The Tarnished, The Wolf, The Hunter, The Ashen One, The Bearer of the Curse, and the Chosen Undead—FromSoftware employs many names for its protagonists. Any FromSoft veteran can point out similarities between some of these characters, as well as their role in the game, and it speaks to how well-developed FromSoft’s formula is. Any number of comparisons can be drawn between Elden Ring and Bloodborne, Elden Ring and Dark Souls, and so on, but it only endears fans to the developer.
When it comes to Elden Ring and Dark Souls, one comparison is blatantly obvious to veterans but subtle enough to still fly under many radars. That is the similarities between Elden Ring’s Anastasia, Tarnished-Eater and Dark Souls’ Maneater Mildred.
Elden Ring: Who is Anastasia, Tarnished-Eater?
Elden Ring is filled with NPC Invaders, though many times players will only face them once. However, Anastasia, Tarnished-Eater is a completely different story. Players will encounter Anastasia for the first time at the Smoldering Church in Caelid but will find her later near Mt. Gelmir and again in the Consecrated Snowfield.
Anastasia can be a tough fight for the Tarnished, thanks to her cloth armor, curved greatsword, and resistance to slash damage. The best bet against her is Strike Damage, but either way, players can claim a Furcalling finger Remedy every time they beat her, as well as the Sacred Scorpion Charm, Butchering Knife, and Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone (third invasion, for this last Elden Ring crafting material). Player should also know that, if they defeat the regional boss before her, she will not spawn in that area again.
There’s not much lore to Anastasia, but she is described as someone who pretends to be a Finger Maiden to draw in unexpecting, Maidenless Tarnished. Her Butchering Knife is particular of note, as the item description states: “Huge carving knife made to cleanly butcher the human body. Signature weapon of the Ogress Anastasia, known to have eaten countless Tarnished while disguised as a Finger Maiden.”
If the name isn’t a giveaway enough, the Butcher Knife confirms Anastasia’s eating habits, but it’s also the main connection to the Dark Souls character, Maneater Mildred.
Dark Souls: Who is Maneater Mildred
Much like Anastasia, Maneater Mildred is an invader (called a Phantom) in Dark Souls. There are some notable differences, such as Anastasia popping up multiple times and wearing cloth armor. Maneater Mildred only wears a Sack on her head and comes equipped with a Butcher Knife. As her name could suggest, players can only spawn her when in human form. Undead probably don’t taste too well. She is immune to Blighttown’s poisonous swamp (and Dark Souls fans know how much Miyazaki loves swamps).
Just as Anastasia will not spawn if the regional boss is defeated, Maneater Mildred will no longer spawn if players kill Quelaag in Dark Souls. Should players choose to fight and defeat Maneater Mildred beforehand though, they’ll be able to summon her to aid in that fight.
Maneater Mildred’s Bucher Knife also bears some interesting lore: “Giant butcher knife wielded by the Undead man-eating cook lurking in the Depths. More of a tool for subduing and preparing live catches than an actual weapon. Those who have faced this deadly blade have a deeper sense of how helpless prey must feel."
Elden Ring and Dark Souls: Anastasia vs. Mildred
Many FromSoftware veterans have taken Anastasia, Tarnished-Eater as a homage of sorts to Maneater Mildred, and it lines up perfectly. Their particular choice of cannibalism is obviously noteworthy, with Anastasia only eating Tarnished and Mildred only eating a human Dark Souls character. Their dinner choice clearly revolves around the protagonist (and presumably those like them).
Of course, cannibalism does not come across as a shock in Elden Ring or Dark Souls, but the real kicker of this comparison is their drop: the Butcher Knives. Giving them both this specific weapon makes the comparison crystal clear, both of which carry explicit lore about their otherwise mysterious owners. It may be little more than a nod, but it is a nod between these two characters.
Of course, players will spot similarities like these between all games in FromSoftware’s catalog. Many of them feature recurring themes (an important role for fire, a world far past its prime), and there are many comparisons to be drawn between characters like Elden Ring’s Malenia and Bloodborne’s Maria. The fact that sometimes these are obvious and sometimes they are not speaks to how uniquely FromSoft approaches each of these concepts in its new works.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Dark Souls Remastered is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.