History Memes / DarkSouls

* "[[HulkSpeak Gavlan wheel]], [[CatchPhrase Gavlan deal]]." [[labelnote:Explanation]]Gavlan, a merchant from ''Dark Souls II'', is most famous for his humorously blunt slogan.[[/labelnote]]

[[/labelnote]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWLU6JT0OXE 387]], from a video mocking a player doing PVP in the forest, which has no Soul Level restrictions. It's an absurdly high level to PVP with, since the community favors staying in the 100 to 125 range, if not lower.

* Git gud.[[labelnote:Explanation]]This intentionally-misspelled bit of advice is used on people who are struggling with the games. Unhelpful as it may be at first glance, "git gud" is used to tell people that there's no easy way to beat a ''Souls'' game, and the best thing you can do is keep trying to power through it and learn from your mistakes on the way. This became so prevalent in the ''Souls'' fanbase that it eventually began bleeding into other video games as well.[[/labelnote]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXp8Th41rBs THE WALL]] [[labelnote:Explanation]][=OnlyAfro=] goes around making people ragequit by wearing two shields at once so he would be practically immune to most attacks, all while [[ShieldBash shield-bashing]] opponents into a nearby BottomlessPit. This has even extended to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNzBAWdkWfw Pokemon]], as a Mega Aggron with Substitute, Rest, Sleep Talk, and Dragon Tail is an excellent staller.[[/labelnote]]

* '''''[[ItMakesSenseInContext "I FORGOT THE DOOOOOLL!!"]]''''' [[labelnote:Explanation]]From a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku3NV3i_Vqc Whips Only Challenge Run]] video from a user named "A Wild Deathstroke", that was spread to a dizzying extent in the Dark Souls community, for its humorously relatable context of forgetting something so plain yet so important, and for how hilarious it is ''out'' of context hearing a man screaming about forgetting a doll while [[OrchestralBombing dramatic music]] plays in the background. Context being that there is an item called the "Peculiar Doll", that allows entrance into [[BrutalBonusLevel the Painted World of Ariamis]], but is well-known for it's [[GuideDangIt rather obtuse]] way of finding it, which is going to a specific spot, doing a specific emote, waiting for a specific amount of time, which takes you back to the Undead Asylum, then going ''all the way back'' to the very beginning of the level. Needless to say, it's easy to forget about, and many consider forgetting it excusable.[[/labelnote]]

** The Bone Zone [[labelnote:Explanation]]Any area containing said Bonewheel Skeletons, such as the lower levels of the Painted World or the Catacombs Area before Pinwheel, will be refered as a "Bone Zone" for [[DoubleEntendre obvious reasons]][[/labelnote]]

** [[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants And if you take a look on your right, you'll see two naked guys fighting over a can of paint!]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]It's implied the reason Gael cannabalized the Pgmy lords and attacks the Ashen One is because he wants them to slay him and take his now Dark Soul infused blood to the Painter, so she can use it to paint a new world. Just the fact that the FinalBoss of the entire series can be summed up with a ''Spongebob'' line is worth a chuckle. [[/labelnote]]

** [[VideogamePerversityPotential You can write stuff that normally wouldn't be appropriate]], such as "Need head" and "[[ADateWithRosiePalms Try holding with both hands]]". The tradition continues with the sequel, giving us such classics as "Beware of toxic, but hole." and "Praise the sun, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment and then Praise the sun!]]"

** [[GagBoobs Amazing Chest Ahead.]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]One of the more common messages found in front of [[MsFanservice Gwynevere]]'s chamber, although it occasionally appears near [[WalkingShirtlessScene blacksmith Andre]] and [[GodivaHair Quelaag]].[[/labelnote]]

** "Why is everyone stabbing me in the back?" "Because it's easy. And it does lots of damage." [[labelnote:Explanation]]There are invisible enemies in the Shaded Woods who can backstab you, and as always, it's a favored tactic in PVP.[[/labelnote]]

