Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Characters / DarkSoulsNeutralNPCsAndLore

Go To

1This page details the various non-hostile {{NPC}}s, as well some of the background characters mentioned frequently in the game's lore, in ''Videogame/DarkSouls''. Head back through [[Characters/DarkSouls here]] for other character pages. '''Note: contains unmarked spoilers.'''
2
3----
4
5[[foldercontrol]]
6
7!!Miscellaneous [=NPCs=]
8
9[[folder:Oscar of Astora]]
10!!Oscar, Knight of Astora
11[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/300px-oscar_3190.jpg]]
12--> '''Voiced by:''' Oliver Le Sueur
13
14->''"Well, now you know...and I can die with hope in my heart."''
15
16A knight on pilgrimage to ring the Bells of Awakening. He is found on his last legs within the Undead Asylum, but not before telling you of his quest and begging you to make his mission your own.
17----
18* AlmostDeadGuy: He's fatally wounded by the Asylum Demon guarding the prison's exit, and you find him dying on a pile of rubble.
19* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: When you return to the Asylum a second time, [[spoiler: you'll find him again, but he's now a Hollow enemy]].
20* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: Shortly after giving you the Estus flask and the key out, he turns his sword on himself. [[spoiler: Of course, since he's undead, he comes back as a Hollow if you return to the Asylum.]]
21* ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin: Gives you the Estus Flask, an Undead favourite for self-healing.
22* NiceGuy: He takes no offence even if you refuse to take on his quest.
23* NoNameGiven: He's unnamed within the game itself and in the Elite Knight armor set and Family Crest Shield descriptions. The name he is given in all the meta information is taken from cut subtitle text found within the game data files.
24* PassingTheTorch: Implores that the player to ring the Bells of Awakening in his stead.
25* SacrificialLamb: Provides the player character with the Estus Flask and key out of the Asylum, all at the cost of his life.
26[[/folder]]
27
28[[folder:Crestfallen Warrior]]
29
30!!Crestfallen Warrior/Heartbroken Soldier
31[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crestfallen-warrior_8104.jpg]]
32--> '''Voiced by:''' Matt Morgan
33
34->''"What's wrong? Have a bit of a scare out there? No problem. Have a seat and get comfortable. We'll both be Hollow before you know it."''
35
36A brooding warrior who resides at the Firelink Shrine, slowly waiting to hollow out after losing the courage to face the various enemies in Lordran. He is the first [=NPC=] you meet there, and gives you directions for ringing the two Bells of Awakening.
37
38* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: After Kingseeker Frampt appears, he leaves Firelink Shrine, [[spoiler:and can eventually be found Hollowed out by the New Londo Ruins]].
39* CallBack: His opening dialogue is very similar to the Crestfallen Warrior's from ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls''.
40* DeadpanSnarker: So very much. It's hard to find a dialogue where he is not mocking you, the other Firelink visitors, or even his own fate.
41* DeathByIrony: The Crestfallen Warrior's newfound motivation to "do something" after Frampt shows up in Firelink Shrine [[spoiler:leads to him turning Hollow in New Londo]].
42* TheEeyore: Good lord, is he ever. The guy is apathetic to a fault, complaining about anyone and everyone who passes through Firelink Shrine. He finally gets fed up when Frampt arrives, leaving to "do something about" Frampt's apparent [[YouNeedABreathMint horrible breath]]. [[spoiler: It's implied that he tried to fight Frampt and got his shit kicked in; he turns up hollowed and insane outside New Londo.]]
43* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Has no known given name beyond "Crestfallen Warrior".
44* {{Expy}}: Of the Crestfallen Warrior from ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls''. Both are soldiers who lost the will to go on the same journey they snarkily tell the PlayerCharacter about, and are met in [[HubLevel the base area that connects every other dungeon]]. They even share the same voice actor.
45* GoOutWithASmile: If the player kills him in Firelink Shrine, the Crestfallen Warrior compliments him and says that he thinks you've done him a favor.
46* {{Jerkass}}: He doesn't have a nice word to say about anyone. [[spoiler:Except you, if you happen to kill him before he Hollows.]]
47* LampshadeHanging: In one conversation he states, "I don't really care, I'm just simply crestfallen..."
48* MrExposition: Not ''quite''. He's fairly stingy with information just as everyone else is, but when you speak to him at the beginning of the game he lays out your first two goals for you: there's ''two'' Bells of Awakening, one's past the Undead Burg, the other's way down below Blight Town, and of the two, Blight Town is way, ''way'' worse. This is the game being as generous as it ever gets with telling you what to do and where to go.
49* MiniBoss: He WILL give you a hard time if you fight him.
50* WorthyOpponent: "''Not too shabby.''"
51* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Some new players just can't resist attacking him, which is usually a bad idea, since he's very difficult for a fresh new character to kill. Not to mention, you'll basically have to forfeit the bonfire at Firelink Shrine until you can manage to kill him, since he's right next to where you spawn when you die and will start out aggro'd, chasing after you whenever you revive. He even warns you not to "try anything clever."
52[[/folder]]
53
54[[folder:Anastacia of Astora]]
55
56!!Anastacia of Astora
57[[quoteright:268:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anastacia-of-astora_1445.png]]
58--> '''Voiced by:''' Emma Pierson
59
60The Fire Keeper of the Firelink Shrine. A martyr from an unnamed village in Astora, she was treated as a witch by the villagers, eventually leading to her tongue being cut out and either her legs broken or feet severed to prevent her from escaping from her fate.
61
62* AnArmAndALeg: Looking at her model underneath her skirt reveals that her legs were amputated around the knees. [[FridgeHorror That explains all the blood]]...
63* BodyHorror: Just like the [[Characters/DarkSoulsCovenants Darkmoon Knightess and the Daughter of Chaos]], underneath her human appearance lies the accumulated masses of humanity poured into the bonfire.
