow in size until disparity is a thing again.
I'm certainly glad they started treating their Fire Keepers better as the Age of Fire went on. Thousands of years ago they locked them in a cage and cut out their tounges
I wonder why the Anor Londo firekeeper was in so much better shape. Granted she was a Darkblade, so maybe she got extra rights or something.... but she was "free", had armor and a weapon and training, had her tongue and eyes, etc.
What if dragons are humans? We know that many warriors flocked to Archdragon Peak, and there are many "near dragons" there, and even a few (at least, what looks like too me) Archdragons in the Nameless Kings boss room. Maybe that's why Gwyn feared humans, he was afraid of his old enemies, and of their return in the age of dark. On one of the shields, I forget which, it alludes to the idea that humans are a lesser form of serpent, and the serpents are lesser forms of dragons. It's just a theory, but one is have wondered about for a while.
read my recent post in the video, i think this would be Aldritch having a vision of the Age of the Deeps Sea and wanting to obtain power by eating gods. The same way humans take embers, he takes powers by eating the god. He could then take usurp the fire and create world as he wishes.
Frampt doesn't want the age of fire to end, because then he would become an ancient dragon, and he knows that eventually the age of fire will start again... though, we know that all the ancient dragons must die for that to happen, and if Frampt knows this, and wants to stay immortal, of course he would want the age of fire to continue, so he isn't doomed to die :)
@@jeremyleclair8883 Through the entire Dark Souls series many warriors wanted to become dragons so they could escape the cycle very few actually become true dragons. Because the cycle goes Ancients, Fire, Dark there would have to be new ancient dragons to replaced those that have been killed therefore it would make sense that some warriors aspiring to become dragons did end up finding ways to become ancient dragons thus replacing the ancient dragons who had been killed.
Yeah there's a statue of a serpent in the Grand Archives right next to the first tub of wax you come across, leading me to believe the art is already done for the most part, so fingers crossed.
according to what yuria says in the japanese when you beat her to death, kaathe is probably dead. she says something like "kaathe, i failed your dying wish".
Don't forget, maybe Ocelot wad supposed to help lead the dragons in the new age of dark. The king was nuts but he may very well be the means to an end for the serpents to become dragons. We killed him but that would definitely have been fun to do a dragon dlc
Yup, walk to the corner of the room and search for the button prompt "pick up Ocelot". You lift him, the illusory wall lifts and you hand him to the dark wraiths.
perhaps Frampt realizes that by becoming a dragon it only means eventually he will be slain by the new Lords. Based on this idea though, maybe Frampt is destined to be the new Syth the Scaleless out of a desire to continue to live
Great theory, I like how you tied it into Gwyn's discovery of the flame. It even explains why hollows were already surrounding in DaS1's intro when it first ignited. That said, I feel as though the age of Fire and Dark are meant to loop while the coming Deep is there to keep the flame at bay/ break that loop and allow the Great Lake and its arch trees to rise, making a new set of lands for life emerge atop them. You may want to look into the Giants of Dark Souls 2 as they seem to be related to dragons and have souls with a dark core and white exterior- becoming trees when they die. On a side note, Dragons and spirit trees, beings of gray, tend to absorb their surrounding attributes (the rotted great wood and gaping dragon descriptions).
If you do that end game story option if you have tears of denial on as you do it as the light fades your tears of denial stays on for 5 seconds after all the light fades and then your tears of denial Fades as well it's kind of cool
i love how they made this in reference to real life. how things started with the big bang, then eventually all the suns will die out and there eill be nothing but dark and cold. Then possibly starting up again with another big bang. fascinating stuff.
The big bang wouldn't even happen again scientists dont know exactly how it started are you dumb suns will die out yes but humans might be long gone before then
maybe frampt needed the fire to fade to enter dark, while kathe created a future of undead where the leader stole the fire and entered the souls of lords inside, breaking the cycle of DS until this lord of undead is destroyed.
I am going to run an odd idea by you. What if, the ages don't stop at just the age of dark with flickering lights, what if it repeats itself forever. 1st the dragon age, then the fire age, and then the dark age. now put that on loop. dragon fire dark, dragon fire dark etc. what are your thoughts?
so the serpents are imperfect dragons then does that mean seath the scale-less is a serpent? maybe he could be a missing link between serpents and dragons
+Nyang Ruot or maybe they would have to go through some sort of ritual to become a Dragon but something might have went wrong when seath was going through it and he has no recollection of the events. I think koth might just want to become something more than a serpent. idk I'm just thinking plz put your suggestions down I think we are on to something!
If Seath is a half-serpent-half dragon in process of becoming full dragon then he might have betrayed the dragons in order to remain a snake, thus denying his destiny of becoming a dragon and dieing at the hands of the lords. Throuought the series there are plenty of events starting from a denial of destiny: The lords don't want to link the flame and the cut content featuring the first knight you meet in DS1 being all that comes to mind. There's also the crown you make in DS2 DLC that allows you to not hollow. It's better explained in a lore video about the curse of the undead (that's where i found out about it)
Seathe had to have been borne after the flame appeared because before that point nothing really lived or died or was made or destroyed. The age of Ancients was gray and the beings inside simply existed with no beginning or end. Then the flame came and disparity allowed change. Allowed serpents to be borne, birthed dragons that were never meant to be eternal (Seathe).
I don't believe The Age of Ancients is part of the cycle, I believe it is the default of the world. It's what it was before the cycle began, to me the cycle is Age of Fire and Age of Dark. Those two constantly going back and forth, the Age of the Ancients is forever done and gone. This is why it says the Serpents could have been dragons but now they can't, in the Age of Ancients they would have evolved into Dragons, but now that Fire and Dark rule the world they are stuck as Serpents. Since Serpents are the symbol of the Undead, Kaathe wants an Age of Dark because in it the Serpents will thrive. Frampt wants an Age of Fire because in it he thrived because he was working with Gwyn and Gwyndolin. My issue with this whole Cycle lore is that in Dark Souls there was no evidence of there being a cycle. The whole story was the First Flame was fading so Gwyn split up his soul and burned what was left to keep it lit. However this was not enough so Gwyndolin and Frampt wanted you to collect the Lord Souls so you could burn them along with yourself to keep it lit a little bit longer. The goal was for the Undead to burn Humanity's (or fragments of the Dark Soul) so that eventually the Dark Soul would also be given to the First Flame. That would mean all 4 Lord Souls including the powerful Undead who sacrificed themselves would have been given back to the First Flame in the hopes it would keep it permanently lit. However at the end you had the option to become the Dark Lord, which would essentially make you the god king of the Dark Age, which was assumed to be permanent until someone relit the First Flame (presumably by killing you and burning your soul). Dark Souls 2 is the one that put this emphasis on cycles and past Lords burning themselves and what not. I was a little disappointed that Dark Souls 3 carried on with that because I don't particularly like this cycle lore. It means everything you do is useless, all the lore is useless, all the bosses and NPC's are useless, there will just be another cycle anyways. Dark Souls had a great underlying message of struggling against the inevitable, the First Flame was always going to fade as flame does and the Gods desperately trying to keep it lit at all costs. You see them begin to break down, some of them flee, some blame the Undead and lock them away, some do all that they can to keep it lit, and some go mad. Its this struggle against the Dark and the fear of what happens when the Flames fade that dominate the games lore. I really liked that aspect of hope along side hopelessness, the idea the neither Light or Dark can be considered truly good or evil, they are both. Your decision to link the flame or walk away actually had impact, it was a real decision (which is something the other 2 games really lacked because i know there will just be another cycle so what does it matter...). So i just don't really like the cycle idea.
That's what I've always thought. When the flame finally dies for good, embers will appear in the darkness and it all will start again eventually, maybe with new lords, and new story
There will be always embers in the dark to raise again, when the flame fades only dark will remain - & than they will find the Souls of Lords within the Flame, again-
Actually, Kaathe said that Frampt betrayed them for Gwyn, meaning that serpents are associated with the Abyss and Frampt is an exception (like Seath, but opposite side).
Just a thought I had. 1:14 - We don't really know too much. And what we do know is told by the victor. Who knows, maybe things look completely different from another perspective. Weren't the primordial serpents split on what age they supported?
_"Where would these ancient dragons come from? From thin air?"_ ARCH DRAGON KEEP!!!! There is a whole CULT of Humans, Heroes, and Gods who are trying to LITERALLY BECOME DRAGONS!!! They will remain when the fire finally fades! And they will rule when the darkness itself fades and only Grey and Fog remain!
