Breakthrough Hit: Demons Souls was a Sleeper Hit and a slowburner that slowly built up in popularity through good word of mouth and critical acclaim in the west. Dark Souls on the other hand was an instant hit, selling 1.6 million copies within the first month, and helped put From Software, a Japanese developer with a small cult following in the states, on the map as a developer of great, hardcore titles. It was also a Breakthrough Hit for director Hidetaka Miyazaki, who was only credited in three games before he got notoriety for his work with Dark Souls and Demons Souls. Even he was shocked by how much press and requests for interviews he suddenly started getting.
Colbert Bump: The Silent Comedy received this when their songs, Bartholomew and All Saints Day, were featured in a couple of trailers for the game.
The two Souls games also help spark up interest in From Software's King's Field series, which never caught on in the states.
Dueling Games: Despite being a month apart, Dark Souls has a rival in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, with both being the top RPGs coming out in 2011's fourth quarter. Fans of both series groaned at news outlets trying to play up this conflict in spite of the games' numerous differences.
Fan Nickname: A bunch for Smough and Ornstein respectively, two particularly hard bosses that you fight at the same time. Popular ones are Fatboy and Slim, Buddha and Slender Man, Smores and Oreos, Ren and Stimpy, and Pinky and The Brain. And they absorb the power of whomever you kill first, bringing the surviving one back to full health. This Is Gonna Suck indeed.
Giant Ornstein has been referred to as Ornsteroids.
Wolfbro, for Great Grey Wolf Sif. Somewhat odd, as the name "Sif" comes from a Norse goddess.
The Official Dark Souls Guide actually refers to Sif as a male numerous times.
This originated from a rumor going around before the game was out that the Great Grey Wolf Sif would be an ally who tested your mettle. A good example of making assumptions isn't ever a good idea, the reaction from it being nothing but a run of the mill boss fight was priceless.
Also sometimes named "Lagtown" due to the framerate drops.
The Gargoyles are also being called Maneaters 2.0
Chaos Witch Quelaag has been nicknamed Chaos Bitch Kelloggs.
Or just simply Spidertits.
Darkroot Garden has been dubbed The Dickstab Forest due to Forest Hunters constantly invading players.
Sunbro and Brolaire for Solaire of Astora due to him being a great help in boss battles and Onionbro for Siegmeyer of Catarina due to, well, looking like an onion.
In a similar vein to Solaire and Siegmeyer, Laurentius of the Great Swamp has been referred to as Swampbro and Pyrobro.
The Giant Blacksmith has been referred to as Fapsmith, due to the fact that, if viewed from a certain angle, it looks less like he's hammering and more like he's doing something else entirely.
Gravelord Nito has been referred to as Papa Nito.
Lautrec is know as Yurt 2.0 and Gold Yurt considering the way you meet him and what he does after you free him.
Hey, It's That Voice!: A few voice actors from Demons Souls return to voice different characters. For example, Frampt and Kaathe are voiced by Peter Marinker (King Allant), Quelana is voiced by Jenny Funnell (Yuria) and Priscilla is voiced by Clare Corbett (Astraea). Alvina is voiced by Judi Dench soundalike Ève Karpf, who, fittingly, voiced M in some of the James Bond games, as well as Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter games and Lara Croft's mother in Tomb Raider: Legend.
Shrug of God: Director Hidetaka Miyazaki's stance on whether the pendant has any secret use in game, though he encourages players to keep looking.
Teasing Creator: Miyazaki is like this; he doesn't say if the pendent has any secret use, but encourages players to continue looking. He states that Ceaseless Dicharge is skippable (He is), before mysteriously stating that maybe he isn't.
Urban Legend of Zelda: Since the game's release there have been dozens of different rumors pertaining to the Furtive Pygmy and the true purpose of the Pendant.
Another persistent rumor claimed that the player has the option to spare the Great Grey Wolf Sif and that you would get his sword as a reward for doing so. No proof or method has been found, but many still believe there is a way to accomplish this.
It is possible to spare Sif, by using a certain glitch to transfer the Covenant of Artorias to a new character. You get nothing for it, of course.
Pricilla was originally supposed to be a major heroine, akin to the Maiden in Black from Demon's Souls. Due to her original role becoming obsolete, she was placed in the Painted World of Ariamis due to the location's originally snow-like atmosphere.
The knight that gives you the Estus Flask was originally named Oscar was originally going to be your rival throughout the game.
Andre was originally supposed to be a descendant of Gwyn and more imposing, serving as the guardian of the door to the Firelink Shrine. He was also supposed to move the goddess statue found in the ruined temple, allowing the player access to his hidden forge.
Shiva of the East was originally going to have an event similar to what happens with Lautrec. Shiva was supposed to attack you if you showed him the Chaos Blade in an attempt to take it from you. This would also serve as a Call Back to Demon's Souls, in which Satsuki would attack the player if they showed him the Magic Sword "Makoto" (or would attack them if they voluntarily handed it over to him). In addition, he was also supposed to be invaded with a Black Eye Orb (as with Lautrec), possibly to retrieve the weapon.
Content that was cut from the game reveals that entering into a Covenant with Velka would be possible. Said covenant was quite possibly merged with or was turned into the Darkmoon Covenant.
When Smough was first conceived, he was originally supposed to be one of the Four Knights. Miyazaki allegedly liked him so much he decided against making him a knight.
There was Concept Art of Abyss Walker Artorias drawn for the game, indicating he might have made an appearance at one point. He's set to appear in the Updated Rerelease, albeit with a different character design than his original.
Gwynevere was originally going to be more lithe and elegant looking compared to the...voluptuous version that ended up in the game. Apparently the artist who designed her was so proud of the concept art when he showed it to Director Miyazaki that the Director couldn't bring himself to reject the art.
A dummied-out "side quest" had you rescuing Petrus from the necromancers of the Catacombs to the start off his and Rhea's character arc, instead of being able to encounter him from the get-go and starting the arc via ringing the first Bell of Awakening.
The Painted World of Ariamis was the actual basis from which the Project Dark prototype was turned into Dark Souls. Gravelord Nito was originally supposed to be the area boss instead of Priscilla. The Painted World only became such due to being unable to connect the area to the rest of the world and Miyazaki was determined to include the area in the final release.
Firelink Shrine was supposed to be more flooded than the pool of water in the ruined chapel, but the flooding was diminished due to it not fitting with the theme of fire. Furthermore, the bonfire was supposed to be a typical campfire and was placed elsewhere in the area.
The boss fight atop the Undead Parish was originally the Demon Centipede, but due to how ridiculous it seemed, the Centipede was moved and replaced with the Gargoyles.
Oswald of Carim was originally supposed to be a woman of age 60.
Word of God: Developer interviews have shed some light on the story of the game.
Miyazaki has stated that the Pygmy is the ancestor of humanity and that humanity inherited a piece of the Dark Soul through him.
The Gaping Dragon was originally a normal Everlasting Dragon that became corrupted by its own gluttony, causing it to grow a massive maw.
Ceaseless Discharge is confirmed to be the brother of the Daughters of Chaos.
If you kill Gwyn with Solaire as a phantom, Solaire links the fire in his own world.
Kirk is a member of the Chaos Servant covenant.
The ruins in Darkroot forest were originally part of Oolacile. Combines with What Could Have Been. You were originally supposed to be summoned there to rescue her. The Updated Rerelease builds on the cut content.
Writing by the Seat of Your Pants: Like most video games, story comes after the game. Miyazaki has said in interviews that he makes up the lore as he goes along.
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