It appears that we still haven't seen the last of Lord Gwyn's mighty knights - Dragonslayer Ornstein appears before us once more. But this time, he's alone, and something seems… odd. Instead of the lightning powers that he once possessed, he attacks with the power of Darkness. Is this truly the same proud knight we faced in Lordran so long ago? If so, the flow of time is distorted, indeed. If not, then where else could this Old Dragonslayer have come from?"
— Dark Souls II Collector's Edition Guide