10 Elden Ring Theories That Might Actually Be True
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VOICE OVER: Mathew Arter
WRITTEN BY: Mathew Arter
The mysterious world of "Elden Ring" has given life to mind-blowing fan theories that just might be true. Welcome to MojoPlays and today, we're exploring the most intriguing speculations about the Lands Between that could change how you see the game forever. We'll cover theories that explore everything from Ranni's potential role in the Shattering, the connection to other FromSoftware games, and the mysterious divine towers that might hint at future DLC. Which of these theories do you believe? Share your thoughts in the comments!
10 Elden Ring Theories That Might be True
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re having some fun and speculating wildly. True, or not, there’s no denying that these are very fun to talk about. These are 10 Elden Ring Theories That Might be True! There have already been arguments for and against a lot of these, so whether or not you believe it, let a little whimsy into your heart, and join me for this journey... Or jump in a lake of rot.
Melina’s Origin
This is one of those fan theories that has been built upon some truly solid info, with some players thinking “duh, it’s obvious”. While it seems obvious when all of the information is gathered, there is never anything 100% solid to label Melina’s origin, leading players to speculate from the contextual information that she is Messmer’s sister. We know for sure that they are both children of Marika’s, but in Elden Ring, that can mean more than the simple version of siblings that we understand. This idea that they ARE siblings stems from their potential thematic connections, with Melina’s ties to the Erdtree and guidance of the Tarnished paralleling Messmer’s speculated role as an enforcer of order through force. Fans point to possible parallels in their names and symbolic duality: Melina represents sacrifice and renewal, while “The Impaler” implies punishment and finality. They contrast so much that it seems intentional. Or unrelated, but that’s no fun.
Endgame Gravity
First of all, to understand this theory, you have to accept a totally separate theory. Don’t question it, just accept this for the fun of speculation: Elden Ring is a prequel to the souls games. Got that? Accepting that as fact? Good. A fan theory on Reddit building on this previous theory humorously suggests that Elden Ring's endgame strengthens gravity, making jumping nearly impossible without special preparation, like in the Souls games. While this theory is mostly lighthearted, it has one intriguing piece of evidence, the noticeable lack of or difficulty in jumping in earlier Souls titles. If these games are connected to Elden Ring, this could imply a significant change occurred in the world’s physics. Though speculative, it’s just a bit of bloody fun... Which doesn’t mean it’s false.
Maiden Killer
At the start of the game, in the Chapel of Anticipation, we encounter the lifeless body of a maiden. Some players theorize that she was meant to be our character’s maiden. Shortly after emerging into Limgrave, we meet White Mask Varre, who comments on our "maidenless" state and directs us toward Stormveil Castle. Varre, a manipulative and widely disliked character among players who follow his questline, is suspected by some to have killed our maiden. Evidence supporting this theory includes his suspicious knowledge of her fate and his presence at the beginning. His questline even involves sacrificing a maiden, adding weight to this super dark possibility. God, this is like CSI.
Elden Ring is Reality
Now, this theory has had a nice bow wrapped around it already, but it was so important to the player/game connection that it feels worthwhile talking about. Fan curiosity is sometimes deliberately rewarded by game designers but more often fans uncover truths inadvertently. Before Elden Ring’s release, a popular theory suggested that the Elden Ring represented the very concept of reality within the game’s universe. According to this theory, the Elden Ring was the foundation of life, death, and rebirth, central to the game’s story. This idea was NEARLY spot-on. In the game, the Elden Ring indeed governs existence, encompassing death, immortality, and the mechanics of the world. The quest to restore the shattered Elden Ring drives the entire plot, validating the fans’ early speculation ALMOST entirely.
Painted World Theory
Paintings hold a notable role in Elden Ring and other Soulsborne games, even though SOME players in Elden Ring may have never even interacted with them. In Elden Ring, they serve as collectibles that guide players to hidden rewards when the depicted locations are found. However, there may be a deeper link between The Lands Between and the Dark Souls universe through the concept of paintings. In the conclusion of Dark Souls 3’s Ringed City DLC, the painting woman begins creating a new world using the Blood of the Dark Soul. This theory speculates that this new world might eventually become the Elden Ring world, The Lands Between, bridging the two universes in a symbolic way. This is as fun as a fan theory gets!
