Characters / Dark Souls III Main Characters

This page details the Unkindled and the major characters of the plot. Head back through here for other character pages. Unmarked spoilers ahead.

Ashen One / Champion of Ash / Lord of Hollows

Ashen One / Champion of Ash / Lord of Hollows

Wake up and smell the ashes.^note From top left: Herald, Mercenary, Assassin, Pyromancer, Warrior, Deprived, Knight, Thief, Cleric, and Sorcerer

"Nameless, accursed Undead, unfit even to be cinder...and so it is, that ash seeketh embers."

Voiced by: Grant Gillespie (Male) / Alice Henley (Female)

You, the Player Character. At some point in time, you tried to link the fire, but failed, becoming an Unkindled. Now, as an Undead, you awake from your grave in the Cemetery of Ash and make your way to Firelink Shrine. Once there, you are charged by the Fire Keeper to return the missing Lords of Cinder to their thrones.

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• Action Survivor:
  • Like any other Souls Series protagonist, they take on, and survive, immense odds throughout their adventure. This is taken to the next level with the End of Fire ending, where the Ashen One is implied to be one of two known survivors of the entire world.
  • The DLC ending. After breaking Fillianore's egg, the Ashen One and Gael are definitely the last two beings alive in the entire world.
• Anti-Hero: In typical Dark Souls fashion, nothing's stopping The Ashen One from being a murderous bastard to everyone they meet, although even if they go about their quest as egregiously as possible, a majority of Heirs of Fire they have to take down while tracking down the Lords of Cinder and (with the exception of Yhorm) most of the Lords of Cinder themselves are pretty evil and morally in the wrong.
  Driven home in The Ringed City. While their quest to find Gael is heroic, in order to do so they invade the last bastion of civilization in the dying world, massacre its people, and (somewhat accidentally and unintentionally) murder the last living relative of Gwyn, whose death destroys the magic protecting the Ringed City, immediately condemning it to become a lifeless wasteland. HOWEVER, this city WAS given to early humans by Gwyn as a Gilded Cage given his stance on humanity in general, and there's also no arguing around the fact that he was perfectly willing to sentence his OWN DAUGHTER to eternal slumber as a means to keep the city intact, depriving her of the chance to have a life; the act of releasing her from the spell and destroying the city may be rather tragic, but it can be considered as a form of a Mercy Kill to end all of the innocent suffering taking place within.
• Arranged Marriage: To Anri, should you choose to follow Yuria's quest.
• Back from the Dead: They died and were buried in the Cemetery of Ash, only to be resurrected as an Unkindled Lord of Cinder by the Bell of Awakening. They differ from the Undead seen previously in the series in that while Unkindled are branded by the Darksign, they do not Hollow, and don't require Humanity. Instead, they can briefly become empowered by the First Flame by consuming Ember, which is a new resource introduced in this game. Via an optional choice, however, you can be branded with the Dark Sigil and Hollow like previous protagonists. Miyazaki further clarified what separates the Undead from the Unkindled; simply put, an Unkindled is someone who had the capacity as an Undead to Link the Fire but lacked the force of will and strength to do so and were consumed by it instead. Thus, they weren't even fit to be kindling for the Flame and are only being summoned because the Lords of Cinder who could Link the Flame are in no fit state to do so.
• Blood Magic: The Pontiff's Left Eye ring enables a Bloodborne-style regain-health-by-attacking mechanic, and even references Bloodborne in its remark that those who wear the ring succumb to bloodlust and are transformed into frenzied beasts. The Ring of the Evil Eye also returns, gradually restoring health by defeating enemies.
• Blood-Splattered Warrior: Can get absolutely drenched in blood as you fight, much like in Bloodborne. Generally speaking, the longer you've been playing the more blood your character will have on them.
