Dark Souls can be considered a seminal video game, having consolidated the game mechanics introduced a few years earlier by Demon's Souls and contributed decisively to starting the planetary phenomenon of souls, a videogame genre to which over time many other studios have also joined out of FromSoftware.
In turn, Dark Souls is indebted to multiple other works that came before it. The creator of the saga, Hidetaka Miyazaki, has in fact drawn on numerous sources of inspiration in giving life to what can be considered one of the most fascinating (and punishing) universes in the history of video games. One above all Berserk, whose influence is evident for every connoisseur of the dark fantasy manga dating back to 1989. Miyazaki owes so much to the work of Kentaro Miura, who he met when he was only fifteen, that he even cited it explicitly with Artorias pose on the cover of the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. Seeing is believing:Other references include the character Siegmeyer of Catarina inspired by Bazuso, the Bull Demon modeled on the basis of Nosferatu Zood, the Man-Serpent very similar to Snake Lord, the Red-Eye Orb conceived as a tribute to the Crimson Behelit and many , many others.
While Berserk may be considered the most explicit model, it is certainly not the only one. Do you want examples? Miyazaki also drew on the world of cinema to bring the iconic settings of Dark Souls to life. The Duke's Archives are inspired by Hogwarts from the Harry Potter films, while Great Hollow in Avatar by James Cameron and Ash Lake in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by another Miyazaki, Hayao. Not to mention the real places: Milan Cathedral and its Gothic style inspired the iconic Anor Londo setting, while Mont-Saint Michel in France served as the base for New Londo. In creating Demon Ruins and Lost Izalith, however, FromSoftware looked to the temple of Angkor Wat, in Cambodia.
As we have seen, Dark Souls is indebted to multiple works and creations born in the most disparate times and places. In all likelihood, those mentioned so far are not even the only ones!