The idea of the Nameless King being a god of war makes me wonder if he switched sides because the dragons were losing/had lost/held no more challenge for him. After all, what is a god of war without battles to fight?
He wouldn't have simply switched sides for there to be a war to fight. He became attached to his Stormdrake -- it was his only companion when all else left him. Perhaps he saw something in the Dragons, and that wiping them out COMPLETELY would have been a mistake.
It is also state that the God of war only has respect for arm and since the dragon were beaten in a very dishonorable way (Seath betraying them, using disease and other unfair way), another good guess is that he joined the dragons because he respected their way...
"I... sort of lost the annals of history..." "Well, son, I'm disappointed, but I still love you, despite-" "And your Van Halen mixtape..." "GET OOOUUUUUT!!!"
Ok, I have to bring this up because this error that I keep seeing in lore videos is driving me up the walls. Gwyn DID NOT vanish his first son! It wasn't him, it was all the other deities in Anor Londo, and it happened AFTER Gwyn linked the flame! The Sunlight Blade Miracle from Dark Souls 1 reads: "When the eldest son was stripped of his deific status, he left this on his father's coffin, perhaps as a final farewell." That makes it clear that the Firstborn's stripping of his status happened AFTER Gwyn was long gone. This is also why the Firstborn is refered as the Nameless KING. Who else would have inhereted the tittle after Gwyn was gone, but his very first son? I'm sorry, I just keep seeing this whole "Gwyn vanished his own son" thing popping up when there's CLEAR EVIDENCE that such wasn't the case that it's driving me nuts...
+Cyrene Wind Never saw any evidence that said that the Gods feled Anor Londo BEFORE Gwyn linked the Flame. Find me a quote that proves that. If anything, it seems more likely they all fled when the Fire was fading again even after Gwyn linked it.
it could also be that his name is listed as nameless just as a clue from from soft saying "well he's your answer" and king because he is the king of the area or of dragons... none of this is clear and open to many interpretations. your theory made me think about it different too and look over things again
I hope you guys enjoy my Nameless King Lore video! I realize he's not the most difficult lore to tackle, and a lot of people figured out quickly who he was. But, I thought it'd be fun to make a video on him while I'm working on other, deeper lore videos. (Especially as I've still been gathering footage for them, haha). Some other thoughts I realized while uploading the video: I find it interesting you sorta just warp to the Archdragon Peak. It makes me wonder if it even exists within the same realm as the main game, or if it's another sort of dimension, or almost a dreaming world like Bloodborne has. Or Fromsoft just didn't have the resources/time to make a more intense transition, haha. Things to think about.
+Lord of Cinder I think Yorshka is debatable. (Yes, I realize she calls Gwyndolin "brother"). Regardless, because it's possible that's why I phrased it as "3 known kids" as opposed to just "3 kids".
+DaveControl Maybe Ornstein got corrupted by the abyss whilst in search for the nameless king, as the old dragonslayer from dark souls 2 uses dark magic.
+DaveControl Great vid man. I'd like to believe that the Ornstein we fought in DkS1 is an illusion since he seems to be weaker and also considering Artorias at his corrupted, weaker state seems to be more aggresive. they could at least have to be on equal footing.
Haven't watched the video yet, so I'm not sure if you tackled this, but there's a pretty cool theory that the Sun's Firstborn/Nameless King could in fact be Faraam from Dark Souls 2. There are many connections (both obvious and subtle connections) to be made with Forossa.
Also, do you think that there's links to be made between Archragom Peak and Earthen Peak? In Earthen Peak in Dark Souls 2, we find the statue of the Firstborn, I think there's links to be made there especially with their names as such both are "Peaks".
+DaveControl I second his statement. You have one of my favorite Souls related channels when it comes to Lore. Yours and Vaati's videos are always amazing. And they actually make sense! It really bothers me seeing all of the "lore" videos/posts where people just talk out of their asses and come up with the most insane stuff ever that has literally no way to be interpreted the way that they do. I understand the lore of Souls can be interpreted in many ways, and it's kind of hard to be wrong in a lot of situations due to there just not being enough info, but to be 100% honest, some of these people are literally just saying random stuff, with no merit anywhere in any of the games whatsoever. It's 100% pure head canon and nothing else...then they get defensive when you try challenging the crap they're spewing with actual evidence. So thank you for not just mindlessly rushing your content, and actually taking time and putting effort into each and every one of your videos. It's beyond appreciated, and you definitely do deserve a much larger fanbase, imo. I know me as one person alone isn't going to make a huge difference, but I'm going to make it a point to go beyond just liking your videos such as this one, and will favorite/share them as well. Keep up the good work man.
+shadowboxin420 Well, thank you! That means a lot to me! It's always been really important to me that I make sure viewers understand when I'm speculating and where exactly I'm getting my information from when doing so, otherwise, as you said, it' just be random head canon with no merit.
DaveControl Once again, man. Much appreciated for the work you put in. It's always a pleasure to see a new video from you in my sub box. Can't wait for the next one! Really enjoying how some of the lore is finally actually coming together and wrapping up questions we've had since DS1. This video being a prime example. And now every time I see someone that argues that Solaire is the firstborn child of Gwyn, I will link them to this video. If they still choose to believe Solaire is the one, then there's just no reaching them in any way, with any kind of logic, lol.
Considering how full of himself Gwyn was, naming Gwyndolin and Gwynevere after himself, the Nameless King's name is probably some bullshit like Gwyn Jr.
Though I don't really think naming your children after yourself is that stuck up (part of my name is just a shorten version of my dad's name) the Nameless king's name probably is Gwyn Jr. or Gwyn the Second.
There is a Theory about Nameless King's real name being Sen, think about it if a firstborn of GodKing join a military, he might be second in command of the army and probably personally training them, and Sen's Fortress is a place for Knight Training before becoming Silver or Black Knight
I think its godwyn. Sounds cold foolish to drop the golden order for fortissax. And being foolish like killing yourself to be with your beloved dragons only to be reborn from a fresh crucible that the pc sets up with melina. All marikas children had tasks. Some botched bc pride like ranni. But some not. Melina even comes after you with black and purple of you choose to use the chaos flame :3
It's stated that Gwyn's firstborn only had respect for arms, which would mean he only allies himself with the strong. For every one dragon Gwyn's army would kill, three men would die. Naturally, Gwyn's firstborn would ally himself with the dragons.
there are 24 gods in the series as of right now in the lore: -Allfather Lloyd -Gwyn, God of Sunlight -WOI, Goddess of Life -Nito, God of Death -the Furtive Pygmy, God of Dark -Gwyndolin, God of Moonlight -Gwynevere, Goddess of Fertility -Fina, Goddess of Beauty -Flann, God of Flame -McLoyf, God of medicine and drinks -the Blacksmith Deity -Velka, Goddess of Sin -Nehma, Goddess of Love -Caitha, Goddess of Tears -Galib, God of Disease -Kremmel, God of Struggle -Evlana, Goddess of the Hunt -Hanleth, Goddess of Bliss -Nahr Alma, God of Blood -Zinder, God of Desire -Quella, God of Dream -Caffrey, Goddess of Fortune -Zandroe, God of Greed -Faraam, God of War
the Nameless King is not a god anymore. He was, but he was stripped of his status. The new god of war is Faraam. And yeah, the Blacksmith Deity is pretty cool. His death spawned the first titanite demons.
I personally think that Ornstein sought out the Nameless King in order to learn from him. The Leo Ring in Dark Souls 3 states that Ornstein was the first knight of Gwyn's eldest born, so after the war it would only make sense for the dragonslayer to perhaps wish to learn once more from his master. I think this primarily because in Dark Souls 1, Ornstein displays a lot of movement similar to how the Nameless King moves after embracing the power of the storm, as Ornstein literally flies across the battlefield. The only reason I could think of for Ornstein to move in this way is that he was somehow taught by Nameless. I believe that he then returned to Anor Londo, perhaps after Gwyn's sacrifice to the fire. If you look at how Ornstein would have entered the area to gain audience with the king, you first find the spear behind a gate that would probably be open, as if to say he laid down his arms to greet the King as an old friend rather than an enemy. He then left his armor, probably a sign to the King that he has rescinded the idea of dragon hunting (The golden armor could very well be a decorative medal of dragon-slaying-honor, as Ornstein probably initially only wore standard silver knight armor like any other dragonslayer during the war, barring Nameless and some giants). If Ornstein returned to Anor Londo with his newfound skills, they would most definitely have given him his armor back as they were all still on the dragon slaying bandwagon. It is also noteworthy that Ornstein can siphon Smough's soul in the same way that the Nameless takes the stormdrake's soul.
Also, the ring of the sun's firstborn states that he inherited the sunlight, wouldn't that me that Gwyn had already abdicated the throne and left for the kiln. I dont think the Firstborn went around waging war on everything during his reign but instead became the King, sought Seath for advice and wanted to cure the undead, he didn't agree with his father's views on sacrificing humans, he sought out the dragons to find true immortality rather than undeath.
