View source for Sif (Dark Souls)

{{Short description|Video game character}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Sif  (''Dark Souls'')}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Sif
| series = [[Dark Souls]]
| firstgame = ''[[Dark Souls (video game)|Dark Souls]]'' (2011)
| creator = [[Hidetaka Miyazaki]]
| designer =
| voice =
| title = Great Grey Wolf
| motion_actor =
| image = Dark Souls Sif.png
| species = [[Wolf]]
| weapon = Greatsword
}}
{{nihongo foot|'''Sif, the Great Grey Wolf'''|灰色の大狼シフ|Hai'iro no Dairō Shifu|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a character and [[Boss (video gaming)|boss]] in the 2011 [[action role-playing game]] ''[[Dark Souls (video game)|Dark Souls]]''. A [[Gray wolf|wolf]] that has grown to a massive size, it protects the grave of its deceased master, Knight Artorias the Abysswalker, and the Covenant of Artorias, a ring that allows its wearer to traverse the Abyss, a dark void normally impassable by mortals. The fight with Sif has been cited by critics as one of the most memorable in the game due to the role reversal of the player as a transgressor. Sif also functions as an optional ally in the game's DLC.
== Characteristics ==
Sif is a large, silver-colored wolf that is several times the height of the player. Its gender is unspecified in the game itself. In the ''[[Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss|Artorias of the Abyss]]'' DLC, during which the [[player character]] is taken back in time hundreds of years earlier, Sif is shown to have been slightly larger than a normal wolf during its time as the companion of Knight Artorias, when it accompanied the knight to slay a primeval human known as Manus, Father of the Abyss, who had been resurrected and driven mad by the sorcerers of Oolacile.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The tear-jerking tale behind one Dark Souls boss fight|url=https://www.gamecrate.com/tear-jerking-tale-behind-one-dark-souls-boss-fight/13706|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100053/https://www.gamecrate.com/tear-jerking-tale-behind-one-dark-souls-boss-fight/13706|archive-date=2018-02-21|access-date=2018-02-20|website=www.gamecrate.com|language=en}}</ref> When Artorias is overwhelmed by the power of Manus, his shield arm broken and useless, he uses his Cleansing Greatshield to form a magical barrier around the wolf and save it.<ref>{{Cite web|last=MacDonald|first=Keza|date=2016-05-05|title=A Guide to Dark Souls' Plot (In Case You Missed It)|url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/5/5/11526384/dark-souls-plot-you-died|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100248/https://www.polygon.com/2016/5/5/11526384/dark-souls-plot-you-died|archive-date=2018-02-21|access-date=2018-02-20|website=Polygon|language=en}}</ref> If the player rescues it, it can be summoned to fight Manus. In the ensuing years, it continued to survive and grow to tremendous size to protect Artorias' grave.<ref name=":0" />
Sif fights by grabbing Artorias's sword from in front of the grave and holding it in its mouth. It has a strong memory, as it remembers the player if they saved it during the DLC beforehand, but still engages the player in battle.<ref name=":0" /> If Sif is reduced to low health, it begins limping in pain and struggles to perform its attacks.<ref name=":0" /> When Sif is killed, the player obtains the Covenant of Artorias and Sif's soul, which can forge several weapons.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stanton|first=Rich|date=2016-04-15|title=The secrets of Dark Souls lore explained and explored|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-15-dark-souls-lore-and-how-it-works|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218174719/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-15-dark-souls-lore-and-how-it-works|archive-date=2018-02-18|access-date=2018-02-20|website=Eurogamer|language=en-UK}}</ref>
== Merchandise ==
A 25 inch (63.5&nbsp;cm) tall statue of Sif, including different swords and an art print, was released in 2018.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Pre-Orders Are Open For This Statue Of Dark Souls' Sif The Great Grey Wolf|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2016/10/23/preorders-are-open-for-this-statue-of-dark-souls-sif-the-great-grey-wolf.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301050145/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2016/10/23/preorders-are-open-for-this-statue-of-dark-souls-sif-the-great-grey-wolf.aspx|archive-date=2018-03-01|access-date=2018-02-25|magazine=Game Informer|language=en}}</ref> Sif was also included in the Darkroot Basin expansion set of ''[[Dark Souls – The Board Game]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Porter|first=Matt|date=2016-05-06|title=Dark Souls Board Game Kickstarter Passes £2 Million|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/05/06/dark-souls-board-game-kickstarter-passes-2-million|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215075528/http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/05/06/dark-souls-board-game-kickstarter-passes-2-million|archive-date=2018-02-15|access-date=2018-02-25|website=IGN|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Reception ==
