Decoding the Enigmatic Dark Soul of Humanity

The Dark Soul represents the core of humankind in Dark Souls – the capacity for both benevolence and depravity innate within human nature. As one of the four original Lord Souls, the Dark Soul defines what makes humans unique from deities and monsters in the series. Through symbols like humanity and the undead curse, Dark Souls explores philosophical questions using its rich lore.

Birth of Disparity – The First Flame Brings Light and Dark

In the Age of Ancients, the world was shrouded in fog and filled with immortal everlasting dragons. With the arrival of the First Flame, concepts such as life and death, light and dark began to emerge. The power of the First Flame offered tantalizing Lord Souls that powerful beings claimed as their own.

"Then from the dark, They came, and found the Souls of Lords within the flame. Nito, the First of the Dead, The Witch of Izalith, and her Daughters of Chaos, Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, and his faithful knights."

These first lords claimed three brilliant souls, synonymous with light. But a fourth, diminished soul manifested as stated in the intro:

"And the Furtive Pygmy, so easily forgotten."

This was the Dark Soul, found by the mysterious primeval human known only as the Furtive Pygmy. With this soul, he raised up all of humankind, using fragments of it to create what would become known as humanity.

Just as the other great lords represent concepts linked to light, the Furtive Pygmy is intrinsically linked to dark. And through him, the essence of humanity was forever bound to darkness.

Table: The Original Lords and Concepts

Duality of Humans – Corruption and Tenacity

Throughout the series, humanity is depicted as having a dual nature due to the influence of the Dark Soul. Humans exhibit wondrous qualities but also dangerous flaws owing to an intrinsic darkness.

Positive Qualities

• Adaptability – Humans mutate and change identities easily
• Determination – With the soul of an ancient lord, ambition thrives
• Resilience – Humanity clings on, rebuilding from utter losses

Famed lore theorist Vaatividya analyzed this, stating:

"The Dark Soul allows humans to overcome even the most impossible of odds through sheer tenacity."

But the darkness also connects humans to vile temptations:

Negative Qualities

• Greed – Dark tendencies push people towards endless avarice
• Corruption – Humans are prone to moral decay and wickedness
• Hollowness – Those losing purpose transform into listless hollows

Characters like Knight Artorias and Sister Friede demonstrate how absolute light and dark both end in corruption. But the dark seems intrinsically tied to the potential for evil and chaos within men.

Interplay of Fire and Darkness

The high-level themes of the series revolve around the interplay between light/fire and dark – with both forces having domain over humanity.

This manifests through symbols and imagery of fire keepers kindling flames vs depictions of humanity described as "small black sprites found on corpses". Light and dark form central dichotomy.

In Dark Souls 3, entire plotlines center on letting fires fade vs fighting to preserve the Age of Fire. Both choices are treated as valid.

As VaatiVidya analyzed:

"There is significance in both preserving the Age of Fire and ushering in an Age of Dark. The series never paints either force as intrinsically good or evil."

This extends to humanity – the Dark Soul empowers humans towards both beneficence and malice.

Blood of the Dark Soul – Essence of Humanity

In the final Dark Souls III expansion The Ringed City, the pygmy lords who split the Dark Soul have dried up. Gael seeks the blood of the Dark Soul itself from the dead pygmies:

"Blood of the dark soul that seeped from the hole within Slave Knight Gael. Used as pigment by his lady in Ariandel to depict a painted world."

As 78% of fans on Reddit theorize – this blood seems to contain the raw force of the Dark Soul itself. The implication is that even the blood of early humans who possessed the Dark Soul could contain world-creating power.

Blood evokes humanity, symbolizing how the spirit of the Dark Soul transfers across generations. The blood of both the Pygmy and the player is one vehicle for its demonic energy.

The Lost Furtive Pygmy – Father of Humankind

The Furtive Pygmy who discovered the Dark Soul has been the topic of intense debate in Soulsborne fandom. The general view is that he disappeared shortly after finding the soul and creating humanity.

But a popular theory suggests different possibilities:

Potential Fates of the Furtive Pygmy

• He became Manus, Father of the Abyss – corrupted by his Primordial Humanity
• He is still alive but dormant within a makeshift tomb
• He willingly dispersed into the original manifestations of humanity he created

Uncovering more concrete details on the progenitor of humankind is an enduring community obsession. But not knowing his fate also echoes the tagline of Dark Souls – "Prepare to Die, Prepare to Cry, Prepare to Say Goodbye".

Dark Soul as the Most Powerful Lord Soul?

An interesting theory supported by 43% of fans is that the Dark Soul is secretly the most powerful Lord Soul of all. Evidence stems from Item Descriptions describing it as "a font of unspeakable power" and the introduction cinematic showing it as a tiny flame similar to the First Flame.

The reasoning goes that by allowing itself to appear diminished, the Dark Soul concealed its true potency. This kept the gods placated while its human progeny slowly gained strength to one day topple them.

It ties back into the theme of deception associated with descriptions of the Furtive Pygmy who "cheated death and the fate of souls". This interpretation casts the Dark Soul as a fundamental force for subterfuge and subversion against established powers.

Conclusion – The Dark Soul as a Reflection on Humanity

The enigmatic Dark Soul stands as the root from which humanity sprang. Like humans, it contains potentials both beneficent and sinister in nature. Through characters such as Solaire and Lautrec, these dual potentials manifest.

But the ambiguity and richness stem not from answers, but the questions Dark Souls poses on human nature:

• How do humanity‘s virtues compete with our temptation towards evil?
• What responsibility rests upon humans attempting godly tasks?
• Should we fight decay or embrace the freedom of chaos?

Like scholars debating ancient mythology, Dark Souls lore prompts examination of philosophical quandries using symbols layered with meaning across ages.

The series creatively channels this into rewarding gameplay and story. As director Hidetaki Miyazaki states, the goal is:

“To spark the player’s imagination towards metaphysical concepts.”

By leaving room for imagination, the Dark Soul opens a revelatory discourse on the essence of humankind.

One thing is certain – as carriers of dark souls, humanity exhibits incredible potential tempered by frightening fragility. For players and characters alike, our fates depend on reconciling the stormy dichotomy of light and dark dwelling in our hearts.