As far as their approach to storytelling goes, has always prioritized sub♋tle above a🐠ll else. Between and , the average game demands the audience’s attention just to understand the main characters’ core motivation – this naturally applies to BluePoint Games’ on the , as well.
Demon’s Souls has some of the most fascinating characters in t༺he franchise, but they’re almost all shrouded in obscurity. Understanding Demon’s Souls’ cast, who they are and what defines them, requires taking a deep dive into the game’s lore & backstory.
10 Maiden In Black: Arguably The Strongest Being In Existence
The Nexus’ resident leveling maiden – and the first of her kind across the Soulsborne franchise – the Maiden in Black might very well be the single strongest being in all of Demon’s Souls. With a backstory shrouded in mystery, the Maiden suggests to the player that her purpose is mainly to keep the candles in the Nexus lit, but it becom﷽es abundantly clear rather quickly that this isn’t the case.
Beyond being able to channel the power of souls, strengthening players, the mere act of leveling requires “touching the demon inside [h𝓡er.]” Call it purple prose, but that’s a significant bit of dialogue, especially when paired with the fact that the Maiden in Black shares a deep connection to the Old One where she’s the only one capable of lulling the all powerful demon back to sleep.
9 The Monumental: Not So Stoic After All
The Monumentals are depicted as emotionless entities whose mere presences are vital in keeping the very fabric of ’ world together. Without the Monumentals, the Colorless Fog would have consumed all of Boletaria, but by the time the story begins in earnest, only a single Mo♍numental remains. While their initial cutscene stands out as one of the game’s most iconic, it’s actual♔ly possible to interact with the Monumental a few more times.
Depending on whether players agreed to help the Monumental or not will also change their dialogue. Byꦍ answering “no,” the Monumental will actually lament that the player must hate them before going silent for the rest of the game. By answering “yes,” players will eventually form a bond with the Monumental that ends with them rewarding the Friend Ring – a useful ring for co-op.
8 Stockpile Thomas: A Coward’s Plight
As outwardly pleasant as Stockpile Thomas might be, the man is a coward to his. Despite enough in-game evidence to deduce that his wife was a witch, Stockpile Thomas still left her and their daughter for death, trapping himself in the Ne𒅌xus in the process. Throughout the game, Thomas will lament his cowardice, especially if players gave him his daughter’s Jade Hair Ornament.
Curiously, Thomas has new dialogue upon clearing bosses. By speaking to him right after defeating any ꩲboss, Thomas will start to introspect on his ✃own cowardice, rationalizing to himself that he can’t leave these wall𓆏s despite sincerely wanting to. By the end, he’s left regretting the path he’s taken while still diligentℱly fulfilling his role.
7 Crestfallen Warrior: A Cautionary Tale
The Crestfallen Warrior is an easy enough character to dismiss, an archetype that appears p🌃eriodically throughout FromSoftware’s games, but his initial appearance in Demon’s Souls serves an important thematic role: the Crestfallen Warrior not only represents what will become of the player if they remain inactive in the Nexus, but what would realistically happen to the person holding the controller in such a hostile setting.
The Crestfallen Warrior is a reflection of humanity in its purest form. He’s already b🌜een killed and he’s genuinely afraid to confront the trauma that brought him down. Rather than confronting his demons, the Crestfallen Warrior hides from them, eventually forgetting who he is and losing all individuality in the process. He’s a cynical representation of Demon’s Souls’ cold take on mankind.
6 Ostrava: Ariona Allant, The Prince Who Lost Everything
Ostrava of Boletaria, also known as Ariona Allant, is one of the most important NPCs in Demon’s Souls. As far as side characters go, Os🅠trava has the clear✤est arc, the deepest connection to the player save for the Maiden in Black, and has a story that’s designed to span the entire game. The fact he’s the main villain’s son makes Ostrava a character worth paying attention to, but it can be difficult to get the full scope of who he is & his motivations.
