History Fridge / Bloodborne

*** Which would seem to set up a neat little FurAgainstFang situation as you fight your way through the beasts of Yharnam... until you begin to recall that the plague makes things much more complicated than that. I'll use a bit of fridge from Fullmetal Alchemist to contextualize my answer here: in ''FMA'', the villains all fell into horror archetypes. The Homunculi, with their soul-sucking lack of humanity, representation of human sin, and near immortality, were vampires. Human chimera, with their ability to become animistic, were werewolves. The soul constructs were zombies. The military high command were the government conspiracy. And Father was the alien EldritchAbomination. These archetypes carry over to ''Bloodborne'': Sane Hunters are vampires, insane Hunters are zombies, beasts are werewolves, the Healing Church is our conspiracy, and the Great Ones are the aliens. Sounds good now that you know what you're up against, right? Well, remember: due to the nature of the plague, and the player's ability to replace Gehrman or the Moon Presence, you are effectively party to ''[[TomatoInTheMirror all five]]'' [[TomatoInTheMirror categories]]. [[DissonantSerenity Happy Hunting!]]

* If you tell Viola's daughter to seek refuge at Cathedral Ward, then you'll eventually find her ribbon in the corpse of the pig in the aqueduct. How did this happen? The bridge preceding Oedon Cemetery (and by extension, Cathedral Ward) is guarded by a large number of huntsmen, and they have a boulder trap set up to take out any trespassers. Fighting is out of the question for a child, and if you can't sneak past them then there's no way she could sneak past them either. So she took the alternative route via the long ladder that you can conveniently climb down in that area. This would have led her to the aqueduct, which in turn would have let her pass safely under the bridge. The aqueduct is populated by Rotted Corpses, whom the little girl could have actually snuck past. Unfortunately, it's also where the giant pig took shelter in, but by the time the girl figured that out, it was too late.

* You may wonder why the game is filled with ArbitraryGunPower. How come your guns do ScratchDamage but the hunting mobs can do quite a lot? But think about it; the Hunter guns use bullets made out of quicksilver, AKA mercury, mixed with magic blood that allows it to take different forms and fit in different weapons. The Yharnam citizens are using normal bullets, musket balls, and cannonballs. You're essentially spraying enemies instead of shooting them, and while globs of metal will still hurt, they can't match the power of a lead slug. At the same time, though, the mob's guns would probably do nothing against the beasts due to lacking the magic enhancement.

** Regular bullets are ineffective against the beasts, so it wouldn't make sense for the Yharnam huntsmen to use regular bullets against the player when they are fully convinced that you are the beast that's hunting them. Rather, this troper believes that because the Yharnamites are already blood-addled, their bloodtinge is inadvertently at a higher level than the player at the level of which you fight them. Why else do the Yahar'gul gunmen do ridiculous amounts of damage? Because these guys are literally ''covered'' in blood!
** Alternatively, they really are using regular bullets, which would show how terribly unprepared and under-equipped they were for the hunt, but would still do a lot of damage to you.

* If you perform the "Make Contact" gesture to the Brain of Mensis, then it will give you the highest-level Moon Rune in the game, which increases the number of Blood Echos you get from slain enemies. Why would it offer the hunter, who it's caused no shortage of problems to, something that would make it an even more tempting target to kill? Because that's what it ''wants''. The Brain is begging you to MercyKill it in the only way it can.

* Various characters (who are all insane in one way or another) have been beseeching Kos to "grant them eyes" throughout the lore. Yet in the Old Hunters DLC, we finally get a look at Kos... only to see that she had no eyes herself.

