Most Emotional Quotes In The Dark Souls Games

Summary

• Characters in Dark Souls often face tragic backstories and must make difficult moral choices.
• The dialogue from NPCs like Saulden, Laurentius, Lucatiel, and Sieglinde reflect the melancholy and despair of the game’s world.
• The Dark Souls series is known for its emotional storytelling and quotes that resonate with players.

In the Dark Souls games, players are constantly at risk of losing their sanity and becoming “Hollow” as they attempt to reverse the Undead curse that plagues all life. Very few characters survive, tragic backstories are rife and players will often have to turn on their own moral code to complete questlines.

Safe to say, there are an abundance of quotes from the Dark Souls games that are full of despair and misery. Most Souls players will find it a real challenge not to tear up at this list, but just remember: “Don’t you dare go Hollow.“

Updated on December 24, 2024, by Gerardo Molina: Players who have never completed a single Dark Souls game might think that, with so much going on in terms of combat, weapons, spells and armor, there-s likely not enough time to understand the lore an the characters’ backstories. However, one of the greatest things about the Dark Souls franchise is that players can learn a lot from their enemies if they listen closely during the various boss fights they’ll encounter. Many of them have tragic backstories, and aren’t monsters out of hatred and malice, but rather out of drowning in grief, botched magic experimentation, and even family feuds and curses.

20

“Leave us be, Ashen One. Sweep all thought of us from thy mind. As thy kind always have.”

Sister Friede, Dark Souls 3

There’s some interesting lore behind the Painted World of Ariandel according to some players who’ve done their research. Every time the world rots, or falls into darkness, The Painter paints a new world and every creature moves there. This is the natural cycle, yet Slave Knight Gael, Father Ariandel, and Sister Friede have always frowned upon those who link the fire, as they get in the way of said cycle, preventing the rotting world from dying.

This quote by Sister Friede not only expresses her malcontent towards the Ashen Ones who seek to link the fire, but also conveys a feeling of hopelessness and resentment born from the rest of the world’s lack of care for the Painted World of Ariandel and those who inhabit it.

19

“We’ll never amount to anything, not you, not I …”

Hawkwood The Deserter, Dark Souls 3

Hawkwood is one of those NPCs that don’t really ever pose a threat to the Ashen One, but rather spend their time sulking and regretting their life’s decisions. As a deserter of both the Undead Legions of Farron and his duties as an Unkindled, Hawkood has a bunch of dialogue referring to his dishonorable position, and the way he feels about it.

As an Unkindled, Hawkwood was part of those who tried to link the fire and failed, so now he spends his days in desperation, wallowing in self-pity and claiming that he’ll never amount to anything.

18

“I May Be But Small, But I Will Die A Colossus.”

Ludleth of Courland, Dark Souls 3

When players first enter the Firelink Shrine in Dark Souls 3, it’s impossible not to notice the various thrones arranged circularly around the bonfire. Most of them are empty, except for one, and in it, there sits Ludleth of Courland. Ludleth doesn’t seem too intimidating, if anything, he looks quite frail and defenseless, but when the Ashen One approaches him to have a conversation, his words are truly magnificent.

This quote in particular has a ton of meaning behind it, as it not only shows that Ludleth is aware of his current frail state, but also okay with his imminent death. He’s willing to sacrifice himself for a greater purpose, elevating him from the poor state he’s in and going out in a blaze of glory, once again fulfilling his role as a Lord of Cinder.

17

“Ah, You Ignorant Slaves. Finally Taken Notice Have You? Of The Power Of My Beloved Ocelotte, Child Of Dragons.Well, I Will Not Give Him Up. For He Is All That I Have.”

Oceiros, the Consumed King, Dark Souls 3

The story of Oceiros is a twisted one. Once a mighty king married to the queen of Lordran (suspected to be Gwynevere) from the original Dark Souls, he was tasked to father children fit to link the fire and keep the world from darkness. However, in his obsession for power, ancient dragons and creating the perfect child, he was transformed into a monstrous draconic.

This quote not only reflects Oceiros’ arrogance, which makes him look down on his subjects and consider them slaves, but also goes to show his obsession with creating the perfect offspring. He protects Ocelotte not only because he’s his father, but also because, as he says, he has nothing else left. Trapped for centuries in a secluded chamber, his kingdom and his rule are no more, and all hope for his lineage to link the fire is long gone.

16

“Ashen One, Hearest Thou My Voice, Still?”