• Body Horror: If the player so chooses, they can be branded with a "Dark Sigil", which will cause the Ashen One to hollow like in the previous titles.
• Carpet of Virility: You actually have the choice of giving your character thick body hair if it suits you. Yes, even as a woman.
• Determinator: No matter what is thrown at the Ashen One, any death is going to solicit the same reaction; the Ashen One will pick themselves up, brush themselves off, and try again. In fact, the only way for the Ashen One to be put down for good is if you, the player, stop playing.
• Experienced Protagonist: Lore-wise, an Ashen One is an Undead who tried linking the flame but wasn't powerful enough. Meaning your character has already fought the Soul of Cinder long before the game even starts.
• Fragile Speedster: While succeeding in any Dark Souls game requires being good at timing rolls and dodges to avoid boss attacks that would otherwise kill you in one or two attacks, this is taken to an increased level in Dark Souls III. Because of how the armor and poise system has been revamped, wearing heavy armor is only useful in providing additional poise during hyper-armor frames; the Ashen One will always take large amounts of damage from enemy attacks and will have very few options to mitigate it. Conversely, though, rolling requires much less stamina than in the previous games, to the point where even blocking with a greatshield can be less efficient than simply using invincibility frames; and to top that off, stamina regenerates faster as well, so retreating outside of combat range for a mere two seconds is enough to recover your full bar. All of this combined means that while the Ashen One will take much more damage from enemy attacks than the Chosen Undead or the Bearer of the Curse, they have far more mobility and agility and can dodge enemy combos with far more ease at less stamina cost. Furthermore, The Ashen One has less healing options as the maximum Estus limit is lower than in 1, and doesn't have a seperate healing access that the Bearer of the Curse did, and cannot upgrade his/her armor.
• Girls With Mustaches: In conjunction with Carpet of Virility, you can give your character a full beard, even as a woman.
• Joke Character: The Deprived continues the From Software tradition of being a class designed for challenge runs. You begin with no armor and a pitiful Club for a weapon, your starting stats are laughable, and you begin at Level 1. The class's lore description states they were either completely unimportant or the victim of grave robbery.
• Kick the Dog: In the 'Betrayal' ending, the Unkindled strikes down the Firekeeper in cold blood, and then grinds her face into the dirt with their boot before taking the First Flame's embers from her trembling hands.
• Multiple-Choice Past: All of the Classes have their own backstories:
  • The Knight class states they were an obscure knight of poor renown who collapsed in their travels.
  • The Mercenary class states they were a veteran soldier-for-hire who masterfully wielded dual-scimitars.
  • The Warrior class states they were descended from northern warriors famed for their brawn.
  • The Herald class states they were a former herald undertaking a quest.
  • The Thief class states they were a pitiful military deserter who turned to petty thievery.
  • The Assassin class simply states that they stalk their prey from the shadows and offers no further details.
  • The Sorcerer class states they were a loner who left formal academia to pursue further research.
  • The Pyromancer class only states they come from a foreign region.
  • The Cleric class states they were a wandering cleric who died of exhaustion.
  • The Deprived class states they were either an unimaginable fool in life or had their grave robbed.
• No Name Given: Obviously you name your character at the beginning of the game, but at the very end of The Ringed City DLC, when the Painter asks you what your name is, you have the option of telling her "I have no name."
