#dsII

[gudgurkan]

An Elden Ring / Dark Souls 2 commission for foxgraves over on Twitter

And a procreate time-lapse video:

[knightscanfeeltoo]

Did Johan and Peewit ever met a Cat that Speaks in the Show or Comic??????

(Just wanna draw Sir Johan again and I'm Not Good at Drawing Cats...)

[qbren]

Dark Souls 2: Scrimbledink of John Andy https://twitch.tv/qbren John Andy Wheels, John Andy Deals. Who is this fearsome rascal? Why, it's John Andy! Join on his quest: He embarks on another task of slaying draconic noobs & dying to invaders!

[giraffeseatingcake]

THIRTY FIVE HOURS

THE POWER WENT OUT

FUCK

[elliethecat]

So I know I'm DEFINITELY late to the party, but I decided to do the DTIYS made by @kenneduck ! I'm a huge fan of hers and I'm horrible at drawing people, so when I saw that I instantly wanted to try my best!

Edit: been a while, but I thought I would add that I made Link trans :D I gave him top surgery scars bc I love trans!link

(P.S, Kenne, if you are reading this you're doing really good on Secret Confessions and it looks really good <3)

[captain-price-unofficially]

I was too caught up in Duskblood to checkout the Elden Ring Tarnished Edition trailer but AY YO WHAT??

[gamejoypod]

I really like Human Effigies taking the place of Humanity in Dark Souls II.

Hollowing is a really interesting facet of Dark Souls to me, and the Effigies hammer home how personally charged the phenomena is.

In DSII you only get to create your character after being invited to look into one and recall the person you used to be. At this point I don't think there's any difference between an identity you remember and one you spin from imagination. The important part is that you have *something* you can hold tight to your heart that will drive you forward through the trials & horrors to come

I can picture the Bearer Of The Curse (Seek, Seek, Lest) resting by a bonfire and staring through their helmet at the delicate lattice of the Effigy, remembering or imagining as an exercise. Reinforcing their sense of Self; their thoughts, their ambitions, the principles they would follow.

I don't know how to dismount this one, I just like how introspective DSII gets in comparison to the others and the effigies are part of it

[vadertyrannus]

Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi is (mostly) just as evil as in the prior two films

Oftentimes, I see discussion acting like Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi somehow experienced "badass decay", and/or that he's more subdued and conflicted the entire movie.

Some even claim that he abandoned his plot to overthrow the Emperor with Luke.

I disagree.

Darth Vader is just as evil, badass, and independent in ROTJ as the prior two Original Trilogy films, even if he's simultaneously made more sympathetic (but is still fully culpable for his villainy; more on that as we go on).

While Vader's internal conflict is made a big story point in the third act, people overstate it's presence in the film.

Vader's Introduction

I'd argue that the very point of this scene is to reinforce that Vader is still the ruthless badass he is in Empire Strikes Back.

I genuinely believe that this is Vader's best entrance. Hell, the best entrance in Star Wars. The buildup is masterful, the score is suspenseful and dramatic, and that low-angle of Vader walking down the ramp is just magnificent. Powerful and sinister.

Being real, I think it's more epic then the Emperor's entrance (though this is likely unintentional, and I'm bias, of course).

Immediately, the dialogue reinforces that Vader is just as cold-blooded and cruel as he is in ESB.

JERJERROD: Lord Vader, this is an unexpected pleasure. We're honored by your presence. VADER: You may dispense with the pleasantries, Commander. I'm here to put you back on schedule. The commander turns ashen and begins to shake. JERJERROD: I assure you, Lord Vader, my men are working as fast as they can. VADER: Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them. JERJERROD: I tell you, this station will be operational as planned. VADER: The Emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal of the situation. JERJERROD: But he asks the impossible. I need more men. VADER: Then perhaps you can tell him when he arrives. JERJERROD (aghast): The Emperor's coming here? VADER: That is correct, Commander. And he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress. JERJERROD: We shall double our efforts. VADER: (sarcastically) I hope so, Commander, for your sake. The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am.

