Dark Souls Costume
Praise the Sun with this iconic dark fantasy knight look.
Dark Souls is legendary for its unforgiving difficulty and its hauntingly beautiful dark fantasy armor designs. The most iconic and beloved character to cosplay is Solaire of Astora, famous for his cheerful demeanor and 'Praise the Sun' pose. This guide focuses on recreating Solaire's signature knightly look, featuring his hand-painted sun tunic, chainmail, and iron helm.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time
- ~180 min
- Budget
- $80–250
Try it on
See yourself as Dark Souls
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What you need for a Dark Souls costume
Short on time? Buy it ready-made
Spirit Halloween sells the complete Dark Souls costume — one box instead of 6 pieces.
Solaire Sun Tunic
A white or off-white sleeveless surcoat featuring a large, hand-painted orange and yellow smiling sun emblem on the chest.
DIY: Paint the smiling sun emblem onto a plain white tabard or oversized sleeveless t-shirt using fabric paint.
Chainmail Shirt and Coif
A metallic silver chainmail shirt (or realistic printed chainmail fabric) worn underneath the tunic, with a matching hood.
DIY: Use a silver metallic long-sleeve shirt and spray-paint a textured mesh fabric to mimic chainmail.
Great Helm
A cylindrical silver knight helmet with a flat top, brass-colored cross-shaped faceplate reinforcement, and small breathing holes.
DIY: Construct a lightweight helmet using EVA foam, painted with silver and brass acrylic paints.
Green Shoulder Fur and Cape
A small patch of green faux fur or a dark green cloak draped over the left shoulder.
DIY: Cut a piece of green faux fur and safety-pin it securely to the shoulder of your tunic.
Sun Shield
A round heater shield featuring the same smiling sun emblem, bordered in red and white.
DIY: Cut a shield shape out of thick cardboard or foam, paint it with the sun design, and attach duct-tape handles to the back.
Knightly Sword
A classic straight silver longsword with a simple crossguard and brown wrapped hilt.
DIY: Paint a plastic toy sword with silver metallic spray paint and wrap the handle in brown faux-leather ribbon.
Rather not assemble it? See ready-made Dark Souls costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗
How to put it together
- 1
Put on a dark grey long-sleeve shirt and pants as your base layer.
- 2
Pull the chainmail shirt (or chainmail-printed shirt) over the base layer.
- 3
Slip the white Solaire sun tunic over the chainmail, ensuring the sun emblem is centered on your chest.
- 4
Drape the green faux fur patch over your left shoulder, securing it with safety pins or a leather strap.
- 5
Equip the brown leather belt around your waist to cinch the tunic, and hang your sword sheath from it.
- 6
Put on the silver great helm, adjusting the internal padding so you can see clearly through the eye slits.
- 7
Grip your round sun shield in one hand and prepare to strike the iconic 'Praise the Sun' pose.
Makeup & hair
Since your head is fully enclosed in a great helm, no specific hair or makeup is required, though a black balaclava worn underneath the helm helps hide your neck and eyes.
Dark Souls for couples, groups, kids & more
- couples
- Pair Solaire with the Fire Keeper, wearing a long black hooded robe and an ornate silver eye-mask.
- group
- Gather a party featuring Solaire, an Elite Knight in blue and silver armor, and Siegward of Catarina in onion-shaped armor.
- kids
- A simplified version using a printed Solaire t-shirt, a plastic knight helmet, and a foam sword.
- Plus size
- The loose-fitting fabric tabard and adjustable leather belts make this look highly adjustable and comfortable for all body types.
- pet
- A white dog sweater painted with the smiling sun emblem.
Tips
- Great helms can get hot and stuffy; remove the helmet between photos to cool down.
- To make the armor look authentic, use black and brown acrylic paint watered down ('weathering') to add grime and battle damage.
- Practice the 'Praise the Sun' pose: heels together, arms raised out at a V-shape, palms facing outward and upward.
Dark Souls costume FAQ
- Who is the knight with the sun on his chest in Dark Souls?
- That is Solaire of Astora, a fan-favorite Warrior of Sunlight NPC known for his quest to find his own 'sun' and his helpful summon sign.
- How do you make a DIY Solaire helmet?
- You can make a lightweight Solaire helmet using EVA foam sheets, cutting them to a cylindrical shape, gluing them with contact cement, and painting them with metallic silver and gold acrylics.
- What is the 'Praise the Sun' gesture?
- It is a gesture where you stand straight, raise your arms diagonally upward in a 'V' shape, and turn your palms outward toward the sky.
Did you know? Solaire of Astora's signature 'Praise the Sun' gesture was actually designed by game director Hidetaka Miyazaki before the game's release, and he insisted on keeping it despite initial pushback from the design team.