I think Frampt's motivation is much like The Doctor's: curiosity. An interest to see what people can do, what they do differently in each re-linking, how long can things go before the inevitable.
Dude, thanks for subtitles :) I really want to meet Dark Souls history but in my language there is no videos on YT etc. Even on wiki i can just read something about game nothing more
A simpler explanation would seem to be that the embers that the Fire Keeper sees are simply the fuel the re-ignites the flame for the next Age of Fire.
i have a couple of questions... 1. what about scholar of the first sin where aldia says about gwyns "sin" of linking the fire has trapped us in an eternal loop of light and dark ages? 2. what do you then believe happens in the third ending of DaS3? if you usurp the flame?
In my opinion Letting the flame fade is best because linking it woukd just continually repeat it worse and worse while ushering the age of Dark means you are maniplated by the serpents as in my opinion doing this ending means a return to the age of dragons in a more permanent fashion.
Hypothesis: the ash in Ash Lake was once the ruins of the previous ages of Fire and Man. All things turn to ash, and the immortal dragons repopulate to become the alpha species until the next age of fire. Thoughts?
I think the cyclical nature of Dark Souls and this theory lends credence to the shared universe theory. I don’t think it mean’s Bloodborne is the next cycle but Elden Ring might be. The Flame reborn as the Giant’s Flame perhaps. The Golden Order being a new light that usurped it. Hence why the flame can destroy the Haligtree. The Dragons had returned and were wiped out by the Gods of this new world but with a foreign light. Even locations are mimicked in appearance, though they are also Berserk references which Miyazaki loves. The Frenzied Flame might be the Flame of Chaos once frozen in DS2. Either corrupting the 3 Fingers or merely adopted by it to further its own goals. Given his might, Godfrey may be this world’s Gwyn. Either symbolically or literally his reborn soul. Loyal to the Light and prolonging his rule. Or even Radagon might be Gwyn for similar reasons. It’s a cyclical world, but that does not mean it’s the same world every time. Much like how in JoJo, Made In Heaven fast forwards to the next universe, a cycle repeats, but it has notable differences like Jolyne having a Bee tattoo and then being Irene, a whole different person but the same Jolyne we followed now reborn in a world where DIO’s last minion was eliminated for good.
So the Dragons are just Hollows (immortal zombie humans) that have conquered the Dark and Light within to transcend them and become an Everlasting Dragon through the path of the Dragon walked by warriors and practiced through meditation. Ok, so Dragons are Buddhas =D
They are ancient beings remember in our human history ancient civilization tended to be more spiritual more physical more mental so they were more to be enlighted.
Sooooo I have a theory but there's nothing to back it up. I've just come up with it like 5 minutes ago. What if the Usurpation of fire we can see in Dark Souls 3 was meant to lead to another age of ancients, another timeless era with nothing but fog, cinders and a shit lot of dragons until the next gods find the fire again ? What if that's what had happened before Dark Souls 1 ?
I believe that the eyes of the first firekeeper are referencing the maiden in black as she is the first npc tending to flames (candles) and her eyes were occluded by wax, ie she had no eyes. Not to mention the grand betrayal ending is the same as the "bad" ending in demons souls with all the head stepping and what not.
I actually have it in my head that The Age of Ancients and the Age of Dark are the same. once upon a time a dragon somewhere had its own Usurper of the Flame ending and that led to the everlasting dragons, but still another "First" Flame showed up.
I love the lore video. I would have to pose this question, what kind of age would arise if you do the alternate usurpation of fire ending? It seems to be the the greedy ending, but it doesn't show much of what might happen to the world because of it.
That ending is the true "Dark Ending" in all DS1 & 2 you just walked away from the flame, someone could have just come after you an link the fire. When we walked away from the first flame in the first game Soilare linked the fire if you look up the cut content. The usurped ending is the true Dark Age. We take the first flame into ourselves basically extinguishing it and replacing it with our own dark version. That whole quest line was put into motion by Kaathe which you find out if you kill chick. At one point you need to kill Orhbick because he will end up linking the flame if you choose to walk away.
Your theories play flawlessly into the lore from Dark Souls 2 as well. All I could think of while listening was the emerald herald saying that, after collecting all the souls, that souls will flourish anew and all this shall play out again. An age of dark following dark souls, with another flame spawning the lord souls again, could lead to the bearers of these souls in dark souls 2 finding them (Sinner, Old Iron, Rotten, and The Duke). Or she may simply have been foreshadowing this game's ending
Ever notice that the serpent statues in lothric castle have wings on their shoulders, and what look to be thick scales on their chests. Could be a sign of their future transformation.
Aldrich had visions of the coming age of the Deep Sea. Perhaps the cycle will be broken when the waters rise and devour the first flame much like Aldrich devoured Gwyndolin.
Has anyone noticed how the undead are becoming trees, serpents, and pilgrim dragons? I’m guessing that’s how the archtrees, serpents, and dragons will be made and the age of ancients start again
Oh really like how the Ornstein in dark souls 1 was an illusion and the Nameless King is Gwyn's first born and the strom drake the Nameless King is ridding is Ornstein.
To be honest, I think overanalyzing what comes after the Age of Fire is kinda missing the point. I think it's meant to be a metaphor for death, made literal and applied to the world at large. No one knows what will happen in the Age of Dark, or even if the world will still exist. It's scary. But DS3, with its crumbling and broken world, the instability of its very metaphysics, says, "It's been long enough. It's time to go." And so if you do the fairly obvious 'true' ending, you and the Fire Keeper put the fire out, with a certain tenderness almost reminiscent of euthanasia. And everything goes black. "Ashen one, hearest thou my voice still?" With the last words before the credits roll, the Fire Keeper gives us hope that the "death" of the world wasn't the end, but some unknown new beginning. We don't get to see what it is - after all, no one knows what comes after death - but we know that it's not the end.
But then what about Aldrich's Age of Deep Sea? It is surprising that you left that important bit out of this, especially considering that it was predicted by Aldrich, who's dreams are so accurate, he can learn spells from them.
Well, I believe the term "deep" in DS3 is referring to the Abyss/Humanity. If you read the Deep Soul sorcery. So when it says he dreamt of the Deep sea, my guess is that means the inevitable Age of Dark.
If the primordial serpents were there from the beginning then there is a finite amount of them. They would run out of serpents to turn into dragons and the age of ancients would cease, because there are no dragons. I believe that the age of ancients is the default style of the world. Then after the first age of fire it goes to age of dark and back to fire and so on.
Great video; it's helped more than a few pieces fall into place for me. I would guess "Kingseeker" Frampt's allegiance lies first and foremost to his hunger, not unlike the Gaping Dragon. Serpents are greed incarnate and souls/dung pies are quite tasty, I'm sure.
So what the hell does the other ending mean when you kill the firekeeper and keep the soul for yourself. Strangely enough when you do this you hear the old hand maiden repeat from the trailer "Nameless accursed undead, unfit even to be cinder. And so it is, that ash seeketh embers..."
The arena in which you fight the Soul of Cinder is basically a giant arch-tree if you look carefully (look at the base of the arena, it certainly looks like a huge trunk). Also... Dragons are all over the place in DS3...It wasn't really the case in DS1 and 2 (not counting the drakes or the undead dragons). So...dragons and trees? What does this mean? I believe the world here is going back to "its roots", meaning that the age of fire and dark are both fading. This game basically tells us that the cycle is over and that everything turns to "ashes", arch trees fill the world and Dragons are coming back just like it was in the age of ancients. I believe this whole series is about time travel (time is convoluted...); your character is never in the present times, he's just travelling in different parts of the past. When you reach Filianore and touch the egg, you suddenly end up in the present... The world has ended, only ashes remain. There's only you and Gael...fighting over the Dark Soul...the very thing that created humanity. So I think that the DLC "The Ringed City" just tells us that whether you link the flame or start the age of dark, it was all useless since, ultimately, nothing's left. Everything has crumbled. It's a very sad story, indeed...
14:39 Frampt, like Seath, is possibly betraying his own; being promised by Gwyn with what he seeks - to become a full-fledged dragon. Also it's possible that Frampt may be under the sorcery of Gwyndolin, and actually believes the sun still shines on Anor Londo. What do you think?
