You know that feeling when you're trekking through a nightmare of poison swamps and giant serpents, and you suddenly spot a guy in round, bulbous armor just... sitting there? That’s Siegmeyer of Catarina. Most players just call him the Dark Souls Onion Knight. He’s arguably the most iconic NPC in the entire FromSoftware catalog, beating out even Solaire of Astora for some fans because he feels so intensely human.
He's a mess.
Seriously, if you look at the mechanics of his quest, Siegmeyer is kind of a disaster. While you’re out there parrying gods and slaying dragons, he’s perpetually stuck. He can't get past a gate. He can't figure out how to avoid some boulders. He’s "in a bit of a pickle," as he likes to say. But that’s exactly why we love him. In a world defined by nihilism and the literal fading of the light, this guy is just trying his best to be a hero, even if his best usually involves taking a nap while he thinks about his next move.
The Design Behind the "Onion"
Why the armor?
It looks ridiculous. From a technical standpoint, the Catarina Set is actually a masterpiece of medieval engineering—at least in the logic of Lordran. The curved surfaces are designed to deflect blows. Instead of a sword impact hitting a flat chest plate and transferring all that force to the ribs, the "onion" shape makes the blade slide off. It’s practical. It’s also a total joke among the rest of the world.
In-game descriptions tell us that the people of Catarina are often mocked for this attire. They don't care. There’s a certain pride in that bulbous silhouette. When you see that helm, you know you’re dealing with someone who values tradition (and probably a good snooze) over looking "cool" in the traditional sense.
The Tragic Arc of Siegmeyer's Pride
If you follow the Dark Souls Onion Knight through the entire game, things get dark. Fast.
It starts simple in Sen’s Fortress. He’s just waiting for the gate to open. You open it. Then he’s stuck in Anor Londo. You clear the room for him. Then he’s in Blighttown. You give him moss. Notice a pattern? You are systematically stripping away his agency.
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This is the nuance most people miss on their first playthrough. You think you're being a "good friend" by helping him. In reality, you are hollow-baiting him. In the world of Dark Souls, Undead go Hollow when they lose their purpose. Siegmeyer’s purpose is to be an adventurer. By solving every single one of his problems, you take away his reason to keep going. He wants to be the hero. He wants to save you.
Lost Izalith: The Breaking Point
This is the most famous part of his quest. You find him standing above a pit of Chaos Eaters. He’s ready to sacrifice himself. He tells you to run while he charges in.
"I'll give them a bit of a scare!"
If you let him jump down and he dies, his story ends there. If you jump down and kill everything before he can even land a hit, he’s devastated. He realizes he’s useless. The "best" outcome—the one that continues his quest—is to let him fight, but make sure he stays above 50% health. It’s a delicate balance. You have to let him feel like a hero without letting him actually die.
It’s honestly kind of heartbreaking. You’re basically gaslighting your friend into thinking he’s a god-slayer just to keep his spirit alive.
The Daughter: Sieglinde’s Role
We can't talk about the Dark Souls Onion Knight without mentioning Sieglinde. She’s one of the few humans in the game who isn’t actually Undead (at least initially). She’s hunting her father down to deliver a final message from her mother.
Think about the sheer grit that takes.
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She doesn’t have the luxury of respawning at a bonfire. She’s wearing that same heavy, clunky armor and navigating the same deathtraps you are, all while being mortal. When she finally catches up to him at Ash Lake, the story reaches its peak. If you’ve followed the quest correctly, you find her standing over his body.
He went Hollow. She had to kill him.
"My father... all he wanted was to be a hero. He was a brave man."
She’s crying, or as close to it as an onion-shaped helmet allows. It’s one of the most sobering moments in gaming. It reinforces the central theme of Dark Souls: your help can be a poison. By being "better" than him, you forced him to realize his own inadequacy, which led to his loss of self.
Why Siegmeyer Still Matters in 2026
Even years after the game's release, the Dark Souls Onion Knight remains the gold standard for NPC design. Why? Because he isn't a quest marker. He's a person with a flawed ego.
Modern RPGs often make NPCs feel like tools. They give you a reward and disappear. Siegmeyer gives you things—the Emit Force miracle, a Tiny Being's Ring, a Titanite Slab—but those feel like tokens of a crumbling friendship rather than "loot."
The Legacy of the Onion
- Siegward of Catarina (Dark Souls 3): A deliberate echo of Siegmeyer. He’s more competent and has a direct connection to a boss (Yhorm the Giant), but he carries that same "pickle" energy.
- The "Onion" Archetype: We see this in other games now—the jovial, slightly incompetent warrior who hides deep sadness.
- Meme Culture: "Hmm... mmm..." has become shorthand for "I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm going to look like I'm thinking really hard about it."
How to Successfully Complete the Onion Knight Quest
If you’re hopping back into the Remastered version, don’t mess this up. It’s easy to break.
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First, talk to him outside Sen's Fortress before the gates open. If you miss that, catch him inside by the rolling boulders. In Anor Londo, don't just kill the Silver Knights in the room next to him—talk to him first, then kill them, then talk again.
When you get to Blighttown, bring Purple Moss Clumps. He’s poisoned (shocking, I know). Give them to him.
The big one is the Chaos Eater pit in Lost Izalith. Do not kill all the monsters with a bow from the ledge. If they are all dead before he jumps, he gets depressed and his quest ends. Kill all but one, leave that one at low health, then talk to Siegmeyer. He’ll jump down, finish it off, and feel like a total boss.
Finally, find Sieglinde in the Duke’s Archives (she’s trapped in a Golden Crystal Golem). Set her free. Talk to her at Firelink. Then, and only then, head to Ash Lake for the final, gut-wrenching scene.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you want to experience the full weight of the Dark Souls Onion Knight lore, do more than just play the game.
- Read the Item Descriptions: Specifically the Pierce Shield and the Catarina Set. They provide the context for why these knights travel so far from home.
- Compare Siegmeyer to Sieglinde: Notice the subtle differences in their dialogue. Sieglinde is much more direct and capable, which highlights Siegmeyer’s "dreamer" personality.
- Watch the "Prepare to Cry" series: VaatiVidya’s deep dive into Siegmeyer is the definitive community resource for the emotional subtext of this character.
- Try a "Catarina Build": Play the game using only the Catarina set and a Zweihander. You’ll realize how difficult it is to move and see in that gear, giving you a new appreciation for the old man's persistence.
Siegmeyer isn't just a meme. He's a reminder that even in a dying world, there's room for a nap, a toast, and a very brave, very confused friend.