Poll: Let's talk about Dark Souls' ending

[remnant_phoenix]

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

So I just finished Dark Souls for the first time, and the ending did feel just a little bit...unsatisfying. I looked up to see if there were alternate endings, and that's when I learned all about Kathe and the "Dark Soul" angle to the story. I then watched the Dark Lord ending and found it much more compelling.

Wait! Let me explain. I found the Dark Lord ending better purely in terms of presentation. Better music, the Chosen Undead walks between bowing rows of Primordial Serpants, the monologue from...Kaathe? I think it's supposed to be him talking there? Anyway, it doesn't matter, the voiceover gave the scene a good feeling of closure despite it's ambiguity.

The Light the Fire ending should have had more memorable music, a good voiceover from Frampt or someone else giving some closure to the scenario, maybe explaining the fate of the Chosen Undead; I thought that when Frampt talked about "taking Gwyn's place" he meant that I would become the new Lord of Cinder, but the ending cutscene doesn't make it quite clear exactly what's happening. With better music, a good voiceover, and a little more explanation (like the Dark Lord ending had), I think it could have been just as satsifying as the Dark Lord one, and "which is better?" discussion would come down purely to personal preference. Had this been the case, I think I could have even preferred the Light the Fire ending.

Regarding the lack of closure on Light the Fire, the wiki I read says that the Chosen Undead is sacrificed, but then again the game implies that Gwyn gave his own soul to keep the flame going, and he has a grave is in Anor Londo. Is it possible that the Gwyn we meet as the endboss is a soulless spectre of the first flame? That he is dead, a ghost haunting the Kiln? And if so, when the Chosen Undead sacrifices his soul, maybe he keeps some part of his existence to guard the Kiln like Gwyn before him? I like that idea more than "he/she just dies."

Anyway, possible discussions...

-Poll question follow-up: Explain your thought process behind the ending you chose on the first playthrough.
-If my Light the Fire theory is wrong, please explain to me why and what's going on in that ending.
-Which ending do you prefer and for what reason? Presentation? Story/lore ramifications?
-From a lore perspective, which do you think is better? The continuation of the dwindling Age of Fire? Or a new Age of Darkness?
-Which ending leads to Dark Souls II, and why? (the wiki I read isn't clear on this)

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

The first time through, I ended up linking the fire, just because it was right in front of me and I hadn't experienced enough of the game to know that there was another ending. When my brother played it, he wanted to leave the arena to see what he could do with Gwyn's soul and accidentally got the Dark Lord ending.

What I appreciate about both endings, and in fact the entire game that leads up to them, is that the fact is neither choice is a good one. Linking the Fire is not a solution to the world's problems. It is just a further delay of the problem that began when the fire faded in the first place. In fact, the fading of the Age of Fire is apparently just the natural course of events in this universe, it happens on its own and has no true solution. Gwyn incinerating himself was just to put off the problem until someone, that is, YOU, can take his place as fuel for the First Flame. And in time, some other undead will have to come along and take your soul, just to burn his own in the ever-fading flame once again. Basically, the world is doomed to everlasting decay.

And, if you choose the Dark Lord ending, yes you are breaking the cycle of suffering and creating a new world. A lightless world of abominations. Everyone tells you that the Abyss is the antithesis of life, and the only way to keep life going in the dark is to steal souls from those living in the light, hence, the Darkstalkers. Once the entire world is plunged into darkness, the Primordial Serpents will be the true masters, of a world without thought or purpose.

Basically, you choose between the endless suffering of a world plagued with undead, or you end the pain by destroying everything and condemning the universe to an endless abyss of death. Good stuff.

As for Dark Souls II, I'm not sure about that either. I mean, I think it has to mean that the Chosen Undead from 1 chooses to link the fire, since otherwise there would be nothing of the world left in which to continue the story. But all I ever could understand is that the world is in a perpetual cycle of death and renewal, which honestly could mean either ending just leads back to the beginning. It actually kind of robs the first game of its fatalistic pathos.

 

[Fappy]

The Light the Fire works thematically when you consider that doing so is restarting the cycle. The moment you light the flame you get "sacrificed" and immediately find yourself at the start of the game once more in NG+.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Oh, you really want to get into this? Okay...

