Ancestor Spirit | Boss Designs of Elden Ring #9
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- čas přidán 5. 04. 2024
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What does it mean when half the world above worships a corpse-eating tree, demigods use corpses as self-decoration, tombs litter the land and a tribe of ancestor worshipers seem to revere the concept of decay and rot itself?
It means we might have a Theme™ on our hands.
Title theme: "Cinder & Ash"
Composed by Tre Watson
/ @trewatsonmusic
Royalty free music in my videos sourced from filmmusic.io, incompetech.com, and composed by Kevin Macleod. Used under a Creative Commons license ((creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)
Additional music by Stevia Sphere
steviasphere.bandcamp.com/
Used under a Creative Commons License
#eldenring - Hry
Honestly the Ancestor Spirit feels in game about as big as moose feel IRL, though thankfully without the triple jump. I don't think my heart could handle moose airstrikes 🐎
TACTICAL NUKE, INCOMING!
@@uncabob214Tactical Moose
shout out to your editor, honestly. the little bits they work in are great and make me cackle every time. the sniper shots and the most brief cut in of "snake eater" when you go up a ladder really are the cherry on top to an already great video.
My editor, who is me, appreciates the shout out :)
@@TBSkyenskyen better give u a raise
@@unwweyrich4661Agreed.
@@TBSkyen You'd better treat Skyen with maybe a good nap or something like that
@@TBSkyenis Skyen letting you unionize? He better be
The OST for the Ancestor Spirit is so well constructed for its themes and vibes -- the spirit should be, on paper, quite grotesque, but in game it has a real dignity to it, and the OST supports this, giving this feeling of ancient and elegant melancholy, as if there are synergistic feelings of both grief and reverence. It at once feels detached from the world and one with it. From Soft's music is always great, but many of their most impressive boss themes trend towards the bombastic, but this bucks that trend and impresses with much subtler emotions. 🐎
I'm including this theme in a class on video game music next year for these very reasons!
The ancestor spirit is one of my favorite bosses and the music carries a _lot_ of that weight. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to feel like I'm violating it's rest or if I'm putting it's lingering spirit down so it can finally be at peace. The music also is not nearly as "hostile" as most boss themes, it practically meditative.
23:04 "Death feels central"
"The forbidden shadow, plucked from the Golden Order upon its creation…"
If you know you know.
The serenity of the ambient and music during this boss fight is just amazing.
Simply amazing! 🦌
Legit one of my favorite boss themes in the entire game.
I rewatched the other "Boss Designs of Elden Ring" videos a couple of times by now, I'm so happy we got another one
Sameee
Ancestor Spirit gave me the Spirit of the Forest vibes from Mononoke. 🐎
LOVE the way that Fromsoft made this feel like an actual mini-pilgrimage of sorts. You travel the landscape and light all the beacons before getting an opportunity to communicate with a deity. Admittedly you don't communicate it, you fight it, but the language of Dark Souls (Elden Ring) is violence so it's still its own form of communication. 🐎
For me it kinda felt like the opposite, I went it, used the beautiful natural land for my own purposes, killed anything I saw, did a sacred ritual with no care or knowledge of its significance or consequences, and destroyed something sacred and beautiful for a small reward.
Given I never played ds1 this is the first boss in these games that I felt wrong/dirty about after the fact and the questions it made me ask about both my character and the golden order would eventually lead to me pivoting and doing the Darkmoon ending that playthrough. 10/10, one of the most memorable experiences of my er playthroughs.
I dunno, given the themes of the spirit warriors and the fact that they drop small animal remains (or something to that effect), as well as the SEQUEL fight to this thing, it seems pretty clear that ritual hunting is core to the culture. In other words, I think killing that thing is exactly what they did too. Just, y'know, maybe more reverently?
@@samfish2550 Good games make you question things - how your actions play into the world at large, and what the existence of nature would be like if you, your circumstances, the life of those you fight - if it was all just slightly different. I am glad that Elden Ring gave you a moment of pause to think about your actions within it, because it is a useful and cathartic way to apply thinking about what you do into life at large - an incredibly useful skill to have.
I apologise for my ranting, and I wish you a pleasant day. Thank you for your time.
