Dark Souls without Hidetaka Miyazaki’s rebellion would not have its brilliant mascot.

Hidetaka Miyazaki, Dark Souls series director, went to great lengths to shed some light on those same players he had just severely punished. How come “Praise to the sun!” became such a common phrase? The phrase “Praise the sun” became synonymous with such a dark series.

To praise the sun, you don’t have to play Dark Souls. You’ve probably seen it in a Reddit comment. The ‘praising intensifies gif. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter, and I watched convention-goers praise suns for photos as if it were the new planking. Miyazaki’s grand design is at the heart of this cultural takeover. It was a permeation of celebration by a game that deliberately restricts communication. This began long before the lightening of the first flame.

Early light

Demon’s Souls It was the basis for the mechanics we now refer to as the souls-like game genre, including abstract multiplayer, opaque lore, and soul-crushing difficulty. Interview with The Guardian, 2015. He explains how he overtook the failed project. It is often referred to as Hidetaka Mikaziki. Miyazaki’s rebellious spirit created the original Dark Souls. You can read more about it here.

The team was unable to make a compelling prototype because of problems in the project. It was a fantasy-action role-playing game. I was thrilled to hear that. I decided that if I could take control of it, I could make it anything I wanted. Even if my ideas fail, no one would care because it was already a failure.

Dark Souls was once an obscure Japanese action game, but it became a well-known PC gaming title. Demon’s Souls was not only the birthplace of the soul’s genre. It was also home to Miyazaki’s sunshade scheme.

When I presented the game to the rest of my company, I showed it to them, and one of my higher-ups said it wasn’t cool enough. He asked me if I would get rid of it, but I kept it in my game.

Hidetaka Mikazuki

Demon’s Souls doesn’t refer to praising the sun as “praising sun” but instead as a guest appearance. This gesture is rare in Demon Souls. It’s used only when a character performs miracles while wearing the item—ring of Sincere Prayer. The Dark Souls Design Works Interviews, initially only in Japanese, Miyazaki explains why the gesture was first published in Demon’s Souls and later in Dark Souls.

“This pose has some meaning for me. That was a sacred sign during Demon’s Souls. The rest of the company saw the game, and I demonstrated the pose to them. One of the higher-ups said it wasn’t cool enough. Although I assured him that I would get rid of it, I kept it in the game. Naturally, I was determined to use [Dark Souls] it.

Miyazaki had smuggled the pose into Demon’s Souls and was now determined to take it to Dark Souls. He needed a prophet to spread his holy message. The Warriors of Sunlight were thus born.

Father sun

To this point, praise for the sun was not widely recognized. It was primarily ignored in Demon’s Souls, as it was considered contraband. Miyazaki understood that his movement would need a champion to survive.

Solaire is the first Warrior of Sunlight the player encounters after several hours of Dark Souls. You’ve been ridiculed by NPC and the environment for your curiosity, which was praised in other games. Solaire, however, is quick to offer his assistance. You can summon him to be your companion in the boss fights and throughout the game. He is a constant presence of friendship and support throughout a lonely journey.

When asked why they praise the sun, they respond: Reddit thread MightySquidWarrior offered the following interpretation:

Without going into too much detail about Knight Solaire’s man crush, I will say that Knight Solaire is the first NPC that players meet who is friendly and kind to them. We’ve been so beaten down that we believe everything in the game is trying to kill us. So it is pretty shocking to find a helpful NPC. We praise the sun in our joy.

The Dark Souls community is known for its unpredicted kindness and silliness. Thanks to the popularity of dressing up as NPCs when invading, it has become a fashion trend—the hiding in plain sight video. After the show, Fashion Police got a chance to shine. A theatrical recount of an encounter Reddit users shared their favorite Reddit posts. Every little bit of sunshine in a series that builds players up only to have them fall back down again is worthy of praise. MightySquidWarrior said that Solaire is the most memorable ray of sunshine ever seen by players of Dark Souls. It is a moment that Solaire will forever remember.

Sun language

Miyazaki created Solaire of Astora, the incandescent Warrior for Sunlight, knowing his impact on players. However, this alone wouldn’t have been enough to make everyone sing the praises of sun-praising. Miyazaki’s methods go a lot deeper than that.

Dark Souls is a game that requires you to use gestures. Communication is severely restricted throughout the game. The voiceless character you play can only communicate with NPCs through gestures or attacks. You are similarly limited when it comes to multiplayer because you lack both voice and text communication. Gestures are a way to communicate with friends and foe. It was a custom to bow when fighting an invading player. After a brutal fight, it was customary to give a “hurrah” or jump for joy. If things seem particularly difficult, you may even be inclined to prostrate yourself. After joining Solaire’s Warriors of Sunlight alliance later in the game, which is a great idea, you’ll be gifted a wonderful new gesture. Now you can praise the sun.

Praising the sun has no meaning. That is what makes it so beautiful. Pointing, waving, bowing, and waving all have real-world applications. The gesture was not intended to be used by players. However, if you were to raise your arms in the air while holding your hands out, it could have been understood as a sign that you are preparing for a swan dive or take-off flying.

Players had the opportunity to praise the sun and not just continue to dig through its vague descriptions or cryptic cut scenes looking for bits of information. It’s a positive, fun gesture that raises the bar in a series that is so determined to kick the player when they’re down and drag them through the broken record of humankind’s most significant failures.

Solaire was their inspiration, and everyone made a collective decision to praise the sun. It would be a sign of joy, hope, and jolly cooperation.