Like other FromSoftware games, Demon’s Souls thrusts players into a dark world full of morally ambiguous characters and a grueling level of difficulty. As such, it seems like the least likely place for a silly meme to make an appearance, though this has not stopped Bernie Sanders from showing up inside Demon’s Souls.
Demon’s Souls has made several video game appearances, with the political figure joining the cast of Death Stranding and accompany players as they enter the world of Skyrim to name a few. However, his latest appearance sees him in a position like the one he took in the Mortal Kombat Bernie memes. Watching over the action of a certain Demon’s Souls Boss fight, Bernie looks both hilarious and intimidating.
Demon’s Souls players could have used Bernie in several areas of the game, but Redditor tentaclebreath made the perfect choice with their Inauguration meme. Choosing the most unique boss fight from the Tower Queen’s Archstone as a base for the meme, tentaclebreath places Bernie’s head and mittens on the Old Monk’s body. The result is absolutely hilarious, as Bernie’s loose striped mittens resting on the staff is only outdone by the protective mask and focused look on his face.
For those unfamiliar with the Old Monk boss fight, the battle begins with the boss using his magic to “control” an invading Demon’s Souls player. The result is an entirely PvP boss fight, which can be both hard or easy depending on how experienced the invading player is with the game. While the fight is truly unique and is both a hated battle for some and a beloved clash for others, seeing Bernie watching over players while filling the role of the Old Monk is absolutely incredible.
The meme only becomes funnier when thinking about how the cutscene sees the Old Monk’s robes removed — a process that would surely reveal Bernie’s coat and crossed legs, two more signature features of the incredible Inauguration meme. While the image is funny enough on its own, a comment from Reddit Grabcocque only enhances the quality of Old Monk Bernie. Saying, “I am once again asking for your souls,” a reference to another popular Bernie meme that made the rounds last year, the post is a perfect acknowledgment of two fan-favorite internet jokes.
With Inauguration Bernie already being modded into SoulCalibur 6 and becoming a playable fighter, it only seems like a matter of time before he makes an official appearance in a game. For now, though, terrific memes like this one are the closest gamers can get, and with tentaclebreath doing such a fine job with the image, it could take some time before Souls fans forget about Old Monk Bernie.
Demon's Souls is available now on PS5.