Godfrey is perhaps one of the most interesting characters players meet in Elden Ring. They’ll face his spirit at one point, face him again alongside his battle spirit manifested as a lion, and his true form as Hoarah Loux. Lore will reveal that he was the first Elden Lord who, after supposedly losing his battle spirit, was exiled from The Lands Between by his wife Marika and becomes the first Tarnished.
Yet, when it comes to Marika in Elden Ring, nothing is ever as obvious as it seems. One could argue that Marika is the true antagonist of Elden Ring, setting into motion a series of events and wars to kill The Greater Will and set herself free from its control. It’s a sympathetic reason, sure, but still, no one knows exactly why Marika banished her first husband and then took up her second, Radagon, who is also some part of Marika.
Last month, some Elden Ring fans found cut dialogue belonging to Godfrey. Many believe it was some lines cut for something better in a trailer or perhaps part of an intro that didn’t make it into the game. Whenever it was supposed to occur, it recontextualizes Godfrey’s marriage to Marika and the role of the Tarnished in the game.
Elden Ring: Godfrey, Marika, and The Tarnished
Namely, the noteworthy bits of dialogue (as seen above) suggest that Godfrey is talking to the Tarnished somewhere beyond The Lands Between. This would imply that the main character is one of the Tarnished who followed Godfrey out of the Lands Between—eventually, answering the call of Grace to return. It would seem that Godfrey and the Tarnished were meant to have a closer relationship than as is in the game currently.
However, it seems that this dialogue also takes place before the shattering, as Godfrey predicts Marika’s actions. This, right here, explains why he became the first Tarnished. The official explanation is that he lost his battle spirit, but the lion is a manifestation of that, so it’s not true. He goes and becomes a Chieftain of the Badlands, again proving that the official explanation doesn’t hold up. It seems the reason Marika made him the first Tarnished was because he knew she planned to betray the Greater Will.
It's a complicated plan when trying to piece it together. The Tarnished, Melina, the Fire of Ruin, the Rune of Death, Godwyn’s death, Ranni, the Night of Black Knives, and more can be traced back to Marika’s plan to betray the Greater Will.
Elden Ring: Godfrey Could Have Led The Tarnished
And that means Marika probably married Godfrey at first to follow an old adage: keep friends close, but enemies closer. Godfrey’s Golden Order and lineage were entirely devoted to The Greater Will, so when he learned of her plan, it likely led to his banishment (which could have been part of the plan from the get-go).
She clearly intended for one of the Tarnished to emerge triumphant against the Greater Will, living the fate of The Lands Between to the Tarnished's chosen Elden Ring ending them as she seemingly has no care for any of them. Perhaps Godfrey, if this dialogue made it into the game, would have tried to lead players to the path of the Golden Order. Perhaps this ties into the Absolute Age cut content. Absolute here can refer to the recreation of the One Great, guided by the Golden Order and Greater Will. No matter what, though, had this made it into the base game, it would have made the encounter between Godfrey and the Tarnished a much more emotional battle.
Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
