Welcome to the eleventh article of Smashboards Character Analysis! These articles will not be looking at why a character is or isn’t likely, so please do not expect that going in. Instead, they will focus on how a character might play in Smash and how their series might be represented within the boundaries of the Fighter’s Pass. Also, I couldn’t settle on a color scheme for the character so expect dark red, dark green, and dark yellow-green to be used sporadically.
”The Chosen Undead Lights the Bonfires” Smashboards’ Character Analysis
Introduction Dark Souls
Dark Souls is a dark fantasy trilogy developed by FromSoftware and was first released on the Playstation and XBox. A remastered port of the first game was released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, which finally brought this critically acclaimed series to Switch players. The series has received universal praise because of its world-crafting, game mechanics, and the unyielding difficulty for those unfamiliar with this style of game. The series is famous for its punishing difficulty, though fans of the series had explained its difficulty that it’s like a “hump”. It’s initially difficult but, after one or more playthroughs, it becomes easier the more the player becomes attuned to the mechanics and gameplay. It didn’t receive its reputation for nothing though, as it can be grueling. It’s interesting to note that the developers were initially hesitant to up the difficulty, but doing so helped Dark Souls stand out against other games within the genre.
Each game has a different protagonist with the original Dark Souls having the Chosen Undead, II having the Bearer of the Curse, and III having The Ashen One. In these games, the player is an Undead, a human who has the Darksign, an ailment where people die and then become reborn over and over. Through this process, they eventually become a zombified being known as a Hollow. While each game differs on this, the common running element is that the player has to “rekindle the fire” which prolongs the Age of Fire and keeps the Age of Dark at bay. Which path the player chooses will affect the ending of the game, which allows for multiple playthroughs to get different endings.
The Chosen Undead Overview
The Chosen Undead is a fighter with a wide variety of abilities, weapons, and items at their disposal. They require intense resource management, strategy and knowledge about the character instead of just relying button mashing. The main focus was to create a character who is equally hard to use as they are to fight against to reflect the difficult nature of these games. The character incorporates a wide range of techniques and abilities from Dark Souls including items, spells, and weapons which all contribute to them being among the most unique fighters. Before we dive in the mechanics, let’s take a quick look at this heavy-hitting, heavy-weight yet surprisingly quick fighter.
The Chosen Undead has two alternate costumes based on the avatar characters from II and III. Like Steve, each one has their own unique announcer voice clip, chants, and boxing ring title. These are:
That being said, the Chosen Undead’s main gameplay mechanic is the Bonfire. Unlike in the source material, the Bonfire isn’t an item but, in Smash, it’s a part of the player’s Down Special, Inventory. The Bonfire is important for several reasons, but the two main ones are that it aids in the player’s recovery and allows them to regain items and magic that have “ran out” due to overuse. The Chosen Undead’s magic and items have a cap limit and using them will remove one from the Inventory. For example, the Estus Flask has five uses and drinking it will remove one from the Inventory. Once the item is depleted, the player can go to the Bonfire and “purchase” an Estus Flask again. The Bonfire is destructible though, so guarding it is important. If the opponent destroys it or it vanishes; the player can use their backup Bonfire in their Inventory. If the player loses all the Bonfires and fails to purchase another back-up (two can be in the Inventory at one time), they’ll be in severe trouble. Managing, conserving, and strategizing usage of the Bonfires is the key to victory.
So how do players “purchase” these items? They do so by acquiring Souls, which are gained through damaging opponents and KO’ing them in a variety of manners.
Poise: This is similar in practice to Bowser’s Tough Guy Gimmick. With Poise, the player can weather attacks with light to middle knockback and shake them off as they still take damage, but won’t be knocked back or receive any hitstun. Unlike Tough Guy, Poise activates when the player is walking, dashing, or standing which allows the Chosen Undead to, more or less, wade straight into battle while taking hits without flinching while punishing particular attacks. This entire mechanic may seem overpowered but it’s only activated at max Humanity (which will be discussed kater) and deactivates once the Humanity goes past 75%. This forces the players to think strategically and works as an incentive to increase one’s Humanity. Talking about Humanity...
Humanity: The player initially has 50 Humanity but will see a decrease in their attack, speed, and defense stats when they take damage. This effect is the Hollow form. Once players reach 25 Humanity, they will start to notice this effect taking place. The visual cue for this state is sluggish controls and a hunched appearance plus a dark purple fire effect from the character. The Hollow Form forces the player to be careful in how they engage the enemy or else they won’t survive. The player can regain humanity, however, through several means. The methods for regaining humanity and gaining Souls are similar with a few differences. Players who lose all their Humanity but regain all of it back within a single life will have an increase in attack knockback for 15 seconds.
Bloodstain: Despite the character’s strengths, one huge weakness is that they lose everything upon death; this includes Humanity, Souls, and any Inventory items. Upon dying, they leave behind the Bloodstain, which is a reddish mist that remains after the player is KO’d. Going up to it and pressing the attack button will allow the player to “collect” the contents inside. The Bloodstain will appear at the last spot you were at on the stage’s solid surfaces.The Bloodstain will follow along with scrolling stages like Big Blue, however, and will float in the air if need be. Opponents can damage the Bloodstain and damaging it enough will cause it to burst and vanish. The Bloodstain has around 60 HP and will last 25 seconds; becoming dimmer the closer it gets to vanishing. This timer will start once the player respawns so it’s important to get to the Bloodstain quickly before the timer finishes or an opponent destroys it.
This is the character HUD when all items are activated. The topmost is the number of Souls, the top left is Humanity and below that are the Combustion and Lightning Spear; his Side and Neutral Specials respectfully.
This is the character HUD when all items have been used up and there aren’t any Souls available. If this case, due to a lack of Humanity, the player is in the Hollow state.
The character has an extremely high learning curve and is more ideal for advanced players. While his gimmicks and playstyle may seem overpowered, his weaknesses help balance everything out. I felt the player having to pay constant attention to their item and magic usage, the Bonfires, the Bloodstain, and losing the Poise mechanic to help balance these strengths and weaknesses. Players who play the Chosen Undead recklessly will set themselves up for a premature death. His playstyle and mechanics are difficult and punishing both to play as and fight against which points back to their home series.
