The Many Meanings of Bloodborne
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2024
- DOWNLOAD THE ESSAY COLLECTION:
The Many Meanings of Bloodborne essay collection: www.dropbox.com/s/q52vld7whda...
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Bloodborne is a game that takes place in the intersection between dreams and nightmares. Its spaces are unreal and changeable, and the nature of what is real and what is not is constantly called into question.
Consequently, the hard details of its story and plot are left vague, even by Souls standards, allowing a huge amount of space for interpretation by its players. All art can have many different meanings to many different people, but art like Bloodborne practically requires this range of interpretations.
To some, Bloodborne feels like a familiar home, to others it is a space of cathartic vengeance. To some it is an affirmation of their deepest feelings, to others it is a raging indictment of social hypocrisies.
And to sappy idealistic dinks like me... well, you'll see.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
6:56 A Full Werewolf
13:45 Bloodborne and Addiction
16:51 That Free Will Is Holy
18:06 Bloodborne is Intensely Trans
18:18 I Could Imagine Myself
20:07 Bloodborne Feels Like Home To Me
24:17 I'll Identify With Ebrietas
30:49 The Nightmare
50:09 Outro
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Plain Doll and Hunter staring at the moon artwork by Monoflax: / monoflax
Royalty free music in my videos sourced from filmmusic.io, incompetech.com, and composed by Kevin Macleod. Used under a Creative Commons license ((creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)
Additional music by Stevia Sphere
steviasphere.bandcamp.com/
Used under a Creative Commons License - Ігри
![The Cleric Beast || Boss Designs of Bloodborne #1 [CC] (blind run)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8KCzeEdqTs4/mqdefault.jpg)
*DOWNLOAD THE ESSAY COLLECTION:*
The Many Meanings of Bloodborne essay collection: www.dropbox.com/s/q52vld7whda1ybt/The%20Many%20Meanings%20of%20Bloodborne.pdf?dl=0
Typesetting and layout by ARTeapot: linktr.ee/arteapot
The Many, Many Meanings of Bloodborne (all submissions): www.dropbox.com/s/rdni7npadmm5vna/The%20Many%2C%20Many%20Meanings%20of%20Bloodborne.pdf?dl=0
Loved the video, and i'll probably check out the essay collection at some point.
Also, you might want to pin this comment so it doesn't get lost in the sea of the comment section.
I cried over this, and I'm trying to download the pdf "The Many Meanings of Bloodborne." But I've run into a problem -- I have the error "authorization needed," and it's telling me "This error means you don't have permission to download the file. To fix the error, contact the website or server owner, or try to find the file on a different site." I'd love to be able to download it and read offline!
Fun fact did you know Gehrman the first hunter's theme has lyrics in the background in Latin that can be translated to English, if not I would go check it out
"Don't you dare go hollow" its wild how many people mentioned how much that line helped them. Its probably the line that sums out the whole soulsborne themes the most.
Yes it honestly made me cry seeing this video
A guy came into the store I work at with a tattoo of a bonfire and "Don't you dare go hollow" on his arm. It was beautiful and awesome to see that. We talked for a bit about the games while I was ringing him out. It was one of those great moments where you have a brief connection with someone you may never see again, but you share a common love for something.
It me, one of the people whom that line really helped
Aye
@@madalice5134 Totally stealing the idea for a future tattoo!
In the end of the day, bloodborne is the story of a tourist's wacky shenanigans in London
a bit late but:
bloodborne to me seems like a complete reversal of the usual lovecraftian mythology. In bloodborne, the gods are not evil, the rich pure blooded are. The masses are still easily turned into cultists, not by other members of the masses but by the state and church itself. Quite literally, the darkest and most evil monsters dont exist in other space in the game, but inside our memories and dreams.
I love that take!
If you haven't yet gotten your fill of the old blood, might I recommend Honey Bat's Visceral Femininity: A Bloodborne Video Essay. She approaches the topic from a distinctly feminine angle and it complements quite a few of the topics discussed here.
Her approach completely damages her analysis of bloodborne, completely misses the mark.
Itd be like reading animal farm and then saying its about animal abuse instead of the clear and present allegory for the russian revolution.
It feels like the most definitive angle to analyzing Bloodborne, to be honest. Not particularly sure how strong feminist themes are in other soulsborne games, but Bloodborne seems very capable at making a case to having the strongest of inclinations.
@@TheGrifhinx feels like as opposed to anything remotely legitimate. It isnt a feminine angle at all, bloodborne is purely allegory for victorian era western medical research and practice, focusing on the nightmarish reality of life in and around the royal infirmary of edinburgh, scotland, the direct inspiration for yharnam/the healing church.
Man, that "I'll Identify With Ebrietas" story was beautifully written. Aside from it's prose, I can appreciate the values that Ebrietas represents for this person. I don't play Bloodborne, nor am I apart of the trans community, but the significance of the message in that essay was not lost on me. I'm happy you gave that person a platform to share their story.
I’m happy they shared as well and I’m not apart of that community either. I’m autistic so I’m relating in a similar but still very different ways and seeing different interpretations from groups that relate to being othered make me appreciate bloodbornes depths even more.
