Dragon's Dogma 2: The Pathfinder Explained

The following contains spoilers for Dragon's Dogma 2.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is chock-full of interesting characters, from the kindhearted Ulrika to the honorable Captain Brant. While Dragon's Dogma 2 is arguably more about its gameplay than its narrative, many of its characters are still notable for the impact they have on the game's story. While some characters are very open about their motives in the world of Dragon's Dogma 2, others, like the Pathfinder, seem to evade that exposition at every turn — until the end of the game, that is. Even so, it turns out the Pathfinder's role is one of great significance in Dragon's Dogma 2, perhaps more so than players might initially think.

The Pathfinder is one of Dragon's Dogma 2's most elusive characters, as they appear at the beginning of the game and semi-frequently after that, but their purpose and intent are hardly disclosed. In fact, it's entirely possible for players to complete Dragon's Dogma 2 without ever gaining an understanding of who the Pathfinder is and their agenda. So long as players pursue Dragon's Dogma 2's true ending, they can find out a bit more about the Pathfinder and their role in the story.

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By Josh Cotts

Dragon's Dogma 2's Pathfinder Explained

The lore of Dragon's Dogma is very extensive, so the Pathfinder's true identity could go much deeper than what Dragon's Dogma 2 readily reveals. That being said, nearing the end of Dragon's Dogma 2, one thing becomes certain: the Pathfinder is an extension of the Great Will whose sole purpose is to ensure everything goes according to plan. As the Pathfinder reveals after Dragon's Dogma 2's good ending is triggered, the Great Will is essentially the creator of the world the Arisen lives in.

As Dragon's Dogma 2's true ending comes to a close, the Pathfinder explains that the Great Will grew tired of seeing countless worlds swallowed up by oblivion, so it created the Dragon and thus established a cycle in which the world would be repeatedly saved from destruction. To prevent the Dragon from becoming too powerful, it created the Arisen, who would slay the dragon. After some time, a new Dragon would be born, and a new Arisen, thus renewing the cycle. At first, the Pathfinder speaks of the Great Will as though they are only a servant of it, but some small details seem to confirm that the Pathfinder and the Great Will are one and the same.

...the Pathfinder is an extension of the Great Will whose sole purpose is to ensure everything goes according to plan.

Firstly, upon pursuing the true ending of Dragon's Dogma 2, the Arisen faces the Pathfinder once more and is offered one last chance to submit to the cycle. To persuade the Arisen, the Pathfinder says, "You have a world where you belong. There, you are to fell the great evil in your path, and rule the people as their Sovran. And it is my wish that you should live out that life of purpose." In this small bit of dialogue, the Pathfinder calls it their will to see the Arisen continue the cycle, establishing their role as an extension of the Great Will. Furthermore, when speaking with Rothais in the Unmoored World, he implies that the Pathfinder has been orchestrating everything behind the scenes the entire time.

As Dragon's Dogma 2's true ending comes to a close, the Arisen and their Pawn work together to plunge the Empowered Godsbane Blade into the heart of the final Dragon, who reveals itself to be the Pathfinder. After a brief monologue, the world is shown with renewed life, freed from the cycle. With the death of the Pathfinder, the world is returned to what it once was before the cycle was established. However, this can only mean that it may eventually be swallowed up into oblivion, the very event the cycle was created to prevent.

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