Rank 2: Ashen Lord Gwyn (Dark Souls 1)
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Lord Gwyn, despite his hollow form in Dark Souls 1, is one of the strongest bosses in the series, and there are several reasons for this:
- Gwyn was one of the first gods to claim a lord soul to solidify his power
- He faced the Everlasting Dragons with his knight army and ended the Age of Ancients
- To provide his people, the gods, with a place to reside, he created the god city “Anor Londo” on the highest mountain of Lordran
- He split his soul into smaller pieces and granted them to other gods and his children to empower them, yet remained powerful enough to be regarded as a god
- He can channel the power of lightning and hurl powerful sunlight spears at his enemies, which can even penetrate the thickest armor
- Gwyn is skilled in sword combat and very agile in his movements, despite his sturdy build
Out of fear of humans, he cursed them and branded them with the Dark Sign so that they could not claim the power of the Dark Soul. Ultimately, he banished them all to remote prisons, in the Ringed City which was held in time, or enslaved them and used them as slave knights in hopeless battles.
Through his self-serving actions, he defied the cycle of fire and ensured that the undead were created and haunted the land of Lordran. Without him, the events of Dark Souls 2 and 3 would never have taken place, which is why he is one of the most important characters overall.
However, all of this amounted to nothing, and finally, Gwyn sacrificed himself in the kiln of the first flame to create a second age of fire that was to last up to 1000 years – one of the longest there ever was.
Considering the length of the age after his sacrifice, the intrigues Gwyn spun, as well as the battles he fought, it becomes clear that Gwyn is one of the most powerful characters. Even in his hollow form, he fights against the protagonist with full combat spirit.
If Gwyn had not been hollow in the kiln of the first flame and still possessed the full power of his soul, the protagonist of Dark Souls 1 would have had no chance against him.
Next up is Rank 1 on page 5.