As a trans person, it's really hitting me. I'm really glad they were able to share their story and I can see some of myself in ebrietas as well, after this person's story and realizing how much I identify with it myself
Wow, yeah, that one made me cry, and I'm not trans either. Really powerful essay.
Empathy its a good thing to have carnal
I legitimately cried at “I’ll Identify with Ebrietas.” I hope she is safe wherever she is right now.
crazy that skyen started playing souls as a hater and out of some curiosity he played just to see if its as bad as he thinks and now hes a fan. that just hits too close to home with how I got into the amazing lore and level design these games have. super excited
he was?
@@notebookanotations2150 sort of.
as i recall, he considered them to be generic, overhyped and not worth the price on the box. he started boss designs of dark souls 1 as a test to see why people liked the games so much. i think in the first episode he even says he might drop the series if there isn't much engagement.
now, well, i guess you know the story from there.
I too was a hater, but mostly because I knew souls as the series that's success killed off my favorite series, Armored Core, then I finally gave in in 2019 and played DS1, n now it's my 2nd favorite franchise.
@@billythenarwhal1579 now you're happy?
@@billythenarwhal1579well bet your glad it’s back Is armor core any good never played a mech game so not sure if I want to spend 60 on it
Something that always stuck with me is the conversation with the doll about whether our cosmic creators loved us. She throws that question back upon you. Saying that she is the creation of humans and in a way, humanity is the closest thing to gods to her that she can fathom. She asks us if we love her, and in doing so suggests that maybe our own creators felt the same. It has a sort of depressing edge, because she has her doubts about whether humans would even consider her as "alive" enough to warrant loving. She says that she loves us, but maybe that was just her programming forcing her to.
Nevertheless I was very touched by this conversation and its implications, not just for the world of Bloodborne, but for spirituality in general. I wish that the game had let me tell her that I did love her, not for the use she was to me as a source of leveling or guidance about the world, but as one of the few unfailingly friendly NPCS and as a beacon of compassion in a world of darkness. I wish that I got to tell her that she didn't need to be anyone other than herself, and that she was deserving of love for the mere fact that she exists. That she didn't need to go out of her way to prove her devotion towards her creators, she could just live her a life that was true to herself and trust that she was designed to be enough.
and I sometimes think about whether whatever being or force that created humans wishes that they could say the same thing to us...
He does.
And for the record, I wish you could tell the doll you love her too.
My deepest, widest congratulations on getting this done, just like, period. Boss Designs of Bloodborne is and forever will be a phenomenal work of art-analysis as art. Thank you for making it.
Ive faced abuse in my life, from different sources. My father, my mother (to a lesser extent), my peers, theyve all contributed to my pain. My father taught me that i am small, weak, that anything i say will be twisted and portrayed as defiance. Massive monsters that have vaguely human features twisted by rage were my constant companion throughout my childhood. Cruelty from those around me taught me that i am different, that there was something distinctly 'other' about me, something subtle enough that adults didn't pick up on it, but children certainly could. I couldn't look people in the eye, my movements were graceless and awkward, my facial expressions forced and unnatural. I would later be taken advantage of, physically, my body being twisted and violated by someone with more power than I possessed. My mind has been filled with rage, my body manipulated and filled with something that did not belong that left me changed as a person. Bloodborne calls to me as someone who has had traumatic events happen. Ive had to face beings so much larger and more powerful than I was. Being able to see a character able to face mutated and mangled creatures so much larger is cathartic for me. Control is something i need as a person whose life has been changed by outside forces too many times.
I wish you luck in your life and journey
All the best to you!
There is one particular entry in the Many Meanings of Bloodborne which i feel might resonate strongly with you, it is called "Bloodborne Feels Like Home To Me". I hope you read it and can find some recognition in others
The “others” always feel reflected in the monsters, not because we are monsters, but how society sees us.
I just wanted to thank you Skyen. I recently got extraordinarily sick, and your videos were what got me through it, The Boss Designs of Bloodborne especially. You’re an incredible person, and I don’t know a single UA-camr who has your level of personality and honesty, and I haven’t found someone yet who gives me the joy of watching their videos that you do. Thank you for everything, brother. You’re a legend
May the good blood guide you
There are other games that hit me where memories of abuse live. However, Bloodborne is unique in the way it strikes at my experience with an autoimmune disease that attacks my body. I cycle through the healthcare system, and I see elements of this game reflected back at me. Blood transfusions, the medical tool-weapons wielded in the name of healing, slashing through creatures that look like and are named after body parts - this is too close to real life.
They say all great ones yearn for a child. A woman walking around with blood pouring down her abdomen. Years of endometriosis, years of dialysis, two abdominal surgeries due to complications with a kidney transplant, lifelong dependence on immunosuppression, ability to bear children lost - _this is _too close to real life._
Stuck in constant, unenergizing sleep. Losing my functional human form and becoming an unrecognizable something that needs a caretaker. It's simply just too close.