The Fire Keeper, Dark Souls 3

This quote can only be heard if players obtain the Eyes of the Fire Keeper from the Untended Graves area and exhaust her dialogue when the game ends. This leads to “The End of Fire” ending, which leaves the world in pitch-black darkness for eternity. As the Fire Keeper travels with the Ashen One to the bonfire where the Soul of Cinder was killed, the fire will start to fade.

Little by little, the world will be engulfed by darkness, and as the last trace of light disappears, players will hear the Fire Keeper say these disheartening words.

15

“This Spot Marks Our Grave… But You May Rest Here Too, If You Like.”

Lothric, Dark Souls 3

Dark Souls 3 is a fitting end to the series despite some issues players may have with the overall experience. Still, if there’s one thing the game absolutely nailed, it’s the enthralling boss fights that take no prisoners.

When players trigger the boss fight against Lothric and Lorian, they are greeted with a line that seems sinister but actually houses a lot of pain and sadness. Both princes are bound by a curse that rendered them weak and unable to fulfill their duty, with Lothric outright refusing to link the First Flame to prevent this accursed world from existing any longer. It’s a sentiment that echoes in this statement that sounds like a threat but is more of an invitation.

14

“To Be Alive, To Walk This Earth, That’s The Real Curse Right There.”

Saulden, Dark Souls 2

NPC Crestfallen Saulden in Dark Souls 2 provides players with information – and downtrodden dialogue. Although he discourages players from reversing the curse, Saulden is beloved for his melancholy outlook, similar to the snarky Crestfallen Warrior in Dark Souls.

Interactions with Saulden are brief and his backstory is unknown, but he claims that existing in this Universe is “the real curse.” Of course, longtime players of the Dark Souls franchise will find it difficult to disagree with him.

13

“Be Safe, Friend. Don’t You Dare Go Hollow.”

Laurentius, Dark Souls

After players rescue him from an Undead Butcher, Laurentius rewards gamers with a Pyromancy Flame, which is significant because Pyromancy kept him from going Hollow: “When I gave you that flame, I gave you a part of myself. Please take good care of it.” Hard not to feel attached to Laurentius after that exchange!

During Laurentius’ final conversation, he says this powerful line about avoiding the Hollowing, which is tragically ironic because Laurentius is next seen in Blighttown, having turned Hollow. Laurentius’ warning to fight against becoming Hollow is a devastating metaphor for players resisting a depressive spiral. No wonder this quote resides in most players’ memories.

12

“There Is No Path. Beyond The Scope Of Light, Beyond The Reach Of Dark… What Could Possibly Await Us? And Yet, We Seek It, Insatiably… Such Is Our Fate.”

Aldia, Dark Souls 2

Feelings of nihilism and hopelessness are rife in Dark Souls, with the second game leaving heavily into this side of things. While some people felt like Miyazaki’s absence made this title harder to swallow, there are still a lot of redeeming factors in Dark Souls 2 that make it worth playing.

Aldia, an optional boss of Dark Souls 2 who happens to be the Scholar of the First Sin, reflects on the pointless nature of the endeavor to keep the flame going. It’s a unique line of dialogue that proves just how hopeless the world of Dark Souls really is.

11

“I Beg Of You, Remember My Name. For I May Not Myself.”

Lucatiel, Dark Souls 2

Cursed and close to Hollowing, Lucatiel is a knight searching for her lost brother, Aslatiel. Her search is made difficult by her quickly deteriorating memory. Underneath her mask, one of her eyes is rotting. Her greatest fear is losing her memory, and she is desperate to kill anyone for a cure.

Her brother, Aslatiel, was one of the greatest swordsmen in Mirrah before he became infected and left to seek the cure. Sadly, the player knows Lucatiel will never find Aslatiel alive; Aslatiel earlier appeared as a dark spirit and possessed the player in the Old Keep, proving Aslatiel died before Dark Souls 2 gameplay began. Even if the player could tell Lucatiel about her brother’s fate, she would only forget. With each encounter, her memory deteriorates until she tragically no longer knows her own name.

10

“This Is A Land Of Monstrosities. And I Am No Exception.”

Karla, Dark Souls 3

Karla the Dark Souls 3 merchant is endearingly sarcastic and profound in a bleak world where humor can be sparse. Her face is obscured by her witch’s hat, and her backstory is shrouded in rumors. She insists she is an unforgivably “guilty” “wretched child of the Abyss” and lacks faith in humanity, declaring: “Humans are of the dark, and you are no different”.

