Dark Souls: The Story of Artorias of the Abyss

The lore of Dark Souls is filled with remarkable characters, but understanding it requires close attention, since the story is never told directly. The game has very little dialogue, and most of the narrative comes from item descriptions and subtle details that only the most observant players will notice.

One of the most important figures in the Souls series is Artorias, the Abysswalker, one of the Four Knights of Gwyn.

Artorias was considered the most brilliant of all the knights. He is often mentioned as a hero, the one who confronted the Abyss and the only warrior able to walk through darkness without being consumed by it.

This article organizes the events surrounding Artorias into a timeline that pieces together everything we learn about him throughout the game.

The Four Knights of Gwyn

Artorias was one of Gwyn’s Four Knights, serving the Lord of Cinder as the commander of this elite group of warriors. Alongside him were Ornstein, the Dragonslayer, Ciaran, the Lord’s Blade, and Gough, the Hawkeye Archer. Gwyn gifted Artorias the Wolf Ring, which granted him superhuman strength to wield massive greatswords.

Together, these four heroes fought in Gwyn’s war against the ancient dragons and were instrumental in securing victory. For their service, Gwyn honored them as legendary knights, and Artorias became a figure of legend.

The Abysswalker

After the rise of Anor Londo, the Abyss began to spread, bringing madness and corruption to everything it touched. At some point, Artorias discovered he could pass through the Abyss without being harmed, earning the title of Abysswalker.

During calmer days in Anor Londo, Artorias found the wolf Sif as a pup. Sif became his loyal companion and closest friend.

The Abyss spread across Oolacile, most likely due to the influence of Kaathe, a deceitful serpent of the Abyss. The kingdom and its people were consumed and corrupted by darkness. Dusk, the princess of Oolacile, was taken by a shadow beast into the depths of the Abyss. Gwyn sent Artorias to rescue the princess and attempt to save the kingdom.

Manus, Father of the Abyss

Artorias and Sif descended into the Abyss, where they faced Manus, the Father of the Abyss. It is unclear what Manus truly was, though many believe he was the primordial entity of darkness, the very embodiment of the end.

In the beginning, it is said that when the First Flame appeared to those hiding in the shadows, four great beings rose to claim it, becoming the original Lords of Cinder: Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight; Nito, Lord of the Dead; the Witch of Izalith; and a nameless, insignificant figure, ignored and forgotten, known only as the Furtive Pygmy.

While the first three embraced the Flame and used its power to prosper, create life, and forge strength, the Pygmy let his flame fade, leaving only darkness. From this was born the Dark Soul, and the Pygmy became the first human.

Later, it is revealed that Gwyn feared the power of mankind and the Dark Soul they inherited from the Pygmy. To counter this, he created the Darksign, a seal of the First Flame that stripped humans of the Dark Soul’s full strength, binding and weakening their souls. As the Flame faded, humanity, already weakened and sealed, became cursed. They could no longer truly die, slowly losing their sanity, as seen in Dark Souls.

Many theories suggest that the Furtive Pygmy, the original bearer of the Dark Soul, is in fact Manus in a form that fully represents the Abyss and darkness.

The Sacrifice of Artorias

Artorias fought with all his might against Manus and the Abyss, but he could not defeat him and suffered a devastating wound to his arm. The knight entrusted his shield to Sif and used the last of his strength to continue the fight. Ultimately, he was defeated and consumed by the Abyss.

Sif, the Great Grey Wolf

Years after the fall of Oolacile, during the events of Dark Souls, the Chosen Undead encounters Sif in Darkroot Garden. Sif appears to recognize the player, showing sorrow at having to fight them. Upon defeating Sif, the Chosen Undead gains access to Artorias’s Wolf Ring.

The Chosen Undead

In Darkroot Basin, the player finds Dusk, the princess of Oolacile. After rescuing her from a Crystal Golem and speaking with her, the player is dragged by Manus through a time rift. In Dark Souls, time flows in mysterious ways, often overlapping. This is how the player finds themselves in Oolacile during its downfall.

Here, everything comes together. The player ventures into the Abyss to face Manus, encounters a young Sif and saves her, defeats the Father of the Abyss, and meets Artorias, now corrupted and driven mad by darkness, forcing the player to put an end to the fallen knight.

Although it was the Chosen Undead who saved both the princess and Sif, history remembers Artorias as the savior. This is why, in the present, he is celebrated as the hero of Oolacile, even though the kingdom itself was lost to darkness. It is also why Sif recognizes the player in their battle and mourns having to fight them.

The lore of Dark Souls is complex and often difficult to follow. Much of it is left open to interpretation, and many aspects are built on theory. Yet that is part of the magic of the Souls series. The game invites players to explore and uncover every hidden detail. Artorias is one of the most captivating figures in the series and plays a vital role in its story.

One interesting detail is the suggestion of a deeper bond between Ciaran and Artorias, possibly even love. Ciaran asks the player to give her Artorias’s Soul in exchange for a reward, and at his grave a female body can be found with Ciaran’s Hornet Ring.

That concludes this article. Feel free to leave your questions, suggestions, critiques, or compliments in the comments. Thank you for reading, and until next time.