64* BrokenBird: With all the stuff she's endured, as well as the painful fate of a Fire Keeper, it's not surprising.
65* DyingAsYourself: What she wants more than anything.
66* FateWorseThanDeath: All Fire Keepers are tied to their respective bonfire, i.e. they ''live and die'' for the bonfire.
67* KillTheCutie: During the middle of your journey, [[spoiler:Lautrec will make his move and kill Anastacia for her Fire Keeper Soul, making the bonfire unusable until you track the knight down and defeat him in Anor Londo, after which you can revive Anastacia back at Firelink Shrine]].
68* TheSpeechless: Her tongue is cut out, and she never responds when you talk to her. [[spoiler:After saving her soul from Lautrec and restoring her bonfire, she gets better, but considers her restored ability to speak a sin.]]
69* UnwantedRescue: Of a sort. [[spoiler:She's fine with being resurrected, but it's having her ''tongue'' back that causes issues for her.]] This is justified because, as a firekeeper, she was raised (possibly from birth) to ''never'' speak out against her FateWorseThanDeath.
70[[/folder]]
71
72[[folder:Oswald of Carim]]
73!!Oswald of Carim
74[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oswald-of-carim_1860.jpg]]
75--> '''Voiced by:''' David Gant
76
77->''"Thou art welcome anytime. It is only human to commit a sin."''
78
79A mysterious pardoner and bishop of Velka, Goddess of Sin and Justice, found after ringing the first Bell of Awakening. While he does not belong to a joinable Covenant, he serves two functions: 1) allowing the player to leave their current Covenant without penalties; and 2) to pardon the player's sins, resetting any [=NPC=] you angered to become docile again and remove your name from the Book of the Guilty.
80----
81* BadassBoast: Only if the player makes him hostile.
82--> "I shall accept thy next confession, in the hereafter!"
83* BadassLongcoat: He sports a jet-black coat that extends down to his feet, which can be mistaken for a dark robe.
84* BadassPreacher: While this isn't immediately obvious, the description of the sword he uses (Velka's Rapier) is a pretty good indication of what he's capable of. ([[NiceJobBreakingItHero Attacking him also confirms this, but it isn't advisable, should you accidentally attack another NPC]]...)
85* BlackKnight: According to the official Dark Souls art book Oswald used to be a Black Knight. Being as he remains a skilled swordsman, you could say he's ''still'' one, just that he's traded up his black armor for a black coat.
86* CoolHelmet: Quite ornate in sharp contrast to his dark robes.
87* CoolSword: Velka's Rapier, which is one of the best magic-imbued weapons available.
88* CreepyGood: From a gameplay perspective, Oswald is entirely benevolent, offering several useful services and items. But his [[DarkIsNotEvil clothes]], dialogue, and permanent "Well, what is it?" pose still gives him a somewhat sinister air.
89* DeadpanSnarker: Most everything that comes out of his mouth is dripping with sarcasm.
90--> '''Oswald''': Stocking up on indictments? How honorable of you!
91* DualWielding: Wield's Velka's Rapier and a Parrying dagger.
92* EvilLaugh: Well, not necessarily ''evil'' per se, but definitely a pretty creepy one.
93* FloweryElizabethanEnglish: One of the few people to do so in the game.
94* {{Foreshadowing}}: If you've [[spoiler: accumulated sufficient sin points]], he may tell you that you've got something in common with Petrus. Oh, [[spoiler: Petrus isn't a nice guy at ''all''.]]
95* MysteriousPast: Very little is known about Oswald of Carim, other than the fact that he used to be a BlackKnight.
96* RoyalRapier: His weapon of choice.
97* SinisterMinister: He's not necessarily evil, but he definitely casts an aura of ominousness and scorn. He doesn't say anything insulting to the player, at least until he/she sins, and even then he plays it off with a hearty laugh.
98* SmugSmiler: Taking a closer look at him reveals he sports a very snarky grin.
99[[/folder]]
100
101[[folder:Siegmeyer of Catarina]]
102
103!!Siegmeyer of Catarina
104[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/siegmeyer_2364.jpg]]
105--> '''Voiced by:''' Miles Richardson
106
107->''"No worries! Adventuring is my life; I'm prepared for the worst."''
108
109A knight from Catarina with no sense of self-preservation, who decided to venture to Lordran on a whim for one last adventure.
110----
111* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: A very probable reason for [[spoiler:his eventual Hollowing is that the Chosen Undead and his ''daughter'' Sieglinde completely show him up as an adventurer time and time again, causing him to lose faith in his own abilities]].
112* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: If you repeatedly save him during his adventures, he loses his will to continue and [[spoiler:turns Hollow, forcing his daughter to kill him near Ash Lake]].
113* TheBerserker: Definitely comes across this way in Lost Izalith.
114* BewareTheNiceOnes: "I am Siegmeyer of Catarina, and ''you shall feel my'' '''wrath!!'''"
115* {{BFS}}: Wields a Zweihander. Note that the description of the weapon says that the wielder must be "inhumanly strong" to even wield the thing with two hands, yet Siegmeyer [[OneHandedZweihander also uses a Pierce Shield along with it]], giving you a hint as to how strong he really is.
116* BoisterousBruiser: Though he only fights one battle with you, he's jolly as he hacks the monsters up.
117* BumblingDad: Sieglinde's dialogue seems to imply this about him.
118* CatchPhrase: "Mhmmm... Mhmmm... Oh-Hoh!" and "Here I sit, in quite a pickle..."
119* {{Expy}}: He has elements of both [[BoisterousBruiser Biorr]] and [[DistressedDude Ostrava]] from ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls''.