If players refuse to learn dark pyromancy and sorcery from Karla, she has nothing else to offer and repeats this self-deprecating quote, encapsulating the misery of the Dark Souls games.

9

“If He Goes Hollow I’ll Just Have To Kill Him Again.”

Sieglinde, Dark Souls

Sieglinde, daughter of Siegmeyer of Catarina, admits this dreadful line while bravely seeking her father; it implies that Sieglinde had a difficult past where she already had to kill Siegmeyer once before to make him Undead (for some unknown reason). Her father, Siegmeyer, is a loyal friend, cheerfully surviving off adventuring, despite having a mysterious, heartbreaking backstory.

He selflessly attempts a suicide mission to help players escape from Chaos Eaters in Lost Izalith. Afterward, Sieglinde finds Siegmeyer by Ash Lake, but he has lost half his health and turned Hollow. Despite deeply loving him, she reluctantly fulfills her promise to mercy kill her father, which is a heartbreaking event for players to witness. Once Siegmeyer is dead, Sieglinde addresses the player, sobbing: “My father…all Hollow now…has been subdued. He will cause no more trouble.”

8

“Horace… Don’t Leave Me, Not You… Not Like The Others.”

Anri, Dark Souls 3

As a child, Anri escaped Aldrich, a foul man-eating creature, believing him to be dead. Now an Unkindled adult, Anri is duty-bound to defeat Aldrich when his coffin is found empty. Anri is terrified of facing their childhood nightmare alone and relies on the “upstanding, kindhearted” knight, Horace. Horace will disappear and be found Hollow at the Smouldering Lake. If players kill Horace in front of Anri, Anri will be inconsolable, refusing to complete their duty. However, not killing Horace results in Anri falling victim to him and severs Anri’s potential endings.

Otherwise, once Horace is dead, players have two options. First, allow Anri to be assassinated, marry Anri’s corpse, and selfishly abandon humanity to become Lord of Hollows in one sinister ending. Or second, help Anri defeat Aldrich, after which Anri will Hollow at Horace’s resting place. No matter what players decide, Anri’s fate is to die alone, be betrayed, or be abandoned.

7

“You Killed Him, Didn’t You? Do As You Like, Take Your Precious Demon Soul.”

Maiden Astraea, Demon’s Souls

Once a Saint, Astraea made a pilgrimage to the Valley of Defilement with her bodyguard, Garl Vinland, where she hoped to ease the suffering of those forgotten by God. Astraea was demoralized by the injustices in the Valley, leading her to a crisis of faith whereby she embraced the demon fog of the Old One, ascending to Arch Demon status herself. As such, players visit the Valley intent on destroying Astraea the Arch Demon, as part of their mission to overthrow the Old One that she now serves.

Entering the Valley of Defilement will confirm immediately that it is a terrible location, plagued with death and disease (and a gory, disturbing river of aborted children). Yet it is clear that Astraea used her demonic powers to create a “Sanctuary for the lost and wretched” and in return, the inhabitants of the Valley worshipped her with pure devotion. Many players have felt like evil invaders themselves when the seemingly peaceful Astraea pleads for the Slayer of Demons to leave, but Garl will come to Astraea’s defense, and in his defeat, Astraea will accept her end.

6

“There Is A Darkness Within Man, And I Am Afraid You Will Peer Into It. Whether The Fear Will Spark Self-Reflection Or A Ruinous Nostalgia… Is Up To You Entirely. Fear Not, Your Choice Will Bring You No Scorn…”

Karia, Dark Souls 3

One of the many lost souls in Dark Souls 3 that players can send back to Firelink Shrine to save their lives is Karla. She’s an important character for mages, letting them learn a wealth of powerful magic that can be used to decimate opponents.

She’s also a rather introspective character, much like the other characters in Dark Souls. She doesn’t waste any time in talking about the futile nature of the Ashen One’s endeavor and pondering how they’d react to witnessing the depravity that mankind has incurred upon the world time and time again.

5

“Yhorm, Old Friend. I, Siegward Of The Knights Of Catarina, Have Come To Uphold My Promise!”

Siegward, Dark Souls 3

In Dark Souls 3, Giants are tortured, experimented upon, enslaved, and murdered. Descendant of a conqueror, Yhorm is reluctantly elected to be King, forced to rule over his former enslavers. Despite defending his kingdom loyally, Yhorm’s subjects remained prejudiced and mistrustful against him. To prove his trustworthiness, Yhorm gave giant-killing Storm Ruler swords to his kingdom and his kindhearted friend, Siegward (descendant of Siegmeyer), who swore to kill Yhorm if he ever failed his people.

