In Elden Ring, the whole game— mechanics and all, are out to kill the players repeatedly until all that is left of them are broken, disenchanted husks who can only feel rage and exhaustion in equal measure. Its NPCs, for that matter, are also part of this cruel world. More than half of them are cynical and self-serving; the worst are twisted creeps worthy of a Netflix documentary about psychopaths.
Thankfully, Elden Ring chose to balance that out quite a bit with some genuinely nice and brotherly (or sisterly) NPCs. These lovely people act as a beacon of light and contrast to the rather dark and infamous underbelly of the Lands Between. Make sure to treasure every moment with them and definitely don't hit them accidentally. That's maidenless behavior.
10 Roderika
- Location: Stormhill Shack, Roundtable Hold
There's nothing evil or bad about Roderika. She's one of the few normal NPCs that players meet on the way to Stormveil Castle. Roderika is actually hiding in defeat as she's too craven to face the grafted enemies in Stormveil Castle. That would be the Grafted Scion in the kitchens, so truth be told, there's nothing cowardly about what Roderika did, avoiding that enemy.
In any case, from her dialogue alone and her consideration for fallen souls (even those who have been grafted), Roderika is a pure soul herself. She has no pretenses, no ulterior motives, and no lies. Just when players thought she couldn't get nicer, she actually decides to stay with Master Hewg as a form of gratitude. She certainly deserves all that Rune income from Spirit upgrades.
9 Smithing Master Hewg
- Location: Roundtable Hold
Speaking of Hewg, this master blacksmith proves that even those who were born inherently evil need not follow their preordained nature. Despite being an Omen like Morgott/Margit or Mohg, he's neither violent nor scheming. In fact, he might actually be the nicest out of all the Omens in the game.
Despite being imprisoned and ostracized for a genetic disposition he didn't choose, Hewg remained loyal to Marika and to the players. He even took on the role of a father figure to Roderika and gave her a new chance at life without asking for anything in return.
8 Blaidd
- Location: Mistwood Ruins, Nokron, Redmane Castle, Ranni's Rise
Blaidd's tale ended in tragedy but that made all his sane and kind interactions with the players all the more endearing and special. He was the most loyal servant Ranni could have and also the most amicable ally for the players. Unlike other NPCs who simply order the players around, Blaidd walks the talk and actually helps in battle.
He helps players kill Darriwil and also was a huge aid in the fight against Radahn. From the way he talks to the players, there's no hint of condescension nor animosity (minus the final mad conversation with him). It's a shame that Ranni didn't take care of him better.
7 Boc the Seamster
- Location: South of Agheel Lake North Site of Grace
Another kindred soul similar to Roderika, Boc the Seamster has no taint of negativity about him. He's the small demi-human creature who likes to sew and also volunteers to be the player's personal seamster. Boc does this out of pure gratitude and admiration.
He even planned to change his appearance to something more fitting of a regal seamster in order to be more physically appealing in the eyes of the players. But of course, don't let him go through with that cosmetic surgery through Rennala as he'll die. Instead, tell him that he's beautiful as he is through Prattline Pate tools.
6 Jar Bairn
- Location: Jarburg in the east of Liurnia of the Lakes
Jarburg is a lovely little respite in Liurnia of the Lakes well hidden from the chaos and genocide of the Lands Between. So naturally, its citizens, the jar or pot people, are laid-back and stress-free. Jar Bairn is thus the paragon of this town's culture.
He eagerly welcomes the players and isn't two-faced about his honesty when he deems the player's hands as too rough for pottery. As an act of kindness or recompense, Jar Bairn even asked the whole town to give players access to all their useful flowers.
5 Iron Fist Alexander
- Location: Stormhill, Gael Tunnel, Liurnia of the Lakes, Redmane Castle, Mt. Gelmir, Crumbling Farum Azula
It seems that honesty and sincerity run in the Jarburg pot family. Iron Fist Alexander who also hails from Jarburg is another excellent example for all his people. He's a Living Jar who went on an adventure to make himself a bona fide warrior, presumably because poachers were abusing and kidnapping his people.
He never hesitated to compensate the players for all the trouble he caused getting stuck in mudholes throughout the Lands Between. Moreover, he's also a valuable ally in the fight against Radahn even if he kept getting smashed. There's no humbler warrior in Elden Ring than Iron Fist Alexander as even in his final moments, he still respects the players.
4 Rya/Soraya
- Location: Liurnia of the Lakes, Volcano Manor
Put them side-by-side together in a conversation and one might easily mistake Rya and Roderika for sisters. Both of them are tenderhearted, compassionate people who never manipulated or hurt anyone. The only difference is that Rya is a serpent who's aware of the prejudice against her kind.
So Rya tries to hide her true form in order to be more approachable. Even after finding out the truth about her heritage, she never lashed out at Tanith and remained a hospitable host of the Volcano Manor. If anything, Rya was probably the only semblance of conscience that Tanith had in her malevolent ambitions.
3 Nepheli Loux
- Location: Stormveil Castle, Village of the Albinaurics, Roundtable Hold
Nepheli Loux was more or less confirmed to be Godfrey's (Hoarah Loux) descendant, meaning she had a claim to the throne. Seluvis trying to control her with a potion made to manipulate "demi-gods" supported this supposed lineage. But even as Nepheli eased into the role of a monarch, she never lost her sense of justice or compassion.
It's well established enough the first time players meet her that she's of reliable and fair character. She even offers to help in the fight against Godrick and was somewhat guilty of killing one of his knights who was merely following orders. She certainly deserves the throne of Limgrave based on her personality alone.
2 Millicent
- Location: Church of the Plague, Altus Plateau, Mountaintops of the Giants, Haligtree
On the topic of demi-god descendants who grew more considerate than their arrogant and violent parents, Millicent is a shining example. She's apparently Malenia's daughter (as Gowry suggested) and it turns out she has a lot of sisters. All of them seemed to be predisposed to violence.
Millicent fought them as she's the kindest among Malenia's spawn. Prior to that, she also kept offering her assistance to the players as soon as she received her prosthetic arm. Her intention alone, which is to cure Malenia of the Scarlet Rot, also makes her journey to the Haligtree nothing short of heroic whereas the players just straight up kill Malenia.
1 Miriel, Pastor of Vows
- Church of Vows in Liurnia of the Lakes
Of course, he'd be here! It would be a disservice to Turtle Pope if he missed this list. Miriel isn't only nice because he wears a bishop headpiece and resides in a church. Heck, one would expect someone as devout as him to be bigoted like Brother Corhyn in Roundtable Hold but no; Miriel is the more tolerant of the two priests.
His attitude about heresy and other beliefs isn't discriminatory at all, at least when compared to Corhyn the boy scout. He wholeheartedly accepts all those blasphemous prayer books so he can teach the spells and incantations to players. Moreover, he explains a lot about the lore and in a sea of vagueness, this turtle surfaces his shell as an island for those drowning in cluelessness. He'll surely go to dog heaven for that kindness.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X/S.