History TearJerker / DarkSouls

** Another thing about Pinwheel. He doesn't expect you. He [[EvilGloating does not speak]] or [[RoarBeforeBeating roar or make any other sound when you approach]]. That look on his face(s)? Not pride, not arrogance: '''[[OhCrap fear.]]''' He ''knows'' he's no match for you, but fights you anyway in a desperate hope to keep what little progress he's made.

** [[UnfortunateNames Ceaseless Discharge]] seems like a one-off, gruesome monster that plays no point but to guard Lost Izalith and a decent armor set, set? Well, according to some hints in game and also outright stated in an interview with one of the creators, [[spoiler:there is actually a brother of the Sisters of Chaos, who was born covered in sores that constantly poured out lava. The Witch of Izalith and her daughters made the Orange Charred Ring to help him with the pain, but he dropped it and the ring was taken by the Centipede Demon. In the interview, the director stated that now he's become a sad, twisted giant whose only form of solace is watching over his sisters grave and ignoring the pain from his the lava ceaselessly discharging from his warped body.]] Bet you feel bad for chuckling at his name now, huh?

* If you happened to own the official art book and paid attention to Gwyndolin, he's [[http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbm4xnDrQ41rixdjuo1_500.png mourning for his father Gwyn]] at the tomb, with a flower laid on the coffin alone. [[spoiler:Instead of telling the truth to everyone, he chose to endure the pain on his own and shroud Anor Londo with his illusion. The seemly JerkassGod who manipulated you all the time ''[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold might not be as Jerkass as one might think]]''!]]

** Another theory behind Pinwheel is that he was once Nito's High Priest of sorts, and that [[FaithHeelTurn he betrayed the Gravelord to get his power for some reason,]] possibly as part of a deal with Velka. But then again, [[TraumaCongaLine who's to say these theories are mutually exclusive?]] What if Pinwheel was a loyal servant of Nito until death came for ''his'' family? What if his whole ordeal was an attempt to get revenge on the God who betrayed him first, while also desperately seeking a way to bring his wife and child back to life? And then [[OutsideContextVillain you come in]], the [[UnwittingPawn unwitting and indirect lackey]] of that same Gravelord and his allies, [[ShaggyDogStory killing him and rendering his last act of defiance meaningless]] (possibly even [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking taunting him with a "Well, what is it?" as he dies]]). [[YouBastard Way to go, Chosen Undead...]]

** [[UnfortunateNames Ceaseless Discharge]] seems like a one-off, gruesome monster that plays no point but to guard Lost Izalith and a decent armor set, set? Well, according to some hints in game and also outright stated in an interview with one of the creators [[spoiler: CD there is actually a brother of the Sisters of Chaos, who was born covered in sores that constantly poured out lava. The Witch of Izalith and her daughters made the Orange Charred Ring to help him with the pain, but he dropped it and the ring was taken by the Centipede Demon. In the interview the director stated that now he's become a sad, twisted giant who's only form of solace is watching over his sisters grave and ignoring the pain from his the lava ceaselessly discharging from his warped body]] Bet you feel bad for chuckling at his name now, huh?

** An alternate conclusion to the sidequest is no happier. [[spoiler:Should Siegmeyer take too much damage during the fight with the Chaos Eaters in Lost Izalith, and survives the fight, he will die from his injuries. To make matters worse, [[SenselessSacrifice he dies utterly miserable that he's "failed" the player]] character and his last words have him calling for his daughter, similar to if the player kills him.]]

** New hopes were given in a released DLC, [[spoiler: except it's false hope and you still have to kill him. Though he recognizes you from the past he must reluctantly fight to uphold his promise.]]
* Logan's fate [[spoiler: if you buy all his spells he will continue his research for what made Seath immortal. After defeating Seath and going back to Logan, he has gone completly mad from the research and disappears the next time you rezone. Upon going back to where you first fought Seath, you can find a now [[InsaneEqualsViolent violently insane]] Logan with nothing on besides his signature hat.]]
* Several characters you speak to tend to finish conversations with something to the tune of "don't go Hollow". Just a farewell at first, [[PlayerPunch until several of them start Hollowing one by one.]] [[FridgeHorror How many of their friends did they lose?]]