@@pineapplefrostyfruits9225 exactly why I love this fight, honestly moreso than the regal variant. It was a great experience.
@@teheqlles9036That and how it sacrifices the animal spirits around it for unique attacks when it teleports. In my opinion, they're a more realistic and less idealistic view of the circle of life, where a species can be so good at it's job it disrupts it, so the rest of the animal kingdom has to adapt or die. Allowing a god to be born through natural selection against themselves and other spirits.
I kinda hope we were the kick in the pants they needed to adapt again. Like Darwin and Mahoraga combined.
7:12 the jumpcut to that bloodstain was *perfect*
🐎
11:00 it's funny that you were so terrified of of the next boss. The Dragonkin Solider did a number on Past Skyen's psyche!🐴
🐎 Was SOOOOO looking forward to this one, and you did not disappoint! I adore this boss fight so much, not just because it's gorgeous and the music is godly, but it altogether has such a PEACEFUL feeling to it. Maybe it's thanks to the fact that the Ancestral Spirit is so clearly already dead, combined with the fact that even after defeating it, its stationary corpse continues to glow, but this is the one fight that doesn't make me feel like an invader, like I'm destroying something. This feels instead like a ritual battle, where you either perish and become part of the cave's ecosystem, or you win and return to the world with the insight (heh) gained from this literal brush with death. Which is exactly what you've done! The intersection of life and death gets explored from every possible angle in this game, and the Ancestor Spirit is one of the prime clues to not get caught up in believing the Golden Order's dogma that the Erdtree is the ultimate authority on the cycle of life and death.
Love the video, Skyen, and yes, Moose are way too scary for their own good. The first time I saw one in person, I was shocked at how tall it actually was. And it wasn't even full grown yet!
And here is a horsey for ya. 🐴🐎
You want to know something weird mooses can actually swim underwater to eat sea grass, in fact they have done this for so long that they are the natural prey of orcas/killer whales.
🐎 Siofra river was by far the highlight of my first elden ring playthrough. Seeing the "sky" as I descend the lift, finding the merchant and just sitting there listening to his song, and with the ancestor spirit absolutely entrancing me. I almost didn't want to leave.
This boss never fails to leave me awestruck. The whole area leading up to it, the arena, the way it moves, the MUSIC. Everything about it comes together to create this stunningly ethereal experience. 🐎
After your throught on Elden Ring's general theme here I cannot wait for you to get closer to the endgame.
Beautiful video as always! The Boss Designs series is what brought me to this channel and it remains my favorite after all this time.
🐎
Thematically relevant Hozier-quote:
"We lay here for years or for hours
Thrown here or found
To freeze or to thaw
So long we become the flowers
Two corpses we were
Two corpses I saw"
(Quoted from "In a week", definitely give it a listen, it has this beautiful eerie-but-calm vibe that only Hozier really gets right)
This whole concept of death as nourishment for life is very close to home for me.
A few years back, that idea kind of became my refuge when I was recovering from a bunch of personal tragedies coinciding with frankly ridiculous timing in hindsight. (Like seriously, my memoirs would be critiqued for being too unrealistic if I ever wrote them)
Coincidentally, all this thinking about death and ends is also what got me into character design and worldbuilding (and your channel!) in the first place, because I started "writing" (read: daydreaming and plotting) about a world grappling with decay to cope with it all.
And that actually worked out! I'm doing very well now, and I'm excited about the future again! Isn't that kinda neat?
🐴great video as always, loved those snappy edits fighting that flower thingy
Oh we are DEFINITELY the antagonists in that fight
I get so excited to see you still chugging along with this Herculean feat of a game/editing! I love this formula of half fun and games, and half perspective and insight! 🐎🐴🎠
Sacrificial words for the almighty algorithm aside, thank you for making these videos! I love every time every time I've been blessed by more/any of your videos!
