So the Pursuer isn’t just the one guy, it’s a profession. We can confirm this not only from the dual Pursuers in NG+ (which the canonicity of NG+ is dubious) but if we kill him in the first encounter in Forrest of the fallen giants, he doesn’t show up on the roof of cardinal tower which means we killed for real that one, like you said. The Pursuers were knights in service to the iron king, who contracted the brotherhood of blood in the huntsman’s copse. The whole idea was to hunt and destroy any undead, since the iron king paralleled Gwyn in his scorn for the undead. Pursuers levitate and pour out that dark smoke because they’ve themselves been cursed by the humanity sprites of those they’ve slain. They’re similar to the brass armor knight lady from Anor Londo who is a bunch of humanity ran rampant beneath her armor. As for why there are a ton of Pursuers hanging out in Lost Bastille, that castle was once part of the country of Venn, it was annexed by the nation of Alken, the land of the Iron King
When going through the game I almost expected the Pursuer to be important to the story. Like near the end of the game he could show up for another boss fight but have some sort of awakened form as one last ditch effort to finally finish you off.
Him being the final boss would've actually been pretty rad. Just him being fueled by that one singular motivation of needing to chase you down. Maybe he could shed the armour like the Darknuts in Twilight Princess and have a super agile form.
I mean It's not the same, there's the double Persuer in the throne room of dranglaic castle on NG+. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded it. A souped up Pursuer, with counterplay to walk right, after the other three guys would have been great. Make it a true endurance gauntlet
As far as I can tell, the Armored Core reference aspect to the Pursuer is just that he floats and flies around and looks like a Souls-world time period version of what a "mech" would be or look like, just an aesthetic thing maybe.
the bag of wpns he carries is probably more akin to a reference to the warrior monk musashibou benkei, who tasked himself to collect a 1000 weapon from strong opponents
The pursuer thrust hitbox is actually completely normal, the issue with it is that the game doesnt cancel roll animation when you actually register as getting hit on failed roll, as such it lets the animation play out and snap you back onto the blade. The actual hurtbox itself is actual beaten by simply walking to the right
It is likely when you get cursed stabbed or face the powered up variants, the Pursuer feels an immense hatred for the Bearer of the Curse. The Affinity hex, like many other hexes, are based on the locus of humanities' darkest intrigues of emotion, like love, hate, jealousy, envy...even 'want'. It seems the Pursuer desires to destroy the cursed undead since this dark emotion draws them to us and our desire of survival, something Dark Souls 3 seems to imply in various items related to humanity.
You really are a hero for doing these in depth DS2 lore videos, I hope you know that. I’d love to see something on The Daughters Of Manus, Grave Warden Agadayne (he’s just cool), Raime or Raime and Velstadt (I personally always theorized that Raime’s greatshield gets melted at Brume tower and becomes the Fume UGS), or the reincarnation of the Lord Souls and theorize how they may have been reincarnated further into DS3. I always imagined that the Pursuer is an empty suit of armor, like Skull Knight from Berserk, bound together by magic or his original soul, and magically programmed to hunt down the undead. Great video man!
Twilight Princess background for the win!! Didn't get a minute in and I already knew I'm gonna love it. Definitely becoming one of my favorite channels!
I think the faces on the armor are part of a larger thematic element of Fromsoft games, that being grudge curses. In every game so far, vengeful spirits are represented by either faces or skulls, such as the landscape of the Nightmare of Mensis or the blob monsters in New Londo. They're also usually depicted as screaming.