It's also long known that Ornstein is Gwyndolin's illusion in Dark 1, everything in Anor Londo is apart from the other firekeeper and Smough, hence why they "dissapear" instead of having rag doll physics like all the enemies in the lower lands
The few Issues i have with the Nameless King being Gwyns Firstborn is that in Dark Souls 1 it is said that Gwyns Firstborn still watches closely over his warriors, while the Nameless King seems to be in Exile and far away, and i thought that the lords claimed dominion over the land once the dragons were slain, meaning that all the statues would've been built after the war with the dragons, and they didn't just build statues to immediately tear them down. Also i don't think Ornstein died, since you don't find his armor on a body, but rather discarded in a corner, maybe as a gesture that he abandoned his dragonslaying ways.
+Shenron -Mohamud adding to that, he was summoned back to archdragon peak when the bell was rung, meaning he was brought back. So it could mean he watches his followers from the storm clouds above while riding his stormdrake. Just speculation, but in the realm of possible.
+Shenron -Mohamud Yeah but the geography in Dark souls 3 is messed up, everything is being pulled to where you are since in the item descriptions Irithyll is described as a far away land, and that the high wall of lothric just "appeared" out of nowhere.
+ArrowHead 404 This is actually really plausible, but then what is the point of Archdragon peak? Archdragon peak seems to be the Nameless King's Kingdom with the statues and everything.
+CaptainWaffle Well it could be his resting place or man serpents build him a shrine just to show appreciation of his duties... Also I think that first knight who was said to be with Ornestein was Havel since he hangs at archdragon peak.
jepukebu97 I think neither Havel nor Ornstein are allied with the nameless King, since Havel(?) was standing in front of a dead dragon, which was presumably killed by him and Ornstein was still allied to gwyn until his death. I think Havel and Ornstein went to Archdragon Peak to either kill or presuade the Nameless King to return to anor londo since gwyn has died, but then who was the havel in Dark souls 1 and who was the Ornstein in Dark souls 2 D: ?
Perhaps the act of taming a dragon, not killing it, flew in the face of all Gwyn hoped to accomplish. That his first born would dare grant mercy to their terrible foe was enough to justify his exile and disgrace.
dark souls 3 gave reasons for hellkite drake and valley of drakes, I'd like to think the firstborn hid them away, and one of those drakes grew and went to search for his savior, only to find a statue of him or a place he feels his presence and tries to defend that spot
I have a small theory about the Nameless King's name. The Nameless King, Gywn's firstborn, was once a God of War. His name was stripped from all history leaving him Nameless. But the Lion Knights use a name of an old God of War, Faraam. What if somehow Ornstein started the Lion Knights and they served the Nameless King? I'm not very good with lore, I'm sure I'm completely wrong. Just a theory, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong or add to it if I'm on to something
Just some stuff to point out: First: Ornstein is the First Knight, confirmed by the Leo Ring, and the dragonslayer who served them both is likely the owner of the Dragonslayer Armor, who was sent to defend Lothric for some reason, which also explains why there's a Sunlight Altar close to him, as well as a Lion Knight of Forossa(more on this below). Second: Orny in DS2 SotFS is right beside a Firedrake, protecting the remains of the Blades of the Darkmoon, a covenant found by the Nameless King's younger brother. I don't think they added the drake there just to have a dragon on a bridge. Third: (speculation-heavy)You should have at least mentioned the Faraam theory. Looking at the Faaram Helm, you can see the engraving of someone who resembles the Nameless King(except for the crazy helm), fighting a drake. Also, LION(obvious reference?) Knights of Forossa, blessed by a god of WAR(obvious reference 2?). Also, as you speculated yourself, the Volgen Falconers are supposedly Forossan warriors, and they carry Sunlight Medals(obvious reference 3?). This also explains how the hell Volgen managed to find out about the Blue Sentinels, even though they're so weak: the Forossan refugees taught them, after being taught themselves by the Nameless King. NK = Faraam, or at least that's how the theory goes. He could have taken the name after being stripped of his name by Gwyn, or just one-sidedly named like that by the warriors of Forossa.
+beku123456789 I have spent 30-40 minutes looking at hundreds of pictures of the Faraam Helm. In DS3 it looks like a Forossa Lion Knight fighting a dragon, in DS2 it looks like a horned lizard blob with a weird head... How does it look like NK to you? Do you have a picture that I can't find? Just for reference, I would not read too much into the fact that Faraam is called a god of war. Nahr Alma was also a god of war and blood, highly doubt they are related. Plus the Wargod Wooden Shield which is found in the Pit of Hollows is the Lion Clan shield from DS2, which states the Lion Clan follow a mad god, a wargod. NK does not seem like he is mad or crazy, he actually seems quite rational as he doesn't challenge you until you summon him. The Lion Clan and the Lion Knights hold a lot of similarities, from their armor to their belief in a war god. I personally believe Faraam is the mad wargod they both believe in, not Nameless King.
+beku123456789 Faraam helm bit is complete bullshit, it looks like NOTHING similar to nameless king, there is not even one similarity, he even wields sword. and if u read faraam stuff carefully u would notice it does not say THE god of war, faraam is god of war, gwyns first born is god of war, giantdad is god of war, they ARE NOT same person as god of war is not unique title. You guys fail to realize what DS2 is about, its is world that dont have ANYTHING SAME with ds1, it is almost like new take on it, its so long after ds1 everything from past is long forgotten, ffs Raime was using artorias sword, doesnt mean he was artorias or linked to him in any way.
+beku123456789 The Dragonslayer Armour's presence at Lothric Castle is still a mystery to me, but at least the Sacred Oath description gave us a nice explanation of it's relation to Ornstein and the Firstborn. What an epic trio of ferocious dragonslaying warriors those three must have been... Just imagine a battle against all three of them at once! As I'm writing this, a theory about the Dragonslayer Armour is actually forming in my mind. If the Queen of Lothric is actually Gwynevere (as heavily implied by the Divine Blessing), then maybe the dragonslayer was once her servant or bodyguard, who left Anor Londo with her. I imagine it would have been Ornstein's place to personally guard his princess upon her departure, but maybe he left the duty to his faithful knight to embark on the search for his lost master himself? Still, I'm really glad that DS III (probably) cleared up the whole conundrum surrounding the two Ornsteins and also provided a background for Gwyns Firstborn.
+Bill Gefitur I agree with this. The way I see it, different regions (Like Forossa, Carim, etc.) most likely worship different gods. After all, Gwyn and his family are referred to as "the old gods of LORDRAN."
Loving this series, Dave. Definitive lore and reasonable speculation. Also hella good editing. You need a whole lot more subscribers. We're not worthy of all this excellence.
Out of curiosity, since the Nameless King runs Archdragon Peak, and it is inhabited by nothing but Man-Serpents, could his name be Sen, since the only place(if i remember right) you find Man Serpents in DS1 is Sen's Fortress.
+Master Rahool You know there are so many people that say Dark Souls 2 isn't canon to 3 simply because the stuff that DOES make 2 canon to 1 doesn't make a lot of sense. I think they should have built upon that with the failed dragon men. I mean like the stones which turn you into a humanoid dragon, the stones from 2 giving you the badass dragon armor. Seathe and Oceiros doing experiments to become like the the true Everlasting Dragons and Aldias attempt to recreate the Everlasting Dragons.
You may want to look into the original Japanese for your answers. I only half remember this as of right now but I think Sen is Japanese for a thousand and the original name is home of a thousand traps or some such. There is no one named Sen. Again, look it up to be sure but I think this is the answer you were looking for nearly 3 years ago lol
DaveControl I was honestly worried that he was going to miss the optional areas, especially since they're some of the most interesting, at least in my opinion
+Alexi Leclerc Yeah - I figured he'd find the the Untended Graves, but wasn't sure on the Archdragon Peak. That said, he's missed some really important dialogue relating to Untended Graves from Ludleth, so hopefully he'll find that. (If it's not too late at this point).
Am I the only one who considered that Gwyn's Firstborn was named Faaram ? The description of the Faraam armor says that it is named after a god of war.
+r3v4n21 It could be! I honestly figure there were multiple "Gods of War" thoughout the ages, but could be completely off base. It definitely could be the same as the Nameless King.
In my opinion the Lore is the best thing about the Souls Games (and Bloodborne) and this speculation and item discription reading is just awesome! You can represent it really really well! Goog job! I love your videos! Keep it up!
If Ornstein was an illusion, why do you get his soul upon death? Plus, what does this say about the Old Dragonslayer in Dark Souls II? Was he an illusion, too?
+ZeroReaper42 I honestly don't know. That's specifically why I thought Ornstein wasn't an illusion in Dark Souls 1 (when a lot of people thought that might be the case). With Dark Souls 2, it seemed to fall in line with the whole rebirth thing of powerful souls being reborn... but Dark Souls 3 never references that, so it may have been retconned, or isn't as important this time around.