During his reign, Yhorm Links the Flame to protect his people. ‘Linking the Flame’ means providing a soul as a fuel source and feeding it to the First Fire; this is believed to prevent the Age of Dark, prophesied to be full of unimaginable horrors. However, when Yhorm sacrifices himself to Links the Flame, his kingdom burns with him. Yhorm is resurrected, doomed to sit on his throne surrounded by the charred remains of the subjects he failed, waiting for Siegward to execute him. Siegward yells this quote after gathering the courage to kill his beloved friend with the player’s help.

4

“I Wonder When Uncle Gael Intends His Return.”

Painter, Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel

The Painter girl is under the care of the Slave Knight Gael, whom she affectionately calls Uncle – despite mysteries surrounding her lineage and even her name. Gael was forced to fight for kingdoms without reward until he escaped enslavement. He believes the Painter can paint a new world to replace the dying one – if she uses the blood of the dark soul as her paint.

Scouring the world for dark souls, Gael loses his sanity, consuming many dark souls by the time players finally confront him. After defeating Gael, players take Gael’s blood to the Painter in the burning Ariandel Chapel. Unaware of Gael’s murder at the player’s hands, the Painter ponders these painfully naive words, as she unknowingly uses Gael’s blood to paint a world where Gael will never live.

3

“Heavens, She Was Already Dead.”

Greirat, Dark Souls 3

Famous Greirat the Thief is an enslaved shadow of his former self when players find his cell in the High Wall. He requests his Blue Tearstone Ring (which warns the wearer if death is imminent) be delivered to “Loretta”, clearly fearing for her life. Unfortunately, when players find the old woman in the village, her corpse is mysteriously hanging upside down, causing Greirat to lament: “Heavens, she was already dead.” Players may witness Grierat mourning Loretta when he believes he is alone.

Afterward, Greirat completes dangerous looting missions for players and will die in the Irithyll Dungeon if players do not trust Patches, to rescue him. If he survives the dungeon, Greirat perishes in Lothric Castle. When explaining his loyalty to the player, Greirat says: “I lived a petty rat, but I would rather not die as one”. Indeed, his selfless acts truly redeem this tragic NPC.

2

“My Brother…Rise If You Would. For That, Is Our Curse.”

Lothric, Dark Souls 3

The Dark Souls universe is overflowing with characters chained to duty and destined to a miserable fate – can anyone blame the Twin Princes for trying to evade it? Their father, mad King Oceiros, committed heinous crimes to create a strong heir to Link the Flame, cursing Prince Lothric at birth and leaving him destined to burn and be bedridden from childhood.

His twin, Prince Lorian, defended their kingdom, slayed a Demon Prince, and then selflessly linked his soul with Lothric’s to attempt to Link the Fire together. Lothric’s curse physically deformed Lorian, rendering him mute. Disillusioned and suffering, Lorian and Lothric committed “The Grand Betrayal,” refusing to Link the Flame and welcoming the Age of the Dark. When players kill Lorian, sickly Lothric revives him with this quote, offering strength to his beloved brother as Lorian did for him. Lothric clings hauntingly onto his twin’s shoulders and is slain in battle together, making them one of the best brother duos in video game history. A melancholy ending for siblings who were born into a twisted, hopeless world they rightly gave up on.

1

“Please Sister, Do Not Cry. I Am Happy…I Have You, Don’t I?”

Quelaag’s Sister, Dark Souls

Mutated by the chaotic Flame, Quelaag and her sister’s bodies are cruelly fused onto Demon Spiders. Although nightmarish in appearance, the sisters retained their sanity and devotion. When Queelag’s sister (aka the Fair Lady) is blinded while saving servants from a parasitic disease, Quelaag swears to protect her. A formidable Boss, Quelaag tries to feed players’ humanity to her weakened sister.

After defeating Quelaag and equipping the Old Witch’s Ring, players discover Quelaag’s Sister in a secret chamber. Due to her blindness and the Player carrying Quelaag’s soul, the Fair Lady believes the player is Quelaag and says the harrowing words above. Players can choose to selflessly harvest their own humanity for the Fair Lady to reduce her suffering. Otherwise, they can kill Quelaag’s Sister – who tragically assumes Quelaag is betraying her – and harvest her Fire Keeper’s Soul. Two more victims of immense suffering in this unforgiving world.