(Image credit: FromSoftware – dinossindgeil on Twitch)

Typically I open these news stories with a quippy hook or an interesting bit of imagery—something to get you into the right mindset. In this case, however, I am stunned into metaphorical silence, because goddamn, this might be one of the most impressive challenge runs I’ve ever seen.

Souls streamer dinossindgeil, also known as Nico, has successfully beaten every mainline base Souls game (Dark Souls 1-3, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Demons Souls) without getting hit. Back-to-back. Without levelling up in any of them. This genuinely awe-inspiring achievement was managed on a Stream over the weekend, though you can watch his final moments of triumph on the streamer’s YouTube channel below.

After finally snuffing out the Soul of Cinder in Dark Souls 3, Nico immediately bursts into tears—his partner rushes over to hug him: “We did it,” he pretty much weeps. “Almost two years, almost two years. Oh my god, we did it … that was perfect RNG, literally perfect RNG, it couldn’t have been any better.”

It’s hard to overstate how titanic of an achievement this is. I cannot even possibly fathom the mental fortitude it takes to beat seven entire souls games without taking a single hit. What’s mad is that this is actually something Nico has done before, just without the level 1 limitation.

Back in 2022, he completed the same challenge—with the aid of levels and items aplenty, of course. It took him about 120 days back then. It’s not at all surprising that this one took longer, though—limiting your power progression in these games is a challenge on its own, requiring you to use specific items and builds to combat the uphill struggle. Let alone doing it seven times. In a row. Without getting hit. The full VoD, just to put it in perspective, is about 11 hours long—that’s a herculean amount of focus to sustain for that amount of time. The mind boggles.

Once Nico’s had time to calm down and, understandably, work out the catharsis through his eyeducts, he asks his viewership: “That was good entertainment, right?” Before dedicating the run to Lilly, his late cat. “I promised to myself that I’m gonna finish it for her, no matter what happens. I didn’t want to stop doing it because I kinda promised it.” Jeez, now I’m getting all choked up.

As for what’s next? “I’m gonna do something different now, guys.” Fair enough. “Some are souls [runs] of course, some variety sh*t as well … I will figure something out guys, I’m not 100% sure.” I reckon a nap’s in order, and maybe some therapy. “What a day,” Nico concludes, before signing off. “I wanna just get naked and run around the city right now.”