Thank you, Dave. You're the first Dark Souls content creator I ever saw and subscribed to. Thank you for my introduction to this wonderful series and hours of entertaining content!
Dave, I have a speculation. After re watching your old DS 1 Gwyndoline lore, I think it's possible that Rosaria is Gwyn's wife, here are the reasons. First of all, since her soul can be transposed into soothing sunlight, it is pretty obvious that she's related to the Gwyn family. Secondly, since the man grubs look just like the amalgamation of Aldrich and Gwyndoline, and Rosaria was petting them on her bed like they were her children, it is possible that she misses Gwyndoline and so transforming her servents into the form of Aldrich (with the body of Gwyndoline). And finally, since the weapon she gave Leonhard was a dark moon weapon, and according to your speculation dark moon was the power Gwyndoline got from his mother, I would say it's another reason for me to believe that Rosaria is the mother of Gwyndoline and the wife of Gwyn.
It's a mystery to me why you don't have 100k subs yet, Dave. Your videos are so well put together, and I have learned a lot from watching your lore series.
Personally I think giving as a straight answer of who the first born was (and having it being a new character no less) is a huge creative misfire on Fromsoftware's part since what we imagine tend to always be better than the actual answer. My personal response when knowing Nameless King was the first born was a resounding 'Meh, that's it?'
Great video, Dave! This was definitely one of the characters I couldn't wait to see your take on. I hope the wealth of lore videos on UA-cam won't deter you from making more. When DS2 came around, I thought Ornstein was an illusion in DS1, and I thought maybe Heide's was where Gwynevere and Flann settled down and Ornstein followed them. But now I have no idea how to incorporate Orn from DS2 into the arc concerning him and his armor. On a side note, I can't help but chuckle because I swear every lore video I've seen lately starts with "We go back to when everything was grey "
+zombiefriend Yeah, it's important for a lot of the DS3 lore, haha. I actually hate doing it, because I'm pretty sick of saying that intro to DS1 over and over again, but it keeps on being relevant. As for Ornstein in DS2 - I figured it was the whole thing of powerful souls being reborn after the fire was linked, so Ornstein's soul was also being reborn. That said, when it comes to DS3 lore, as Gwyndolin (who's an optional DS1 boss) was eaten by Aldrich - it could make it so the Old Dragonslayer in DS2 (who's also an optional boss) was also never found by the Undead of DS2. I suppose either of those 2 work.
Your channel is so great. Yes, i figured out quite fast who the nameless king was, but i didn't hesitate to watch your video, even though it's almost 2am here in Brazil haha. I knew it would be awesome, and so it was. I know it's not a competition, but for me you're as great as vaati and enb... You should have more subs. ps: New supershow anytime soon?
Thank you! :) I'm not sure when I'll have the next Super Show up, but I do really want to start working on it as soon as I can. :-/ They take around a month to make, so I think the next one will probably be up in a month.
I really did enjoy this video. And haven't played Dark Souls 1 but have been watching your series on the lore. Love every second of both series !! Thank you and keep it up.
The Faraam set speaks of an armor named after a god of war. (dark souls 2 description) It sort of implies that his name is Faraam. Plus it has got very peculiar connections with "lions". +davecontrol
XVI yeah but it doesn't seem to make much sense. Nameless is related to lightning and dragons, in Forossa there is no magic, no miracles, just hack and slashing action. Faraam seems to be a god of war from there. And the same way you make my statement from before look dumb: there can be different pantheons lol.
Yasu Nagasena -still is an awfully good coincidence. It is odd to believe there is no magic or such, but it is more believable to assume it is a custom to not use magic or miracles- All that information is sort of.. well.. wrong? the Northwarder robe description, it sort of ..disavows that there was in fact magic in Forossa. Interesting fact, they speak of a plural god.
I am not sure about the other statement, i do understand there might be different pantheons however the gods in this game sort of are like a race that can walk along side them, nothing something based on beliefs. I don't know? maybe the nameless king visited forossa during his days as a war god. Thus the name the land.
Thank u for making these vids. I never have time to explore the lore of these games when i play em so i really enjoy it when i see someone's hard work to gather evidence to tell the story of the being i am fighting. Thank you
Frampt can't be a reliable source of knowledge,he is biased and lies to you constantly. He also gives very low souls for some other bosses,i think the Iron Golem.
Fun Fact: Frampt may be a pervert. He provides much more souls for women's clothing/armors than for men's. Something tells me that he doesn't actually eat some of the things we give him...
The armor you receive in DS2 is called The Dragon Slayer Armor. Not Ornstein's Armor. There were many Dragon Slayers who dawned the same armor. So it's safe to say that was just another Dragon Slayer. Not Ornstein himself.
you can trade old dragonslayer soul to dragonslayer spear.. and i'm totally sure that's ornstein spear.. also the leo ring.. one of the 4 gwyn knight ring.. i just assume that he's ornstein wannabe or ornstein himself who corrupted by the dark.. but how? idk..
Gabriel Perez If you believe that still then I'm sorry but you are an idiot. The game has given us so many leads that show the Nameless King as his Firstborn that you could say its fact
amazing work Dave! Just finished my first playthrough finally today. Now i can start spoiling myself with watching some awesome lore videos like this one and many more to come over the months!
The question is, did he ally himself with the dragons due to sympathizing with them, or in respecting only arms did he only tame the stormdrake with the intention of of pushing his power even further and usurping his father?
+Crying Is for Winners Really? Look at how he touches the Stormdrake before absorbing its soul. He had a genuine respect for the magnificent beast, something a spoilt child wouldn't have displayed. He also trained all of Gwyn's Dragonslaying knights, including Ornstein, meaning he was willing to SHARE his power. He might've felt sympathetic for the Dragons, as they too, were beings of intelligence and emotion, and that wiping out an entire race just to rule over was the right choice, hence him rebelling against his own father, Gwyn.
just saying but perhaps that is just how the tradition of absorbing an allies soul is done. Ornstein does it the exact same way to smough in dark souls 1.
+The Macca Aha, but Smough didn't do it to Ornstein. Only honourable Knights would lay their hand upon their comrade before absorbing their soul, and we all know Smough was nowhere NEAR honourable.
I like the fact that From kept the Warriors of Sunlight covenant statue in it's original clunky state from the first game. I half-expected it to look more visually sharp and to-date with the other textures and modelling, but the nostalgia-invoking was a very nice sentiment.
+Dylan Coffman If it is so far after Dark Souls 1 that just proves that there is always going to be someone to relight the flame and until it is eventually put out. Or vice versa. Whatever you do truly doesn't matter. You lose or fail in the end one way or another.
People tend to forget that Drangleic is a place far from Lordran. Hell, the DRANG set (literally a shortened term for Drangleic) even states that it is. The reason why things were so different is because we were literally in a place so different. Hell, the few hollow/mad/pissed off Drang Knights in Anor Londo even pay homage to DkS2 by being dual wielders. The game that introduced proper dual wielders has dual wielding knights that shit all over Carrim's crap excuse for dual wielding.
This " TIME IS CONVOLUTED" thing pisse me off, it's a lazy way to explain things , "time is convoluted" can be an answer to damn anything. dont bring that crap again please .... dev usualy use this line whene they dont know what to say or whene there is some contradiction in the story. it's an easy escape fromsoft find to explain PLOT HOLE instead of thinking of reative way to tell the story ..dont fall into that trap please.
Agreed, but to be fair, time convolusion does make sense in the Dark Souls Universe. Before wyn linked to flame, the Dark was naturally coming to it's own, like Pangea splitting off. That was how reality worked, but when Gwyn said "SCREW THAT!!!" and linked the flame, he dragged reality back to how it was during the age of fire. However, like trying to do that with continents" theres a lot of collateral damage doing that, which causes fragments to inevitably split off and still do their own thing. Therefore, this made time convoluted and parallel worlds. That's my opinion, anyway.
Personally I just think that they just wanted a way to sneak in Smough and Ornstein's sets in the game but also doing it in a way that doesn't interfere with the game's lore/canon. Especially with that Ornstein wasn't really with Smough in Anor Londo in DS1 timeline where he set out to find Nameless King. Apparently some other dude in an alternate timeline only fought Smough alone. Hahaha Point being, Time convolution has been established has been around these characters since DS1. So if it's being used in the 3rd game, I'd say they're doing a decent job with keeping the game true to its roots.
I remember someone had stated that there was a lore tip i believe in DS2 stating that "Ornstein created an illusion of himself to fight alongside Smough when he was away, exploring a distant land"
I think differently. It is stated that The Nameless King was "a god of war", but not "the" god of war. The Nameless King could be someone who inherited the title of the god of war and his attire.