** Looking at them closely, you can even see that the two are opposites of each other. While Gehrman is old and weary of the dream, Micolash is young and absolutely loves it, never wanting to leave. Gehrman is a hunter while Micolash is an academic. Gehrman fights you head-on with his trick weapon and physical strength, while Micolash runs from you for the most part and resorts to magic. Finally, Gehrman's trapped in a dream, while Mikolash dwells in a nightmare.
* Many people comment on how the Moon Presence boss fight was easier than the battle with Gehrman. However, when you think about it, it makes sense. You can only fight the Moon Presence once you've eaten the three umbilical cords, which is what makes you a Great One. This isn't a battle between a hunter and a Great One. This is a fight between two Great Ones! And considering as a mere human, the hunter was able to bring down other Great Ones...

* The Caryll rune for the [[HunterOfHisOwnKind Hunter of Hunters]] looks the same as the regular Hunter rune that is already etched in the mind of the player (and presumably all hunters). In the language of the Great Ones, they are literally marked as a Hunter Hunter.

* The concept of hunters being overcome by bloodlust and succumbing to the Scourge of the Beast makes a lot of sense from a medical perspective; the plague is obviously blood-borne, and the way hunters butcher beasts would certainly cover them in a lot of beast blood. As such, it's not too hard to imagine beast blood getting into open wounds and infecting hunters in much the same way a dirty needle could transmit HIV or hepatitis.

* The final boss of the DLC (the Orphan of Kos) is a Great One's attempt at creating a counter to the Hunters. In its introductory cutscene, it cries - using a sound clip taken from Gehrman's dialogue. Makes sense; if you want to create an alien "clone" of the Hunters, what better template than the first and once best of them?

** Want to wipe out the Great Ones, forever freeing humanity from their influence and machinations? The Moon Presence was way ahead of you. In fact, if it hadn't been for the Moon Presence, the hunt would never have existed, and you would have been dead meat within minutes of starting the game. [[TheFarmerAndTheViper It helped kill its fellow Great Ones for the sake of humanity, and humanity killed it in return]]. Of course, this does imply that just cooperating with it via the "Yharnam Sunrise" ending can get you a good enough result.
** Just want to withdraw from the affairs of men and gods and be left alone? The Mother Brain was completely passive when Mensis found and enslaved her, and was still utterly passive when you dropped her down a pit, climbed into said pit, and proceded to hack her to bits. She's only a threat to you because her mere presence increased your frenzy, and there is no indication that this was intentional. Even if you try to be as benign as possible in your post-human state, those humans will still find you, bind you, research you, and go crazy from your presence, only for you to be butchered by those sent to clean up the mess when the crap inevitably hits the fan.
** Since there's no good helping humanity, why not just [[ThenLetMeBeEvil mess with it]] and strike fear into their minds with your almighty power, and [[KneelBeforeZod bend their knees before you]]? If that's your answer, then you are no different to Amygdala. She, as an entity who rules over emotion and fear, chose to side with [[{{Necromancer}} the School of Mensis]] and invoked total destruction and fear to humanity. Among the rest of the choices, perhaps this is '''[[HobbesWasRight the best answer to humanity]]'''? Feel free to lord over the hapless mortals, but enjoy it while it lasts; humanity is a tough lot, and sooner or later [[BullyingADragon you will provoke a hunter who has the skill and determination to take you on]]...

*** In the end, it doesn't matter how you use your newfound power, what you intend, or how you implement it; you are nothing more than another cog in the next cycle, and will accomplish nothing more than upholding the status quo. At least, until the hunter from the next cycle finds you...
*** This means, ironically, the Great Ones were more [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned]] than the [[HumansAreCthulhu various humans]] you meet -- the majority of the residents of Yharnam are rude to outsiders, if not in the middle of killing you, and think nothing of consuming "ignorant foreigners". Gherman is implied to be an former agent of the scholars (he mentions Lawrence while sleeping). The other hunters are mostly insane and violent (even Eileen can be motivated to start hunting you, under certain conditions). The less said about the scholars, the [[CorruptChurch Healing Church]], and the [[{{Necromancer}} School of Mensis]], the better. The people in Cainhurst Castle became the Vilebloods. HumansAreTheRealMonsters.