Branching Endings
Strap in. Elden Ring offers six possible endings, each leaving the world in a unique state. Among them, three endings have sparked speculation among Soulsborne fans as potential preludes to other games in the series. Some fans suggested thematic connections between these endings and earlier Soulsborne titles. The Frenzied Flame ending, which annihilates the Golden Order, is theorized to set the stage for the undead seen in Dark Souls. The Age of Stars ending, with its focus on lunar magic and the moon replacing the Erdtree, is theorized to set the stage for Bloodborne. Lastly, the Destined Death ending, while a subtler link, is theorized to set the stage for Demon’s Souls. Can you connect the other endings with other From Software games? Have a crack, it’s fun.
Spirits of Children
The Lands Between is filled with big evil ar**holes, and lovely little friends. Some monsters attack the Tarnished on sight, others bail pretty damn quick, and some remain indifferent (unless provoked). Among these are the floating jellyfish scattered across the world, which may have a particularly dark backstory. Some players may have discovered small graves linked to the spirit ash jellyfish Aurelia and her sister, suggesting these creatures could be the reincarnated spirits of children who perished in The Lands Between. With this haunting possibility in mind, it might be worth reconsidering before attacking these serene jellyfish for their small rune rewards… Or hit them harder? I don’t know how ya’ll feel about dead kids. Jesus. That’s dark even for me.
The Divine Towers
The map of Elden Ring is vast, with most cities and key locations placed in asymmetrical, organic patterns, except for the six divine towers, THESE DAMN TOWERS! Players are STILL trying to find hidden secrets amongst these towers, but think about this: These towers are precisely positioned, and drawing a line between them leads to a specific point in the center of the map. This central location is currently obscured by a large cloud. Fans are eagerly speculating about FromSoftware’s future plans for Elden Ring, and this hidden location could be setting the stage for intriguing storylines in a potential future DLC. Unfortunately, we’ve had no future DLC confirmed, which has led a lot of players to end their speculation on this marker...
Ranni’s Plans
Ranni the Witch, the former shard bearer of the Elden Ring, is a central character in the game, she has a deep questline that reveals much about her and the world’s history. However, she may have played a more significant role in the events of the Shattering than she admits. According to a theory that has circulated on Reddit, Ranni could have been the catalyst for the chain of events that led to the Elden Ring’s destruction.The theory suggests that in defiance of the Greater Will, she ended her own life to break free from the influence of her Great Rune, and she attempted to liberate other shard bearers, ultimately contributing to the Shattering.
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re having some fun and speculating wildly. True, or not, there’s no denying that these are very fun to talk about. These are 10 Elden Ring Theories That Might be True! There have already been arguments for and against a lot of these, so whether or not you believe it, let a little whimsy into your heart, and join me for this journey... Or jump in a lake of rot.
Naming Torrent
There is no tool in Elden Ring that is more appreciated than your trusty horse/goat/angel/bestfriend mount, Torrent. I think it’s possible I used Torrent more than I used my flask of Crimson Tears. The controls and movement of Torrent are highly responsive and smooth, and there was clearly a LOT of time put into making Torrent as useful as possible, but turns out his name might have been more practical than creative. While the mount's name has a cool ring to it, some fans speculate that the developers named the horse "Torrent" as a clever tactic to deter piracy via torrent-sharing sites. The idea is both simple and ingenious, searching "Elden Ring torrent" is more likely to lead to information about the horse rather than illegal copies of the game, which if true, is one of the most clever things I’ve seen in a video game in 30 years.Melina’s Origin
This is one of those fan theories that has been built upon some truly solid info, with some players thinking “duh, it’s obvious”. While it seems obvious when all of the information is gathered, there is never anything 100% solid to label Melina’s origin, leading players to speculate from the contextual information that she is Messmer’s sister. We know for sure that they are both children of Marika’s, but in Elden Ring, that can mean more than the simple version of siblings that we understand. This idea that they ARE siblings stems from their potential thematic connections, with Melina’s ties to the Erdtree and guidance of the Tarnished paralleling Messmer’s speculated role as an enforcer of order through force. Fans point to possible parallels in their names and symbolic duality: Melina represents sacrifice and renewal, while “The Impaler” implies punishment and finality. They contrast so much that it seems intentional. Or unrelated, but that’s no fun.
Endgame Gravity
First of all, to understand this theory, you have to accept a totally separate theory. Don’t question it, just accept this for the fun of speculation: Elden Ring is a prequel to the souls games. Got that? Accepting that as fact? Good. A fan theory on Reddit building on this previous theory humorously suggests that Elden Ring's endgame strengthens gravity, making jumping nearly impossible without special preparation, like in the Souls games. While this theory is mostly lighthearted, it has one intriguing piece of evidence, the noticeable lack of or difficulty in jumping in earlier Souls titles. If these games are connected to Elden Ring, this could imply a significant change occurred in the world’s physics. Though speculative, it’s just a bit of bloody fun... Which doesn’t mean it’s false.
