How Dark Souls 1 & 2's Player Characters Became DS3's Final Boss
The Dark Souls series often references its past games, with familiar locations, twisted lore, and hidden storylines spanning the entire series. In Dark Souls 3, players are even treated to a hidden cameo of their own characters from the previous two games, but they come in an unexpected form.
What's canon in Dark Souls is often debatable, given the choices players can make at the end of each game, but the continuation of the series assumes the Linking of the Flame in Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2's endings is canon. Dark Souls 1's ending sees the player relight the First Flame in a raging inferno that spans the whole room. Dark Souls 2 player characters experience the same destiny, taking their throne within the Kiln of the First Flame to extend the Age of Fire. This Dark Souls 2 throne bears a resemblance to those of the Lords of Cinder in Dark Souls 3's Firelink Shrine - a reference to the legacy left behind by players' characters, but not the strongest one in the game.
Dark Souls 3's Unkindled protagonist is responsible for Linking the First Flame, no matter the cost. Claiming victory and accomplishing this task brings a slight extension for the Age of Fire, but it is not nearly as impactful as the Linking of the Flame in the first two games. This implies that, despite the efforts of the first two protagonists, the Age of Fire will inevitably come to an end and plunge the world into darkness. Before the option to Link the Flame is available, the Unkindled must defeat Dark Souls 3's final boss: the Soul of Cinder.
Dark Souls 3 puts a bow on some of the franchise's biggest mysteries, including that of the fate of these previous player characters: Why, despite Linking the Flame, do they not reappear in subsequent games? The third game explains that the aforementioned Lords of Cinder are powerful beings who Linked the Flame in their lifetimes, but these don't include Dark Souls' Chosen Undead or Dark Souls 2's Bearer of the Curse. Instead, the protagonists appear at the Kiln of the First Flame.
Here, the Unkindled finds the Soul of Cinder, the culmination of all the beings who have ever Linked the Flame - including Lord Gwyn, whose theme plays during this final boss fight. The boss' lore implies the presence of the Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2 player characters who sacrificed themselves to continue the Age of Fire. No matter what they looked like or what class they were, they exist in the Soul of Cinder as echoes of their former selves. Their faces and voices are not seen or heard, but their fighting spirit persists in one of the game’s most difficult boss fights. Nearly all of the bosses in Dark Souls have a tragic story, but the Soul of Cinder should hold a special place in the hearts of fans.