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| “ | If thine wish is to succeed poor Artorias, and challenge the spread of the Dark, then thou must face Manus, Father of the Abyss. The Dark emanates from Manus himself. Even if this land shall expire, thou may be able to prevent further corrosion... But even so, one day the flames will fade, and only Dark will remain. And even a legend such as thineself can do nothing to stop that. | „ |
| ~ Hawkeye Gough telling the Chosen Undead of Manus. |
Manus, also known as the Father of the Abyss, is the main antagonist of the Artorias of the Abyss DLC for the 2011 roleplaying video game Dark Souls, and can be considered as the overarching antagonist of the entire Dark Souls trilogy. He is the one who is responsible for the creation of the Abyss that threatens to swallow the lands throughout the trilogy.
Biography
Origins
Manus was once a regular man in search of the broken pendant. When he died, the people of Oolacile were convinced by a serpent (presumably Darkstalker Kaathe) into tampering with his grave and resurrected him. This enraged Manus, causing his humanity to go out of control, turning him into a monster and creating the Abyss. He captured Princess Dusk of Oolacile, forcing the kingdom to surrender to the sorcerer. Manus consumed the entire kingdom with the Abyss, causing the residents to bloat into hideous monsters, driving them to complete insanity. Even the mighty Knight Artorias, one of Lord Gwyn's four knights of Anor Londo, was no match for the Abyss' power and was corrupted by Manus' influences to protect his wolf companion by the name of Sif.
Dark Souls
Manus appears in the game after the Chosen Undead rescues Princess Dusk and obtains the Broken Pendant from the Crystal Golem at the entrance of the Duke's Archives. From the location where the Chosen Undead rescued Princess Dusk from the Golden Crystal Golem in the Darkroot Basin will a portal appear. Interacting with it causes Manus’ hand to lunge at the Chosen Undead and drag them into the portal, teleporting them thousands of years in the past during the events of Oolacile.
In Oolacile, after defeating the Sanctuary Guardian and Knight Artorias, the Chosen Undead then learns from the surviving residents and Hawkeye Gough about Manus lurking from below Oolacile in the pit of the Abyss. Sure enough, Manus indeed resides at the deepest pit of the Abyss, near the patch of soil from which he was buried. Manus drags the Chosen Undead down to the bottom to corrupt them just as he did to Artorias, but they manage to defeat him and put his undead humanity-draining body to rest.
Legacy
Although Manus is long dead before the events of the Dark Souls trilogy, the Abyss he created remains as a threat in the world, still continuing to drive humanity from man. Many characters, such as the Four Kings and High Lord Wolnir, have fallen into the darkness it continues to casts. Sometime before the events in Dark Souls II, Manus' soul shattered, with several particles growing sentient and became separate lifeforms known as the Children of Dark, including Nashandra, Elana, Nadalia, and Alsanna. Manus' grave would become the Dark Chasm of Old, where the Darklurker resides.
Appearance
Manus has a very eldritch design to him. He has a monkey-shaped body covered in black fur, with numerous antlers and horns sprouting from his head, some of which have red glowing eyes. In his right hand, he wields a large catalyst, which he can use to summon black magic and mash on the ground. His left arm is massive with a spike-covered palm, which he can extend to grab and slap the player from a distance.
Gallery
Images
Videos
Trivia
- Though unconfirmed, there has been speculation that Manus to be the identity of the Furtive Pygmy, the forgotten fourth lord who found a Lord Soul that granted humanity to all that came from the dark.
- The name "Manus" is Latin for "hand", which is fitting as his large hand is responsible for dragging the player to Oolacile and the bottom of the Abyss.
- Using the Silver Pendant can block all of Manus' dark magic spells if used at the right time.
- Using a bow or crossbow, feather arrows, and the Hawk Ring, it is possible to snipe Manus from outside his boss room without entering the fog door.
- The Soul of Manus can be traded to Snuggly the Crow for the Pursuers spell.
- If Sif is rescued before fighting Manus, he can be summoned during the battle.
- Manus drops ten Humanity after his boss fight, more than any other boss in the game.
