Dark Souls II is almost here, squeeee! A great excuse to play a bit more Dark Souls, of course, and one of the things you start to respect more and more about this masterwork is its unusual take on fantasy – usually such a hackneyed genre, replete with dwarves and goblins and all sorts of other Tolkienesque nonsense. Dark Souls' world feels coherent, believable, and one of the reasons for this is the many roots it has in the real world.
I've been collecting these references since the game came out in an idle way, but the credit should not go to me – instead it's the largely anonymous army of Chosen Undeads that populate the Dark Souls subreddit, the wiki, and the magnificent youtube community that has grown around the game. Almost everything here I first saw in one of these places. So I bow to all of you – and look forward to seeing everyone in Drangleic. Without further ado, let's look at the real-world inspirations behind the real fantastic world of Dark Souls.
Hidetaki Miyazaki himself owns up to this in the superb Dark Souls: Design Works, but the community had long ago rumbled them. Il Duomo is a cathedral in Milan and the visual inspiration is obvious, but a particularly important detail is the balustrades – one of which you have to cross in-game. Designer Masanori Waragai mentions that he visited this location: “I recall looking up at the buttresses and imagining how amazing it would feel to walk on them... it really inspires your adventurous side.”
Anor Londo
Anor Londo
Il Duomo
Il Duomo
Henry VIII didn't just have six wives – the phat bro had some crazy helmets going on too. This bad boy was given as a gift by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian 1, part of a complete armour set.
The Horned Helmet. Dates from 1511–14, Austrian, Innsbruck.
In-game Domhnall is the only person we meet from the region of Zena, and describes himself as 'a peddler, of sorts.' This isn't the whole truth. Domhnail's really a scavenger, following the player and picking up what they leave behind in order to sell later – for example, after you've beaten many of the bosses go and see him to buy their armour sets. His own armour, which he'll happily sell you, is kind of a joke – the grandiose naming bespeaks a land where intention is more important than accomplishment.
Domhnall of Zena
The real-life server.
The Server, “a curved greatsword used in a mysterious ancient rite,” turns out to be based on a real sword used in a mysterious ancient rite! The sword originated in either Nepal or India and was used to behead animals ready for sacrifice and, some say, even humans. In-game the server is associated with Shiva of the East, and is also notable for restoring a tiny bit of health with each hit – the only weapon that does so.
The in-game server.
Composer Leo Ornstein.
Ornstein, the reputed captain of Gwyn's knights, has a helmet shaped like a Lion – and uses the Leo Ring, which strengthens counter-attacks with thrust weapons. In 2002 the composer Leo Ornstein died at the age of 109 after a frankly astonishing life. A piano prodigy, Ornstein's early compositions both shocked and fascinated the musical world of the 1920s – and then he faded into obscurity, re-emerging in the 1980s with new compositions. For a short time Ornstein was the oldest published composer in history.
The link between Ornstein and Leo Ornstein is really more of a nod than anything substantial, though it is tempting to draw one thematic parallel – that bright youth filled with promise, followed by a long period of withdrawal from the world, topped off by a final, bravura flourish.
The Captain of Gwyn's Knights, Ornstein.
Oh and – thought Ornstein's helmet was total fantasy, eh? Well it's certainly a more refined take on the idea, but this 15th century Sallet from Italy, currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, suggests others have been there before. Wonder if they slew any dragons?
15th Century mask from Sallet, Italy.
Sasaki Kojiro was a Japanese samurai, one of the greatest – and in many accounts was taught to fight by Toda Seigen, a master of the short-bladed katana known as the kodachi. What does one use to counter a man fighting with a short-bladed katana? Why a long-bladed one of course, and in Kojiro's case this was the Monohoshi Zao – 'the laundry drying-pole.' It's fair to say this was a man with a sense of humour to match his mad skills.
In Dark Souls you can acquire the 'Washing Pole' from the mysterious Shiva of the East, a katana with an enormous blade much favoured by PvPers. Kojiro's 'swallow strike,' a swift downwards stroke followed by an upwards cut, may just live on in the Washing Pole's many victories.
The Washing Pole.
Not really much to say about this one other than Kirk, the Knight of Thorns, hunts down noobs – and apparently Siberians in the 19th century had similar ideas about how to hunt bears.
Hellraiser's casual attire.
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