Keep up the great work and don't feel pressured. The more fun you have with the making of them the more fun we have with them alongside you!
the panicked apologies after accidentally thwacking a friendly npc is so real 🐎
🐎🐴 I just finished watching your Bloodborne series and loved it so much that I was left a little sad that I was done with it, you can much imagine how giddy I got when I saw this video on my notifications :)
I've always loved this area, the entire just... GORGEOUS and ethereal nature it has. Like, it is underground some of the most volatile and hostile places in the entire game in Caelid, but its... Its beautiful. The endless expanse of stars overhead? The flourishing plant life so deep below? Its just... Amazing to me. 🐎
🐎 mooses. are GIANT. my mum apparently found a small baby moose in a forest, and scared my grandpa half to death because she was a baby herself (5yo at the time), and had to sloooooowly draw her away from the moose. because, you know, they are very aggressive animals actually if they feel threatened. and that "baby" moose was, from my mum's memory, almost THRICE her height, and big af. as in she fully expected that she found a cool adult moose to show off to her father.
the first time I saw a moose was an adult, behind a fence in a reservation, and she was a 2m tall mountain of animal muscle that made my knees buckle, and I was an adult myself.
anyway, story time aside, the game really translates well just how TERRIFYING the ancestor spirit feels. not just by height, but by the animation of its movement. and I feel like the themes you've found about this boss are spot on. small addition about it from me: it also feels like communion with the spirit is achieved through Glorious Combat of its followers/people, and that the rhythmic thumping and prayer poses they have when idle, not in combat, seems to work together with the music of the bossfight when you put them next to one another.
🐴 This had to be the most chill boss fight in the game. Even I was able to deal with it and I'm terrible as this game.
Great video as always and your analysis is always interesting to hear.
🎠 the music for this boss gives me chills every time
I remember the absolute awe I felt when first exploring the underground area around Siofra River. 🐎
The moment I entered this boss chamber, my immediate thought was "I wonder what TB Skyen will have to say about this..."
I feel incredibly fortunate that I'm in a place in my life where i can support this series. Amazing work as always skyen 🐎🐴
My favorite boss from the whole game. How can something that is undead be so beautiful?
I LOVE this thematic reading of the game and this boss, i think you hit the nail on the head. I do have a question related to this reading- are we allowed to pose a single food for thought question to you that comes from pretty well backed theory with plenty of in-game support, or would you prefer to remain *'clears throat'* untarnished? 🐎
Don't mean to speak for him, but I believe skyens said a large part of this series is analysis from a single, basically blind perspective, to see how well fromsoft conveys their themes and stories to new players, so I imagine he'd decline. Also 🐴
When you were discussing death and the fact that the Tarnished are all denied a proper one, over the footage of a crypt lined with uncovered corpses, it dawned on me what that imagery conjures: mass graves during wars and genocides.
Of course, youtube gave me NO notification whatsoever that one of the best series on their platform had an episode premiering.
Yeah me neither really, I only stumbled upon it via discord notification. CZcams's not great with premiere alerts
I didn’t get one either and now I’m nine days light. Slightly annoyed with CZcams
I'm so happy we got another episode! The Boss Designs collection is so awesome and Elden Ring has already cemented itself as one of my comfort series to watch over and over again XD. Thank you for all your hard work Skyen! ❤🐎
🐎 This is one of my favorite series. I really am looking forward to seeing what ending you end up getting by the time you finish.
Also past Skyen, do be kind to future Skyen. That's an awful lot of footage.
BEST BOSS MUSIC
So soft mesmerizing yet terrifying
I like how “calm” the music is in the boss fight. It kinda sounds like a song nature made(animal sounds, the shell like shaker) instead of something orchestrated by civilization. The boss’s design I’d. both creepy and beautiful 🦌
🐴 I have to say, your take on things is so interesting and your deeper look at the visuals is really getting me to think more about the game.
🐎And so the Sofia River, lower area, is done.
This got posted less than a week before my birthday, so I'm happy to see it.
I've trying to show a close friend of mine the Boss Designs Series, she really likes Bloodborne so rewatching that with her.
Ether way, looking forward to episode 10. I hope you're doing well and see you next time!
Love this boss fight. Super underrated boss imo. Design is great, the area is suer interesting, the actual fight is fun. Love it! 🐴
Thank you for all the work you put into this series 💙🐎
dropping what i did until now to watch this
edit: yeah i also hated the snipers when i was there lmao
Yes, all the yes. I just finished rewatching the series this week!🐴
Once again I am sitting here with joy watching one of Boss Design videos.
