World Tendency Guide for Demon's Souls and Demon's Souls Remake explains the World Tendency Mechanic and provides tips and tricks for players who want to change their World Tendency.
- Please see Character Tendency for your character's "alignment" system.
- Please note that, unlike the original 2009 release, Demon's Souls Remake does NOT have server tendency and your World Tendency is only affected by your own actions.
- Please see Resurrection for a miracle that revives summoned phantom players.
- Please see Ceramic Coin for unique items that appear only in Fractured Mode when in Pure White and Pure Black tendency.
Introduction to World Tendency System
In Demon's Souls and Demon's Souls Remake, your actions in the world of Boletaria will weigh heavily against your character. This should be familiar to all you gamers out there—maybe you’ve experienced it in the form of “morality,” “karma,” or by another name before. In the world of Demon's Souls and Demon's Souls Remake, it’s known as Tendency, and it’s attributed to both your character and each of the regions you’ll traverse.
When you begin play, both Character Tendency and World Tendency start off at neutral. Depending on your actions, they can shift to white or black (good deeds make it go white while bad deeds make it go black). But of course, it isn’t as simple as being either black or white, as there are shades along the way that determine the level of the Tendency’s effects. So if you’re just a little evil, enemies will only be a little more difficult to down, whereas if you’re a true miscreant, well then you’ve gone and made an already brutally difficult game a lot more brutal.
At any given time you can jump into your Main Menu and navigate to a convenient Tendency tab to try to gauge what state your actions have left the world and your character in. Each region’s Archstone is there to represent its respective World Tendency, whereas Character Tendency is represented by a human figurine in the center. For both representations, they’ll gradually shine with an increasingly brighter glow or shift towards a darkness void of any light to depict white and black respectively.
World Tendency
As stated before, each Archstone region has its own World Tendency. These are all completely independent of each other; your actions in one Archstone can never affect the Tendency of other Archstones, and there’s nothing to stop you from simultaneously having one Archstone be a shining beacon of hope and good will while another acts as a blackened bastion for all things unholy. You’ll want to use this to your advantage, since you might find greater benefits in keeping a certain region white while the allure of turning another region black draws you.
In worlds of Black Tendency, you’ll find that enemies give you a lot more trouble than usual but also give you more souls and better drops once defeated. That former point is the result of their attacks being stronger and your HP being lower. In White Tendency worlds, the opposite is true: enemies aren’t as difficult, your HP is at its max potential (depending on form, of course), but the rewards for putting down enemies aren’t as great as they could be. And as mentioned before, the degree of these effects will grow with how white or black the region is.
So now that you know what you can strive for, here’s what you need to do to get there. When you defeat a boss within a world, it’ll shift Tendency towards white. If you lose your body within a region (which is to say, you die while not in Soul form), it’ll shift Tendency towards black. These are your most basic ways of changing World Tendency, and your only options to initially stray from neutral Tendency. Once you’ve pushed things enough to white or black, new options will open up to help you shift back in the opposite direction. For example, in regions that have achieved a certain level of black Tendency, a special Primeval Demon will appear. Killing it will help shift Tendency back to white. This is the more basic example, however.
Click on the image to enlarge it.
Each Archstone region has a special NPC that is deeply rooted in World Tendency. At the further end of white World Tendency, you’ll open up access to this NPC, and will find yourself rewarded with typical RPG goodness: new quest, new item, etc. However, should you not be happy with your white World Tendency, you’ll find that offing the NPCs spawned by it is quite convenient for taking things in the other direction. Should you blacken the region enough, you’ll find yourself greeted by its special NPC once again, only you might notice they have a different aura about them this time... Now they’re a Black Phantom NPC, and like most characters in Demon’s Souls, they want you dead. As you might already have guessed, killing these Black Phantom NPCs can greatly shift World Tendency back toward white. As an aside, whether the NPC you’re killing happens to be good or evil, you can always count on their corpse to yield new, usually rare goodies, which will differ depending on their friendliness at time of death. It’s incentives like these that’ll ensure you won’t simply leave World Tendency be.
What Does World Tendency Look Like?
If you are wondering how to tell if you have pure white or black world tendency, you need to navigate to the World Tendency tab on your options menu. You'll notice a sphere below each Archstone. The following colors represent its tendency. Pure White and Pure Black world tendencies have glowing effects: Pure White has a horizontal line indicating a lens flare, while Pure Black has red wisps floating within the icon.