** Seriously, you have to go out of your way, lore wise to meet and kill her. She even calls you out on this douchemenship.
* Though many friendly characters will become Hollow, under the right circumstances, special mention goes to Laurentius of the Great Swamp. An all around NiceGuy, doesn't get offended if you decline to learn pyromancy or walk away while he talks, and has learned to shrug off any negative opinions on pyromancy; he's quite possibly the most genuinely kind NPC in the game. He's especially thankful to you for saving his life, and considers you to be a friend. However, if you show him either the Ascended Pyromancy Flame or any Chaos Pyromancy, he'll become excited and ask how you came across such powerful pyromancy. Opting to tell him rekindles the fervor he had when he first became undead, and he then leaves Firelink Shrine to track down Quelana so he can continue studying and mastering his art. [[spoiler: The next time you encounter him, he's gone Hollow in Blighttown, mere paces away from where Quelana is located. He was right there, close to achieving his goal, and it slipped through his fingers.]] And even worse? The last thing he does before leaving is thank you for helping him once again.

*** She is only visible to people st
* The final section of the game deserves a slot here as well. You spend the entire game working up to this moment, ringing the Bells of Awakening, braving the notorious Sens Fortress, traversing the abandoned streets of Anor Londo, and overcoming all other obstacles to open up your final destination. What awaits you here? [[spoiler: The Kiln of the First Flame. A wasteland desert made of ashes and partially melted architecture, completely quiet and devoid of life other than the few remaining Black Knights guarding the final area]] Dispatching these final enemies what is there as the final fight in this game? None other than [[spoiler: Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight. Now reduced to the Lord of Cinder, having been [[AndIMustScream BURNING in the Kiln]] ever since he first lit the First Flame. And to make matters worse? He gets no intro cinematic, no dialogue, you just have this once great man lunge at you as soon as you cross the fog, as a simple, elegant, and impossibly depressing piano piece plays as you fight this fallen hero. Both to accomplish your goals, and for this point it'd seem to be [[MercyKill put him out of his misery]]]] One Youtuber even made [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcGS3O27XYY two

* The PC edition piles it on regarding the backstory of Artorias the Abysswalker. Artorias was not involved with the Darkwraiths of New Londo at all. In reality, he was sent to Oolacile to destroy [[spoiler: Manus, the father of the Abyss. Unfortunately, Artorias could not handle the pure blackness of the Abyss. He set up his blessed greatshield to form a magical barrier to protect his wolf companion, Sif, who at the time was an infant (though still the size of an adult wolf). Artorias was defeated by Manus and forcibly corrupted against his will. His companions, Gough and Ciaran both thank you should you MercyKill him.]] See the full story [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d82kJlb5Us here.]]
** Even more haunting is his [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upzLAJhtnvk cut dialogue]] that is found by mining the files of the PC version. [[spoiler:Through it the player finds out that Artorias was not only aware of himself in his boss fight but also tremendously terrified towards the Abyss, miserable about his failure, and desperate about his own corruption.]]

** If you do decide to give her Artorias' soul, she trades you her weapons, saying that she "no longer has any need for them". Note that this is ''the leader of an elite group of assassins''-- her giving away her weapons essentially means she gave up the life she once had, and the rank she worked hard for, to spend the rest of her days guarding the grave of the man she loved. This may have well been the case, since you can find her Hornet Ring on [[TogetherInDeath a female corpse behind]] [[UndyingLoyalty Artorias's gravestone in the present time.]]

** Speaking of which - do you want to know the true history of Pinwheel? The boss who is regarded as a joke to many players? Well, the lore and interviews paint a picture of a man who lost his son and wife and became desperate to get them back. He turned to necromancy and eventually managed to steal a part of Gravelord Nito's power. After many desperate attemtps he manged the bring them back...only it all went wrong. You ever wondered why he has three masks and six 'arms'? Well, it's because the bodies of his wife and son are [[http://i.imgur.com/fJ0nMF8.jpg FUSED]] [[http://i.imgur.com/kSg3YSC.png to]] the body of the father at the waist, therefore making him literally carry the weight of his mistake. From Software just loves to make even the weakest bosses sad, huh?