Nice video. :) About that first knight: the Leo Ring in ds 3 tells that Ornstein was the first knight of the firstborn. So that miracle Sacred Oath tells of the following three: The Nameless King, Ornstein and a dragonslayer who served the first two both. This Dragonslayer could be someone who wore the Dragonslayer Armour, whose weapon has the same Skill name as the spear of the king. So maybe the Armour once was this third dragonslayer stated in Sacred Oath. This was my take on it :) One other thing I love about the king is that could have mounted a normal dragon, but they gave him a hawk-dragon, which is great. :D
Dave did you see when the Nameless King was about to pierce the stormdrake on 7:37 and in 7:38 his blade is stuttering/shaking so he is really hesitating. and the Solaire part with Ornstein and Nameless King ties with Radec's lore ua-cam.com/video/C5zu7dVlKqY/v-deo.html he pretty much said the same thing so I guess you 2 are on the right step?
if you know the Farraam armor from DS3, the description says it was named after a god of war which leads me to think that Gwyns first borns name had the same meaning as or was Faraam
I used to believe that Smough was also an illusion in DS1, and that the "Last Knight of the Ruined Cathedral" meant that he was the last man standing between Aldrich and Gwyndolin. Also, did you notice that Nameless King has the same feet as the ruined God of War statue? Great video, Dave!
***** you forgot Nito, he uses the gravelord sword as his staff tip and has a few bones in his slime and he may have the witch though that probably is just his lord of cinder status. A good singler title would be "God eater Aldritch" or something like that, wouldn't be hard to get something catchy. He was forced into it, strength had nothing to do with it. Weak lords of cinder are the unkindled. A god is a god even weakened and disarmed.
***** that's clearly the gravelord sword being imitated. It has the same same gap and shape. He could've dreamed it but I still believe his title indicates more than one. How are gods even defined here? We have Velka, Ds2's and the lords but what makes the nonlords gods?
+Dark Stalker every gravelord servant had that weapon hell nito pretty much just gave that to anyone who came into his tomb to say hi also Aldrich boss name in Japanese the is the original mind you is "God Devourer Aldrich" because he only ate one god Gwyndolin not Priscilla not nito just Gwendolyn it possible he ate a gravelord servant but that's about it
First of all, great Video and awesome research. I recently read a theory, that tried to explain, that the Nameless King not only might be the first born Son of Gwyn plus the old instructor of Ornstein and to strengthn the theory of several timelines within the Souls Universe it is sayd, that Ornstein seeked him to bring him back to claim his heir after Gwyn died, but the Nameless King already was bound do Archdragons Peak, so he killed his own Student (the Dragonslayer Armor set plus Spear). I like this Theory, because it kind of makes Sense to me at least.
Great video, Dave. I was about to get frustrated at the lore for contradicting itself with Ornstein somehow surviving Dark Souls 1, but you came up with some very probable scenarios that could explain it.
It's also worth noting that the NK's swordspear is trembling before he takes the stormdrake's soul showing his bond by the emotion he shows. The way Ornstein moves like the NK also strengthens the fact that you are fighting am Ornstein that had trained with the nameless king.
I defeated hin today and you uploaded this video at the right time :) I like your interpretation of this boss. At the fight I was thinking about his clothes and his crown. But so far that he could be Gwyns Firstborn I didn't think - thanks for this thoughts. they are very good.
Me and some friends sat for like an hour discussing lots of ds3 lore. I think our theory hit the nail perfectly on this guy. I like our conclusion and actually think we're right xD
I like the idea of two versions of Ornstein with each having a different fate, and I think it's definitely possible because of how convoluted time is in the Dark Souls universe. There's the two versions of Gundyr as proof of that.
Hey Dave! Great video as always. Just a question; any chance on getting a video about Londor? Tons of fun to be had with that location, its characters, and the ending associated with it. Have a great day!
An interesting thing about the nameless king is that in the second phase he uses one of the storm drake's moves. the wind that goes across the ground, which the storm drake can use in phase 1.
As you were speculating whether cathedral Ornstein was an illusion or not, you JUST showed him fading away in the exact same fashion and effect as the illusion of Gwynevere. Pretty safe to say that cathedral Orstein was just an illusion.
Also, in the same video, it has Havel as the knight. Ornstein was the Nameless Kings faithful knight, but Havel was also his friend. The Nameless King put Havel in the tower to keep him away from the plans he had made.
this is basically a darker version of How to train your Dragon
nikko validor dragon souls
The idea of the Nameless King being a god of war makes me wonder if he switched sides because the dragons were losing/had lost/held no more challenge for him. After all, what is a god of war without battles to fight?
He wouldn't have simply switched sides for there to be a war to fight. He became attached to his Stormdrake -- it was his only companion when all else left him. Perhaps he saw something in the Dragons, and that wiping them out COMPLETELY would have been a mistake.
It is also state that the God of war only has respect for arm and since the dragon were beaten in a very dishonorable way (Seath betraying them, using disease and other unfair way), another good guess is that he joined the dragons because he respected their way...
i think that the nameless king swapped sides because he realized that Gwyn killed the dragons to claim the land and realized that was wrong.
So, the Nameless King is Thorkell from Vinland Saga?
His forgotten name: Hiccup
😂🤣👌🏻
this whole time i thought it was because he lost Gwyn's Van Halen mixtape lol
It was a contributing factor.
"I... sort of lost the annals of history..."
"Well, son, I'm disappointed, but I still love you, despite-"
"And your Van Halen mixtape..."
"GET OOOUUUUUT!!!"
"It's got what it takes! So tell me whyyyy can't, this be love!"
You know what you guys need to feed off the humanity of manus's corpse the primeval man *screams and flames*
Ok, I have to bring this up because this error that I keep seeing in lore videos is driving me up the walls.
Gwyn DID NOT vanish his first son! It wasn't him, it was all the other deities in Anor Londo, and it happened AFTER Gwyn linked the flame! The Sunlight Blade Miracle from Dark Souls 1 reads: "When the eldest son was stripped of his deific status, he left this on his father's coffin, perhaps as a final farewell."
That makes it clear that the Firstborn's stripping of his status happened AFTER Gwyn was long gone. This is also why the Firstborn is refered as the Nameless KING. Who else would have inhereted the tittle after Gwyn was gone, but his very first son?
I'm sorry, I just keep seeing this whole "Gwyn vanished his own son" thing popping up when there's CLEAR EVIDENCE that such wasn't the case that it's driving me nuts...
but it was gwyn all the other gods had fled before Gwyn link the flame tho
+Cyrene Wind Never saw any evidence that said that the Gods feled Anor Londo BEFORE Gwyn linked the Flame. Find me a quote that proves that. If anything, it seems more likely they all fled when the Fire was fading again even after Gwyn linked it.
Do you mean banished? Rather than vanished.
it could also be that his name is listed as nameless just as a clue from from soft saying "well he's your answer" and king because he is the king of the area or of dragons... none of this is clear and open to many interpretations. your theory made me think about it different too and look over things again
it is speculation don't take your own ideas as facts but that's what make dark souls great
I hope you guys enjoy my Nameless King Lore video!
I realize he's not the most difficult lore to tackle, and a lot of people figured out quickly who he was. But, I thought it'd be fun to make a video on him while I'm working on other, deeper lore videos. (Especially as I've still been gathering footage for them, haha).
Some other thoughts I realized while uploading the video:
I find it interesting you sorta just warp to the Archdragon Peak. It makes me wonder if it even exists within the same realm as the main game, or if it's another sort of dimension, or almost a dreaming world like Bloodborne has. Or Fromsoft just didn't have the resources/time to make a more intense transition, haha. Things to think about.
+Lord of Cinder I think Yorshka is debatable. (Yes, I realize she calls Gwyndolin "brother"). Regardless, because it's possible that's why I phrased it as "3 known kids" as opposed to just "3 kids".
+DaveControl Maybe Ornstein got corrupted by the abyss whilst in search for the nameless king, as the old dragonslayer from dark souls 2 uses dark magic.
+DaveControl Great vid man. I'd like to believe that the Ornstein we fought in DkS1 is an illusion since he seems to be weaker and also considering Artorias at his corrupted, weaker state seems to be more aggresive. they could at least have to be on equal footing.
Haven't watched the video yet, so I'm not sure if you tackled this, but there's a pretty cool theory that the Sun's Firstborn/Nameless King could in fact be Faraam from Dark Souls 2. There are many connections (both obvious and subtle connections) to be made with Forossa.
Also, do you think that there's links to be made between Archragom Peak and Earthen Peak? In Earthen Peak in Dark Souls 2, we find the statue of the Firstborn, I think there's links to be made there especially with their names as such both are "Peaks".
It's disturbing that you don't have more subscribers.
+PROTOTYPE XIC03 I appreciate that. :]
+DaveControl I second his statement. You have one of my favorite Souls related channels when it comes to Lore. Yours and Vaati's videos are always amazing. And they actually make sense!
It really bothers me seeing all of the "lore" videos/posts where people just talk out of their asses and come up with the most insane stuff ever that has literally no way to be interpreted the way that they do.