This is perfect, its EXACTLY what bloodborne is, allegory for the nightmarish reality of western medical practice and research, specifically victorian era. The healing blood is essentially ether, one of the first anaesthetics which revolutionized early western medicine, allowing for pain free surgical procedures...
Im a former combat medic, disabled veteran, and i just couldnt stop seeing medical metaphors. Ebrietas is a stylized anatomical depiction of a trachea, the moon presence is the same for the heart/circulatory system.
Im sorry for the hand you were dealt, thats a whole lotta suffering, i do hope bloodborne helped you cope, it helps me. Lets you rip and tear into both the cold hearted doctors and the diseases themselves... and the music, my god the music is so freakin good! Ludwigs and Laurences osts are auditory perfection! Same with maria and ghermans osts. Bloodborne is just a masterpiece, all around.
I gotta say, that ending thesis on your interpretation of the secret ending to bloodborne hit me like a freight train of wisdom.
It never really occurred to me that the possibility of overcoming a nightmare, to more or less overcome FEAR, is to accept your own vulnerability first.
Afterwards, courage and agency follow in the wake of that fear. And THAT is how you hunt your nightmares. Your video is inspiring!
Gods, I am so deeply ambivalent that I discovered this series. Glad, because Bloodborne has stained my soul in such a way that I will never forget it, and this series, this episode in particular, is a goddamn empathy machine! It is utterly brimming with meanings and experiences that so many different people have had with the game, all that overlap and differ with my own life and interpretation in countless ways. It made me think about Bloodborne, about the myriad themes and subjects it touches on, in a manner that only Redgrave, Aegon of Astora, and of course Sinclair Lore have done.
The only reason I'm upset is that I discovered just months after it concluded.
"I'll identify with Ebrietas" was beautiful. thank you for including it!
your own analysis is so unique; i really love it. what a beautiful way to end this series.
Genuine tears were running down my face. Thank you to everyone who shared their interpretations, and a massive thank you to you, Skyen, for putting so much love and labor into this. I know it has been a great source of stress for you, and I just want to communicate that your toil was not in vain, that on top of all of these interpretations, I am also deeply grateful for the care you have poured into this project.
“I could make too much sense of it” really hits the nail on the head on how Bloodborne taps into the concept of reading for difficulty, even for a Fromsoft game. Bloodborne deliberately _isn’t_ a shattered image you can put back together, it’s thousands of sticky, gooey variations on a theme. That refusal to offer clean-cut, conclusive, _controlled_ meaning does something to my brain that makes me both existentially anxious and _high_ that Bloodborne is a thing that is real.
Bloodborne made me appreciate and fear beastly, bloodthirsty beings and otherworldly great ones, in a time when vampires and werewolves and even Lovecraftian horrors were supposedly “played out,” because it gives them so much meaning. Most of all, I’ll never forget the tenderness I saw buried beneath its gore and bleak view of humanity.
I played it through a lot of personal fear and grief; it’s one of the games I’m the most excited to see my friends get into or favorite creators cover. Thank you to Skyen and everyone who contributed to this series, I’m always too embarrassed to comment, but I know I’ll be returning to it again and again.
this was one of my favorite series to watch as it came out, so glad to see this on my recommended. I love how much passion Skyen puts into his channel and I've been showing my friends his videos for a while now
I'd be lying if I said that discovering your Boss Designs of Bloodborne series didn't reignite my love for Gothic and Eldritch horror 🧡 Incredible work on this video, and all of your others 🧡
Something about yharnam always pulls me back.. like a reacuring dream. And as difficult as it can be, I cant get enough of it.❤
Genuinely can’t wait for this. Found your channel because of the soulsborne shorts and then went and binged all of your content on the games. NGL, I did kinda think this video wasn’t going to happen, but I’m very excited to see it, FromSoft’s games mean a lot to me😊
This is exactly the path I took to Skyen's content. 😂 And I'm so pumped to see this video finally!!
Now we just need him to start DS 3! 🥰
Your interpretation made me tear up and almost cry. It made me appreciate one of my favorite games even more.
I deal with a lot of existential anxiety and have done for many years. Your description of the horrors we face in this world along with the dread that comes from even being, and the knowledge that one day we will die, gave me that pit in my stomach that I get before an anxiety attack. But the release I felt when you concluded that love is what saves us from all this evil and dread is what drove me to tears.
You made me realize something I had known for a long time deep down. Without realizing it it has been the love of people around me that has giving life meaning and that I could find peace in, in times of need.
It is that love that makes it worth it to brave the nightmare and it is love that could save the world if we were more willing to share it with each other and to accept it
Thank you
Found this channel from your short about Micolash, who I had just beaten for the first time and LOVED as a character, so I proceeded to binge the whole series in a few days! Phenomenal work you've done here. I didn't realize how much I wanted to see an analysis-focused blind playthrough of this game until I just so happened to stumble upon it. I found your interpretations, as well as the lenses through which you interpreted, quite fascinating. You also presented your thoughts in ways that were descriptive and evocative, but laid out simply enough to understand. I also appreciate just how well-spoken those segments were. As Bloodborne and DS1 are my only Fromsoft experiences so far, I'll likely binge that one soon enough as well. Guess I'd better start playing the other souls games... Thank you for this thoroughly interesting and entertaining look at what I now know to be a profoundly intricate masterpiece. You have granted me eyes.
