What I love about Solaire is his gear. It's described as having no real power. Just normal equipment. And that's why I love the idea of him just being a normal person. Because he's a normal person with the power to persevere and, even more, win.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you have feelings for me...he he he he he" Yes Solaire, Yes I do. xD

Solaire is a paladin, perhaps not in title but surely in strength, faith and virtue

The fact that everyone thought he was Gwynn's son and it turned out he was "just a guy" makes his story even better in my opinion. Its still interesting that he uses the lightning bolts tho. There still may be some kind of connection...

“Is Solare really a hero?” *crying* You take that back. This pure man deserves to never be questioned. He is goodness incarnate.

18:56 theres also the fact that you can find solaire's items in ds2 and ds3, and they mention solaire as "a hero of the yore". even after so much time has passed, solaire's magnificence is still widely known :)

Personal anecdote: When Dark Souls came out I was in my first year of serving the U.S. Navy. When you get promoted to Petty Officer Third Class as an automatic deal, they make you go through a little counseling thing to try and make you a better person/service member. It's a week long once a day class with a psychologist type guy, asking you personal questions, having you reflect on tobacco use/alcohol use/etc. Mine told us at the beginning of the week that over the course of the week he wanted us to reflect on who we are right now, and what negative qualities we may possess. At the end of the week, he wanted us to use visual aids to represent our present and our goal. Now, I hadn't had the time to play Dark Souls yet, and I actually hadn't heard of it yet. For my show and tell, more or less, I decided that I was best represented by a D battery, able to provide energy and utility, but I had a strict limit after which I stopped working completely. That was how I saw myself. For my goal visual aid, I used the cover of a recent copy of National Geographic... a colorized picture of the sun. I said that I wanted to be boundless, able to provide, and that my goal in life was to father a child. The psych guy was like, "Oh, that's nice... next person." He got bleary eyed at a guy who saw himself as a spilled drink and wanted to become a towel... oh well lol. Fast forward about 3 months. I'm sitting in Nuclear Field Power School, and I keep hearing these two guys in front of me talk about, "Yeah, I took the key and I ran down there right away, and found out you can ring the second bell first!" So my curiosity pulled me in, a couple of days later, I'm playing Dark Souls. When I got to Solaire I really felt like someone had been spying on me lol. "Do you think that's strange?" No, Solaire, I do not. More than you could ever know; I do not.

My favorite thing about Solaire is how innately transparent and good-natured he is. The fact his character’s entire calling card for being memorable isn’t incredible nuance or outstanding power, just that… he really is just a good natured guy who wants to find positivity in the most desolate of places. And despite all odds, somehow… he not only found it, but had it rub off on every single person he met. In such a depressing, grim game such as Dark Souls, he stands out, not for immense power or total might… But just cause he’s genuinely a really nice dude. It’s so heartwarming to see how this character who, at his core, is incredibly basic and simple, has a following that persists beyond anything else in the entire series. All he had to be was be jolly and positive. And that simple act resounded with every fan and every player. You really were the sun. And you didn’t need to wear a bug on your head to shine warmth on every single one of us. Praise the sun. \[T]/

When I first saw his summon sign sitting outside of Gwyn's boss fog I cried tears of Sunlight. After all the chaos and mayhem in lordran this man is basically waiting for me at the finish line like: "Come on bro, we'll cross together" That was the day I threw away my Red eye orb and joined the warriors of sunlight. \[T]/ Praise The Sun!

Solaire is just one of those characters that radiate chad energy. Like Sgt. Johnson from Halo

When you said "gonk squads" I imagined some guy being mugged by a bunch of gonk droids, made my night thanks lmao

Solaire is a character that has left a big impression on me for just being a random NPC. I first played Dark Souls years ago probably when I was like 12. before then, I didn't really have much of an understanding for character archetypes. Whenever I played games, like Skyrim for example, I just sorta did whatever. However, when I encountered Solaire, he resonated really strongly with me. Ever since then, any kind of faith-based warrior, like paladins or knights, have been my go to choice.