The Chosen Undead Specials and Final Smash
Neutral Special: Lightning Spear/Great Lightning Spear/Sunlight Spear
It’s the Great Lightning Spear but you get the idea
The Chosen Undead charges a spear made of lighting and hurls it forward. It will travel forward for some time before falling back down to the ground in a gradual arc. Once it hits either an opponent or a solid object like the stage, it explodes with electricity dealing further damage. Charging this attack will change the property of the attack including the name, range, and damage output. The attack has great priority and is effective at demolishing shields. While the attack is laggy at the start because of the spear being formed, it comes out and travels quickly once it’s formed. Its speed after being thrown is almost comparable to that of Byleth’s Failnaught but it lacks the range. Lightning Spear has 10 uses, Great Lightning Spear has 5 and Sunlight Spear only has 3. When they run out, it costs 6 Souls to replenish Lightning Spear, 16 for Great Lightning Spear, and 26 for Sunlight Lightning Spear.
Damage:
Forward Special: Combustion/Great Combustion/Fire Surge
Like Lightning Spear, Combustion can be charged to increase its strength. Upon performing the input, Combustion will release a short-range fire blast from their hand. Great Combustion and Fire Surge are unique in that they remain active after the input, which allows the player to move freely several seconds afterward. Performing any other attack, shield, dodge, or anything other than moving will cancel the attack which is great for faking opponents out. Great Combustion lasts 6 seconds while Fire Surge Flame lasts 12 seconds before vanishing. This is both a reliable approach and anti-approach attack as the player can use it to advance forward to approach and also to prevent players from closing the gap. The attack can also pivot backwards, much like Banjo & Kazooie’s Neutral Special and the Super Shot item. The flip side is there is a 1 second lag interval while pivoting making it potentially risky. Combustion has 8 uses, Great Combustion has 5 uses, and Fire Surge Flame has 2 uses. It costs 10 Souls for Combustion, 20 for Great Combustion, and 30 for Fire Surge Flame.
Damage:
Up Special: Batwing Ascent/Homeward
The Chosen Undead has two Recovery Moves that depend on the situation. Let’s first look at Batwing Ascent as it’s the default for the character. Upon inputting Batwing Ascent, a Batwing Demon will appear and lift the Chosen Undead high into the air, much like Duck Hunt - except it can’t be controlled. The monster will fly upwards at a diagonal angle in relation to where the player is facing and, when it reaches a certain height, it will let the player go. The demon will deal contact damage, but will also slightly decrease its recovery distance if it contacts any opponent. A feature unique to Chosen Undead is that, to give the recovery move more versatility, the player can press the standard attack input to swing a sword while in mid-flight. This, coupled with the contact damage, gives a wide hitbox radius to help make the recovery even better. The move will end if either the Chosen Undead or the monster is damaged badly enough, and the Chosen Undead will enter a free-fall state. It’s a useful recovery move, but it’s predictable and very vulnerable to damage. I also want to mention that Batwing Ascent is derived from the original Dragon Souls where the Chosen Undead is airlifted by these demons into a major location called Anror Landor.
The second and most important recovery move is Homeward. This special move causes the Chosen Undead to meditate for three seconds before vanishing quickly. Where does he go? Well, unlike Hero’s Zoom ability, the Chosen Undead won’t only return to the stage. This is where the Down Special comes into play, and that’s their Inventory special. There are two Bonfires in their Inventory and placing a single Bonfire down will allow the player to teleport directly to it no matter where they are on the stage. Homeward can be used for recovering, spacing, approaching, and for mind games. The Bonfire mechanic will be explained further in the Down Special section if you want to know more about how it works. That being said, the Bonfire is destructible, so Homeward instantly becomes Batwing Ascent if it is destroyed. Homeward is a powerful recovery move that grants invincibility upon arriving at the Bonfire and is one of the most reliable recovery abilities. The possibilities to use this for zoning, spacing, and approaching also helps increase the players’ overall mobility and strategy.
The move has three weaknesses with the first one being that it doesn’t deal any damage. The second is that it has severe start-up lag while initiating the “incantation” before teleporting. The animation comes to 4 seconds, which can be the matter between life or death in Smash. They also can’t cancel it, so once the player inputs the attack, the character commits to it, which makes them a sitting duck. The third weakness and probably the largest is that the Bonfire can be destroyed. This prevents the player from using Homeward, but this is why the player has a second Bonfire available as a fall back. Finally, while not a weakness per se, players cannot place a Bonfire in the air as it will just fall to the ground. Both Batwing Ascent and Homeward do not have a usage cap.
Damage:
Down Special: Inventory
The Chosen Undead can pick an item from his Inventory and use that item. Like Shulk’s Monado Arts, they can select the desired item by tilting the control stick over to it and letting go of the down special input. They act like a typical item with the attack button performing the item’s action and, like any other item, it’s possible for the player to drop the item when hit by a powerful attack. Each item has its own usage cap before it vanishes from the Inventory. Following this, players must “purchase” items at the Bonfire by spending Souls. Players also must retrieve their items at the Bloodstain after death or risk losing all the Inventory items. Here is a full rundown of the items:
Estus Flask
The Estus Flask is an iconic healing item from the series. Downing this potion heals the Chosen Undead by 15% and standing next to a Bonfire increases the amount of damage healed to 20%. However, in order to balance this item out, repeated use of the Flask will severely nerf it. Subsequent use of the potion will reduce the amount to 10% and 15% (when close to the Bonfire). A third consecutive use will lower it to 5% and 10%. After that, the amount decreases to 3% and 8% then finally 1% and 5%. While the Flask is an important item and helps the Chosen Undead survive matches, it's not without its weaknesses. Besides the nerf it receives from overuse, it has long start-up and ending lag as the player opens the Flask and drinks it - often taking a moment to savor the…. taste? The player is also vulnerable, as they can’t manually cancel out in mid-animation. The third weakness is that the flask won’t heal the player if the opponent attacks in mid-animation. The player can carry up to 5 Flasks at a time and one Flask costs 10 via the Bonfire. It costs 50 to get all 5 at once.
Firebomb
The Chosen Undead takes out the Firebomb and chucks it in an arc similar to Snake’s Grenades. They will explode and deal damage similar to other fire-based attacks like PK Fire and Mii Gunner’s Flame Pillar. The item is easily the most powerful within the Chosen Undead’s inventory, as it does high damage and sets the opponent up for follow-up attacks. The only downside of the Firebomb is that its destructive power can also damage the Chosen Undead, so players need to be careful when using it. The player starts out with 4 of these and purchasing a single one requires 12 Souls.
