From Software has a legacy of an obsessed and often ridiculous community for its games. To be fair, From Software has fostered this type of community through its cryptic storytelling, atypical multiplayer functionality, and dedication to a hardcore audience. Elden Ring is no different in this regard, though its popularity has brought in an incredible wave of new fans. It's probably best then to reintroduce everyone to The Wall, a nearly decade-old Dark Souls meme that's now been resurrected.
10 years ago a Venezualan YouTube content creator named OnlyAfro began making videos for Dark Souls. These videos fit in well with a certain niche within From Software's fanbase that loved edgy humor and PvP shenanigans. One of OnlyAfro's most successful videos was named The Wall, which lives on as a virally popular meme build within the From Software community. The build is, at its heart, very simple. It duel-wields shields and is a pain to fight against.
It was only a matter of time before an Elden Ring player attempted to recreate the classic meme, which is exactly what YouTuber Grimmy has done. Grimmy has doubled up on the Fingerprint Stone Shield and is otherwise wearing a full set of Bull-Goat Armor, Elden Ring's most impressive heavy armor. The video they created features a dual between The Wall and a Pumpkin Helmed opponent. The whole fight through, Grimmy slowly stalks their enemy. They block all offensive maneuvers, they never run, and they win.
Grimmy's video is significantly different from the original The Wall from OnlyAfro, of course. OnlyAfro's The Wall focused on invasions in the upper areas of Anor Londo where it was easy to push opponents off of ledges. It featured multiple fights, not all of them successful, with some goofy clips from other media intercut. Grimmy's is just a single duel, though they did keep the music - pro wrestler Mark Henry's theme, "The Wall."
Ultimately, The Wall is just another way for the From Software community to celebrate itself. OnlyAfro doesn't really produce YouTube videos anymore, choosing to stream on Twitch instead. As such, they're unlikely to recreate The Wall even though they have played quite a bit of Elden Ring. Grimmy's video is a fitting tribute.
Grimmy's video could bring back the memory of The Wall for many Elden Ring players, and soon there could be a wave of The Wall tributes. It'd be exciting to see just what a PvP player duel-wielding shields could manage to do as an invader. Duels might be a struggle with the current Elden Ring bleed meta, but two shields and the right spirit weapon art in an invasion could cause a lot of trouble.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