I understand the lore of Souls can be interpreted in many ways, and it's kind of hard to be wrong in a lot of situations due to there just not being enough info, but to be 100% honest, some of these people are literally just saying random stuff, with no merit anywhere in any of the games whatsoever. It's 100% pure head canon and nothing else...then they get defensive when you try challenging the crap they're spewing with actual evidence.
So thank you for not just mindlessly rushing your content, and actually taking time and putting effort into each and every one of your videos. It's beyond appreciated, and you definitely do deserve a much larger fanbase, imo. I know me as one person alone isn't going to make a huge difference, but I'm going to make it a point to go beyond just liking your videos such as this one, and will favorite/share them as well.
Keep up the good work man.
+shadowboxin420 Well, thank you! That means a lot to me!
It's always been really important to me that I make sure viewers understand when I'm speculating and where exactly I'm getting my information from when doing so, otherwise, as you said, it' just be random head canon with no merit.
DaveControl Once again, man. Much appreciated for the work you put in. It's always a pleasure to see a new video from you in my sub box. Can't wait for the next one! Really enjoying how some of the lore is finally actually coming together and wrapping up questions we've had since DS1. This video being a prime example.
And now every time I see someone that argues that Solaire is the firstborn child of Gwyn, I will link them to this video. If they still choose to believe Solaire is the one, then there's just no reaching them in any way, with any kind of logic, lol.
+DaveControl You've got a new subscriber now!
Considering how full of himself Gwyn was, naming Gwyndolin and Gwynevere after himself, the Nameless King's name is probably some bullshit like Gwyn Jr.
My bet's on Gwynny McGwynface.
Though I don't really think naming your children after yourself is that stuck up (part of my name is just a shorten version of my dad's name) the Nameless king's name probably is Gwyn Jr. or Gwyn the Second.
There is a Theory about Nameless King's real name being Sen, think about it if a firstborn of GodKing join a military, he might be second in command of the army and probably personally training them, and Sen's Fortress is a place for Knight Training before becoming Silver or Black Knight
@@dananaditya9347 The fandom calls him Gwynsen, at least in the fanfics. Faraam is what he's called in Drangleic.
I think its godwyn. Sounds cold foolish to drop the golden order for fortissax. And being foolish like killing yourself to be with your beloved dragons only to be reborn from a fresh crucible that the pc sets up with melina. All marikas children had tasks. Some botched bc pride like ranni. But some not. Melina even comes after you with black and purple of you choose to use the chaos flame :3
It's stated that Gwyn's firstborn only had respect for arms, which would mean he only allies himself with the strong. For every one dragon Gwyn's army would kill, three men would die. Naturally, Gwyn's firstborn would ally himself with the dragons.
+HardlyAstounding 3 score is not the same as 3. I think it's something like 60.
+Sirmuz00 1 score =20
So yes, 60.
+Melancholy Fox Ok. Thanks for the correction.
Damn for one dragon being slain, 60 knights had been killed.
Respect for arms doesn't mean respect only for the strong
there are 24 gods in the series as of right now in the lore:
-Allfather Lloyd
-Gwyn, God of Sunlight
-WOI, Goddess of Life
-Nito, God of Death
-the Furtive Pygmy, God of Dark
-Gwyndolin, God of Moonlight
-Gwynevere, Goddess of Fertility
-Fina, Goddess of Beauty
-Flann, God of Flame
-McLoyf, God of medicine and drinks
-the Blacksmith Deity
-Velka, Goddess of Sin
-Nehma, Goddess of Love
-Caitha, Goddess of Tears
-Galib, God of Disease
-Kremmel, God of Struggle
-Evlana, Goddess of the Hunt
-Hanleth, Goddess of Bliss
-Nahr Alma, God of Blood
-Zinder, God of Desire
-Quella, God of Dream
-Caffrey, Goddess of Fortune
-Zandroe, God of Greed
-Faraam, God of War
and The Nameless King. God of Fuck yo Health
the blacksmith deity, I like that
the Nameless King is not a god anymore. He was, but he was stripped of his status. The new god of war is Faraam. And yeah, the Blacksmith Deity is pretty cool. His death spawned the first titanite demons.
the blacksmith is a God, there's no doubt. Andre lived so long through each series and is the only npc that mouthed out words when he spoke.
+HG Resjek Andre is not the blacksmith deity lol
I personally think that Ornstein sought out the Nameless King in order to learn from him. The Leo Ring in Dark Souls 3 states that Ornstein was the first knight of Gwyn's eldest born, so after the war it would only make sense for the dragonslayer to perhaps wish to learn once more from his master. I think this primarily because in Dark Souls 1, Ornstein displays a lot of movement similar to how the Nameless King moves after embracing the power of the storm, as Ornstein literally flies across the battlefield. The only reason I could think of for Ornstein to move in this way is that he was somehow taught by Nameless. I believe that he then returned to Anor Londo, perhaps after Gwyn's sacrifice to the fire. If you look at how Ornstein would have entered the area to gain audience with the king, you first find the spear behind a gate that would probably be open, as if to say he laid down his arms to greet the King as an old friend rather than an enemy. He then left his armor, probably a sign to the King that he has rescinded the idea of dragon hunting (The golden armor could very well be a decorative medal of dragon-slaying-honor, as Ornstein probably initially only wore standard silver knight armor like any other dragonslayer during the war, barring Nameless and some giants). If Ornstein returned to Anor Londo with his newfound skills, they would most definitely have given him his armor back as they were all still on the dragon slaying bandwagon. It is also noteworthy that Ornstein can siphon Smough's soul in the same way that the Nameless takes the stormdrake's soul.
Literally NK trained the knights, all of them.
Also, the ring of the sun's firstborn states that he inherited the sunlight, wouldn't that me that Gwyn had already abdicated the throne and left for the kiln. I dont think the Firstborn went around waging war on everything during his reign but instead became the King, sought Seath for advice and wanted to cure the undead, he didn't agree with his father's views on sacrificing humans, he sought out the dragons to find true immortality rather than undeath.
"he flies across the battlefield" this game and it's characters are so animu.
+GamingCynic Some dude on UA-cam has a channel that brings up points that correct all the well taking into Canon thought of Vatti
+GamingCynic You are correct
It's also long known that Ornstein is Gwyndolin's illusion in Dark 1, everything in Anor Londo is apart from the other firekeeper and Smough, hence why they "dissapear" instead of having rag doll physics like all the enemies in the lower lands
Gosh, the Nameless King was an amazing boss fight. Took plenty of tries and several embers but truly one of the best fights of the franchise.
The few Issues i have with the Nameless King being Gwyns Firstborn is that in Dark Souls 1 it is said that Gwyns Firstborn still watches closely over his warriors, while the Nameless King seems to be in Exile and far away, and i thought that the lords claimed dominion over the land once the dragons were slain, meaning that all the statues would've been built after the war with the dragons, and they didn't just build statues to immediately tear them down.
Also i don't think Ornstein died, since you don't find his armor on a body, but rather discarded in a corner, maybe as a gesture that he abandoned his dragonslaying ways.
+Shenron -Mohamud adding to that, he was summoned back to archdragon peak when the bell was rung, meaning he was brought back. So it could mean he watches his followers from the storm clouds above while riding his stormdrake. Just speculation, but in the realm of possible.
+Shenron -Mohamud Yeah but the geography in Dark souls 3 is messed up, everything is being pulled to where you are since in the item descriptions Irithyll is described as a far away land, and that the high wall of lothric just "appeared" out of nowhere.
+ArrowHead 404 This is actually really plausible, but then what is the point of Archdragon peak? Archdragon peak seems to be the Nameless King's Kingdom with the statues and everything.
+CaptainWaffle Well it could be his resting place or man serpents build him a shrine just to show appreciation of his duties... Also I think that first knight who was said to be with Ornestein was Havel since he hangs at archdragon peak.
jepukebu97 I think neither Havel nor Ornstein are allied with the nameless King, since Havel(?) was standing in front of a dead dragon, which was presumably killed by him and Ornstein was still allied to gwyn until his death. I think Havel and Ornstein went to Archdragon Peak to either kill or presuade the Nameless King to return to anor londo since gwyn has died, but then who was the havel in Dark souls 1 and who was the Ornstein in Dark souls 2 D: ?
He is so hard.
I almost cried when I beat him finally after 50+ tries.
still haven't beat him nor orphan of kos. only damn bosses to give me this much trouble.
123abc3y yep. He is truly the god of war I give him that. who rides in on a dragon and whoops your ass after you kill the dragon.
I beat him on my tenth try - so happy 😂
+123abc3y The Orphan of Kos is a pretty hard boss man... Do you think he is more powerful than The First Hunter?
+mee091000 actually beat him first try. I have a better time taking on bosses like him and Maria.
