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For gestures in Dark Souls II, see Gestures (Dark Souls II).
For gestures in Dark Souls III, see Gestures (Dark Souls III).

Gestures are used by players to communicate with one another in Dark Souls. In the absence of having a voice-chat option, gestures and Carvings, with the addition of Artorias of the Abyss DLC, are the only way to directly communicate with another player short of sending a message.

General Information

For practical purposes, gestures can be used by players to indicate to one another the right direction or action to take when at a junction. Gestures are more commonly used to indicate emotions, as well as for taunting.

Gestures require time to perform. During this time, the player is as vulnerable to attacks as if they were standing still. Gestures can only be cancelled by initiating another gesture, or being attacked. Therefore, it's best to perform gestures out of harm's way.

List of Gestures

Name Availability Description Image
Point Forward Starting Gesture Player points forward. Point Forward
Point Up Starting Gesture Player points up. Point Up
Point Down Starting Gesture Player points down. Point Down
Beckon Starting Gesture Player gestures to come closer. Beckon
Wave Starting Gesture Player waves. Wave
Bow Starting Gesture Player bows. Bow
Proper Bow Acquired from Dusk of Oolacile Player performs a respectable bow. Proper Bow
Hurrah! Acquire from Andre of Astora Player pumps fist in the air. Hurrah!
Joy

Acquired from Domhnall of Zena (Starting gesture for every class apart from Cleric and Knight)

Player jumps with joy. Joy
Shrug Acquired from Petrus of Thorolund Player raises palms and shakes head. Shrug
Prostration Acquired from Patches (After he becomes a merchant) Player falls to their knees. Prostration
Look Skyward Acquired from Shiva of the East (After he becomes a merchant) Player lifts hand to their brow and looks toward the sky. Look Skyward
Well! What is it? Acquired from Oswald of Carim Player extends their arms and steps forward. Well! What is it
Prayer Acquired from Reah of Thorolund (Starting gesture for Knight and Cleric classes) Player drops to one knee and prays. Prayer
Praise the Sun Acquired from the Sunlight Altar Player raises arms high in the air. Praise the Sun

Trivia

  • Certain gestures have gained meanings used for communication. A few examples are:
    • Bow and Proper Bow. Used to show that the player wants a fair duel with the other player. It is also very common to bow in greeting after a host has summoned a friendly phantom. Finally, it is frequently used after a good fight, as a sign of respect from the victor to the defeated.
    • Look Skyward. A "facepalm" used to express how someone made an embarrassing mistake or was a pathetic opponent.
    • Well! What is it? is a form of taunting players before or after their demise, in order to aggravate them.
    • Wave is used to express the desire not to see the defeated opponent again, in hoping that the opponent would not take revenge for being defeated. It can also be used to greet invaders and phantoms, albeit less formally than Bow/Proper Bow.
    • Prayer is often used before a battle, to ensure that the battle between the two parties is fair. It is also used to wish other players well in their future endeavors. 
    • Point Down is used while standing over the defeated foe when the opponent tried pulling a cheap trick like attacking when a person bows or attempted to gang up on the invader. It is also a way of demeaning the defeated.
    • Beckon and Well! What Is It? are commonly used in PVP to bait an opponent into attacking. 
    • Prostration is normally used when something tragic has occurred. This can be used if a summoned Phantom dies and Hosts want to express their sadness over a comrade's death or if an Invader is roleplaying (e.g. as Solaire) and the Host uses Prostration to show they are reluctant to kill the Role-Played NPC. It can also be shown to use the utmost respect to the defeated, if they were an expert fighter for example.
    • Shrug is usually used by some in PVP to express that the victor feels neither joy nor sadness in killing their opponent, giving the win a neutral feeling. It is also used as a reaction to a silly behavior of another player.
  • The Praise the Sun gesture is highly reminiscent of the pose players take when casting God's Wrath in Dark Souls' predecessor, Demon's Souls.
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