* Look at the picture for the Blood Dregs you can collect from your fellow Hunters (both [=NPCs=] and players) if you're in the Vileblood covenant. It appears to be a simple drop of blood with sperm cells. Annalise is gathering these things because she wants her heir to be the sire of a Great One. The fertilizing agent of an unknowable eldritch horror is literally ''pumping through your veins.'' And it's even worse if you're playing as a female hunter; what exactly is stopping ''you'' from being impregnated that way?

* The beasts in Old Yharnam will back off from a hunter with a torch or fire, covering their eyes and circling until the torch is put away or they get attacked. They're the only enemies who really react to flame in this manner. Then you hear that this part of the city was set on fire and its infected citizens massacred by Powder Keg hunters in a single night. Of course the beast-turned survivors would shrink from fire; they still remember that night where their families and homes were burned to cinders.
** Very similar beasts inhabit the Hunter's Nightmare in the DLC. But these ones act a bit differently; they cower from you even if you don't have a torch out. Why? Well, this area is full of hunters who will, if they see any, kill any beast with a brutal assault. Just like the beasts in Old Yharnam learned to fear fire, these beasts have learned to fear hunters.

* Both the above Fridge horror entry and the writings of HP Lovecraft come to the conclusion that is nigh impossible to kill a Great One. The only thing achieved is to temporarily put it back into its own slumber, and since it is a dream, what if it simply is a reoccurring dream? Now think of the Sunrise ending; imagine if you wake up after going through that horrific nightmare and chose to forget... but what if the night after, you end up coming back to the Nightmare, starting at the same place you did before.... Now remember how NewGamePlus starts? What if your hunter is in an [[GroundhogDayLoop endless loop]] until either you become trapped by the Moon Presence or kill it?

* When you first go to the clinic, the doctor introduces herself as Iosefka. Later, the person inside asks you to tell people to "seek Iosefka's clinic. The second person doesn't say she is Iosefka, does she?

* When you meet the head of the Byrgenwyrth College, you'll find that he's almost completely incapable of speech or movement, only able to point and make a vague mumbling noise. Why would that be? It's revealed through item descriptions that he had believed that by lining the brain with eyes, it would allow man to perceive the unfathomable, likely due to the huge number of eyes that every Great One possesses. However, the surface of the brain is where all of the action in the head takes place: The more eyes on the surface, the less the brain is actually able to do. Robbed of too much of that area, a person loses the ability to reason, to see, hear, or even ''move.'' Thus, no wonder the lot of them experienced the still-birth of their brains: By gaining the ability to perceive the unfathomable, they unintentionally robbed themselves of the ability to ''think''. What good is being able to see the great unknown if you can no longer comprehend what you're seeing?

** Cainhurst's bloodline are the descendants of [[spoiler:Yharnam, The Pthumerian Queen]], the Chikage can inflict rapid poison.
** [[spoiler:You, the Hunter]], are a potential [[EldritchAbomination Great One]], the Bloodletter can inflict frenzy.
** This last one is speculation, but the blood you get at the beginning of the game could be [[spoiler:Gerhman's, which can explain how you have access to the Hunter's Dream]].

*** Well, the Vilebloods in Cainhurst do seem a little vampy...Incidentally, one superstition about being turned into a vampire is that you have to be injected with vampire blood (being drained dry by a vampire just kills you) -- which adds an uncomfortable subtext to [[spoiler:the blood transfusion performed by the old hunter in the opening cutscene]].
*** Which would seem to set up a neat little FurAgainstFang situation as you fight your way through the beasts of Yharnam... until you begin to recall that the plague makes things much more complicated than that. I'll use a bit of fridge from Fullmetal Alchemist to contextualize my answer here: in ''FMA'', the villains all fell into horror archetypes. The Homunculi, with their soul-sucking lack of humanity, representation of human sin, and near immortality, were vampires. Human chimera, with their ability to become animistic, were werewolves. The soul constructs were zombies. The military high command were the government conspiracy. And Father was the alien EldritchAbomination. These archetypes carry over to ''Bloodborne'': [[spoiler:Sane Hunters are vampires, insane Hunters are zombies, beasts are werewolves, the Healing Church is our conspiracy, and the Great Ones are the aliens. Sounds good now that you know what you're up against, right? Well, remember: due to the nature of the plague, and the player's ability to replace Gehrman or the Moon Presence, you are effectively party to ''[[TomatoInTheMirror all five]]'' [[TomatoInTheMirror categories]]]]. [[DissonantSerenity Happy Hunting!]]