1) Gwyn has a grave because the people needed a place to mourn their fallen lord. For all intents and purposed, the rest of the world at the time believed he died in glorious battle or something, and so they grieve, but they grieve believing he died for a greater cause. It is where they go to say goodbye to him and such. Had they known the the truth, that he was throwing his life away in a hopeless last-ditch effort that would only delay the Dark, despair would have taken hold and Anor Londo would have fallen that much faster. People need hope, and the image of might Gwyn laying peacefully in a grand tomb is much more inspiring than the shrivel wraith you meet at the end. This is why his son, Gwyndolin, goes to such pains to maintain the illusion. He doesn't allow anyone to approach the tomb for fear they will discover the truth--Gwyn isn't there. He keeps the mirage of his sister alive so that people still have hope that a hero will come. That is why their is such a grand empty tomb.

2) Gwyn did sacrifice his soul. His soul is what kept the fire going. What you fight at the end is his Hollow form. Remember, Undead can die again and again, but they keep coming back. Once Gwyn gave up his soul to the flame, he became Undead. That is why he survives the burning of his body. When he comes back, all he remembers is that he needs to protect the First Flame. And so, he stays there, fighting off anyone who dares to approach it. His mind is gone, and all he can remember is that one purpose, despite the fact that he is hindering the very person who has come to continue is work. The same happens to the Chosen Undead should she choose to light the First Flame. Her body will burn away and her soul will feed the fire, but her body will return, Hollowed, and guard the flame until the next person comes.

3) I chose the Fire ending the first time because there is at least a sense of hope there, even if it is based on a lie. In Dark Souls II, we learn that Linking the Fire renews the land and souls flourish once again. That sounds better than Darkness swallowing everything. We have seen what happens when the Abyss is left unchecked, and it's not pretty.

4) The thing about Dark Souls II is that both endings lead to it. Throughout the game, you are beaten over the head about cycles. Several people are even aware of it, and one person even come close to breaking it. The idea is that linking the Fire continues the age of Fire, but if you chose Dark, eventually Fire comes back. Embers blaze again and Fire takes form once more. This has been going on for ages beyond counting. It is possible that the cycle has been going longer than even the Age of the Dragons, though I doubt that. Basically, the world is stuck in a constant cycle of Fire and Dark, repeating forever and ever, and so no ending in Dark Souls is the true ending.

5) What is interesting though is that, in Dark Souls II, you end up breaking the cycle. You go beyond Fire and beyond Dark. You break the Undead curse, something that has never been done before. You can die now, but you no longer Hollow. You no longer lose your mind. So what happens now? What happens when you step outside of the the rules of the world? If Dark Souls III is any indication, the world freaking breaks. It looks like the world is finally dying, and the old Lords of Fire are coming back to life to try and save it. The question is then, why are you trying to stop them? Because you are, when it says, "Lord of Cinder Slain" when you kill certain bosses.


Anything else I can try to explain? I do love talking about Dark Souls.

 

[Aerosteam]

Regarding the lack of closure on Light the Fire, the wiki I read says that the Chosen Undead is sacrificed, but then again the game implies that Gwyn gave his own soul to keep the flame going, and he has a grave is in Anor Londo. Is it possible that the Gwyn we meet as the endboss is a soulless spectre of the first flame? That he is dead, a ghost haunting the Kiln?

The fact that Gwyn's race is full of shit didn't phase you? He was never inside that coffin, Gwyndolin attacks you because he didn't want anyone to find that out.

And if so, when the Chosen Undead sacrifices his soul, maybe he keeps some part of his existence to guard the Kiln like Gwyn before him? I like that idea more than "he/she just dies."

The Flame needs humanity as fuel, same goes for bonfires, that's why they become stronger the more you feed them. To minimize the number of sacrifices, Gwyn volunteered to be it as he had the greatest soul and would most likely last the longest. But the more you feed the fire, the more hollow you become. You find Gwyn on the tail end of it.

This was inevitable, so you have to put him down and sacrifice yourself and give the Flame more fuel so it lasts longer and by this time, after slaying so many bosses, you'll be pretty sufficient. Eventually, you'll become just like Gwyn and someone else will replace you. That's how the cycle works. You aren't exactly guarding the Flame, you're just a mindless hollow who'll attack anyone that comes near.

But, if you choose to walk away, you retain your power when the Age of Darkness comes. Trouble is, pretty much anyone can light the Flame and keep the Age of Fire going. Every person who lights the Flame is given the title "Lord of Cinder" like Gwyn.

Technically speaking, both endings lead to the sequel. Same goes for the second game. Either you link the Flame or you don't and get definitively killed by someone else at some point looking to make the same choice once again.