Damage: 18.2% (initial), 2.3% (per hit)
Purging Stone
This item is situational as it will cleanse the player of any harmful effects such as poison, sleep, bury, and inverse controls. Pressing the attack button will cause it to nullify the negative status effect. Status effects like Sleep and Bury, however, are a different story. In these cases, holding the Purging Stone will nullify the negative status the second after it takes effect. The item is easy to read though, and the opponent may avoid using a status-inducing attack after seeing it taken out.
Charcoal Pine Resin
This item helps bolster the Chosen Undead’s already impressive damage output by coating their sword with fire. This item deals continuous damage afterward and will deal an additional .38% damage every second (18 seconds total) which adds 6.84% damage to the original attack damage. This attack percentage is dependent on if the opponent thrashes around or makes contact with water. Thrashing around lessens the duration of the burning while water will completely negate it. As mentioned above, the effect duration lasts 18 seconds but gradually decreases the more it’s used in quick succession. It can be used a total of three times before it runs out and costs 18 Souls to purchase a single Resin.
Ritual Spear Fragment
The player can either press the attack button to cause the attack to occur around them or to throw it forward. It causes dozens of lightning-infused spears of light to shoot up around the player. It functions similar to Ridley’s Down Special, Skewer and will cause the opponent to crumple if it’s a clean hit. Its damage decreases in the air compared to the grounded version It has 4 uses and costs 22 Souls for a single Fragment.
Damage: 0% (direct center), 19.1% (outer center), 15% (outer), 14% (aerial center), 11% (aerial outer), 4% (additional contact damage mid-animation)
Sorcerer's Catalyst
The Chosen Undead pulls out an enchanted staff crafted from a gnarled tree. The player can use the special button to charge up and fire either Soul Arrow, Great Soul Arrow, or Heavy Soul Arrow. This fires a fast moving projectile that will slightly paralyze opponents much like Zero Suit Samus before launching them. Regardless which form of Soul Arrow is used, they all share the same amount of uses. The item has six uses before it vanishes and it can be brought back via the Bonfire for 30 Souls, making it the most expensive item available.
Damage:
Bonfire
This is easily the most important part of the Chosen Undead’s moveset and mastering the Bonfire is key to victory. The player will take a burning sword and thrust it into the ground, which will ignite a Bonfire. For this reason, it can’t be performed in the air. The player comes with two Bonfires with the second one used as a backup should the first be destroyed by the opponent. If the first one is destroyed, it’s advisable to use the back-up and then purchase a new one so there's another one on hand. Players can repurchase a Bonfire for 28 Souls. The Bonfire is important for five reasons:
The Bonfire has around 50 HP, but it can be strengthened using 20 Souls to increase its durability by 10%. Even when strengthened, a few strong attacks can break it so protecting the Bonfires is key to surviving. It’s not without defenses though and one is that the opponent will be damaged up to 4.5% per hit if they try standing on it. Strengthening the Bonfire increases not only its HP pool but also strengthens the size of the flame and ups the damage to 8.8% per hit for 20 seconds.
Damage:
Final Smash: Jolly Co-Operation
The name may sound strange, but it’s a brutal Final Smash. Inputting the special attack button will cause the Chosen Undead to “Praise the Sun” which causes a burst of fire to shoot up. It works similar to Corrin’s start-up for Torrential Roar but with a smaller hitbox. The attack will launch the opponents off the screen, which then triggers a cinematic sequence.
The Chosen Undead will summon several key figures in Dark Souls lore to help attack the opponent. The first summon is Knight Lautrec of Carim, who will use his twin swords to deliver several spinning slashes with his curved blades. The next character is Black Iron Tarkus who uses the weight of his armor and shield to drive the opponent into the ground. Following this, Marvelous Chester will laugh and throw out a Firebomb which launches the opponent. The final summon is none other than Solaire of Astora who will “praise the sun” before creating a large Lightning Spear and throwing it into the opponent; dealing damage and ending the Final Smash.
Damage: 68.8%
The Chosen Undead’s Smash Attacks and Other Notable Attacks
Jab Attack/Jab Finisher: The Chosen Undead performs a horizontal sword slash followed by a downward swing. The last attack is a Pyromancy fire attack which launches the opponent.
Damage: 4.5%, 4.5%, 5.3%
Dash Attack: Leaping Strike: Similar to Link’s dash attack, The Chosen Undead will perform a sword leap and strike down with a vertical slash. It has amazing reach thanks to the sudden jump and length of the sword.
Damage: 4% (start-up), 6.2% (slash)
Forward Tilt: Shield Bash: The Chosen Undead takes his shield and bashes it forward. It has mediocre range, but it’s great against shields and has longer hitstun compared to other attacks. Double tapping and holding the input will cause the Chosen Undead to hold up the shield in front of him in a defensive position. While holding the input and tilting the control stick forward, the player can advance forward while holding up his shield. This mechanic is called Shield Advance. It blocks incoming weak to medium strength attacks. Releasing the button will cause the Chosen Undead to swing the shield forward, which is called the Parry Attack. The Parry Attack is a counter move which can catch an attack when perfectly timed and induce a reduced tripping effect to the opponent. The timing to this attack must be perfect, and missing it will lead to ending lag for the Chosen Undead instead.
Damage: 5.2% (Shield Bash), 3.2% (Parry Attack)
Down Tilt: Ashen Kick: The Chosen Undead will perform a slightly downward kick taken from their home games.
Damage: 8.4%
Side Smash: Killing Combo: The Chosen Undead will slash forward which deals small amounts of damage but has a crumple effect if the attack hits close. This is similar to the Ritual Spear Fragment, which also sees the opponent fall to the floor. It has a secondary follow-up attack which is done by inputting the attack following a fully charged F-Smash. The Chosen Undead will then stab downwards into the opponent; dealing high amounts of damage. Despite its high damage output, it isn’t a reliable killing move as it doesn’t launch the opponent.
Damage: First Attack: 6.6% (uncharged close), 8.3% (charged close), 4.2% (uncharged far), 6% (charged far), Second Attack: 15.3%
Up Smash: Homing Soulmass: The Chosen Undead will release anywhere between three to six floating energy projectiles; depending on the charge. They will remain floating above the player even as they move around. These floating balls of energy will home onto the closest opponent if the Down Smash is inputted again or ten seconds have passed. Each projectile has small hitstun, and how much the attack was charged won’t affect the damage output. The charge just affects the number of energy balls which will appear.
Damage: 5.5% (per energy ball)
Down Smash: Lightning Stake: The Chosen Undead forms a Lightning Spear-like attack and thrusts it into the ground in front of them. This creates an expanding electrical field that does several hits of damage before launching the opponent. The attack is great for catching and trapping opponents; especially if the opponent is hit as the player thrusts the stake down.