* "Why's he called Big Hat Logan?" [[labelnote:Explanation]]The NPC Big Hat Logan is known as such because of his [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin very big hat]]. Whenever discussions about the immensely complicated lore of the ''Souls'' games comes up, people tend to cite Big Hat Logan's name as an example.[[/labelnote]]

* Plin-Plin-Plon. [[labelnote:Explanation (spoilers)]]These three piano notes are from the final fight with Gwyn.[[/labelnote]]

* '''''[[ItMakesSenseInContext "I FORGOT THE DOOOOOLL!!"]]''''' [[labelnote:Explanation]]From a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku3NV3i_Vqc Whips Only Challenge Run]] video from a user named "A Wild Deathstroke", that was spread to a dizzying extent in the Dark Souls community, for it's humorously relatable context of forgetting something so plain yet so important, and for how hilarious it is ''out'' of context hearing a man screaming about forgetting a doll while [[OrchestralBombing dramatic music]] plays in the background. Context being that there is an item called the "Peculiar Doll", that allows entrance into [[BrutalBonusLevel the Painted World of Ariamis]], but is well-known for it's [[GuideDangIt rather obtuse]] way of finding it, which is going to a specific spot, doing a specific emote, waiting for a specific amount of time, which takes you back to the Undead Asylum, then going ''all the way back'' to the very beginning of the level. Needless to say, it's easy to forget about, and many consider forgetting it excusable.[[/labelnote]]

* ''Dark Souls II'' said trans rights[[labelnote:Explanation]]The existence of a coffin in the starting area that does nothing but change your character's gender was received very well by the game's trans and non-binary fans and fit into the social media memes around "X character said 'trans rights'." It helps that ''Dark Souls II'' is the only game in the series to allow the player to change gender after character creation: ''Dark Souls I'' had no mechanic for altering appearance after creation, and while ''Dark Souls III'' does have such a mechanic, gender is the one thing (besides name) that cannot be changed.[[/labelnote]]

* YOU DEFEATED/VICTORY ACHIEVED [[labelnote:Explanation]]The message that appears when you defeat a boss. May show up in other instances where a boss in another game is defeated or some great feat attained.[[/labelnote]]

* [[http://conniptions.gives/ Gives me conniptions.]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]A very particular line uttered by Hawkwood the Deserter that caught on with fans.[[/labelnote]]

** "Hand it over. That thing, your dark soul." [[labelnote:Explanation (massive spoilers)]]Upon finding the frenzied Slave Knight Gael at the literal end of the world in the final area of the DLC, he says this particularly memorable quote.[[/labelnote]]

** "POWER UP THE BASS CANNON... FIRE!" [[labelnote:Explanation]]Yet another line from the same video by [=OnlyAfro=], as the track used is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssSup3DT0pU Excision & Downlink - Existence VIP ]]... [[CurbstompBattle Pwnage ensues.]][[/labelnote]]

* K***ht [[labelnote:Explanation]]Both ''DSII'' and ''DSIII'' have an extremely long and overzealous list of words and letter strings that get censored in character names, which suffers badly from the ScunthorpeProblem. One of said censored words is "[[NWordPrivileges nig]]", which happens to be part of the word "knight". Since the idea of the word "knight" getting censored in a game about knights is inherently hilarious, some players will always write "knight" with the offending portion censored in order to mock said censorship.[[/labelnote]]

** Taken UpToEleven with the Crown of the Ivory King DLC, where Maldron returns, and is somehow even ''more'' devious. [[labelnote:explanation]]Maldron will [[BitchInSheepsClothing disguise themselves as a White Phantom]] using the White Ring and welcome the player with friendly gestures... and then try to backstab the player when they pull a lever near them, jeering with a "No Way" gesture if they succeed. If they fail, or if you catch on and attack them, they'll flee to hide behind the icy hedgehogs in the area or the white Covetous Demon in the cave below, to try to double-team you with the miniboss and taunt you with a "Decapitate" gesture if you die. And this is in ''addition'' to their usual tactics of backstab fishing, tossing Corrosive Urns, and generally being very strong.[[/labelnote]]