120* FailureIsTheOnlyOption:
121** Save Seigmeyer from the Chaos Eaters? [[spoiler:He Hollows in Ash Lake and has to be [[MercyKill mercy killed]] by his daughter. Technically the "best" outcome as far as rewards go, but you still feel like crap.]]
122** Let Seigmeyer fight the Chaos Eaters? [[spoiler:He'll maintain his honor, but die horribly and alone, surrounded only by voracious monsters.]]
123** Kill the Chaos Eaters ''before'' Siegmeyer decides to jump into the pit to fight them? [[spoiler:He will thank you, give you the Speckled Stoneplate Ring (which he would normally drop if he died in the battle) and disappear from the game. While he still sounds depressed at never being able to repay you, his hollowing and tragic death at Sieglinde's hands cannot happen, and if Siegmeyer ever dies after this you never get to hear about it at least.]]
124* HeavySleeper: Is often found asleep. While standing up. In full armour. And, on one occasion, while stranded in the middle of a poison swamp.
125* HeroicSacrifice: He will plunge himself into a pit of Chaos Eaters, in order to distract them so that you may slip past and get to safety. You can fight beside him to ensure his survival if you want. [[spoiler:Although this means he'll meet a much sadder end later, going Hollow and being put down by his own daughter instead of dying honourably and heroically [[DyingAsYourself as himself]].]] Alternatively, you can spare him from doing so by doing that yourself and killing all the Chaos Eaters before talking to him, [[spoiler: this will net you the Speckled Stoneplate Ring instead of a Titanite Slab, but he will survive.]]
126* HotBlooded: He's calm and relaxed when out of battle, but when in a scrap he'll scream to the top of his lungs and swing his Zweihander without compunction.
127* InHarmsWay: His love of adventure easily gets him into situations where he absolutely requires the player's help to ''at best'' progress and ''at worst'' [[LeeroyJenkins survive]].
128* LordErrorProne: He's a very well-meaning and jovial man, his love for adventure can be downright adorable, and he ''is'' in fact a mighty fighter in his own right, but his biggest flaw is that despite his eagerness to go on grand quests across Lordran, he lacks the preparation, the insight, and to be perfectly blunt, the skill to progress with his own wits. He is constantly stymied by obstacles that the player can overcome, and basically has no recourse for his constant reliance on them.
129* MightyGlacier: Strong enough to two-shot a [[DemonicSpiders Chaos Eater]] with his Zweihander, but the weight of his equipment encumbers him considerably (he even jokingly laments he's too plump to run fast). In fact, all of the troubles you help him with result from him being outnumbered by faster foes or unable to clear a hazardous area in time.
130* MortonsFork: No matter how his story ends, it is never a happy ending. [[spoiler: The only differences between his endings are if he retains his sanity and dies, or lives past his fight with the Chaos Eaters and goes crazy or disillusioned]].
131* NiceGuy: He's one of the more beloved characters of the game for a reason; like Solaire, he never makes a move to attack you (unless you strike him first) and while he constantly gets stuck, he never even asks you for help, knowing that you have your own duty to accomplish.
132* NowLetMeCarryYou: If you help him throughout the game, once he appears in Lost Izalith, he will try to defeat the Chaos Eaters in the toxic pit to repay you for the kindness you showed him. If he survives and isn't too badly injured, you get a rare Titanite Slab at the end of his quest, [[spoiler:at the cost of him turning Hollow]]. If he's badly injured or you killed them first, he'll be depressed, and you get a decent ring instead.
133* ScreamingWarrior: If he aids the player in battle against the Chaos Eaters in Lost Izalith, he lets out a pretty epic battle cry.
134* ShoutOut:
135** His armor bears a visual similarity to Bazuso from ''[[{{Manga/Berserk}} Berserk]]'', and his lust for adventuring can be seen as an [[AdaptationalHeroism upgrade]] to said character's habit of challenging people to open combat [[spoiler: and both of their habits lead to their deaths.]]
136** As noted in its description, his helmet resembles an onion, and he's a knight, which coupled with his enthusiasm for adventuring and relative lack of experience, makes him a rather literal [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII Onion Knight]].
137* StealthPun: "Here I sit, in quite a pickle." He's a pickled onion.
138* VideoGameCaringPotential: He gets stuck in multiple messy situations, but the game leaves it all up to you if you want to help him through his problems or not.
139[[/folder]]
140
141[[folder:Sieglinde of Catarina]]
142
143!!Sieglinde of Catarina
144[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sieglinde_of_catarina.jpg]]
145
146--> '''Voiced by:''' Charlie Cameron
147
148->''"Now if he'll just stay put, and keep out of trouble!"''
149
150Daughter of Siegmeyer of Catarina. She searches diligently for her father with the player's assistance.
151----
152* ActionGirl: One of the few female [=NPC=]s that are armed and dangerous.
153* BadassNormal: Travels through Lordran just like yourself, her father, and numerous others but with one key difference: she's ''not undead.'' Everyone else journeys with the knowledge that they at least will be resurrected at their previous bonfire, but Sieglinde went through her entire mission knowing that a single death would be the end of her.
154* {{BFS}}: Wields a Bastard Sword which, though not ''quite'' as big as her dad's Zweihander, is still a typically-two-handed sword that she nonetheless [[OneHandedZweihander wields one-handed]].
155* DaddysGirl: Has shades of this. Even though she's restlessly searching throughout Lordran for her father so he won't [[LordErrorProne wander off on his foolish adventures]], it's clear she's genuinely worried about his well-being. [[spoiler:[[TearJerker It becomes heartbreaking when she is forced to kill her father after he turns Hollow]]. Right after silently thanking the player character for helping her find Siegmeyer, she breaks down in tears before her father's lifeless body.]]
156* KillTheOnesYouLove: She is forced to [[spoiler:kill Siegmeyer after he turns Hollow.]]