Seeing this has gotten me thinking: I think Solaire's legend has crossed the ages, he was so well loved. In Dark Souls 2, we get both his sword and a shield with a painted image resembling him from the Heirs of the Sun and in Dark Souls 3, his full equipment set is obtainable. His sword in particular, which had no special power before, now has a special weapon art akin to the Sacred Oath spell. Miracles are born of divine tales, by belief in an ideal: so strong was belief in Solaire's story, his sword was imbued with power fitting of his nature as a co-operator. It is officially my headcanon that Solaire is honored as a saint by the Warriors of Sunlight, even across ages and ages. Saint Solaire: I cannot imagine a more fitting title for someone so incandescent in spirit. A beacon of hope and a symbol of those who stand by those in need at the ends of ages.

I read a wonderful comment once that I just have to reiterate. Someone suggested that solaire was inches away from the kiln, from linking the flame, but before he quite literally became the sun, his ultimate goal, he stopped to place his summon sign, and patience waited to make sure you succeeded. The dude truly represents the best of us. Praise the sun!

This dude is a pure gentleman

I just want to give him a high five as we walk off in the sunset

We who joined the covenant of the Warriors of Sunlight are a covenant in real life. I can't count the number of times I met people in real life with t-shirts with solaire or the covenant symbol and told them "Praise the Sun", and they replied to me "Praise the Sun". And we didn't know each other. Likewise, everytime I see somebody on socials with symbols I comment "Praise the Sun" and a lot of comments follows. We are Sunbros in real life and this thanks to Solaire. Must love Solaire.

"Daaaaad, I kinda lost the annals of history... also your Van Halen mixtape."

"Solaire is the mascot of the Sunbros" *looks at my name and PFP* Yes, yes he is. [Sun Praising Intensifies]

I remember sitting next to my son on his first DS2 playthough. He was mucking through some forest and then we saw it... a golden summon. He, naturally, summoned the SunBro who gladly worked with him through Jolly Cooperation. Then, my son was guided by the SunBro to the shrine. My boy's response was "PRAISE THE SUN!"

Solaire is the reason why I could never choose the become the Lord of Darkness ending. I could not let him down

I think solaire is a perfect example of give and take on tone. If you have a happy world filled with happy people, people don't stand out for that except for that one super happy person. In a world where everything is fatalistic, doomed into an endless cycle of death, a simple human who wants to do the right thing and is nice to people left the biggest impact out of the entire series. Solaire wasn't just a breath of fresh air, he was an entire oasis in a desert. So much the usually shared "good" of the cast is split with everyone of the party/ good NPCs. But little old Solaire has the lion's share of goodness outside yourself, and we saw how much of a profound effect that could have on characterization.

By the end of the game I only had one thing left I wanted to do but never got the chance and that was to help Solaire in his world at the final stage of his quest so I could bear witness to his strength and virtue shining as bright as the sun he sought when he finally achieved it

You did our boy justice, another great essay my friend! Without irony or memeness, Praise the Sun!

Oh wow! I never realized you could talk to him after the centipede demon, and I completely forgot his dialogue by the sunlight covenant statue! Makes me want to play through again to meet him in those places!

I think the biggest thing for me about Solaire is the fact that he is only human. He's not some divinely chosen warrior or destined/prophesied hero, He's just a guy. A guy who isn't seeking power or fame he just wants to help the world. I always liked the theory of Solaire being Gwyn's son but an exiled god trying to reclaim his lost glory doesn't hold as much meaning to me. In a world where people are losing their humanity, even sometimes purposely throwing it away, it's easy to cling to any source of positivity. Up to and even after meeting Solaire we can see just how dark and outright evil humanity can be. So having this one light in the dark is comforting, and the fact that he shines so brightly just by being human is astounding. Solaire as a character shows us that people can be good as well as evil while also showing us that even the best of us need help occasionally.

The villianois Kirk was actually just trying to save Solarie

Consider that to this very day the name "Solaire" still means light, hope, and friendship. That the legend of the Warriors of Sunlight echoed through every souls game and even beyond. Solaire did it, he became his very own sun. A magnificent father, inspiring, warm, and bright. Bringing light in dark places, and hope to those lost in the night.

When I found Lost Solaire in the hidden tunnel I did not hesitage in deleting my character and starting again. I can't let that happen to him. Never. Not him.