* "The ''Dark Souls'' of X." [[labelnote:Explanation]]A meme that stems from gaming news outlets and critics comparing modern NintendoHard games like ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' and ''VideoGame/CrashBandicootNSaneTrilogy'' to ''Dark Souls'', particularly when their difficulty is the only thing they have in common. Gamers were quick to mock these kinds of comparisons, and began jokingly labelling other difficult games as "the ''Dark Souls'' of X" -- for example, referring to ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' as "the ''Dark Souls'' of ''Franchise/{{Persona}}''" or to ''VideoGame/Splatoon2: Octo Expansion'' as "the ''Dark Souls'' of ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}''".[[/labelnote]]

* While not originating from ''Dark Souls'', "[[https://40.media.tumblr.com/e8dfb00d541dafa78c6d6f3fe5bad0f4/tumblr_n6r0v8oySz1ru23uuo1_1280.png Touch fluffy tail]]" was readily borrowed from the Monster Girl Quest fandom in association with Priscilla. This then sprung forward to ''other'' instances of one's fascination with a CuteMonsterGirl's tail in various media.

* Reindeer Funland/Reindeer Fuckland [[labelnote:Explanation]]A nickname for the [[ThatOneLevel Frigid Outskirts]], the least well-regarded of the criticized optional "challenge areas" introduced in the downloadable content, populated almost exclusively with [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot electric frozen flying reindeer]]. The almost infinitely respawning waves of these aggressive caribou, combined with a blizzard that blocks all visibility with only a few seconds of reprieve every minute or so, has led to this area being considered one of the most outlandishly and unfairly difficult in the series. Even more than the Valley of Defilement, Blighttown, the Shrine of Amana or Irithyll Dungeon. [[/labelnote]]

* The tradition of officially retiring a character by committing suicide (most often sepuku with the bewitched Allone sword) right outside Things Betwixt, so the sheer number of bloodstains will scare new players. Others who choose to exploit the Rings of Life/Soul Protection will make sure their final bloodstain (since dying with the ring on doesn’t move your bloodstain) is there, just to add to the pile. Other players chip in by leaving vague disheartening messages like “despair...” or “I can’t take this...”

* Kill Emma.[[labelnote:Explanation]]Emma, High Priestess of Lothric Castle, is an NPC you meet early on who primarily exists to prevent you from entering Lothric Castle too early. You ''can'' bypass her by simply killing her, but doing so forces you to fight the [[ThatOneBoss Dancer of the Boreal Valley]] far earlier. In the grand tradition of Dark Souls, the majority of messages left in her area [[SchmuckBait tell new players to kill her]].[[/labelnote]]

** [[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants And if you take a look on your right, you'll see two naked guys fighting over a can of paint!]] [[labelnote:Explanation]] It's implied the reason Gael cannabalized the Pgmy lords and attacks the Ashen One is because he wants them to slay him and take his now Dark Soul infused blood to the Painter, so she can use it paint a new world. Just the fact the FinalBoss of the entire series can be summed up with a ''Spongebob'' line is worth a chuckle. [[/labelnote]]

** ...And then the host lead me to fight Midir. [[labelnote:Explanation]]A lot of players have trouble fighting Darkeater Midir, leading them to summon other players to try to help. Sometimes they will go looking for summon signs quite far away from Midir's fight and lead the summon back there, frustrating co-op players who are ''very'' tired of fighting Midir over and over. People began joking about being lead to fight Midir from other areas or even entirely separate games.[[/labelnote]]

* Plin Plin Plon [[labelnote:Explanation (spoilers)]] This represents the three notes that begin Gwyn's theme, which occur when the Soul of Cinder attains its final form and begins using Gwyn's tactics. Some have said that the nostalgia and tragedy brought on by the abrupt incursion of these three simple notes has driven them to tears. [[/labelnote]]
* Vordt of the Boreal Valley [[labelnote:Explanation]] Vordt's dramatic boss theme has become iconic 'boss music', even outside of the Dark Souls fandom itself, often used to convey a sense of [[OhCrap horror]] in memes. One standout video of the meme is [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=c7BVtGnlxT8 this]] video of chess wunderkind Misha Osipov facing off against Anatoly Karpov, with Karpov in particular being labeled like a ''Dark Souls'' boss, having a healthbar with name appear as Vordt's theme starts playing. The video went viral in March of 2021, accruing almost 10 million views in just 2 months. Many ''Dark Souls'' fans have started to jokingly say that Karpov usurped Vordt, as pretty much everyone outside of the fandom will probably know it as "the Anatoly Karpov meme music" for a long period of time to come. [[/labelnote]]