How about it's a personification of the supernatural force of the world trying to return to some sort of balance. Its singular purpose of hunting the cursed, phasing through the floor, floating, being trucked around by a bird (is there much lore on the bird?) sort of like the Chosen was by the crow in the first game as a sort of psychopomp. The cursed undead just shows up, despite the prophecy being fulfilled in the first game, without being needed anymore supposedly, so this force collects these aberrant chosen to let things finally settle. Thus all the weapons in the collection, and the soul attack, the supernatural behavior that I don't think any mortal could earn. Hard for me to imagine much, though, I always felt like DS2 stood apart enough that it made me wonder if lore speculation was supposed to lead somewhere Lot of people seem to be revisiting DS2 lately. Means I probably should return to it
Miyazaki always wanted an enemy that would stalk the player throughout their journey and attack him randomly in unexpected moments but he always failed to implement one properly in ds1 would be the black knights but they just ended up with very obvious spots "other than the one in darkroot he is a good ambush" In ds2 is the pursuer which is by far the best since he can just appear out of nowhere but once you know his spawns thats it In elden ring it was meant to be the night's cavalry that were supposed to ambush you during the nighttime but ugh kinda failed at it which sucks cause margit kinda pains them as a big deal as if they will hunt us down anywhere Sekiro i think were the lone shadows Hopefully elden ring dlc finally has something akin to that and we get to see that dream fully realized and i hope its something close in design to the pursuer as he was by far the best one
Need another mf like this in the next souls game. Love Morgott but he doesn’t have the same rivalry/unspoken beef with the player as the pursuer does(probably because bro doesn’t talk). Intro was fire as always great video
You're popping banger after banger man!🔥 Glad you covered this character man, it definitely is one of the top 5 best designed enemies by Fromsoft, he's just so badass like you said I personally really dig the duality between you the character and him; as both you and him have been tasked with a mission, that both of you have a reason to complete it, and that both of you will suffer the consequences if you fail - you're trying to take the Throne and he wants to take your soul, but at the end, after all his efforts and multiple bouts, you're the one that comes out the victor, leaving him with his task failed A bit poetic, but makes me respect his character way more Anyway, keep this shit going man, I know I'm not the only one who really likes what you're doing here
Curved sword parry isn't cut from ds3, I use it in pvp regularly, it just has very few active frames compared to other parry tools so it's effectively useless in pve
I've always thought of the Pursuer as the result of a really buffed up casting of the affinity spell, maybe from Nashandra. A lot of dark sprites shoved into armor given a bunch of different weapons because the caster can't be bothered to figure out which one it would prefer and sent after a specific target or specific type of target. So maybe the pursuer doesn't bind the dark sprites in his armor to his will, maybe he IS them. It interesting that he is basically always levitating, even when he doesn't need to, could just be because underneath all that armor he is a big dark blob that is always levitating. It doesn't really explain why he carries around that shield though. But it is also interesting that in the Shield's description it uses the words "As if each Undead soul that he claims will atone one of his sins." implying that may or may not actually be true. Maybe the ruse/promise of cleansing one's curse is part of the magic that binds the Sprites into service.
Armored Core Pursuer?! Now that you mention it, he does kinda move a little like an AC boss with his static floating and fast dashes! That would also explain the levitation, and the single red eye light, very AC indeed! All that being said I think you would enjoy AC6 very much with it's deep lore and story
Not every pursuer carries the golf bag, so maybe the one that gets dropped off by the giant eagle is is the real pursuer and the other ones are his shadows? But later in the game you encounter another caddie and he also emerges from the ground…
Honestly I like to think that the pursuer are a creature that’s entirely designed to contain the souls of those that are cursed or have been slayed by the pursuer.🐱
5:35 Only light curved swords can parry in DS3. For example the Painting Guardian's sword can, I think the shotel and scimitar can as well. I know the Follower's sabre can't, though.
Daamn i had no idea and i love the damn follower sabre, sucks it csnt parry, i feel like it would look really cool. I gotta try the shotel and painting guardians ones out tho i dont think i ever used either of those in ds3. I like painted curved sword in ds2 alot tho
I think hes like a empty armour but controlled by the abyss and you see some guys from ds1 in the abyss so i think when you die you could go to the abyss and he appears from the ground and has an abyss effect when you meet his shadows
I always saw it as likely being an empty, enchanted suit of armour (if anyone is familiar with the Rubric Marines from Warhammer 40k, you'll know where I'm going with this), that effectively served as automatons that pursued the undead in service of their master. That master being the Old Iron King. Vendrick, whose time came after TOIK's, discovered these relics of a past age and set them to purpose once again when the undead scourge also erupted in his own kingdom.