157* MyParentsAreDead: Her mother died before the events of the game. [[spoiler:Siegmeyer later turns Hollow and dies again at her hands.]]
158* SuperiorSuccessor: To her father; while Siegmeyer consistently runs flat up against a wall despite his love for adventure, Sieglinde time and again manages to traverse through the DeathWorld that is Lordran ''without dying'', driven only by her desire to find her father and [[spoiler:tell him her mother's last words.]]
159* SamusIsAGirl: Like most armor sets, Catarina armor is pretty much gender-neutral, so you'd be forgiven for mistaking her for her dad before talking to her.
160* ShoutOut: She apparently looks like [[Literature/HarryPotter Hermione]] under that helmet.
161[[/folder]]
162
163[[folder:Lautrec of Carim]]
164
165!!Knight Lautrec of Carim [=/=] Knight Lautrec the Embraced [=/=] Knight Lautrec the Guilty
166[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lautrec.jpg]]
167
168--> '''Voiced by:''' Daniel Roberts/William Vanderpuye
169
170->''"Our futures are murky. Let's not be too friendly, now."''
171
172A knight from the kingdom of Carim, a land of religious justice, and a follower of the Goddess Fina.
173----
174* AssistCharacter: Can be summoned for assistance for the battles against the Bell Gargoyles and the Gaping Dragon.
175* AxCrazy: In case the creepy laughs and [[FauxAffablyEvil his attitude]] didn't tip you off.
176* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: If the player chooses to rescue him from his cell, his summon signs can be seen available for the Belfry Gargoyles and Gaping Dragon boss fights. [[spoiler:It doesn't stop him from hindering the player later on by disabling the Firelink bonfire, though.]]
177* BlingOfWar: Wears one of the fancier suits of armor, with additional symbolism alluding to his devotion of the goddess Fina. [[spoiler:You can obtain the set from a corpse in the upper floor of Ornstein and Smough's boss room, but only after invading and killing Lautrec as revenge for Anastacia.]]
178* ChurchMilitant: Potentially, depending on whether he is an ordained member of Fina's clergy or just a swordsman devoted to her, and whether Carim has a tradition of assassins in service to Fina or Lautrec is just AxCrazy. The lore, as is typical, does not expound much upon his history or Fina's particulars.
179* CoolHelmet: It also has protrusions that make it look like he's wearing a crown.
180* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Lautrec's item descriptions show that, in spite of his monstrous nature, he wears armor symbolizing the loving embrace of his goddess, Fina.
181* EvenEvilHasStandards: Lautrec may be a cold-hearted sadistic killer, but Patches gives him the creeps (or so he says), and he warns the player to stay away from him. This is played with, because Patches warns the same thing about Lautrec. Which one of the two is more evil is up for debate, but since Patches retires as a merchant and [[spoiler: Lautrec dies by the player's hands]] it doesn't matter anyway.
182* EvilLaugh: He'll often throw a mirthless laughter when spoken to.
183* {{Expy}}: Of Yurt the Silent Chief from ''Videogame/DemonsSouls''. He even uses the same type of weapon as Yurt... [[DualWielding two of them]], in fact.
184* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Of a sort. [[spoiler:While the player is very much free to kill Lautrec anytime before he murders Anastacia and thus prevent Firelink Shrine's bonfire from being snuffed, the rewards for letting him do so and subsequently invading him in Anor Londo (including his and Anastacia's gear) will be lost if they do.]]
185* FauxAffablyEvil: He's quite polite when you speak to him, but his dodgy tone makes it clear he's suspicious.
186* TheFaceless: Although, he does have a face under the helmet, but it's not seen in normal gameplay. He appears to be middle aged, with longer black hair.
187* GlassCannon: Sort of. Lautrec doesn't use a shield, and his armor doesn't offer him that much protection, but he can still dish out lots of damage with his shotels, whose heavy attacks bypass shields. Furthermore, he wears the [[DesperationAttack Red Tearstone Ring]] as well, making his attack power skyrocket when he's on the verge of death.
188* HiddenAgendaVillain: Attentive players will notice that he planned his actions at Firelink ''and'' Anor Londo from the very start. What purpose did he do it all for? It's never said in any fashion whatsoever. [[spoiler: And you'll never find out, because you either hunt him down and kill him, or don't bother, never hearing from him again.]]
189* ItsAllAboutMe: His extremely ambiguous actions aside, he's the one NPC summon who the player has to directly help in some way before he considers helping them - He helps you once for freeing him from his cell in the parish by aiding in the Belfry Gargoyles fight, and helps you once for paying for his little tip later at the Firelink Shrine, at the Gaping Dragon fight. A favor for a favor, and that's ''it''.
190* {{Jerkass}}: He seemingly kills Anastacia of Astora for no reason other than to screw everyone who doesn't kill him on the spot over.
191* KickTheSonOfABitch: Literally. It's entirely possible to just kick Lautrec off a cliff the first time you meet him. You won't get the rewards for playing out his storyline entirely, but you still get the Ring of Favor and Protection for it, and frankly, the asshole has it coming.
192* LadyAndKnight: A villainous example. He serves as the knight to his [[TheGhost unseen]] goddess, Fina.
193* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:In the end, killing the Firekeeper for her soul turns the player character against him, and you have to visit justice upon him in Anor Londo.]]
194* LightIsNotGood: Unlike his counterpart from ''Demons Souls'', his armor is a bright yellow colour, and is designed in a way to show his devotion to the goddess, Fina. Doesn't stop him from being a creepy fellow.
195* LonersAreFreaks: Considers the love of the Goddess Fina all that he needs, leading to his sociopathic behavior. Although how much of a loner he really is can be questioned. When he is fought in Anor Londo, he has two unidentified, silent cohorts who aid him in battle. His dialogue and the situation suggest that he [[spoiler:might have some ulterior motive for stealing Anastacia's soul, and has been herding people into his world and killing them for some unexplained purpose. The two men are apparently in league with this scheme.]]
