Among the most mysterious figures in the entire Dark Souls II are two names that stand out above the others: Throne Guardian and Throne Keeper. Both are placed in the endgame of the FromSoftware title to guard the Throne of Desire, in the depths of Drangleic Castle, which in turn marks the end of the first half of Dark Souls 2.
Dark Souls 2's ebony castle hides in its innermost dungeons the treasure for which Vendrick sailed from Drangleic to fight the giants and which wreaked war on the region and which actually set in motion the decadent situation of Drangleic as we know it. The Throne of Desire is nothing more than the most coveted prize and as such has two exceptional guardians, ready with their swords to give their lives to defend it.
To open the doors of this place and get closer and closer to the end it will be necessary to have an object, theRing of the King, which by his description "opens the doors with the symbol of the King", and can be found in the Crypt of the Undead in the room where Vendrick now wanders empty. It is not necessary to hit the fallen monarch protagonist of Dark Souls 2, because the ring is on the abandoned robes at the end of the room.
Once the ring is inserted, the doors near the bonfire in the Drangleic Castle Dungeons will open; from there he will begin a long descent, but not before having spoken to the Herald of the Emerald, who will clear the clouds over his figure a little.
Il Throne Guardian and Throne Guardian from Dark Souls 2 move and fight in pairs: the key to defeating them, as well as having your eyes behind your back, is to balance the blows inflicted on the two and kill them almost at the same time, as one keeper will heal the other at full life if still alive. Before this happens, however, about 15-20 seconds pass, often more than abundant with an aggressive approach.
The Guardian and the Keeper of the Throne have substantial differences, useful for identifying them and drawing up a battle plan: the Guardian of the Throne has the features of a man with a long white beard and golden armor wielding a medium shield, while the Keeper of the Throne is a much more agile woman with a small shield. They are two fairly standard swordsmen compared to what their protector posts might make them appear and as such they have basic attacks that we will go to see in detail how it is now our custom. We are far from Ornstein and Smough, in short, although they are pale references to Anor Londo's most tried and tested duo.
Both bosses are susceptible to parry, they can be poisoned and are weak to electricity. Another thing to keep in mind is that it is possible to fall down and die instantly if you push yourself too far to the limits of the map: the floor leading to the Throne has in fact collapsed.
Use the speed of the Throne Keeper to get the two bosses out of the way and avoid a 2 vs 1 situation also because the Keeper has less defense than the companion: the tactic, therefore, is to weaken the Warden as much as possible, switch to the Guardian and finish them almost at the same time with a couple of hits. The Throne Guardian is more manageable as it is slower, while the faster Keeper will often use backflips to reposition and strike.
Attacks:
- Jump shot: It is a rare attack exclusive to the most agile Throne Keeper and consists exactly of a jump attack given with the sword that can be easily avoided sideways and then counterattack.
- Stocked: Both bosses are able to use their swords as if they were stalks with the classic skewer, with the difference that the Guardian's strike is slower. To better dodge it just roll to the sides.
- Trio of Swords: Often there is no two without three, and as per the rite the two keepers of the Throne can unleash 2-3 swings in rapid succession. It's one of the most common attacks, and the difference here is that while the Guardian often finishes with a vertical shot, the Warden opts for a horizontal shot to dodge to the sides and back, respectively.
- Buff: At 50% health, both the Throne Guardian and the Throne Keeper will buff their weapons with electricity and magic respectively, normally dealing more damage than usual but not changing their moveset.
Caution: from here on, to continue with the story it is necessary to have the Memory of the Giants object with you. If you have already taken him during your adventures, as soon as you defeat the protector duo of the Throne, a cut scene will start that anticipates the clash with another very important boss. In case you haven't obtained it yet, just go to the Dragon Shrine, beyond the Aldia Fortress, and receive the item from the Ancient Dragon.
Drop:
- 68.000 anime
- Soul of the Throne Guardian (creations, from Ornifex: Guardian's Greatsword, Guardian's Shield)
- Soul of the Throne Keeper (creations, from Ornifex: Warden's Greatsword, Warden's Shield)
- Evil Eye Ring (NG +)
Lore:
As written at the beginning, we are faced with two enigmatic characters that not even the Scholar of the First Sin version has managed to clarify. The most romantic theories have it that the couple are the Prince of Alken and the Princess of Venn fighting side by side, which we have already discussed when talking about Mytha, the Destructive Queen. Their man / woman contrast and their elemental characteristics (electricity, connected to the sun, and magic, connected to the moon) would bind them to the two bell towers, but this is mere speculation as there is no concrete clue that supports this. theory.
Guarding and guarding the throne is a "sacred" task and therefore of primary importance. What have the echoes of these two knights defended all this time?
What we can say for sure is that it is the Guardian that the Keeper has been protecting the Throne for many years and that they are waiting for something. Their souls agree on this, but they don't specify what they are waiting for so patiently. Trivially, one might think that they are waiting for an undead worthy to sit on the Throne and prolong the Age of Fire - if that were to decide. Once again, however, it is their respective souls who show us that perhaps it is the other way around and that their job is to prevent anyone from sitting on the Throne and becoming the new fuel of the flame.
Le their essences are dark, corrupt: it is an index of how much time has passed and how, faithfully, they continue to keep their promise even though the seasons have changed them, fading everything around them. The rest is entrusted to the mystery, to that great puzzle to be composed which are, by definition, the Dark Souls.
► Dark Souls II is an RPG-Adventure game developed by FromSoftware and published by FromSoftware Bandai Namco for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the video game was released on 11/03/2014 The version for PC came out on 25/04/2014