 

[Chaos Isaac]

One possible thing is that 'Gwyn, Lord of Cinders' is the son, and not the original Gwyn.

Anyways, I walked the Dark Lord path, as living on a lie is potentially the bottom anyone can get to, and we know the world has changed once already from what it was to a new way of life, so it's about time for another switch. We don't know what will happen in the time of the Dark, but things can exist and survive in it. Then, one day, it will be thrown down for something else.

So yeah.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I chose the Dark Lord ending. It was honestly the only time I felt invested in any manner at all beyond "this game is reputedly hard, I must finish it," the only time I felt my character was anything beyond "dex build, no magic, speedy dual-wielder."

Granted, I did enjoy that investment a fair bit for the whole 15 seconds it lasted. Especially since I'd totally thought Kathe was lying and I was in the process of destroying the world. That was the whole reason I even joined the Darkwraiths; Dark Souls' story had already ended long before I entered the world, everything had gone completely to hell, and I was feeling alternately bored and resentful. Even what little of the lore felt relevant didn't tell a happy tale, so hitting some kind of cosmic reset button (even without sacrificing myself to do so, like I later learned would have happened) didn't sound appealing in the slightest.

Let true Dark be cast upon the world.

 

[Sleepy Sol]

I just recently finished Dark Souls for the first time as well and went with the Dark Lord ending, particularly because I'm not personally of a mind to delay the inevitable or keep up a false hope. To be honest, considering how much Dark Souls 2 (which I finished multiple times over long before the first game) focused upon the futility of of either choice and the inevitable cycle of Light and Dark? It kind of takes out a lot of the investment in the decision for me. For some it might seem brilliant; for me it's a cop-out.

Spoiler: spoiler about the nature of Bloodborne's endings, not big

Bloodborne sort of even does the same thing save for its "best" ending and even that one still ends without any assurance that your actions will actually change anything. It's kind of one of my least favorite parts of From's Souls-style games.

Basically, I may personally prefer the Dark Lord ending, but since exposition has pretty much revealed that it ultimately wouldn't and didn't matter what choice you made, I don't feel the weight of the decisions that I think should be there. Love the hell out of the series, no doubt. But I thought these story aspects were a blunder.

The Light the Fire ending should have had more memorable music, a good voiceover from Frampt or someone else giving some closure to the scenario, maybe explaining the fate of the Chosen Undead; I thought that when Frampt talked about "taking Gwyn's place" he meant that I would become the new Lord of Cinder, but the ending cutscene doesn't make it quite clear exactly what's happening. With better music, a good voiceover, and a little more explanation (like the Dark Lord ending had), I think it could have been just as satsifying as the Dark Lord one, and "which is better?" discussion would come down purely to personal preference. Had this been the case, I think I could have even preferred the Light the Fire ending.

I think that's just part of the deceptive nature of the Primordial Serpents. Frampt is intentionally vague in his wording and mentions nothing about you sacrificing yourself to "replace" Gwyn as something to keep the First Flame alive for at least a while longer. All you're doing by linking the Fire is immolating yourself to maybe slightly improve the current status quo and cover for the mistakes of those before you. There is no telling when or if anything in the world will improve. To make matters more confusing (relating to Primordial Serpents), the Dark Lord ending mentions that Frampt and Kaathe will both serve you in your new position, much as they seem to despise each other. It offers nothing on the details of such servitude, but it kind of throws another wrench in Frampt's apparent trustworthiness.

Regarding the lack of closure on Light the Fire, the wiki I read says that the Chosen Undead is sacrificed, but then again the game implies that Gwyn gave his own soul to keep the flame going, and he has a grave is in Anor Londo. Is it possible that the Gwyn we meet as the endboss is a soulless spectre of the first flame? That he is dead, a ghost haunting the Kiln? And if so, when the Chosen Undead sacrifices his soul, maybe he keeps some part of his existence to guard the Kiln like Gwyn before him? I like that idea more than "he/she just dies."

(to me)
The grave is merely a symbolic one kept by Gwyndolin. Gwyn is not a ghost or a different entity. The thing you fight as the final boss is Gwyn, but reduced to a mere husk of his former deity-like self, and turned undead and hostile (whether he is truly hollow I'd say would be more debateable, as you need to lose your purpose to go hollow). Gwyn still seems to exhibit some sense of purpose in protecting the Kiln, but has clearly lost the faculties to surmise that you may be there to help. So maybe somewhere in between? Who knows.