• Paradox Person: The Usurp the Fire ending is the result of the Ashen One obtaining a Dark Sigil. Basically, the Ashen One ends up obtaining the power of the Dark Soul, as well as the power of the First Flame, something that no other being in existence was ever able to do until now^note  In ''Dark Souls II', both Vendrick and Aldia realized that combining the Dark Soul and the First Flame was necessary to break the cycle, but neither of them could figure out how to do it in time. This turns the Vicious Cycle of the world up on its head, and the Ashen One lords over the new world as the Lord of Hollows.
• Possession Implies Mastery: As long as they have the strength and/or dexterity to wield a particular weapon, they're proficient at using it and its Weapon Art.
• Purely Aesthetic Gender: The Unkindled's gender is up to the player and doesn't affect gameplay, though in a series first, Anri of Astora will assume the opposite gender of whatever sex the Unkindled is.
• Screw Destiny: On a truly cosmic scale, since as an Unkindled that can accept a Dark Sigil and gain access to Humanity, you become the first being ever that can harness the First Flame and the Dark Soul in tandem to finally destroy the cycle like Vendrick tried to in Dark Souls II. By choosing the Usurp the Fire ending, you can basically give the finger to the cosmic order of the universe and everything that that entails.
• Take a Third Option: As is tradition for the Dark Souls games, you are presented with a choice at the end of the game, but as with previous games, without completing sidequests, only one option is available. Your only default option is to Link the Fire like those before you, but if you find a hidden item and present it to the Fire Keeper, you can either have the Fire Keeper snuff out the First Flame, with the promise of a new Age of Fire beginning some day, or you can steal the Flame from her at the last moment, betraying everyone for the last scraps of power before the world ends. However, the Betrayal ending is not treated as a true ending by the game, giving no achievement/trophy. If you complete a very specific side quest, Linking the Fire is replaced by another option; to Usurp the Flame, stealing away the First Flame for yourself and becoming the Lord of Hollows and finally breaking the cycle.
• The Unchosen One: An interesting variation. The Unkindled are The Chosen One in that they were brought back from ashes for the sole purpose of linking the fire, but the only thing that makes them chosen is their willingness to link the fire. They have already tried once before, but failed, and are being brought back as the last resort after all else has failed. Very few characters expect you to actually succeed.
  Shrine Handmaid: Nameless, accursed undead. Unfit even to be cinders.
• The Usurper: In the Usurpation Of Fire, you usurp the First Flame and wrest it away from it's mantle, stealing it away from the machinations of the (seemingly) long dead gods.
• The Undead: Like the previous Dark Souls player characters, they are marked with the Darksign, but are different from previous Undead as an Unkindled, which don't normally Hollow and do not require Humanity. They can, however, become a Hollow by receiving a Dark Sigil.
• Weak, but Skilled: In comparison to the other Dark Souls protagonists! Mostly because the opposition is much tougher this time around, in both strength and speed. The Ashen One goes fighting and defeating beings that they, realistically speaking, should have no chance against; moreover, an Unkindled is even weaker than an Undead, but that doesn't stop them from fighting The Lords of Cinder, all Legendary beings, demons of all kinds, and The Soul of Cinder, the Nameless King and Slave Knight Gael, making him the first Dark Souls protagonist to fight two beings at the level of Gwyn at his full power and prevail, as well as a personification of the Dark Soul itself. Moreover, if you had both of your previous protagonists Link the Flame, then that means that the Ashen One is defeating both the Chosen Undead and the Bearer of the Curse!
• Virtual Paper Doll: Man, woman, tall, short, fat, emaciated, and everything in between is customizable, to say nothing of their wardrobe.
• Your Soul Is Mine!: Like previous Souls protagonists, they absorb the souls of slain enemies.

