Summary
By this point, FromSoftware has become one of the most beloved game studios around, consistently producing high-quality RPGS that no one else can match. One of the big reasons their games work is due to their delightfully strange cast of characters that show up, say something strange or oblique, then disappear again.
However, these characters have become beloved in the wider gaming community, particularly for their idiosyncrasies or striking design, provoking floods of fan art and dedicated obsessives, even creating memes in the process. This list is ranked by how beloved each character is among the fanbase and how much impact the character has had in the gaming community as a whole.
Elden Ringis a massive game with a lot of characters with in-depth stories, but not that many broke through into the wider gaming world like a lot of other FromSoftware characters. That all changed with the release of theShadow of the ErdtreeDLC and the arrival of Igon, the angriest man to ever live.
Igon is a Drake Warrior and sworn enemy of Bayle the Dread, one of the most dramatic bosses FromSoftware has ever made. Fueled by pure hatred and a speech that has become beloved in the fan community, Igon helps the player fight Bayle, flinging arrows and insults all the time, and hyping the player up beyond belief. Igon’s not around for a long time, but he makes a massive impact when he is,even surprising the voice actor with how popular he was.
FromSoftware has become famous for not only having tough bosses, but creating bosses that are genuinely sad to fight against because of the surrounding story. Sif was the first boss to prove this incredible skill, making for a boss fight that was epicbut tragically sad.
In the lore of the game, the legendary knight Artorias protected Sif from being consumed by the Abyss, sacrificing himself instead. Now, millennia in the future, Sif still stands watch over Artorias’s grave to ensure that no one else will make the same mistake her master did. It’s a tragic fight, particularly when Sif starts limping at the end, making Sif a beloved tragic figure in the fan community.
InArmored Core, it is rare to see a human being in the flesh. Instead, the player only gets to hear their voices as they pilot massive mechs, which means giving them personality can be pretty difficult, but not so with V.IV Rusty, who has cemented himself as a fan favorite in the hearts of FromSoftware fans.
Players first encounter Rusty in Operation Wallclimber when he helps out and seems to respect the player, a nice change from the game up to that point. As the plot develops, it becomes clear that Rusty is a charismatic opportunist playing all sides, and a remarkable shot, playing a key role in the Ice Worm fight, where he has some of the most badass lines ever given to a FromSoft character.
Dark Souls 2is still considered the black sheep of the FromSoftware catalogue despite its growing fanbase, and it rarely gets considered in the wider lore or conversations. However, the big exception to that is Lucatiel, one of the friendly NPCs the player encounters on their journey, who has become legendary through sheer force of presence and character design alone.
Sporting a longsword and a distinct French-style hat, Lucatiel is a fearsome amnesiac warrior who embodies the game’s existential themes of losing one’s identity, slowly forgetting who she is entirely. It’s a tragic end, but was so beloved that it’s one of the few pieces ofDark Souls 2lore that’s explicitly acknowledged inDark Souls 3.
4Artorias - Dark Souls
Embrace The Abyss
In FromSoftware games, the badass knights and battles are usually consigned to the world’s past, meaning the player doesn’t get to see or interact with them very much. However, with theArtorias of the AbyssDLC forDark Souls 1, players could travel back in time and meet Artorias the Abysswalker, a legendary figure in the game’s lore who single-handedly held back the Abyss.
Artorias embodies the tragic figure that FromSoftware loves to include in their stories, andhe is often cited as one of the best boss fightsthey’ve ever made, with (for the time) unprecedented speed and ferocity. He was so beloved that he directly inspired the Abysswalkers faction inDark Souls 3.
3Siegmeyer of Catarina - Dark Souls
The OG Onion Knight
TheDark Soulsgames are well known for their dark and depressing atmosphere, with some even describing them as post-apocalyptic games, considering the player usually arrives after the worlds have crumbled and died. It’s not all dark, though, and Siegmeyer of Catarina, often nicknamed the Onion Knight, is one big shining beacon in the dark/
Slightly hapless and a lover of Siegbrau, the Onion Knight first meets the player when he struggles to find a way into Sen’s Fortress. Despite his delayed progress and love of naps, Siegmeyer proves to be a steadfast and brave companion willing to use his weight and strength to help the player at key moments. His jolly tone makes him a welcome reprieve from the darkness of the game, even if hissidequest is a big pain to complete.
Most player protagonists in FromSoftware games rarely speak a word and can essentially be anybody, butSekiro: Shadows Die Twicetook a big swing and removed the custom character creator fans were used to and instead had players embody the specific perspective of Wolf, the fallen shinobi, as he tackled the game’sdifficult roster of bosses.
The risk paid off big time, and the stoic, quiet, and tragic figure of Wolf has become one of FromSoftware’s best characters, whose personal story is deeply intertwined with the broader narrative of the game. It’s the most focused narrative in the studio’s catalogue by far, and Wolf is a big reason why the experiment worked. While he may be the only voiced player protagonist for the moment, his popularity makes it pretty likely that FromSoftware will attempt to do something similar again.
1Solaire - Dark Souls
Founder of the Sun Bros
Even if a gamer hasn’t played any FromSoftware game, they probably know about Solaire of Astora, a noble and kindly knight players find admiring the sun and dispensing wisdom, encouraging “jolly co-operation” for the player. He’s the first friendly face the player meets in the game, and he makes a big impression because of it, even helping out with the Belfry Gargoyles, the first major challenge players are likely to face.
The fans adore Solaire, not only for his sunny disposition, but because of how he represents the Souls' games' existential outlook of struggling against despair, even in the darkest of circumstances. He’s even become an incredibly important figure in the lore in recent times, with many players theorising that Solaire may be the lost son of Gwyn.
