The macabre and murky world of Dark Souls is the setting of a brand new manga titled Dark Souls: Redemption, which aims to channel the spooky, scary vibes of the classic fantasy games with an all-new, original story.
Dark Souls: Redemption was announced by surprise on social media by publisher Yen Press, which also shared a pre-order page for the manga, which is due out in August. And it's a welcome surprise indeed for FromSoftware fans who may have been hoping for something different from Elden Ring's manga adaptation, which cranked the game's inherent silliness to 11 for an adventure that put comedy and parodies first.
In the case of Dark Souls: Redemption, writer Julien Blondel and artist Shonen will tell the tale of a woman whose dive into the brutal, uncompromising world of Dark Souls somewhat mirrors the path followed by players - but with a strange twist that's a perfect fit for the creeping dread that characterizes the atmosphere of the games.
"Doomed by a past long forgotten, resolved to save what she once held dear. The flame is lit. A nameless woman wakes. Roused from the tomb by a past she cannot recall, she sets out into a barren, unfamiliar landscape," reads Yen Press' description of Dark Souls: Redemption.
"The protector follows. Bound by oath and honor, he safeguards her against the dangers that draw near with the same ferocity he does the secrets of his past," it continues. "The Gray Cinders gather in their tower, called by the fire to complete their solemn duty. A colossus, incarnate of death, stirs with the bones beneath the scarred grounds. And a nightmare-scourge of a bygone era-returns to exact its toll. The fate of this land hangs in the balance, as their journey unfolds in this original Dark Souls story!"
Even better for fans hungry for more Dark Souls content, Yen Press is billing this as Dark Souls: Redemption Vol. 1, presumably indicating at least at the likelihood of a second volume on the horizon.
Dark Souls: Redemption Vol. 1 goes on sale August 27.
There's plenty of creepy manga (and western comics) on our list of the best horror comics of all time.