Fire Keeper

Fire Keeper

Voiced by: Olivia Mace

May the flames guide thee.

"Welcome to the bonfire, Unkindled One. I am a Fire Keeper. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. The Lords have left their thrones, and must be deliver'd to them. To this end, I am at thy side."

The current Fire Keeper of Firelink Shrine. Empowers the Unkindled with the strength of any souls they acquire.

• Ambiguously Human: She looks human, and according to lore Firekeepers are usually just humans that undergo a transformation. But her abilities to manipulate the fire and thus reality paint a different picture.
• Apocalypse Maiden: If the Fire Keeper is given eyes, she becomes capable of permanently allowing the First Flame to die and bringing about the End of the World as We Know It, but only if the player decides it to be so.
• Blind Seer: She has no eyes, and possesses a connection to the Flames of the Bonfire, being able to infuse the Ashen One with souls. In fact, it has become tradition for Fire Keepers to have their eyes removed. Giving her new eyes is necessary to unlock one of the endings, wherein she has a vision of the dark future that awaits should the First Flame die out and foresees her own potential death at the hands of the Ashen One.
• Cool Mask: She wears a mask over her eyes that, as seen in the opening cinematic, has the Darksign on the inside.
• Disapproving Look: Well, not really a look since her eyes are covered by that mask, but appearing before her in certain guises (such as Hollowed or with wax on your head from the Archives) causes her to turn away from the player slightly, as though in shame or disappointment. She doesn't say anything about it though, and will still serve the player as she always has.
• Emote Command: Performing an emote for the Fire Keeper will generally result in an appropriate one returned. Falling down or curling into a ball causes her to giggle, sitting before her to watch her causes her to twirl around, and performing a dueling pose causes her to shy away scared. How she sees this, though, is anyone's guess.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": She has no known given name, only being referred to by her title.
• Expy: Of the Maiden in Black and the Doll. Her dialogue even paraphrases several of the two characters' own lines, and she has an item-related sidequest similar to the Small Hair Ornament sidequest for the Doll in Bloodborne.
• Foreshadowing: Easily missed, as nothing indicates her usual Talk dialogue is changed. But after you visit... Lothric Castle and talk to her, she alludes to the existence of the 'Eyes of a Fire Keeper' Plot Coupon and Ludleth's knowledge of them.
  Fire Keeper: Ashen one, may I pose thee a question? Has the little Lord Ludleth spoken to thee of any... curious matters? I sense that he possesseth some knowledge... Of a thing once most precious, or most terrible, now lost to the Fire Keepers. Pray tell, is it a matter of which I should be apprised?
• Freeze-Frame Bonus: Very close examination of the Fire Keeper's model reveals that she has burn scars on her hands, presumably from tending the flame all these years.
• Mystical White Hair: She has white hair, is linked to the Bonfire, and can use the disembodied souls of your opponents to empower you.
• Nice Girl: Regardless of what you choose to do as the Ashen One, she will always be supportive of it (although somewhat reluctantly in some cases) and won't be any less kind to you than she already is.
• No Name Given: She's only known as the Fire Keeper, which adds to her Ambiguously Human status, since every other Fire Keeper in the series has a backstory.
• Nonstandard Character Design: While more subtle than, say, Andre, her model is much lither than can be achieved through the character creator. Especially noticeable in the Fire Keeper's set, which can be used by the player, unlike her unique hair and mask.
• Not So Stoic: Give her eyes and her she will react with subdued horror to the, in her own words, "frightful visions of betrayal" they show her. Afterwards she continues to show more emotion even in her regular dialogue, albeit subtly.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Beside taking inspiration from the Maiden in Black and the Doll, her role also makes her a (albeit minor) one to the Emerald Herald.
• The Stoic: She's very calm, serene, and dignified at all times. Well, almost all times.
• Undying Loyalty: Just like previous Firekeepers, she is eternally loyal to the Player Character. Even if the player chooses to go directly against her wishes and asks her to end the fire.

Ludleth of Courland

Ludleth of Courland

Voiced by: Roger Ringrose

"I may be but small, but I will die a colossus."

An Undead who linked the fire in an age long past, Ludleth is the only Lord of Cinder to arrive at Firelink Shrine without a fight. After giving him the Transposing Kiln, he assists the Unkindled by turning boss souls into weapons, spells, and equipment.