Others have pointed out that the Pursuer is not precisely a singular being, but a collective in the original translation, but I think there is some truth to the idea he originally was a single being, in the sense that there is an original Pursuer. "The Ring of Blades is modeled after the mad knight of Alken's weapon of choice. Increases physical attack. The kingdoms of Alken and Venn long ago flourished on these very grounds. They were both founded by the same man, but were reduced to rivalry and spite." In the original Japanese, this knight is given a name; Adgarz. Whether Adgarz is the force possessing and controlling the current Pursuers or they are independent beings following his legacy is a question in itself, but I believe the former possibility is likely; the Pursuers behave similar to, but not identically to the Possessed Armour of Brume Tower, and are controlled by a similar strain of black smoke. This leads us to the question: Who was Adgarz? Why did he hunt the bearer of the Sign? And why are the Pursuers cursed? _ Let us begin with the following: Alken. Where does the Pursuer appear? The Forest Of Fallen Giants, Iron Keep( including Belfry Sol, built by the Prince Of Alken), and the Lost Bastille. What do these territories represent? " To this day, the forbidden love of the Prince of Alken and the Princess of Venn manipulates these marionettes." This may seem unimportant, but it conveys something pivotal; there is the Prince of Alken, and the Princess of Venn. Contrary to common belief, the Prince is not from Venn, nor is the Princess from Alken. "When the Old Iron King wrested this dilapidated region from kingdom of Venn, the act required all the resources the enfeebled lord could muster. But with the discovery of this iron-producing miracle, he was reborn as a powerful leader." According to the developers, both Iron Keep and Brume Tower lay in the same region; a curiously burnt desert which, according to this description, was once a " dilapidated region" within Venn. In other words, though Belfry Sol belongs to the Prince Of Alken, it itself is located in a " dilapidated region" of Venn. In other words, as others may have concluded before us, the bells were exchanged; the Prince's bell in Venn, the Princess' in Alken; a symbolic gesture. It's really clever, when you think about it. The love the two heirs had was forbidden; for it to be known publicly would be disastrous. As such, the bells were built and placed within places where such information would not get out. In the case of Belfry Sol, nobody visited the " dilapidated region" it was built within, unaware of it's stores of iron yet to be discovered; in the case of Luna, whoever came to the Lost Bastille had no idea what the Bell was,or any chance of returning to the outside world to speak of it , other than that the Gargoyles were yet another type of jailer, patrolling the skies above the prison, scaring whoever tried to escape back into their cages, and hunting down whoever had the foolish courage to keep running. Through the ringing of the bells, and guarded by loyal marionettes, the two lovers would meet each other, summoned by the same mechanism that drives the Bell Keeper covenant today. Phantoms leave little trace; no one would investigate that far, anyway. Why would they? Bells are merely bells, no? Here, we also find a shared passion of the two heirs; tinkering. Puppetry. The intricacies of craftsmanship. This may seem odd for a couple of royals, but actually fits them quite well; the art of smithing is indeed divine in origin. Still, what does this have to do with the Iron King? Why is Belfry Sol part of his castle? Well, there is something I failed to mention: Remember that description mentioning the marionettes? Well it contains another mistranslation. They're not " prince" and " princess"; they're" King" and " Queen". Do you remember that description containing the " dilapidated region"? The Iron King is not a " lord" ,but a "weak king". That's not to say it is incorrect; despite what it says, the marionettes, even in Japanese, always refer to their masters as Prince and Princess. This indicates that, whilst the marionettes themselves were created in their youth, the Prince and Princess would eventually inherit their forefathers' thrones, and become rulers of their respective nations, with their marionettes still referring to them by their previous titles due to the date of their creation. So, they lived happily ever after, right? Wrong. "The kingdoms of Alken and Venn long ago flourished on these very grounds. They were both founded by the same man, but were reduced to rivalry and spite." The knight Adgarz was an exemplary warrior, a hero of the nation, and a living, breathing testament to the hatred shared between their peoples. People like him would never accept harmony between the kingdoms. Despite their love for one another, peace was an impossibility. This is part of why I find it unlikely that the Prince and Princess were siblings; for their nations to uphold such grudges against one another would require generations of war and intrigue. Still, what am I getting at, then? "That creature, she was human, once, you know… …Hmm, In fact, she was wed to the Prince of that nearby castle… …But her husband, hmm, he had feelings for another… …The Princess was desperate, and sought eternal beauty… …Hoping that it would restore the Prince's, ah, affection, ha you see what I mean…" Here, Gilligan gives us a rough portrait of Mytha's