* Reah of Thorolund's story. A FragileFlower ''and'' ShrinkingViolet, Reah is uncomfortable around the player character at first and only wishes to carry out her mission of finding the Rite of Kindling. Later in the game, you find out that [[spoiler: Petrus betrayed her and left her to die in the Tomb of the Giants, and her two bodyguards Vince and Nico had already gone Hollow and she needs to be rescued from them.]] She later moves to the Undead Parish and will teach you miracles, [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe becoming much friendlier towards and]] [[ImpliedLoveInterest growing fond of you]] each time you visit. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, she still suffers from [[ItsAllMyFault survivor's guilt]] and she will either die at the hands of Petrus or go Hollow in the Duke's Archives, where you yourself will be forced to kill her in self-defense.]]
* If you happened to own the official art book and paid attention to Gwyndolin, he's [[http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbm4xnDrQ41rixdjuo1_500.png mourning for his father Gwyn]] at the tomb, with a flower laid on the coffin alone. [[spoiler: Instead of telling the truth to everyone, he chose to endure the pain on his own and shroud Anor Londo with his illusion. The seemly JerkassGod who manipulated you all the time ''[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold might not be as Jerkass as one might think]]''!]]

* If the player kills the Giant Blacksmith, his final words are "Nighty-night...".
* Killing Dusk of Oolacile also prompts a heartbreaking line:
--> Farewell... my rescuer...
* Likewise, Siegmeyer's dying words (should the player opt to kill him) have him calling for his daughter. ''Try'' not to feel terrible about that.

** An alternate conclusion to the sidequest is no happier. [[spoiler:Should Siegmeyer take too much damage during the fight with the Chaos Eaters in Lost Izalith, and survives the fight, he will die from his injuries. To make matters worse, he dies utterly miserable that he's "failed" the player character and his last words have him calling for his daughter, similar to if the player kills him.]]

* Several NPC deaths can be avoided by simply not exhausting their services. Was that last miracle really worth someone's life?

* If you happened to own the official art book and paid attention to Gwyndolin, he's [[http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbm4xnDrQ41rixdjuo1_500.png mourning for his father Gwyn]] at the tomb, with a flower laid on the coffin alone. [[spoiler: Instead of telling the truth to everyone, he chose to endure the pain on his own and shroud Anor Londo with his illusion. The seemly JerkassGod who manipulated you all the time ''[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold might not be as Jerkass as one might think]]''!]]

** Encountering Lord's Blade Ciaran after you kill Artorias is a tearjerker in its own right. You find her kneeling in front of a makeshift grave, mourning the death of Artorias. If you happen to have the Soul of Artorias in your inventory, Ciaran will ask you to hand it over, so she can pay proper respects. She doesn't force you into giving her the soul and will only sadly say that she shouldn't have been presumptuous if you refuse. It's implied that Ciaran and Artorias were in a [[ImpliedLoveInterest romantic relationship]], or at the very least, that the two were extremely close. It's clear that Artorias's death has greatly affected Ciaran, so much so that [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential if you attack and kill her]], her last words are "My dear... Artorias..."

* The conclusion to the Siegmeyer and Sieglinde sidequest. [[spoiler:When the former goes Hollow, the latter is forced to kill him. Siegmeyer is already dead by the time the player reaches them, with a grief-stricken Sieglinde standing over her father's corpse.]]

** The Witch's eldest daughter escaped relatively unharmed and spent her life defending the abomination her mother has become--until you come along and murder her. Granted, it was in self-defense, but you ''did'' have to kill her sister to get that far, as well as potentially murdering two more of her sisters, her only brother, and desecrating the grave of ''another'' sister. As she dies at your hands, her last thoughts must be the realization that next, you will kill her remaining family.

