Elden Ring has its fair share of horror, as do all of the FromSoftware games. It’s just not the kind of horror you might be thinking of.
Sure, you’ve got dark and ambient environments and some grotesque enemies ready to jump at you from behind a bunch of boxes. But, a significant part of Miyazaki’s style of horror lies in the story-telling. And, boy, does Shadow of the Erdtree have a horrifying story to tell you in the most subtle way ever. Blink, and you’ll miss it.
The Elden Ring DLC Might Make You a Marika-Sympathizer
Shadow of the Erdtree‘s release shines a new light on the enigmatic character of Marika. You might abhor her based on what the game has revealed so far, but this theory paints her as a figure deserving of much more sympathy.
X/Twitter user @_7albi suggests that Marika’s origins are marked by unimaginable horrors. Her backstory may be based on the gruesome practices of the Hornsent, who are believed to have terrible atrocities against her home village.
This theory centers around the Jar Innards found in Belurat Gaol, which bears an unsettling resemblance to Marika.
They even have a brand on their foreheads that looks like the symbol found on her and Radagon’s seal.
The Innard Meat you get from these creatures has a description that reads:
Scraps of flesh for filling great jars. Rancorous spirits cling to the pinkish-red, ******ing meat. This is what becomes of the condemned, who get sliced up and stuffed into jars to become saints instead.
The theory suggests that the Jar Innards were once people from Marika’s village, forcibly transformed into “saints” by being sliced up and stuffed into a jar and reborn.
Maybe Marika Does Deserve Rights
If this theory is true, then it puts Marika’s actions in a completely new light. If her family and village were forced through what is essentially a living hell, it’s clear why she would go to great lengths to achieve Godhood.
She wanted to stick it to the Hornsent while ensuring her people weren’t forgotten but avenged. Whether what she did was justified or not, is up to the player.
The scene from the Shadow of the Erdtree story trailer, where Marika is seen pulling golden strings from a lump of flesh, could symbolize her attempt to salvage the remains of her people, integrating their suffering into her divine ascension.
Another aspect of the theory involves the pivotal figure of the Two Fingers, who possibly seduced Marika with promises of power and vengeance. Remember this line from the story trailer:
….the beginning: the seduction, and the betrayal; an affair from which gold arose…
By becoming a vessel for the Elden Ring, Marika could gain the strength needed to avenge her people. Rather than a homicidal maniac, she comes off as a tragic figure caught between divine duty and personal vengeance.
What are your thoughts about this theory? Do you have any of your own surrounding Marika’s motivations? Let us know in the comments below!