The thing I love most about Solaire is that in addition to being the best npc summon in the game, his gear states that none of it is enchanted or has any real powers. He’s just a guy who is really good with a sword and shield and has very solid armor. It’s actually inspired how I do most of my playthroughs in Dark Souls. No powers or magic save for utility ones like hush and fall control. For the most part I’ve got no powers at all: I’m just a dude with a bow and a falchion.

Really like the idea that he's a representation of Miyazaki while building his career. Either he falls into madness alone in the dark by a parasite (depression) or the chosen undead helps him all the way to conquer Gwyn together (aka his team and family). Explaining Solair's doubts along the way and his potential downfall or the path to glory he actually built by the help of others

I like to think that Solaire got to Gwyn, and used his summons for us. And then every single player would appear to support him on his finale

Praise The Sun!!! I wasn’t the best at the game when I first went through, I was a mage who could dominate foes from afar but struggled when foes/mostly bosses got close, preventing me from casting spells. Solaire was always a nice sight to see whenever I saw his sign. When I first reached Gwyn I got my ass kicked, especially since I had no humanity to summon help so I put my sign down for a bit and ended up majorly helping this person who was able to Tank/Distract Gwyn, but was unable to counter. We made the perfect combo and he thanked me for being able to damage Gwyn with my Ranged spells while he distracted him. But after that I was back to square 1. After getting Humanity from helping that guy I was able to summon Solaire and was able to pull off that same combo again, finally granting me victory. I will always be thankful to my Sunbro for helping me beat Darksouls my first play through

I love the concept that in the dark souls universe not even space and time works like irl, worlds intertwined with different chosen undead feels so good compared to just multiplayer

I would like to see a villainpedia on Clockwork from Sly Cooper, and talk about his hatred, how someone could hate so much to replace his body metal and it fully being his lifeblood.

When Solaire disappears for the last time after beating Gwyn: *My Hero by Foo Fighters started playing*

\[T]/ PRAISE THE SUN!

There is a theory that the greatest ending is for Soliare to Link the fire and for you to be the lord of darkness. With it...True balance. With his shinning personality he could keep it going forever

I wish there were an easter egg where if you put your summon sign before the Gwyn fight, there'd be a chance to get summoned to Solaires world.

whenever we struggle. whenever we doubt. whenever we are lost. he is our Sun, guiding us to Victory.

Solaire may genuinely be my favorite NPC from any game. I've played RPGs all my life but when I bumped into Solaire, I have no idea why, he resonated with me. To this day me and my friends say Praise the Sun and my go-to build in almost any RPG afterwards has been a Paladin/Knight type set up. Solaire is the first, and surprisingly one of the only, NPCs that seems like an all around nice dude in the entire Dark Souls series.

I love these vids bro. Most dark souls and Elder Scrolls lore video's are 40 minutes and really explain nothing to me. Your video's actually make me understand whats going on

I've made it a habit of mine that when I play Souls games to beat the game first with a melee build before using anything that has lighting. As tribute to my first play thru in which I went about it as a melee build. To best the game as what I did when meeting Solaire is to me a rite in order to deem myself worthy of using lighting. Solaire really has left a big impact on me, helping me sort out emotions when I was down, to even now where I would often lift my spirits up when I'm down by thinking to myself "Come on man, Solaire wouldn't give up on this." Or "Solaire believes in me, so I have to keep trying." Childish it might be but a big help he has become, to the point where even if he never saw it, he did become a Sun to me.

"if i didn't know better, i'd say you have feelings for me" i legitimately questioned my sexuality when he asked me that. i bet you can guess how that turned out.

