What is the Good Ending in Dark Souls 2 and Why Does it Matter?
The "good" ending in Dark Souls 2 involves curing yourself of the Undead Curse and breaking the cycle of linking the First Flame. This ending provides more hope than the alternate endings in the game and has wider implications for the game‘s lore.
Overview: How to Get the Good Ending
To get the good ending, you need to:
- Defeat King Vendrick and collect his blessing (reward for optional content)
- Encounter Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin three times
- Defeat the hidden optional final boss Aldia
By completing this obscure sidequest, you get an extra ending after beating the last boss (Nashandra) where you can walk away from the throne and cure your character of the Undead Curse that has plagued the land of Drangleic.
What the Good Ending Represents
Well-known Souls lore expert vaatividya explains that this ending represents the player character stepping outside the cycle that has repeated through the ages. Just as Aldia sought a third solution beyond perpetuating the Age of Fire or ushering in an Age of Dark, so does the player character forge their own path.
The community perspective is that this ending is more optimistic than the others. As redditor pintoboss explains:
"You don‘t perpetuate the cycle like with the standard ending, nor do you begin an Age of Darkness. You forge your own path."
Implications and Analysis
Defeating Vendrick and Aldia to cure your character‘s Undead Curse has some key implications:
- Your legacy will not vanish entirely since you break the curse
- Proof that the cycle can be broken could inspire future generations
- Allows possibility for an alternative not chained to lighting the First Flame
- Doesn‘t resolve everything but rejects fatalism of other endings
- Suggests that given proper insight and persistence, a solution could be found
| Ending | Implications |
|---|---|
| Link the Fire | Perpetuates the cycle, noble sacrifice |
| Dark Lord | Age of Darkness, uncertain future |
| Cure the Curse | Legacy preserved, cycle broken, hope |
A Passionate Gamer‘s Perspective
As a passionate gamer who loves the Souls series, I really enjoy how this ending rewards paying attention to optional content and lore. The Vendrick/Aldia questline gives deeper knowledge about Drangleic‘s history.
I also appreciate that it bucks the typical good versus bad binary choice. While the future remains uncertain, choosing to cure yourself and walk away provides more hope compared to the fatalistic tone of the other endings. It‘s an ambitious step into the unknown, demonstrating that insight and willpower can forge a new path forward.
Conclusion
The good ending in Dark Souls 2 has wider implications than it might first appear. Curing the Undead Curse and breaking the cycle of fire and dark ages introduces new possibilities for the world. While risky, it ultimately provides more hope than perpetually linking the fire or plunging the world into darkness through a "Dark Lord" ending. For passionate fans of the series like myself, it‘s a deep reward for persisting with obscure optional content and lore.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