196* MeaningfulName: One of his monikers, Lautrec the Embraced, becomes significant once you observe that his golden armor has what appears to be arms wrapped around it, symbolizing the goddess Fina's protection over the wearer as well as Lautrec's own devotion to said goddess.
197* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Combined with NiceJobBreakingItHero. [[spoiler: Letting the ObviouslyEvil religious zealot with paranoia about all other people out of his cell (or not killing him on the spot at Firelink Shrine) results in him murdering Anastacia and disabling the bonfire at Firelink. Giving him a KarmicDeath results in Anastacia being resurrected with a restored body and more rewards for you than if the situation hadn't happened at all.]]
198* ObviouslyEvil: Lautrec has the tendency to end his conversations with ominous laughter. Then there's his sinister voice...
199* PetTheDog: Talk to him after going through various areas and he'll express a bit of worry for the Chosen Undead. [[spoiler: Although it probably was superficial, seeing as he doesn't hesitant to attack them in Anor Londo.]]
200* RealMenWearPink: He openly worships (or ''loves'') Fina, the goddess of ''beauty'', and wears armor that symbolizes her tender embrace in the form of hugging arms. He's still a coldblooded killer and powerful warrior.
201* ReligiousBruiser: An avid devotee of the goddess Fina, and also an extremely deadly warrior.
202* SinisterScimitar: His signature sickle-like shotels, which are able to bypass shield guards with their strong attacks.
203* TokenEvilTeammate: For a given definition of "Team", at least. Yes, he's an asshole obsessed with his unseen goddess, but he still provides you with considerable help, seeing as he can be summoned along with [[TheLancer Solaire]] for two bosses.
204* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: Averted. If you fight him at Firelink or Undead Parish, he is encumbered by his armor and his roll is slow. When you fight him at Anor Londo, however, he is no longer encumbered by his equipment and is able to do a standard mid-roll.
205* VillainsNeverLie: Never once is he actually dishonest towards the Player. He does give you a reward after you free him and return to Firelink Shrine, plus he straight out tells you that he has no more use for the maiden before you go off to ring the second bell.
206* WeaksauceWeakness: He can be simply kicked off his perch at Firelink Shrine if the player wants to kill him before he [[spoiler:kills Anastacia and]] leaves for Anor Londo. He may not even aggro before he falls this way.
207* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou: A villainous, non-player example - the player only need kill Lautrec when invading him in Anor Londo to mark the invasion a success, and can avoid the white phantoms accompanying him (although killing them does make fighting him much easier).
208[[/folder]]
209
210[[folder:"Trusty" Patches]]
211!!"Trusty" Patches
212[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-patches_totg_5631.jpg]]
213--> '''Voiced by:''' William Vanderpuye
214
215->''"Heh heh, this is what I do, my friend. [[RobbingTheDead The trinkets I'll be stripping off your corpse]]; that's the real treasure! Nyah hah hah hah!"''
216
217A vagabond with a burning hatred for clerics. Sets up shop as a merchant if you play your cards right.
218
219* AffablyEvil: He does some pretty awful things to you through the game, yet remains quite polite and jolly in his interactions with you. [[BerserkButton Unless you tell him you're a cleric, of course]].
220* BaldOfEvil: He's completely bald, and messes with you [[spoiler:and the Thorolund crew]] throughout your journey to Nito's lair.
221* BerserkButton: He ''despises'' clerics. His ''Videogame/DemonsSouls'', counterpart wasn't fond of them, either, but this version of Patches is particularly hateful towards them. Although given the [[CrapsackWorld bleak]] [[DarkFantasy setting]] in both games, this can be [[CorruptChurch easily explained]] in each game's backstory.
222* BlatantLies: Of course.
223--> ''(after attempting to kill the player character by rotating a bridge)'' …I slipped and flipped that lever, you see…
224--> ''(after kicking the player into the pit)'' These... temptations, they can, well, overcome me...
225* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He tries to kill the Chosen Undead twice, but stops after the second attempt.
226* ComicallySmallBribe: If you confront him after falling for his bridge trap without talking to him first, he attempts to get back in your good graces by offering... a Soul of the Lost Undead.
227* DirtyCoward: Takes the effort to try and kill you twice while you are distracted, but when it doesn't work, he starts tripping over his words trying to get back in your good graces. Unless you tell him you're a cleric, in which case he'll straight-up attack you.
228* EasilyForgiven: Depending on the player character's answer to him when he asks if they're friends after his second murder attempt.
229* EvenEvilHasStandards: He warns the player to watch out for and to stay away from [[AxCrazy Lautrec]]. He also refers to [[spoiler:Petrus]] as "scum" - while this could simply be down to his hatred of clerics, it turns out that [[spoiler:Petrus]] is [[BitchInSheepsClothing indeed]] ''[[BitchInSheepsClothing not]]'' [[BitchInSheepsClothing a nice guy]] - [[spoiler:it is entirely possible that he witnessed Petrus' abandonment of Rhea.]] He equally tells them to be wary of Shiva, [[AbortedArc but Shiva himself never does much in the game proper]].
230* EvilLaugh: He's fond of the odd evil chuckle, but he lets out a spectacular one after he kicks the player character into the pit in the Tomb of Giants (and an even ''eviler'' one if he believes the player to be a cleric).
231* FantasticRacism: Towards clerics, to the extent that he'll try to kill the player if he believes them to be one.
232* HalfTruth: Technically, there ''is'' treasure in that hole...
233* HeelFaceTurn: Becomes a merchant and remains at Firelink Shrine after the player character defeats Nito and proceeds not to bother them from that point on - much like his ''Videogame/DemonsSouls'' counterpart.