My opinion on Solaire has always been less phylosofical than many others'. The idea that he was the son of Gwyn was fun, but I never really believed it. What I think is, when he was alive, he worshipped Gwyn very religiously. Then he chose to become undead, which to me sounds like he actually committed suicide to become undead (knowing he had the undead course on him) and go to Lordran to find Gwyn or anything that could've remained of the gods. He knows how decadent Lordran is but he has faith that some splendour might still be there and he seeks that. As he progresses, he doesn't find anything but misery in Lordran. He doesn't find any trace of the Gods. So he starts losing his hopes. The end of his quest is totally open so I believe there's no right or wrong but just what you choose to believe. If he goes hollow, some people have theorized he might be seeking power so at the end he says that he is the sun because of it, but I don't believe it. I just believe he speaks nonsense because he lost his mind. If you save him, you won't meet him anymore actually until Gwyn's final battle. I see this as a sign that he finally understood that there's no hope left for Lordran so he doesn't even continue in his jolly cooperation. He decides eventually to try and link the first flame himself and put an end to Gwyn's sad fate.

Back in high school I made a custom Praise the Sun shirt with a little Solaire on it in the center with the phrase circling around him like Rays of the sun. It was badass

6:43 POV: You're trying to ask that girl out but you keep getting rejected

The duality of man, lean good or bad in all things simultaneously. He is just the one that seeks to lean into the good in all. The good confidence, strength, and so on. There is a duality in what we can all learn. That most who are glorious in our world are still only human, and too we are human. We can reach such glory that we admire others for.

I have a Solaire cosplay that I absolutely love to wear. I love taking pictures with people and seeing some of them almost tear up as they praise the sun with their sunbro one last time.

His laugh reminds me of Alan Watts.

This is a beautiful story. And yes, Solaire is that hope for me. I think it's sad he can fall down the path of darkness. Because to a lot of us, apparently, he was *'our* sun. Him, my pyromancy teacher, onion bro, and in my opinion, Lucatiel of Mirrah, are three symbols of strength and determination, and I feel lucky to have met them. I'd love videos on the last two. Lucatiel stuck out especially, as I don't remember having a lot of jolly NPC companions; only the other person I was playing with. We had a lot of fun getting beaten up over and over again in various parts of Dark Souls 2, reliving moments in the video "HAPPY SOULS". Honestly, I think that video made the game more memorable to me :) The last ones aren''t really heroes like the undead fighting to light the fire, but one of the only other gentle souls I met during the first game; Crossbreed Priscilla. The Fair Lady too. Gosh, for such a dark and moody world, there are quite a few characters that light the way. I, for one, enjoyed all of them. Praise the sun. And a jolly good day to you! May your path be lit with the sluggish sort, wonderful sights, and why is it always treasure?

If solaire could be described with a sentece would be "to pure for this world"

Just randomly ran into your account yesterday but man your stuff is underrated! The lore of side characters is normally swept to the side so its nice to see stuff like this. Keep up the good work man!

The thing i love about dark souls is the most of the time it just doesnt feel like what youre doing matters and that really hits when everyone around you starts going hollow or betraying you it feels like you did something wrong when in reality there was never anything you could have done

A warrior priest enjoying the light and warmth of the sun. How beautiful

You’re quickly becoming one of my favourite KZfaqrs as I get through more of your work Also, goddamn dark souls is amazing. Another thing I love about Solaire, and the NPCs as a whole, is how all of their tragedies frame the journey of the player. For most players, the world of dark souls is one that was so cruel as to give a soul like solaire the maggot ending. I feel like it gives the game the message of “even if everybody else fails, you should never give up”

Great Video, I'd love to see one for Artorias the Abysswalker and The Ivory King, both from the DLCs of Dark Souls 1 and 2 respectively, they were also great heros, a shame we never got to meet them at their best before they were corrupted

Just discovered your channel. I have to give you the biggest compliments for your work. This is exactly the type of channel i can see blowing up in 6 months, and i'll be able to tell that i was there for the first 10k subs. Keep it up

The youtube channel Hawkshaw made a video about Solaire that states he is most likely to be a representation of the creator of Dark Souls, Hidetaka Miyazaki. He basically took a low level job at Fromsoft because he had a very specific idea of the game he wanted to make, a job he was pretty overqualified for at the time. That’s pretty similar to how Solaire chose to become undead to chase this wild dream of finding his own sun. This really explains why he is trying to achieve something so vague compared to every other NPC. He never specifically says he wants to link the flame like Oscar or gain humanity like Lautrec. He is just trying to find his own sun. It doesn’t make that much sense unless it’s actually just a metaphor for a man who is trying to achieve his goals.

