Elden Ring is shaping up to be one of the most influential game releases of its entire generation, and the hauntingly beautiful world of The Lands Between is at the core of its success. Featuring what is likely the most well-realized setting ever crafted by FromSoftware, Elden Ring has maintained its cultural status after over a year of competition since its initial launch. Between the hours of facing a plethora of deadly foes and areas of treacherous terrain alike, a nuanced narrative acts as the glue holding all the elements together. With Elden Ring’s lore being the most heavily analyzed in the genre so far, the touching yet ambiguous characters that form it are its true lifeblood.
While many characters fill the cast of Elden Ring's The Lands Between, rarely does a story ever amount to much more than a vignette in terms of direct exposition. The “Soulsborne” genre is infamous for delivering its lore in subtle hints scattered throughout the levels of the game, and Elden Ring’s nearly post-apocalyptic landscape is no exception. As players journey to vanquish the demigods and become Elden Lord, a vivid picture of the power struggle around the Golden Order is painted. One major character, however, defies understanding and seems to be left up to interpretation no matter how much the player searches for details.
Melina’s Uncanny Connection to Ranni
One consistent trope across many of FromSoftware’s RPGs is that of a maiden who assists the player, and the character Melina fills this role in Elden Ring. Seemingly a simple analogue to the Maiden in Black of Demon’s Souls, Doll of Bloodborne, or Emerald Herald of Dark Souls 2, Melina appears to simply be an NPC that allows the Tarnished to level up. As the story of Elden Ring progresses, however, virtually every aspect of the world receives context and lore except for her. Barely ever becoming directly involved with the story, Melina is far more than the self-sacrificing, selfless maiden that she presents herself to be.
As one of the few forces acting against the Greater Will, Melina can be seen as parallel to Ranni the Witch. If the player chooses to see Ranni’s questline through, the path to the Age of Stars ending sees opposition to the Greater Will that is reminiscent of Melina’s decision to imbue a Tarnished with the power of Runes. Furthermore, Ranni is a spectral being possessing a doll body and Melina is identical to the “true” spirit face that is seen transparently manifested next to this doll. Melina similarly seems to be a non-physical apparition as the fake Finger Maiden of the player, but this parallel is never addressed throughout the entire game.
It may never be officially confirmed, but it appears that Ranni and Melina are either directly related as sisters or somehow two halves of the same being. The biggest hints about the origin of Melina come in the form of her vague dialogue pieces regarding her past, a history that could hold the secret to Elden Ring’s entire scenario. Melina directly tells the player that she was born inside the Erdtree and given purpose there by her mother, heavily implying that she is an Empyrean born under Queen Marika. This revelation also comes with the statement by Melina that her spectral form is a direct result of her body having been burned away, the exact same fate that Ranni met.
Is Melina the Alter Ego of the Gloam-Eyed Queen?
The Gloam-Eyed Queen, also known as the Dusk-eyed Queen, is a character only mentioned in item descriptions despite her massive importance in the events leading up to Elden Ring. She was said to control Destined Death before Marika had Maliketh seize this control to create the deathless world seen in Elden Ring. The Gloam-Eyed Queen was said to have birthed the order of the Godskin, giving them the power of the Black Flame which could kill even gods when death still existed.
With the Godskins delivering Destined Death to even the demigod children of Marika and fashioning garments from their targets, it’s possible this conflict incited the current deathless Golden Order seen in Elden Ring. The Black Flame is said to have had the power to burn through anything when the Rune of Death was in place, a trait that is shared by the Frenzied Flame of Elden Ring. An unexpected conflict with Melina will arise and offer the most valuable look into her true nature if the player goes down the dark path of achieving Elden Ring's Flame of Frenzy ending, as she appears to reveal herself as the Gloam-Eyed Queen all along.
If the gods of The Lands Between come into power by force, it stands to reason that Marika and her beast partner could have attacked the ruling Gloam-Eyed Queen and taken over the ancient version of the Elden Ring seen in Crumbling Farum Azula. With the Rune of Death sealed away until the Night of Black Knives, the Gloam-Eyed Queen would have been killed with her version of the Erdtree, left “burnt and bodiless”. The manifestation of the spirit to this body could be seen as a sort of “birth”, leading to the creation of Melina.
While it may have seemed Ranni and Melina could be sisters of some kind initially, the truth could be much more complicated. Ranni was the true mastermind behind the Night of Black Knives that caused the half-death of Godwyn, and her theft of a fragment of the Rune of Death facilitated this entire operation. The power of death was imbued into the Black Knives by Ranni, but for her to distribute this power she may have needed to first absorb it into her own self.
The true body of Ranni is found burnt and scarred with the Cursemark of Death, and perhaps her spirit has been similarly marked. Melina’s ghostly attachment to Ranni could simply be a vestige of her presence in the Rune of Death that has been so closely tied to the witch by the time of the Tarnished. While the reality of Melina’s character has been left unknown by FromSoftware, players can expect the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC to add even more depth to the lore of Elden Ring when the time comes.
Elden Ring is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