Vader is being incredibly blunt, dismissing the Jerjerrod's politeness. Furthermore, he even threatens to torture/murder DSII construction workers to "motivate them". Now keep in mind, these construction workers are likely civilians just trying to put bread on the table.

The only way this scene could be read as more "subdued" on Vader's behalf is if you want to interpret that last line as genuine, but it's clearly not. Vader's being sarcastic; he wasn't actually accepting Needa's apology in ESB, either.

Leading us to the next point.

Did Vader abandon his plot to overthrow the Emperor?

No.

While Canon Vader is my favorite interpretation of him, and I'm no Lucas purist, Lucas himself has stated that this isn't true. Since Canon doesn't contradict it, I chose to interpret it this way as well (my interpretation of Star Wars doesn't strictly adhere to any particular continuity anyway, as it's all a mess).

Quotes from The Making of Return of the Jedi:

Furthermore, there's proof within the film itself.

In the Emperor's introduction, he outright points out that Vader has still been actively seeking out Luke. Vader only took a break to put the DSII construction back on schedule.

VADER: The Death Star will be completed on schedule. EMPEROR You have done well, Lord Vader. And now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker. VADER: Yes, my Master.

You can even notice that before responding, Vader pauses and studies the Emperor, trying to decipher if he's caught on to his deception.

Then we get to the next part, which tells us why Vader is going along with the Emperor's plot.

EMPEROR: Patience, my friend. In time he will seek you out. And when he does, you must bring him before me. He has grown strong. Only together can we turn him to the dark side of the Force. VADER: As you wish.

Vader doesn't send Luke to the Emperor because he's given up on his plot: he does it because he believes they can only turn him if they work together.

Even the way Vader says "As you wish," sounds rather sinister, as if he's thinking about how he's gonna backstab the Emperor.

This matches what Lucas says in the above quotes:

"What is operating in his head is: "The Emperor will turn Luke to the dark side because I can't do it, because *I am not strong enough; he will turn Luke and then I will be able to [...] join with Luke and eventually turn him to destroy the Emperor. Once he is on the dark side, then it will be easy; then we are a team, then we are father and son."

*When Lucas says Vader is "not strong enough", he is referring to strength in terms of mental manipulation.

Vader failed to convert Luke in ESB, despite forcing him into a situation where it was "Join me or die".

"Come with me. It is the only way."

Vader tried to turn Luke through assertiveness, forcefully. This makes sense for his character.

Darth Vader is the brute force, the warrior.

The Emperor, however, is the sly puppet master.

This is why, in Canon, despite Vader being more powerful then the Emperor (in terms of raw Force power), Palpatine is still able to hold Vader back; he has contingencies.

To briefly summarize: Palpatine has a button to deactivate his suit (technically Cylo had it, but he's under the Emperor's command), his royal guards, and Vader's suit is weak to Force lightning.

This is why Vader wants Luke to join him to help him overthrow the Emperor. His son is insurance, to guarantee his chances of winning. Vader's trying to cancel out Palpatine's contingencies with his own backup.

Part of Vader's arc in the 2015 comic run (post-ANH/pre-ESB) is becoming more sly, conducting more conniving, under-the-table missions, with less total reliance on brute force and battle tactics.

In-line with this, Vader isn't any less independent in ROTJ then he is in ESB.

PIETT: Shall I hold them? VADER: No. Leave them to me. I will deal with them myself.

Notice how this shot is framed, with Vader shot at a very low angle, emphasizing his power. Vader handling this himself instills dread into the audience. He has something sinister planned.

Vader's betrayal of the Emperor is foreshadowed further, when he outright disobeys him, trespassing in his throne room after being told to stay on the command ship.

EMPEROR: I told you to remain on the command ship. VADER: A small Rebel force has penetrated the shield and landed on Endor. EMPEROR (no surprise): Yes, I know. VADER (after a beat): My son is with them. EMPEROR (very cool): Are you sure? VADER: I have felt him, my Master. EMPEROR: Strange, that I have not.

This can even be considered an escalation of Vader's rebelliousness in ESB. He's not just scheming behind his back, he's defying him to his face.