* Old Hunter Djura is trying to protect the beasts, saying that they're 'No threat to those above'. [[spoiler:Is he referring to those in the waking world or the Great Ones?]]
* When you first go to the clinic, the doctor introduces herself as Iosefka. Later, the person inside asks you to tell people to "seek Iosefka's clinic. [[spoiler: The second person doesn't say she is Iosefka, does she?]]
** In any case, he's not wrong. There are only two entrances to Old Yharnam; one involves finding a secret passageway beneath a sarcophagus, making it past a savage werewolf, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and ignoring a "No Hunters allowed" sign]], in that order. The other entrance is through [[EldritchLocation the Hidden Village,]] [[NightmareFuel Yahar'gul]].

* If you tell Viola's daughter to seek refuge at Cathedral Ward, [[spoiler:then you'll eventually find her ribbon in the corpse of the pig in the aqueduct. How did this happen? The bridge preceding Oedon Cemetery (and by extension, Cathedral Ward) is guarded by a large number of huntsmen, and they have a boulder trap set up to take out any trespassers. Fighting is out of the question for a child, and there's no way she could sneak past them either. So she took the alternative route via the long ladder that you can conveniently climb down in that area. This would have led her to the aqueduct, which in turn would have let her pass safely under the bridge. The aqueduct is populated by Rotted Corpses, whom the little girl could have actually snuck past. Unfortunately, it's also where the giant pig took shelter in, but by the time the girl figured that out, it was too late.]]
* When you think about it, the reason [[spoiler:why you turn into an EldritchAbomination yourself is because that, when you killed all of the potential candidates of the new Great Ones and consumed the Umbilical Cords, there's no one left for the Great Ones to continue the line of the Moon Presence, except for you.]] HeWhoFightsMonsters indeed.

** The runes are the language of the great old ones, its entirely possible it is not even aware you make use of these runes and directly asking for a mercy kill in a language you dont understand
* Various characters (who are all insane in one way or another) have been beseeching Kos to "grant them eyes" throughout the lore. Yet in the Old Hunters DLC, [[spoiler:we finally get a look at Kos... only to see that she had no eyes herself]].

* The importance of the [[spoiler:Paleblood Moon and the Moon Presence]] become much more obvious in hindsight; the alternative name for a [[spoiler:blood moon]] is a Harvest Moon, or, alternatively, a [[spoiler:Hunter's Moon]].

* The final boss of the DLC ([[spoiler:the Orphan of Kos]]) is a Great One's attempt at creating a counter to the Hunters. In its introductory cutscene, it cries - using a sound clip taken from Gehrman's dialogue. Makes sense: if you want to create an alien "clone" of the Hunters, what better template than the first and once best of them?

* So, in the [[spoiler:childhood's beginning ending, you take the place of a Great One, with all the powers this entails]]. Sounds great, right? Except that no matter how you decide to use that power, you'll only be replacing the Great Ones you just destroyed, and perpetuating the cycle. And as you grow more familiar with your power, you may realize that [[NiceJobBreakingItHero you spent most of the game killing those who had mankind's best interests at heart]]...