Perhaps the act of taming a dragon, not killing it, flew in the face of all Gwyn hoped to accomplish. That his first born would dare grant mercy to their terrible foe was enough to justify his exile and disgrace.
dark souls 3 gave reasons for hellkite drake and valley of drakes, I'd like to think the firstborn hid them away, and one of those drakes grew and went to search for his savior, only to find a statue of him or a place he feels his presence and tries to defend that spot
@5:11 That transition is SOO goooood!!
Good job Dave your awesome :)
:'( so I suffered through 3 hours of hell with O&S just for Ornstein to be an illusion?
Probably
Alan McDonald So sad.
I think its more likely he simply isnt in the correct timeline... Solaire wouldnt of said that for nothing.
+Gezo that's not what the time line meant
+Jake Mawhinney ...You may have actually fought the OG Dragon Slayer Armor, actually o_0
Gwynevere is loved by ALL...I think we know why
Her incredible personality, of course.
amazing chest ahead
Yea, both of them :P
Hiiragi Her beautiful smile
Nameless King = Hiccup confirmed
Toothless = stormdrake
Fantastic video. Connected a lot of dots that I wasn't able to. After seeing this, I think it's the best underlying plot thread in the series.
I have a small theory about the Nameless King's name. The Nameless King, Gywn's firstborn, was once a God of War. His name was stripped from all history leaving him Nameless. But the Lion Knights use a name of an old God of War, Faraam. What if somehow Ornstein started the Lion Knights and they served the Nameless King? I'm not very good with lore, I'm sure I'm completely wrong. Just a theory, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong or add to it if I'm on to something
Good job you're the only one who does lore videos without depressing the shit out of me with your voice
Just some stuff to point out:
First: Ornstein is the First Knight, confirmed by the Leo Ring, and the dragonslayer who served them both is likely the owner of the Dragonslayer Armor, who was sent to defend Lothric for some reason, which also explains why there's a Sunlight Altar close to him, as well as a Lion Knight of Forossa(more on this below).
Second: Orny in DS2 SotFS is right beside a Firedrake, protecting the remains of the Blades of the Darkmoon, a covenant found by the Nameless King's younger brother. I don't think they added the drake there just to have a dragon on a bridge.
Third: (speculation-heavy)You should have at least mentioned the Faraam theory.
Looking at the Faaram Helm, you can see the engraving of someone who resembles the Nameless King(except for the crazy helm), fighting a drake.
Also, LION(obvious reference?) Knights of Forossa, blessed by a god of WAR(obvious reference 2?).
Also, as you speculated yourself, the Volgen Falconers are supposedly Forossan warriors, and they carry Sunlight Medals(obvious reference 3?). This also explains how the hell Volgen managed to find out about the Blue Sentinels, even though they're so weak: the Forossan refugees taught them, after being taught themselves by the Nameless King.
NK = Faraam, or at least that's how the theory goes. He could have taken the name after being stripped of his name by Gwyn, or just one-sidedly named like that by the warriors of Forossa.
+beku123456789 I have spent 30-40 minutes looking at hundreds of pictures of the Faraam Helm. In DS3 it looks like a Forossa Lion Knight fighting a dragon, in DS2 it looks like a horned lizard blob with a weird head... How does it look like NK to you? Do you have a picture that I can't find?
Just for reference, I would not read too much into the fact that Faraam is called a god of war. Nahr Alma was also a god of war and blood, highly doubt they are related. Plus the Wargod Wooden Shield which is found in the Pit of Hollows is the Lion Clan shield from DS2, which states the Lion Clan follow a mad god, a wargod. NK does not seem like he is mad or crazy, he actually seems quite rational as he doesn't challenge you until you summon him. The Lion Clan and the Lion Knights hold a lot of similarities, from their armor to their belief in a war god. I personally believe Faraam is the mad wargod they both believe in, not Nameless King.
+beku123456789 Faraam helm bit is complete bullshit, it looks like NOTHING similar to nameless king, there is not even one similarity, he even wields sword. and if u read faraam stuff carefully u would notice it does not say THE god of war, faraam is god of war, gwyns first born is god of war, giantdad is god of war, they ARE NOT same person as god of war is not unique title. You guys fail to realize what DS2 is about, its is world that dont have ANYTHING SAME with ds1, it is almost like new take on it, its so long after ds1 everything from past is long forgotten, ffs Raime was using artorias sword, doesnt mean he was artorias or linked to him in any way.
+beku123456789 The Dragonslayer Armour's presence at Lothric Castle is still a mystery to me, but at least the Sacred Oath description gave us a nice explanation of it's relation to Ornstein and the Firstborn. What an epic trio of ferocious dragonslaying warriors those three must have been... Just imagine a battle against all three of them at once!
As I'm writing this, a theory about the Dragonslayer Armour is actually forming in my mind. If the Queen of Lothric is actually Gwynevere (as heavily implied by the Divine Blessing), then maybe the dragonslayer was once her servant or bodyguard, who left Anor Londo with her. I imagine it would have been Ornstein's place to personally guard his princess upon her departure, but maybe he left the duty to his faithful knight to embark on the search for his lost master himself? Still, I'm really glad that DS III (probably) cleared up the whole conundrum surrounding the two Ornsteins and also provided a background for Gwyns Firstborn.
+Bill Gefitur I agree with this. The way I see it, different regions (Like Forossa, Carim, etc.) most likely worship different gods. After all, Gwyn and his family are referred to as "the old gods of LORDRAN."
Procelyte Look at the Name-Engraved Ring: they're the same gods, just with different names.
Absolutely beautiful video, excellent work on the lore on the nameless king, it answered so many questions about the dark souls series
I knew the second I saw the Nameless King that he was Gwyns lost son
The editing with Gough's voice over game me serious chills!
Amazing work!
holly shit finnaly nameless king lore video :D
Loving this series, Dave. Definitive lore and reasonable speculation. Also hella good editing. You need a whole lot more subscribers. We're not worthy of all this excellence.
Out of curiosity, since the Nameless King runs Archdragon Peak, and it is inhabited by nothing but Man-Serpents, could his name be Sen, since the only place(if i remember right) you find Man Serpents in DS1 is Sen's Fortress.
The serpents are failed dragons, as stated by the gold serpent ring.
I'd like the nerds to get on research for this.
It's probably stretching it a bit, but i think this speculation would be interesting to follow up on. Hopefully they do research it.
+Master Rahool You know there are so many people that say Dark Souls 2 isn't canon to 3 simply because the stuff that DOES make 2 canon to 1 doesn't make a lot of sense. I think they should have built upon that with the failed dragon men. I mean like the stones which turn you into a humanoid dragon, the stones from 2 giving you the badass dragon armor. Seathe and Oceiros doing experiments to become like the the true Everlasting Dragons and Aldias attempt to recreate the Everlasting Dragons.
You may want to look into the original Japanese for your answers. I only half remember this as of right now but I think Sen is Japanese for a thousand and the original name is home of a thousand traps or some such. There is no one named Sen. Again, look it up to be sure but I think this is the answer you were looking for nearly 3 years ago lol
man you draw great lore for us... I like it so much .. thanks for linking all these things together
Great video man! Have to admit, this video actually got me very excited for ENB's next video in his playthrough
+Alexi Leclerc Lol, yeah, I'm excited to see his mind blown, haha.
DaveControl I was honestly worried that he was going to miss the optional areas, especially since they're some of the most interesting, at least in my opinion
+Alexi Leclerc Yeah - I figured he'd find the the Untended Graves, but wasn't sure on the Archdragon Peak.
That said, he's missed some really important dialogue relating to Untended Graves from Ludleth, so hopefully he'll find that. (If it's not too late at this point).
+DaveControl his ludleth was already ash
All I can hope for now is that one of the DLCs will take place in Londor, I miss my old buddy Kaathe
I love how you are basically starting with the most interesting lore.
Am I the only one who considered that Gwyn's Firstborn was named Faaram ? The description of the Faraam armor says that it is named after a god of war.
+r3v4n21 It could be! I honestly figure there were multiple "Gods of War" thoughout the ages, but could be completely off base. It definitely could be the same as the Nameless King.
+DaveControl The headgear of the Nameless King also looks really like the Forossan Lion Warriors
+r3v4n21 There is absolutely no evidence for that, it's mere speculation.
+r3v4n21 There was a whole in-depth reddit post about it. You definitely aren't the only one lol
+KyleTheGlitchMan I read that post and nearly got cancer lol
In my opinion the Lore is the best thing about the Souls Games (and Bloodborne) and this speculation and item discription reading is just awesome! You can represent it really really well! Goog job! I love your videos! Keep it up!
Hoooly shit, I literally flipped when all of this clicked
Also, the King Of Storms is a descendant of the Stormdrake, the Stormdrake is the massive dead one on the mountain opposite to the King's boss room.
If Ornstein was an illusion, why do you get his soul upon death?
Plus, what does this say about the Old Dragonslayer in Dark Souls II? Was he an illusion, too?
+ZeroReaper42 I honestly don't know. That's specifically why I thought Ornstein wasn't an illusion in Dark Souls 1 (when a lot of people thought that might be the case).