Raised in Latria, Ostrava sets out to Boletaria as soon as he hears rumors telling of his father’s demonhood. Ostrava intercepts the Colorless Fog much like the player character, but he slowly loses hope as he ventures closer to the Palace. Ostrava has no real plan other than to reason with his father, but upon meeting the Falꦏse King, Ostrava commits suicide – unable to grasp the reconcile what Allant has done.
5 Patches: The First Of Many Hyenas
Patches has ruined many a Souls fan’s day, the൩ franchise’s resident trickster – always putting up a friendly 💃front just to sell the player out for treasure, often leaving them for dead. As nefarious as Patches is, there’s also a charm to his character that’s kept him coming back since his debut in Demon’s Souls.
In some respects, Patches is ♑almost a mascot for the🍷 Souls games. It’s also worth pointing out that Patches is one of the few elements from Demon’s Souls to more or less transfer over to Dark Souls wholesale without any major changes.
4 King Allant: The Dangers Of Soulsucker
Respeccing isn’t doable in Demon’s Souls through conventional means, but it also isn’t impossible. With enough patience (or a friend with the appropriate Magic equipped,) it’s possible to de-level by succumbing to Soulsucker, an attack which drains the player of one level off their🅰 highest stat. The spell can be learned for PvP purposes, but it’s otherwise used exclusively by False King Allant in 1-4.
Allant will only use Soulsucker at close range, and the attack has a fairly𓂃 lengthy telegraph. Allant’s hand will glow white for a second before lunging at the player. Soulsucker is easy to dodge so long as players don’t attack while Allant is charging up, but it’s even easier to bait. Just keep close and Allant will keep Soulsucking.
3 Maiden Astraea: A Dangerously Impure Soul
Maiden Astraea is already one of the most fascinating characters in Demon’s Souls, ღbut she’s made more intriguing by her status as an Archdemon. The Valley of Defilement builds Astraea and her sworn knight, Garl Vinland, as truly dangerous foes. The area itself is the harshest in the🌌 game – more or less already condemned – and Astraea is considered particularly impure.
While this could hint at nefarious character෴ization to🌊 Astraea’s otherwise pristine appearance (depicted as a young woman in cleric’s garb,) it likely speaks to Astraea’s own sacrifice to keep the Valley of Defilement intact. In taking on the sick and hurt of those around her, Astraea’s own soul is corrupted to staggering levels.
2 The Old One: Close To Godliness
Characters in Demon’s Souls frequently refer to a singular God which, coupled with the fact that the Old One is an entity cꦿonfirmed to actually exist, would suggest that this divine creator likewise exists. The Talismans of God and Beast also imply a God/Devil dichotomy between the Old One and “God.”
In truth, there is no God in Demon’s 🔴Souls. The Old One is the closest thing th꧅ere is to a divine “Greater Being,” and even it seems to exist at the beck & call of the Maiden in Black (albeit not through its own free will.) Images of God in Demon’s Souls – particularly the Talisman of God – are actually that of the Old One, its iconography twisted and reinterpreted by the people of Boletaria.
1 Slayer Of Demons: One Final Betrayal
While the player character – formally the Slayer of Demons – does have agency in their dialogue choices and which NPCs live & die, they’re mainly at the beck and call of the Maiden in Black. She’s the one who points players in the right direction, leveling them while🌟 ultim✅ately preparing to lull the Old One back to sleep, in the process turning the Slayer of Demons into the next Monumental. But that doesn’t have to be the end of the player’s journey.
Demon’s Souls is a game all about temptation, and in its final moments, the Maiden in Black is left unattended outside the Nexus – actually capable of death.There’s a natural gameplay temptation to cut her down right then and there, if only to see what will happen. It frankly speaks to the gameﷺ’s subtle theming, always allowing players to craft their own journey and betray the one person who’s unconditionally helped them along their way, just out of sheer curiosity. It’s the Old One’s influence coming to roost.