As a tradition for Dark Souls games, the process of being branded and turned into a mindless shell of undeath called Hollowing is ever-present in Dark Souls 3. What could be construed as one of the franchise's subtle nods to the Berserk manga series; while it was easily recognizable in the first two games, the Dark Souls 3 seems a bit less obsessed with the notion.
That's because Hollowing works differently in Dark Souls 3 compared to the previous games. It has less effect on the gameplay this time, but more impact story-wise. It's also just optional which might be good or bad depending on taste. Here's how divergent but similar Hollowing has become in the third game.
10 It Still Makes The Player Character Look Like A Zombie
During their first playthroughs, a lot of players in Dark Souls 3 will often wonder what the heck is happening to their character after so many deaths. Hollowing is caused by the Dark Sigil brand and turns player characters into zombie-like creatures after it reaches a certain level or counter—15, to be specific.
This Hollowing increases after subsequent deaths. Many might miss the Hollowing transformation if they don't take off their character's helmets, but its level can still be easily tracked in the character screen.
9 Hollowed Characters Have No Reflection And Cast No Shadows
One special touch that players may or may not notice when their characters are fully Hollowed is the lack of shadows or physical reflections. This can be bothersome, especially if players notice these visual effects before Hollowing.
Apparently, some in the community also believe that this is a bug, as it was only introduced after patch 1.03. Moreover, the previous Dark Souls games didn't implement this visual feature, even if the players were Hollowed.
8 It's A Hidden Gameplay Mechanic
Basically, Hollowing appears to be the Dark Soul curse—the Dark Sigil brand—which zombifies anything that dies and gets reanimated. It's given by Yoel of Londor in a rather creepy fashion where he offers the players some figurative candy that represents forbidden power in the form of the Dark Sigil brand, and this triggers the Hollowing upon death.
Of course, being clueless, the players will simply accept, as one needs all the help they can get in a game like Dark Souls 3. After that, Yoel just tells players what to do, and they can't ask what Hollowing really is this time because Yoel is senile and might die from increased brain activity.
7 It Has Its Own Questline
One good reason to accept Yoel's proposition are the opportunities the game affords players if they accept the Dark Sigil. It sets off a series of events that will introduce new NPCs such as Yuria of Londor.
Moreover, one of the NPCs you meet in-game by default, like Anri of Astora, is also a huge part of this questline. Yoel of Londor is the most important proponent of the questline, and players will have to come back to him once they reach Hollowing levels of 2, 6, 12, and 15 respectively in order to fulfill the quest conditions.
6 It's Key To A Secret Ending
Accepting Yoel of Londor's proposition to become a walking piece of beef jerky is the first step of triggering the most secret ending of Dark Souls 3. It's where the accursed undead branded by the Dark Sigil take over the Fire.
The steps leading up to this are rather complicated and might require a restart, but Hollowing is the catalyst for such a subversive ending. Otherwise, Dark Souls 3 only allows for the three default easy endings.
5 It's Entirely Optional
Since Dark Souls 3 lets players run amok and cause havoc wherever they go like a maniac, there's a chance that they might miss the Hollowing mechanic entirely, therefore locking themselves out of the secret ending or Hollowing.
This can happen if players miss Yoel near the bridge in the Foot of the High Wall. He'll die by the broken bridge if left this way. Etiher that, or players might talk to him but refuse his Dark Sigil proposition.
4 Yoel Can Give You Free Levels
However, there is also a big change that players won't skip the Hollowing "gift" as Yoel's promise of power is quite tempting. For one, he offers a free level-up in exchange for the Dark Sigil.
Yoel also offers subsequent chances to level up for free if players meet his Hollowing stage requirements at levels 2, 6, 12, and 15, respectively. It's a good way to get a level boost, and the only immediate drawback is the zombification and the lack of shadows and reflection... which have almost no effect on gameplay.
3 It Can Be Reversed
Thankfully, Hollowing can still be reversed for those who've grown sick of looking at their shriveled-up raisin characters. Players can use Purging Stones or the Statue of Velka to reset their Hollowing counter, though it will come back after numerous deaths, as the stones and the statue don't remove the Dark Sigil brand.
For full Dark Sigil removal, players will have to give the Fire Keeper Soul to the Fire Keeper, whereupon she will then ask if players want it gone. If they do, then they have to pay for the five levels that Yoel gave them.
2 Curing Hollowing Effects Some NPCs
In addition to paying the for the five levels Yoel granted when curing characters of the Dark Sigil, it also locks players out of the Hollowing questline. This makes Yuria of Londor leave and will remove a potential NPC ally called the Londor Pale Shade.
Additionally, the Londor Pale Shade will now invade the players from time to time. Last but not least, being cured of the Dark Sigil and having no access to Hollowing will eliminate any chance of unlocking the secret ending.
1 Hollowing Is Great For Bleed Builds
The best bet is to let Hollowing be, especially if players want to try out a bleed build in Dark Souls 3. There are upgrades in the game called Hollow Gems which benefit off from the Hollowing level and are perfect for activating the bleed mechanic.
Of course, for players to reap the Hollowed weapons' bonus, they'd need to be Hollowed. That means a Hollowing level of 15 at a minimum is required. This and the secret ending, are the two best things that can happen to Hollow Dark Souls 3 players.