Dark Souls is an RPG game from the Japanese studio FromSoftware, which has been highly regarded by players for many years due to its incredibly engaging storyline, demanding mechanics, and dark, intriguing dark fantasy setting.

It is a title belonging to the Soulslike subgenre, which was born thanks to Dark Souls itself and several other video games from the same studio.

The game offers a large, open world full of interesting quests and various mysteries. And it is precisely on these mysteries that we will focus in today’s article!

About Dark Souls

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition was released on September 23rd, 2011, on PS3, and in the following months, it also became available on X360 and PC.

The title, which is the spiritual successor to the highly acclaimed Demon’s Souls, turned out to be a bullseye and a true masterpiece appreciated by players not only in the game’s homeland but also worldwide. The game has received three well-received installments and an enhanced graphical and mechanical re-edition released in 2018.

The game’s storyline is quite complex and multithreaded, focusing on the fall of the kingdom of Lordran and the struggles between humans and gods. Here, we embody a cursed undead who slowly discovers his destiny piece by piece.

On his journey, he encounters a variety of hostile, mystical creatures, but also allies. Players have at their disposal a rich arsenal of melee weapons, as well as various powers and spells helpful in combat.

Due to its extensive lore and the many inspirations that the creators drew upon when creating Dark Souls, the game is filled with various references, hidden meanings, Easter eggs, and secrets waiting to be discovered. Today, we will present a few of them to you!

Dark Souls Secrets

  • Come Back to the Asylum

We start the game by waking up in the Northern Undead Asylum, from which we must quickly escape. Many players, after defeating the boss and leaving the location, never return – and that’s a mistake!

Returning to this place after some time has several advantages – we can, among other things, exchange equipment with Snuggly, and also fight the Stray Demon to get his loot, in which we will find, among others, the Titanite Slab and the Peculiar Doll.

Although the latter one seems like just a strange, unnecessary item, it may be very useful later in the game…

  • Secret Meaning of the Names

The game’s designer – Hidetaka Miyazaki – is a master of hidden meanings and refining the smallest details. Almost all character and monster names in the game have hidden meanings.

They are often inspired by other languages, such as Japanese, Greek, or Welsh, which in translation accurately describe the characteristics of these characters (Lloyd – From the Welsh llwyd, meaning “Holy”) or their complete opposite (Gwyn – in Welsh it means “Blessed,” and “Pure”).

Some names, even in English, have their hidden meanings, such as Ceaseless Discharge, a fire-based boss found in the Demon Ruins, who… is the source of lava. Killing him will cease the discharge of lava in the lower parts of the ruins.

  • New Merchant

Changing careers, even after many years of practicing a profession, is not unheard of. Shiva of the East knows this too, whom we meet in the game as the Second-in-Command of the Forest Hunter Covenant, near Alvina’s Castle.

However, if we join the Hunter’s Covenant, Shiva will appear as a merchant in Blighttown. At that time, he will have quite decent weapons in his offer, including the Washing Pole or the Stone Greatsword. But his most interesting item is the East Wood Grain Ring, which will reduce the amount of weapon durability lost during use.

  • Strange Encounter of the Chaos Servant

Have you defeated the Chaos Witch Quelaag in Blighttown? If you are eager to discover another secret, you must return to her lair.

Go down one floor and find a wall covered with spider eggs. After destroying it, you will find one of the optional areas – a hidden room inhabited by a strange character named Eingyi.

Eingyi will encourage you to join the Chaos Servant Covenant. Importantly, he is the only character who can cure you when you become infected by the Egg-head parasite. Additionally, he can teach you powerful Great Chaos Fireball and Chaos Storm spells.

  • Entire lake hidden in plain sight

Since we’re already in Blighttown, this place hides many more secrets! Eventually, you’ll encounter a large tree whose root gently dips into the Blighttown swamp.

Climb onto it and follow the path until you find a false wall, which is actually the entrance to the Great Hollow (just hit it).

Going further, you will reach the enormous Ash Lake, where you will find many interesting and useful items, including the Dragon Greatsword, Prism Stone, and some coins. Additionally, an optional Black Hydra boss will be waiting for you.

  • Painted World

The Painted World is a huge, hidden location that you can find in Anor Londo. Its entrance is located in, of course, a painting at the bottom of the chapel.

But BEWARE – you will only be able to enter it if you have… the Peculiar Doll from the Asylum in your inventory!

This location is full of interesting items but also hostile monsters – ultimately, you will encounter the optional final boss called Crossbreed Priscilla.

  • Rescue the Great Wolf

Another hidden location will be available to you if you are playing the newer version – Dark Souls Remastered. It is located in the Chasm of the Abyss and, at first glance, it appears to be an ordinary cave, until… you have some source of light with you.

Then the floor will disappear, and you will be transported one level down, where you will encounter a large cat named Alvina, who will lead you to a wall – similar to the floor, it will disappear upon contact with light.

In the secret room, you will find the imprisoned Great Wolf Sif, whom you can release and in return receive the Cleansing Greatshield.

  • Moonlight Greatsword

This powerful sword, which in Dark Souls you can obtain by cutting off Seath the Scaleless’ tail, can also be found in DS II, DS III, Demon’s Souls (as the Large Sword of Moonlight), and many other FromSoftware games.

This sword is deliberately added by the creators as an Easter egg, which you will find in many games from this studio. Interestingly, it originally comes from the first game by the Japanese developer, King’s Field, released in 1994!

Summary

How do you like our secrets and trivia from the game Dark Souls? Was there something among them that you didn’t know, or perhaps you are an expert on Soulslikes, and we didn’t surprise you in any way?

The rich world of Dark Souls still offers many secrets, hidden locations, interesting weapons, and unusual enemies.

It is certainly a title worth exploring and adding to your gaming library! If you haven’t had a chance to play it yet, don’t wait any longer – order your copy today!