234* HiddenDepths: If the player should have him back at Firelink Shrine and then proceed to make him hostile, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75OIXL7SxrE he seems to be genuinely saddened should he manage to kill them]].
235* IronicNickname: "Trusty" Patches.
236* JekyllAndHyde: Or [[BlatantLies so he claims]] when the player faces him after being kicked down a hole in the Tomb of the Giants.
237--> '''Patches:''' "...Oh, you, I... Well, let's just calm down. Talk about things... I did you wrong. But, I didn't mean it. These...temptations, they can, well, overcome me... You know what I mean? Don't you? Please forgive me. You and me, we're jolly Undead outcasts, aren't we?"
238* {{Jerkass}}: He's a thief with a habit of tricking people to their deaths, and tries to murder the Chosen Undead twice.
239* JerkassHasAPoint: His hatred of clerics seems like simple [[StrawAtheist Straw Atheism]] at first, but as it turns out, the Way of White is incredibly unkind to Undead, facilitates the Fire Linking by way of a manufactured prophecy, and as of ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' even gave rise to quite possibly the cruelest character in the entire franchise in the form of Aldrich. Put this all together and his contempt for clerics seems almost justified, doesn’t it?
240* LaughablyEvil: He's a sinister fellow, yet his attempts on your life come off as little more than pranks.
241* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Unlike Lautrec and the Heartbroken Soldier, who are simply callbacks to characters from ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'', Patches reappears here as "Trusty Patches", with the same voice actor and SchmuckBait tactics. While the game refers to him as Trusty Patches, the strategy guide uses the name (Patches the Hyena) from ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls''.
242* LegacyCharacter: He first appeared in ''[[Videogame/ArmoredCore Armored Core: For Answer]]''. ''Videogame/DemonsSouls'' and ''Videogame/DarkSouls'' are his second and third appearances, respectively. The trend would later be continued in ''Videogame/{{Bloodborne}}''. He reappers yet again in ''VideoGame/EldenRing''.
243* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Wields the Eagle Shield, which is the lightest greatshield available, and one he uses to turtle around should you attack him.
244* ObviouslyEvil: His upcoming murder attempts are amusingly transparent just from talking to him.
245* OhCrap: His (non-hostile) reaction to the player emerging from the pit is priceless.
246* RobbingTheDead: His main motivation behind tricking people into traps is so he can rob their corpses afterwards.
247* SchmuckBait: [[MythologyGag Will tell the player that there's treasure down a hole, right before kicking them down said hole]].
248* SinisterSchnoz: It wouldn't be [[ObviouslyEvil "Trusty" Patches]] without his signature prominent nose.
249* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: If the player should meet him for the first time ''after'' he flips the bridge:
250--> I, uh, sort of lost my way, yes... but when I came here, I didn't touch any levers, no, not me!
251* TokenEvilTeammate: He's never directly hostile to you, and once he sets up shop in Firelink Shrine, he fits the bill nicely.
252[[/folder]]
253
254[[folder:Ingward]]
255
256!!Ingward
257[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-ingward_ruins_1702.jpg]]
258--> '''Voiced by:''' Sean Barrett
259
260->''"Well, this is a surprise. I get few visitors, save for ghosts."''
261
262The Guardian of the Seal, and the last remaining of the three New Londo healer-sorcerers who long ago undertook the task of guarding the seal keeping the Four Kings and the Darkwraiths locked away, in order to pay atonement for all who were sacrificed when they sealed away the darkness. He will give the Chosen Undead the Key to the Seal after he/she obtains the Lordvessel, and is the only character in the game with the ability to cure curses without the use of a Purging Stone.
263----
264* TheAtoner: He's very well aware of the costly sacrifice made to seal the Darkwraiths and the Four Kings, and the least he can do is watch over New Londo Ruins until someone strong enough to brave the Abyss comes.
265* CoolOldGuy: Just from his voice you can tell that he's a very old, but nonetheless selfless individual.
266* DayHurtsDarkAdjustedEyes: If he arrives at Firelink Shrine, he can be found tucked away in a well-shaded corner, and mentions how he couldn't handle the sunlight after so long in the darkness of New Londo.
267* TheDeterminator: He's the only one of the sealers who remained in New Londo. Yulva left to help the infected people of Blighttown with her Remedy sorcery. The unnamed third sealer's fate is unknown, [[spoiler:but either he or someone in his robes, without the hood, is seen assisting Lautrec in Anor Londo]].
268* TheFaceless: Not only does he wear a hood, but he also wears a mask.
269* GodzillaThreshold: Along with his two fellow sealers, Ingward had New Londo flooded to stop the Darkwraiths from spreading to other areas of Lordran. New Londo was once a civil place, teeming with life, but this incident had wiped out the townsfolk. [[spoiler: [[FromBadToWorse These people now roam the ruins as ghosts, and the Darkwraiths are very much alive and kicking.]]]]
270* NiceGuy: While he requires you one humanity to cure you if you get cursed by the [[KillerRabbit Basilisks]], he still pretty much does it for you without hard feelings.
271* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Since he was one of the three sorcerers who sealed New Londo ages ago, he's quite ancient, though probably not to the same extent as Quelana, who fought alongside the Witch of Izalith in the war against the dragons.
272* SquishyWizard: If you attack him, he's not going to put up much of a fight since he's rather fragile, and his spells have a slow casting time.
273[[/folder]]
274
275[[folder:Snuggly the Crow]]
276!!Sparkly the Crow/Snuggly the Crow/Hawk Girl
277
278->''"Give me warm! Give me soft!"''
279
280An unseen [=NPC=], who, should you happen upon her nest, will ask for items that are "warm and soft", and will leave something different in return.
281----
282* CollectorOfTheStrange: It doesn't get much stranger than being willing to take [[spoiler:the soul of Manus]] for your collection.