Pure White
White
Neutral White
Neutral
Neutral Black
Black
Pure Black
Do Invasions Affect World Tendency?
The answer to this is both yes and no.
Using the Black Eye Stone or Red Eye Stone to invade does not have any effect on World Tendency, regardless of the outcome. It doesn't matter if you kill the host or a blue phantom, invading has no effect on the WT of the person invading. This is not true of Character Tendency - killing other players in PvP will move your CT towards black.
Being invaded by someone using the Black Eye Stone or Red Eye Stone does have an effect on World Tendency: killing an invader will move World Tendency toward white, but only for the host - this does not apply to any blue phantoms. Dying to an invader as the host will move the host's World Tendency toward black, but only because the host died in body form (hence, dying to an Old Monk invader while you are in soul form will have no effect on your World Tendency).
Defeating an invader in PvP will also move the Character Tendency of the host and any blue phantoms that are in the host's world at the time the invader is defeated toward white.
This is true for both the original Demon's Souls (though player invasions are no longer possible there due to a server shutdown) and the Demon's Souls Remake.
Does the Resurrection Miracle Affect World Tendency?
No.
World Tendency Changes
In Demon's Souls, it's quite difficult to measure the current status of your World Tendency, however, you can check the list below of various events to get a rough estimate of where your World Tendency is.
- Those that are highlighted yellow are only done in online mode.
- Rows that are marked with a (*) causes an effect on all 5 Archstones.
- (+) yields to White World Tendency and (-) falls toward Black World Tendency
World Name |
Conditions |
WT Changes |
Boletarian PalaceGates of Boletaria (1 - 1) |
Defeat stage 1-1 Major Demon | (*) +30% |
| Defeat stage 1-2 Major Demon | +30% | |
| Defeat stage 1-3 Major Demon | +30% | |
| Defeat stage 1-4 archdemon | +30% | |
| Defeat Primeval Demon | +75% | |
| Defeat the Red Dragon | +30% | |
| Defeat the Blue Dragon | +30% | |
| Defeat Old King Doran | -60% | |
| Defeat Executioner Miralda | -90% | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Executioner Miralda | +90% | |
| Die in body form | -30% | |
| Defeat Host Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Revive Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Player | +30% (host only) |
|
Stonefang TunnelSmithing Grounds (2 - 1) |
Defeat stage 2-1 Major Demon | +45% |
| Defeat stage 2-2 Major Demon | +45% | |
| Defeat stage 2-3 archdemon | +45% | |
| Defeat Primeval Demon | +75% | |
| Defeat Scirvir, the Wanderer | -90% | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Scirvir, the Wanderer | +90% | |
| Die in body form | -30% | |
| Defeat Host Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Revive Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Player | +30% (host only) |
|
Tower of LatriaPrison of Hope (3 - 1) |
Defeat stage 3-1 Major Demon | +45% |
| Defeat stage 3-2 Major Demon | +45% | |
| Defeat stage 3-3 archdemon | +45% | |
| Defeat Primeval Demon | +75% | |
| Defeat Lord Rydell | -90% | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Rydell | +90% | |
| Die in body form | -30% | |
| Defeat Host Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Revive Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Player | +30% (host only) |
|
Shrine of StormsIsland's Edge (4 - 1) |
Defeat stage 4-1 Major Demon | +45% |
| Defeat stage 4-2 Major Demon | +45% | |
| Defeat stage 4-3 archdemon | +45% | |
| Defeat Vanguard | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Primeval Demon | +75% | |
| Defeat Satsuki | -90% | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Satsuki | +90% | |
| Die in body form | -30% | |
| Defeat Host Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Revive Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Player | +30% (host only) |
|
Valley of DefilementDepraved Chasm (5 - 1) |
Defeat stage 5-1 Major Demon | +45% |
| Defeat stage 5-2 Major Demon | +45% | |
| Defeat stage 5-3 archdemon | +45% | |
| Defeat Primeval Demon | +75% | |
| Defeat Selen Vinland | -90% | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Selen Vinland | +90% | |
| Die in body form | -30% | |
| Defeat Host Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Revive Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Phantom Player | 0% (no effect) | |
| Defeat Black Phantom Player | +30% (host only) |
WT Character Parameters
World Tendency in Demon's Souls also influences your stats as a Black Phantom and in Soul Form. Listed in the table below, you'll find the following parameters that will influence the various stats for both Black and White World Tendency.
