The Dark Sign is probably the most recognizable symbol in the Dark Souls series. A common thread linking the three games is the Curse Of The Undead, Humanity, and the cycles of Light and Dark. At first, the Dark Sign seems just to be a mark on the undead. but, as the games and the lore was fleshed out more, the Dark Sign’s true importance was revealed.
Indeed, the Dark Sign is far more important than the average player would believe. It has been the subject of many speculations, theorizing, and plot points, and is crucial to figuring out what actually happened in the game. A lot of these are theories and speculations made to fit what we know, and while there is a lot we still don’t understand, here’s some things about the Dark Sign that we do know.
10 It Only Appears On Humans
The Dark Sign is a mark of the Undead Curse, but only for humans. Through the series, you can find Undead of other varieties, even Dragons, but the Dark Sign only appears on Undead humans. This is one of many signs that point to the Dark Sign not being just an indicator of the Curse. As we will see, it’s origin and purpose is a lot more complicated.
9 The Dark Sigil And The Dark Sign Are Different
Dark Souls 3 introduces the Dark Sigil, which you can get from Yuel of Londor. The Dark Sigil appears on the Undead and makes one go hollow upon death. The more you die, the more your hollowing increases. You can use this to ‘draw out your true strength,” which translates to a few free levels. However, it does not consume your souls or revives you, and it is created by the pilgrims from Londor. It is not the same as the Dark Sign.
8 It’s A Good Safety Option For Your Souls
The Dark Sign as an item is pretty undervalued. Everyone who has played one of these games has lost a large number of souls at some point, and, while dying in an attempt to get further than you’ve ever gotten is tempting, it makes the recovery run all the more dangerous, as your death can result in a loss of a huge amount of souls.
The Dark Sign is a way to avoid that. Using the Dark Sign only affects your current souls. It does not, however, affect your bloodstain. So, if you do find yourself in a treacherous situation with a valuable bloodstain at stake, using a Dark Sign is a good idea.
7 It’s More Recent Than You’d Think
While the timeline in the Souls universe is hazy at best, observant players can put together a fairly consistent history of this world. And, as far as we can tell, the Dark Sign is a relatively recent phenomenon.
Before the appearance of the undead, a lot of things happened; many wars are waged, heroes are made and corrupted, gods are born, exiled, and forgotten, and entire cities are lost to time. In the face of all that, the Dark Sign is but a blip on this world. A significant blip, but a tiny part of a world much bigger than itself, reinforcing the ever-present themes of the game.
6 It’s Not A Natural Phenomenon
Dark Souls 3 builds upon a lot of the lore in Dark Souls, and it is a testament to how well these games are designed. What is seemingly a retcon or a direct contradiction fits in and explains the story established previously.
In the case of the Dark Sign, in DS1, it was stated that the Dark Sign appears on the undead with little else explained, and hints at a bigger mystery behind it. This is solved in DS3, with the heavy implication that Gwyn created the Dark Sign.
5 It Is A Symbol Of Fear
Now that we know who created it, the question is: why? There are many theories about this, but the most commonly accepted one is that it was out of fear. Gwyn feared the potential of the humans created by the Dark Soul, and it’s potential to end the Age Of Fire.
To prevent that, he created a seal to contain the Darkness and gave birth to the Dark Sign. It is ironic, then, that one such bearer of the Dark Sign can choose the fate of the world, sacrificing himself to Link The Fire or ending the Age Of Fire, to rule over the world as a new Dark Lord.
4 A Chicken/Egg Situation
Ever since DS1, there has been a furious debate on what came first: The hollows or the Dark Sign. There is enough evidence to back up both sides of the argument. One camp claims that the Dark Sign is a symbol of Humanity, and Gwyn sealing it caused the Undead Curse and Hollowing.
The other camp argues that being Hollow is the natural state of humans and the Dark Sign contains the darkness and hollowing and allows humans to live. The lore is vague and interpretive enough to support both sides, and we are not likely to ever know for certain.
3 Filianore And The Ringed City
The Ringed City was Gwyn’s gift to the pigmies, but the carriers of the Dark Soul were feared by the gods. So, Gwyn walled them in to contain the Darkness and the Abyss—wink wink, nudge nudge. The Ringed Knight Armour set claims that the gods feared the power of the Abyss and Humanity and created a ring of fire around it to seal it. Breaking the seal would bring destruction to the gods.
Similarly, Gwyn’s daughter Filianore sealed the city—in an egg, no less—and protects from “a great desolation.” You see this desolation when you break the egg, awaken Filianore, and are transported to the end of the world.
2 Boon Or Bane?
There are still other theories that argue the opposite. They claim that the Hollow state is the natural state of humans. The Dark Sign, then, contains the darkness which would lead us to go hollow.
Gwyn’s seal of fire gives an approximation of life to the Hollowness of humans. This also makes explains why hollowing and undeath become more prevalent as the fire fades. The fading of the First Flame weakens the seal, and the darkness starts to overpower the fire.
1 Which One Is It, Then?
The answer to that is simple: whichever one you prefer. There is no clear answer, and that is the beauty of Dark Souls. The lore offers bits, pieces, and hints that are just enough for you to fill in a story yourself. You can find many theories and adopt one which makes sense to you, or you can come up with your own.
The Dark Sign, being at the center of three games now, feels just tantalizingly out of reach. It might have been the greatest gift the gods gave humanity, or it might be the curse that came of their fears. While we cannot be certain of which one it is, we can definitely say that it will interest and intrigue players for many, years to come.
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