Dark Souls is a game known for its uncompromising learning curve; from monsters and other players alike. Praise the sun!
Unused Hero Text#
The texture sheets for the iconic hero text contain unused and removed sections.
YOU HOLLOWED#
Matches the style of the "YOU DIED" message, presumably for use when dying while human.
BLACK PHANTOM DESTROYED#
Used in the first version of the game on PS3 when defeating an invader. No text appears in current versions of the game.
MAGIC REVIVED#
Meant for the unused miracle Escape Death (see below). This message can still be seen by hacking the miracle into your inventory and using it.
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Unused Text Prompts#
The following messages would have appeared as pop-ups, or upon the examination of an item during gameplay:
- She is as still as a corpse
- Extinguish fire
- Seal of the Great Lord was broken
- Cannot use bonfire while phantom is present
- Befriend? What is your decision? How do you answer?
- Try invading world of the traitor Shiva?
- Gravelord Servant has challenged area boss… Returning to your world…
- You have acquired humanity and are no longer Hollow
Unused "Seek Guidance" Tips#
These messages would have appeared when players used the spell Seek Guidance:
- Try Light
- Try lightning
Unused Icons#
Icon |
Description |
Notes |
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Armored Hollow |
Found only in an early screenshot. Would have appeared on Orange Guidance Soapstone messages with 0-100 votes. The Male Undead Merchant icon is used instead in the final game. |
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Hourglass |
This icon shares its style with the stat icons in the character menu. |
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Yellow Soapstone |
While the game features red, white, and orange soapstones, it lacks any yellow ones. |
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Key 1 |
This key appears in multiple sprite sheets, suggesting it may have been a placeholder for other keys. |
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Key 2 |
Another key icon. |
Unused Items#
Consumables#
Icon |
Name |
Description |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Affidavit |
Slip sold by bishop of Velka, Goddess of Sin. |
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Black Eye Orb |
Invade the world of the traitor Shiva. |
This unused item shares its icon with the used Black Eye Orb. |
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This item's icon was repurposed for the Attune Magic menu icon. |
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No name or description but appears to be a green moss clump. |
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No name or description but appears to be a red blossom. |
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No name or description but appears to be a white eye orb. |
The debug version of the game also contains a duplicate Humanity item. This version of the item does not recover the player's health, and has a simpler description.
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Weapons#
Icon |
Model |
Name |
Description |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A model of a black Zweihander. It lacks stats, movesets, and animations. Found among the weapons by Artorias' grave, it is linked to the unused model of Marvelous Chester. |
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A model of a talisman, if its filename is anything to go by. It lacks stats, movesets, and animations. It may be linked to "Gwynevere's Talisman", which is referred to in-game but never seen. |
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A model of a great sword known as the Four Kings Sword. It lacks stats, movesets, and animations, but does have an icon. |
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A model of what appears to be a Man Catcher: a medieval tool for apprehending and transporting prisoners. Has no stats, movesets, or animations. This item appeared in Shadow Tower: Abyss, an earlier title developed by From Software. |
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Found after the whip and notched whip on the texture sheet. Appears to be a cat o' nine tails. |
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Gwynevere's Talisman |
Dragon Talismans |
A talisman which exists only as a name and a misspelled description. |
Armor#
Icon |
Model |
Name |
Description |
Notes |
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Elite Cleric Helm |
Helm worn by the warrior clerics of the Way of White, who are famous for being unyielding in battle. |
Worn by Petrus of Thorolund. Unobtainable in-game despite being complete and functional. |
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Elite Cleric Armor |
Armor worn by the warrior clerics of the Way of White, who are famous for being unyielding in battle. |
Worn by Petrus of Thorolund. Unobtainable in-game despite being complete and functional. |
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Elite Cleric Gauntlets |
Gauntlets worn by the warrior clerics of the Way of White, who are famous for being unyielding in battle. |
Worn by Petrus of Thorolund. Unobtainable in-game despite being complete and functional. |
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Elite Cleric Leggings |
Leggings worn by the warrior clerics of the Way of White, who are famous for being unyielding in battle. |
Worn by Petrus of Thorolund. Unobtainable in-game despite being complete and functional. |
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Mage Smith Hat |
Hat worn by proper mage smiths who studied at Vinheim Dragon School. |
Worn by Rickert of Vinheim. Unobtainable in-game despite being complete and functional. |
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Mage Smith Coat |
Coat worn by proper mage smiths who studied at Vinheim Dragon School. |
Worn by Rickert of Vinheim. Unobtainable in-game despite being complete and functional. |
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Mage Smith Gauntlets |
Gauntlets worn by proper mage smiths who studied at Vinheim Dragon School. |
Worn by Rickert of Vinheim. Unobtainable in-game despite being complete and functional. |
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Mage Smith Boots |
Boots worn by proper mage smiths who studied at Vinheim Dragon School. |
Worn by Rickert of Vinheim. Unobtainable in-game despite being complete and functional. |
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Unofficially called the Undead King Jar Eel armor set. Exists only as a model with no name, description, or stats. |
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Unofficially called the Bear armor set. Exists only as a model and mesh with no name, description, or stats. Concept art can be found in Dark Souls: Design Works |
Rings#
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Icon |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
Ring of Displacement |
The ring of a lost miracle of New Londo. This ring takes damage in place of its wearer, but has a fixed chance of breaking. |
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Ring of Blind Ghosts |
This ring belonged to the seal guardian of New Londo. It prevents its wearer's discovery by cursed ghosts. |
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Ring of Condemnation |
This black diamond ring is granted to those who enter a Covenant with Velka, the Goddess of Sin. |
Key Items#
Icon |
Name |
Description |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Lift Chamber Key |
Key opening the lift leading to New Londo ruins in the basement of Firelink Shrine. |
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A fifth lord soul is found under the third unused key listed in the Steamworks debug build. It has no name or short description. |
Spells#
Name |
Description |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
Escape Death |
Lost miracle, foreign to the Way of White. While active, no losses incurred upon death. |
Miracle which prevents the player from losing souls and humanity upon dying. This effect is identical to that of the Ring of Sacrifice, though the "RING REVIVAL" message displayed upon death reads "MAGIC REVIVED" instead. |
Early/Alternate Character Designs#
There are several earlier or alternate models of existing characters leftover in the game's code:
Marvelous Chester#
A prototype version of Marvelous Chester. The black Zweihander in the unused weapons above would've been used by him.