Character Type |
WT Category |
Max. HP Multiplier |
Physical Attack Multiplier |
Magical Attack Multiplier |
Fire Attack Multiplier |
Souls Gained From Multiplier |
| NPC/Enemy | White > 75% | 0.80 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| White > 50% | 0.90 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| White > 25% | 0.95 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Black < -50% | 1.00 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.40 | |
| Black < -75% | 1.00 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | |
| Black Phantom Player | Black < -50% | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.00 |
| Black < -75% | 1.00 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.00 | |
| Phantom Player | White > 75% | 1.00 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.00 |
| White > 50% | 1.00 | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.00 | |
| Soul Form | White > 75% | 1.0 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.00 |
| White > 50% | 1.00 | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.00 | |
| Black < -50% | 0.95 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Black < -75% | 0.90 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
World Tendency Events
Listed below are the various events that can trigger in the world for both White and Black World Tendency
Boletarian Palace
White World Tendency
> 90% White WT
- Executioner Miralda appears.
> 75% White WT
- Enemies are weakened.
- The gate to Execution Grounds is unlocked.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
- Both the Red and Blue Dragons disappear from stage 1-1.
> 50% White WT
- Enemies are weakened.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
> 25% White WT
- Enemies are slightly weakened.
Black World Tendency
< -25% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
< -50% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- Item Drop Rate is increased.
- Black Phantom Enemies appear.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -75% Black WT
- Primeval Demon appears.
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- The gate to Execution Grounds is unlocked.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -90% Black WT
- Black Phantom Executioner Miralda appears.
Stonefang Tunnel
White World Tendency
> 90% White WT
- Scirvir, the Wanderer appears.
- The rubble blocking the way of the Dragon Bone Smasher is removed.
> 75% White WT
- Enemies are weakened.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
> 50% White WT
- Enemies are more weakened.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
> 25% White WT
- Enemies are slightly weakened.
Black World Tendency
< -25% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
< -50% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- Item Drop Rate is increased.
- Black Phantom Enemies appear.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -75% Black WT
- Primeval Demon appears.
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -90% Black WT
- Black Phantom Scirvir, the Wanderer appears.
Tower of Latria
White World Tendency
> 90% White WT
- The debris near Lord Rydell disappears.
- The gate to Prison of Hope East. 2F can be opened.
- A bridge appears in the upper region of 3-2 allowing you access to a key.
> 75% White WT
- Enemies are weakened.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
> 50% White WT
- Enemies are more weakened.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
> 25% White WT
- Enemies are slightly weakened.
Black World Tendency
< -25% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
< -50% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- Item Drop Rate is increased.
- Black Phantom Enemies appear.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -75% Black WT
- Primeval Demon appears.
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -90% Black WT
- Black Phantom Rydell appears.
- Sodden Ring appears.
Shrine of Storms
White World Tendency
> 90% White WT
- Satsuki appears.
- A corpse with the Magic Sword Makoto can be found.
> 75% White WT
- Enemies are weakened.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
> 50% White WT
- Enemies are more weakened.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
> 25% White WT
- Enemies are slightly weakened.
Black World Tendency
< -25% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
< -50% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- Item Drop Rate is increased.
- Black Phantom Enemies appear.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -75% Black WT
- Primeval Demon appears.
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -90% Black WT
- Black Phantom Satsuki appears.
Valley of Defilement
White World Tendency
> 90% White WT
- Selen Vinland appears.
- Black Phantom Garl Vinland appears if stage 5-3 is cleared.
- A ladder leading to the Istarelle spear appears in stage 5-1.
> 75% White WT
- Enemies are weakened.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
> 50% White WT
- Enemies are more weakened.
- Player's attack power in Soul Form is increased.
- Phantom Player's attack power is also increased.
> 25% White WT
- Enemies are slightly weakened.
Black World Tendency
< -25% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
< -50% Black WT
- Enemies are strengthened.
- Item Drop Rate is increased.
- Black Phantom Enemies appear.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -75% Black WT
- Primeval Demon appears.
- Enemies are strengthened.
- The amount of Souls gained is increased.
- Player's MAX HP in Soul Form is decreased.