* "Every Soul has it's Dark." - John Darksoul. [[labelnote:Explanation]]There is a joking agreement between fans to pretend that the series title comes from this fake TitleDrop by a fictional cliche-ridden ActionHero protagonist.[[/labelnote]]

** Players in ''II'' often put "horse" at complete random, simply because of how baffling it is that the limited vocabulary would include a "horse" phrase in a game with exactly one horse in it (the DLC's have expanded this to ''two'' horses and one respawning horse-like enemy).

* On April 10, 2019, astronomers released the first ever [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Black_hole_-_Messier_87.jpg/2560px-Black_hole_-_Messier_87.jpg photo of a black hole]], which many quickly compared to the series signature Darksign.

* [[{{Pun}} Dark Soles.]][[labelnote:Explanation]]Due to some female characters having bare feet that are particularly well-animated, particularly [[Videogame/DarkSoulsI Priscilla]] and [[Videogame/DarkSoulsIII Sister Friede]], people sometimes joke or ask if Miyazaki has a foot fetish.[[/labelnote]]

* Naked Fuck With A Stick [[labelnote:Explanation]]A description of the Deprived starting character class (Wretch for Elden Ring). Became a meme due to a lot of challenge runs using said character class.[[/labelnote]]

!VideoGame/DarkSoulsI

* [[Videogame/{{Portal}} The tits are a lie.]] [[labelnote:Explanation (spoilers)]]Upon finding out that Gwynevere is just another of Gwyndolin's illusions.[[/labelnote]]

* Sen's Funhouse. [[labelnote:Explanation]] A nickname for Sen's Fortress, which is filled to the brim with deadly traps.[[/labelnote]]
* "Why's he called Big Hat Logan?" [[labelnote:Explanation]]The NPC Big Hat Logan is known as such because of his [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin very big hat]]. Whenever discussions about the immensely complicated lore of the Souls games comes up, people tend to cite Big Hat Logan's name as an example[[/labelnote]]

* "If you're fighting skeletons, you went the wrong way."[[labelnote:Explanation]]At the beginning of the game, after you leave the Undead Asylum, you are in an area with two ways to go - up and down. Going down takes you to the Catacombs, where you battle skeletons that deal ''ridiculous'' amounts of damage to a new character and cannot be killed permanently without Divine weapons, which a new character is guaranteed not to have. Going ''up'' takes you to the Undead Burg, the intended starting area. This meme is one of the first pieces of advice a new player will receive.[[/labelnote]]

!VideoGame/DarkSoulsII
* "[[HulkSpeak Gavlan wheel]], [[CatchPhrase Gavlan deal]]." [[labelnote:Explanation]]Gavlan, a merchant from Dark Souls II, is most famous for his humorously blunt slogan.[[/labelnote]]