283%%ZCE * {{Expy}}: Of the character of the same (nick)name from ''Videogame/DemonsSouls''. It is also possible that they could be the same character.
284* VerbalTic: She peppers her speech with crow-like cries.
285* TheVoice: You do not see her at all, apart from the nest you can throw items in.
286* YouNoTakeCandle: How she talks.
287--> "Give me warm! Give me soft!"
288[[/folder]]
289
290!!Phantom Summons
291
292[[folder:ManeaterMildred]]
293A nearly-naked woman wearing a sack and carrying a cleaver, After you defeat her in Blighttown, she becomes a summon against Chaos Witch Quelaag. For more information on this character, see Characters/DarkSoulsEnemyNPCsAndBosses.
294[[/folder]]
295
296[[folder:Witch Beatrice]]
297!! Witch Beatrice
298[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/witch-beatrice_2963.jpg]]
299
300An enigmatic young witch available as a phantom summon against two bosses. Her assistance in the first battle practically fights the boss for you, but she's [[AnnoyingVideoGameHelper a borderline liability]] in the second. During your initial travels, you just can't seem to find her, though...
301----
302* BlackMagicianGirl: She's devastatingly powerful with her magic, which makes fighting both the Moonlight Butterfly ''massively'' easier, and she can at least be a distraction for the Four Kings. [[spoiler:That probably should've been a sign to her that taking on the Kings by her lonesome was a terrible idea...]]
303* CrutchCharacter: When she's summoned for the Moonlight Butterfly fight, Beatrice is very powerful and can easily solo the boss for you. But against the Four Kings later in the game, she doesn't fare nearly as well.[[note]]Her DPS simply isn't enough to compensate for the 50% HP boost she gives to the Kings by her mere presence, which is a serious problem when the fight itself is basically a DPS race[[/note]]
304* CuteWitch: Almost surprisingly so. Compared to most other characters and what we see of her phantom and whatnot, she's practically ''twee''.
305** Moreover, her [[http://imgur.com/a/P16WN original child model and animations]] were almost ''saccharine'' (which is probably why they didn't make it live, as it just clashed ''too'' heavily with ''[=DS1=]'s'' atmosphere).
306* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler: A corpse carrying her robe set and catalyst can be found outside the shortcut between the Valley of Drakes and New Londo Ruins after she's been summoned against the Four Kings. It's made clear by the items' description that she braved the Abyss, but did not live to tell the tale.]]
307* MysticalHighCollar: Her cloak has a popped up collar.
308* OptionalPartyMember: After a fashion. While you never ''have'' to take a phantom in to a bossfight, her signs can be a little hard to see. Missing her first summon makes her second unavailable.
309* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Her catalyst is mentioned as ancient and showing signs of being used for age-old sorceries, and she is implied to have come to Lordran centuries ago, even before [[spoiler:New Londo was flooded.]]
310* RobeAndWizardHat: Has a long robe and pointy hat.
311* ShoutOut: Very likely a double: firstly, to a certain [[VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry other witch named Beatrice]], and secondly, her choice of clothing and appearance, straight down to color, hugely resemble that of Schierke the witch from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' (this goes double if you take into account her DummiedOut child model which has an even ''stronger'' resemblance to Schierke).
312* [[SquishyWizard Squishy Witch]]: Her magic is nothing to be sneezed at in a ranged battle (she'll take out the Moonlight Butterfly by herself), but in an up-close melee fight - such as the Four Kings' - she's utterly useless.
313* UnskilledButStrong: She's described as a rogue witch who doesn't hail from one of the [[WizardingSchool Dragon Schools]] in Vinheim, yet her sorceries are just as powerful. She can blow away the Moonlight Butterfly despite it having comparatively high resistance to Magic Damage.
314[[/folder]]
315
316[[folder:Black Iron Tarkus]]
317
318!! Black Iron Tarkus
319[[caption-width-right:230:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/230px-black_iron_tarkus_1118.jpg [[MemeticBadass He's better at this game than you.]]]]
320
321A fearsome knight of Berenike clad in Black Iron armor. He can be summoned to help in the fight against the Iron Golem atop Sen's Fortress.
322----
323* BadassNormal: Most knights of Berenike are ~9 feet tall. Tarkus is the same height as the player, and his armor is even heavier than the other knights' Steel sets. Provided the A.I. is having a good day, he can easily solo the Iron Golem, often by pushing it off the boss arena.
324* {{BFS}}: His greatsword is huge (even if not the biggest weapon of its type). Bonus points for resembling [[Manga/{{Berserk}} Guts' own sword during the Golden Age arc]].
325* BlackKnight: [[HeroicMime A heroic and silent example]].
326* CripplingOverspecialization: [[spoiler:As strong and tough as he is, it's implied that his heavy armor caused him to fall from the rafters to his death.]]
327* DroppedABridgeOnHim: The Crestfallen Merchant strongly implies that Tarkus, along with other known Undeads like Logan, attempted to take on Anor Londo, only to fail utterly. [[spoiler:True enough, Tarkus' gear can be found discarded near the entrance to the Painted World, implying that he either fell to his death or met his end at the hands of the many agile guardians.]]
328* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Of course Tarkus can [[ZeroEffortBoss basically solo the Iron Golem]] for you. According to his lore, he defeated it solo in his own world, the only other hero to do so; that's why he carved his summon sign there, to aid others who came after him.
329* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Tarkus' equipment is described as so heavy that only he could use it. Players ''can'' equip it, but it's so heavy that it's almost impossible to have enough endurance to avoid being reduced to "fatrolling" by the weight, which is generally considered something you want to avoid at all costs. So Tarkus was the only one who could use it "properly" then? No, he fatrolls as well.
