FromSoft's dark fantasy masterpiece Dark Souls is, from and thematic standpoint, a seemingly impenetrable work. First, famously, much of its worldbuilding and story can be reached only by careful attention to environmental set pieces, optional character interactions, and item descriptions. Second, and more of an obstacle for our present analytical purpose, Dark Souls is a game which seems to be about death, decay, and annihilation - but which is simultaneously a game starring a prophecy-driven character who survives death, and in which souls are demonstrable realities. But would-be Souls scholars should not despair. As for the subtlety and density of its worldbuilding, this is no rarity in the wider world of art. While it's nowhere near as complex as a Modernist novel, I would contend that Dark Souls is similarly rewarding to careful study as are, for instance, the works of Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. So, obviously I don't consider the diificulty of accessing its story to be an in