And yes, I personally interpret linking the Flame as your character getting played to kill themselves and little more.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

I actually managed to get to see Kaathe on my very first playthrough through sheer dumb coincidence. I'd even gotten to the Tomb of Giants before defeating Quelaag. Anyway, I knew there was an option for another ending (or rather, the only ending I knew of at that time), but didn't realize I was just supposed to walk away after defeating Gwyn, so I got the rather lamer ending.

I prefer the Dark Lord ending, simply because VaatiVidya (who makes awesome Souls lore videos) theorized that this leads to the Dark Age of Man, which we see what it is like in Oolacile: a wasteland of ruins, ridden with madness and deformed humans. I just find the possibility of someone deliberately choosing to doom the world to such a fate immensely engaging.

The Gwyn you fight at the end is Gwyn, in his physical form, but hollowed and insane. He's been guarding and feeding the fire with his soul for god kn?ws how long, and has gone hollow. What is happening in the Link ending is the player character linking their soul with the First Flame, and giving their power to it. Since the player character is packed with powerful souls, their soul has grown stronger than Gwyn's, which has been dwindling over time to nothingness. This is why when you enter the arena, the Flame is nothing more than a bonfire, but when you link the fire, it bursts into a full blown inferno.

As for which ending leads to Dark Souls II, I consider the Dark Lord one more likely, but even that's vague at best. In DSII there's constant talk about cycles, and how "countless kingdoms have risen and fallen" on the land you're exploring. IMO it goes one of two ways: You link the fire, become the new Lord of Cinder, and extend the Age of Fire for some time. But eventually, someone will come along and kill you, and then either take your place or not link the fire. The latter leads to the end of the Age of Fire, into the Dark Age of Man, and Lordran's downfall. Over time a new kingdom will rise, begin to dwindle, and the cycle starts anew. Time is a nebulous concept in the Dark Souls -verse at best, so chances are the cycle has been going on for millennia, perhaps millions of years.

I recommend visiting VaatiVidya's channel on youtube. His lore analysis is simply phenomenal, and will show you how completely and fully Dark Souls' lore is actually realized. Here's a sample on this topic:

 

[stroopwafel]

Yeah, Vaati's videos are really good to get immersed in the Dark Souls lore. The game is basically a tragic tale about the futility of purpose and the refusal to let go, which is not something you see often in mainstream entertainment. From what I understand the Age of Fire and Dark are just different sides from the same cycle. 'Dark' is basically 'humanity's' true form as hollow husks. It's what you see in the intro of Dark Souls 1. ''From the Dark they came and found the souls of lords within the flame''. The fractured soul of the furtive pigmy(the Dark Soul) is what gave 'life' to humans. The Dark Soul went to the furtive pigmy while the other Lord Souls went to Gwyn and his cronies. So the dawn of the Age of Fire and the possession of the Lord Souls was used to destroy the Age of Dragons which was neither life nor death just 'static'.

Imagine the flame one day beginning to fade and the despair that must have instilled in Gwyn who would see his future and that of his kingdom crumble away. Like a fool Gwyn sacrificed himself to the flame and became the Lord of Cinder just to delay the inevatible. I don't know what exactly the deal with the primordial serpents is. But 'primordial' basically says enough as in they have been here before even the dawn of time itself. Kaathe I think makes the most sense as he just want the natural order of the cycle to continue and let the world revert back to the Age of Dark. You can side with Frampt and extend the flame but once again, just like Gwyn before you, eventually ''Fire will fade and only Dark will remain''. The ending to Dark Souls 2 combines both endings into one.

In the Dark Souls 2 DLC(and the E3 trailer to DkS 3) we see the Crown that places the individual that wears it outside the cycle. But imagine a fate in which everyone and everything will die except you. Like in typical Dark Souls fashion the choice remains pervasively melancholical.

The only part of the Dark Souls lore that has never really been cleared up for me is the exact role of the Darksign. The Darksign brands the undead and eventually turns them hollow but did this happen during the entire Age of Fire or is it only an after-effect of Gwyn trying to artificially protract the first flame? Like the Darksign being a product of the Age of Dark crushing in on the previous cycle. I mean, Gwyn locked the undead away in the Undead Asylum and Vendrik locked them away in the Bastille which both seem to have happened at the end of their respective cycles.

In this regard I always like to see the player character as the harbinger of the Age of Dark. So, that even more makes the Dark Lord ending the 'true' ending for me.

Anyways I can't wait for Dark Souls 3. Only a few more months!