origins; even he admits it all happened long ago, and as for Mytha herself: "The Queen sought the King's affection, even poisoning herself to attain beauty, despite the monstrous consequences. All for the compelling madness known as love." Her husband, the " prince" of this nearby castle, was in fact a king, and the castle is what we now know as Iron Keep. I think you can connect the dots from there. People often suspect that Mytha could've been the Princess of Venn; this could not be further than the truth. Mytha was seeking love not from some far-off lover, but from her own husband, in love with another. Though their marriage was arranged, Mytha loved her King with all her heart... A sentiment he couldn't share. Indeed, even though it seems he attempted to bond with her, teaching her the art of puppetry, he could not love her as a man should love his wife, even though she was the most beautiful woman in the land. The map clears itself; Alken comprises the east including former Heide and the Lost Bastille, and Venn, the west, including the region containing Iron Keep. As for Mytha herself, her manner of dress and jewellery, along with the presence of the Desert Sorceresses, place her as from Jugo further east, married to the King Of Alken, likely for the sake of alliance..... For war. Peace could not be reached with Venn; the King Of Alken marches foolishly( or so it seems) to a certain dilapidated region of Venn, wasting all the power he could muster till that moment, and becoming a sitting duck. Did he know that he now sat upon a seemingly infinite reserve of ore? Or did he simply come here to find defeat, near the Bell he had given in honor of his beloved all those years ago? Was it sentiment that led him here, or wisdom? But nay;whatever he planned to do, we could say fate smiled upon him... Or rather, she smiled upon him. "Blacksteel katana wielded by Alonne Knights.One of the sturdiest types of katana, preferred by masters of the quick-draw. In the heyday of his land, the Old Iron King fancied entertaining dubious and eccentric guests from faraway lands. Most of them were charlatans, but among the riff-raff was an unusual knight from the far east. He trained the Iron King's men in the sword, in obeisance to his new lord. " "Pyromancy created by the magus Eygil, loyal follower of the Old Iron King. Creates several pillars of flame in front of the caster. Eygil sought to grant fire a will of its own. This pyromancy was conjured up to behave like a snake, writhing toward its prey, with a mind to strike." Indeed; Lady Fortune has strange tastes... Especially when she has a name, and a face. Isn't that right, Nadalia? _ As I said last time on the Demons video, I believe the Iron King's subordinates to be..oddly attuned to the Dark. It seems Sir Adgarz was no exception. Nadalia picked them all well. _ What happened to the Queen Of Venn, you ask? Some people will tell you she is Mytha, as we said. Some people will tell you she's the Lost Sinner, but you and I both know my opinions on that. Speaking of opinions, you can guess where I think she is. In the afterlife. A Queen never surrenders to the enemies of her people. Not for love. Not for life. Not for anything. That is simply a queen's duty... The Queen had to die for Venn to taste defeat, and for peace to rule these lands... And keep people like Adgarz happy. If you'll allow me to speculate... He may have been the one to do the deed. _ Why would Adgarz hunt the Bearer of the Sign? Why us? What makes our kind of Undead so special? The kind right...in the middle. Well, here's a little quiz for you: Who killed Sir Alonne? And before you say it's just a memory, it's not; it's based on one. You used the Ashen Mist Heart to truly travel back in time. That is why Drummond speaks to you as a stranger. That is why an " unknown warrior" bested the Giant Lord. And that is why you, Bearer, killed Sir Alonne. And the King remembers. You and the Pursuer; both of you have sinned against the King in some way without knowing it. Isn't it funny? It's almost as if you're ...kindred. Like you have some...Affinity for one another. Indeed, Humanity is vague in that way. Does he love you? Does he hate you? Does he respect you? None matter; all that matters is that he "wants" you, Bearer. He wants you... Dead.
And I'm pretty sure you said that ascetic word correctly. At least, that is how I seem to remember hearing people say it. (Rare word so it stands out to me)
Yeah; many, many people mistake and will continue to mistake "ascetic" for "aesthetic"... i bet it's due to autocorrect, no proofreading and a bit of ignorance... 🤷♂️
@@alessandrobaggi6129 I've seen this happen with semi-regularity. There are some common mispellings I've seen frequently, and words that everyone should know. Ascetic is pretty obscure it seems to me so I can understand. Honestly, I probably learned the word from this game!
@@ThommyofThenn To me, it seems like a diffusing illness: in some years 'S (=apostrophe+s at the end of a word) won't be a possessive anymore but the rule for plural... 🤦🤦🤦
@@TheHonoredMadmanto be clear here i have played all soulsborne games on Xbox one with the exception of bloodborne on ps4 so I don't know how pc work since I haven't played it so from my experience the pursuer sword stab attack glitch have never happen to me he did hit me one with it but its was reusable distance attack from him and I've fight him exspesly the boss version multiple times so dose that attack only happens on pc