Maybe the "path of the dragon" can't work in the age of fire so when the first flame burns out, those who would have been successful are transformed into Ancient Dragons for the next world
Very very nice Video! The only thing I'm curious about is one of Aldrich's dreams which mentions something about an age of the deep sea(can't remember how it was written exactly) and where that fits in with the cycles or if it is just referring to the age of dark/men. Also where exactly does the usurpation ending fit in? Are you actually initiating the same age of dark as with the Firekeeper ending? Or is it something else entirely? It also may just fit in with the whole "time is convoluted" stuff I don't know. So yeah those were my thoughts on the matter! Keep up the good stuff, really looking forward to all upcoming theories! Cheers
It might simply be a brand-new age that could come about due to the corruption of the Deep, which was once a sacred place. There is a lot of filthy water in areas dominated by Aldrich/the Cathedral, so it's possible the waters are creeping into reality as the First Flame dies out. Probably also an injoke, since water quenches fire. :P
Sounds plausible, well we'll se what the DLCs bring in regards to the Age of the Deep Sea (since I really think that we'll see something about this OR something about the sable church in an upcoming DLC)
It is a huge reference to the Water symbolism in Bloodborne which is a reference to the characterisation of deep sea by Lovecraft being the home of the evil. I believe, since Deep Magic is somewhat derived from the profaned flame, soul magics and moon related magics, but still Abyss magic at its core, that it just is a symbol for the Abyss which swallows metaphorically all light, just like fire extinguishes water.
I find it very likely through the nature of the deep spells, and human dregs etc, that it is just the abyss that has corrupted the cathedral, and that the visions of the deep sea is really just the coming age of dark
It's also interesting to note that each Age of Fire has incarnations of the four great lord souls; Gwyn, Nito, The Witch of Izalith, and Seathe. Even if the four Old Ones from 2 weren't heavily hinting at their affiliation, you get two souls from them in NG+ playthroughs. It isn't that hard to believe then, that there are four persistent lord souls who re-ignite each new Age of Fire. We also know that those souls existed before the gods of DS1 found them, so might Gwyn's Age of Fire not have been the first? It may be that Gwyn's age was just one where the records of all prior ages disappeared completely between the Age of Dark and the Age of Ancients. I'd also take your supposition about the Primordial Serpents a step further. What if serpents in the Fire can become Dragons in the Dark? That might explain Karth's desire to bring forth the Age of Dark, purely selfish for his own people, but quite understandable. I also wonder about the Arch Trees. Many of the trees we get close to are hollow, and while they inwardly have the appearance of plant life, the exterior is portrayed as stone. We also never see branches on the Arch Trees. I'd guess that the Arch Trees are actually towers from castles and walls of ages past, weathered over time to resemble little more than petrified wood.
The implications of this theory are considered almost heresy within the Dark Souls universe lol. Great video man! It gave me more food for thought considering that we found a "Soul of Lords" could that mean we are next in line to be a deity? The Dark Lord perhaps??
Perhaps the four “gods” from the beginning cinematic were once human, demon, etc. from the past Age of Fire, and that is why they cling so desperately to the linking flame: they know they will be replaced once it goes out. Maybe they obtained godhood through refusing to relight the flame, just as the four did in DS III
Jake, can I get a lore talk going over here, on the Dks1 DLC? My question is: what's with the countless people status all facing the bonfire in the Olicile Sanctuary?
Perhaps to explain why Frampt wishes for the Age of Fire to continue is that he recognizes that should a new age of ancients come about and the primordial serpents become complete dragons that Frampt risks dying as an Ancient Dragon rather than be an immortal primordial serpent. Frampt has always seemed to me like the sort of person who values knowledge above all else, he seems to be represented in the Grand Archives with statues or a primordial serpent I assume to be Frampt. Scholars have a tendency to disagree with one another after all. If Aldia is accepted as one of the First Scholars of the Grand Archives his doubting of the Flame would be challenged by Frampt's support leading both down a path of debate and greater knowledge while if the Primordial Serpent is Kaathe they'd mostly just agree and this would lead to the forsaking of the flame. Lothric appears to be confused by the duty his family expected of him in linking the flame more so than hostile to it. He was unsure of his fate due to being taught by the First Scholars. One which doubted the Flame and another which supported. This would explain why he says he's not interested in linking the flame as opposed to saying he's against the flame completely. Which to me signals that he had been exposed to not only doubt of the Flame but support as well. If this is plausible then it provides Frampt with a motive for staving off the Age of Dark that is equally logical to Kaathe's reasoning for pushing one forward. It may also help explain why Lothric is disinterested in the Flame rather than Hostile towards it. The exposure to the debate his tutors may have provided only confusing a young sickly boy until he no longer cared. It wasn't a matter of honour or duty but a chore that he wholly wished to not understand or be a part of.
what if..? I've been trying to connect DS2 to the series even though most say it's the black sheep. Maybe it is just that... the Darkness. King Vendrick did not link the flame and did not encourage anyone else to do so therefore in theory he let it die out and became the Dark Lord by mistake as he tried to cure the curse. The Age of Darkness came and stayed for awhile until the fall of Drangleic, the last Kingdom of Dark. That is why DS2 is so different is because it is not in the Ages of Fire like DS1 and 3. As the keeper said when darkness settles eventually the embers dance back into the world. I believe Ludleth was the true undead hero of DS2 who found the new souls of lords throughout Drangleic which had taken new forms. Through the events of DS2 he was complelled to bring them to the Throne of Want, which is the "Kiln of the Darkness" in the Age of Dark. When the new lord souls emerge again and are brought to the throne the fire is started again creating a shiny new Age of Fire. That is why Ludleth wears a crown as a true monarch, seeker of Fire. To get really crazy... I wondered why there are only 5 lords if the fire had been linked so many times. Where are the rest? Well they are all different in the different worlds/timelines. In Dark Souls 3 they can only follow one timeline. In the timeline they use for DS3, Gywn was the first then Aldrich followed by Ludleth. The next 3 I can't speculate order. Time only truly resets when the Age of Grey is allowed to settle in. That's why Gwyn is still the first even though darkness cycled in between DS1 and 3. The Age of Grey is the Age of no free will or lack of choice. Everything is dull and emotionless. It happens when an Age of Fire or Darkness is allowed to go on for too long without swapping. DS2 has many arch trees starting to grow back as the Darkness went on for too long without swapping to Fire again. Luckily Ludleth saved the day by lighting a new flame just before the transition to Grey was complete. In DS3 the transition was from Fire to Grey before the Ashen one flipped the switch to dark just before that happens. Nonetheless, if Vendrick was the Dark Lord and Ludleth was the one who brought back the Age Of Fire, did Vendrick walk away from the flame lit at the end of DS1 by Aldrich? Well I believe he actually stole the lord souls from the Lord Vessel after Aldrich rekindled the flame as the original chosen undead in DS1 in this timeline. Vendrick just told everyone he defeated the Lords cause he was not going to admit Aldrich had become the second Lord of Cinder after Gwyn, and he had actually stolen them instead of earning them. It was shortly after the flame was fuelled by Aldrich that Vendrick and his brother Aldia still cursed stole the vessel and used the Lord Souls of DS1 to try and solve the curse. They hid the stolen Lord Vessel in the back of a cellar deep inside the mansion in Majula where it is now in pieces. The 3 souls of Light from the stolen vessel created the crowns of the Sunken King, the Ivory King, and the Iron King. Vendrick use his own Dark Soul to create his crown, the crown Ludleth wears as a true monarch. Vendrick was busy trying to solve the curse and was seduced and misguided by his eventual Queen. The Queen aided Vendrick to create a hybrid fire keeper to snuff out the flame much like the end of DS3. This was the Emerald Herald. This is also why there is no fire in the land until Ludleth spreads it across Drangleic as it is seen on the map in the mansion in Majula. Vendrick and co. had created the first univseral fire keeper. In DS1 each bonfire had a keeper. Yet in DS 2 and 3 there are only one. The Emerald Herald was the first. As she was created in the Age of Dark she and her successors can see the Darkness which scared the followers of Light in the new Age of Fire created by Ludleth. To solve the problem they removed the Herald's eyes and hid them behind a wall in fire link and had all the eyes removed from future fire keepers. Back to Aldrich... I believe he was the second because after he became the second Lord of Cinder he realized he was tricked into continuing the Age of Fire by the kin of Gwyn. That is why he went to find Gwyndolin instead of sitting on his throne. Gwyndolin must pay for tricking him with his illusions so he ate him.