 

[zerragonoss]

People here seem to have a really odd view of futility. You are going to die. Does that make it futile to exercise and eat right so you can live 10-20 years longer?
The whole idea of the darksouls narrative is that things will come and go, but that does not mean it not worth fighting to make them better even if only for a time. In the game world linking the fires probably makes the life of thousands if not millions of people significantly better even if the work you did eventually fades that sounds like a freaken fantastic thing to do.

 

[stroopwafel]

People here seem to have a really odd view of futility. You are going to die. Does that make it futile to exercise and eat right so you can live 10-20 years longer?

Ehmmm..in the game it seems more portrayed as trying to stop the natural order of things. Yes, human life might be futile but that doesn't make life not worth living. However, this is not really the kind of philosophical question the game raises. But rather, should life be expanded beyond the natural order? The cycle of Fire and Dark is as natural in the Dark Souls world as the cycle of life and death is in the 'real' world.

Now 'natural' doesn't necessarily equate 'good' as the Age of Dark pushes the reset button on the entirety of human civilization. But just as in the real world you can't cheat death in the Dark Souls world you can't really do anything to stop the cycle of Fire and Dark either.

So the question is rather; should you just accept the natural order of things or refuse and delay the inevatible by damning and cursing whatever life is left?(think of Lordran when you just arrive in DkS1). It's not exactly like Gwyn made things better,

That is the beauty of Dark Souls. There is no 'good' option only a 'least worst' one.

 

[Mahorfeus]

I lit the Fire, knowing I could just walk away for the other ending. What I didn't know about was Kaathe. I wasn't very good at the game back then, so when I heard about the condition needed to have him appear, I thought it sounded kind of difficult. Or at least, not terribly obvious. You have to kind of go out of your way to avoid Frampt... which is appropriate.

As for the Age of Dark, I don't think it's immediately apparent that it's a bad thing. Even with the DLC, there seems to be a bit of a distinction between the Dark and the Abyss that isn't obvious. The first game's ending insinuates that it's a good thing. Of course, if we do take the existence of Manus and his progeny at face value, and look at how utterly screwed the kingdoms of Dark Souls II are, it becomes pretty obvious that the Dark is not a very good thing at all. Worst of all, the curse ends up being an aspect of humanity itself - being Hollowed is the natural state of mankind.

I am really excited about Dark Souls III, though. A lot of dragons, giants, and trees seem to be involved, the ingredients for the Age of Ancients.

 

[Denamic]

Fuck being a puppet to ancient cowards. This is the age of dark.

Worst of all, the curse ends up being an aspect of humanity itself - being Hollowed is the natural state of mankind.

Well, being the Dark Lord means you're the master of the Dark Soul, the lord soul that grant humans their humanity. Humans are naturally hollows, or they used to be. The Dark Lord can give humans their humanity back. The Age of Dark isn't the same as the Age of Ancients, before the first fire.

 

[Fractral]

I preferred both to the original ending of Dark Souls 2. SotFS added a better ending, and the DLC added some context to the existing one, but on my first playthrough I remember finishing the game and just going 'is that it?'. Doesn't help that the final boss is pretty boring and easy if you have any ranged attacks at all.

I chose to link the fire on my first playthrough of Souls 1 and then took the dark lord ending on my second, to see what was different. To be honest I don't think that there is ultimately much of a difference. The serpents win no matter what you do, since it's implied Frampt is there in the Dark Lord ending, and choosing to link the fire simply delays the onset of the Dark. Besides, Dark Souls 2 shows that both endings lead to the same outcome.

 

[Mahorfeus]

Worst of all, the curse ends up being an aspect of humanity itself - being Hollowed is the natural state of mankind.

Well, being the Dark Lord means you're the master of the Dark Soul, the lord soul that grant humans their humanity. Humans are naturally hollows, or they used to be. The Dark Lord can give humans their humanity back.

The Dark Lord can also take it away though, via Lifedrain. But I suppose it is the nature of a monarch to do as they please.

The Age of Dark isn't the same as the Age of Ancients, before the first fire.

True. The Ancients were immortal and everlasting - the concepts of life and death didn't even exist. That's why Aldia saw them as the means of breaking the undead curse.

But all three of those things appear to be running amok in Dark Souls III, which begs the question of what "breaking the cycle" entails.

 

[Fox12]

The endings, like everything in dark souls, are about implication. They don't make much sense unless you have all the information. Then they're brilliant.