** Want to crate a legacy that will outlast you? Good luck with that; all Great Ones are sterile, and the disastrous attempts to subvert this shortcoming is one of the central causes of all the death and misery you see throughout the game. [[spoiler:Only Kos ever succeeded in birthing a child... and she gave her own life in order to accomplish this.]] They went to such great lengths to create their own protégés that most would have willingly cashed in their immense powers to start a family [[spoiler:(something Kos herself put into action in the end)]].

* Giving Alfred the invitation to Cainhurst causes him [[spoiler:to literally tear Annalise to shreds, with her viscera lining the floor, her chair, and Alfred's wheel. She's implied to still be alive in this state, seen in the description of ''the scraps of her you can pick up''. AndIMustScream is in full effect.]]
* When you return to the original starting room in Iosefka's Clinic, you find a Celestial Being that drops a Iosefka's Blood Vial. [[spoiler:It's implied that Imposter Iosefka somehow transformed her and anyone you sent there into one of them.]]

** Want to wipe out the Great Ones, forever freeing humanity from their influence and machinations? The Moon Presence was way ahead of you. In fact, if it hadn't been for the Moon Presence, the hunt would never have existed, and you would have been dead meat within minutes of starting the game. [[TheFarmerAndTheViper It helped kill its fellow Great Ones for the sake of humanity, and humanity killed it in return]]. Of course, this does apply that just cooperating with it via the "Yharnam Sunrise" ending can get you a good enough result.

** Want to wipe out the Great Ones, forever freeing humanity from their influence and machinations? The Moon Presence was way ahead of you. In fact, if it hadn't been for the Moon Presence, the hunt would never have existed, and you would have been dead meat within minutes of starting the game. [[TheFarmerAndTheViper It helped kill its fellow Great Ones for the sake of humanity, and humanity killed it in return]].

*** The concept of [[ShaggyDogStory putting in so much effort but ultimately achieving nothing]] is pretty much a key trait of a CosmicHorrorStory; no matter what you did, you're only a very, very tiny and insignificant inhabitant of the universe, and other forces greater than you will override what you've done.

*** CosmicHorrorStories are set in a CrapsackWorld almost by default, but ''From Software'' takes it one step further; [[EldritchAbomination the unspeakable horrors from beyond]] ([[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow so often the source of madness]]) such as Rom and the Moon Presence [[SwappedRoles are the ones most intent on preventing insanity]] while [[HumansAreCthulhu mankind is actively propagating it]]. Even among a genre infamous for its bleakness and despair, ''Bloodborne'' stands out.

* The Sunrise ending has a lot more of this than you might think: You have, over the course of the game, fought eldritch things that have no place in this world, and discovered several conspiracies that try to either harness those forces, or worship them as deities. At the end of the game, you have all this knowledge, knowledge about your and mankind's insignificance in the cosmos. You now know that there are things out there far beyond mortal comprehension, some of them, in fact, that are so incomprehensible that they are invisible to mortal eyes, but could devastate cities in a heartbeat if provoked or even if they just decide that it might be fun to do so. You have learned that you are powerless, that mankind is powerless, that everything you know is a lie, and that at any time, mankind could be wiped out in an eyeblink without anyone even knowing the reason why. Even if you have left the dream, ''how can you ever expect to go back to a normal life, knowing what you now know?'' More importantly, having slain several of them, ''how long can you expect to survive,'' given that you can be viewed as a '''threat''' to beings of such great and terrible power? Mitigating this is a little is that Gehrman's dialogue implies you will be hit with LaserGuidedAmnesia when you awaken, but he may just be speaking metaphorically.
** The thought that you may not remember the dream on waking is also troubling, as would make you unable to take any steps to prepare yourself or the rest of humanity to face the threat posed by the Great Ones and conspiracies surrounding them. How many Great Ones did you anger during your hunt and how will you hope to defend yourself against them if you can't even remember their existence?