Oh I almost forgot! There is more. I just put in some DS3 for a new playthrough and talked to the fire keeper. She kindly reminded me. So Demon's Souls... is the sequel of Dark Souls. The Dark Lord becomes the Old One of Boletaria. The Candle Stick Maiden is a "fire keeper". She does sound a lot like the Fire Keeper of DS3... from their greetings to the Fire Keeper's subtle words while in the level up screen (I needed head phones to catch it)
I believe that the reason frampt sided with gywn and didnt want the age of dark to begin was coz he was afraid of becoming a dragon and get killed eventually by the new lords to begin the age of fire. And since he is immortal in the serpent state he wants to keep it that way. Just my thoughts
To add further credence to the idea of the primordial serpents becoming true dragons, in the ringed city DLC you can see complete statues of them. They have distinctly draconic lower bodies, scaled and limbed. Also, is it just me or does the eclipse seem to be feeding down into the ringed city?
Dragons and Wyverns still live at Archdragon Peak. Plus, the 'Age of Dark' is the 'Age of Man' which means there can and will be a new Age of Fire, but not a new Primordial Age.
Something else that might seem useful/interesting is just the overall choice of color palette. In Dark Souls there were actually plenty of vivid, bright colors. In Dark Souls 2 there were plenty of dark, dreary colors. In Dark Souls 3 it seems the color palette is stuck in grays.
My question is where did the very first soul of lords/age of fire come from? We've seen the chaos flame created by the witch of izalith, but what would a "chaos flame" created by a primordial serpent look like?
One thing I have been thinking about is a possible timeline of Dark Souls 3. Which of the Great Lords we fight was the first to rekindle the flame? I do not think it really matters what order it was in, but it is an interesting thing to think about. I also find it odd that Ludleth of Courland is friendly toward the player, unlike all the other former lords. It seems like he willingly accepts his fate and gives up his soul in order to help the player. I find his backstory to be one of the more interesting ones among the Lords of Cinder.
Interesting to note: the "darksign" description in DS3 states that those that carry it will be reborn again, and the sun turns into a darksign near the ending of DS3.
Awesome video I've had the same thoughts/theory as well, because it explains why the primordial serpents want to drive humans to become their lords. Frampt knew his fate if you became a dragon, so he betrayed his kind and allied with Gwyn to force an endless Age of Fire. What he didn't know was, that the "first" flame would become weaker with every cycle (remember the huge engulfing flame of the Chosen Undead in DkS 1, or Gwyn's fire, that burnt his Knights and the entire Kiln in comparison to the considerably weak match you make in the end of DkS 3) and his influence would eventually fade anyways. His motives might include the large influence he had: He eventually became a subject of praise and worship in Lothric (the statues + possible position of first Scholar). The most interesting (or even terrifying?) fact is that the Firekeeper seems to know about it, that Ludleth seems to know something and that the Primordial Serpents and Dragons knew about it. We may just suspect that even Gwyn knew that perpetual cycling took place, because of Seath and Frampt. Maybe they tried to break the cycle with their actions? Is that breaking of the cycle what Aldia is looking for as well? DkS 3 meant to answer some questions, not giving answers leading to new questions ;D
I think what they mean by tiny flames dance in the darkness is basically saying it's a chance for a NEW lord to start an age of fire. technically we are still in lord gwyns age of fire because we keep linking it so the age of dark is just a chance for a NEW lord to rise and start their age of fire. that's my theory
And since the age of dark is the age of man, and since men can transcend to dragons it's humanities destiny to become the everlasting dragons, the Nameless king realized this and that's why he allied with the dragons. This has to be the logical conclusion of this line of thought, right?
Notice how Champion Gundyr has red eyes in the Untended Graves/"past," like everything else in the game that is abyssal (i.e. some skeletons bc Volnir basically sided w/ the Abyss), and that the Untended Graves are surrounded by darkness. Also, Iudex Gundyr has thr Pus of Man on/within him in the "future." Not sure what these could indicate, but I just found them interesting. Also "Iudex" means "judge" or something apparently...
My head cannon is the ashen one and the fire keeper let the fire fade and then go to the painted world to raise the little dragon girl, yeah it’s sappy, but it’s nice too
At 7:44 are you implying that Gwyn was not the first, and that he, Nito, The Witch, and the Furtive Pygmy found the souls of previous linkers of the flame? That'd be a very interesting idea. Though a few seconds earlier in your video you show this text from the Soul of the Lords, "Since Lord Gwyn, the first Lord of Cinder" Also just for fun, and many would hate me for this thought(in fact I hate it and do not believe it.), but its an odd idea I had once. What if Dark souls 1 and 2 are simply retellings of the same story gone through what would basically be the telephone effect?
my big question is, what about the possibilities of other ages? the reason I ask is because Aldrich mentions seeing an age of the deep sea in his visions of the future. what do you think of that? would an age of deep sea destroy what's left of the flame? or is it to return the world to a barren form? thoughts? also, how do you feel about the possibility that each primordial serpent is dedicated to one age? Frampt controls the age of fire and so he wants it to continue, Kaathe controls the age of dark...? so he wants his age back (sorry that there is little actual backing for the last theory but I also feel like the age of dark is a representation of the true age of man vs the age of the undead which were created through the linking of the flame)
lol, Firekeeper's all like: "It's treason...then?" *Sound of firelink great-saber activating*
When is the age of water that Aldrich saw gonna happen? I wanna link the sink so bad
It’sa Mario time.
@@grandaidthebandaid6307 conjoined super mario souls timeline
The painting in dlc? Bloodborne maybe
Ducky 2 lords of the flood
Maybe Bloodborne,but if it's referencing bloodborne..That means bloodborne is the Future of Dark Souls Universe?
I vouch for the age of water foreseen by Aldrich. From the Dark, water will rise. And with the Water, the trees will form. Even in Ash Lake, which represents the world prior, the Trees are submerged in water, and it then seems the world is built upon the trees like a canopy. It makes more sense than the trees just popping out of nowhere. Although I guess you can argue trees do grow out of ashes, like forest fires. Perhaps the Fire was to restart the world?
I like that thought for sure! I was always under the impression that the word "deep" in DS3 indicated the Abyss. So when it said he dreamt of the Deep Sea, I just imagine waves of darkness crashing over the land! Fire does seem a likely choice to restart the world in a sense, as fire is the great purifier!
Daddy seth!
I wonder if Lords of hollows turn into the snakes like frampt in the end, and other people that turn into dragons from covenants and the pus of man are the other ancient dragons. Just grow in size until disparity is a thing again.
I'm certainly glad they started treating their Fire Keepers better as the Age of Fire went on. Thousands of years ago they locked them in a cage and cut out their tounges
wouldn't be to sure about that, check the bottom of the tower in firelink
that was the one fire keeper though
one that we know of. the piles of bones disagree with the idea it was just one.
TheLegendaryTashy now they just cut out the eyes
I wonder why the Anor Londo firekeeper was in so much better shape. Granted she was a Darkblade, so maybe she got extra rights or something.... but she was "free", had armor and a weapon and training, had her tongue and eyes, etc.
What if dragons are humans? We know that many warriors flocked to Archdragon Peak, and there are many "near dragons" there, and even a few (at least, what looks like too me) Archdragons in the Nameless Kings boss room. Maybe that's why Gwyn feared humans, he was afraid of his old enemies, and of their return in the age of dark. On one of the shields, I forget which, it alludes to the idea that humans are a lesser form of serpent, and the serpents are lesser forms of dragons. It's just a theory, but one is have wondered about for a while.
Bruh
@@decanusmorte I honestly forgot I wrote this tbh, it's been a hot minute.
@@TrystLyonesse yeah, a whole three years. But damn, bruh.
@stiuss what I really wanna know is if there would be agriculture in the Age of Dark.
The fact you can take the form of a dragon is evident of that. Good theory
I'm curious about the 'Age of Deep Sea' Aldritch dreams about. Is it the same as the Age of Darkness or is it a whole other age?
Something different
+jojotaz33 I find it odd they never go in depth with it however, aside from mentioning it once.
Probably the DLCs will uncover more about such subject. Maybe. Hopefully.
+Diego DG (Alanzer-DNA) One can only hope.
read my recent post in the video, i think this would be Aldritch having a vision of the Age of the Deeps Sea and wanting to obtain power by eating gods. The same way humans take embers, he takes powers by eating the god. He could then take usurp the fire and create world as he wishes.
Frampt doesn't want the age of fire to end, because then he would become an ancient dragon, and he knows that eventually the age of fire will start again... though, we know that all the ancient dragons must die for that to happen, and if Frampt knows this, and wants to stay immortal, of course he would want the age of fire to continue, so he isn't doomed to die :)
@×Mochi Cream× that wasn't the end of age of fire, you would become a dark lord
But we’ll never know when the age of poise will exist
"Is that the cycle the worlds is meant to repeat? Or is there another?"
"Yes"
This could also suggest that ancient dragons are warriors who became dragons in past ages.
