The Elden Ring fanbase is convinced the trailer for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has proven a popular fan theory about Malenia.
The lore of Elden Ring is dense, to say the least, and because of FromSoftware’s style of storytelling, it has left players always looking for small details to learn more.
With the release of the trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree, fans are back in detective mode as they try to figure out the identity of Messmer, a big character who is coming with the DLC in June.
Thanks to some small clues in the trailer, many Elden Ring players think Messmer is part of a fan theory related to Malenia and other prominent characters.
Elden Ring fans believe DLC trailer confirms Malenia theory
When the trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree dropped, many fans began to wonder about Messmer, the Impaler’s identity, and how they fit into the large, complicated political fare of Elden Ring’s lore.
It seems, though, that the trailer has given them some indication and it may be connected to Malenia, the most infamous of characters from the game.
A post on the Elden Ring subreddit proposes that Messmer’s appearance – as seen in the trailer – points to his being a relative of Malenia and Miquella.
The post shows the three Butterflies, which can be found in Elden Ring, and two of which are given connections to both Malenia and Miquella through their descriptions.
The third Butterfly, the Smoldering Butterfly, didn’t have a clear character to connect with. It seems that is changing with Messmer.
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The responses have been receptive to this idea, with one user commenting:
“I liked the theory one person had that was based on how Marika apparently conquered the shadow realm before she took the lands between and the theory basically was that she left Messmer to rule the shadow realm in her place.”
In response to this, another Elden Ring player points out that the trailer features a statue of a woman holding a baby behind Messmer, which could indicate he is the true firstborn of Marika.
Others are pointing out that it’s also been a popular theory that Melina, the sort of “guide” of players’ Tarnished character in the game, is the third sibling that the Smoldering Butterfly is connected to.
But some think this remains a possibility thanks to other characters in the game having two alter egos:
“Second, there is not any point in the trailer, where we can see Messmer’s left eye open. You know whose left eye is also closed? Melina. If there isn’t something important about his left eye, why can’t we see it?”
All of this is speculation, of course. There’s no telling what – if anything – concrete will be revealed about this part of the lore once Shadow of the Erdtree releases.
However, the theories and discussion are fun and are a big part of what makes FromSoftware games so endearing.