** Let's start with the Witch of Izalith herself. One of the primordial Lords of the Age of Fire she and her daughters attempted to recreate the First Flame to preserve the old order of things and prevent the exact state of the world you find in the game. They failed, however, and the entirely of Izalith was swallowed by magical madness and fire. The Witch herself and two of her daughters turned into an EldritchAbomination that began [[MotherOfAThousandYoung spawning demons]].

* ''[[ObliviousGuiltSlinging Every single line]]'' spoken by the Daughter of Chaos is absolutely heart-rending.

** Made worse by the fact that you killed Quelaag, but the Old Witch's Ring makes you sound like her. So you're kinda exploiting the Daughter of Chaos and giving her false hope.

* [[UnfortunateNames Ceaseless Discharge]] seems like a one-off, gruesome monster that plays no point but to guard Lost Izalith and a decent armor set, set? Well, according to some hints in game and also outright stated in an interview with one of the creators [[spoiler: CD there is actually a brother of the Sisters of Chaos, who was born covered in sores that constantly poured out lava. The Witch of Izalith and her daughters made the Orange Charred Ring to help him with the pain, but he dropped it and the ring was taken by the Centipede Demon. In the interview the director stated that now he's become a sad, twisted giant who's only form of solace is watching over his sisters grave and ignoring the pain from his the lava ceaselessly discharging from his warped body]] Bet you feel bad for chuckling at his name now, huh?

* After you kill [[spoiler:Bed of Chaos]], Quelana begins to warm up to you, even admitting that you've outgrown the title "fool". But after you've learned all of her pyromancy and fully upgraded your Flame, she [[spoiler:says her goodbyes, remarking that since she has nothing more to teach you, your time together is over. She refuses to speak to you, and once she leaves, is never seen again.]]

* If you happened to own the official art book and paid attention to Gwyndolin, he's [[http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbm4xnDrQ41rixdjuo1_500.png mourning for his father Gwyn]] at the tomb, with a flower laid on the coffin alone. Instead of telling the truth to everyone, he chose to endure the pain on his own and shroud Anor Londo with his illusion. [[spoiler: The seemly JerkassGod who manipulated you all the time [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold might not be as Jerkass as one might think]]!]]

* Reah of Thorolund's story. A FragileFlower ''and'' ShrinkingViolet, Reah is uncomfortable around the player character at first and only wishes to carry out her mission of finding the Rite of Kindling. Later in the game, you find out that [[spoiler: Petrus betrayed her and left her to die in the Tomb of the Giants, and her two bodyguards Vince and Nico had already gone Hollow and she needs to be rescued from them.]] She later moves to the Undead Parish and will teach you miracles, [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe becoming much friendlier towards and]] [[ImpliedLoveInterest growing fond of you]] each time you visit. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, she still suffers from [[ItsAllMyFault survivor's guilt]] and she will either die at the hands of Petrus or go Hollow in the Duke's Archives, where you yourself will be forced to kill her in self-defense.]]

** [[spoiler: It's all in true Dark Souls style. One can only imagine how that conversation went with the designers "Hey guys, let's be nice to the players and make Sif savable in the DLC since they met him as a puppy in the new content.." *design team look at each other for a moment and then burst into laughter* "Naahh let's make fighting him EVEN WORSE for them!"]]

** Another thing about Pinwheel. He doesn't expect you. He [[EvilGloating does not speak]] or [[RoarBeforeBeating roar or make any other sound when you approach]]. That look on his face(s)? Not pride, not, arrogance: '''[[OhCrap fear.]]''' He ''knows'' he's no match for you, but fights you anyway in a desperate hope to keep what little progress he's made.

* A rather small, easily missed example: If you enter the New Londo Ruins from Firelink Shrine, you'll run into a bunch of neutral Hollows standing around performing their usual repetitive tasks, except one of them appears to be [[https://36.media.tumblr.com/e80ce3dfa30060dbe2e07006312edcef/tumblr_inline_nlvo2gWInT1ry74zn_500.png mourning in front of a corpse.]]

