The Everlasting Dragon In Ash Lake Was Once A Human Being
Yes, really.
Look, there are a LOT of theories about pretty much every character in the original Dark Souls, as was the intention of this game, but in my humble opinion one of the most mysterious and compelling characters of all is the Everlasting Dragon of Ash Lake. The last survivor of the war against the archdragons, hidden away in a small pocket of how the world once was and recruiting undead to evolve into dragons themselves. A very compelling creature to be sure!
However, the more I've looked into both the design and odd quirks of this dragon, the more I've come to the conclusion that this beast is not a "descendant" of the Ancients in the traditional sense...
First, let's take a look at the model and compare it to the few good shots we get of the archdragons in the intro cutscene. Screenshots of Everlasting Dragon close-ups & unused animations were taken from this video by youtuber Crest:
That is quite an odd look compared to those of the ones that came before it! Its eyes are pitch black and appear more forward facing (if the archdragons even have eyes to compare it to, I can't see them at all in these shots!). More notable, however, is that its body is coated in a thick layer of fur that the archdragons notably lack. The two pairs of wings are definitely an exact match, but there are already enough differences to at least raise an eyebrow.
But I expected many of you have already guessed this isn't an actual archdragon. The description of the dragon greatsword you get from cutting off its tail plainly states that it is a "descendant of the ancient dragons," NOT the last of its kind. Seath, Kalameet, and the Gaping Dragon are close descendants too and they also look radically different from the Ancients. What point am I making with this observation?
Here's my point. Study the model again, especially its legs:
And now check out at one of its unused poses:
This dragon isn't sitting down like any tetrapod animal would; its hind legs are crossed in a meditating position. The unused pose goes even further in showing off how unnaturally human-like the dragon appears, but that's not all! My next piece of evidence lies in its claws, or should I say, "hands."
Those are four fingers and a thumb, all in the EXACT shape of a human hand!
To better show just how bizarre this is for a dragon to have, let's compare this to Seath and Kalameet's own hands/paws:
Just like all the wyverns, these closest descendants of the Ancients are tetradactyl. They lack the fifth digit that the everlasting dragon has, showing even more just how unnatural this is for a dragon to possess. This design detail remains consistent within the entire series, as the two other major descendants we see in the sequels, Sinh and Midir, also possess only four-digit toes.
I should note that the Gaping Dragon is also unique in that it possesses five digits on its two hind legs and six digits on its front paws, but those lack the human fingers & toes resemblance and instead appear much more like lizard feet.
And all of this isn't even the CRUX of my theory!
I want you all to remember when you first encountered the dragon at the very end of Ash Lake. Wasn't it a bit strange that the bonfire in front of it was already lit and filled your estus flask up to ten?
The only other bonfires in the world which are already kindled by the time you reach them are ones tended to by firekeepers, and all firekeepers are tied closely to humanity (yes, even the Fair Lady, since demons have also been shown to possess humanity + she too has a firekeeper's soul).
Now the picture is complete! At some point in the past a human, specifically a firekeeper, had found her way into the depths of Ash Lake and by means still unknown to us managed to transcend her human form and become the (near) perfect image of an Everlasting Dragon!
It makes sense why this dragon isn't hostile to us, but it more so explains why the Dragon Covenant even exists in the first place. The Undead, like the archdragons and their closest descendants, are functionally immortal beings in their cursed state. It's the very reason why Seath the Scaleless became so obsessed with studying them. The way I see it, the Everlasting One and the dragon apostles who discovered her/it see their undead state not as a "curse," but instead as a means of evolving into a superior form free of all pain and suffering.
The dragon being a firekeeper also makes sense thematically with how its covenant works. Much like how we give the souls of deceased firekeepers to a living one in order to strengthen our estus flask, the Everlasting Dragon needs us to bring dragon scales taken from deceased dragons and/or dragon relatives in order to strengthen our form as a dragonoid. In a sense, the dragon head and torso stones given to us are as much the soul of the once-human firekeeper as estus.
In conclusion, never underestimate a scalie's determination! 🐲
