Abyss Greatsword
Title
Abyss Greatsword
Subject
A greatsword that once belonged to Knight Artorias.
Description
A grey greatsword tainted with blue and black splotches - presumably corruption from the Abyss. It can be seen wielded by Knight Artorias the Abysswalker in his boss fight. If Artorias is defeated, the player obtains his soul, which can then be used to craft the Abyss Greatsword. When the player wields the Abyss Greatsword, its strength increases as the player's Humanity statistic increases.
Artorias, the original owner of this greatsword, was once a great knight that served the ruler of the land, Lord Gwyn. However, when a threat known as the Abyss began to encroach, Artorias went into it in an attempt to stop it. When the player encounters Artorias, he cannot be pacified or reasoned with. The once great knight lost his sanity trying to stop the Abyss. This is analogous to Dark Souls' concept of going hallow. Judging by references from in-game dialogue, to go hallow is to lose one's humanity, similar to Artorias' fate.
The connection between humanity and Artorias' fate is made literal by the gameplay mechanics of his sword. The Abyss Greatsword growing stronger as the player's Humanity increases seem to imply this would be the case for Artorias. However, it is clear that he failed in his fight against the Abyss, and he ultimately ended up a weaker shell of his former self. He lost his humanity and his drive to continue, which is what resulted in his failure and descent into madness. By maintaining their humanity, the player can maintain their strength and determination, using the Abyss Greatsword to fend off the dangers of Dark Souls.
Artorias, the original owner of this greatsword, was once a great knight that served the ruler of the land, Lord Gwyn. However, when a threat known as the Abyss began to encroach, Artorias went into it in an attempt to stop it. When the player encounters Artorias, he cannot be pacified or reasoned with. The once great knight lost his sanity trying to stop the Abyss. This is analogous to Dark Souls' concept of going hallow. Judging by references from in-game dialogue, to go hallow is to lose one's humanity, similar to Artorias' fate.
The connection between humanity and Artorias' fate is made literal by the gameplay mechanics of his sword. The Abyss Greatsword growing stronger as the player's Humanity increases seem to imply this would be the case for Artorias. However, it is clear that he failed in his fight against the Abyss, and he ultimately ended up a weaker shell of his former self. He lost his humanity and his drive to continue, which is what resulted in his failure and descent into madness. By maintaining their humanity, the player can maintain their strength and determination, using the Abyss Greatsword to fend off the dangers of Dark Souls.
Creator
Hidetaka Miyazaki
Source
Dark Souls
Publisher
FromSoftware Inc.
Contributor
Damian Kortus
Format
Video Game
Type
Fantasy
Files
Citation
Hidetaka Miyazaki, “Abyss Greatsword,” The Museum of Fictional Literary Artifacts, accessed April 25, 2024, https://mfla.omeka.net/items/show/418.