When people think about world building in fantasy, they usually think about maps, monsters, magic, and kingdoms. Gabriela Pereira argues that good world building actually starts with the characters. The world should be built around how characters experience it, and the setting, culture, and landscape should all support the story. I think Dark Souls III is a great example of this idea because its world is not just a dark fantasy setting—it is built around one central philosophical idea: people are defined by their purpose, not by what they are born as.
Unlike fantasy games such as Dungeons & Dragons, Dark Souls III does not focus much on race. There are dragons, giants, knights, gods, and humans, but the game rarely suggests that someone’s personality or morality comes from their race. Instead, the game focuses on choices, beliefs, and whether someone still has a reason to keep going. That makes its world feel very different from many traditional fantasy settings.
One of the most interesting ideas in Dark Souls III is Hollowing. Throughout the game, most of the soldiers, knights, and even powerful bosses have become Hollows. They wander around attacking anything they see, almost like they have forgotten who they once were. At first, it seems like Hollowing is just another fantasy curse. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Hollowing is really about losing purpose.
Almost anyone can become Hollow. It is not something that only happens to one race or group of people. Knights, kings, common soldiers, and even legendary heroes all become Hollow when they lose hope or no longer have a reason to continue. Their identity disappears because they have stopped moving forward. This is a very different message from fantasy worlds where characters are born with certain traits that determine who they are. In Dark Souls III, your actions and determination matter more than your biology.
The player is a good example of this idea. Mechanically, the player dies over and over again, just like everyone else in the world. The difference is that the player always comes back and continues the journey. The player has a goal, so they never truly become Hollow. Many NPCs follow this same pattern. Siegward keeps going because he wants to fulfill his promise to Yhorm. Anri continues searching for Aldrich to get revenge. The Fire Keeper hopes for a different future. These characters stay themselves because they still have something to fight for.
The Bonfires also support this philosophy. In most games, checkpoints are simply a gameplay mechanic. In Dark Souls III, they are part of the world’s meaning. Every time the player dies, they return to a Bonfire. Fire represents hope, passion, and the desire to continue. Even after countless failures, the player always has another chance to get back up and keep moving. The Bonfire is not just a place to save the game—it becomes a symbol of determination. The game constantly reminds players that failure is not the end unless they decide to stop trying.
Pereira also explains that the environment should tell the story alongside the characters, and Dark Souls III does this extremely well. The kingdoms of Lothric are falling apart because the people living there have lost faith in the old order. Castles are empty, churches have become corrupted, and once-great heroes have become monsters. The world is not simply destroyed because of an evil villain. It is collapsing because people no longer believe in the purpose that once held society together. The landscape reflects the emotional and philosophical state of its characters.
From an ethical perspective, I think this approach to world building is stronger than fantasy settings that rely on biological ideas about race. In our discussion of Dungeons & Dragons, we talked about how races often have built-in traits that suggest some groups are naturally good, evil, intelligent, or violent. Even if those traits are meant for gameplay, they can reinforce the idea that identity is something people are born with instead of something shaped by culture or experience.
Dark Souls III moves away from that idea. Characters become heroes or monsters because of what they choose to believe, what they fight for, and whether they continue moving forward. Their culture, history, and personal experiences shape them much more than their race does. This creates a more complex and believable world because people are judged by their actions instead of their biology.
At the same time, the game’s philosophy is not perfect. It sometimes suggests that losing purpose turns people into Hollows, which can oversimplify real struggles like grief or depression. However, as a fictional world, the idea works well because it supports the game’s central message about perseverance.
Overall, Dark Souls III shows that great world building is about much more than creating an interesting setting. Following Pereira’s ecological model, the game’s characters, supporting cast, environment, society, and landscape all reinforce the same idea: what gives people their identity is not where they come from, but what they continue to fight for. That philosophical focus makes its world feel meaningful and memorable, while also avoiding many of the racial stereotypes that appear in more traditional fantasy worlds.