Maiden Killer
At the start of the game, in the Chapel of Anticipation, we encounter the lifeless body of a maiden. Some players theorize that she was meant to be our character’s maiden. Shortly after emerging into Limgrave, we meet White Mask Varre, who comments on our "maidenless" state and directs us toward Stormveil Castle. Varre, a manipulative and widely disliked character among players who follow his questline, is suspected by some to have killed our maiden. Evidence supporting this theory includes his suspicious knowledge of her fate and his presence at the beginning. His questline even involves sacrificing a maiden, adding weight to this super dark possibility. God, this is like CSI.
Elden Ring is Reality
Now, this theory has had a nice bow wrapped around it already, but it was so important to the player/game connection that it feels worthwhile talking about. Fan curiosity is sometimes deliberately rewarded by game designers but more often fans uncover truths inadvertently. Before Elden Ring’s release, a popular theory suggested that the Elden Ring represented the very concept of reality within the game’s universe. According to this theory, the Elden Ring was the foundation of life, death, and rebirth, central to the game’s story. This idea was NEARLY spot-on. In the game, the Elden Ring indeed governs existence, encompassing death, immortality, and the mechanics of the world. The quest to restore the shattered Elden Ring drives the entire plot, validating the fans’ early speculation ALMOST entirely.
Painted World Theory
Paintings hold a notable role in Elden Ring and other Soulsborne games, even though SOME players in Elden Ring may have never even interacted with them. In Elden Ring, they serve as collectibles that guide players to hidden rewards when the depicted locations are found. However, there may be a deeper link between The Lands Between and the Dark Souls universe through the concept of paintings. In the conclusion of Dark Souls 3’s Ringed City DLC, the painting woman begins creating a new world using the Blood of the Dark Soul. This theory speculates that this new world might eventually become the Elden Ring world, The Lands Between, bridging the two universes in a symbolic way. This is as fun as a fan theory gets!
Branching Endings
Strap in. Elden Ring offers six possible endings, each leaving the world in a unique state. Among them, three endings have sparked speculation among Soulsborne fans as potential preludes to other games in the series. Some fans suggested thematic connections between these endings and earlier Soulsborne titles. The Frenzied Flame ending, which annihilates the Golden Order, is theorized to set the stage for the undead seen in Dark Souls. The Age of Stars ending, with its focus on lunar magic and the moon replacing the Erdtree, is theorized to set the stage for Bloodborne. Lastly, the Destined Death ending, while a subtler link, is theorized to set the stage for Demon’s Souls. Can you connect the other endings with other From Software games? Have a crack, it’s fun.
Spirits of Children
The Lands Between is filled with big evil ar**holes, and lovely little friends. Some monsters attack the Tarnished on sight, others bail pretty damn quick, and some remain indifferent (unless provoked). Among these are the floating jellyfish scattered across the world, which may have a particularly dark backstory. Some players may have discovered small graves linked to the spirit ash jellyfish Aurelia and her sister, suggesting these creatures could be the reincarnated spirits of children who perished in The Lands Between. With this haunting possibility in mind, it might be worth reconsidering before attacking these serene jellyfish for their small rune rewards… Or hit them harder? I don’t know how ya’ll feel about dead kids. Jesus. That’s dark even for me.
The Divine Towers
The map of Elden Ring is vast, with most cities and key locations placed in asymmetrical, organic patterns, except for the six divine towers, THESE DAMN TOWERS! Players are STILL trying to find hidden secrets amongst these towers, but think about this: These towers are precisely positioned, and drawing a line between them leads to a specific point in the center of the map. This central location is currently obscured by a large cloud. Fans are eagerly speculating about FromSoftware’s future plans for Elden Ring, and this hidden location could be setting the stage for intriguing storylines in a potential future DLC. Unfortunately, we’ve had no future DLC confirmed, which has led a lot of players to end their speculation on this marker...
Ranni’s Plans
Ranni the Witch, the former shard bearer of the Elden Ring, is a central character in the game, she has a deep questline that reveals much about her and the world’s history. However, she may have played a more significant role in the events of the Shattering than she admits. According to a theory that has circulated on Reddit, Ranni could have been the catalyst for the chain of events that led to the Elden Ring’s destruction.The theory suggests that in defiance of the Greater Will, she ended her own life to break free from the influence of her Great Rune, and she attempted to liberate other shard bearers, ultimately contributing to the Shattering.
