GamesActionElden RingShadow of the Erdtree changes everything we thought we knew about Elden Ring’s storyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesActionElden RingShadow of the Erdtree changes everything we thought we knew about Elden Ring’s storyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
Miquella is missing in the base version of Elden Ring, but his shadow looms large throughout the Lands Between. You hear whispers of the fair-headed demi-god everywhere, from the wilting lilies lining Elden Ring’s golden path, to history attached to iconic pieces of gear. Malenia calls Miquella the most “fearsome” Empyrean of them all, a description that seems unthinkable after most players barely survive the rot goddess to begin with. Shadow of the Erdtree lets us catch up to the Miquella of myth – and in doing so, we realize nearly everything we believed to be true is wrong.
Though we never meet Miquella in Elden Ring, his influence is omnipresent. Outcasts and undesirables all seek the Haligtree, a location that houses Miquella’s attempt to create a fairer version of the Golden Order. An entire faction in the game is dedicated to Miquella’s scheme to revive his older brother Godwyn through a ritual involving an eclipse. When we explore Mohg’s palace, we discover that the horned Omen has stolen Miquella’s body in the name of communing with a bloodthirsty outer god. Through bits and pieces, we also learn that Malenia is only alive because of Miquella, who fashioned a needle that stops his sister’s rot disease from spreading further.
Revise, Tarnished
(Image credit: FromSoftware)
(Image credit: FromSoftware)
Meanwhile, Miquella’s reputation darkens considerably. Once the player beats the expansion, they acquire a set of armor belonging to a young Radahn. Upon closer inspection, the lore of the helm claims that Malenia informed Radahn of his eventual fate at the hands of Miquella.
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Many players finished Shadow of the Erdtree with a bit of confusion, because the Radahn consort twist seems to come out of left field. But it appears thatFromSoftwarewas planning Miquella’s villain arc all along. Eagle-eyed players have pointed out that the trailer that introduced Elden Ring to the world carried this secret all along. It’s subtle, but if you look closely, you can catch Malenia’s lips moving before she activates her devastating scarlet rot bloom. Presumably, this is the moment referred to in the flavor text of Radahn’s armor.
The revelation is explosive in a way that casts everything into doubt. If Miquella tricked Mohg, a family member, who is to say he was loyal to Malenia, his twin? Did Malenia give into the scarlet rot because it was truly the only way to beat Radahn, or because she might be one of the many ties that Miquella has to shed before he can ascend to godhood? And the most unsettling uncertainty of all: where does this leave the player, who is responsible for many of the events that made Miquella’s plans possible?
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is currently available for the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. If you’re all tuckered out of the Lands Between, you can always check out our list ofgames like Elden Ring.
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