Damage: 2.3% (uncharged), 13.8% (total uncharged), 3.8% (charged), 22.8% (total charged)
Forward Aerial: Fire Whip: The Chosen Undead whips their hand forward which causes a wave of fire to lash out. Unlike the Dark Souls version, this one is from top to bottom. It deals more damage in the middle of the animation compared to the start and ending animations.
Damage: 4.6% (start), 10.1% (mid), 5% (end)
Forward Throw: The Chosen Undead will grab the opponent and then burn them using the spell, Sacred Flame. They will then slam them down into the ground, bouncing the opponent.
Damage: 12%
Back Throw: The Chosen Undead spins the opponent around and then stabs them in the back before pushing and launching them. This comes from their Back Stab Attack in the Dark Souls series.
Damage: 10.2%
Down Throw: The Chosen Undead slams the opponent down below them. They then form a Soul Greatsword using sorcery and stab the opponent with it. This throw is more useful for dealing damaging than launching opponents.
Damage: 13.1%
Entrance Animation
The Bonfire appears with the Chosen Undead sitting next to it. The Bonfire vanishes and the Chosen Undead stands up and readies their sword.
Taunts
Idle Animations
Victory Animations
This Classic Mode Route features one-on-one battles against other master of arms in locations that would fit well in a fantasy setting. The Classic Mode title reflects Covenants which are factions players can join in the Player vs Player (PvP) online mode. Covenants provides players with unique perks, equipment, and goals and have their own unique lore within the main story. One notable perk is Invading which means that if a player is Invaded by another Covenant, members of the player’s covenant can come to aid them. This is also true if the player decides to invade another player and can summon members of their Covenant to help. All stages are in their Omega forms.
Round 1 - Vs.
Firelink Shrine
This battle is based on the covenant, the Blue Sentinels. Firelink Shrine is where the player could find the key item to join this covenant.
Round 2- Vs. (Red)
Umbra Clock Tower
This battle is based on the Rosaria’s Fingers covenant. The covenant is found in the Cathedral of the Deep, which is plagued by hundreds of demonic and twisted creatures.
Round 3 - Vs. (White)
Kalos Pokémon League (Bsttlefield)
This battle comes from the Princess’ Guard covenant is dedicated to protecting Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight and is located in Anor Landor.
Round 4 - Vs. (Purple)
Great Cave Offensive
This battle references the wild-card covenant, the Mound-makers. They don’t have any alliances with anyone and will attack any covenant on sight. They are located deep in the Pit of Hollows in the Undead Settlement.
Round 5 - Vs. (Dark)
Prism Tower
The battle comes from the covenant, the Blade of the Darkmoon which is very similar to the Blue Sentinels. They are found in the Prison Tower in Anor Londor.
Round 6 -Vs. Chosen Undead (White)
Temple
This battle comes from the covenant, the Warrior of Sunlight. This benevolent covenant can be found at Lothric Castle, where the Altar of Sunlight is located.
Final Round Vs. Dracula
Dracula as the final match comes from how silver-haired undead baddies often serve as superpowered final bosses in the Dark Souls series.
Victory Theme
The Victory Theme would of course be redone to for Smash standards. This comes when the player finally defeats the boss and, judging by the video comments, can give a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction because of the game’s difficulty. This kind of relates back to Smash and how rewarding it can be to fight against a difficult opponent and win.
Series Symbol
While the Darksign could have been used, the Bonfire was ultimately chosen as that’s a staple in the series and a huge part of the character’s mechanics.
Alternate Costumes
Conclusion
Dark Souls may not be a front-runner for potential characters to add in Smash and their characters don’t often grace wishlists or prediction rosters. Yes, there are a few support groups and communities dedicated to the concept, but they pale compared to juggernauts like Geno, Lloyd, and Crash. Despite this, that doesn’t disqualify them from being speculated on, and shouldn’t bar them from being included. Dark Souls, as a series, has contributed much to the fantasy genre and is an inspiration for many other games that came out after. This inspiration includes everything from design elements, mechanics, and even games with harder difficulty. Smash has many great characters and series, especially in the DLC lineup, but the DLC roster needs a grimmer and darker addition to help balance things out. The Chosen Undead and Darks Souls is a great choice for that role. Also, make sure to check out
Perkilator
‘s Chosen Undead writeup!
Credits
Editing: @Zerp
Graphics:
Venus of the Desert Bloom
, @Kuba (banner)
Social Media: @Zerp
Sources: Dark Souls Wiki
Author’s Note: I’ve never played any of the Dark Souls games as well as their related games but I really enjoyed exploring this character and series. While the Chosen Undead might not be at the top of the list for potential newcomers, they certainly could bring tons of content and mechanics over. This would satisfy at least one of Sakurai’s criteria - have fun.
”The Chosen Undead Lights the Bonfires” Smashboards’ Character Analysis
Introduction Dark Souls
Dark Souls is a dark fantasy trilogy developed by FromSoftware and was first released on the Playstation and XBox. A remastered port of the first game was released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, which finally brought this critically acclaimed series to Switch players. The series has received universal praise because of its world-crafting, game mechanics, and the unyielding difficulty for those unfamiliar with this style of game. The series is famous for its punishing difficulty, though fans of the series had explained its difficulty that it’s like a “hump”. It’s initially difficult but, after one or more playthroughs, it becomes easier the more the player becomes attuned to the mechanics and gameplay. It didn’t receive its reputation for nothing though, as it can be grueling. It’s interesting to note that the developers were initially hesitant to up the difficulty, but doing so helped Dark Souls stand out against other games within the genre.
Each game has a different protagonist with the original Dark Souls having the Chosen Undead, II having the Bearer of the Curse, and III having The Ashen One. In these games, the player is an Undead, a human who has the Darksign, an ailment where people die and then become reborn over and over. Through this process, they eventually become a zombified being known as a Hollow. While each game differs on this, the common running element is that the player has to “rekindle the fire” which prolongs the Age of Fire and keeps the Age of Dark at bay. Which path the player chooses will affect the ending of the game, which allows for multiple playthroughs to get different endings.
The Chosen Undead Overview
The Chosen Undead is a fighter with a wide variety of abilities, weapons, and items at their disposal. They require intense resource management, strategy and knowledge about the character instead of just relying button mashing. The main focus was to create a character who is equally hard to use as they are to fight against to reflect the difficult nature of these games. The character incorporates a wide range of techniques and abilities from Dark Souls including items, spells, and weapons which all contribute to them being among the most unique fighters. Before we dive in the mechanics, let’s take a quick look at this heavy-hitting, heavy-weight yet surprisingly quick fighter.