The emotional aspects of the Sif fight were praised by critics, although some called the lack of a means to avoid the fight a negative aspect. Nate Hohl of ''GameCrate'' called the fight with Sif "tear-jerking", saying that it elicited "genuine sorrow" in the player. Calling it a "cruel twist" that the game's developers did not allow Sif to be spared, he said that the fact that Sif is capable of recognizing the player if they saved it in the past made the fight even more "tragic".<ref name=":0" /> ''[[Game Informer]]'' awarded the fight against Sif the award for best boss fight of 2011, calling it "heartbreaking" in addition to its ingame difficulty.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=The 2011 RPG Of The Year Awards|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/12/30/the-2011-rpg-of-the-year-awards.aspx?PageIndex=8&PostPageIndex=2|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100145/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/12/30/the-2011-rpg-of-the-year-awards.aspx?PageIndex=8&PostPageIndex=2|archive-date=2018-02-21|access-date=2018-02-20|magazine=Game Informer|language=en}}</ref> Tom Senior of ''[[PC Gamer]]'' concurred that the fight was tragic, calling it "one of the saddest encounters in ''Dark Souls''" due to the player being forced to punish the wolf's "eternal loyalty" to its master, Artorias, and also speculating that Sif was not simply guarding Artorias' ring, but attempting to prevent future adventurers from falling to the same fate.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Senior|first=Tom|date=2019-06-19|title=Dark Souls and the tragedy of Knight Artorias|language=en|work=PC Gamer|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/dark-souls-and-the-tragedy-of-knight-artorias/|access-date=2022-02-25}}</ref> Rich Stanton of ''[[Eurogamer]]'' called the fight against Sif "one that saddens me" and remarked that he never summoned other players for the fight, also stating that in the early days of the game's release, an [[Email chain letter|email chain]] of reviewers looked for ways to save Sif, even though that rumor was later debunked.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stanton|first=Rich|date=2014-01-19|title=Becoming the Dark Soul|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-25-becoming-the-dark-soul|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112210104/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-25-becoming-the-dark-soul|archive-date=2018-01-12|access-date=2018-02-25|website=Eurogamer|language=en-UK}}</ref>
Ashley Reed of ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' called the fight "pretty impressive but emotionally uncompromising", noting that the player realizes that Sif is not as evil as they seem once they play the game's DLC, and that if the player saves Sif beforehand, the character "makes [their] despair clear".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Reed|first=Ashley|date=2015-12-21|title=Games that make you feel guilty for doing as you're told|language=en|work=GamesRadar+|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/12-games-make-you-feel-guilty-doing-exactly-what-they-told-you-do/|url-status=live|access-date=2018-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100248/https://www.gamesradar.com/12-games-make-you-feel-guilty-doing-exactly-what-they-told-you-do/|archive-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> Andi Hamilton of the same publication called Sif the second greatest ''Dark Souls'' boss, saying that it "plays out like an honorable duel between two beings that don't want to fight".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hamilton|first=Andi|date=2017-07-01|title=Prepare to die - these are the 15 greatest Dark Souls bosses|language=en|work=GamesRadar+|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-dark-souls-bosses/|url-status=live|access-date=2018-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220152132/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-dark-souls-bosses/|archive-date=2018-02-20}}</ref> Katelyn Gadd, programmer of ''[[Grim Fandango Remastered]]'' and ''[[Escape Goat|Escape Goat 2]]'', called the fight the most powerful experience she ever had in a video game, due to the realization that she was the intruder and she wanted to let the boss live, even though the game mechanics did not allow it.