Also I genuinely pogged when you discussed the Kos Parasite because somehow the subtext of that never clicked for me
I finally found the time to watch this video and I gotta say: I love the way you handled your reading on the meaning of Bloodborne. Some of these stories like the undiagnosed autism or what it feels like to live with daily abuse (in my case via getting bullied) hit very close to home. And while that obviously doesn't apply to all of them this collection of stories demonstrates one thing quite clearly. There is nothing wrong about an honest and heartfelt discussion on important topics. Everybodys' experience is valid and what really matters is to share them, talk about them and maybe find a way to reach a common consensus.
Unbelievable hype, this this series along with the others has made me such a huge fan. You took one of my favourite games and somehow made me love it even more. Truly inspiring and I’ve even began to write my own stuff seeing how hard you work. Truly love you and can’t wait
Jesus, I’ve never wanted to talk to a stranger on the internet as much as I do as the person who wrote “I’ll identify with Ebrietas”.
This is the the first time I’ve heard the word “bioessentialism” but the feeling it defines has been something that’s been bothering me for ages. The idea there’s some default, “natural” state of being for humans that any attempt at deviation or escape from only produces something monstrous is an idea I’ve seen in way too many stories.
That kind of thinking pisses me off so much. I’m a man on medication, life is utter hell in my “natural state” and I never want to go back to the person I was without them.
Thank you for teaching something that can help me recognise it.
After I watched your playthrough, I found a playlist analyzing the game through the lense of the poetry collection "In Hospital." This interpretation cleared up most questions about the lore I had, from why Gascoigne says "The sweet blood... its almost enough to make a man sick!" To why Laurence sits the way he does(yes theres a medical history reason for it), to why medical procedures are seen as rituals, to why there's a silver sword(hint, its a scalpel). These were all answered by the creator of those videos, and oh sweet dark gods the answers were... unexpected but truly enlightening.
I would be really interested in knowing what that playlist was, if you remember it well enough!
@@Min-ke6zc The Agony of Effort by Charred Thermos
One of the videos is age restricted though. He points out A LOT of details that I didn't even notice after scanning what I thought was every inch of the game, the game itself is just the surface
@Noxinna Thank you! Age restriction isn't an issue for me, so I'll enjoy that during some chire or another and get back to you afterwards, if I can remember to.
also I have a very similar reoccurring nightmare to Skyen that terrifies me to no end, so it was a little comforting to know I am not the only person with these types of fears.
Very well written, every one of them.
I can't help but share with you something remarkable, if only to me. I am a PhD student, and my dissertation draws heavily upon the theology of Reinhold Niebuhr. Perhaps without knowing it, Skyen, you have in your analysis almost perfectly described Niebuhr's perspective of the problems of humanity, albeit from a non-religious perspective. See, he was preoccupied a great deal with sin, and most especially, the danger of pride. Not simple or uplifting pride in one's accomplishments or in one's self acceptance, but the kind of pride that obscures one's vision, and seeks to put one's self at the center of the universe. Pride of power, pride of knowledge and intelligence, pride of self-righteousness-- all of it is an extension of our desire to control the world. To transcend ourselves through our own devices. And the solution is exactly as you described it: true transcendence is found in humility, and of course, love. Love that builds community. Love that extends a gentle hand to someone else. Love that accepts our radical dependence upon each other.
So thank you, if for nothing else but to reinforce my own belief that true spiritual transcendence is only found with solidarity, community and love. ❤❤❤
I'm late to watching the series and was unable to have produced an entry, but I will share what Bloodborne has meant to me.
It is unlike what most of the entries have been, since I can only thank Bloodborne for being a creative outlet of sorts. As a writer, a starting one at that, I have had trouble finding what I would deem a story that is worth my effort to write and worth the reader's effort to read.
Bloodborne helped me find a muse, a story that I am invested in and hopefully will have others invest in it also.
During the last two or three weeks that I have watched this series I have ultimately written the first story based around the Bloodborne, not a Bloodborne copy but a story that makes the reader reminisce of Yharnam.
That's what Bloodborne means to me, a muse for which I am proud of, for without it, I would have thrown the towel in as a writer (not literally but I was in a creative rut).
Man it was funny to listen to you discuss the elements of control in your segment of the video because I could not help thinking "Bloodborne is about eating disorders". And some other things, like people's obsession with beauty and youth, every little thing that's supposed to keep you from aging, being trans and having to watch your body go through the wrong puberty, pregnancy itself-- All these things that maybe aren't inherently related but come together as things so many try to desperately have control over. And while sometimes we can find control in healthy ways, far too often the obsession over control can go wild, becoming an addiction, leaving people to wither and die, permanently damaged (in case of botched surgeries or irreversible surgeries (like a buccal fat removal)), in pain, "mishapen" (if you have no access to gender affirming care), traumatized. The irony of losing control of your controlling of your flesh. Not that the control was ever completely bad to begin with, it can be life saving and nececary. Just like sometimes you should never seek to control the flesh at all if you can (I'm looking at you anti-aging products)
Wonderful video and an excelent finale to the Bloodborne series, well worth the wait, thank you Skyen for your hard work
❤❤❤
*vibrates excitedly*
“Bloodborne feels like home to me” section really paralleled my own similar experiences I’d just never put it into words this game keeps on making me feel more after almost a decade
There is something calming to me, listening to you, relate to something cosmically alien to find yourself. I would listen to all the essays if it was in an audio book format but I understand that it is too much work, hence I appreciate the opportunity to read it.