The Chosen Undead has two alternate costumes based on the avatar characters from II and III. Like Steve, each one has their own unique announcer voice clip, chants, and boxing ring title. These are:
- The Chosen Undead from the original Dark Souls.
- The Bearer of the Curse from Dark Souls II
- The Ashen One from Dark Souls III
That being said, the Chosen Undead’s main gameplay mechanic is the Bonfire. Unlike in the source material, the Bonfire isn’t an item but, in Smash, it’s a part of the player’s Down Special, Inventory. The Bonfire is important for several reasons, but the two main ones are that it aids in the player’s recovery and allows them to regain items and magic that have “ran out” due to overuse. The Chosen Undead’s magic and items have a cap limit and using them will remove one from the Inventory. For example, the Estus Flask has five uses and drinking it will remove one from the Inventory. Once the item is depleted, the player can go to the Bonfire and “purchase” an Estus Flask again. The Bonfire is destructible though, so guarding it is important. If the opponent destroys it or it vanishes; the player can use their backup Bonfire in their Inventory. If the player loses all the Bonfires and fails to purchase another back-up (two can be in the Inventory at one time), they’ll be in severe trouble. Managing, conserving, and strategizing usage of the Bonfires is the key to victory.
So how do players “purchase” these items? They do so by acquiring Souls, which are gained through damaging opponents and KO’ing them in a variety of manners.
- 1 Soul = Damaging the opponent.
- 3 Souls = Hitting them with a Smash Attack or a powerful Special Attack.
- 5 Souls = Triggering a Zoom In effect.
- 8 Souls = Perfect Shielding
- 10 Souls = KO’ing an opponent.
- 12 Souls =KO’ing an opponent with a Final Smash.
- Poise
- Humanity
- Bloodstain
Poise: This is similar in practice to Bowser’s Tough Guy Gimmick. With Poise, the player can weather attacks with light to middle knockback and shake them off as they still take damage, but won’t be knocked back or receive any hitstun. Unlike Tough Guy, Poise activates when the player is walking, dashing, or standing which allows the Chosen Undead to, more or less, wade straight into battle while taking hits without flinching while punishing particular attacks. This entire mechanic may seem overpowered but it’s only activated at max Humanity (which will be discussed kater) and deactivates once the Humanity goes past 75%. This forces the players to think strategically and works as an incentive to increase one’s Humanity. Talking about Humanity...
Humanity: The player initially has 50 Humanity but will see a decrease in their attack, speed, and defense stats when they take damage. This effect is the Hollow form. Once players reach 25 Humanity, they will start to notice this effect taking place. The visual cue for this state is sluggish controls and a hunched appearance plus a dark purple fire effect from the character. The Hollow Form forces the player to be careful in how they engage the enemy or else they won’t survive. The player can regain humanity, however, through several means. The methods for regaining humanity and gaining Souls are similar with a few differences. Players who lose all their Humanity but regain all of it back within a single life will have an increase in attack knockback for 15 seconds.
- 1 Humanity = Taunting
- 2 Humanity = Purchasing an item at the Bonfire
- 3 Humanity = Purchasing a Bonfire
- 3 Humanity = Healing oneself, including through an Estus Flask
- 5 Humanity = Using Souls to strengthen a Bonfire
- 8 Humanity = Gaining a Final Smash
- 10 Humanity = KO’ing an opponent
- 12 Humanity = KO’ing with a Final Smash
Bloodstain: Despite the character’s strengths, one huge weakness is that they lose everything upon death; this includes Humanity, Souls, and any Inventory items. Upon dying, they leave behind the Bloodstain, which is a reddish mist that remains after the player is KO’d. Going up to it and pressing the attack button will allow the player to “collect” the contents inside. The Bloodstain will appear at the last spot you were at on the stage’s solid surfaces.The Bloodstain will follow along with scrolling stages like Big Blue, however, and will float in the air if need be. Opponents can damage the Bloodstain and damaging it enough will cause it to burst and vanish. The Bloodstain has around 60 HP and will last 25 seconds; becoming dimmer the closer it gets to vanishing. This timer will start once the player respawns so it’s important to get to the Bloodstain quickly before the timer finishes or an opponent destroys it.
This is the character HUD when all items are activated. The topmost is the number of Souls, the top left is Humanity and below that are the Combustion and Lightning Spear; his Side and Neutral Specials respectfully.
This is the character HUD when all items have been used up and there aren’t any Souls available. If this case, due to a lack of Humanity, the player is in the Hollow state.
The character has an extremely high learning curve and is more ideal for advanced players. While his gimmicks and playstyle may seem overpowered, his weaknesses help balance everything out. I felt the player having to pay constant attention to their item and magic usage, the Bonfires, the Bloodstain, and losing the Poise mechanic to help balance these strengths and weaknesses. Players who play the Chosen Undead recklessly will set themselves up for a premature death. His playstyle and mechanics are difficult and punishing both to play as and fight against which points back to their home series.
The Chosen Undead Specials and Final Smash
Neutral Special: Lightning Spear/Great Lightning Spear/Sunlight Spear
The Chosen Undead charges a spear made of lighting and hurls it forward. It will travel forward for some time before falling back down to the ground in a gradual arc. Once it hits either an opponent or a solid object like the stage, it explodes with electricity dealing further damage. Charging this attack will change the property of the attack including the name, range, and damage output. The attack has great priority and is effective at demolishing shields. While the attack is laggy at the start because of the spear being formed, it comes out and travels quickly once it’s formed. Its speed after being thrown is almost comparable to that of Byleth’s Failnaught but it lacks the range. Lightning Spear has 10 uses, Great Lightning Spear has 5 and Sunlight Spear only has 3. When they run out, it costs 6 Souls to replenish Lightning Spear, 16 for Great Lightning Spear, and 26 for Sunlight Lightning Spear.