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hamilton|first=Kirk|date=2015-04-24|title=What Game Designers Love (And Don't Love) About Souls Games|language=en|work=Kotaku Australia|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/04/what-game-designers-love-and-dont-love-about-souls-games/|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221035602/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/04/what-game-designers-love-and-dont-love-about-souls-games/|archive-date=2018-02-21}}</ref>
Some critics believed Sif's appearance to be endearing, with Jeffrey Matulef of ''Eurogamer'' calling Sif "the series's most adorable boss" due to the fact that it holds a sword in its mouth.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Matulef|first=Jeffrey|date=2016-04-05|title=Marvel at Dark Souls' Greatsword of Artorias made in real life|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-05-marvel-at-dark-souls-greatsword-of-artorias-made-in-real-life|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310213606/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-05-marvel-at-dark-souls-greatsword-of-artorias-made-in-real-life|archive-date=2018-03-10|access-date=2018-02-25|website=Eurogamer|language=en-UK}}</ref> Cameron Kunzelman of ''[[Kotaku]]'' also called Sif "a big furry wolf who is extremely heckin' cute", despite the character's dark backstory.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kunzelman|first=Cameron|date=2018-10-21|title=Sif Is Cute In Dark Souls, Is Even Cuter In Animation|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/10/sif-is-cute-indark-souls-is-even-cuter-in-animation/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021054733/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/10/sif-is-cute-indark-souls-is-even-cuter-in-animation/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 21, 2018|access-date=2022-02-25|website=Kotaku Australia|language=en-AU}}</ref>
== Legacy ==
Game journalists, as well as [[Bandai Namco Entertainment|Bandai Namco]], the publisher of ''Dark Souls'', have commented that [[Zacian]], the legendary Pokémon of ''[[Pokémon Sword and Shield]]'', may have been directly inspired by Sif, due to its similar appearance and method of wielding a sword in its mouth.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cash|first=Jamie|date=2019-06-05|title=Was the new Pokemon Sword and Shield Legendary inspired by Dark Souls?|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/548185-pokemon-sword-shield-legendary-zacian-dark-souls|access-date=2022-02-25|website=GameRevolution}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Craddock|first=Ryan|date=2019-06-05|title=Random: Bandai Namco Thinks Pokémon's New Legendary Looks Pretty Familiar|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/06/random_bandai_namco_thinks_pokemons_new_legendary_looks_pretty_familiar|access-date=2022-02-25|website=Nintendo Life|language=en-GB}}</ref>
An [[Easter egg (media)|Easter egg]] of Sif appeared in ''[[World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria]]'' as a quest enemy called Cracklefang that is "much easier to defeat".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Vas|first=Gergo|date=2012-10-05|title=Mists Of Pandaria Is Full Of Video Game And Pop Culture References|language=en-US|work=Kotaku|url=https://kotaku.com/5948254/mists-of-pandaria-is-full-of-video-game-and-pop-culture-references|url-status=live|access-date=2018-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617081859/https://kotaku.com/5948254/mists-of-pandaria-is-full-of-video-game-and-pop-culture-references|archive-date=2018-06-17}}</ref> The character also saw a cameo in [[Quake modding|''Quake'' mod]] ''Raven Keep'' as an enemy.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Thorn|first=Ed|date=2020-10-07|title=This Quake mod lets you fight Sif from Dark Souls|language=en|work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/this-quake-mod-lets-you-fight-sif-from-dark-souls|access-date=2022-02-25}}</ref>
== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Dark Souls series}}
[[Category:Animal characters in video games]]
[[Category:Fantasy video game characters]]
[[Category:Fictional swordfighters in video games]]
[[Category:Fictional wolves]]
[[Category:Dark Souls characters]]
[[Category:Video game bosses]]
[[Category:Video game characters introduced in 2011]]