What do you mean?
@@jeremyleclair8883 Through the entire Dark Souls series many warriors wanted to become dragons so they could escape the cycle very few actually become true dragons. Because the cycle goes Ancients, Fire, Dark there would have to be new ancient dragons to replaced those that have been killed therefore it would make sense that some warriors aspiring to become dragons did end up finding ways to become ancient dragons thus replacing the ancient dragons who had been killed.
I really want to see Frampt and Kathe in the DLC.
same, that would bring some pretty good closure while Kaathe was also mentioned by Yuria and Frampt was, I believe, a statue in upper lothric
Yeah there's a statue of a serpent in the Grand Archives right next to the first tub of wax you come across, leading me to believe the art is already done for the most part, so fingers crossed.
There has to be a "sable church of londor" dlc
I would not be surprised to see Kaathe and Velka as allies
according to what yuria says in the japanese when you beat her to death, kaathe is probably dead. she says something like "kaathe, i failed your dying wish".
Dude, I am thankful your enthusiasm and love for this series. I love and cherish all these lore videos. Thank you.
Don't forget, maybe Ocelot wad supposed to help lead the dragons in the new age of dark. The king was nuts but he may very well be the means to an end for the serpents to become dragons. We killed him but that would definitely have been fun to do a dragon dlc
Yup, walk to the corner of the room and search for the button prompt "pick up Ocelot". You lift him, the illusory wall lifts and you hand him to the dark wraiths.
Bullshit.
Only works if you have the DLC
Wait is this true lol
perhaps Frampt realizes that by becoming a dragon it only means eventually he will be slain by the new Lords. Based on this idea though, maybe Frampt is destined to be the new Syth the Scaleless out of a desire to continue to live
Great theory, I like how you tied it into Gwyn's discovery of the flame. It even explains why hollows were already surrounding in DaS1's intro when it first ignited. That said, I feel as though the age of Fire and Dark are meant to loop while the coming Deep is there to keep the flame at bay/ break that loop and allow the Great Lake and its arch trees to rise, making a new set of lands for life emerge atop them.
You may want to look into the Giants of Dark Souls 2 as they seem to be related to dragons and have souls with a dark core and white exterior- becoming trees when they die.
On a side note, Dragons and spirit trees, beings of gray, tend to absorb their surrounding attributes (the rotted great wood and gaping dragon descriptions).
I'm not sure why, but the overall pose and setting the firekeeper is in reminds me of the Furtive Pygmy...
If you do that end game story option if you have tears of denial on as you do it as the light fades your tears of denial stays on for 5 seconds after all the light fades and then your tears of denial Fades as well it's kind of cool
i love how they made this in reference to real life. how things started with the big bang, then eventually all the suns will die out and there eill be nothing but dark and cold. Then possibly starting up again with another big bang. fascinating stuff.
The big bang wouldn't even happen again scientists dont know exactly how it started are you dumb suns will die out yes but humans might be long gone before then
Frampt could very well just be like Samuel Jackson in Django Unchained.
Bahaha! Samuel L. Jackson! XD
"I'm tired of these motha fucking Undead, linkin this motha fuckin flame!"
The Ashen Hollow
"Yes they deserved to die! And I hope they burn in the Kiln!"
maybe frampt needed the fire to fade to enter dark, while kathe created a future of undead where the leader stole the fire and entered the souls of lords inside, breaking the cycle of DS until this lord of undead is destroyed.
I am going to run an odd idea by you. What if, the ages don't stop at just the age of dark with flickering lights, what if it repeats itself forever. 1st the dragon age, then the fire age, and then the dark age. now put that on loop. dragon fire dark, dragon fire dark etc. what are your thoughts?
Frampt is Gwyn's lil' BITCH
Great stuff! I like that you pointed out trees, since I noticed their prevalence too
so the serpents are imperfect dragons then does that mean seath the scale-less is a serpent? maybe he could be a missing link between serpents and dragons
Yeah, what if he was in the process of becoming a dragon, but because of the Fire, his process was halted?
+Nyang Ruot or maybe they would have to go through some sort of ritual to become a Dragon but something might have went wrong when seath was going through it and he has no recollection of the events. I think koth might just want to become something more than a serpent. idk I'm just thinking plz put your suggestions down I think we are on to something!
If Seath is a half-serpent-half dragon in process of becoming full dragon then he might have betrayed the dragons in order to remain a snake, thus denying his destiny of becoming a dragon and dieing at the hands of the lords. Throuought the series there are plenty of events starting from a denial of destiny: The lords don't want to link the flame and the cut content featuring the first knight you meet in DS1 being all that comes to mind.
There's also the crown you make in DS2 DLC that allows you to not hollow. It's better explained in a lore video about the curse of the undead (that's where i found out about it)
Nah, Seath's parents were probably first cousins or something
Seathe had to have been borne after the flame appeared because before that point nothing really lived or died or was made or destroyed. The age of Ancients was gray and the beings inside simply existed with no beginning or end. Then the flame came and disparity allowed change. Allowed serpents to be borne, birthed dragons that were never meant to be eternal (Seathe).
I don't believe The Age of Ancients is part of the cycle, I believe it is the default of the world. It's what it was before the cycle began, to me the cycle is Age of Fire and Age of Dark. Those two constantly going back and forth, the Age of the Ancients is forever done and gone. This is why it says the Serpents could have been dragons but now they can't, in the Age of Ancients they would have evolved into Dragons, but now that Fire and Dark rule the world they are stuck as Serpents. Since Serpents are the symbol of the Undead, Kaathe wants an Age of Dark because in it the Serpents will thrive. Frampt wants an Age of Fire because in it he thrived because he was working with Gwyn and Gwyndolin.
My issue with this whole Cycle lore is that in Dark Souls there was no evidence of there being a cycle. The whole story was the First Flame was fading so Gwyn split up his soul and burned what was left to keep it lit. However this was not enough so Gwyndolin and Frampt wanted you to collect the Lord Souls so you could burn them along with yourself to keep it lit a little bit longer. The goal was for the Undead to burn Humanity's (or fragments of the Dark Soul) so that eventually the Dark Soul would also be given to the First Flame. That would mean all 4 Lord Souls including the powerful Undead who sacrificed themselves would have been given back to the First Flame in the hopes it would keep it permanently lit. However at the end you had the option to become the Dark Lord, which would essentially make you the god king of the Dark Age, which was assumed to be permanent until someone relit the First Flame (presumably by killing you and burning your soul).
Dark Souls 2 is the one that put this emphasis on cycles and past Lords burning themselves and what not. I was a little disappointed that Dark Souls 3 carried on with that because I don't particularly like this cycle lore. It means everything you do is useless, all the lore is useless, all the bosses and NPC's are useless, there will just be another cycle anyways. Dark Souls had a great underlying message of struggling against the inevitable, the First Flame was always going to fade as flame does and the Gods desperately trying to keep it lit at all costs. You see them begin to break down, some of them flee, some blame the Undead and lock them away, some do all that they can to keep it lit, and some go mad. Its this struggle against the Dark and the fear of what happens when the Flames fade that dominate the games lore. I really liked that aspect of hope along side hopelessness, the idea the neither Light or Dark can be considered truly good or evil, they are both. Your decision to link the flame or walk away actually had impact, it was a real decision (which is something the other 2 games really lacked because i know there will just be another cycle so what does it matter...). So i just don't really like the cycle idea.
Chill with the essay
+Yhorm, The Giant chill with your attitude dude
Yhorm, The Giant sorry, but you didn't have to read it, you could have just skipped it.
+Yhorm, The Giant u just got rekt like when I rekt u. well only the second time. the first time equipping storm ruler put me over max equip load.
i agree completely
Bruh it's insane to me how you make all these theories man keep keeping on, new sub
I literally live for these fuckin' lore theory videos.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, your channel is spot on, and you're gonna go far.
You honor me!
and you where right! :D
The primordial serpents have lower halfs like dragons. They have 4 legs and a tail in the statues in the ringed city.
"But is that the cycle the world is meant to repeat, or is there another?"
"I believe the answer is yes."
Understood
like how the demons turn to stone when the chaos flame fades, I think the dragons get their stone scales when the first flame fades
That's what I've always thought. When the flame finally dies for good, embers will appear in the darkness and it all will start again eventually, maybe with new lords, and new story
There will be always embers in the dark to raise again, when the flame fades only dark will remain - & than they will find the Souls of Lords within the Flame, again-
Actually, Kaathe said that Frampt betrayed them for Gwyn, meaning that serpents are associated with the Abyss and Frampt is an exception (like Seath, but opposite side).