Damage:
- Lightning Spear: 6% (close), 10.3% (far)
- Great Lightning Spear: 8.4% (close), 16.3% (far)
- Sunlight Spear: 11.3% (close), 18.8% (far)
Forward Special: Combustion/Great Combustion/Fire Surge
Like Lightning Spear, Combustion can be charged to increase its strength. Upon performing the input, Combustion will release a short-range fire blast from their hand. Great Combustion and Fire Surge are unique in that they remain active after the input, which allows the player to move freely several seconds afterward. Performing any other attack, shield, dodge, or anything other than moving will cancel the attack which is great for faking opponents out. Great Combustion lasts 6 seconds while Fire Surge Flame lasts 12 seconds before vanishing. This is both a reliable approach and anti-approach attack as the player can use it to advance forward to approach and also to prevent players from closing the gap. The attack can also pivot backwards, much like Banjo & Kazooie’s Neutral Special and the Super Shot item. The flip side is there is a 1 second lag interval while pivoting making it potentially risky. Combustion has 8 uses, Great Combustion has 5 uses, and Fire Surge Flame has 2 uses. It costs 10 Souls for Combustion, 20 for Great Combustion, and 30 for Fire Surge Flame.
Damage:
- Combustion: .85% per hit
- Great Combustion: 1.2% per hit
- Fire Surge: 1.8% per hit
Up Special: Batwing Ascent/Homeward
The Chosen Undead has two Recovery Moves that depend on the situation. Let’s first look at Batwing Ascent as it’s the default for the character. Upon inputting Batwing Ascent, a Batwing Demon will appear and lift the Chosen Undead high into the air, much like Duck Hunt - except it can’t be controlled. The monster will fly upwards at a diagonal angle in relation to where the player is facing and, when it reaches a certain height, it will let the player go. The demon will deal contact damage, but will also slightly decrease its recovery distance if it contacts any opponent. A feature unique to Chosen Undead is that, to give the recovery move more versatility, the player can press the standard attack input to swing a sword while in mid-flight. This, coupled with the contact damage, gives a wide hitbox radius to help make the recovery even better. The move will end if either the Chosen Undead or the monster is damaged badly enough, and the Chosen Undead will enter a free-fall state. It’s a useful recovery move, but it’s predictable and very vulnerable to damage. I also want to mention that Batwing Ascent is derived from the original Dragon Souls where the Chosen Undead is airlifted by these demons into a major location called Anror Landor.
The second and most important recovery move is Homeward. This special move causes the Chosen Undead to meditate for three seconds before vanishing quickly. Where does he go? Well, unlike Hero’s Zoom ability, the Chosen Undead won’t only return to the stage. This is where the Down Special comes into play, and that’s their Inventory special. There are two Bonfires in their Inventory and placing a single Bonfire down will allow the player to teleport directly to it no matter where they are on the stage. Homeward can be used for recovering, spacing, approaching, and for mind games. The Bonfire mechanic will be explained further in the Down Special section if you want to know more about how it works. That being said, the Bonfire is destructible, so Homeward instantly becomes Batwing Ascent if it is destroyed. Homeward is a powerful recovery move that grants invincibility upon arriving at the Bonfire and is one of the most reliable recovery abilities. The possibilities to use this for zoning, spacing, and approaching also helps increase the players’ overall mobility and strategy.
The move has three weaknesses with the first one being that it doesn’t deal any damage. The second is that it has severe start-up lag while initiating the “incantation” before teleporting. The animation comes to 4 seconds, which can be the matter between life or death in Smash. They also can’t cancel it, so once the player inputs the attack, the character commits to it, which makes them a sitting duck. The third weakness and probably the largest is that the Bonfire can be destroyed. This prevents the player from using Homeward, but this is why the player has a second Bonfire available as a fall back. Finally, while not a weakness per se, players cannot place a Bonfire in the air as it will just fall to the ground. Both Batwing Ascent and Homeward do not have a usage cap.
Damage:
- Batwing Ascent: 5.2% (contact), 4% (Sword attack while in Batwing Ascent)
- Homeward: 0%
Down Special: Inventory
The Chosen Undead can pick an item from his Inventory and use that item. Like Shulk’s Monado Arts, they can select the desired item by tilting the control stick over to it and letting go of the down special input. They act like a typical item with the attack button performing the item’s action and, like any other item, it’s possible for the player to drop the item when hit by a powerful attack. Each item has its own usage cap before it vanishes from the Inventory. Following this, players must “purchase” items at the Bonfire by spending Souls. Players also must retrieve their items at the Bloodstain after death or risk losing all the Inventory items. Here is a full rundown of the items:
Estus Flask
The Estus Flask is an iconic healing item from the series. Downing this potion heals the Chosen Undead by 15% and standing next to a Bonfire increases the amount of damage healed to 20%. However, in order to balance this item out, repeated use of the Flask will severely nerf it. Subsequent use of the potion will reduce the amount to 10% and 15% (when close to the Bonfire). A third consecutive use will lower it to 5% and 10%. After that, the amount decreases to 3% and 8% then finally 1% and 5%. While the Flask is an important item and helps the Chosen Undead survive matches, it's not without its weaknesses. Besides the nerf it receives from overuse, it has long start-up and ending lag as the player opens the Flask and drinks it - often taking a moment to savor the…. taste? The player is also vulnerable, as they can’t manually cancel out in mid-animation. The third weakness is that the flask won’t heal the player if the opponent attacks in mid-animation. The player can carry up to 5 Flasks at a time and one Flask costs 10 via the Bonfire. It costs 50 to get all 5 at once.
Firebomb
The Chosen Undead takes out the Firebomb and chucks it in an arc similar to Snake’s Grenades. They will explode and deal damage similar to other fire-based attacks like PK Fire and Mii Gunner’s Flame Pillar. The item is easily the most powerful within the Chosen Undead’s inventory, as it does high damage and sets the opponent up for follow-up attacks. The only downside of the Firebomb is that its destructive power can also damage the Chosen Undead, so players need to be careful when using it. The player starts out with 4 of these and purchasing a single one requires 12 Souls.
Damage: 18.2% (initial), 2.3% (per hit)
Purging Stone
This item is situational as it will cleanse the player of any harmful effects such as poison, sleep, bury, and inverse controls. Pressing the attack button will cause it to nullify the negative status effect. Status effects like Sleep and Bury, however, are a different story. In these cases, holding the Purging Stone will nullify the negative status the second after it takes effect. The item is easy to read though, and the opponent may avoid using a status-inducing attack after seeing it taken out.
Charcoal Pine Resin
This item helps bolster the Chosen Undead’s already impressive damage output by coating their sword with fire. This item deals continuous damage afterward and will deal an additional .38% damage every second (18 seconds total) which adds 6.84% damage to the original attack damage. This attack percentage is dependent on if the opponent thrashes around or makes contact with water. Thrashing around lessens the duration of the burning while water will completely negate it. As mentioned above, the effect duration lasts 18 seconds but gradually decreases the more it’s used in quick succession. It can be used a total of three times before it runs out and costs 18 Souls to purchase a single Resin.