It's always to start with a good laughter with the start of the video and some knowledge to think about at the end of it. 🐴
Calme to this series after a friend recommended your Bloodborne vids. A mutual friend had just died and we were sharing memories and discussing the nature of death and memory and meaning-making. This stuff is what I mean when I tell folks that some of the best modern storytelling (and re-telling) is happening in games. Thanks for all the work you do on this series and channel. 🐎
🐎 Whelp, time to go rewatch all the Skyen's Elden ring series, missed this game and Skyen's analysis so much.🐎
By far one of the best looking bosses with one of the best soundtracks. And an important hint into the nature of the Lands Between! I actually hadn't considered the direct parallels between the Spirit and Torrent during the battle. Makes me all the more excited it/when we learn who Torrent's "former master" is.
🐎
Siofra River was where I really got invested into Elden Ring. The elevator down was gorgeous, and changed the game from a pretty tough combat game with cool graphics to a genuinely beautiful and massive world. It also amped up the difficulty, with the snipers and glowing orbs forcing me to really start thinking about movement and how to use the terrain to protect me. The Ancestor Spirit was what sealed the deal. It was my first major boss, and I wish I could go back in time and fight it for the first time again.
"One deity declares itself a part of the people who worship it, and the other declares itself above them."
The Golden Order is trickle-up economics confirmed 🐴
As a person who tried Elden Ring and got frustrated after beating Margott (the castle journey scorns me) seeing your playthrough is a nice way to experience a journey of Elden Ring.
Keep up the good work Tarnished, theres more to this world to uncover... and keep your steed at your side. 🐎🏇
Skyen: The tree says I am eternal, I never die, I never rot
Me: Heh, heh, about that-
I know he hasn't reached that point yet which is why i'm not giving specifics but I really can't wait till he does. I wanna hear his take on so many things because Skyen always has an interesting opinion, I don't always agree but it is always interesting.
It's great that you picked up on how the ancestor spirit challenges the erdtree. IMO it even challenges how you as the player feel about a boss fight because the song for this battle is not tense or dramatic, if anything it's soothing. This is not a fight for power or dominance or even glory. Like the life and death the boss represents, the fight is aware it is part of a cycle, a ritual that accepts it is just a step in your journey. You fight the spirit because it can be fought and the spirit fights you because you worked to get to it.
20:32 Congrats on the discovery! Knowing is half the battle, sometimes more.
also, horse for the horse god🐴
while i may not be the kind of person who can play soulsborn games without ripping out my hair in frustration i am very glad i get to experience these game vicariously though your playthoughs , thank you very much for living though that frustration so i dont have to
🐎
🐎 I love this series so much. I recently went back and rewatched The Boss Design of Dark Souls II and I think these might be some of the best series on CZcams in my opinion. Plus this video dropped on my birthday, so this has been a phenomenal birthday gift.
🐎🦌The Torrent connection is a good catch there. I don't see it pointed out often, but I have seen it pop up in a fanfic or two, and I saw someone in the premiere chat observe that the sfx of their double-jumps is the same, so you're definitely not alone in connecting those particular dots.
The Siofra river underground area really holds a special place in my heart. It is such an unexpected find, and is is my opinion the most beautiful area of the game. Had some further Complicated Feelings about it on my second visit when I could get to the upper area, what with my character being Nightfolk, but I'll wait with delving into those observations for if and when you get there, I think.
i was almost in tears in this bossfight but i also felt like i was doing something necesary, like i was giving peace to a beast that couldnt die like i was letting it truly rest to truly rot and become something else like i felt it was stuck, dead and rotting but still alive and in so much pain crying and fighting to keep being alive, i saw how it took the lives of the smaller animals to fuel its own and thought that he needed to die to let something else come from what was once him.
I love the intros you have for these types of videos. Makes it feel like a proper tv show I would watch with family and I know it takes extra work
9:20 A mild gardening montage to hide our shame at accidentally assaulting the poor merchant 🐎
This entire area, the first time going there and then the first time seeing the ancestor spirit and hearing its theme. Left me completely gobsmacked. A lot of car went into the making of the game. And a lot of care goes into the making of these vids. Appreciate your hard work dude. 🎠
Great video! Your boss designs series is great, I ADORE the little gags like the sniper crosshairs, the Metal Gear ladder song, and the lil 'git good' counter.