"Is it the way the world is meant to repeat? Or is there another? My answer is yes."
"Jimmy what do you want for your birthday? Yes."
Is that the cycle the world is meant to repeat?
Don't need to ask just get a slice and that's it! God dammit Alex you are lucky I let Jimmy invite you to your birthday don,t make me regret it!
*The Yharnamites in the Age of the Deep laughs from afar*
Just a thought I had. 1:14 - We don't really know too much. And what we do know is told by the victor. Who knows, maybe things look completely different from another perspective. Weren't the primordial serpents split on what age they supported?
_"Where would these ancient dragons come from? From thin air?"_
ARCH DRAGON KEEP!!!! There is a whole CULT of Humans, Heroes, and Gods who are trying to LITERALLY BECOME DRAGONS!!!
They will remain when the fire finally fades! And they will rule when the darkness itself fades and only Grey and Fog remain!
im very glad i found u sir. thanks for these :D
I think Frampt's motivation is much like The Doctor's: curiosity. An interest to see what people can do, what they do differently in each re-linking, how long can things go before the inevitable.
Dude, thanks for subtitles :) I really want to meet Dark Souls history but in my language there is no videos on YT etc. Even on wiki i can just read something about game nothing more
A simpler explanation would seem to be that the embers that the Fire Keeper sees are simply the fuel the re-ignites the flame for the next Age of Fire.
Frampt could always be like Seath, either afraid, against, or just not in favor of more dragons.
i have a couple of questions...
1. what about scholar of the first sin where aldia says about gwyns "sin" of linking the fire has trapped us in an eternal loop of light and dark ages?
2. what do you then believe happens in the third ending of DaS3? if you usurp the flame?
Great stuff, keep it up!
Link the flame = keep the fire era.
Ursurp the flame = start and keep the dark era.
Let the flame Vanish = let the world keep his course.
In my opinion Letting the flame fade is best because linking it woukd just continually repeat it worse and worse while ushering the age of Dark means you are maniplated by the serpents as in my opinion doing this ending means a return to the age of dragons in a more permanent fashion.
Hey isn't it weird that Hollows in Lothric (1st area of DS3) seem to worship dead dragons and also worship trees?
Hypothesis: the ash in Ash Lake was once the ruins of the previous ages of Fire and Man. All things turn to ash, and the immortal dragons repopulate to become the alpha species until the next age of fire. Thoughts?
I think the cyclical nature of Dark Souls and this theory lends credence to the shared universe theory. I don’t think it mean’s Bloodborne is the next cycle but Elden Ring might be.
The Flame reborn as the Giant’s Flame perhaps. The Golden Order being a new light that usurped it. Hence why the flame can destroy the Haligtree.
The Dragons had returned and were wiped out by the Gods of this new world but with a foreign light. Even locations are mimicked in appearance, though they are also Berserk references which Miyazaki loves.
The Frenzied Flame might be the Flame of Chaos once frozen in DS2. Either corrupting the 3 Fingers or merely adopted by it to further its own goals.
Given his might, Godfrey may be this world’s Gwyn. Either symbolically or literally his reborn soul. Loyal to the Light and prolonging his rule. Or even Radagon might be Gwyn for similar reasons.
It’s a cyclical world, but that does not mean it’s the same world every time. Much like how in JoJo, Made In Heaven fast forwards to the next universe, a cycle repeats, but it has notable differences like Jolyne having a Bee tattoo and then being Irene, a whole different person but the same Jolyne we followed now reborn in a world where DIO’s last minion was eliminated for good.
Great lore vid! Keep up the good work!
So the Dragons are just Hollows (immortal zombie humans) that have conquered the Dark and Light within to transcend them and become an Everlasting Dragon through the path of the Dragon walked by warriors and practiced through meditation.
Ok, so Dragons are Buddhas =D
I think you mean monks, not Buddhas
They are ancient beings remember in our human history ancient civilization tended to be more spiritual more physical more mental so they were more to be enlighted.
Sooooo I have a theory but there's nothing to back it up. I've just come up with it like 5 minutes ago.
What if the Usurpation of fire we can see in Dark Souls 3 was meant to lead to another age of ancients, another timeless era with nothing but fog, cinders and a shit lot of dragons until the next gods find the fire again ? What if that's what had happened before Dark Souls 1 ?
One thing I'm not so sure about: The four Souls in Dark Souls are referred to individually as "Lord Soul" - not as "Soul of Lords."
I believe that the eyes of the first firekeeper are referencing the maiden in black as she is the first npc tending to flames (candles) and her eyes were occluded by wax, ie she had no eyes. Not to mention the grand betrayal ending is the same as the "bad" ending in demons souls with all the head stepping and what not.
Awesome vid, bro. I wonder if there is a way to transcend the ages once and for all.
I think that the motive behind a primordial serpent not wanting to become a dragon is the fact that he will die once the age of flame rolls around
1:05 "I believe the answer is yes." You realize that the question you presented is not a yes or no question, right? Lol.
I actually have it in my head that The Age of Ancients and the Age of Dark are the same. once upon a time a dragon somewhere had its own Usurper of the Flame ending and that led to the everlasting dragons, but still another "First" Flame showed up.
I love the lore video. I would have to pose this question, what kind of age would arise if you do the alternate usurpation of fire ending? It seems to be the the greedy ending, but it doesn't show much of what might happen to the world because of it.
That ending is the true "Dark Ending" in all DS1 & 2 you just walked away from the flame, someone could have just come after you an link the fire. When we walked away from the first flame in the first game Soilare linked the fire if you look up the cut content. The usurped ending is the true Dark Age. We take the first flame into ourselves basically extinguishing it and replacing it with our own dark version. That whole quest line was put into motion by Kaathe which you find out if you kill chick. At one point you need to kill Orhbick because he will end up linking the flame if you choose to walk away.
Your theories play flawlessly into the lore from Dark Souls 2 as well. All I could think of while listening was the emerald herald saying that, after collecting all the souls, that souls will flourish anew and all this shall play out again. An age of dark following dark souls, with another flame spawning the lord souls again, could lead to the bearers of these souls in dark souls 2 finding them (Sinner, Old Iron, Rotten, and The Duke). Or she may simply have been foreshadowing this game's ending
=D
Ever notice that the serpent statues in lothric castle have wings on their shoulders, and what look to be thick scales on their chests. Could be a sign of their future transformation.
I actually covered that in my most recent video! I believe the marking on the chest to be the mark of the undead! =)
Aldrich had visions of the coming age of the Deep Sea. Perhaps the cycle will be broken when the waters rise and devour the first flame much like Aldrich devoured Gwyndolin.
Has anyone noticed how the undead are becoming trees, serpents, and pilgrim dragons? I’m guessing that’s how the archtrees, serpents, and dragons will be made and the age of ancients start again
your my new go to lore guy! :D
I know everything about dark souls 1-3
+Dark Souls Anything dude you're not even old enough to have pubes let alone play them
Oh really like how the Ornstein in dark souls 1 was an illusion and the Nameless King is Gwyn's first born and the strom drake the Nameless King is ridding is Ornstein.
+Dark Souls Anything never said you dint now shit mate, just said that you're about 10
+Dark Souls Anything and its only theorised that its ornstein
To be honest, I think overanalyzing what comes after the Age of Fire is kinda missing the point. I think it's meant to be a metaphor for death, made literal and applied to the world at large. No one knows what will happen in the Age of Dark, or even if the world will still exist. It's scary. But DS3, with its crumbling and broken world, the instability of its very metaphysics, says, "It's been long enough. It's time to go." And so if you do the fairly obvious 'true' ending, you and the Fire Keeper put the fire out, with a certain tenderness almost reminiscent of euthanasia. And everything goes black.
"Ashen one, hearest thou my voice still?"
With the last words before the credits roll, the Fire Keeper gives us hope that the "death" of the world wasn't the end, but some unknown new beginning. We don't get to see what it is - after all, no one knows what comes after death - but we know that it's not the end.
But then what about Aldrich's Age of Deep Sea? It is surprising that you left that important bit out of this, especially considering that it was predicted by Aldrich, who's dreams are so accurate, he can learn spells from them.
Well, I believe the term "deep" in DS3 is referring to the Abyss/Humanity. If you read the Deep Soul sorcery. So when it says he dreamt of the Deep sea, my guess is that means the inevitable Age of Dark.
If the primordial serpents were there from the beginning then there is a finite amount of them. They would run out of serpents to turn into dragons and the age of ancients would cease, because there are no dragons. I believe that the age of ancients is the default style of the world. Then after the first age of fire it goes to age of dark and back to fire and so on.