* It's incredable that [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires]] don't make a single appearance throughout the game, even though it's a setting they should thrive in (rampant Blood consumption, pervasive Gothic architecture, grand elegance amidst decay, ect). Yet when you take a closer look at the people of Yharnam, you may notice [[TownWithADarkSecret some alarming quirks that set them apart from your average human]];

** I conclusion, spent the whole game [[NothingIsScarier fearing an encounter with a vampire]], only to realize in hindsight that [[TomatoInTheMirror I may have BEEN one]].

* With such heavy emphasis on blood consumption, the chronic Gothic architecture, and the recurring theme of grand elegance amidst decay, it's amazing that ''Vampires'' are not mentioned even once throughout the game, even though it's a setting they should thrive in (Cainhurst Castle in particular has a strong Franchise/{{Castlevania}} vibe). Yet when you take a closer look at the people of Yharnam, [[TownWithADarkSecret you may notice some alarming quirks that set them apart from your average human]];
** [[BloodLust Yharnamites find blood more intoxicating than alcohol]], yet while blood may be heady, you can't get ''drunk'' off of it.

** [[SoiledCityOnAHill The plague and the rampant beasts have apparently been endemic for more than a generation]]. With the beasts and the madmen preventing any sort of trade, productivity, or daily work from taking place, and with [[SmallSecludedWorld Yharnam apparently isolated from the outside world]], what have the people been eating all this time? A city this size would need a massive amount of food and supplies every single day just to function for a week, let alone years. [[EatingOptional They would either need far less food than a typical human, or consume something else entirely...]]
** Also consider how the [[BadassLongcoat Hunter's garb is designed]]; every iteration seems intent on [[CoolMask covering as much of the face as possible]], even at the risk of [[NoPeripheralVision obstructing the wearer's vision]]. It could simply be for protection in combat, or to [[BloodSplatteredWarrior keep splashes of blood out of your eyes]]. But it would also be useful in [[WeakenedByTheLight keeping sunlight off of the face, or protecting sensitive eyes from daylight glare]].

** I spent the whole game [[NothingIsScarier dreading an impending encounter with a vampire]], only to realize in hindsight that [[TomatoInTheMirror I may have BEEN one]].

* At first, Micolash's presence as a boss battle in the game confused me, since it seems to come out of nowhere, despite his presence in the lore. Then it hit me. Micolash is the Nightmare of Mensis' equivalent of Gherman. Gherman formed a pact with the Moon Presence to create the Hunter's Dream, as Micolash struck a deal with another great one (either Mergo or the Brain of Mensis) to create the Nightmare of Mensis. Hence his title "Host of the Nightmare".
** Looking at them closely, you can even see that the two are opposites of each other. While Gherman is old and weary of the dream, Micolash is young and absolutely loves it, never wanting to leave. Gherman is a hunter while Micolash is an academic. Gherman fights you head-on with his trick weapon and physical strength, while Micolash runs from you for the most part and resorts to magic. Finally, Gherman's trapped in a dream, while Mikolash dwells in a nightmare.
* Many people comment on how the Moon Presence boss fight was easier than the battle with Gherman. However, when you think about it, it makes sense. You can only fight the Moon Presence once you've eaten the three umbilical cords, which is what makes you a Great One. This isn't a battle between a hunter and a Great One. This is a fight between two Great Ones! And considering as a mere human, the hunter was able to bring down other Great Ones...

* When you first meet Gehrman, he invites you to ''"use whatever you find"'', but adds in a secretive, creepy tone: ''"...[[UnfortunateImplications even the Doll, should it please you!]]"''. While he ''probably'' was referring to her ability to use Blood Echoes to make you stronger, those familiar with the lore would know that Gehrman has an unhealthy obsession over the person the Doll is modeled after, lending credence to some nasty possibilities. Who knows what he has been doing to pass the time, all these years trapped alone in the dream?

** The thought that you may not remember the dream on waking is also troubling, as would make you unable to take any steps to prepare yourself or the rest of humanity to face the threat posed by the Old Ones and conspiracies surrounding them. How many Old Ones did you anger during your hunt and how will you hope to defend yourself against them if you can't even remember their existence?