Ritual Spear Fragment
The player can either press the attack button to cause the attack to occur around them or to throw it forward. It causes dozens of lightning-infused spears of light to shoot up around the player. It functions similar to Ridley’s Down Special, Skewer and will cause the opponent to crumple if it’s a clean hit. Its damage decreases in the air compared to the grounded version It has 4 uses and costs 22 Souls for a single Fragment.
Damage: 0% (direct center), 19.1% (outer center), 15% (outer), 14% (aerial center), 11% (aerial outer), 4% (additional contact damage mid-animation)
Sorcerer's Catalyst
The Chosen Undead pulls out an enchanted staff crafted from a gnarled tree. The player can use the special button to charge up and fire either Soul Arrow, Great Soul Arrow, or Heavy Soul Arrow. This fires a fast moving projectile that will slightly paralyze opponents much like Zero Suit Samus before launching them. Regardless which form of Soul Arrow is used, they all share the same amount of uses. The item has six uses before it vanishes and it can be brought back via the Bonfire for 30 Souls, making it the most expensive item available.
Damage:
- Soul Arrow: 10.2%
- Great Soul Arrow: 16%
- Heavy Soul Arrow: 19.2%
Bonfire
This is easily the most important part of the Chosen Undead’s moveset and mastering the Bonfire is key to victory. The player will take a burning sword and thrust it into the ground, which will ignite a Bonfire. For this reason, it can’t be performed in the air. The player comes with two Bonfires with the second one used as a backup should the first be destroyed by the opponent. If the first one is destroyed, it’s advisable to use the back-up and then purchase a new one so there's another one on hand. Players can repurchase a Bonfire for 28 Souls. The Bonfire is important for five reasons:
- The Bonfire allows the player to use the Up Special, Homeward.
- Players can spend Souls to purchase equipment and magic once they run out.
- Players can use the Bonfire to power up the effects of the Estus Flask.
- Players can use Souls to strengthen the Bonfire and increase its durability.
- The Chosen Undead can only have two Bonfires in their Inventory at one time, but that doesn’t account for the one that’s currently in play. So, technically, the player can have three Bonfires: one active and two in the Inventory.
- Unlike the Chosen Undead’s Inventory, Humanity, and Souls, the Bonfire will remain on the stage even after the player is KO’d. The Chosen Undead will spawn directly above it as opposed to the typical location that every other character does. This is a reference to how players resurrect near a Bonfire upon death (which is often in Dark Souls). Getting KO’d close to a Bonfire is ideal as players will immediately spawn next to it and near the Bloodstain.
The Bonfire has around 50 HP, but it can be strengthened using 20 Souls to increase its durability by 10%. Even when strengthened, a few strong attacks can break it so protecting the Bonfires is key to surviving. It’s not without defenses though and one is that the opponent will be damaged up to 4.5% per hit if they try standing on it. Strengthening the Bonfire increases not only its HP pool but also strengthens the size of the flame and ups the damage to 8.8% per hit for 20 seconds.
Damage:
- 4.5% (per hit), 8.8% (per hit when strengthened)
- 10% (opponents on the ground when dropped from air)
Final Smash: Jolly Co-Operation
The name may sound strange, but it’s a brutal Final Smash. Inputting the special attack button will cause the Chosen Undead to “Praise the Sun” which causes a burst of fire to shoot up. It works similar to Corrin’s start-up for Torrential Roar but with a smaller hitbox. The attack will launch the opponents off the screen, which then triggers a cinematic sequence.
The Chosen Undead will summon several key figures in Dark Souls lore to help attack the opponent. The first summon is Knight Lautrec of Carim, who will use his twin swords to deliver several spinning slashes with his curved blades. The next character is Black Iron Tarkus who uses the weight of his armor and shield to drive the opponent into the ground. Following this, Marvelous Chester will laugh and throw out a Firebomb which launches the opponent. The final summon is none other than Solaire of Astora who will “praise the sun” before creating a large Lightning Spear and throwing it into the opponent; dealing damage and ending the Final Smash.
Damage: 68.8%
The Chosen Undead’s Smash Attacks and Other Notable Attacks
Jab Attack/Jab Finisher: The Chosen Undead performs a horizontal sword slash followed by a downward swing. The last attack is a Pyromancy fire attack which launches the opponent.
Damage: 4.5%, 4.5%, 5.3%
Dash Attack: Leaping Strike: Similar to Link’s dash attack, The Chosen Undead will perform a sword leap and strike down with a vertical slash. It has amazing reach thanks to the sudden jump and length of the sword.
Damage: 4% (start-up), 6.2% (slash)
Forward Tilt: Shield Bash: The Chosen Undead takes his shield and bashes it forward. It has mediocre range, but it’s great against shields and has longer hitstun compared to other attacks. Double tapping and holding the input will cause the Chosen Undead to hold up the shield in front of him in a defensive position. While holding the input and tilting the control stick forward, the player can advance forward while holding up his shield. This mechanic is called Shield Advance. It blocks incoming weak to medium strength attacks. Releasing the button will cause the Chosen Undead to swing the shield forward, which is called the Parry Attack. The Parry Attack is a counter move which can catch an attack when perfectly timed and induce a reduced tripping effect to the opponent. The timing to this attack must be perfect, and missing it will lead to ending lag for the Chosen Undead instead.
Damage: 5.2% (Shield Bash), 3.2% (Parry Attack)
Down Tilt: Ashen Kick: The Chosen Undead will perform a slightly downward kick taken from their home games.
Damage: 8.4%
Side Smash: Killing Combo: The Chosen Undead will slash forward which deals small amounts of damage but has a crumple effect if the attack hits close. This is similar to the Ritual Spear Fragment, which also sees the opponent fall to the floor. It has a secondary follow-up attack which is done by inputting the attack following a fully charged F-Smash. The Chosen Undead will then stab downwards into the opponent; dealing high amounts of damage. Despite its high damage output, it isn’t a reliable killing move as it doesn’t launch the opponent.
Damage: First Attack: 6.6% (uncharged close), 8.3% (charged close), 4.2% (uncharged far), 6% (charged far), Second Attack: 15.3%
Up Smash: Homing Soulmass: The Chosen Undead will release anywhere between three to six floating energy projectiles; depending on the charge. They will remain floating above the player even as they move around. These floating balls of energy will home onto the closest opponent if the Down Smash is inputted again or ten seconds have passed. Each projectile has small hitstun, and how much the attack was charged won’t affect the damage output. The charge just affects the number of energy balls which will appear.