I always liked to think that if you save solaire, you become his sun, he finally finds what hes been searching for, in you, someone who was always searching for him and helping him out, guiding him safely through his journey, as he did for you. Because a least one person in dark souls deserves a happy ending.

That second you had obi pop up when solaire said "Oh, Hello there" made me facepalm in a good way

I've seen a lot of people debate why it's specifically the sunlight maggots that make Solaire go mad. My theory is as follows: When worn, the sunlight maggot resembles Gwyndolin's Crown of the Dark Sun, so much so that on my first playthrough, I believed Gwyndolin was wearing a sunlight maggot. Solaire would've already been to Anor Londo, and it's my belief that he found Gwyndolin. Whether he knew something was up with Gwynevere or found the ring in the Catacombs, I do not know. In either case, he fights Gwyndolin, and sees the crown on his head. He also notices that it is Gwyndolin who keeps the sun in Anor Londo. Solaire believed it was this crown, this mask that kept the sun. Solaire sees the maggot, and mistakes it for that crown. Believing that he has achieved his purpose, finding his sun, he hollows.

The fact that that he says chatting feels on the nose a bit about how Solaire is the architypical jolly online co-operator.

I never experienced a video game Death as hard as I did Solaire’s. It was so sudden and I didn’t even realize what I was doing until it was done. So much of my Dark Souls training just kicked in and when it was over I really felt sad. I remember putting my controller down and just staring for a good 5 minutes. RIP Solaire, Praise the Sun!

The thing is though the namelss king and solaire are somewhat connected. By the fact that the broken statue is of the nameless king it's his covenant the original sunbro is the nameless king.. And solaire part of the covenant this honestly makes me wonder if solaire knows who made the sunbro covenant.

I like to think of the characters as player archetypes. I also like to think that the best way to play and beat Dark souls (at least, the first time) is like Solaire: honest, and with positive determination and a bit of help

Honestly, when I first played dark souls and I saw solaire fall and go crazy, I had to stop playing for a while. I was so hopeful for atleast some kind of light in a dark place. And he lost himself and fell so damn hard

I mean, I've never seen Solaire and the Nameless King in the same room...

I love how just how we forge a bromance with Solaire though it is sad to see him in Lost Izalith with all hope lost. I am just glad he can help you fight Gwyn if you save him. Definitely one of my favorite souls npcs!

Theres a guy infested with Rot in Elden Ring sat in one of the rooms in the hub tower who has what looks suspiciously like the suncrest that Solaire has on his chest. There are definate character crossovers from the 2 games so it makes you think.

It was pretty neat when lore pointed to solaire maybe being the first born, but recently I saw Hawkshaws take on who Solaire is and its exquisite. The two of you unearth great details about the series and it would be amazing to see a collaboration. Im new to the channel so forgive me if it actually already exists and I haven't seen it.

"he has a good sense of fashion , I mean look at the salad spread all over his shoulder" Now I won't see solaire set like I used to

What makes him even better is that he’s just some random dude with crap armor and no actual training in magic or faith. He’s just there trudging along with willpower and belief alone. Best part is he makes it to the end. He’s there with you fighting Gwen side by side. Like you just some random smuck who somehow triamphed thru it all where meny other fell to despair. He held true

When I rescued Solaire from the Maggot the first time I was able to, I said to him at the end of his Dialogue: „I‘ll be your Sun“ I was very surprised to find him again in the Kiln of the first flame.

Solaire is the folly of happiness and a tragic fool to be reviled. Absorb the flame and be done with it lest you persist in a purgatory of delusion.

"Hello there." - Jedi Knight Solaire Kenobi

I won't lie, the sun insignia on the book in the overhaul is a fitting change.

He may not actually be a Paladin, but he makes me want to roll one for Pathfinder when he comes to mind. Now if only I could get a game together.

Something to note DS3 did bring the possibility the cursed sigils can be transferred. If he chose undeath, he likely spared an innocent soul that fate.

Solitaire is just like Boromir to me. Amazing drive and heart, but some could say too much heart to be so close to salvation without it crippling them.

I've played that game so many times and had no idea his storyline could end any other way than by putting on that mask and going nuts until just now. Thanks for that.