* Both the above Fridge horror entry and the writings of HP Lovecraft come to the conclusion that is nigh impossible to kill an Old One. The only thing achieved is to temporarily put it back into its own slumber, and since it is a dream, what if it simply is a reoccurring dream? Now think of the Sunrise ending; imagine if you wake up after going through that horrific nightmare and chose to forget... but what if the night after, you end up coming back to the Nightmare, starting at the same place you did before.... Now remember how NewGamePlus starts? What if your hunter is in an [[GroundhogDayLoop endless loop]] until either you become trapped by the Moon Presence or kill it?
* Perhaps counting as both a bit of horror and hope is the sheer power that humans can wield in this setting. Think about it; for all the might the Great Ones supposedly wield, it's you, a human, that the Moon Presence sets against the others. Humans ''enslaved'' the Brain of Mensis. Humans are so ''unfathomable'' to the Great Ones they can barely figure out what we want from them. Humans are so powerful that Kos, one of the most powerful Great Ones, gives her life to spawn a single being ''in our image'' and it is by far the mightiest ''and most violent'' of its kin. For all their supposed strength, the Old Ones hide or lurk in shadows, for as soon as a human wielding any real power sets sights on an Old One, it inevitably ends up dead. Some of them even end up seeming downright ''pathetic'' once forced into an actual battle despite their eldritch powers. The only one of their kind to escape unscathed is Oedon, and if he ever bothered to show up, you can bet your blood he'd end up dead too. The real horror of this story isn't that there are unfathomable beings hiding beyond our sight, it's that '''[[HumansAreTheRealMonsters we are the monsters they are hiding from]].'''

** The whore you meet in the game implies that she sells her blood rather than sex, meaning that the blood isn't just appetizing, it's ''[[HemoErotic euphoric]]'' to them.

* With such heavy emphasis on blood consumption, the chronic Gothic architecture, and the recurring theme of grand elegance amidst decay, it's amazing that ''Vampires'' are not mentioned even once throughout the game, even though it's a setting they should thrive in (Cainhurst Castle in particular has a strong Franchise/{{Castlevania}} vibe). Yet when you take a closer look at the people of Yharnam, you may notice some alarming quirks that set them apart from your average human being;

** The plague and the rampant beasts have apparently been endemic for more than a generations. With the beasts and the madmen preventing any sort of trade, productivity, or daily work from taking place, and with Yharnam's apparent isolation from the outside world, what have the people been eating all this time? A city this size would need a massive amount of food and supplies every single day just to function for a week, let alone years. They would either need far less food than a typical human, or consume something else entirely...
** Also consider how the [[BadassLongcoat Hunter's garb is designed]]; every iteration seems intent on [[CoolMask covering as much of the face as possible]], even at the risk of [[ NoPeripheralVision obstructing the wearer's vision]]. It could simply be for protection in combat, or to [[BloodSplatteredWarrior keep splashes of blood out of your eyes]]. But it would also be useful in [[WeakenedByTheLight keeping sunlight off of the face, or protecting sensitive eyes from daylight glare]].

** [[HorrorHunger Yharnamites find blood more intoxicating than alcohol]], yet while blood may be heady, you can't get ''drunk'' off of it.
** The whore you meet in the game implies that she sells her blood rather than sex, meaning that the blood isn't just appetizing, it's ''euphoric'' to them.
** An item in the ''Old Hunters'' DLC implies that Yharnamites regularly cannibalize "ignorant foreigners".