** Another theory behind Pinwheel is that he was once Nito's High Priest of sorts, and that [[FaithHeelTurn he betrayed the Gravelord to get his power for some reason,]] possibly as part of a deal with Velka. But then again, [[TraumaCongaLine who's to say these theories are mutually exclusive?]] What if Pinwheel was a loyal servant of Nito until death came for ''his'' family? What if his whole ordeal was an attempt to get revenge on the God who betrayed him first, while also desperately seeking a way to bring his wife and child back to life? And then [[OutsideContextVillain you come in]], the [[UnwittingPawn unwitting and indirect lackey]] of that same Gravelord and his allies, [[ShaggyDogStory killing him and rendering his last act of defiance meaningless.]] [[YouBastard Way to go, Chosen Undead...]]

* The PC edition piles it on regarding the back story of Artorias the Abysswalker. Artorias was not involved with the Darkwraiths of New Londo. In reality, he was sent to Oolacile to destroy [[spoiler: Manus, the father of the Abyss. Unfortunately, Artorias could not handle the pure blackness of the Abyss. He set up his blessed greatshield to form a magical barrier to protect his wolf companion, Sif, who at the time was an infant (though still the size of an adult wolf). Artorias was defeated by Manus and forcibly corrupted against his will. His companions, Gough and Ciarin both thank you should you MercyKill him.]] See the full story [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d82kJlb5Us here.]]

** That very same Youtuber made [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcGS3O27XYY two]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qopqgAtk0Q4 videos]] essentially summing up the backstory of the game up to the Chosen Undead [[spoiler:finally entering the Kiln of the First Flame]], telling of the rise and fall of the kingdom Gywn fought so hard to maintain, and of how fire warred with dark 'til the bitter end. ''*Note: Spoilers for a good portion of the game, including the DLC. Watch at your own risk.*''

* The final section of the game deserves a slot here as well. You spend the entire game working up to this moment, ringing the Bells of Awakening, braving the notorious Sens Fortress, traversing the abandoned streets of Anor Londo, and overcoming all other obstacles to open up your final destination. What awaits you here? [[spoiler: The Kiln of the First Flame. A wasteland desert made of ashes and partially melted architecture, completely quiet and devoid of life other than the few remaining Black Knights guarding the final area]] Dispatching these final enemies what is there as the final fight in this game? None other than [[spoiler: Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight. Now reduced to the Lord of Cinder, having been [[AndIMustScream BURNING in the Kiln]] ever since he first lit the First Flame. And to make matters worse? He gets no intro cinematic, no dialogue, you just have this once great man lunge at you as soon as you cross the fog, as a simple, elegant, and impossibly depressing piano piece plays as you fight this fallen hero. Both to accomplish your goals, and for this point it'd seem to be [[MercyKill put him out of his misery]]]]

** Speaking of which - do you want to know the true history of Pinwheel? The boss who is regarded as a joke to many players? Well, the lore and interviews paint a picture of a man who lost his son and wife and became desperate to get them back. He turned to necromancy and eventually managed to steal a part of Gravelord Nito's power. After many desperate attemtps he manged the bring them back...only it all went wrong. You ever wondered why he has three masks and six 'arms'? Well, it's because the bodies of his wife and son are [[http://i.imgur.com/fJ0nMF8.jpg FUSED]] [[http://i.imgur.com/kSg3YSC.png to]] the body of the father at the waist, therefore making him literally carry the weight of his mistake. From Software just loves to make even the weakest bosses sad, huh?

* The PC edition piles it on regarding the back story of Artorias the Abysswalker. Artorias was not involved with the Darkwraiths of New Londo. In reality, he was sent to Oolacile to destroy [[spoiler: Manus, the father of the Abyss. Unfortunately, Artorias could not handle the pure blackness of the Abyss. He set up his blessed greatshield to form a magical barrier to protect his wolf companion, Sif, who at the time was an infant (though still the size of an adult wolf). Artorias was defeated by Manus and forcibly corrupted against his will. His companions, Gough and Ciarin both thank you should you MercyKill him.]]

* For more obscure ones, look up "[[PunnyName Prepare To Cry]]" on YouTube. The vid series talks in-depth about the lore behind each character, to the point that even ''Pinwheel'' becomes pitiable.