This is 100% my own read on it, but even as a boss fight the Ancestor Spirit doesn't feel malicious, if that makes sense? That this is some kind of ritual combat or proving rather than a frantic fight for survival (or continuous existence given the whole Tarnished undeath thing). It also makes me think of green burials. Instead of a coffin or an urn, your earthly remains are returned to the earth, to nourish a tree or other kind of plant that is planted over your body.
You raise some really interesting points about the processes of burial and death! The more and more we see of the Golden Order, the more it's reading (at least to me) of the story exploring the idea of imperialism, theological or otherwise. There is one *correct* way to worship, one *correct* religion, one *correct* way to exist. It tried to conquer or destroy Raya Lucaria, declaring them heretics--except because they couldn't destroy them they made a marriage alliance and said they weren't so heretical. (Also Radagon may or may not have purposefully destabilized their government--or at the very least didn't take his dog in the divorce.) As you said, the Golden Order tries to kill what it can't consume, tries to consume what it can't kill.
As someone who was raised Catholic (no longer identify) I especially see strong overlaps with the whole ideas of resurrection in the Golden Order, and how "we die so that we may live in Christ"--which also comes with the demands of absolute obedience and subservience to the Divine. According to Catholic Doctrine there is only really one "correct" way to be a believer, and everyone else is a heretic--until they're not. I'm listening to this great podcast History of the Byzantium and the debates around monophysism (Jesus is only divine and not human) caused actual riots and no end of political headaches for generations of Emperors so they try and come up with a compromise in monothelitism (Jesus has two natures-human and divine-but only one will) which in turn just sparks MORE religious debate and MORE political headaches. Something that may or may not have some relevance to the lore of Elden Ring but I'm pretty sure spoiler rules are still in effect.
Sorry my thoughts are somewhat scattered. Like I said I love this series, and you bring up some really interesting points that make me think about the lore in different ways!
The animators and composer for this boss battle absolutely nailed it. The movement is so mesmerizing--I sat down with my cross-stitch to watch this episode and as soon as the boss was on the screen I completely forgot about it. And damn does that music make me feel something. The way the spirit is in profile at first, showing off the distorted anatomy, then turns to face the player, looming out of the mist slowly, much closer than it seems...and then as it makes it first attack, the violin comes in. 🐎
🐎 I'm glad to see you get to the ancestor spirit! There's another one in the game (not sure if you've reached it yet or not), and yeah, there's definitely a familiar resemblance between Torrent and the ancestor spirits. I feel it's worth noting that The Golden Order, and, by extension, The Greater Will, are constantly talked about as having absorbed faiths and ideologies into itself if it felt them useful. It's what happened with the dragon cult, it's what happened with Liurnia, it's happened to at least one other faith in the game. The Golden Order, through conquest or diplomacy, absorbs other ideologies and ways of thinking, takes what it finds useful, and discards the rest. And I think Torrent is one of these things. Thus, we can look at Torrent, find clues as to what the ancestor spirits are, and then use that to further understand Torrent.
So what do we know about Torrent? Well, besides the obvious that he's a spirit horse, he can double jump and is the goodest boy, he PICKED you. When you get the ring to call him, Melina does not say, "I'm giving you my magic, spirit horse; he can do double jumps and a little dash, have fun and good luck." No, she says, "Torrent has chosen you."
This is interesting because it means that Torrent is the first being to believe in you. Almost everyone else waits for you to prove yourself first. Gideon postures and sneers, telling you to pull your wait in-service to your betters, the Two-Fingers straight up won't talk to you until you've slain at least one demigod, and Melina openly admits that (despite coming to you with the accord) she didn't REALLY think you could cut it and infact had watched you fight your way past Marget the Fell. (Or watched you get really lost, end up in Calid, and said, "Well they didn't die in the first five seconds of meeting the mutant dogs so they must be skilled enough to make it all the way.") But not Torrent, the magic, spirit, deer-horse had your back from the start. And not just for any task, but to become Elden Lord.
