Realistic Dark Souls Dragon Slayer Cosplay Is Just In Time For The Shadow Of The Erdtree Hype

Summary An Ornstein cosplay from Dark Souls showcases some seriously impressive armor.

PuffyWhale1990's costume requires extensive work on complex shaping and LED details.

Ornstein and his companion Smough are one of the hardest Dark Souls fights, making the recreation memorable.

The rich world of Dark Souls has inspired many great cosplays over the years, and one new creation is a particularly impressive addition to that legacy. Eight years after the release of Dark Souls 3, it's comforting to see how passionate its community still is, even if developer FromSoftware may never return to the series. Its spirit certainly lives on through other FromSoftware games released since, and the impending release of the Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree has a lot of people thinking about the studio's iconic titles again.

As exhibited in a Reddit post, user PuffyWhale1990 donned an impressive version of Ornstein's costume from the original Dark Souls game. This particular armor has some especially complex shaping and detailing, with a sculpted lion helm that puts a proper face on a metal-clad exterior.

As a recreation of a particularly infamous Dark Souls boss, the Ornstein cosplay is the kind of work that inspires awe and memories of fear alike. Ornstein is one half of the Ornstein and Smough boss fight at the end of the iconic Anor Londo area, often considered one of the game's most difficult fights.

Related New Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree Trailer Teases First Story Details FromSoftware returns to The Lands Between as it drops a gorgeous story trailer for Elden Ring's highly-anticipated expansion Shadow of the Erdtree.

Bringing Ornstein To Life Is A True Dark Souls Challenge

PuffyWhale1990's Ornstein cosplay isn't the kind of getup you can buy at the store, and a series of WIP reels posted to their damagedcosplays Instagram confirm just how much work the creator put into the armor. The journey started with the Dragonslayer spear, an unusual but iconic weapon that features a sword-like blade and two sets of crossguards. The armor itself obviously took a long series of individual steps, including a moving LED array to light up the plume that emerges from the back of Ornstein's helm.

The Ornstein cosplay doesn't leave any details wanting, so there's really only one thing that could make it better – pairing it with an equally impressive rendition of Smough. What makes facing Ornstein such a tough Dark Souls fight is that he can't be fought alone, as the Dragon Slayer is joined by the Executioner known as Smough. The two feature similarly exquisite gold armor with unique individual styles, and the enormous bulk of Smough's armor can provide an extra layer of challenge when creating a cosplay.

Related Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree's Length Could Be Revealed By This Soulsborne Trend If Elden ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC follows in the footsteps of other Soulsborne games, its time for completion may not be unpredictable.

Dark Souls veterans might be thankful that Ornstein and Smough should never have to be faced again in a future game, and seeing one of them come to life in such vivid form is definitely the more pleasant way to make Ornstein's acquaintance once more. Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree is sure to bring its own brutal challenges, however, and they're also likely to end up as impressive cosplays somewhere down the line. For now, getting a look at the impressive feats that the Dark Souls community is up to is the perfect way to spend the wait.

Sources: PuffyWhale1990/Reddit, damagedcosplays/Instagram