** Also consider how the Hunter's garb is designed; every iteration seems intent on covering as much of the face as possible, even at the risk of obstructing the wearer's vision. It could simply be for protection in combat, or to keep drops of blood out of your eyes. But it would also be useful in [[WeakenedByTheLight
keeping sunlight off of the face, or protecting sensitive eyes from daylight glare]].
** At the start of the game, you [[SuperhumanTransfusion take a blood transfusion to "become one of them"]], and gain far greater strength and endurance as a result]].
** Most telling of all, you can heal yourself via ''consuming blood intravenously''. A blood transfusion can only replace lost fluids; it doesn't mend wounds or knit bones... at least it ''shouldn't''.
With all this in mind, I've realized that I spent the whole game [[NothingIsScarier dreading an imminent encounter with a vampire]], only to discover in hindsight that [[TomatoInTheMirror I WAS one myself]].
** Well, the Vilebloods in Cainhurst do seem a little vampy...Incidentally, one superstition about being turned into a vampire is that you have to be injected with vampire blood (being drained dry by a vampire just kills you) -- which adds an uncomfortable subtext to [[spoiler:the blood transfusion performed by the old hunter in the opening cutscene]].
..
** Which would seem to set up a neat little FurAgainstFang situation as you fight your way through the beasts of Yharnam... until you begin to recall that the plague makes things much more complicated than that. I'll use a bit of fridge from Fullmetal Alchemist to contextualize my answer here: in ''FMA'', the villains all fell into horror archetypes. The Homunculi, with their soul-sucking lack of humanity, representation of human sin, and near immortality, were vampires. Human chimera, with their ability to become animistic, were werewolves. The soul constructs were zombies. The military high command were the government conspiracy. And Father was the alien EldritchAbomination. These archetypes carry over to ''Bloodborne'': [[spoiler:Sane Hunters are vampires, insane Hunters are zombies, beasts are werewolves, the Healing Church is our conspiracy, and the Great Ones are the aliens. Sounds good now that you know what you're up against, right? Well, remember: due to the nature of the plague, and the player's ability to replace Gehrman or the Moon Presence, you are effectively party to ''[[TomatoInTheMirror all five]]'' [[TomatoInTheMirror categories]]]]. [[DissonantSerenity Happy Hunting!]]

* With such heavy emphasis on the consumption of blood, the Gothic architecture, and the constant theme of grand elegance amidst decay, it's amazing that Vampires aren't mentioned once throughout the entire game, even though it's a setting they should thrive in (Cainhurst Castle in particular gave off a strong Franchise/{{Castlevania}} vibe). Yet when you take a closer look at the people of Yharnam, you may notice some alarming quirks that set them apart from your average human being. Yharnamites find blood more intoxicating than alcohol, but while blood may be heady, you can't get ''drunk'' off of it. The whore you meet in the game implies that she sells her blood rather than sex, meaning that the blood isn't just appetizing, it's ''euphoric'' to them. At the start of the game, you need a blood transfusion to "become one of them", and gain far greater strength and endurance as a result (to say nothing of the nigh-obscene amounts of blood the protagonist consumes throughout the game). An item in the ''Old Hunters'' DLC implies that they regularly cannibalize "ignorant foreigners". Most telling of all, you can heal yourself via ''consuming blood intravenously''. Merely consuming blood doesn't mend wounds or knit bones... or rather, it ''shouldn't''. I spent the whole game [[NothingIsScarier anticipating an encounter with a vampire]], only to realize in hindsight that [[TomatoInTheMirror I may have been one]].

** Also consider how the Hunter's garb is designed; every iteration seems intent on covering as much of the face as possible, even at the risk of obstructing the wearer's vision. It could simply be for protection in combat, but it would also keep the sunlight off of the face, and protect sensitive eyes from daylight glare...
*** Further implying this theory is that the plague has been going on for quite some time. With the beasts and the madmen preventing any sort of trade, productivity, or daily work from taking place, what has Yharnam's population been eating all this time? They would either need far less food than a typical human, or consume something else entirely...

*** ''Bloodborne'' comes from the same developers (and might even be [[GrandUnifyingGuesses in the same universe]]) as ''VideoGame/DarkSouls''. With that in mind, is it any wonder that humanity might be the real curse, after all?