Great video; it's helped more than a few pieces fall into place for me. I would guess "Kingseeker" Frampt's allegiance lies first and foremost to his hunger, not unlike the Gaping Dragon. Serpents are greed incarnate and souls/dung pies are quite tasty, I'm sure.
I always found this kind of obvious, which is why I always go for the fire keeper ending. Feels like the right ending to me.
So what the hell does the other ending mean when you kill the firekeeper and keep the soul for yourself. Strangely enough when you do this you hear the old hand maiden repeat from the trailer "Nameless accursed undead, unfit even to be cinder. And so it is, that ash seeketh embers..."
The arena in which you fight the Soul of Cinder is basically a giant arch-tree if you look carefully (look at the base of the arena, it certainly looks like a huge trunk). Also... Dragons are all over the place in DS3...It wasn't really the case in DS1 and 2 (not counting the drakes or the undead dragons). So...dragons and trees? What does this mean? I believe the world here is going back to "its roots", meaning that the age of fire and dark are both fading. This game basically tells us that the cycle is over and that everything turns to "ashes", arch trees fill the world and Dragons are coming back just like it was in the age of ancients.
I believe this whole series is about time travel (time is convoluted...); your character is never in the present times, he's just travelling in different parts of the past. When you reach Filianore and touch the egg, you suddenly end up in the present... The world has ended, only ashes remain. There's only you and Gael...fighting over the Dark Soul...the very thing that created humanity. So I think that the DLC "The Ringed City" just tells us that whether you link the flame or start the age of dark, it was all useless since, ultimately, nothing's left. Everything has crumbled. It's a very sad story, indeed...
14:39 Frampt, like Seath, is possibly betraying his own; being promised by Gwyn with what he seeks - to become a full-fledged dragon. Also it's possible that Frampt may be under the sorcery of Gwyndolin, and actually believes the sun still shines on Anor Londo. What do you think?
Maybe the "path of the dragon" can't work in the age of fire so when the first flame burns out, those who would have been successful are transformed into Ancient Dragons for the next world
Very very nice Video! The only thing I'm curious about is one of Aldrich's dreams which mentions something about an age of the deep sea(can't remember how it was written exactly) and where that fits in with the cycles or if it is just referring to the age of dark/men.
Also where exactly does the usurpation ending fit in? Are you actually initiating the same age of dark as with the Firekeeper ending? Or is it something else entirely? It also may just fit in with the whole "time is convoluted" stuff I don't know.
So yeah those were my thoughts on the matter! Keep up the good stuff, really looking forward to all upcoming theories!
Cheers
It might simply be a brand-new age that could come about due to the corruption of the Deep, which was once a sacred place. There is a lot of filthy water in areas dominated by Aldrich/the Cathedral, so it's possible the waters are creeping into reality as the First Flame dies out. Probably also an injoke, since water quenches fire. :P
Sounds plausible, well we'll se what the DLCs bring in regards to the Age of the Deep Sea (since I really think that we'll see something about this OR something about the sable church in an upcoming DLC)
It is a huge reference to the Water symbolism in Bloodborne which is a reference to the characterisation of deep sea by Lovecraft being the home of the evil.
I believe, since Deep Magic is somewhat derived from the profaned flame, soul magics and moon related magics, but still Abyss magic at its core, that it just is a symbol for the Abyss which swallows metaphorically all light, just like fire extinguishes water.
I find it very likely through the nature of the deep spells, and human dregs etc, that it is just the abyss that has corrupted the cathedral, and that the visions of the deep sea is really just the coming age of dark
Well, the deep sea ist also called the abyssal, maybe he has just been dreaming of an age of the abyss
It's also interesting to note that each Age of Fire has incarnations of the four great lord souls; Gwyn, Nito, The Witch of Izalith, and Seathe. Even if the four Old Ones from 2 weren't heavily hinting at their affiliation, you get two souls from them in NG+ playthroughs. It isn't that hard to believe then, that there are four persistent lord souls who re-ignite each new Age of Fire. We also know that those souls existed before the gods of DS1 found them, so might Gwyn's Age of Fire not have been the first? It may be that Gwyn's age was just one where the records of all prior ages disappeared completely between the Age of Dark and the Age of Ancients.
I'd also take your supposition about the Primordial Serpents a step further. What if serpents in the Fire can become Dragons in the Dark? That might explain Karth's desire to bring forth the Age of Dark, purely selfish for his own people, but quite understandable. I also wonder about the Arch Trees. Many of the trees we get close to are hollow, and while they inwardly have the appearance of plant life, the exterior is portrayed as stone. We also never see branches on the Arch Trees. I'd guess that the Arch Trees are actually towers from castles and walls of ages past, weathered over time to resemble little more than petrified wood.
The implications of this theory are considered almost heresy within the Dark Souls universe lol. Great video man! It gave me more food for thought considering that we found a "Soul of Lords" could that mean we are next in line to be a deity? The Dark Lord perhaps??
Perhaps the four “gods” from the beginning cinematic were once human, demon, etc. from the past Age of Fire, and that is why they cling so desperately to the linking flame: they know they will be replaced once it goes out. Maybe they obtained godhood through refusing to relight the flame, just as the four did in DS III
would the usurpation of the fire via the dark wraiths be the ultimate breaking of this cycle?
Jake, can I get a lore talk going over here, on the Dks1 DLC? My question is: what's with the countless people status all facing the bonfire in the Olicile Sanctuary?
Perhaps to explain why Frampt wishes for the Age of Fire to continue is that he recognizes that should a new age of ancients come about and the primordial serpents become complete dragons that Frampt risks dying as an Ancient Dragon rather than be an immortal primordial serpent.
Frampt has always seemed to me like the sort of person who values knowledge above all else, he seems to be represented in the Grand Archives with statues or a primordial serpent I assume to be Frampt. Scholars have a tendency to disagree with one another after all. If Aldia is accepted as one of the First Scholars of the Grand Archives his doubting of the Flame would be challenged by Frampt's support leading both down a path of debate and greater knowledge while if the Primordial Serpent is Kaathe they'd mostly just agree and this would lead to the forsaking of the flame.
Lothric appears to be confused by the duty his family expected of him in linking the flame more so than hostile to it. He was unsure of his fate due to being taught by the First Scholars. One which doubted the Flame and another which supported. This would explain why he says he's not interested in linking the flame as opposed to saying he's against the flame completely. Which to me signals that he had been exposed to not only doubt of the Flame but support as well.
If this is plausible then it provides Frampt with a motive for staving off the Age of Dark that is equally logical to Kaathe's reasoning for pushing one forward. It may also help explain why Lothric is disinterested in the Flame rather than Hostile towards it. The exposure to the debate his tutors may have provided only confusing a young sickly boy until he no longer cared. It wasn't a matter of honour or duty but a chore that he wholly wished to not understand or be a part of.
Imagine if all the primordial serpents was really just a bunch of heads to on massive hydra, each with their own personalities.
the aspect of dragons was making a comeback with the Nameless King. looks like the cycle was going to start repeating again from there.
what if..?
