Shadow of the Erdtree promises to answer many questions Elden Ring players have had since completing the game. We’re going to get more of a backstory on Miquella, Queen Renala, and even an entirely new character, Messmer.
While the DLC seems to be focused on Miquella, his sibling may also be getting a bit of the spotlight. Malenia, Blade of Miquella, the bane of thousands, and LetMeSoloHer’s practice dummy could be a special character of interest that people appear to be glossing over with the drop of the new trailer.
Malenia’s Backstory Is Hinted at Through the Shadow of the Erdtree Trailer, Miyazaki’s Interview, and Lore
The Shadow of the Erdtree trailer gave us a fair bit of information while holding just enough back to keep us guessing. Soon after, FromSoftware’s Hidetaka Miyazaki interviewed with IGN, where he answered several questions regarding the upcoming expansion. When asked about the difficulty of the DLC, Miyazaki dropped the mention of Malenia, arguably one of the toughest bosses in the game.
Our more hardcore players, they will find optional bosses who have been tuned in a similar way to the likes of Malenia.
While the interviewer only responds with an “Oh, God,” what if we truly get to see more of Malenia, even her formative years, in Shadow of the Erdtree? We already know this is not taking place in the same timeline as the base game, seeing as we saw a young Queen Renala. By reading some item descriptions from the base game and viewing the trailer, one can see why we feel Malenia’s story will be a part of the expansion.
The Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom talisman, which can be obtained by following Gowry’s questline involving Millicent, states that a young girl born into the accursed rot gained wings of unparalleled strength when she encountered her mentor with a flowing blade. The Blue Dancer Charm talisman says the dancer is representing a fairy who bestowed a flowing sword onto a blind swordsman who sealed away an ancient god that was Rot itself.
The wings of unparalleled strength no doubt refer to Malenia in her Goddess of Rot form. The flowing blade, mentioned in both descriptions, also points to the same swordsman, making the blind swordsman Malenia’s mentor. Malenia’s signature move is also called the Waterfowl Dance, where her blade pretty much flows without interruption.
The Trailer Also Showcased a Dancing Fighter Twirling in Combat With a Tarnished
Around the 2:09 mark in the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer, we see the Tarnished locked in combat with an individual wearing a red cloak and wielding two curved swords. The red-cloaked individual’s fighting style is also very fluid, with the blades moving and flowing from one attack to another. The cloak even resembles the garb shown in the Blue Dancer Charm talisman.
Now, this might not necessarily be the blind swordsman himself, but who’s to say Malenia was his only pupil? With Miquella such an integral part of the story, it stands to reason his closest sibling will also be featured to some extent.
Miyazaki’s words of these Malenia-like characters being optional bosses and for the hardcore players also underscore that we are in for a tough fight. It could be we face off against a younger Malenia, or the blind swordsman himself.
Would you like to face a younger Malenia? Let us know in the comments below!