I would also like to point out that all the ads were between the stories and not in the middle of one story, I thought that was a nice gesture to not break a story while it is being narrated.
I finally reached the end of the series. It was long and I was clapping with you, laughing mockingly gasping when you struck gold, rolling my eyes (with fondness), throwing my hands up in exasperation, all interspeded with long period of hiding when my phobia of the canine took hold. It took so long that half a year has passed since I started, and since you finished. But it was a good rollercoaster, and I thank you throroughly for the work and care you put into it all.
And this essay is no different. I cried, laughed, scratched my head, wrung my hands, clicked my tongue, nodded along. I had multiple vehement things to say at multiple times of the video, but then the next part addressed them, or put them into perspective. Every essay itself could be strung together and dissected to make a new, different reading of Bloodborne!
After all that, however, one question remains: If love and care is the way to trascend the hunt... what does it say about Love itself that it can only be achieved by visiting more violence over the helpless?
I feel so dumb now. I never would have equated Laurence becoming a fire beast to his guilt of what happened. This is why I love these videos, I’m terrible with deeper meanings in imagery but these stories help so much.
This was a truly amazing series and, alongside Bloodborne itself, has shifted the way I think about myself and the greater world around me. Thank you for a bloody journey, Mr. Skyen!
I think Bloodborne works as "it's all a dream" because it's very real
It traps, it seeps into reality, it affects everyone around, it blurs lines
It's a dream, but never just a dream
(Unless you are in the camp that nothing is real and we're in a coma as soon as we start the blood ministration and absolutely everything is a metaphor, be my guest)
Had a totally similar experience when starting Bloodborne for the first time!! Didnt understand the combat, the leveling, felt queasy with all the blood.. thought it wasn’t for me. Ended up watching a walkthrough with my sister and fell in LOVE!! To this day, my favorite game 💕 Currently on NG+7!!!!!
Bloodborne feels like home to me. That one hit close, I cried, and now I recognize why it clicks for me too. I’m fighting chronic pain and illness, along with healing trauma and depression.
I’m fighting metaphorical demons in real life, and l see them in the monsters of Bloodborne. The Hunter always pushing forward no matter how much it hurts, never giving up.
What an astonishing video, I've been so hooked to your series and the way you speak so eloquently and philsophically about these games really makes me appreciate them all the more. All the essays were wonderful and deep, truly showing how far this game's interpretation can go. The control allegory along with the solution being love really makes the few friendly characters in Bloodborne stand tall even more so. The doll is always by your side, your eternal companion. The beastily-looking Chapel-dweller only wishes to help others and is surprisingly one of the few who have not succumb to the madness of the dream. Airanna and Iosefka are benevolent but still fall victim to other more terrible things that lurk in the night because they decidedly do jobs that put them at high risk, for the comfort of others.
Luci really showed up, gave the greatest statement ever, then refused to elaborate further, for we ALL understood.
Absolute madlad.
A lot of this resonated with me for personal reasons, so I wanted to thank you for compiling it and sharing it so beautifully.
I was just finishing the game! Nice timing, I can't wait for your video
Once again Skyen, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
I can’t express how much this gmae we play means to me.I will be downloading the stories and I’ll be reading them. And hopefully, I’ll do something so special with them in turn.
I only came across this series recently and so this video is rather perfectly timed. The series as a whole is nothing short of an absolute masterpiece. The deep and thorough research that you do to give a thoughtful and engaging analysis is truly the best commentary on a piece of media I have ever had the pleasure of engaging with. You truly have a gift for the analysis of themes, characters and subtext and your work across all your channels is art in its own right. I honestly cannot give you higher praise! Thank you and I look forward to your Elden Ring series continuing! ❤
Man you rented a place in my brain right now, The Nightmare essay....... that made so much sense to me and its kinda like how I see the game as well. Its kind of a stretch but I remembered some interpretations I have about some elements of a RPG Maker game called Fear and Hunger
I just wanted to say thank you for making the boss designs of BloodBorne videos! I remember that I stumbled upon your shorts on the game and eventually became so interested in the game that I bought it myself. And now it has become one of my favorite games (if not my favorite) and I probably wouldn’t have played it without stumbling upon you channel, so thanks!
I'm extremely excited to read through all the essays and honestly I have fallen in love with the game more and more simply because of others interpretations! I have yet to personally dip my toes into the game but I find I am more and more compelled to take my own walk through the dream.