There was even a deleted scene that showed that Vader had to force his way in, Force-choking the Emperor's guards.

68 INT DEATH STAR - CORRIDOR TO EMPEROR'S TOWER Darth Vader walks down the corridor to the Emperor's Tower and private elevator. The Emperor's private guard steps in Vader's path. GUARD: Halt! The Emperor does not wish to be disturbed at the moment. VADER: (raising his gloved hand to the two guards and choking them with the Force) The Emperor will see me, now! GUARD: (repeating Vader's command) The Emperor will see you, now.

Vader was gonna have a Force-choking scene in ROTJ, and in fact, has one in every draft of the screenplay (with him at one point killing Jerjerrod, in earlier drafts).

After scouring The Making of Return of the Jedi, there's no mention of this scene being removed for character reasons. All I could find regarding the deletion of this scene was a paragraph that says the scene was gone after an edit done to improve the pacing.

One thing I love about how Canon has recontextualized Vader and Palpatine's relationship is it's effect on this betrayal on Vader's behalf.

First, it makes even more sense that Vader gets away with disobeying the Emperor without punishment: Palpatine knows how powerful Vader is. He's not gonna risk pissing off and starting a fight with the Son of the Force, which will be deadly for both of them.

It's not even the first time Vader's done something like this.

In the 2017 comic run, Vader gets away with refusing a direct order unless he gets his own world, and Palpatine completely indulges in his request.

He doesn't even physically punish him for the loss of the Death Star after A New Hope.

This is in stark contrast to the old EU, where he was tortured with Force lightning and had one of his limbs cut off.

The only time he physically punishes Vader is an occasion where Vader's connection to the dark side was weakened due to internal conflict.

He also punishes Vader after he attacked him immediately after ROTS (in the panel shown previously, when talking about Vader's power level). However, this was right after he had manipulated Vader into letting him go, who just became a cyborg after hours of surgery.

Point being: Palpatine hardly physically punishes Vader at all, in Canon. And Vader being more powerful (most of the time) explains why.

Second: while before, Vader sensing Luke when the Emperor couldn't is due to their father-son relationship, now it also makes even more sense. Vader is more powerful then him.

Vader's Conflict

Another thing outright established in the scene where Vader disobeys the Emperor is that he isn't conflicted, at this point in the story:

EMPEROR: I wonder if your feelings on this matter are clear, Lord Vader. Vader knows what is being asked. VADER: They are clear, my Master.

While this can be chalked up to Vader denying his feelings, not only have we not been given reason to believe this at this point in the film, but Vader's next scene reinforces this.

COMMANDER: This is a Rebel that surrendered to us. Although he denies it, I believe there may be more of them, and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area. He was armed only with this. VADER: Good work, Commander. Leave us. Conduct your search, and bring his companions to me.

Vader conducts himself in the exact same way as in ESB, even upon reuniting with his son. He's concocting a plan to kidnap his friends to use as leverage, without the Emperor's knowledge, as far as we know.

Vader proceeds to talk to Luke the same way he always does.

VADER: The Emperor has been expecting you. LUKE: I know, father. VADER: So, you have accepted the truth.

It isn't until Luke says the name "Anakin" that we see a shift:

LUKE: I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father. VADER (turning to face him): That name no longer has any meaning for me.

Vader's reaction is immediate and aggressive.

As Luke talks, Vader remains silent, seemingly softened by his words.

LUKE: It is the name of your true self. You've only forgotten. I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully. That is why you couldn't destroy me. That's why you won't bring me to your Emperor now. Vader looks down from Luke to the lightsaber in his own black- gloved hand. He seems to ponder Luke's words.

However, Vader immediately returns to his cold Sith persona, talking about Luke's new power in the Force.

VADER (indicating lightsaber): I see you have constructed a new lightsaber. Vader ignites the lightsaber and holds it to examine its humming, brilliant blade. VADER: Your skills are complete. Indeed, you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen. They stand for a moment, Vader extinguishes the lightsaber.