With Dark Souls 2, it seemed to fall in line with the whole rebirth thing of powerful souls being reborn... but Dark Souls 3 never references that, so it may have been retconned, or isn't as important this time around.
DaveControl The lore for DS III is so weird...
That's how hype the Illusion was.
+DaveControl i am not 100% sure about dark souls 1, but I think that the dragonslayer in dark souls 2 has to be an illusion.
+DaveControl Perhaps he split his soul?
Thank you, Dave. You're the first Dark Souls content creator I ever saw and subscribed to. Thank you for my introduction to this wonderful series and hours of entertaining content!
Dave, I have a speculation. After re watching your old DS 1 Gwyndoline lore, I think it's possible that Rosaria is Gwyn's wife, here are the reasons. First of all, since her soul can be transposed into soothing sunlight, it is pretty obvious that she's related to the Gwyn family.
Secondly, since the man grubs look just like the amalgamation of Aldrich and Gwyndoline, and Rosaria was petting them on her bed like they were her children, it is possible that she misses Gwyndoline and so transforming her servents into the form of Aldrich (with the body of Gwyndoline).
And finally, since the weapon she gave Leonhard was a dark moon weapon, and according to your speculation dark moon was the power Gwyndoline got from his mother, I would say it's another reason for me to believe that Rosaria is the mother of Gwyndoline and the wife of Gwyn.
That's really interesting! I'll have to look into it further, but I like the train of thought. :)
It's a mystery to me why you don't have 100k subs yet, Dave. Your videos are so well put together, and I have learned a lot from watching your lore series.
Wasn't a popular theory that Solaire was the third child and a disowned god of war?
+The steamy Spy Yes, it was a popular theory, but often contested. People went back and forth on it.
+The steamy Spy It was, but DS3 seems to have debunked that once and for all.
+The steamy Spy Yeah, but that's all but confirmed to be false now. Bit of a bummer, but what can you do?
Personally I think giving as a straight answer of who the first born was (and having it being a new character no less) is a huge creative misfire on Fromsoftware's part since what we imagine tend to always be better than the actual answer.
My personal response when knowing Nameless King was the first born was a resounding 'Meh, that's it?'
qinlongfei
Couldn't agree more. It was a hell of a boss fight though.
Great video, Dave! This was definitely one of the characters I couldn't wait to see your take on. I hope the wealth of lore videos on UA-cam won't deter you from making more. When DS2 came around, I thought Ornstein was an illusion in DS1, and I thought maybe Heide's was where Gwynevere and Flann settled down and Ornstein followed them. But now I have no idea how to incorporate Orn from DS2 into the arc concerning him and his armor.
On a side note, I can't help but chuckle because I swear every lore video I've seen lately starts with "We go back to when everything was grey "
+zombiefriend Yeah, it's important for a lot of the DS3 lore, haha. I actually hate doing it, because I'm pretty sick of saying that intro to DS1 over and over again, but it keeps on being relevant.
As for Ornstein in DS2 - I figured it was the whole thing of powerful souls being reborn after the fire was linked, so Ornstein's soul was also being reborn. That said, when it comes to DS3 lore, as Gwyndolin (who's an optional DS1 boss) was eaten by Aldrich - it could make it so the Old Dragonslayer in DS2 (who's also an optional boss) was also never found by the Undead of DS2. I suppose either of those 2 work.
Your channel is so great. Yes, i figured out quite fast who the nameless king was, but i didn't hesitate to watch your video, even though it's almost 2am here in Brazil haha. I knew it would be awesome, and so it was. I know it's not a competition, but for me you're as great as vaati and enb... You should have more subs.
ps: New supershow anytime soon?
Thank you! :)
I'm not sure when I'll have the next Super Show up, but I do really want to start working on it as soon as I can. :-/ They take around a month to make, so I think the next one will probably be up in a month.
+DaveControl That's nice! I'm always on the lookout for new videos, so i'll definetely check that out
I really did enjoy this video. And haven't played Dark Souls 1 but have been watching your series on the lore. Love every second of both series !! Thank you and keep it up.
The Faraam set speaks of an armor named after a god of war. (dark souls 2 description)
It sort of implies that his name is Faraam. Plus it has got very peculiar connections with "lions". +davecontrol
But Faraam is a deity from Forossa, which is implied it is a far away land. May be that way, but it doesn't seem probable :)
Yasu Nagasena it all shares a common world, it is not like deities or in this case GODS.. can't move to different places lol
XVI yeah but it doesn't seem to make much sense. Nameless is related to lightning and dragons, in Forossa there is no magic, no miracles, just hack and slashing action. Faraam seems to be a god of war from there. And the same way you make my statement from before look dumb: there can be different pantheons lol.
Yasu Nagasena -still is an awfully good coincidence. It is odd to believe there is no magic or such, but it is more believable to assume it is a custom to not use magic or miracles-
All that information is sort of.. well.. wrong?
the Northwarder robe description, it sort of ..disavows that there was in fact magic in Forossa.
Interesting fact, they speak of a plural god.
I am not sure about the other statement, i do understand there might be different pantheons however the gods in this game sort of are like a race that can walk along side them, nothing something based on beliefs.
I don't know? maybe the nameless king visited forossa during his days as a war god. Thus the name the land.
Thank u for making these vids. I never have time to explore the lore of these games when i play em so i really enjoy it when i see someone's hard work to gather evidence to tell the story of the being i am fighting. Thank you
If ornstein from Ds1 was an illusion, why did he have the leo ring?
+tgamagedon Better yet soul.
+loseho inwmak soul could be part of Smough's soul
Kalinmir Well.....Ornstein's soul cost 8000 if sold to Frampt while Smough only cost 500.
Frampt can't be a reliable source of knowledge,he is biased and lies to you constantly. He also gives very low souls for some other bosses,i think the Iron Golem.
Fun Fact: Frampt may be a pervert. He provides much more souls for women's clothing/armors than for men's. Something tells me that he doesn't actually eat some of the things we give him...
Absolutely amazing, keep it up, proud of you
Great moves, Dactyl.
wait so how did orstein turn up in drangleic in DS 2, and how did he turn dark ?
If I remember correctly, it's an another Dragonslayer.
The armor you receive in DS2 is called The Dragon Slayer Armor. Not Ornstein's Armor. There were many Dragon Slayers who dawned the same armor. So it's safe to say that was just another Dragon Slayer. Not Ornstein himself.
it IS orstein , he drops the leo ring when you kill him.
hmm... how did he get the Dark attacks?
you can trade old dragonslayer soul to dragonslayer spear.. and i'm totally sure that's ornstein spear..
also the leo ring.. one of the 4 gwyn knight ring..
i just assume that he's ornstein wannabe or ornstein himself who corrupted by the dark.. but how? idk..
Very well done. One of your best put together videos.
Dark Firelink when
3 hours ago
+EXTREEEEEEEEEME What
Dude these are awesome, please keep it up. Feeding my addiction further.
So wait, were we all wrong about Solaire?
Yep
Solaire's title is, Solaire "of Astora". Solaire is just another, rather skillful, undead blessed by the First Born. That's what I always thought.
Yes
It's just a theory but that's the best thing about dark souls you believe what you want to believe, Solair is Gwyn first born that's what I believe
Gabriel Perez If you believe that still then I'm sorry but you are an idiot. The game has given us so many leads that show the Nameless King as his Firstborn that you could say its fact
amazing work Dave! Just finished my first playthrough finally today. Now i can start spoiling myself with watching some awesome lore videos like this one and many more to come over the months!
Nice, I'm glad you're enjoying so far! :D
The question is, did he ally himself with the dragons due to sympathizing with them, or in respecting only arms did he only tame the stormdrake with the intention of of pushing his power even further and usurping his father?
I suspect that he was a spoiled prick of a son, and just wanted dad's mon... erm, weapons of mass destruction.
+Crying Is for Winners Really? Look at how he touches the Stormdrake before absorbing its soul. He had a genuine respect for the magnificent beast, something a spoilt child wouldn't have displayed. He also trained all of Gwyn's Dragonslaying knights, including Ornstein, meaning he was willing to SHARE his power. He might've felt sympathetic for the Dragons, as they too, were beings of intelligence and emotion, and that wiping out an entire race just to rule over was the right choice, hence him rebelling against his own father, Gwyn.
just saying but perhaps that is just how the tradition of absorbing an allies soul is done. Ornstein does it the exact same way to smough in dark souls 1.
+The Macca Aha, but Smough didn't do it to Ornstein. Only honourable Knights would lay their hand upon their comrade before absorbing their soul, and we all know Smough was nowhere NEAR honourable.
+Lucipurr_0 Also on my first comment, *wrong choice, whoops
I like the fact that From kept the Warriors of Sunlight covenant statue in it's original clunky state from the first game.
