The Crestfallen Warrior
Dark Souls 1 Lore
The Crestfallen Warrior. Who is he, and why is he sitting at the Firelink Shrine bonfire?
“What’s wrong? Get a bit of a scare out there? No problem. Have a seat and get comfortable. We’ll both be Hollow before you know it. Hah hah hah hah…
First of all, let’s look at the adjective in his title: “crestfallen: to be dispirited and depressed; dejected.”
The Crestfallen Warrior has lost the will to fight, citing that going hollow is a better alternative than dying. This teaches us that he is undead as he comments: “But I’d die again before I step foot in that cesspool!” though it is not explicitly explained how he became undead.
Nevertheless, he is opposed to the idea of death itself, which can be seen when we attack him. Without a second thought, he defends himself with masterful strikes and even unforeseen parries as he says: “I may be crestfallen, but I’m not defenceless, you rascal”!
As you meet upon him, you can immediately tell he is a renowned warrior by the armour and weapons he wields and carries. He wears a chain-mail set without the helm and wields a Longsword and Heater Shield, both +10. This man is well equipped and, as titled a Warrior, has presumably seen a lot of combat before meeting him. He takes excellent care of his weapons and will comment if you don’t.
He remains seated and will remark on many who find their way back to the Firelink Shrine, stating: “How did the [insert personal remark for each NPC returned] make it back? Unexpected, but I suppose stranger things have happened.”
Talking to him when having found essential items to rescue other adventurers shows that he has little sympathy for them and presumes them all hollow.
Even comments on your feats are downplayed and met with crude remarks. He has no interest in what you accomplish, nor does he think you can achieve the next goal you have in mind.
After ringing both bells, Frampt, the Kingseeker, appears at the Firelink Shrine. As the popular theory goes, he runs away from Firelink Shrine, and I quote him: “Did you ring the second bell? That is incredible, I must say… But now we have a new problem. It’s noisy, it snores, and its breath is lethal… This is no laughing matter, I tell you. Damn, that stench… And I was really beginning to like it here! Sigh… Maybe it’s time I do something about it…”
My first speculation would be that we know he’s not the chosen undead and is not interested in ushering in a new age of darkness or fire and thus following the words of Frampt. That “Maybe it’s time I do something about it.” signals that he tried to attack Frampt but failed and was forced to leave the Firelink Shrine.
Maybe in this aftermath, he was trying to find Kaathe, the Serpent, and that’s why we find him in the Ruins? Weak speculation, as he probably does not even know Kaathe resides in the abyss, and if he does, he has no means to reach him there. Despite the minuscule probability of this, the possibility exists. Although I tend to disbelieve this was the reason he was found there.
The second theory focuses on what he says when he hears you ring the bells and sees characters as Big Hat Logan, Laurentius Of The Great Swamp, and many more arrive at the Firelink Shrine. What if the lethal breath of Frampt is but an excuse, and the real reason is found when he says this: “Legendary heroes popping up left and right … They’re making me feel quite inadequate, to be honest! Hah hah hah hah …”
They make him feel inadequate, quite inadequate, “lacking adequate power, capacity, or competence.”
Also, as Dark Souls does not plainly put adverbs in, we can note the difference between himself, you and the others that pass the Firelink Shrine. What if he finds back the fire in his soul? What if he thinks to himself: “What better way to become a legend than traverse regions not traversed by others before? If they can return, I can as well.” Maybe this is why he goes to the New Londo Ruins and tries to carve out a path for himself.
Note: If you choose to side with Kaathe and speak to him after Frampt has disappeared, he will still depart and appear at the New Londo Ruins. This shows again that despite the foul breathing creature being gone, he still ventures into the Ruins to carve out his path.
Ultimately, with the inability to hurt the ghosts, he hollows out and remains there until you, the chosen undead, find him and release him from his misery.
If you please, you can fight him and kill him in his human state at the Firelink Shrine. He is masterfully skilled with the longsword and will not hesitate to parry you if you strike.
If he kills you, he comments:
“Now, that’s just embarrassing. How’d you let me do that to you?” Taunting you after your death.
However, if you kill him, he states:
“Heheh, not too shabby… I think you’ve done me a favour…”
Which can mean he sees the way of waiting to go hollow more difficult than he makes be and that the death of a capable, undead warrior grants him the peace he yearns for.
In real-life terms, the Crestfallen Warrior resembles the player who stops playing the game after failing too many times and thus, in terms of not playing anymore, makes their character turn without will or reason, makes them turn hollow.