He's glad, because he knows this means he'll be useful for overthrowing the Emperor.

By turning on the lightsaber, Vader is also subtly threatening Luke, reminding him that he has all of the power in the situation. It's a defense mechanism against his son's armor piercing words.

Then Luke says another thing that actually gets a vulnerable response from Vader (likely because these are also Padme's words).

LUKE: Come with me. VADER: Obi-Wan once thought as you do. Luke steps close to Vader, then stops. Vader is still. VADER: You don't know the power of the dark side. I must obey my master.

He solemnly admits that Obi-Wan once believed he could walk away, but he can't.

Because Vader has been retconned to be more powerful then the Emperor, in Canon, I choose to interpret "You don't know the power of the dark side" as him saying that his addiction to the dark side is too strong for him to let go of it. If he's gonna rule the galaxy, he needs to go along with the Emperor's plan.

Even if you go by the power-scaling of G-Canon or the old-EU, in which he's only 80% as powerful as the Emperor, Vader still has a choice. He can join the Rebel Alliance, as Luke offers.

He doesn't. This vulnerability is short-lived, and Vader returns to his ruthlessness.

LUKE: I will not turn... and you'll be forced to kill me. VADER: If that is your destiny.

Vader coldly tells his son that he will kill him, if he refuses to turn. Goosebumps.

And this is exactly what he did in ESB.

VADER: There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you.

A similar line is repeated in their fight on the DSII.

VADER: You underestimate the power of the dark side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny.

Luke then manages to get Vader to actually admit regret.

LUKE: Search your feelings, father. You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate. VADER: It is too late for me, son.

Then Vader doubles down again.

Vader signals to some distant stormtroopers. VADER: The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now. He and Luke stand staring at one another for a long moment. LUKE: Then my father is truly dead.

Vader is unwilling to let go of the power of the dark side, of the Empire. He's too addicted to it.

Deep down, he regrets his choices. But he doesn't want to face that sadness, that guilt. He believes those feelings to be weakness, and willingly buries them with callousness, rage, and egotistical pleasure from lording his power over others.

He wants to be that invincible, monstrous Dark Lord of the Sith.

His feeling that he doesn't have a way out is born out of ego and self-centeredness, it's an excuse.

He knows he has a way out. He's been shown this.

But he's prioritizing his feelings of self-worth, his power-hunger, over doing the right thing for the galaxy.

He's rather embrace being a sadistic monster then face his guilt, admit that he messed up, and face the consequences.

Furthermore, Vader is prioritizing his own plot to finally rule the galaxy without the Emperor over the well-being of his son and the galaxy.

As Lucas said, in the quotes shown above:

"The way to do it here is to make Vader evil and terrible and turn his son in, and they go before the Emperor and they have a fight."

This scene isn't meant to convey, "He knows he's a dead man walking, that there's no way out, and so is just scared, hopeless, and following orders."

Vader still has a selfish motive, and is doing this for selfish reasons.

This scene is meant to reinforce Vader's agency, not rob him of it.

Vader does it for selfish reasons, because he's evil, not helpless.

In this scene, Vader is more vulnerable then any scene in the prior two films (which is why the title says "mostly"). Now, this isn't a bad thing at all. This is one of the best scenes in all of Star Wars. In all of film history, in my opinion. The depth it gives both Luke and Vader is fantastic.

Yet, I feel people extrapolate this vulnerability to other points of the film and even other material involving Vader to the point of ridiculousness. Not everything he does is meant to be viewed in this sympathetic "he's a victim" mindset. He's hardly even a victim in ROTJ. He's only a victim of his own actions.

People seem to struggle with the concept that, for most of his time as Vader, Anakin is practically dead. All that's left is the cold, merciless Sith Lord. He spends decades committing horrific atrocities throughout the galaxy for the sake of power.

If anything, this conflict being brought to light, emphasis placed on the fact that Vader was once a good person, enhances his villainy: Vader actively chooses to be evil, he actively represses his light side.

During his duel with Luke, Vader aggressively denies there is conflict within him and continues attacking his son.