Gosh it feels a little surreal to see this video. Like the people we are changes day to day but this feels like a whole lifetime from when I originally submitted my essay for this. It's even more surreal to see it in the stylized condensed essay collection of all things. (I'm Gabriel btw. And also Camille. Names are weird. I go throw names like clothes tbh) My thanks goes out to Skyen for putting this together and for the many many people that wrote stuff like I did. PS. I love that my portion contains the concept art for the amygdala, the sorta origin point for my essay. No idea if that was intentional but love that cheeky reference
A sincere thank you for unflinchingly sharing the stories from trans people in your video, even the incredibly short jokey one. With how the world is today, it's a nice shock to see casual acceptance like this in random places. It means a lot, at least to me.
I’m so happy people still care about this game as much as I do
I'm going to turn into a motherfucking Cleric Beast from the torture of waiting for this video to release
LEGIT
I'm just going through the comments to find new essays and stories people have written.
Best news all day
This video was SO good. I loved hearing other’s interpretations of Bloodborne, and the stories of how it helped them, a few of them hit close to home for me. It’s hard for me to put into words, but Bloodborne has a very special place in my heart. Thanks Skyen, and everyone involved for making such a good video, this is definitely one of those videos I’ll keep coming back to over and over again
something i haven’t understood about the lore and will look more into it but i’m hoping someone here can maybe explain is: if the game itself happens in a dream that we can wake up from at the end of the game, after doing our contract to heal our desease, how do the nightmare of mensis and hunters dream fit in that? are they dreams inside a dream? and why would the guy who makes our contract put us to kill all those beasts if they are only in a dream that if you get freed they are not there anymore?
I know this is late but it's believed that the nightmares are other planes of existence. So you're most likely correct. It is a dream inside a dream. But that also is only one of the endings so everything is a dream while also not being one if that makes sense. Also the guy who writes your contract is apart of the dream so he most likely doesn't know that none of it's real
18:11 We stan Lilith Walther and her Psx Bloodborne and Bloodborne Kart 🏳️⚧️
This is so well laid out. Loved listening to these stories. These games have helped so many in a lot of ways weirdly. As much of a reputation for being "tough" games and what not. ANd dont get me wrong they are tough.. Especially at first. But they are also incredibly rich with lore... and cool items and weapons. Being someone who battles with depression... getting lost on these games.. and finally overcoming fights and so on... Has been good for the spirits. Really helps release those endorphins and keeps you invested. Love them all and am happy I finally gave them a chance. Bloodborne is the best of the games I feel because I really love the story to it. But they are all awesome in their own ways.
Thank you for this and the work you do Skyen. This and the bloodborne series and all the work you do provide marvelous insights that give my ADHD mind something to focus on. Numerous times, your calming voice has addled my overwhelmed mind and this was no exception. Thank you so much for all of it. And I look forward to reading the collections.
I must say that I absolutely LOVE the readings of this game that the community came up with. And I really dig how you go about wrapping up the ending of the story yourself, Skyen.
This video (like the last two), really made me reevaluate what the Souls games mean to me personally, and how I read them.
I absolutely dread the behemoth that is going to be the Many Many manymanymanymany meanings of Elden Ring though.
Edit: Also now I'm really curious on how the creators of the games see those interpretations about trans identity. Because (intentional or not), all the souls games are full of identity being lost or shattered and rebuilt, body transformation themes, the idea of having and losing control, but never really include anything overt as far as I can tell? Is it just something that resonates deeply with the human condition that ALSO coincidentally resonates deeply with trans people for some other, deeper reason? Again, I'd be curious to see whether that holds or not.
God, that was beautiful. A great conclusion to a great series. I'm gonna spend this afternoon reading the artbook thank you so much for putting so much thought and effort into something that's so meaningful to so many!
Skyen, you knocked it outta the park with this one. This was well worth the wait, and you genuinely had me tearing up with the way you put together your interpretation. Bravo sir, you’ve truly transcended all my expectations!
Internal squeeing begins
I really wished I had stumbled upon this channel sooner, as Bloodborne means the world to me. I had tried DS3 when it came out, but it didn't quite click, then one mix up with PS Now subscription refund I used it to buy the complete edition for Bloodborne. I was hooked and couldn't put it down. College threw me for a loop being faced with a near death car accident and a heaping load of mental trauma and unaddressed childhood trauma, so I poured my heart and soul into this game. Went all the way to NG+7 and beyond. It got to the point that I was facing down Orphan of Kos on the highest NG difficulty setting because I was just so depressed and hopeless, asking questions of survivor's guilt. Threw all of that at Orphan, which was poetic, as he is the embodiment of childhood trauma in a way, lashing out at the world because he didn't get a chance to even live and had no control over his own actions. Felt like he could understand my pain, and I his. Managed to beat him at that high difficulty setting (all without using my left hand because I had broken it in said car accident) and just kinda sat there in that arena afterwards. Haven't been able to play the game since, as every time I boot it up, those old memories and emotions come back. I'm glad I am no longer in that spot in life, and I have Bloodborne to thank for it, even if I may never patrol through the streets of Yharnam again. "Fear the Old Blood"
This video was a treat. Genuinely, thank you!
