Stagnant Abundance, Obsessive Decay: On Fia, D, and Gendered Self-Destruction

An analysis of Fia and the D twins’ intertwined narrative, and how it stands as but one among FromSoft’s repeated explorations of a specific concept: stoic masculinity and occult femininity, locked in a spiral of self-destruction by the status quo that must be overturned. This is my first foray into video essays, and I do realize there is plenty for me to improve upon in the future. The audio quality, in particular, leaves much to be desired. If you are yet willing to give it a chance, you have my sincerest gratitude for your interest and patience. I would like to give an additional, special acknowledgement to Mike Stenbæk’s phenomenal essay, “Solaire is the Sandworm and Other Apocrypha,” which I cited in this work. This piece directly inspired me to begin posting my own analyses of the soulsborne games, reinvigorating my interest in essay-writing, and I owe its author a great debt of gratitude for that. His examinations of Dark Souls through a psychological and cultural lens far exceed the depth of my own, and are more than worth your time. Alongside the essay itself linked below, you can find his Medium here:   / syzygyzip  , and his Tumblr here:   / syzygyzip  . CHAPTERS: 0:00 Intro 1:31 Those Who Live in Death & Marika 12:51 Fundamentalism & Radagon 20:01 Balanced Cohesion & Zealous Corruption 28:24 Bloodborne, Dark Souls, & Gender 39:20 Maria & Mending 44:15 Outro Citations: Brandt, Mark J., and Christine Reyna. “To Love or Hate Thy Neighbor: The Role of Authoritarianism and Traditionalism in Explaining the Link Between Fundamentalism and Racial Prejudice.” Political Psychology, vol. 35, no. 2, 2014, pp. 207–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43785847. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026. McLaren, Anne. “Gender, Religion, and Early Modern Nationalism: Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and the Genesis of English Anti-Catholicism.” The American Historical Review, vol. 107, no. 3, 2002, pp. 739–67. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1086/532494. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026. Stenbæk, Mike. “Solaire is the Sandworm and Other Apocrypha.” Medium, Apr 17, 2020.   / solaire-is-the-sandworm-and-other-aporcrypha   Credit and thanks to the following channels and accounts for select clips used: | ‪@bonfirevn‬    • The Balancers - Closer Look      • The Ever Brilliant Goldmask - Unmasked      • The Mother of Rebirth - Closer Look      • Rosaria and the Man-Grubs      • Gwyndolin’s Room - Early Concept      • Inside Animus      • The Mother of Fingers   | ‪@VaatiVidya‬    • An Elden Ring Movie ► Age of the Duskborn      • Prepare to Cry Remastered ► Gwyn's Light   | ‪@DSCinematics‬    • The World of Elden Ring: Altus Plateau      • The World of Elden Ring: Limgrave   | ‪@DebugMenu‬    • Elden Ring Cut Content - Miquella Planting...   | ‪@Hawkshaw‬    • Solaire is Special | Dark Souls Lore   | ‪@lorekuko‬    • Elden Ring: NightReign IronEye Complete Re...   |   / haligdrakes   https://www.tumblr.com/haligdrakes/71... All other visuals are derived from official FromSoftware media. Music: Altus Plateau - Shoi Miyazawa Shaman Village - Tsukasa Saitoh Catacombs - Yuka Kitamura A Remembrance of the Recluse - Tai Tomisawa Leyndell, Royal Capital - Yuka Kitamura Shadow Keep - Tai Tomisawa Miquella's Haligtree - Tai Tomisawa Subterranean Shunning-Grounds - Shoi Miyazawa The End (Ironeye) - Soma Tanizaki, Shoi Miyazawa Gravesite Plain - Yuka Kitamura Enir-Ilim - Shoi Miyazawa Elphael - Tai Tomisawa Moonlit Melody - Ryan Amon Firelink Shrine (Dark Souls) - Motoi Sakuraba Firelink Shrine (Dark Souls III) - Yuka Kitamura Hunter's Dream - Ryan Amon Secret Betrayal - Yuka Kitamura Crumbling Farum Azula - Shoi Miyazawa Noklateo the Shrouded City - Soma Tanizaki The Shrouded Roundtable Hold - Shoi Miyazawa Return - Tai Tomisawa Credit also to https://eldenring.wiki.gg/ for the 1.00 Litany of Proper Death description, as well as the high-quality icons used throughout. Similarly, credit to https://www.bloodborne-wiki.com/ for the Bloodborne icons. Please do check out these excellently-maintained wikis. SOCIALS: | Tumblr:   / ivorybranch   | Twitter:   / ivorybranchyore   | Reddit:   / ivory_branch   | Carrd: https://ivorybranch.carrd.co Thank you very much for watching. Stay safe, and don't you dare go hollow.