* Ballista whiff/Ballista betrayal [[labelnote:Explanation]] The Pursuer is an early-game boss that's very difficult for the level most players are when they fight him. There are also several ballistae scattered around his arena that can be used to take off a huge chunk of his health if the player times it well. Since it's easier with a summon, it's common for players to bring along a buddy so someone can trigger a ballista while the other distracts the boss... only for the player who's not firing to suffer a OneHitKill as the ballista shot hits them instead of the boss.[[/labelnote]]
* [[VideoGame/TotalWarShogun2 Shamefur Dispray]]/Dishonorable Display/Commit Sudoku [[labelnote:Explanation]] Sir Alonne is a boss from the ''Crown of the Old Iron King'' DLC, and is a fairly faithful representation of a [[EverythingsBetterWithSamurai Japanese Samurai]]...including committing Seppuku if the player defeats him quickly without taking damage or healing. Given the popularity of the "Shamefur Dispray" meme and the wider memes relating to Engrish and excessive expectations of Japanese society, Sir Alonne's ritual suicide was quickly re-interpreted in with a more lighthearted tone.[[/labelnote]]
* Fuck the [[ThatOneLevel Shrine of Amana]] [[labelnote:Explanation]] At release, the Shrine of Amana was one of the most notoriously difficult areas across the three then-released 'Souls' games, with bottomless pits barely visible in the water, fast enemies that refused to be baited out of groups, and [[DemonicSpiders priestesses with incredibly accurate homing spells]] that took advantage of the massive sightlines the area offered to bombard you from impossible distances. A future patch nerfed the tracking on the spells of the priestesses, but the area is still infamously difficult to the point where it's often considered poor form to [[EveryoneHasStandards invade people there]].[[/labelnote]]
* Try torch [[labelnote: Explanation]] In the Undead Crypt, the player finds an NPC surrounded by guards in a dark room who explicitly warns the player not to light a torch (and to extinguish any torches they currently have lit). Failing to follow these instructions results in a difficult fight against four enemies that also locks you out of a useful NPC vendor for that playthrough, unless you reset using a ''different'' NPC. It's common for players to leave messages advising players to [[ShmuckBait ignore the NPC's explicit warnings]] in the hallway leading up to the character, and slightly less common to hear horror stories from new players who [[TooDumbToLive followed this advice.]][[/labelnote]]

* FEEBLE CURSED ONE [[labelnote:Explanation]] Straid of Olaphis, one of two vendors who sell you boss items, is notable for loudly denigrating the player every time they leave his shop without buying anything...and he does it anyway when they buy something. [[DamnedByFaintPraise Even when he compliments you, he still insults you!]]
--> ''Straid (giving his set to the player)'': "Cursed one, take these. Put them on, and please, stop being so weak. Heh heh…" [[/labelnote]]
* Felicia the Fucking Strong/Felicia: 99 STR, 1 INT. [[labelnote:Explanation]] In the Shrine of Amana (and, in Scholar of the First Sin, the Lost Bastille) is an NPC summon named Felicia the Brave, equipped with a heavy weapons and armor. She will frequently charge ahead of the player, aggroing more enemies than her summoner might have been prepared for, and she is at high risk of dying before reaching the bosses she's supposed to help with. Naturally, this led to the community interpreting her as a LeeroyJenkins whose massive strength was only achieved by [[DumpStat sacrificing her intelligence]]. The nicknames themselves are courtesy of LetsPlay/EpicNameBro. [[/labelnote]]
* Everyone hates/loves Maldron the Assassin.[[labelnote:Explanation]] In the Crown of the Old Iron King DLC is an NPC invader named Maldron the Assassin. They seem like a pretty standard invader at first, if one with high health, lots of strafing, and a penchant for throwing Corrosive Urns...except that when they get below half HP, they ''book it'' down the tower you fight them on, hiding behind buffed enemies and cursed fog that you have few ways of dealing with, giving them a chance to heal. If you die, they'll mock you with gestures. Essentially, Maldron is the developers making fun of the most despised tactics that human invaders can employ in PVP: [[CombatPragmatist equipment-destroying items, backstab fishing, running behind enemies (that normally ignore invaders) to buff or heal]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking being rude with gestures in victory.]] Combined with Maldron's damage, poise, and health, and you have an NPC invader that will ruin most people's day. Maldron the Assassin is usually the standard against which all other silly NPC invaders in the series are held up to and compared against. [[/labelnote]]
** Taken UpToEleven with the Crown of the Ivory King DLC, where Maldron returns, and is somehow even ''more'' devious. [[labelnote:explanation]] Maldron will [[BitchInSheepsClothing disguise themselves as a White Phantom]] using the White Ring and welcome the player with friendly gestures...and then try to backstab the player when they pull a lever near them, jeering with a "No Way" gesture if they succeed. If they fail, or if you catch on and attack them, they'll flee to hide behind the icy hedgehogs in the area or the white Covetous Demon in the cave below, to try to double-team you with the miniboss and taunt you with a "Decapitate" gesture if you die. And this is in ''addition'' to their usual tactics of backstab fishing, tossing Corrosive Urns, and generally being very strong. [[/labelnote]]