I have found your channel by sheer accident a year ago after ive clicked on your "Whats the deal with Lissandra?" video. From there on out ive watched through your old analysis videos and how you view different characters or stories of different games. I am truly greatful to have content creators like you that dive deeper into stories than you actually should. It is also very nice to see how youre interested to see how other people around the internet interpret them and how those things had an inpact on them.
Im very glad to have crossed this channel after a long day of doing mothing and staring at the screen was more than i should, looking for content to give my brain dopamin and accidentally finding a goldmine of videos.
36:07 i don't refuse gherman because I wanna keep killing, I wanna save him. He's tired, depressed, and desperate to get out and be free from the moon presence, and the moon presence is kind of posessive of Gherman and I don't like that.
beautiful video! i love how everyone connects with bloodborne in a different way.
to me it's kind of a comforting place because it is so dark and mysterious and i really like that.
I congratulate you for the sheer ammount of effort it must have taken you to summarize Bloodborne in one final video. This is no doubt one of the most complex videogames we may ever lay our eyes upon.
I doubt anyone will take a look at this comment considering the comment section is already filled to the brim, but hearing about all these different interpretations and meanings to the game hits so close to home for me. I started out with Dark Souls 3 back in 2019 but didn't end up playing Bloodborne until June of 2020. In that same year I had started watching Saint_Riot and his Souls PvP content so naturally, I found out about the Sinister Run and Bloodborne invasions altogether. Bloodborne has such a special place in my heart solely because when doing the Sinister Run with Saint every October, I get a sense of connection out of playing through the game and beating each other into pulps, as painful as that may sound out of context. It's these connections with this small PVP side of the community and the genuine love and appreciation I have for this game and it's artstyle that I can't help but want to share my appreciation for this game with everyone because it's such a huge comfort game for me and I am forever grateful that I got to even play Bloodborne and be apart of these Sinister Runs in the first place.
after such a long wait, the video is finally out. congratulations on completing the series and what an interesting reading these essays provide.
i can barely believe i wrote and sent an essay myself, unsure if i had anything worth saying about the game, afraid of backlash, afraid of changing and lo longer agreeing with my own words as time went by. that fear never went away. but i made peace with it. because back then it was important to me to at least try to be a part of this series. and ultimately i am honored for the chance of doing that. and having the words of my past self on the many many meanings of bloodborne is a privilege i will treasure for a long time
On a slightly unrelated note:
Your lead into the reading of The Nightmare was just making my skin crawl
As someone who lives close by to what is happening basically next to my home (I'm Hungarian) there are nights where I just can't go to sleep cuz in scared I'm gonna have to wake up to sirens going off.
I'm writing this on one such night.
Bringing it back to relevancy a bit, I never played Bloodborne myself and i In the past and even now can't really handle gore and horror.
Bloodborne was different however.
It being set in pseudo Victorian England, something that I perceived as very elegant and refined coupled with the almost surreal bloody and visceral style of the game made me I guess almost realise something about myself and my surroundings.
I don't think I can quite put it into words but in some ways this felt more real than other horror things I have seen, and with everything that's been going down for more than a year now my understanding of what the game is saying changed slightly.
It's not only a Nightmare that dissipates after waking up it's the purest form of human instinct and the consequences of not keeping those instincts in check, which then leads to ruin hence the destroyed civilisations piled on top of each other present in the game.
I probably don't make a lot of sense and this is mostly just to get my thoughts out of my head but I needed to do it and hey at least I'm pushing some good content forward in the algorithm by doing something
Damn I’m really bummed that I discovered this series after this video was made, I have so much that I want to say. All the entrees had wonderful things to say and thank you Skyen for giving people a voice about something they love.
Love your vids and takes, but I gotta say I especially love the random FF7 music I catch in the background, it makes me smile.
that is probably the best interpretation of why you become a slug ive ever heard
A brilliant conclusion to The Boss Designs of Bloodborne! Thank you to everyone who submitted their essays and a bigger thank you to Skyen who took the time to edit and narrate them!
Thank you for all your hard work and effort putting this together. To those creating for the essay collections and to everyone who shared their meaning.
Stay safe and take care folks x
Please, god, please cover Dark Souls 3 or Elden Ring. I need to see more people talk about their interpretations of the story and imagery. This was too fascinating to be the last video of its kind about Fromsoftware games
Man, what an amazing video. I played this game some years ago and even with elden ring I'm baffled by its story, its nuances, specially it's boss musics. You did incredible work by compiling the subscribers views in a beautiful small book. Thanks for the generosity to let it free
As always your meaningful insights have given me an even greater appreciation for this game and the community.
Definitely resonated with your comment regarding finding your own meaning and interpretation of the series.
Thank you again for all your hard work! 💜
Excellent video, and may I also say: excellent choice for music. Didn't expect to hear Bran Bal from Final Fantasy 9 here!