Our world needs a Solaire right now to take us out of these dark times.

He is my fav. Him and Siegmeiyer. Jolly Cooperation for life! I am a sunlight bro now and forever XD. Praise the sun!

Is it weird to have a love for a character in a series you've never played? I only knew of him through memes and my brother playing DS. He really just seems like the cool kind of guy to sit down and have a pint with.

I actually like the fact that he isn't the lost heir because it just pushes that idea that Solair isn't destined or the chosen one he's just a dude with a purpose

Thank you for making these videos, I’m in the process of making a fan comic series on dark souls so I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible in my freetime

This made me cry. I haven't played Dark Souls 1 in so many years, but I still fondly remember this guy. In my first playthrough, I did not save him, and watched in horror as he turned against me. At the time I thought it was just how that story was meant to progress. It broke my heart though because as you said, he was often a beacon in a really dark game, and when he starts questioning everything, it made you want to just give the guy a big hug and tell him it was gonna be alright.

The only word I can think of to describe Solaire is ‘Brother’.

The office building of my old job had an automatic exit that only opened when I waved in front of it. I immediately took the chance and made the \[T]/ pose every day after work. Regardless how bad the day went, the thought of Solaire always cheered me up. He truly is my Sun, so magnificent, grossly incandescent. Funnily enough, to check if the automatic door would open, I often looked up. That way I could see if the door would unlock or not. It was perfect. I quit the job and this month was my last to enter said building. While there were also more or less nice moments, the door was the only thing that never failed to make me feel happy.

Solaire's jolly-ness with the fact that the sun actually feels REALLY good on my skin on a cool day restores my humanity and makes me want to start a religion based around the sun

It's very rare too have a friendly NPC too help you throughout the entire game. That's why I always do his quest line. If only there was an ending for him too link the fire like he wanted too

Solaire never wished to become the chosen undead. He only wished to find his sun. Solaire is too smart and experienced to fall for the chosen undead scam

Another awesome video. If only I could be so grossly incandescent.

The characters in DS don't represent player archetypes, they represent different kinds of people who handle and express depression in different ways. It's really not subtle at all that the undead curse is symbolic of real depression. The kind of person who needs to help other people in order to feel better themselves is rare, yet memorable. He's very self aware and worries that he might weird people out for being this way and for seeking optimism where there is none. That's Solaire.

You deserve way more subs m’dude. Almost 20k is an accomplishment though, glad I found you now so I can watch your channel grow!

Solaire is literally the reason why I loved the first dark souls so much 🤣

Watching all your soulsborne lore video and am incredibly impressed by your impeccable narration and ability to instill the spirit of this characters. Incredible. Simply incredible. Praise the sun!

There are two things that I must do in every playthrough: keep the pyromancer alive and well in Fire Link Shrine and help Solaire find his true sun, his glory at the first flame

\[T]'/ Shall I do what I do best? Leave you a comment that makes you shudder to think? \[T]'/ I'll start with a pet theory of mine, of course it's not true, but... it's devoured my brain much like a Sunlight Maggot. So we know now of Solaire's future. That in the cut content, he linked the flame, perhaps even in place of the Chosen Undead... but why then, is his armor in the talons of the crow in DS3? His sword, now full of faithful magic, within a mimic in Lothric Castle? I like to think the answer is because Solaire was the first Ashen One, and perhaps even the player character of Dark Souls 3. When he went to link the flame, it burnt the curse of the undead out of him, and it did nothing more. He failed, even then, to find his own sun. Laid to rest and certainly not wanting to rise, his body was robbed of its shiny armaments by the giant crow and other looters from Lothric Castle. When he woke to the sound of the bell, a bell much like the ones he rang in ages prior, he had no memory of his former self. Now, without the selfish purpose of his first life, he gives himself over to destiny. He gives sight to the Firekeeper, bringing light to her lightless world, and lets the world move away from the writhing piteous flame.

As much as I love Solaire. I gotta say my true favorite character is Siegward. His infectious personality and friendly demeanor. His friendship with Yhorm. Most importantly I believe he is the only character in all of Souls to get a genuine happy ending.