Vader even sadistically lords the leverage he has over Luke, due to his feelings for his friends and sister.

VADER: Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for... Vader stops and senses something. Luke shuts his eyes tightly, in anguish. VADER: Sister! So...you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will.

The first thing he does upon learning he has a daughter is realize she could be used as a tool, gloat about Obi-Wan's failure, and make a threat to her brother to turn her to the dark side, insinuating that he'll just kill him and use her instead.

This is one of Vader's scariest moments of all-time, in my opinion. He's really sinister, and the lighting emphasizes this, a monster lurking in the dark.

Don’t get me wrong, the emotional conflict within Vader is still a very important factor in this fight. It’s the reason Luke wins, after all. Vader was subconsciously holding back, because the part of him that is Anakin doesn’t want to kill his son. But he’s much better at hiding his conflict then fans seem to think.

There was but an ounce of that good left in him (that reawakened when his son expressed faith in him on Endor). And while it hinders his fighting, he doesn’t truly act on it until his son is on the brink of death, after watching him be excruciatingly electrocuted by lightning for over a minute.

Vader/Anakin's arc in this film only reinforces that he had agency all along; it's about choosing to be selfless, compassion over greed.

As Lucas says:

“Anakin can’t be redeemed for all the pain and suffering he’s caused. He doesn’t right the wrongs, but he stops the horror. The end of the Saga is simply Anakin saying: ‘I care about this person, regardless of what it means to me. I will throw away everything that I have, everything that I have grown to love - primarily the Emperor - and throw away my life, to save this person. And I’m doing this because he has faith in me, loves me despite all the horrible things I’ve done. I broke his mother’s heart, but he still cares about me, and I can’t let that die’. Anakin is very different in the end. The thing of it: The prophecy was right. Anakin was the Chosen One, and he does bring balance to the Force. He takes the ounce of good still left in him and destroys the Emperor out of compassion for his son."

Vader's character is all about the choices that he makes, just like Luke is.

Luke's entire journey is about rejecting the dark side and choosing to walk the path of the Jedi. Vader is the evil father, the Devil on Luke's shoulder tempting him to choose evil. He is used to contrast Luke, show who he will become if he chooses the wrong path, like his father did.

Darth Vader is not Norman Bates - a trapped victim suffering from a mental disorder due to a traumatic upbringing by a failed parental figure. Darth Vader is Walter White - a once-good person who became evil, choosing to do terrible things out of a lust for power and desire for dominance, but in the end, chooses to stop the horrors he created and save his family before his death.

[chiisanajimi]

oh my god my follower count is rising quickly uhh (scrambling)

it's kind of a small milestone but still:

most of my followers are from the sonic stuff so most of the poll is sonic themed sorry guys. i will post more rpg gays soon.

if no one gives a fuck about this poll i will be making a post and continuing as normal also. thank you all for your support!

[newlondohollow]

Hey souls fans of tumblr, i just joined this mystical whimsical place and have very little understanding of it, nevertheless i wanna start discourse: drop me some of yall's DSII headcanons, i wanna see DSII's fandom fandoming

[hexofhades]

My DSII hexer, Khazset-rhys Selds-eth'launim, in Eleum Loyce.

[choiraugur]

So you've mentioned that you like all the Soulsborne games, not just Bloodborne, but which Soulsborne was your first exposure to the series? What made you want to check them all out, and what is your favorite thing about them (each individually or in general as they also have reoccurring themes? nobody trolls people in power like they do xd) .

Also I can't forget you asking me about Creighton so I assume you like DS2 as well (rare but huge W in these trying times vvhjgjjg). Who are your DS2 favs? 🌛