I half-expected it to look more visually sharp and to-date with the other textures and modelling, but the nostalgia-invoking was a very nice sentiment.
dark souls 2 is canon they already have connection to it in game
Anyone that think the second game isn't canon. Have no idea what they are talking about.
+Dylan Coffman If it is so far after Dark Souls 1 that just proves that there is always going to be someone to relight the flame and until it is eventually put out. Or vice versa. Whatever you do truly doesn't matter. You lose or fail in the end one way or another.
People tend to forget that Drangleic is a place far from Lordran. Hell, the DRANG set (literally a shortened term for Drangleic) even states that it is. The reason why things were so different is because we were literally in a place so different.
Hell, the few hollow/mad/pissed off Drang Knights in Anor Londo even pay homage to DkS2 by being dual wielders. The game that introduced proper dual wielders has dual wielding knights that shit all over Carrim's crap excuse for dual wielding.
I have been supporting the gwyndolin illusion theory but I think your idea of convoluted timelines for Ornstein makes a compelling argument.
This " TIME IS CONVOLUTED" thing pisse me off, it's a lazy way to explain things ,
"time is convoluted" can be an answer to damn anything. dont bring that crap again please .... dev usualy use this line whene they dont know what to say or whene there is some contradiction in the story. it's an easy escape fromsoft find to explain PLOT HOLE instead of thinking of reative way to tell the story ..dont fall into that trap please.
nothing is convoluted , and WTF convoluted mean anyway
Agreed, but to be fair, time convolusion does make sense in the Dark Souls Universe. Before wyn linked to flame, the Dark was naturally coming to it's own, like Pangea splitting off. That was how reality worked, but when Gwyn said "SCREW THAT!!!" and linked the flame, he dragged reality back to how it was during the age of fire. However, like trying to do that with continents" theres a lot of collateral damage doing that, which causes fragments to inevitably split off and still do their own thing. Therefore, this made time convoluted and parallel worlds.
That's my opinion, anyway.
Personally I just think that they just wanted a way to sneak in Smough and Ornstein's sets in the game but also doing it in a way that doesn't interfere with the game's lore/canon.
Especially with that Ornstein wasn't really with Smough in Anor Londo in DS1 timeline where he set out to find Nameless King. Apparently some other dude in an alternate timeline only fought Smough alone. Hahaha
Point being,
Time convolution has been established has been around these characters since DS1. So if it's being used in the 3rd game, I'd say they're doing a decent job with keeping the game true to its roots.
I kinda like the idea of alternate and convoluted timelines. It gives Ornstein even more lore and depth to his character
the best souls/borne channel on UA-cam. thx Dave
Very good video! Looking forward to the rest of the Lore, I lost my shit in surprise to the fact that the nameless king's true identity! Thank you!
thank you dude I'm so glad you talked about loyd and flame god flenn
I DIDNT EVEN THINK THERE WAS A BETTER MIRACLE RING! THANK YOU MAN I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER AS A FAITH BUILD
best lore video about the Nameless King so far ...
THANX
Another awesome video, man! Once again, I think I enjoyed your video more than the other uploaders. Keep it up!
Only just started watching your videos as I'm late to the dark souls lore but really enjoying them.
I remember someone had stated that there was a lore tip i believe in DS2 stating that "Ornstein created an illusion of himself to fight alongside Smough when he was away, exploring a distant land"
Best boss of DKS3, and the lore behind it is basically the answer we've been really searching for since DKS1.
this now makes the nameless king one of my favourite characters, thanks!
I think differently. It is stated that The Nameless King was "a god of war", but not "the" god of war. The Nameless King could be someone who inherited the title of the god of war and his attire.
Nice video. :) About that first knight: the Leo Ring in ds 3 tells that Ornstein was the first knight of the firstborn. So that miracle Sacred Oath tells of the following three: The Nameless King, Ornstein and a dragonslayer who served the first two both. This Dragonslayer could be someone who wore the Dragonslayer Armour, whose weapon has the same Skill name as the spear of the king. So maybe the Armour once was this third dragonslayer stated in Sacred Oath. This was my take on it :) One other thing I love about the king is that could have mounted a normal dragon, but they gave him a hawk-dragon, which is great. :D
Dave did you see when the Nameless King was about to pierce the stormdrake on 7:37 and in 7:38 his blade is stuttering/shaking so he is really hesitating.
and the Solaire part with Ornstein and Nameless King ties with Radec's lore
ua-cam.com/video/C5zu7dVlKqY/v-deo.html
he pretty much said the same thing so I guess you 2 are on the right step?
Thanks for the all the amazing lore explanations! You are the best! :)
I believe when it says "Smough was the last to stay at his post" it is referring to DkS II, when Ornstein (Old Dragonslayer) is on his own.
if you know the Farraam armor from DS3, the description says it was named after a god of war which leads me to think that Gwyns first borns name had the same meaning as or was Faraam
Another awesome video Dave! They're always worth the wait! :)
another amazing lore video. great work Dave
Thank you! :D
simply incredible. so much information haha, keep it up your channel is amazing :D
I used to believe that Smough was also an illusion in DS1, and that the "Last Knight of the Ruined Cathedral" meant that he was the last man standing between Aldrich and Gwyndolin.
Also, did you notice that Nameless King has the same feet as the ruined God of War statue?
Great video, Dave!
+Lord of Cinder Ya can't smash black ooze though. Believe me, I've tried.
+Lord of Cinder "Devourer of God's'" he ate more than trappy and he had to be strong enough to make he/she sacrifice him/herself to save another.
***** you forgot Nito, he uses the gravelord sword as his staff tip and has a few bones in his slime and he may have the witch though that probably is just his lord of cinder status. A good singler title would be "God eater Aldritch" or something like that, wouldn't be hard to get something catchy. He was forced into it, strength had nothing to do with it. Weak lords of cinder are the unkindled. A god is a god even weakened and disarmed.
***** that's clearly the gravelord sword being imitated. It has the same same gap and shape. He could've dreamed it but I still believe his title indicates more than one.
How are gods even defined here? We have Velka, Ds2's and the lords but what makes the nonlords gods?
+Dark Stalker every gravelord servant had that weapon hell nito pretty much just gave that to anyone who came into his tomb to say hi also Aldrich boss name in Japanese the is the original mind you is "God Devourer Aldrich" because he only ate one god Gwyndolin not Priscilla not nito just Gwendolyn it possible he ate a gravelord servant but that's about it
First of all, great Video and awesome research. I recently read a theory, that tried to explain, that the Nameless King not only might be the first born Son of Gwyn plus the old instructor of Ornstein and to strengthn the theory of several timelines within the Souls Universe it is sayd, that Ornstein seeked him to bring him back to claim his heir after Gwyn died, but the Nameless King already was bound do Archdragons Peak, so he killed his own Student (the Dragonslayer Armor set plus Spear).
I like this Theory, because it kind of makes Sense to me at least.
Great video, Dave.
I was about to get frustrated at the lore for contradicting itself with Ornstein somehow surviving Dark Souls 1, but you came up with some very probable scenarios that could explain it.
It's also worth noting that the NK's swordspear is trembling before he takes the stormdrake's soul showing his bond by the emotion he shows. The way Ornstein moves like the NK also strengthens the fact that you are fighting am Ornstein that had trained with the nameless king.
Absolutely amazing dave, u hit this one on point, brilliant work.
I defeated hin today and you uploaded this video at the right time :)
I like your interpretation of this boss. At the fight I was thinking about his clothes and his crown. But so far that he could be Gwyns Firstborn I didn't think - thanks for this thoughts. they are very good.
Me and some friends sat for like an hour discussing lots of ds3 lore. I think our theory hit the nail perfectly on this guy. I like our conclusion and actually think we're right xD
Yes Dave, finally! Love this boss and his lore!
Awesome video, I'm sure you'll hit 100,000 subs soon. You deserve it!
I like the idea of two versions of Ornstein with each having a different fate, and I think it's definitely possible because of how convoluted time is in the Dark Souls universe. There's the two versions of Gundyr as proof of that.
I think we should point out that the old dragon slayer is guarded by a Wyvern in DarkSould 2 SOTFS
Hey Dave! Great video as always. Just a question; any chance on getting a video about Londor? Tons of fun to be had with that location, its characters, and the ending associated with it. Have a great day!
i like that you still use DS1 music in your videos. Epic
An interesting thing about the nameless king is that in the second phase he uses one of the storm drake's moves. the wind that goes across the ground, which the storm drake can use in phase 1.
It was stated in a description somewhere that Ornstein was the firstborns first knight.
love this. well done, thanks for your work.
wow i didnt think of that. great video dave.
As you were speculating whether cathedral Ornstein was an illusion or not, you JUST showed him fading away in the exact same fashion and effect as the illusion of Gwynevere. Pretty safe to say that cathedral Orstein was just an illusion.
Also, in the same video, it has Havel as the knight. Ornstein was the Nameless Kings faithful knight, but Havel was also his friend. The Nameless King put Havel in the tower to keep him away from the plans he had made.