Favorite Lore Pattern Across SoulsBorne

There are themes that repeat across multiple Miyazaki games, and I’m curious what yours are. For me, it’s the hidden goals of churches/religions; what they purport to represent vs. what their ulterior motives are, and how the ruling classes perpetuated these myths. This would be the Way of White in Souls, Healing Church/Choir/Orphanage in BB, etc.

IIRC Miyazaki has chuckled in interviews at having gained a reputation for distrusting religion, but frankly I see it as canon at this point! The games are deeply cynical about religion, or if not, at least take great care to tell stories about how evil or ultimately empty the structures of these fictional faiths are.

Would love to hear other patterns or themes you have noticed.