I need you to know that I had to pause for like one hour after getting this ask because I got so excited to respond to it that I couldn’t think straight enough to properly manage a reply with actual words. in fact what I’ve written down here isn’t as eloquent or articulate as id want it to be but. autism works in funny ways so the best I can do rn is say words and giggle to myself with glee

im putting the reply under a cut bc it’s long af also lmao

the first dark souls was my initial exposure to the series as a whole! I got into it some years ago but I don’t think I was as invested in it then as I am now. I’ve always loved the themes of the series and the gameplay was, despite all the frustration, very fun and engaging so I wanted to check out more souls games after it. Dsi remains my favourite game of all time along with bloodborne btw! I would blame it on nostalgia but honestly the game really does have so much to offer. dark souls i meatriding is very cliche but there’s a good reason for that yk. Nothing teaches you patience like dark souls. (this game also has one of my two favourite characters of all time, gwyndolin! they managed to create a transgender allegory that speaks so closely to me- from familial expectations to the desire to be seen and recognised by the family that constantly neglects you and shames you for your very existence to the point where your identity ceases to exist because you are trying so desperately to belong. you try to forge yourself into the perfect shape but the core of the problem lies not in the shape of your identity, but your very existence. the unending cultist devotion to the people who made your life hell because this is all you have. I love gwyndolin so much)

I moved to dark souls ii after and honestly loved it (and still love it) very much. I feel like people give it too much shit and criticise it too quickly because of its reputation, which is a shame because it has so much to offer. The lore is so rich and the gameplay can get so fun if you just give it a chance. I agree that the start is difficult, but isn’t this true with every new fromsoft game you play? The thing I really love about soulsborne games is that there is a learning curve. Absolutely anybody can finish these games even if they are a terrible gamer because of the fact there is a learning curve. And sure it’s a frustrating one a lot of the time, but when you get comfortable enough with the mechanics and become more confident in playing, the experience becomes so so fun and rewarding. The estus problems people always complain about at the beginning of the game honestly stop being a noticeable issue after you discover items that help you replace this bother. I can 100% see why somebody would dislike dsii because it unfortunately went through developement hell, but I do believe that 98% of the time people judge this game too quickly and too harshly just because of the negative reputation it has. It sucks that they don’t give it a chance. I’ve seen so many people have an opinion on it (always a bleak one) without even playing it themselves also which is so dumb. At least play it man. Idk. It gets the second-installation-in-a-series curse I guess. dsii fans need to stick together and call it the best game oat to piss everyone else off

i got into bloodborne after dsi and dsii, i think I started playing bloodborne in mid 2021? Not that long ago but it has been my absolute favourite thing in the world ever since. SO much about it has kept me around because it manages to cater to so many of my general special interests lol. I’ve always loved cosmic horror and the victorian era of medicine. religion (and how those in power can use religion to control the masses) is another thing i always end up getting fixated on, so bloodborne was just the perfect thing for me. I love the themes! And characters! And designs! And gameplay mechanics! The world building! Everything is so so good. The thing that has mainly kept me around so intensely is how important exploration and personal interpretation is with this game. this is honestly my favourite thing about all spulsborne games actually- fromsoft never gives you any direct answers, and we are still finding new things about bloodborne several years after its release which is insane. It has just an endless amount of things to offer, I can’t say ENOUGH about it. I could write pages upon pages on why I love bloodborne so much, it’s difficult to keep my answer here concise. All I can say is it consumes my every thought every second of the day. Very good.

Dsiii was the last soulsborne game i got into (not fromsoft tho, that was elden ring, which i somehow only got into on august of 2023) i love dsiii because i love the dark souls series so so much in general, but for some reason it’s my least favourite out of all spulsborne games. The story and bosses are all super cool and i loved the conclusion it provided for the series, but it’s the one i find the least entertaining? or not the least entertaining, but it’s the one I think about the least. maybe it’s because i still kind of experience it as a. second version of bloodborne since i played bloodborne before ds3 lol. which is an unfair judgement but I can’t let go of that feeling it gives me for some reason. great game but I end up fixating more on the others fsr

navlaan is my favourite character in ds2 also! i love a little fucked up sorcerer. I need more grey thinking. good and bad mean nothing in the name of acquiring knowledge. nuance is required to understand navlaan and its why I often avoid reading stuff about him lol.

