#taurus demon

It’s not a secret that Hidetaka Miyazaki is a fan of Berserk and that the Soulsborne games are influenced by it. Here are some Dark Souls 1 designs that are known to be, and some that I think could be inspired by Berserk. (Part 2: DS3, Part 3: Bloodborne)

Artorias the Abysswalker and Guts

Artorias wears a similar armor as Guts’ Berserker Armor. Also, Guts lost his left arm and uses a prosthesis instead. Artorias still has his left arm, but it is broken. Therefore, he cannot use it in the fight.

In this regard, I think Artorias’ Wolf, Sif, could also be a reference to the Beast of Darkness, since it is also a dog/wolf-like creature.

Darkwraith and Skull Knight

Gravelord Nito and Skull Knight

The influence of the Skull Knight on the Darkwraith’s design is quite obvious. However, I think he may also have inspired the design of Nito, even though “skeleton with sword” isn’t that specific.

Moonlight Butterfly and Rosine

Rosine could have inspired the design of the Moonlight Butterfly. They have similar color schemes, and both characters seem to be based on the Luna moth.

Taurus Demon and Zodd

Both are tall, horned monsters with brown fur and have a similar shape overall.

One detail I want to mention is that Zodd’s design is based on a big cat, but he has bovine-like hooves on his feet. The Taurus Demon is supposed to be a bull, according to the name, but he has paws instead of hooves. The paws aren’t cat-like, though.

Four Kings and Ganishka (released)

This one is more speculative. Unlike the Four Kings, Ganishka doesn’t have a solid body in his released form. I still think the color scheme and the overall irregular shape look somewhat similar.

Pinwheel and Rakshas

Mysterious cloaked figures with masks.

Serpent Mage and Snake Lord

Snake people aren’t that specific design-wise, but both are cobras, so there could be a connection.

Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Griffith

How is Ornstein based on Griffith? You may ask. The only similarity is that both characters wear animal-themed armor. Well, Ornstein’s data names in Dark Souls are “Griffith” and “Griffith_large” for his second form. So, he is meant to be the Griffith of DS.

Ornstein might be rather based on the name “Griffith” than his looks. The most common form of a griffin is a mixture between a bird of prey and a lion. These two characters represent these animals. Griffith stands for the bird of prey (falcon), and Ornstein is the lion.

Red Eye Orb and Behelit

Something awaits at the Undead Burg, and it's not looking pretty. 💀💢