I believe the dark that we see in game is a corrupted parody of what a true age of dark should be. It was beaten back, distorted by fire, driven mad and was rotting just like the age of fire was burning out. The locust mention the abyss didn't spawn monsters in the past, and even item descriptions mentioned humànity using it to forge weapons for the dragon war. The abyss Manus spawned was a destructive force because he was driven insane and murderous, a far cry from what's mentioned, and the four kings were corrupt monsters. It's why a hard reset is necessary, a return to nothingness so the cycle can begin again properly.

"The fire isn't fading because of a lack of will, but because there is nothing left to burn; which means the world itself wants the fire to fade."

That gave me some true philosophical pause.

I always have went towards the age of dark ending
The plagued decrepit seemingly post-apocalyptic World the game takes place in is utterly indifferent to you and your struggle.
There was obviously no changing this curse. Maybe I'm Wrong but by the end Of Dark Souls 3 there is never really a answer Simply The fire Fades

I always thought it was implied that the world worked in cycles. Dark -> fire -> repeat. Its not explicit, but fire was born from nothing the first time so i see no reason why it wouldn’t just happen again.

I argue we have never seen what happens in age of the dark, cause it never happened,  what you described are age of light beings trying to control the dark souls that has gone rampant

Real talk, this is probably the most well-written/scripted dark souls video essay I've seen in a long time.

The good ending is not linking the flame in DS2.

I think that in Oolacile what we see is dark warped by Manus' wrath. That's why the painter girl's version of it is gentle and cold. Awesome vid btw, liked!

I Think The Bearer Of The Curse Is The Closest Of Getting A Good Ending
Atleast His Own Good Ending, He Came To Drangleic To Find A Cure For The Undead, He Found His Own Cure, Or Baindaid, In The Form Of Vendrick's Blessing With The Crowns
And Most Likely Took Aldia's Advice To Ignore The Throne And Find A New, A Secret Third Answer, Beyond The Scope Of Light And Beyond The Reach Of Dark

The world doesn't end after letting the flame fade, the firekeeper still talks after the light switch is turned off, in my opinion, the survivors now without a curse will most probably take refugee in the girl's painting, becoming the closest thing to a normal life in Dark Souls, they're gonna need a lot of torches to navigate through the night though, I wonder if light sorceries will still work.

20:08

Guile wasn't a slave knight, he was a Major in the US Air Force. He had

Beautiful Blond Hair
A chin that’s extra square
Fighting to avenge his best friend
Cause his death wasn’t fair
So he’ll search everywhere
Till he brings the Dictator to
Justice
First, he has to get a razor
and some shaving cream and apply it
directly to his face
Cause there’s a place
that hair grows
You might scoff
But he has to shave it off
He fights for truth
But he'll espouse
That GUILE only fights without his
eyebrows.
Sonic Booms
And flash kicks are his style
But when you think of Guile,
Remember his lifelong vow.
Never go out
With fcking eyebrows.
Go USA
But go away
If you are Guile’s eyebrows.

Make… Londor… whole

20:59 I know it’s more metaphysical bc it’s a soul and can do things paint can’t but pigments are actually mostly harvested in ways that the pure pigment itself can be dried to a powder. This powder is then mixed with binding agents (water, oil, acrylic bases, some combination) to make paint

Hanging with Solaire and saving him, boom best ending

Ds1 was our only opertunity to choose dark and get a "Good" ending, however due to the time warping it was doomed. Whether we linked the flame or not SOMEONE in all those time streams would link it and erase all the other timelines..

"World of static" - can it be that the world of dark souls is or was once a painting

you helped me to a better understanding of how this world works

I always go dark lord ending. Preferably wearing the DLC merchant’s smiling mask. Feels appropriate.

This was very good.  Thank you 👍

There is as good of an ending to dark souls as there is to real life