For instance, what happens if you choose to light the bonfire? You sacrifice yourself to buy time. But if you don't know that, then presumable neither does your character. You just did what you were told the entire game, and were manipulated into sacrificing yourself so that the world can live a little longer. In the meantime gywyndoline is ruling anor londo, and is probably tricking other people into dying for him.

But what happens if you do know? Then you've chosen to sacrifice yourself in order to keep the ambers burning for just a little longer. The entropic decay of the world may be inevitable, but you have to keep it alive as long as possible. You may have even killed gywyndoline and karth along the way.

Let's say you choose the dark ending, though. On possibility is that the world returns to darkness, and everything fades and dies. We saw this in New Anor Londo, with the abyss.

Or maybe the abyss was a corruption of the dark soul, just like the demons were a corruption of the first flame. In that case embracing the darkness is just embracing change. The time of the gods is over, and the time of man has come. The dragons gave way to the gods, and the gods must give way to people. The souls games have always had a rather secular, humanist edge, so I think this is a likely possibility.

The ending is more genius the more you think about it, because there's so much there. I was happy with the dark ending, personally, but they're both beautiful in a way.

 

[Fox12]

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

So I just finished Dark Souls for the first time, and the ending did feel just a little bit...unsatisfying. I looked up to see if there were alternate endings, and that's when I learned all about Kathe and the "Dark Soul" angle to the story. I then watched the Dark Lord ending and found it much more compelling.

Wait! Let me explain. I found the Dark Lord ending better purely in terms of presentation. Better music, the Chosen Undead walks between bowing rows of Primordial Serpants, the monologue from...Kaathe? I think it's supposed to be him talking there? Anyway, it doesn't matter, the voiceover gave the scene a good feeling of closure despite it's ambiguity.

The Light the Fire ending should have had more memorable music, a good voiceover from Frampt or someone else giving some closure to the scenario, maybe explaining the fate of the Chosen Undead; I thought that when Frampt talked about "taking Gwyn's place" he meant that I would become the new Lord of Cinder, but the ending cutscene doesn't make it quite clear exactly what's happening. With better music, a good voiceover, and a little more explanation (like the Dark Lord ending had), I think it could have been just as satsifying as the Dark Lord one, and "which is better?" discussion would come down purely to personal preference. Had this been the case, I think I could have even preferred the Light the Fire ending.

Regarding the lack of closure on Light the Fire, the wiki I read says that the Chosen Undead is sacrificed, but then again the game implies that Gwyn gave his own soul to keep the flame going, and he has a grave is in Anor Londo. Is it possible that the Gwyn we meet as the endboss is a soulless spectre of the first flame? That he is dead, a ghost haunting the Kiln? And if so, when the Chosen Undead sacrifices his soul, maybe he keeps some part of his existence to guard the Kiln like Gwyn before him? I like that idea more than "he/she just dies."

Anyway, possible discussions...

-Poll question follow-up: Explain your thought process behind the ending you chose on the first playthrough.
-If my Light the Fire theory is wrong, please explain to me why and what's going on in that ending.
-Which ending do you prefer and for what reason? Presentation? Story/lore ramifications?
-From a lore perspective, which do you think is better? The continuation of the dwindling Age of Fire? Or a new Age of Darkness?
-Which ending leads to Dark Souls II, and why? (the wiki I read isn't clear on this)

My understanding is that frampt and gwydoline were tricking you into sacrificing yourself so that they could rule. They need to keep the fire lit, but they don't want to sacrifice themselves. Lord Gwyn sacrificed his own soul to try and keep his kingdom alive, after failing to reignite the first flame. They wanted you to think that you were a chosen undead, and that you would become the new king, so that you would sacrifice yourself. They spread the rumors of the chosen undead in order to attract people like you to their country. The prophecy is a lie. That's what that one guy was responding to at the start of the story. It's all one big conspiracy, and your a pawn. There is no "chosen undead." They probably told the same story to a dozen others. They only appear after you prove powerful enough to ring two bells of awakening, after all. Any powerful undead would do.

 

[Denamic]

Let's say you choose the dark ending, though. On possibility is that the world returns to darkness, and everything fades and dies. We saw this in New Anor Londo, with the abyss.

That's not quite true. The dark and the abyss are different things. When the fire dies out, that doesn't mean the world will turn into the abyss. It'll return into a place similar to the Age of Ancients, except without the dragons ruling as eternal god-emperors. And the Dark Soul is still around, so humans still exist. Or they do if the Dark Lord wills it. The world will fundamentally change, but it's not the literal end of the world or its inhabitants. They'll just need to get used to cold foods.