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• And I Must Scream: If you kill him, he'll respawn when you reload the area, but he'll be asleep, dreaming about the time he linked the Fire. It does not sound pretty. When he wakes up, he just apologizes for dozing off, not even acknowledging the dream or even that you killed him, implying he blocked it out of his memory.
  Ludleth: Ahh, it singeth, to the bone, it hurts... Please, help me. Be done with me... No, gods, no, I cannot bear it... It burns, burns, help me...
• The Atoner: One of his possible post-death quotes is desperately pleading for forgiveness from...something or someone. In true Dark Souls fashion, we have absolutely zero idea what he might be talking about, but it may have something to do with why his throne is labelled with the cryptic moniker "Ludleth the Exiled".
  Ludleth: Forgive me. Oh please...I am not to blame. I'm not...(trails off)
• Badass Boast: See his page quote. And no, it's not just a boast. When the time comes, he keeps his word.
  • He has another one, half-mumbled in his sleep right before waking up if you kill him.
  Ludleth: See ye not? I am a Lord. A wee flame, belike, but I shoulder the world.
• Badass Normal: Of sorts, as much as an Undead can be. Every other Lord of Cinder is a monstrously imposing foe - the Abyss Watchers are brutal warriors that have been corrupted by the Abyss, Aldrich is a giant god-eating Blob Monster, the Twin Princes are a deformed giant with a giant Flaming Sword and a powerful Squishy Wizard respectively, and Yhorm the Giant needs no further explanation. Ludleth is just a very old and very frail little man, who literally doesn't even have legs to stand on.
• Big Good: As the most powerful being in Firelink, and the only Lord who hasn't fled his post, Ludleth leads the efforts to restore the Age of Fire, and bring back the Lords of Cinder.
• The Chessmaster: An unusual example, considering Ludleth is quite open to the player. While the game is vague about the entire thing, Ludleth played a heavy role in the mindfuckery that is the Untended Grave, with the implication that Ludleth himself is responsible for it, and the events of the entire game, having sealed the dark consumed world beyond the Consumed King, and making sure there was a chance for the fire to be linked a final time by breaking time.
• Cool Crown: One denoting that he is a Lord, after he is consumed in the ritual of the First Flame, this and his cape are all that is left behind.
• The Determinator: One of the biggest, if not the biggest in the entire series. Not only did Ludleth drag his charred corpse without any legs to reach his throne, it's heavily implied throughout the game he broke time in an attempt to save the dying flame, quite literally forcing himself to become a Lord of Cinder through sheer willpower.
  • The last DLC. The existence of the other Pygmy Lords and the fact that his throne declares him "Ludleth the Exiled" seems to suggest that he was banished from The Ringed City (a brutal journey even for the Ashen One) and then dragged himself all the way to Firelink Shrine. So he could sacrifice himself to burn in the First Flame. Forever.
• Death Seeker: He is the only Lord of Cinder ready and willing to sacrifice himself all over again.
• Dem Bones: He's desiccated and charred to the point of being little more than a skin-covered skeleton.
• Face Death with Dignity: The only Lord of Cinder to follow his duty and fully prepare himself to do this. And he's not bluffing either. Once you've killed the other four lords, he remains on his throne and burns away without so much as flinching.
  Ludleth: Glory be, my Lord-slaying Champion. It is all thy doing. The stage is set for me to play my part as Lord, too. Go. Speak with the Fire Keeper.
• Finger-Tenting: He does this almost constantly, resting his chin on his hands when he talks to you.
• Foil: To the Twin Princes Lothric and Lorian. Like both brothers, Ludleth is a crippled noble without functioning legs, but each of them is a dangerous foe while Ludleth has no apparent fighting abilities whatsoever, or even any magic beyond use of the Transposing Kiln. But while the two brothers were raised with the belief that they were destined to link the Flame but became disillusioned and abandoned their duty, Ludleth, through nothing but sheer willpower, forced his way into becoming a Lord of Cinder in order to fulfill a destiny that was never meant for him in the first place.
• Handicapped Badass: The guy has no legs. If he wasn't already on the throne when he awoke, then he must've made the journey there without them. All for the sake of getting set on fire for the sake of the world. That's pretty impressive.
• Jumped at the Call: Of the five Lords of Cinder, only Ludleth voluntarily came to the fire shrine. And he did it without feet.
• Last of His Kind: He's the last known Pygmy left. Outside of the Ringed City that Lord Gwyn built for them to rule, that is.
