Dark Souls showcased one of the worst items in the game, Know what?
Although more than a dozen years have passed since its release, Dark Souls continues to be considered one of the most influential games of the medium. These mechanics, also seen in Demon’s Souls, ignited the spark of a subgenre we would end up referring to as Soulslike since few developers followed Miyazaki’s steps in the presentation and use of medieval dark fantasy. Because the adventure launched back in 2011 began to form a giant community, which, in addition, was composed of lost players who did not care about them, investing dozens of hours in experimenting with buildings, as well as in the search for lore and Miyazaki decided to remove the waters by introducing an object that would end up being the center of dozens of theories: the Colgante.
Before continuing, it is important to clarify exactly which item we are referring to. The Pendant is one of the initial gifts offered to the player at the beginning of the game, specifically in the character creation section. Therefore, it should not be confused with similarly named items such as the Silver Pendant, which repels all dark magic, or the Broken Pendant, essential to access the contents of the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.
And, normally, you do not remember the trinket that starts in this text, because it had no specific use beyond serving as an exchange to obtain a Reprisal Souvenir (an object that can be obtained in multiple ways) or to obtain 1,000 souls. Therefore, the community did not take long to classify this Pendant as a rather useless item, but everything changed after some statements by Miyazaki.
A personal choice that changed everything
Miyazaki preferred to start his game without any starting gift or, at most, with the Pendant.
Back in 2011, shortly before the release of Dark Souls, its creator gave an interview to the Famitsu medium to review some key features of the Lordran experience, including the initial customization of the adventure’s protagonist. Here reference was made to the already mentioned initial gifts, which include such useful items as a master key or the Witch’s Ring to speak with Quelaag’s Sister, but Miyazaki commented that he preferred to start the game without any of these items or, as much, with the Pendant.
As you can imagine, it didn’t take long for the community to search for a hidden meaning to these words, thus sparking an investigation in all corners of Dark Souls for an unknown use of the trinket. Whether it was talking to NPCs, participating in online battles, or analyzing scenarios comparing them to matches where the Pendant was not chosen as the starting gift, users were convinced that Miyazaki had a good reason for choosing this item.
On the other hand, some players took the creative’s statements as a new opportunity to dive into the lore of the title. In this way, the Dark Souls forums were filled with theories where the Pendant was related to some of the most important characters in the adventure. This, in addition, was complemented by other speculations about the true meaning of the Pendant and its connection with the player, since the official description of the item was the following: “A simple pendant without any effect. But pleasant memories are vital to surviving the most arduous journeys”.
The mystery that was solved with the DLC promotion
“As for the Pendant, it was intended to be a bit of a joke” (Hidetaka Miyazaki). Lordran is full of details, and his characters spout deep and cryptic lines, so we weren’t surprised to learn that, months after Dark Souls’ release, the community still had a lot of questions and theories about his lore. The Artorias of the Abyss DLC resolved many of the players’ issues, but few expected its promo to put an end to one of the game’s biggest mysteries: the true purpose of the Pendant.
During an interview, where he delves into some of the most important aspects of the expansion, with special emphasis on the knight Artorias and other Dark Souls NPCs, Miyazaki confirmed that the item that stars in this text did not hide anything special: “As far as the Pendant is concerned, it was intended as a joke a bit .” Thus, players stopped looking for a secret use for an item that is described as a “no effect” decoration.
If you are a fan of Dark Souls and have been following the trail of its enigmas for a long time, it is likely that you already knew the end of this particular anecdote. However, it is still a curious sign that the community is willing to invest many hours of play to discover the hidden meanings of the delivery. Which, in short, serves to demonstrate the great impact that the work of Miyazaki and From Software has had on thousands of players.
