Action RPG

Hear Me Out, Elden Ring Nightreign’s Final Boss Is The Tarnished

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In the narrative of Elden Ring: Nightreign, it holds a unique position within the storyline. As stated by director Junya Ishizaki, this tale exists independently and concurrently, unfolding after the cataclysmic event known as the Shattering. While traces of this timeline can be found in character Remembrances such as the Executor’s lament for the lost Erdtree and their quest to create a new legacy, it remains unclear exactly how much time has elapsed since our humble Tarnished ascended to battle divine beings. However, Nightreign appears to offer us a glimpse into the world that remained following their deeds.

You can read more about where Nightreign fits into the canon with IGN’s interview.

One interesting aspect that caught my attention during gameplay is the final boss, a character who seems eerily familiar and has left me wondering if there could be a direct connection between this figure and our journey in the Lands Between. Furthermore, it’s intriguing to consider whether Gwyn’s pantheon ruled before the Empyreans took control.

Spoilers for Elden Ring Nightreign.

The Age Of Stars, Or The Age Of Nightlords?

In Elden Ring, you encounter a young witch who inhabits a porcelain doll, known as the Lunar Princess Ranni. She requests our assistance and intends for us to become her companion. To demonstrate our devotion, we carry out tasks such as eliminating assassins, exploring subterranean cities from long ago, and discovering artifacts crucial to her scheme, like the Fingerslayer Blade. In return, she grants us entry to the Cathedral of Manus Celes, allowing us to wield the Dark Moon Greatsword. This sword was once given by a Carian queen to her spouse, symbolizing Ranni’s crescent moon emblem.

When the enigmatic Figure of Night, later unveiled as Heolstor, the Nightlord, emerged from the shadows veiled in darkness, his outline accentuated by a radiant blue sword, everything fell neatly into place. Indeed, he was Ranni’s companion. His weapon and combat style mirrored that of the Dark Moon Greatsword, even employing its unique abilities. Moreover, he exuded an air of mystery consistent with the Lunar Princess. However, it wasn’t just about appearances.

After we conquer Heolstor, the ultimate foe, we receive the ‘Night of the Lord’ Artifact. This artifact provides some insight into his past, though it’s as cryptic as FromSoftware typically makes it. However, the scant information suggests that our own humble origins as Tarnished might mirror Heolstor’s. His tale begins in a land devastated by events such as Ranni’s theft of Death and Marika’s shattering of the Elden Ring. In this ruined nation, he was brought down by an unnamed hero, reducing him to just another corpse among many.

Similar to how our Tarnished character viewed death as merely an inconvenience, Heolstor seemed to feel the same way. This passage could be rephrased as: “Eventually he regained consciousness, emerging from under his companions.” In a sense, this mirrors our experience after defeating the Grafted Scion, waking up in the Stranded Graveyard and crawling out of the pile of corpses into Limveld.

The “Night Figure” is a term used to describe its enigmatic appearance, possibly due to the unique nature of each Tarnished character, making it difficult to provide a consistent background story.

Following his revival, it’s unclear exactly what transpired, but at a certain moment, he uttered a curse upon the world. The exact manner isn’t specified, but we learn that “a heavy rain descended from the heavens.” This seems to be alluding to the Night’s Tide, the encirclement that occurs whenever an Expedition is undertaken, which in turn suggests that Heolstor cast a shadow over the Lands Between, plunging them into darkness. This appears to echo “the cold night that surrounds everything,” which Ranni foretold in her Age of Stars ending.

If Heolstor is her companion, he’d have been instrumental in bringing about an era devoid of the Golden Order, supporting the woman who snatched Death and openly seeks “the dark path.” To those dwelling in the Lands Between, the Erdtree’s demise, followed swiftly by the gods’ own deaths, could be interpreted as a grim omen.

As a gamer, I find it intriguing to consider Nightreign as an alternate timeline to Elden Ring, where my character, the Tarnished, played a crucial role in stabilizing the Age of Stars instead of the paths like Frenzied Flame or Duskborn. This could mean that Heolstor is none other than my own fallen Tarnished, cast out, deserted, and isolated, hanging onto a world that I once shattered.

FromSoftware Has Done This Before

While it could seem unusual for Elden Ring Nightreign’s final boss to be a player character, it isn’t unprecedented. In Dark Souls 3, the ultimate adversary is the Soul of Cinder, essentially an accumulation of every individual who has ever linked the First Flame before. This character embodies a combination of the player’s moves and spells, along with the original kindler himself – Gwyn.

The conclusions in Dark Souls games were straightforward – either you rekindled the flame or not. Even if you didn’t, the cycle persisted as another would take over. This made it easier to accept concepts like the Soul of Cinder without designating any single ending as true. However, Elden Ring’s endings are more intricate and diverse, making Heolstor a clearer antagonist.

If we suppose that he’s Ranni’s partner, then he resembles every Tarnished who chased the Age of Stars (many of you), which makes his distinctive imagery reminiscent of the Lunar Princess more than anything else. It’s intriguing to speculate about how his appearance might change if he had accepted the Frenzied Flame, or what kind of world Elden Ring could be in under such turmoil. Perhaps this is why FromSoftware is cautious about revealing Nightreign’s role in Elden Ring’s future.

Ironeye’s Recollections underscores the existence of alternate realities, a concept that resonates strongly with Solaire expressing worries about the duration of his world’s connection with ours.

From a fan’s perspective, there are a few minor inconsistencies in the theory, such as why the Grafted Scion is referred to as a ‘hero’ rather than one of Godrick’s monstrous creations. However, everything else fits together perfectly, so I can easily overlook these discrepancies. Looking back now, perhaps the Scion’s brave effort to halt the Night Aspect before they could tear apart the Lands Between solidified their heroic status. Regardless of the reasons, I’m fully convinced – Heolstor is our Tarnished.

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2025-05-31 19:06

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