After finding and then binging the whole of this series around a month ago this is a very welcome, interesting and enlightening conclusion. Thank you for this, all of it. Thank you Skyen and everyone who shared. ❤
Wow, thank you for creating and sharing this. I delved deep into bloodborne lore after completing my first playthrough. I wrote thousands of words on the bloodborne reddit and agree there is no one true story to this game, but many layered stories, ripe for interpretations. I've heard many interpretations based on game play, the material that inspired this work etc, but this compilation of personal stories, including Your own has been the most satisfying for me. It's always fascinating to see how a story affects humans and what they take from it.
Thank you for this series.
It is very pleasant to see you and your community discuss the adventure that is a bloodborne playthrough.
Thank you.
man, i wish i'd known about this channel sooner. i would've loved to contribute to that "meaning of bloodborne" collection
This is so beautifully composed Skyen.. I loved hearing all the different perspectives and what this game means to different people. I teared up when I saw the artwork at 49:00! I love the plain doll so much. Thank you for making this video!!! Your insight is valuable!! ✨👁️
Loved the video skyen. This was my favorite series during the lockdowns and the chaos of life. I've kind of grown up a bit since the beginning of the bloodborne series and all I can say is thank you. Because this series has always helped me in times I've felt down or needed to learn a little something. This game has become something more to me much like many others and I'm glad you went into detail about its many meanings.
It's also funny how when I got a tattoo from the game I could never put into words what it meant to me. And your definition of the third secret ending meaning love just hit the nail on the head. It's so funny how some things you can't work out why are so important to you until someone else says something
Love these videos, amazing work both with the readings and community! For those who can't get enough of Bloodborne essays I highly recommend the "Charred Thermos" videos for a medical reading and possible inspirations of the game. (Gore warning!)
I watched that quite a while ago it is my favorite in depth analysis and discoveries of this blood soaked nightmare of a world
For those having issues finding the series, the channel has unfortunately been deleted off youtube. But you can still find most of it (I think) on Internet Archive Org, also some reupload on YT by "Dark_Sun_Gwyndolin". And please leave the original creator alone. They've moved on!
"An Agony of Effort, The True Story of Bloodborne" 1-14
"Bite-Sized Bloodborne" 1-3
"Bloodborne Lore Extra" 1-3
It was SO worth the long wait and I can not believe it is finally here. Thank you so much for everything TB Skyen, the Bloodborne series got me through some tough times. This niche Community means so much to me and a big fat hug to everyone reading this! You guys are amazing!
Edit: Bawled at 29:08
Speaking of how you want nothing more to want to wake up from your nightmares and want them to be not real, it's unfortunate for some, myself included, that our nightmares did happen, they stem from some past trauma. I had something happen to me over eight years ago now, that is a constant source of PTSD, even after all this time, and even though my triggers don't trigger me as much anymore, I still dream about what happened, and I often wake up gasping for breath, and in a cold sweat, glad that I didn't actually go though it again, that I didn't witness what I witnessed again in the waking world, but it still hurts to experience it again.
Wish I could play Bloodborne, that magic box it lives on is expensive now, it is a experience I really want to have and make my own ideas over it, at this point, just hearing about it is not enough.
Honestly, your point about control is actually great, our world is governed by both natural and manmade impossibly huge systems that will affect us, we just cannot comprehend it in it's full scope, that is frightening.
I don't know if I should post this here but I am going to as it relates not only to Bloodborne but to all Soulsborne games.
Soulsborne means strength to me. In January of this year, 2023, my father suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. Now the caveat to this is the fact that he was one of the three pillars of our, my mother and my, business. I was in charge of herd health and maintenance of the farm, ma did the bookwork and kitchen meals for the farmers market, and my father drove down to and ran the stall at the farmers market 2 hours away several days a week. With him gone I needed to step into his shoes and do his job, a job I am not overly comfortable with, otherwise there was a real likelihood that would could lose our home, and I only had a week and a half to get ready.
The idea was daunting and crushing, and while I was mourning and trying to grab onto something to catch my breath a song popped up on my playlist. It was the Elden Ring start menu theme. At hearing those chords I was reminded that I have beaten not only Dark Souls and also Dark Souls 3, but platinumed Demon Souls (PS5), Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. I have slogged through those hardships, I have steeled my soul to insurmountable odds, and when I was beaten I got back up and tried again and again until I came out victorious. Soulsborne games taught me this; they taught me that I have a inner strength and resolve. That I am strong enough to defeat anything and come out on top. It won't be easy, oh God no it won't be easy, but as long as you don't give up you WILL win. And I don't plan on giving up anytime soon.
The body horror that bloodborne gives is something unique that I haven't seen in other games
I'm so excited for this! I'll definitely be watching as soon as it drops!
It’s been so long since the last boss design even Skyen’s avatar got old.
AYYYYYYYYYYY
I didnt expect Bwood*****'s (my) story getting into the video, that's cool!
So basically.... bloodborne is about body autonomy
I was only half-paying attention when listening to this at work, so you got into the first story and I was totally prepared to congratulate you on coming out and getting away from your bad home life situation. Whoops. Well regardless what a great idea for both a video and a community project, I’m looking forward to downloading the pdfs as soon as the Dropbox links start working again!