330* MightyGlacier: He has all the heavy equipment wearing him down and his sword's cumbersome swings. However, all of his attacks are also impossibly powerful, and you shouldn't be surprised if he oneshots ''invading players''.
331* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Knights of Berenike were stoic giants who wielded extremely heavy weapons and armor. Tarkus is presumably a knight of the same order, although he is much smaller than the other Hollow Berenike knights encountered throughout the game.
332* ShoutOut: Shares many similarities to another person also named [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Tarkus]], mostly in that they have inhuman strength and wield a massive sword. And also the song by [[Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer]].
333* SuperStrength: Almost every description of him, or at least his equipment, makes mention of his powerful strength, praised even among the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Berenike Knights]], and how his armor is so heavy it becomes unwieldy to all but Tarkus himself.
334* TookAThirdOption: It is hinted that he was the one who [[spoiler:shattered the glass in the painting hall of Anor Londo]], paving the way for the player character as [[spoiler:the rotating bridge that would normally grant access to the main cathedral is initially inaccessible]].
335* TheVoiceless: Never speaks, and is never encountered as a regular NPC.
336* WorldsStrongestMan: The physically strongest ''human'' [=NPC=] you meet in the game anyway. Never specifically stated, though his background and equipment description both allude to this. It's presumed Tarkus comes from Berenike, the knights of which were renowned for their strength. Even among them, Tarkus was one of the, if not ''the'', strongest, due to wearing much heavier armour and wielding a heavier shield with little trouble.
337[[/folder]]
338
339[[folder:Paladin Leeroy]]
340A holy paladin found in both the Catacombs and Tomb of the Giants. For more information on this character, see his section of the Way of White in Characters/DarkSoulsCovenants.
341[[/folder]]
342
343!!Unseen
344
345[[folder:Sir Arstor]]
346
347!!Sir Arstor
348
349The Earl of Carim. He is responsible for the creation of many items and weapons in the game and as far as anyone can tell, no price is too high for him if it will mean progress.
350
351* AristocratsAreEvil: Possibly, given he holds the title of Earl in his nation and performed untold experiments to create the Bite rings.
352* TheGhost: He gets mentioned a lot in a number of item descriptions, but otherwise makes no known appearance.
353* JoustingLance: His weapon, as seen in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII''. Apparently, he was quite fond of the ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice trope. He also covered it in rotten meat so that it would inflict Poison.
354* MadScientist: He’s the one credited for creating the Purging Stones and Bite rings. It’s just best not to think about what needed to be done to make them.
355* TakeOurWordForIt: It's never stated precisely what he did to create the bite rings, but all the player needs to know that it was apparently unspeakably evil.
356* WellIntentionedExtremist: Possibly. All of the atrocities he has implicitly committed were done for a purpose and there’s little argument with how useful the results are.
357
358[[/folder]]
359
360[[folder:Velka]]
361
362!!Velka
363
364The Goddess of Sin. It is her duty to oversee those who have sinned and administer the proper punishment.
365
366* AmbiguousSituation: Several of her spells from ''Dark Souls'' reappear in ''Dark Souls III'' as spells of the Sable Church of Londor, which uses methods many would consider evil but the church believes have a justifiable outcome. While Velka is considered a darker character, she's often portrayed in a positive light for the most part.
367* AntiMagic: Linked to Occult enchantments (the kind that are specifically designed to destroy gods and divine servants).
368* CleverCrows: Most of her usable items are Intelligence-linked ''and'' found in a place with a lot of crows and crow-like beings.
369* CreepyCrows: While she's by no means evil, Velka is still a very ominous figure, and the crows that symbolize her reflect this.
370* TheDreaded: Even the gods fear her, for not even they are above her judgment.
371* DarkIsNotEvil: Velka has a heavy association with Dark, but nothing suggest that she's evil. If anything, she's a force of divine judgement upon wrongdoers as well as forgiveness to those who open themselves up to her.
372* {{Expy}}: Of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'''s Raven Queen. Both are goddesses who use crows and ravens as their symbol and exact some form of judgement (for Velka, on sinners in general; for the Raven Queen, deciding the final fate of the deceased). In a more interpretive way, both are associated with winter; the Crow Demons and Corvian Settlers both live in the wintery Painted Worlds, while the Raven Queen is literally the goddess of winter.
373* TheGhost: She gets name-dropped a lot, but she doesn’t make any physical appearances as far as we can see, [[RiddleForTheAges leading fans to make countless speculations about her true identity]].
374* OddJobGods: She's the goddess of sin -- recording it, weighing it and righting it; be that, apparently, through retribution or atonement. At a price.
375[[/folder]]
376
377[[folder:Allfather Lloyd]]
378
379!!Allfather Lloyd
380
381The uncle to Gwyn and the patron deity of the Way of White. Not much is known about him, and in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' he is proclaimed a false god, and every mention of him is completely erased.
382
383* TheGhost: Lloyd gets mentioned a lot in the item descriptions but doesn't make a physical appearance in the series at all.
384* PowerNullifier: Lloyd's Talismans are used by the clerics to stop the Undead from using Estus.
385* SpecialPersonNormalName: Lloyd is an awfully mundane name for what's supposed to be a god. [[AerithAndBob Especially in comparison to his more exotically named nephew, Gwyn]].
386* TyrantTakesTheHelm: Seized power over the other gods after Gwyn disappeared, Gwynevere ran off to Heide with Flann, and Gwyndolin went into hiding. Various item descriptions point to his rule in Thorolund as being something of a police state, where dissenters are exiled (supposedly going on a pilgrimage) and knights could at any time be forced to duel with Lloyd.
387* {{Unperson}}: The clerics of Carim proclaimed him a fraud, and his worship was eventually stopped and forgotten, to the point that Lloyd's Talismans were even renamed Undead Hunter Charms.
388[[/folder]]

Top