Damage: 5.5% (per energy ball)
Down Smash: Lightning Stake: The Chosen Undead forms a Lightning Spear-like attack and thrusts it into the ground in front of them. This creates an expanding electrical field that does several hits of damage before launching the opponent. The attack is great for catching and trapping opponents; especially if the opponent is hit as the player thrusts the stake down.
Damage: 2.3% (uncharged), 13.8% (total uncharged), 3.8% (charged), 22.8% (total charged)
Forward Aerial: Fire Whip: The Chosen Undead whips their hand forward which causes a wave of fire to lash out. Unlike the Dark Souls version, this one is from top to bottom. It deals more damage in the middle of the animation compared to the start and ending animations.
Damage: 4.6% (start), 10.1% (mid), 5% (end)
Forward Throw: The Chosen Undead will grab the opponent and then burn them using the spell, Sacred Flame. They will then slam them down into the ground, bouncing the opponent.
Damage: 12%
Back Throw: The Chosen Undead spins the opponent around and then stabs them in the back before pushing and launching them. This comes from their Back Stab Attack in the Dark Souls series.
Damage: 10.2%
Down Throw: The Chosen Undead slams the opponent down below them. They then form a Soul Greatsword using sorcery and stab the opponent with it. This throw is more useful for dealing damaging than launching opponents.
Damage: 13.1%
Entrance Animation
The Bonfire appears with the Chosen Undead sitting next to it. The Bonfire vanishes and the Chosen Undead stands up and readies their sword.
Taunts
- Up Taunt: The Chosen Undead performs the “praise the sun” gesture.
- Side Taunt: Does the “Welcome” gesture where they step forward and hold out their arms.
- Down Taunt: Does the “Duel Bow” gesture.
- By a Bonfire: Sits down and rests by it for a second before getting up.
Idle Animations
- Points forward. Based on the same gesture.
- They look at their hands glow as they glow with the power of Souls.
Victory Animations
- The Chosen Undead walks up to a lit Bonfire and sits down to take a rest.
- The Chosen Undead cuts down a Hollow and then points his sword forward while doing the “By My Sword” gesture.
- Appears alongside Solaire of Astora. Together, they perform the “Praise the Sun” gesture.
- His defeat applause is the ”clapping” gesture.
This Classic Mode Route features one-on-one battles against other master of arms in locations that would fit well in a fantasy setting. The Classic Mode title reflects Covenants which are factions players can join in the Player vs Player (PvP) online mode. Covenants provides players with unique perks, equipment, and goals and have their own unique lore within the main story. One notable perk is Invading which means that if a player is Invaded by another Covenant, members of the player’s covenant can come to aid them. This is also true if the player decides to invade another player and can summon members of their Covenant to help. All stages are in their Omega forms.
Round 1 - Vs.
Firelink Shrine
This battle is based on the covenant, the Blue Sentinels. Firelink Shrine is where the player could find the key item to join this covenant.
Round 2- Vs.
(Red)Umbra Clock Tower
This battle is based on the Rosaria’s Fingers covenant. The covenant is found in the Cathedral of the Deep, which is plagued by hundreds of demonic and twisted creatures.
Round 3 - Vs.
(White)Kalos Pokémon League (Bsttlefield)
This battle comes from the Princess’ Guard covenant is dedicated to protecting Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight and is located in Anor Landor.
Round 4 - Vs.
(Purple)Great Cave Offensive
This battle references the wild-card covenant, the Mound-makers. They don’t have any alliances with anyone and will attack any covenant on sight. They are located deep in the Pit of Hollows in the Undead Settlement.
Round 5 - Vs.
(Dark)Prism Tower
The battle comes from the covenant, the Blade of the Darkmoon which is very similar to the Blue Sentinels. They are found in the Prison Tower in Anor Londor.
Round 6 -Vs. Chosen Undead (White)
Temple
This battle comes from the covenant, the Warrior of Sunlight. This benevolent covenant can be found at Lothric Castle, where the Altar of Sunlight is located.
Final Round Vs. Dracula
Dracula as the final match comes from how silver-haired undead baddies often serve as superpowered final bosses in the Dark Souls series.
Victory Theme
The Victory Theme would of course be redone to for Smash standards. This comes when the player finally defeats the boss and, judging by the video comments, can give a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction because of the game’s difficulty. This kind of relates back to Smash and how rewarding it can be to fight against a difficult opponent and win.
Series Symbol
While the Darksign could have been used, the Bonfire was ultimately chosen as that’s a staple in the series and a huge part of the character’s mechanics.
Alternate Costumes
- Grey (Chosen Undead - Dark Souls)
- White (Armor of the Sun - Solaire of Artorias)
- Green - (The Bearer of Seal (Faraam Armor Set) - Dark Souls II)
- Maroon (Alva Armor Set)
- Red - (The Ashen One (Firelink Armor Set) - Dark Souls III)
- Yellow - (Armor of Favor Set)
- Black - (The Black Knight Armor Set)
- Blue - (The Set of Artorias Set)
Conclusion
Dark Souls may not be a front-runner for potential characters to add in Smash and their characters don’t often grace wishlists or prediction rosters. Yes, there are a few support groups and communities dedicated to the concept, but they pale compared to juggernauts like Geno, Lloyd, and Crash. Despite this, that doesn’t disqualify them from being speculated on, and shouldn’t bar them from being included. Dark Souls, as a series, has contributed much to the fantasy genre and is an inspiration for many other games that came out after. This inspiration includes everything from design elements, mechanics, and even games with harder difficulty. Smash has many great characters and series, especially in the DLC lineup, but the DLC roster needs a grimmer and darker addition to help balance things out. The Chosen Undead and Darks Souls is a great choice for that role. Also, make sure to check out
Perkilator
‘s Chosen Undead writeup!Credits
Editing: @Zerp
Graphics:
Venus of the Desert Bloom
, @Kuba (banner)Social Media: @Zerp
Sources: Dark Souls Wiki
Author’s Note: I’ve never played any of the Dark Souls games as well as their related games but I really enjoyed exploring this character and series. While the Chosen Undead might not be at the top of the list for potential newcomers, they certainly could bring tons of content and mechanics over. This would satisfy at least one of Sakurai’s criteria - have fun.
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