How Many Endings are in Demon’s Souls? A Complete Guide

There are two distinct endings in Demon’s Souls, often referred to as the “good” and the “bad” ending. These endings are determined by a single pivotal choice the player makes at the conclusion of the game, right after defeating the final boss, King Allant. This decision isn’t tied to a complex web of prerequisites or side quests; it’s a straightforward, impactful choice presented at a critical moment. This allows players to easily experience both endings with some minor planning.

Understanding the Two Endings

The “Good” Ending

The “good” ending in Demon’s Souls is achieved by allowing the Maiden in Black to lull the Old One back to sleep. After defeating King Allant, the Maiden will ask you to make a choice. If you walk towards her and interact with her, you’ll let her do her duty and contain the Old One. You’ll be transported back to the Nexus, and the world is left in relative peace, or as peaceful as it gets in Demon’s Souls. You will receive the Soulbrandt weapon. While it is a good sword, there are many stronger weapons in the game and many people would argue it is not the best end game choice.

The “Bad” Ending

Conversely, the “bad” ending is triggered by killing the Maiden in Black after the King Allant fight. By attacking her at this point, you actively prevent the Old One from being contained and this releases his power upon the world. You’ll witness the world enveloped in the fog and ultimately take King Allant’s place in serving the Old One. As a reward for this choice, you will receive the Red Eye Stone and the Beast Demon Soul, which gives you 200,000 souls when consumed. The Red Eye Stone is incredibly useful for invasions and player versus player combat (PvP).

Reaching Both Endings in One Playthrough

It’s not necessary to go through multiple complete playthroughs of the game to see both endings. A clever method exploits the cloud save functionality on the console, allowing players to experience both outcomes in a single run. Here’s how:

1. Defeat King Allant: Complete the main quest line and beat the final boss.

2. Make Your First Choice: Choose either the “good” or “bad” ending and save your progress. The decision will trigger the end credits.

3. Utilize Cloud Save: Go to your console settings and delete the game save. Don’t worry, as long as you have cloud saves enabled, your save data is backed up.

4. Sync and Load: Relaunch Demon’s Souls and the game will automatically sync your save data from the cloud. This will load the game back right to the boss room after the defeat of King Allant.

5. Choose the Alternative Ending: This time, you can choose the other ending option to experience the alternative outcome.

This method bypasses the need to complete an entire new game cycle to see the other ending.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Demon’s Souls Endings

1. Which Ending is Better in Demon’s Souls?

The concept of “better” is subjective. The “good” ending rewards you with the Soulbrandt weapon which isn’t particularly useful. The “bad” ending provides you with the Red Eye Stone and Beast Demon Soul. The stone opens up many PvP opportunities, and the soul nets you a large amount of souls, so many consider it the better ending on a mechanical level. However, the “good” ending may be seen as more morally satisfying, it is ultimately up to you.

2. Does Killing the Maiden in Black Affect Tendency?

No, choosing the “bad” ending by killing the Maiden in Black does not impact your world or character tendency.

3. Can You Save the Maiden in Black?

You cannot permanently kill the Maiden in Black in the Nexus as she simply revives. However, the choice at the end of the game to let her live for the “good” ending is generally considered as “saving” her.

4. What Happens if You Offer 25,000 Souls to the Statue?

Offering 25,000 souls to the statue in the Nexus unlocks the Fractured World, which changes all of the environments to the inverse of how they appear. You can move between the normal and Fractured World anytime by speaking to the statue. Progress between the two worlds is shared, making it more of a visual and experience change.

5. What is the Red Eye Stone?

The Red Eye Stone is an item obtained by choosing the “bad” ending. It allows players to invade other players’ worlds, facilitating PvP combat.

6. What is the Beast Demon Soul?

The Beast Demon Soul is another reward from the “bad” ending and serves the purpose of granting 200,000 souls when consumed. It cannot be used to make other equipment.

7. What is Max Luck in Demon’s Souls?

While not specifically related to the endings, it’s worth noting that the Luck stat can reach a peak around 84,000 through a visual bug in the level menu. This doesn’t impact gameplay however.

8. What Does Forgiveness Do in Demon’s Souls?

You can seek forgiveness at the Statue of Reflection in the Nexus. This is useful if you attack an NPC. Forgiveness will make them friendly again, allowing you to continue their questline.

9. Can You 100% Dark Souls 1 in One Playthrough?

While not directly about Demon’s Souls, the question often comes up for Souls fans. You cannot 100% Dark Souls 1 in a single playthrough because you need multiple copies of boss souls to craft all weapons, requiring at least a portion of NG++.

10. What Gender is Best in Demon’s Souls?

The choice of gender is largely cosmetic. Male characters have more armor options, while female characters have access to the Silver Bracelet, which helps when grinding for souls. There is no other mechanical difference.

11. Can You Beat Demon’s Souls Without Dying?

The tutorial segment of Demon’s Souls is designed to kill you, you must die to get out of it. It is nearly impossible to complete the entire game without dying at least once.

12. What Are the Best Starter Classes for Beginners?

The best classes for beginners are Royal, Knight, and Temple Knight, as they all offer different strengths to start the game.

13. What Are Common Mistakes Beginners Make?

Common mistakes include leveling up the wrong stats, ignoring messages, getting useless spells, being under leveled, being overburdened by equipment, consuming boss souls, and prematurely returning to human form.

14. Do You Lose All Your Souls When You Die?

Yes, death in Demon’s Souls results in losing all accumulated souls. However, you can retrieve your souls by making it back to the death location on your next try.

15. How Many Rings Can You Wear?

You can equip two rings at a time in Demon’s Souls. Certain rings have a high value, so make sure to equip rings that benefit your build.

Conclusion

Demon’s Souls, despite its challenging nature, presents a relatively straightforward decision regarding its endings. The choice between the “good” and “bad” path is made at a single decisive point, allowing players to experience both outcomes by using the console cloud save functions. These two endings provide a perfect example of the freedom found in FromSoftware games and they help highlight the depth of the game’s mechanics, storytelling, and player experience.