How does this link back to the Ancestor Spirits. Well, you don't just stumble upon them. You have to do a sacred ritual. Also, consider that these spirits and their worshipers are the remnants of an older faith from before the Erd Tree. Their from Godwyn's time, when might made right, and strength was necessary to wear the crown. If Torrent's first defining moment is choosing you as Elden Lord, then perhaps their role was similar? Perhaps the Ancestor Spirits were a trial to prove your worthiness to the tribe first as a warrior and later again as a chieftain. If so, it may suggest that Torrent may not have just chosen you as his rider, but that it is his purpose. I believe that Torrent is the remnants of the ancestor worship that survives within The Golden Order, whose purpose it is to choose a worthy king in the event that the Elden Ring is shattered. 🐎
And here we see the TB Orca huntdown a Moose.
HOLY SHIT that's such a good read! I had never connected those dots but that's a great interpretation of the ancestor spirits/followers, I'd also theorize that maybe it's the ancestor spirit, if life emerges from its death, that this is some distant progenitor of the followers and their society. Like a whalefall creates a whole ecosystem, this dead being in some way long ago birthed their lives, maybe literally or by creating an ecosystem, or just symbolically, and so it is the ancestor of all those people. They worship it, following their ancestors
I'm so glad that you appriciated the music so much, it's so unique and definitely a - successful - experiment from the genius of Kitamura!
The colors, the flying movement, the contrast between the calmness and primordial sounds of it (the blue BUBBLES) and the rough and heavy sounds that the animal makes it's truly memorable.
I love the music for this boss so much! FromSofts designs with this sort of animistic cult for the Ancestral Worshippers are just so cool! And I love how the creature moves too!
Thank you for the video as always Skyen! And please take good care of yourself as well! ❤ 🐎
I really liked your segment on life and death when speaking about the Erdtree and the Ancestor Spirit, and I think its pretty spot on on what Elden Ring is about.
I would say it goes even further beyond just life and death, but the very order and rules of existence. The Golden Order and the Erdtree are very rigid in their...well, order. You live, you die, you are delivered to the Erdtree and you are reborn so long as you are within the Golden Order. The followers of the Ancestor Spirit and their faith is more related to the wild and natural processes of life. You live, you die, and from your flesh, new life is nourished and grown.
Then comes the major choice of Elden Ring: what order of things do you choose? Do you continue this cycle of subservience? Do you burn it and everything away? Do you permit those who do not rest in death to join this order? Do you abandon this order and seek a new path for the world and the future? Or do you defile this order, claiming it for those who would initially be shunned away from it?
The choice is yours how you define life and death and the way of the world. Once you become Elden Lord...you define the the nature of life, death and all things.
🐎 love seeing this series. I may not play the souls games but I'm a big fan of watching other people play them and especially theory crafting
I am legit envious of this guy's ability to extract and analyze themes. Just casually making connections that never occurred to me, like limb crafting and tree grafting.
Once again you present a new way to think about the way a design illustrates story. I haven’t played any of the DS or Bloodborne games. Your videos allowed me to experience those games without the frustration of well those games. Elden Ring is different I’ve played Elden Ring beaten it, and now I get to fully experience you showing me a new way to look at a game I already had an opinion on and death as a cornerstone.. boy howdy that’s a hit I’m very eager to go down myself.🐴
I’m from Montana so I am well aware of the size of the moose’s around her at least. The bulls are quite aggressive during rutting season, and the cows can be aggressive if they are protecting their calf’s. They kill more people than bears or mountain lions because of how unpredictable they are.
As soon as I remembered what the spirit's theme sounded like, I knew Skyen was going to love this boss.
I can't wait for the rest of this series! Every episode is so good! 🐴
That music really has me grieving what this being once was. Like wow it feels so wrong to fight it but at the same time it's no longer what it once was and death might be freeing. I'd love to get a chance to see what it looked like in it's full glory.
🐎 I'm happy you took note of the music, it has probably been my one of favorites of the boss tracks. It's also fortunate you went here when you did since if it's any boss that suffers from being able to go anywhere and therefore getting stomped by a player missing the path to it, it's this one.