I’m realising my response to your ask focuses more on just my personal experience with the games rather than what it is within them that I love, I didn’t really get into detail about that at all lol but. I already said so much 💀

[qbren]

Dark Souls 2: Scrimbledink of John Andy https://twitch.tv/qbren

The axe pwnalyzer returns! Wander around dusty rat caverns & take down fearsome devilish ghouls! It's time for strong man gaming to become magic!

[bri-the-nautilus]

Blorbo Headcanon: Lucatiel of Mirrah

So I've been doing some theorycrafting recently. And one of the results is this: Lucatiel of Mirrah is trans. Aslatiel of Mirrah doesn't exist. But that's a ways off. To start, let's review some basic information about them.

Lucatiel is a swordswoman from Mirrah, a land of knights built on pride and tradition. She is slowly Hollowing and losing her memory as she searches Drangleic for her long-lost brother. Her greatest fear is that her name and life will be forgotten, reiterating her name like a mantra and begging the Bearer of the Curse not to forget her. She wears a silver mask shaped like the face of a goateed, mustachioed man. The description of her mask in Dark Souls III even remarks that it's strange how the mask has a woman's name attached to it when it's styled after a man's face.

Aslatiel is a phantom who invades the player in Aldia's Keep (after their final meeting with Lucatiel if her quest was followed). He wears the same equipment as Lucatiel, including her mask (granted, the obtainable maskless Mirrah hat is a dlc item) and weapons. In her dialogue, Lucatiel mentions that they learned to fence together, but that Aslatiel was much better and she (despite the competence she displays in DSII and the fact that Aslatiel is a really easy invader) was never held to be anywhere near as good as him.

Now headcanon time. My personal headcanon is that Lucatiel is an only child. She was assigned male at birth and named Aslatiel. He grew up and became the most decorated swordsman in all Mirrah, issued a mask styled after his face as part of his knight's armor. But Aslatiel always felt like something was missing. Eventually, he realized that he was always meant to be someone else. And thus, Aslatiel of Mirrah disappeared and Lucatiel of Mirrah was born.

Those in her life didn't react well. In Mirrah, skill in battle and familial heritage are the only things of value. Lucatiel was and still is their greatest warrior, but the honor Aslatiel won for his nameless, penniless family is now detached from her in the eyes of the people. Lucatiel continues to wear the mask in the hopes that people will see she's still the same knight, but her family and fellow knights don't see it that way. "Aslatiel was better than you," they say. "Aslatiel was on a whole other level. You will never meet his measure. If only he were still here."

Eventually, Lucatiel leaves Mirrah and ends up in Drangleic. During this time, she becomes Undead and begins Hollowing. She says that she has started to lose her memories, oldest first. She forgets the part of her life where she transitioned. She thinks she was always the swordswoman Lucatiel and Aslatiel was a separate person entirely. A greater warrior than she, beloved by their family and people. A warrior whose measure she could never meet in all the time "they" spent training. If I could find Aslatiel, if I could bring him back to Mirrah, I can earn back the respect of my family, she thinks. The brother and hero we all miss dearly will be returned and all will be well. So she searches. She knows on some level that she will find Aslatiel in Drangleic, because Aslatiel is wherever she is. She was/is Aslatiel. She knows on some level that she was something before she was Lucatiel, and that her loved ones will be loath to remember her as Lucatiel, but she can't quite articulate it. As her memory fades further, all that remains is a fear that her hard-won truth of self will be lost. When she begs the BoTC to "remember her name," she isn't asking for the name and deeds of Lucatiel the warrior to be remembered. She's asking for the name and memory of Lucatiel the girl to be remembered. When she goes hollow, and the last memories of herself are gone, her spirit manifests in its most basal form, drained of all of the experience and memory and introspection that Lucatiel gained. Everything that made her Lucatiel. Aslatiel of Mirrah, clutching a tarnished blade, arises not far from where Lucatiel finally faded. A mindless Hollow who has truly, in every way, lost herself.

Now why am I telling you all this? Let's just say I have something in the works.

[sea-solaire]

Saw DSII slander on my dash which I cannot stand for so here's some things that make me feel very normal from the bestworst souls game (ft. Dark Souls Twotena)

Also bonus silly