Hidetaka Miyazaki is known for drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources, including films, real-life locations, comic books, and other forms of media.
Similarly, one of the characters in one of his most celebrated games is inspired by Emma Watson, the one and only Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series. Miyazaki has openly admitted to having given his team her reference for this character.
Miyazaki’s worlds are full of mysterious characters spread across the map. Each character is meticulously designed and has a lot of weight in all of his games.
Miyazaki’s inspirations led her to Emma Watson
Seiglinde of Catarina from Dark Souls is inspired by Emma Watson. Though players never really get to see her face and her appearance has always been shrouded in mystery, she still was once inspired by Emma Watson.
Miyazaki is always quite particular about the things he wants in his games and goes through great pain to execute them. His worlds are an amalgamation of all the things he finds interesting and has taken inspiration from.
The fantastical land of the Harry Potter films has had a huge impact on his work, and he does not shy away from mentioning it whenever he gets a chance. During a conversation with Knowll, he shed light on how Emma Watson shaped Seiglinde. He said:
Huh? Did I say that? I think I would have asked for Emma Watson. Anyway, I don’t believe she ended up resembling anyone in particular. Quite early in the development, I was actually talking about our game abroad when I blurted out something about her being beautiful. Once I had done that, I couldn’t go back on my word, could I?
It is true that in the end, Seiglinde did not end up resembling anyone in particular and formed an identity of her own. Though inspiration is key to any successful work, hiding it well is a masterstroke.
Seiglinde of Catarina plays an integral role in Dark Souls
Seiglinde’s journey in Dark Souls is centered around her quest to find her father, Siegmeyer, who has ventured into Lordran. She does manage to track him down by mystery awaiting at the end, and her story takes a tragic turn.
She is first found trapped inside a golden crystal golem in the Duke’s Archives, which were inspired by the moving staircases from Harry Potter films. She is freed after defeating the golem. This is where players get to know about her journey for the first time.
Her travels take her to Firelink Shrine, where she follows her father’s tale, and she can be found in this location again. Her character never truly reveals her face for the entire duration of the map, and a lot is left to the imagination. Emma Watson’s influence might not be as prevalent if you did not know the history behind her making. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below.
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