Witch Beatrice#
Witch Beatrice has a model that's notably younger than how she appears in the final game. Notably, her staff texture refers to a "Wand" instead of a "Catalyst".
Bed of Chaos#
A different version of Bed of Chaos, with insect-like wings on its back, and a muddier, darker palette. It has animations that would imply the Bed of Chaos was a lot more mobile than how it appeared in the final game.
Kalameet#
An earlier Kalameet. It has different proportions to the final Kalameet, as well as changes in colour.
Unused Dialogue#
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The Crestfallen Merchant#
The merchant has unused lines that reflect his futile attempts to prevent himself from going Hollow.
- [moaning & grumbling] Think... think... remember, remember, remember, count. Count, yeah! Count... number one, two, three... f-four, f...five, six, seven... Count! [frustrated groaning] Why can't you... Aaargh!
Chaos Witch Quelaag#
The reason these lines go unused may be linked to an interview in which Hidetaka Miyazaki mentions that he was unhappy with the script prepared for her.
- Go back! Forbidden be these parts!
- The realm of the creatures of chaos, they accept their banished fate.
- Go back, lest the flames devour all, and the children of chaos feed upon your charred ashes!
- Those who trespass Quelaag's domain, may you feel the depth of our wrath!
- Ahh, a precious new sacrifice!
- Welcome, bringer of meat. The children of chaos are hungry; give yourself to Quelaag's flame!
Knight Lautrec of Carim#
Unlike in the final game, Lautrec comments on the player's voice, rather than their face.
- By the Lords... Your voice... Hmmm. Your humanity is really slipping.
- I entreat you. Have pity on this powerless knight. Surely you can imagine the depth of such dejection?
- You won't let me be? Then I have no choice!
- You will regret this! How dare you insult Lautrec the Embraced? May the Goddess have Mercy upon you!
- Why, you... How far will you come?
- Please, leave me alone!
- What have I done to you?
- Please, I beg of you!
Quelaag's Sister (The Fair Lady)#
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Oscar, Knight of Astora#
Oscar is encountered as a dying knight in the Undead Asylum, where he gives you a key, as well as your first Estus Flask. He goes Hollow following your departure, and attacks you when you return to the Asylum (regardless of whether or not you kill him yourself). However, this unused dialogue suggests that he was once intended to have a greater role in the game:
- A pleasure to meet you. Sage Frampt has spoken to me about you. I am Oscar, of Astora. I wish to thank you for ringing the Bell of Awakening.
- I have received the word of Sage Frampt. I will be fine. You ought to focus on yourself. May we each fulfil our respective purposes!
- I am preparing to leave. I cannot just stay here. I must find my own purpose. I hope that we meet again somewhere, one day.
It seems that Oscar would have taken a different path from the player, choosing to follow the other primordial serpent, and becoming a powerful antagonist:
- So, it was you! I had a feeling... I shall destroy you, as fate has commanded me.
- Foolish pawn of Darkstalker Kaathe! And fiendish Dark Lord! I have waited for thee.
- Foolish slave of the Gods, and pawn of Frampt. I will kill you, and become the true Dark Lord.
Shiva of the East#
The NPC merchant Shiva of the East is a bit, uh, weird. You're told that he's untrustworthy, and killing him and his bodyguard is the only way to get one of the game's best rings...but unless you provoke him, you don't get any further than having him sell weapons in Blighttown.
Regardless, apparently he was intended to behave similarly to Satsuki in Demon's Souls – he asked you about the "Chaos Blade", and if you returned to him with it, he'd kill you and steal the sword. At this point, you'd get an unused Black Eye Orb that allows you to invade Shiva's world and reclaim the sword. Surprisingly, the invasion event still exists, and even kinda sorta works.
Version Differences#
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Hero Text#
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Patch 1.05 for the console releases (released November 22nd 2011) retranslated some of the hero text:
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Post-1.05 |
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Pre-1.05 |
Post-1.05 |
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The Dark Souls series | |
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PlayStation 3 |
Demon's Souls (2009) • Dark Souls (Debug Version) • Dark Souls II (Network Test) |
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Xbox 360 |
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Windows |
Dark Souls (Debug Version) • Dark Souls II (Network Test) • Dark Souls III • Dark Souls Remastered |
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PlayStation 4 |
Dark Souls II (Network Test) • Dark Souls III • Dark Souls Remastered |
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Xbox One |
Dark Souls II (Network Test) • Dark Souls III • Dark Souls Remastered |
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Nintendo Switch |
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PlayStation 5 |
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