Why Prince Lothric Cannot Walk: An In-Depth Investigation

Lothric‘s inability to walk stems from both a mysterious curse he was born with, as well as his brother Lorian‘s attempt to save him which left them both crippled. This devastating curse has perplexed players ever since Dark Souls 3‘s release, so let‘s unravel the mysteries around Lothric‘s condition.

The Lothric Bloodline Curse

Item descriptions paint a grim picture of the Lothric royal family‘s obsession with creating the perfect heir capable of linking the First Flame:

"The Lothric bloodline was obsessed with creating a worthy heir, and when this proved impossible, resorted to unspeakable means." (Sunlight Straight Sword)

While the specific means are unclear, the result was Lothric being born with a strange curse preventing him from harnessing his royal blood to link the fire.

Fans speculate sources ranging from making deals with the Angelic Faith to experiments with cross-breeding dragons. Regardless, Lothric was left incredibly frail and crippled due to this curse.

His Curse‘s Effects

• Unable to stand or walk unaided
• No innate ability to link the First Flame despite royal blood
• Body is highly underdeveloped and malformed

So right from birth, Lothric lacked the strength or vitality to walk or perform his duty of linking the fire. This forced the Lothric line to place their hopes on Lorian instead…

Lorian‘s Attempted Sacrifice

With Lothric unable to fulfill his duty, his elder brother Lorian willingly allowed his soul to fuse with Lothric‘s in order to save him:

"Lorian, raised as a knight, is said to have been left mute and crippled by his younger brother‘s curse. It is also said that Lorian, in fact, wished it so." (Lorian‘s Greatsword)

This granted Lothric some strength, but at the cost of irreversibly binding their souls and cursing Lorian as well.

Curse‘s Effects on Each Twin

So while Lorian sacrificed much to try to save Lothric, both princes ended up crippled due to these desperate measures.

Theories on Lothric‘s Curse Origins

Without concrete details on what caused Lothric‘s curse, the community has some fascinating theories:

Forbidden Angelic Experiments

Some believe the Lothric line conducted experiments fusing royal blood with creatures related to the Angelic Faith. The Winged Knights were an alleged result that protected the royals. Trying to create the ultimate hier likely backfired resulting in Lothric‘s condition.

Curse of Wanting

TVTropes speculates that like Lord Aldia from DS2, the royal line delved too deeply into the soul‘s nature and "lost themselves in their wanting". Their obsession to create the perfect vessel to link the flame was an act of hubris.

Royal Dragon Lineage Corrupted

Fan theories suggest cross-breeding experiments between royals and ancient dragons or serpents which led to Lothric‘s mutations and frailty. The capitol‘s dragon motifs supports ties to dragons.

While the community‘s theories are wide-ranging, they all trace back to Lothric‘s tragic origins from the Lothric bloodline‘s meddling with forces beyond them to produce the perfect heir.

Condemning a Kingdom

In their hubris, the once-proud line of Lothric kings were reduced to shambling cripples unable to carry on their duty:

Their obsession with linking the fire drove them to commit grave sins which cursed Lothric and doomed the kingdom.

As players reach the fated throne room, they discover both princes long lost to their curse – a shocking condemnation of Lothric‘s folly.

While many mysteries persist around Lothric, his woeful tale stands as a grim reminder that some destinies cannot be so easily manipulated without terrible consequences.