Great to see the connection you make with torrent and the interrogation of his nature and purpose, hopefully we'll see more about that in the dlc!
Going back to these videos in preparation for the DLC. Love the comment about Torrent, truly one of the most spectral of the creatures we meet. Spend so much time together, yet we know so little about him.
i love the 'things could shift radically before the end'. the end in question: steal death, end god, start anew.
"It doesn't even leave you anything when you kill it. Just the guilt."
~Max0r
I only recently discovered you (through shorts) but ive already watched both Dark Souls 2 and Bloodborne's boss designs series, and it really scratches the niche itch for in-depth analyses of these games, and i could (and have, on many occasions) watch these videos for hours on end without getting bored
Yay, more boss designs! I'm so glad you immediately noticed the connection to Torrent, with the chime double-jump, antlers, and and spirit body. 🐴
The design is amazing. On paper, you'd think a giant, rotting elk would be horrifying or at least disgusting. And yet Fromsoft managed to make it look noble, graceful, even pretty in its own right. Which fits well with the themes you brought up. We get to see it as the ancestor worshippers see it. That this rot and growth from the dead is not something to be feared, but another beautiful part of the world. 🐴
This whole entire section of the game is just so calming. Until you get shot off your 🐎
🐎 Getting to be part of your journey through this beautiful game in this series means a lot to me, as does your inclusion of us all in your postulations of the various thematic elements present within Elden Ring. I and we appreciate you so much T B Skyen. I hope you are enjoying this series as much as we all are. I can't imagine how much effort it takes to put together videos of this quality. Thank you for sharing your passion with us.
Commenting for engagement because this series and those of the other games before it are some of my absolute favorite things to be found on this platform and deserve to be seen oh so much more and I genuinely want you to know how much excitement I feel at each new episode. 🐴
Your ideas might be more fitting than you realize just yet, Skyen 🐎
One thing that I sort of took note of while you were fighting the boss: The music. It doesn't feel loud or high energy, it's not some monumental piece about going up against something stronger than you, something that will inevitably be felled by you. It's not quiet exactly, but it is calmer, in a way. I don't know if "somber" is the right word exactly, but I did take note of how it doesn't feel like a boss theme.
🐴One of my favorite bosses, thank you as always for the amazing serie !
🐴Ah... My guiding moonlight... Excited for more episodes! I just finished rewatching the Boss Designs of Bloodborne. Always a good time
Yeah honestly this is one of my favorite fights in the game. Just absolutely beautiful and awe inspiring. Though with the design and the preceding area looking like an underground night sky, I’ve always wondered if the Spirit might be a cut and reworked Bloodborne boss.
I am so happy to see this series back!!
I felt like Torrent abstained from helping you in the fight out of… reverence maybe? Respect for an ancestor it simply wouldnt help you fight? Or maybe confronting death one on one, without help or mount, had ritual significance? Truly another great vid in this long awaited series Skyen 🐎
I've said this before but your boss designs series are always a treat. You're honestly one of the best youtubers on the platform, and that's no joke.🐴
I freaked out when I saw this upload. One of my favorite bosses. You do not disappoint Skyen! Your videos always help me really look into these designs and characters much more than usual. Can’t wait for the next one! Cheers 🐎
I am so happy every time a new episode of this series shows up! 🐴
And yes, the glowy elk thing was breathtaking! 🐎
🐴 I just finished watching the previous episodes yesterday, and today I am blessed with a new one! Thank you Skyen, because of your channel I can enjoy the stories of games I don't have the time or skill to play.
So glad that you have the time, energy and inspiration to bring this series back 🐴
Glad you're still working on these, love this series. The analysis is great, but I also just love watching first playthroughs of souls games. Everyone puts the pieces together differently and it gives a lot of helpful insight to expand the way I look at the real world around me. 🐎
🐎🐎🐎I got lucky, catching up with the series this weekend and a new one drops! I am really excited by the death theme Skyen has. I sense a memento mori talk again. Man I love memento mori.
Always a delight Skyen. Thanks for the episode.
Absolutely love this episode, especially the death take as an opposition to the golden order as well as the torrent theory tease 🐴. I look forward to your further theories upon finding more of the side stories