I've been trying to connect DS2 to the series even though most say it's the black sheep. Maybe it is just that... the Darkness. King Vendrick did not link the flame and did not encourage anyone else to do so therefore in theory he let it die out and became the Dark Lord by mistake as he tried to cure the curse. The Age of Darkness came and stayed for awhile until the fall of Drangleic, the last Kingdom of Dark. That is why DS2 is so different is because it is not in the Ages of Fire like DS1 and 3. As the keeper said when darkness settles eventually the embers dance back into the world. I believe Ludleth was the true undead hero of DS2 who found the new souls of lords throughout Drangleic which had taken new forms. Through the events of DS2 he was complelled to bring them to the Throne of Want, which is the "Kiln of the Darkness" in the Age of Dark. When the new lord souls emerge again and are brought to the throne the fire is started again creating a shiny new Age of Fire. That is why Ludleth wears a crown as a true monarch, seeker of Fire. To get really crazy... I wondered why there are only 5 lords if the fire had been linked so many times. Where are the rest? Well they are all different in the different worlds/timelines. In Dark Souls 3 they can only follow one timeline. In the timeline they use for DS3, Gywn was the first then Aldrich followed by Ludleth. The next 3 I can't speculate order. Time only truly resets when the Age of Grey is allowed to settle in. That's why Gwyn is still the first even though darkness cycled in between DS1 and 3. The Age of Grey is the Age of no free will or lack of choice. Everything is dull and emotionless. It happens when an Age of Fire or Darkness is allowed to go on for too long without swapping. DS2 has many arch trees starting to grow back as the Darkness went on for too long without swapping to Fire again. Luckily Ludleth saved the day by lighting a new flame just before the transition to Grey was complete. In DS3 the transition was from Fire to Grey before the Ashen one flipped the switch to dark just before that happens. Nonetheless, if Vendrick was the Dark Lord and Ludleth was the one who brought back the Age Of Fire, did Vendrick walk away from the flame lit at the end of DS1 by Aldrich? Well I believe he actually stole the lord souls from the Lord Vessel after Aldrich rekindled the flame as the original chosen undead in DS1 in this timeline. Vendrick just told everyone he defeated the Lords cause he was not going to admit Aldrich had become the second Lord of Cinder after Gwyn, and he had actually stolen them instead of earning them. It was shortly after the flame was fuelled by Aldrich that Vendrick and his brother Aldia still cursed stole the vessel and used the Lord Souls of DS1 to try and solve the curse. They hid the stolen Lord Vessel in the back of a cellar deep inside the mansion in Majula where it is now in pieces. The 3 souls of Light from the stolen vessel created the crowns of the Sunken King, the Ivory King, and the Iron King. Vendrick use his own Dark Soul to create his crown, the crown Ludleth wears as a true monarch. Vendrick was busy trying to solve the curse and was seduced and misguided by his eventual Queen. The Queen aided Vendrick to create a hybrid fire keeper to snuff out the flame much like the end of DS3. This was the Emerald Herald. This is also why there is no fire in the land until Ludleth spreads it across Drangleic as it is seen on the map in the mansion in Majula. Vendrick and co. had created the first univseral fire keeper. In DS1 each bonfire had a keeper. Yet in DS 2 and 3 there are only one. The Emerald Herald was the first. As she was created in the Age of Dark she and her successors can see the Darkness which scared the followers of Light in the new Age of Fire created by Ludleth. To solve the problem they removed the Herald's eyes and hid them behind a wall in fire link and had all the eyes removed from future fire keepers. Back to Aldrich... I believe he was the second because after he became the second Lord of Cinder he realized he was tricked into continuing the Age of Fire by the kin of Gwyn. That is why he went to find Gwyndolin instead of sitting on his throne. Gwyndolin must pay for tricking him with his illusions so he ate him.
Oh I almost forgot! There is more. I just put in some DS3 for a new playthrough and talked to the fire keeper. She kindly reminded me.
So Demon's Souls... is the sequel of Dark Souls. The Dark Lord becomes the Old One of Boletaria. The Candle Stick Maiden is a "fire keeper". She does sound a lot like the Fire Keeper of DS3... from their greetings to the Fire Keeper's subtle words while in the level up screen (I needed head phones to catch it)
@@judzvii Demon souls isnt part of the dark souls universe
What if primordial serpents need the age of dark and the arch tree's in order to truly become dragons like caterpillars becoming butterflies?
I believe that the reason frampt sided with gywn and didnt want the age of dark to begin was coz he was afraid of becoming a dragon and get killed eventually by the new lords to begin the age of fire. And since he is immortal in the serpent state he wants to keep it that way.
Just my thoughts
you forgot about the age of the deep sea, which I'm pretty sure happens after the age of dark and is possible the story of Bloodborne.
To add further credence to the idea of the primordial serpents becoming true dragons, in the ringed city DLC you can see complete statues of them. They have distinctly draconic lower bodies, scaled and limbed.
Also, is it just me or does the eclipse seem to be feeding down into the ringed city?
Dragons and Wyverns still live at Archdragon Peak. Plus, the 'Age of Dark' is the 'Age of Man' which means there can and will be a new Age of Fire, but not a new Primordial Age.
What if frampt knows of the cycles and his inevitable doom that would come with a new age of fire? Just a thought.
Really good video keep it up
Something else that might seem useful/interesting is just the overall choice of color palette.
In Dark Souls there were actually plenty of vivid, bright colors.
In Dark Souls 2 there were plenty of dark, dreary colors.
In Dark Souls 3 it seems the color palette is stuck in grays.
My question is where did the very first soul of lords/age of fire come from? We've seen the chaos flame created by the witch of izalith, but what would a "chaos flame" created by a primordial serpent look like?
One thing I have been thinking about is a possible timeline of Dark Souls 3. Which of the Great Lords we fight was the first to rekindle the flame? I do not think it really matters what order it was in, but it is an interesting thing to think about.
I also find it odd that Ludleth of Courland is friendly toward the player, unlike all the other former lords. It seems like he willingly accepts his fate and gives up his soul in order to help the player. I find his backstory to be one of the more interesting ones among the Lords of Cinder.
Interesting to note: the "darksign" description in DS3 states that those that carry it will be reborn again, and the sun turns into a darksign near the ending of DS3.
I actually have that written down in my notes for my video of small oddities! =D
Keen eye friend!
Awesome video
I've had the same thoughts/theory as well, because it explains why the primordial serpents want to drive humans to become their lords. Frampt knew his fate if you became a dragon, so he betrayed his kind and allied with Gwyn to force an endless Age of Fire. What he didn't know was, that the "first" flame would become weaker with every cycle (remember the huge engulfing flame of the Chosen Undead in DkS 1, or Gwyn's fire, that burnt his Knights and the entire Kiln in comparison to the considerably weak match you make in the end of DkS 3) and his influence would eventually fade anyways. His motives might include the large influence he had: He eventually became a subject of praise and worship in Lothric (the statues + possible position of first Scholar).
The most interesting (or even terrifying?) fact is that the Firekeeper seems to know about it, that Ludleth seems to know something and that the Primordial Serpents and Dragons knew about it. We may just suspect that even Gwyn knew that perpetual cycling took place, because of Seath and Frampt.
Maybe they tried to break the cycle with their actions? Is that breaking of the cycle what Aldia is looking for as well?
DkS 3 meant to answer some questions, not giving answers leading to new questions ;D
Aldia was trying to transcend it all. I.E. Live through the cycle to the next one, and then try and fix it.
I think what they mean by tiny flames dance in the darkness is basically saying it's a chance for a NEW lord to start an age of fire. technically we are still in lord gwyns age of fire because we keep linking it so the age of dark is just a chance for a NEW lord to rise and start their age of fire. that's my theory
And since the age of dark is the age of man, and since men can transcend to dragons it's humanities destiny to become the everlasting dragons, the Nameless king realized this and that's why he allied with the dragons. This has to be the logical conclusion of this line of thought, right?
Notice how Champion Gundyr has red eyes in the Untended Graves/"past," like everything else in the game that is abyssal (i.e. some skeletons bc Volnir basically sided w/ the Abyss), and that the Untended Graves are surrounded by darkness. Also, Iudex Gundyr has thr Pus of Man on/within him in the "future." Not sure what these could indicate, but I just found them interesting. Also "Iudex" means "judge" or something apparently...
My head cannon is the ashen one and the fire keeper let the fire fade and then go to the painted world to raise the little dragon girl, yeah it’s sappy, but it’s nice too
At 7:44 are you implying that Gwyn was not the first, and that he, Nito, The Witch, and the Furtive Pygmy found the souls of previous linkers of the flame? That'd be a very interesting idea. Though a few seconds earlier in your video you show this text from the Soul of the Lords, "Since Lord Gwyn, the first Lord of Cinder"
Also just for fun, and many would hate me for this thought(in fact I hate it and do not believe it.), but its an odd idea I had once. What if Dark souls 1 and 2 are simply retellings of the same story gone through what would basically be the telephone effect?
Someone else may have pointed this out but isn't the dragon at ash lake described as descended from the ancient dragons?
Maybe Frampt just liked his moustache so much that he didnt want to become a dragon
Did anyone else notice that the boss arena for soul of Cinder is takes place in a massive tree stump? Likely an arch tree
I noticed that too. And Midir arena is the same place where Gwyn and the others were born hollows and find the souls of the lords.
my big question is, what about the possibilities of other ages? the reason I ask is because Aldrich mentions seeing an age of the deep sea in his visions of the future. what do you think of that? would an age of deep sea destroy what's left of the flame? or is it to return the world to a barren form? thoughts? also, how do you feel about the possibility that each primordial serpent is dedicated to one age? Frampt controls the age of fire and so he wants it to continue, Kaathe controls the age of dark...? so he wants his age back (sorry that there is little actual backing for the last theory but I also feel like the age of dark is a representation of the true age of man vs the age of the undead which were created through the linking of the flame)