Within the scope of its gameplay, Bloodborne’s Ludwig the Accursed is just another in a long litany of brutally difficult boss fights (and he’s actually the first boss you face should you opt into the game’s Old Hunters DLC), but sadly the fight itself doesn’t really show just how tragic Ludwig’s history is. Fortunately, a new fan comic manages to show how Ludwig’s lofty ideals ultimately led him into madness, and it does so without the aid of any written dialogue.
The full comic, which you can view here, was created by Redditor yutacustoms. In all, the comic (which yutacustoms dubbed ‘Quest for Moonlight’) isn’t very long, but it still does an excellent job in conveying the tragic backstory of Ludwig the Holy Blade.
In Bloodborne’s lore, Ludwig was once a skilled hunter (much like the player’s character) who slew monsters in the name of the Healing Church using a large two-handed sword. Over time, Ludwig’s devotion to the church was overshadowed by his desire to slay beasts, and he eventually became consumed by the Hunt, the ritual that all hunters swear fealty to. When the player meets Ludwig in the game, his body has been fused with that of a horse, turning him into a disfigured monstrosity whose only desire is to any unfortunate souls he encounters. By defeating Ludwig, the player can finally put his spirit to rest and wield his signature weapon, the Moonlight Greatsword.
Despite his implementation as a DLC boss, there’s still a good chance that Ludwig would have been part of Bloodborne’s cut boss rush feature had it made it into the game’s final version. Meanwhile, Bloodborne developer FromSoftware is currently working on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a game that the studio promises will be its most difficult to date.