Miyazaki Baffled by “Foot Fetish” Rumors Surrounding His Games

FromSoftware’s legendary director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, has responded to the persistent rumors that he harbors a secret fondness for feet in his games. While fans have playfully noticed the recurring theme of bare feet among female characters in titles like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, Miyazaki himself seems genuinely perplexed by the speculation.

The Barefoot Phenomenon

Miyazaki’s games are renowned for their challenging gameplay, atmospheric world-building, and memorable characters. However, a recurring detail that has caught the eye of observant players is the prevalence of bare feet among certain female bosses, NPCs, and allies. Characters like the Maiden in Black from Demons Souls, Sister Friede, and even Malenia in Elden Ring all sport unclad feet.

This detail has become something of an inside joke within the Soulslike community, leading to lighthearted theories about Miyazaki’s personal preferences. However, during a recent interview, Miyazaki addressed the rumors directly.

During an interview with The Guardian in September 2026, Miyazaki was asked about recurring imagery of hands that appear throughout his games, including his latest project, The Duskbloods. He responded by acknowledging the rumor but expressing confusion about its origin.

“It’s not necessarily something I’m consistently aware of – maybe it’s something subconscious coming through,” Miyazaki explained. “Take a look online and there’s a rumor that I have a bit of a thing for feet, but I’m not honestly sure where this comes from. I feel like I’m trying to depict some side of human nature or the human existence that is difficult to describe.”

It seems Miyazaki wasn’t consciously designing characters with bare feet in mind. Instead, he was aiming to convey deeper themes and symbolism related to humanity, ruin, and rebirth. He elaborated on this during his interview:

“[Ruin and rebirth] is an ongoing theme in a lot of my games, I realise,” he said. “That theme on a cosmological scale applies to The Duskbloods as an interesting philosophical area to explore.”

Miyazaki continued, “If we have two ideas of a brighter or dark future, I would tend to sway towards the darker one. But if you explore the ruin and the decay in those worlds, it also lets you explore some chance of rebirth, and I think having that tiny pinprick of light or hope can be something beautiful, something fleeting.”

Whether intentional or not, the recurring motif of bare feet has undoubtedly become a memorable aspect of Miyazaki’s work. It remains to be seen how this theme will evolve in future titles, but one thing is certain: players will continue to scrutinize every detail, searching for hidden meanings and connections.