* "Pursuer actually pursues"[[labelnote: Explanation]] One of the most noted changes from ''Scholar of the First Sin'' is the Pursuer's relentlessness, being faced three (four if he kills you in the Forest of Fallen Giants) times in the vanilla game with two optional fights, to twice that in ''[=SotFS=]''.[[/labelnote]]
* Nearly everything from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kr7KDCsIws "Happy Souls"]], an animated and affectionate parody of Dark Souls II's co-op experience. Some highlights and their origins in the game include:
** "I'VE GOT BOSS WEAPONS!" [[labelnote:Explanation]] Ornifex is one of only two characters who can turn boss souls into weapons (the other being Straid, who can also turn them into spells) and she announces her usefulness in the video with a megaphone, while she doesn't clarify her use in-game when she's rescued. [[/labelnote]]
** "Right down the road!" [[labelnote:Explanation]] Ornifex's home is not, in fact, right down the road from where she's freed: she's past two bosses, the tail end of the Shaded Woods, and half of the Doors of Pharros and Brightstone Cove Tseldora. Plus her house is surrounded by spiders, hostile casters, and a giant sand pit. [[/labelnote]]
** "I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME!" [[labelnote: Explanation]] The Executioner's Chariot is a boss that, for most builds, requires a CorridorCubbyholeRun until you get to the end of the track and can kill the rider, and in co-op it can be tricky to fit multiple players in the safe spaces. Failing to get to safety in time usually results in death. [[/labelnote]]
** "Why is everyone stabbing me in the back?" "Because it's easy. And it does lots of damage." [[labelnote: Explanation]] There are invisible enemies in the Shaded Woods who can backstab you, and as always it's a favored tactic in PVP. [[/labelnote]]
* Ill-fitting Aldia exposition. [[labelnote: Explanation]] It has become increasingly common to find ridiculous ways to fit Aldia and his monologues into existing meme formats, such as [[https://www.reddit.com/r/shittydarksouls/comments/crpo2r/aldia_scholar_of_the_first_chad/ Virgin]] versus [[https://www.reddit.com/r/shittydarksouls/comments/gmvdj4/memes_aside_aldia_is_underrated_af/ Chad]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqiSBr2W6Os Babe Please Stop,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duURSCktuJY Why Do Women Only Like Stupid Jerks Who Treat Them Like Shit?,]] and even [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk4_-tPvxFs announcement trailers]] for VideoGame/SuperSmashBros [[/labelnote]]
* [[Music/SmashMouth SomeBODY once told me...]] [[labelnote: Explanation]] The fact that the large, horned, portly DemonicSpiders throughout the early areas, including two swamps, are called "ogres" basically ensured that they'd be compared to ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', with the associated memetic pairing of ogres and [[Music/SmashMouth All-Star.]] Perhaps best illustrated by WebVideo/TBSkyen's use of a cover of All-Star when the Ogres burst through the walls of Aldia's Keep in [[https://youtu.be/PO4ve-NUjDY?t=1277 this video]]. [[/labelnote]]
* ''Dark Souls II'' said trans rights[[labelnote: Explanation]] The existence of a coffin in the starting area that does nothing but change your character's gender was received very well by the game's trans and non-binary fans and fit into the social media memes around "X character said 'trans rights'." It helps that ''Dark Souls II'' is the only game in the series to allow the player to change gender after character creation: ''Dark Souls I'' had no mechanic for altering appearance after creation, and while ''Dark Souls III'' does have such a mechanic, gender is the one thing (besides name) that cannot be changed. [[/labelnote]]
!VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII

** [[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants And if you take a look on your right, you'll see two naked guys fighting over a can of paint!]] [[labelnote:Explanation]] one of the rewards for defeating Gael is the blood of the Dark Soul, which can be brought to the painter so that she can use it to craft a new world. [[/labelnote]]