• Lost in Translation: His well-known "die a colossus" is not present in the Japanese version. Instead, the line is instead him casually admitting that he's a Pygmy.
• Mister Big: A heroic one.
  Ludleth: "I may be but small, but I will die a colossus."
• No Body Left Behind: Burnt to nothing after the ritual.
• Orphaned Etymology: Courland is a very real region in the country of Latvia, bring into question what exactly Courland in the Dark Souls universe is.
• Really Royalty Reveal: Zigzagged. While he's obviously a kind of royalty or at least a figure of great importance due to being a Lord of Cinder, we don't know precisely his past from before other than his robes and crown. However, with the release of The Ringed City DLC and the reveal of the Pygmy Lords, visual clues and similarities between them, combined with his original Japanese line in the main game admitting he's a Pygmy, subtly implies that Ludleth was a Pygmy Lord, one of the members of royalty of the Ringed City and holder of a significantly larger portion of the Dark Soul than even regular Pygmy, let alone humanity in general.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Ludleth is possibly one of the most reasonable and wise Lords in the entire series. Not only does he provide support to the player through his powerful Soul Transposition magic, unlike, Kaathe, Frampt, and even Yuria, Ludleth immediately comes clean to the Unkindled One on certain shady topics, such as the Untended Graves, and the Eyes of the First Firekeeper, and does his best to explain them in detail, instead of leaving the player in the dark. The biggest example, however, is he's also one of the very few to be completely unmanipulative, encouraging the Unkindled to choose whatever path they deem right, whether it be dark or light. Only Aldia previously demonstrated such openness. All in all, Ludleth is a shining example of a Lord.
  Ludleth: Choose thy fate alone. Seize it with thine own hands. All the more, should thy fate entail such foul betrayal.
• Ring of Power: He wears a ring forged from the soul of a creature called a Soulfeeder.
• Set Right What Once Went Wrong: The reason he became a Lord of Cinder is due to this. The Firekeeper of his time saw a world of endless darkness, and to stop that future from coming to pass, he chose to link the fire.
  • Interestingly, even when the Ashen One acquires the Firekeeper's eyes, he's quite content to tell them the details in a factual and straightforward way, with absolutely no attempt to discourage the Ashen One from ending the Age of Fire and rendering Ludleth's previous efforts for naught. He even says "choose thy fate alone. Seize it with thine own hands. All the more, should thy fate entail such foul betrayal." Granted, it's not like Ludleth has much choice in the matter, since he's going to die anyway whether he likes it or not, but he seems awfully accepting of letting the Ashen One make such a choice.
• Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: A somewhat meta example. Authority figures in From Software games (i.e. Frampt and Kaathe, Nashandra, Gehrman, or even Yuria) have a tendency to speak cryptically, break their vows, not be honest about what their true intentions are or simply to know more than they're letting on, and veteran Souls fans are likely to be suspicious of him immediately. Even to newcomers to the series, his diminuitive stature, crippled body, gaunt features, and habit of constantly Finger-Tenting when he looks down at you don't immediately scream "trustworthy." Turns out his good intentions are entirely genuine. Not only does he uphold his vows to link the Flame, but if you find something (the Firekeeper's eyes) that will basically undo all of his plans, he tells you exactly what it is and what it does and encourages you to make use of it, if that's what you think is right.
• The Exile: His throne is labelled "Ludleth the Exiled." From where, by whom, and for what reason, we have absolutely no idea. The discovery of their existence The Ringed City may suggest that he was banished from the titular location by his fellow Pygmy Lords, but when and why this may have happened is entirely unknown and unclear.
• Token Good Teammate: He was the only Lord of Cinder to fulfill his duty and return to Firelink Shrine. He also encourages the ashen one to treat the Fire Keeper kindly, unlike other lords in this series.
• Transmutation: He's a practitioner of the little-known art of Transposition. By giving him the Transposing Kiln, he's able to process boss souls into spells or equipment. It keeps working even after Ludleth has been consumed by the flames with the other Lords. Presumably, the Ashen One picked up enough by watching him transpose to do it themselves.
• Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe: He speaks in botched Early Modern English.

