One character in the new Dragon’s Dogma 2 reveal trailer looks strikingly similar to Elden Ring’s iconic character, Melina. The similarities between the two are so explicit that any Elden Ring fan would be able to notice.
The reveal trailer for Dragon’s Dogma 2 was shown during the PlayStation Showcase that took place on May 24, 2023. The Melina-looking character shows up around twenty-five seconds into the trailer, and only has about a second of screentime. While only being on the screen for a short second, it was more than enough time for anyone to have wondered if that was Melina.
Is Capcom Nodding to FromSoftware's Elden Ring in the Dragon’s Dogma 2 Trailer?
Both FromSoftware’s Elden Ring and Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma 2 are games that take place in a high fantasy setting, so it’s not too far-fetched for any two characters to have similar qualities. That being said, Melina and the so far unnamed Dragon’s Dogma 2 character are just too alike to not notice.
When thinking of the maiden, Melina, people will automatically remember the dark robe that she wears in every interaction with the player character in Elden Ring. The character in the new Dragon’s Dogma 2 trailer has an almost identical dark robe wrapped around their shoulders. Additionally, the characters both wear very similar styled brown and dull-colored garments under their respective robes.
What's more, both of these characters have reddish hair color that sits at comparable lengths. The main difference with their hair is that Melina from Elden Ring's hair is a lighter red color, while this character from Dragon’s Dogma 2 has a much darker color. However, they do have similar texture to their hair.
With such stark similarities between the looks of these characters, one might wonder if the Dragon’s Dogma 2 trailer character was an intentional nod to FromSoftware and Elden Ring fans. Both games being stories set in epic fantasy worlds means that there is a high probability that a lot of Elden Ring fans will be tuning in to play Dragon’s Dogma 2, and the inclusion of a character that’s familiar to those fans would be a treat. Like Elden Ring, the original Dragon’s Dogma is a highly acclaimed video game, and for something on as big of a scale as that to acknowledge the while extremely popular, still quite niche Soulsborne game that is Elden Ring, is certain to generate a lot of hype.
Another thing fans might wonder about is how similar the characters act in-game. In Elden Ring, Melina is a maiden that guides and aids that player character in their adventure, providing crucial upgrades and Elden Ring’s Torrent, a horse that players can ride through the Lands Between. Maybe Dragon’s Dogma 2’s character will have a similar role, helping the player in some way. Given the piece of dialogue that plays over this character's appearance, it's possible that the character will be crucial to the story.
So far, it’s unclear whether the red-haired character shown in the trailer is an NPC or if they are some kind of a player-created character. The original Dragon’s Dogma included character creation and custom followers called Pawns, so it’s fair to assume that Dragon’s Dogma 2 will feature it as well. If they are a created Pawn or player character, this could be a glimpse into the potential available in Dragon’s Dogma 2’s character customization options when the game releases. The trailer's Melina lookalike makes thinking about all the Elden Ring characters that fans could replicate in Dragon’s Dogma 2 exciting. There are so many interesting characters that players could recreate like Malenia, Blaidd, and maybe even Ranni the Witch.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