- Black Phantom Player's attack power is increased.
< -90% Black WT
- Black Phantom Selen Vinland appears.
Anonymous
- Anonymous
23 Aug 2021 19:19
Did bluepoint add more items in pure white and black tendency than just the sodden ring? That’s the only one I know of and I made sure to grab it but I’m now wondering if I’ve been missing other items when I reach pure white/black and just go straight for the events that I know from the original... anyone?
- Anonymous
15 Aug 2021 04:02
They added a death counter to a game where suicide is mandatory to unlock certain bits of content, bit pointless.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
05 Aug 2021 19:55
I started playing the new one and I genuinely can’t see a difference in my world tendency after defeating the first boss of each world even though I could in the original. Making it even more difficult to tell in the remake is a baffling decision.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
29 Jul 2021 13:20
Any way to get pure black world tendency without dying?
I'm on 0 deaths well into ng+ and would be really bumed out to have to mess up my stats for a feature...
- Anonymous
23 Jul 2021 19:45
Most garbage mechanic. I know it's too give the game replay value but did they have too make it so complicated to switch tendencies? And on top of that not explain it. Should have fixed it or completely done away with it for the remake. Same goes for the healthbar mechanic.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
28 May 2021 07:50
What a great mechanic - being in soul form at any point you get invaded either by R1 spammers with crusher or mage buff meta firestorm. Instantly negates the +30 you get from killing a boss which you can't easily get back if you're going for PWWT. Suppose it's my fault for not instantly going back to nexus and throwing myself off the top. I love Souls and that includes this beautiful remake but honestly what a garbage mechanic
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
28 Apr 2021 19:18
Maybe I'm just super blind, but can someone tell me the difference between the BWT and PBWT symbols? The symbol in my world tendency status looks the same or at least very very similar as the PBWT one here, but Rydell's phantom isn't spawning
26 Apr 2021 15:04
Really wish they would have made co-op and invasions effect world tendency for host and phantoms as a way to keep the online community active.
- Anonymous
16 Apr 2021 19:17
I'm PureWhite World tendancy in all, but when I couldnt get ceramic coind in 4-1, I seem I'm one notch off PureWhite. I must have died in body form in ng+ without recalling. I'm trying to get all the PureWhite coins and the PWWT as well. I'd love for somone to invade me in 4-1 so I can **** to white in world and character. I'd be happy to return the favor. FWIW: I'n never invaded, but would be happy to learn how
Message me so we can set it up
PSN: jetguat
12 Apr 2021 23:08
I just read that with patch 1.0.0.4 , that invading using black stone and password based server doesnt work anymore. Anyone hear try that. If thats true. how best to get to PWCT? do you have to go all black by killing NPC. then trying to kill the black NPC to get back to white?
do you need a new ng+ in between? or can you kill off some ingame npc to black... and then the black NPC will be there in the same play thru?
10 Apr 2021 02:04
Is there someone that can help me in Shrine of Storms. I need one kill to regain PWWT, but I would like a couple to also gain PWCT. Please please. PSN jetguat
- Anonymous
06 Apr 2021 10:20
I have been dying a lot against 3-2 boss (always in soul form, in NG+ ) and at some point my world tendency rised and got pure white... thanks game it made it much easier ^^
- Anonymous
05 Apr 2021 20:27
I lost PWWT in 4. Need to regain that and reach PWCT.
Help me with invade and I'll help you.
PSN: jetguat
- Anonymous
05 Apr 2021 04:53
Due Respect i think the info about invading doesnt have impact in your world tendency is worng, i try in different worlds how my invading affect or no the world, in all the case i kill the host that make my WT blackest.. beside have not sense that my WT became black pure with only two deaths or without killing npcs. Any thoughts?
- Anonymous
28 Mar 2021 01:25
Is it possible to come back from pure black char tendancy thru coop? Been helping players kill penetrator for a while and haven’t noticed any change
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
07 Feb 2021 19:54
Need help with the invade trophy PSN: xSlayerAE
I will help in anything in return.
- Anonymous
06 Feb 2021 21:36
anyone willing to swap invades for the first, second and fifth area? PSN: SartekBattleCry
06 Sep 2021 16:22
i died in human form when i already had pwwt but i wasnt able to get to do all the pwwt events is their a way to get pwwt again??
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