Yuria of Londor

Yuria of Londor

Voiced by: Pooky Quesnel

"Thou'rt a Lord, art thou not? Bearer of the dark sigil, and our Lord of Hollows. For the time thou remain'st our Lord, we of Londor shall serve thee. And I, of course, am also thine."

One of three maidens who founded the Sable Church, who appears after Yoel has bestowed five Dark Sigils upon the Ashen One. She is actually a member of the Darkwraiths, and is manipulating events in order to create a Lord and Lady of Hollows.

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• Action Girl: If you aggro her, she can put up quite a fight with her Darkdrift katana. She could also be a Dark Action Girl, if her alliance with Kaathe is any indication.
• Affably Evil: Dubious affiliations aside, Yuria reveres the Unkindled One should they progress through her questline. By the time you "marry" Anri of Astora and complete Yuria's quest chain, she only has words of worship for you, and will not retaliate even if you kill her.
• Ambiguously Evil: While she is willing to Shoot the Dog and is strongly affiliated with a series long legacy of atrocity, failure, and disgrace, Yuria is ultimately sincere in her convictions and her desire to support the player. Siding with her is necessary to unlock what is either the best or one of the worst endings to the game.
• Assist Character: If you successfully completed the Lord of Hollows sidequest, she can be summoned for assistance against the Soul of Cinder. If she survives, she leaves Firelink Shrine, abandoning her armor and weapon.
• Call-Back: Pursuing her quest line entails becoming significantly Hollowed, all while she recommends for you to attempt to usurp the Flame. This is quite similar to what Nashandra was trying to do in Dark Souls II, just minus the hostility at the end.
• Cool Helmet: A metal crow-like masque.
• Cool Sword: Her Darkdrift katana, with an transparent blade. She also gives you a Cool Sword upon bringing her Orbeck's ashes, being the Morion Blade from Demon's Souls.
• Developer's Foresight: She will have some special dialogue in the DLC if you have pursued her questline and talk to her with Friede's soul in your inventory. She acknowledges the Unkindled One's possession of her sister's soul, letting him/her have it as the Lord/Lady of Hollows. She merely asks you to remember those that stood with her in the dark.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: Averted. Yoel and Yuria treat the player character with a great deal of respect should they become Hollow.
• Evil Weapon: She wields the cursed katana Darkdrift and a Dark Hand.
• Expy: Her request of assassinating Orbeck of Vinheim is reminiscent of Mephistopheles' assassination requests in Demon's Souls. Curiously, there was another Yuria in Demon's Souls, though they have no meaningful similarities. Funnily enough, Demon’s Souls Yuria resembles another NPC in Dark Souls 3, of whom serves a similar role to her Demon’s Souls counterpart. She also possesses aspects of Annalise from Bloodborne, a masked, ambiguously evil leader of a mostly unseen faction.
• Katanas Are Just Better: Her sword is Darkdrift, the invisible-bladed katana from Dark Souls II.
• The Matchmaker: A very dark and technical variant, but she's been manipulating events behind the scenes to create a "marriage" between the Ashen One and Anri of Astora by arranging Anri's assassination. "Marriage", of course, being a ceremony in which the Ashen One stabs Anri in the face with a matrimonial sword. The purpose of the "marriage" is purely to create a Lord and Lady of Hollows who can together Usurp the First Flame.
• Mythology Gag: Her helm, the Billed Mask, closely resembles the Cainhurst Helmet from Bloodborne.
• Power of the Void: If aggro'd or summoned to fight against Soul of Cinder, she uses a Dark Hand as a shield.
• Shoot the Dog: It's ambiguous whether or not she kills Yoel, a pilgrim who desperately wanted to die, before taking his place. Less ambiguous is her arranging Anri's assassination so as to use player's affection for Anri as a means to manipulate them into going along with her plans and restore Anri to (un)life.
• Token Evil Teammate: If killed, her dying words reveal she is a member of the Darkwraiths and a servant of the Primordial Serpent Kaathe. Indeed, during her questline, Yuria will try and convince the player to murder an NPC for dubious reasons and steal their ashes. Siding with Yuria is mandatory to get the Usurpation ending, which, depending on player perspective, could be see as the best ending or one of the worst.
• Undying Loyalty: Should the player go through with the "marriage" and truly become her "Lord of Hollows", she becomes absolutely devoted to them. At that point, she will not resist even if attacked, and will simply stand there and let herself be killed, if that is her Lord's will.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: All Yuria wants to do is help you usurp the First Flame out of a sincere belief that it will benefit the Age of Man, which could have potentially negative consequences. And she'll arrange the death of a close friend to manipulate the player into doing it.

Anri of Astora

Anri of Astora

Voiced by: Adam Sopp (Male) / Lucy Briggs-Owen (Female)

"Ahh, you are brave indeed. To face your duty alone. I would do well to learn from you. May the flames guide your way."

A knight from fallen Astora, or so they claim to be, on a divine quest to slay the Lord of Cinder Aldrich. Anri will assume the opposite sex of whatever gender the Ashen One is. The reason for this is because, behind the scenes, Yuria is pulling strings to mold them into the Ashen One's spouse.

