Characters/Avatars near my bonfire

Occasionally when I'm close to a bonfire, a character/avatar will appear. The character looks like an NPC, but I pass through it and am unable to interact with it.

I suspect they are actually other players, but their appearance is much more vivid than the usual ghostly animations seen about the world.

Can anyone confirm what these characters are? Is there any significance to them?

Solution 1:

As you suspected, these are actually other players playing the game. These are similar to the ghosts you sometimes see running around, although more vivid. According to the Dark Souls wiki:

Near bonfires (and only near them), the phantoms of other players are more distinct and visible than elsewhere in the game. Seeing other people resting at the same bonfire helps players realize that these people are probably facing the same challenges.