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• And Then John Was a Zombie: If you killed the Pilgrim in the Church of Yorshka during Anri's quest line, and then helped Anri to slay Aldrich, being an Undead, they will eventually succumb to the Dark Sigil and go completely hollow. Depending on whether you told them of Horace, Anri can be found at the Smouldering Lake next to a shrine for their fallen comrade, or at the hill near the Cathedral of the Deep bonfire, and will try to kill you with a Broken Straight Sword.
• Action Girl: If the Ashen One is a male, then Anri is a skilled lady-knight who seeks to slay Aldrich.
• Ambiguous Gender: As he/she wears the Elite Knight Set that fully covers their body, Anri can be either male or female (depending on your own character's gender), requiring only a change of voice.
• Arranged Marriage: Yuria arranges for them to become your spouse as Lord of Hollows in one ending.
• Assist Character: Can be summoned for assistance against the Deacons of the Deep and Pontiff Sulyvahn.
• Back from the Dead: In the cutscene for the Usurp the Flame ending, Anri is seen alive and among the group of hollows and Darkwraiths bowing before the Player Character.
• Bodyguard Betrayal: If their quest line is progressed in a certain manner, Anri will be killed by Horace. Though this isn't so much "betrayal" as "turned into a mindless Hollow who attacks anything that moves".
• Call-Back: Anri is a more or less what Oscar of Astora — the knight met at the beginning of the first Dark Souls — was intended to be. They even wear the same armour set.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Completing Anri's quest line without them getting slain will make Anri leave their sword with Ludleth, with the Lord warning the Ashen One to not seek Anri out. Anri can be found up a hill near the Cathedral of the Deep bonfire (or at Horace's gravestone in Smouldering Lake if you told Anri of Horace) after going Hollow. Since they gave their sword up beforehand, Anri only has a broken sword to attack you with. This goes poorly for the knight, no matter the player's class at this point.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Anri is implied to have escaped Aldrich along with Horace, the both of them being the only two children able to somehow avoid the fate of being eaten by him.
  Anri: ...my duty must be done, even alone. As an Unkindled Lordseeker. For the children I knew, bless their souls.
• Expy: Anri's Straight Sword is a weapon that primarily scales with Luck, having poor strength, dexterity, and faith scaling, like the Blueblood Sword from Demon's Souls. The weapon is even mentioned as having been previously owned by royalty.
• Failure Is the Only Option: Depending on how their quest line progresses, Anri will either be killed by a Hollowed Horace, be killed by a camouflaged assassin, or succeed in killing Aldrich but then go hollow and be killed by the Ashen One. Though, by "marrying" Anri, they can be seen in the ending cinematic for the Usurp the Flame ending kneeling before you, indicating that they were resurrected and serves alongside you as a Lord/Lady of Hollows.
  • Or perhaps Subverted. Characters only go Hollow when they’ve lost purpose. Whereas other characters in the franchise lose their purpose due to losing hope, Anri only goes Hollow after they fulfill their purpose. Considering where they choose to go Hollow should the Ashen One tell her of Horace’s final resting place, it's fair to assume that Anri willingly became Hollow as a result of SUCCEEDING in their mission.
• Gender Flip: There is a male and female version of Anri. The version that appears is whatever sex your character isn't, so that you'll be able to "marry" them.
• Heroic BSoD: Attacking Anri or Horace will draw them both into battle. Kill Anri before Horace and he'll keep fighting, but if you kill Horace first, Anri will immediately sink to his/her knees in grief, staying motionless until you kill or leave them.
• It's Personal: Anri has a personal foe in Aldrich, as they and Horace had barely managed to avoid getting eaten by him while they were still children. It's implied by Anri themselves that they feel guilt towards their inability to save the other children who inevitably ended up as meals for Aldrich.
• Knight in Shining Armor: Or knightess. They also wear the Elite Knight Set.
• The Last Dance: It's heavily implied that the Darksigns Anri and Horace carry are slowly hollowing them. Horace succumbs halfway through their quest, while Anri can, if the circumstances are right, kill the monster who ruined their life and give their benefactor a last token of their appreciation before letting the curse take them.
• Nice Guy: Or girl. Regardless, Anri is unfailingly kind to the Ashen One, and is overall one of the sweetest and most idealistic characters in game, which is appropriate as their potential spouse.
• Romance Sidequest: Believe it or not, yes, in a freaking Dark Souls game. You have the option of marrying them, which is actually necessary to accomplish the Usurp the Flame ending. Though in Dark Souls, of course, "marriage" in a world where dying isn't permanent means letting a hidden assassin kill Anri and then stabbing his/her corpse in the face to make them your spouse.
• Sole Survivor: It's implied that Anri and Horace are the only survivors of one of Aldrich's devouring rampages, which occurred when they were both children. Given Aldrich's connection to the Abyss, this probably has something to do with the Darksigns they carry.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Zigzagged. Anri's notably one of the kindest characters in the game, and consistently expresses a desire to fulfill their duties as an Unkindled. That being said, they seem to be primarily focused on Aldrich out of all of the Lords, the reason being that Anri, along with Horace, were able to escape being eaten by him somehow while they were still children, but sadly were unable to save the others who fell prey to Aldrich. When Anri defeats Aldrich in their world, they're exhausted, but relieved to have finally defeated their Arch-Enemy, even thanking the player for going so far to help them out...only to Hollow out immediately after, having lost all sense of meaning or purpose after Aldrich's defeat. Anri's idealism only goes so far, and once they're finished what they've set out to do, they succumb to the Darksign and becomes a mindless corpse for you to put down.

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