To kill or not to kill, that is the question that so many players will ask when going through From Software's instant classic Elden Ring. While going through this tremendous adventure players will be put through the wringer. The game does not pull any punches so, the players need all the help they can get.

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NPCs are abundant in the Lands Between and the Tarnished will have to choose their friends wisely. Certain NPCs will try to help and benefit the Tarnished. Others will try to hold the Tarnished back and are better off dead. How does the player decide which ones are safe to keep alive? There are the NPCs the Tarnished might want to keep around for a while in Elden Ring.

Updated May 12, 2024 by Evan Arnoldi: Although NPCs are free to kill thanks to the flexibility and freedom that Elden Ring gives its players, some will be more useful alive than dead due to the advantages they can provide.

Ranging from story necessities to the ability to unlock new areas, these NPCs can help players, provided they also manage to finish their questline in the process. Therefore, knowing these NPCs is crucial before recklessly attacking them at random.

1 Iron Fist Alexander

Innocent Jar With His Own Story

• Initially located in Northern Stormhill

First up on the do-not-kill list is Alexander the Living Jar. When the Tarnished first stumbles upon Alexander north of Agheel Lake, he is in a dire situation. Alexander has gotten himself stuck in the mud and cannot break out. He calls upon the Tarnished to save him by tapping him on the behind to give him the extra gusto needed to break free.

For any morally upstanding citizen, the tapping ends there. Only a truly foul person would betray the trust that he placed in them and attack Alexander after unearthing him. Aside from the morality of killing Alexander, doing so will lock the player out of his Elden Ring questline, which grants the Shard of Alexander, one of the best Talismans in the game.

2 Nepheli Loux

Warrior Capable Of Easing One's Burden

• Initially located in Stormveil Castle

If the Tarnished goes down the stairs next to the Secluded Cell site of grace in Stormveil Castle they will come across a woman standing over a body in a room. She is Nepheli Loux, a warrior and adoptive daughter of Gideon Ofnir. If the Tarnished ignores her warning and chooses to attack, the Tarnished can slay Nepheli Loux. Doing so will grant the Tarnished with a Stormhawk Axe. This weapon is peanuts compared to what the Tarnished will get if she is kept alive.

First and foremost, the warrior will aid the Tarnished in the fight against Godrick the Grafted. Also, later on in her questline, Nepheli will provide the Tarnished with a couple of different rewards depending on the path taken. One of the most notable is the Arsenal Charm, which increases the player's equipment load. After all is done the Tarnished will receive two Stormhawk Axes when completing her questline, making killing her actually pointless.

3 Hyetta

Faithful And Pitiable

• Initially located in Lake-Facing Cliffs

Lightseeker Hyetta is a blind woman whom the Tarnished will stumble across shortly after defeating Godrick the Grafted. She requests the Tarnished feed her Shabriri Grapes for her to witness a faint light she thinks is guiding her to her destiny. Aside from her being blind and placing full trust in the player, killing Hyetta will reward the player with Frenzyflame Stones, which is a very easy resource to craft.

The Tarnished should spare this poor woman because her questline can lead the player to an entirely different ending. Instead of slaying her, the Tarnished should provide her with the Shabriri Grapes and keep an “Eye” on her to make sure she doesn't get into trouble.

4 Gowry

Source Of Useful Sorceries

• Located in Caelid

Gowry is an old wizard who is held up in a shack right outside Sellia, Town of Sorcery. He warns the Tarnished of a young woman who is dying of rot, tasking the Tarnished to go save her. Killing Gowry provides the Tarnished with his bell bearing and the Flock’s Canvas Talisman, which increases the Faith attribute.

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However, If the Tarnished helps Gowry and saves Millicent, there are many more rewards at the end of both of their questlines. Gowry will open up a shop selling different sorceries to the Tarnished. Eventually, the Tarnished will be able to get the bell bearing and the Talisman anyway. The more pressing reason to keep Gowry alive is Millicent. Her questline leads to more rewards, including Talismans and an alternate ending.

5 Millicent

Sickly Woman With Rewarding Questline

• Initially located in Church of the Plague

Although her sickly disposition might render her a relatively unimportant NPC, Millicent has a highly rewarding questline should the player be more than willing to help with her quest of healing her Scarlet Rot, which affected her deeply and immobilized her. When killed after moving to the Windmill Village, she will drop a talisman called Millicent's Prosthesis, which increases attack power with subsequent attacks and increases dexterity by 5. However, the rewards that are waiting upon the completion of her questline are far more powerful.

During her questline, she will be available at times as a summon to help with difficult boss fights, such as against the Godskin Apostle. Moreover, her questline is highly rewarding as completing one of the paths can potentially unlock the powerful talisman, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, and the Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone, which is capable of upgrading legendary armaments.

6 Thops

Highly Resourceful With A Unique Gesture

• Initially located in Church of Irith

The unassuming student of the esteemed Academy of Raya Lucaria might look to be harmless and of no importance at first glance. As a vendor, he sells simple sorceries such as the Glintstone Pebble and Starlight. However, completing his questline will prove his usefulness further as he will be able to provide the player with a critically useful gesture, the Erudition Gesture.

Later, this gesture can be used to solve a tricky puzzle in the Converted Fringe Tower. By performing the gesture while wearing a Glintstone Crown, players can uncover a secret door that leads to two particularly powerful Sorceries, Cannon of Haima and Gavel of Haima.

7 Gatekeeper Gostoc

Worthy Of Mercy Due To Smithing Stones

• Located in Stormveil Castle

Gatekeeper Gostoc is a slimy peasant in Stormveil Castle who tries to betray and trick the Tarnished at every turn. He will steal from the Tarnished and trap the Tarnished in rooms with enemies to guarantee their demise. So, why shouldn’t the player do away with him? Well, Gatekeeper Gostoc, although very annoying, does have a questline if kept alive. At the end of it, the rewards far outweigh the annoyance of keeping him alive.

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After certain criteria are met throughout the game, Gostoc will open up a shop in Godrick’s Throne Room. He sells a bunch of different items, but the most notable is an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone. This can be very useful for the player if they need to get a weapon to the highest level.

8 Patches

The Old Favorite Of Soulslike Players

• Located in Murkwater Cave

The legendary Patches is the definition of an NPC the player should not kill. An argument can be made that Patches should never be killed in any of his iterations throughout FromSoftware’s games. In Elden Ring, Patches can be found in Murkwater Cave and is the boss of the dungeon. When the player gets him down to half health he will beg for forgiveness.

If the Tarnished decides to finish the job, Patches will drop a +7 Spear that can be pretty beneficial so early in the game. If the player holds off on killing Patches, he will open up a shop, allowing the player to buy a plethora of different items. The items he offers can be extremely beneficial depending on the build the player is going for. He also can be spoken to at Volcano Manor advancing his questline and leading the Tarnished on an assassination mission. After doing this, Patches will eventually move back to Murkwater Cave where he will teach the Tarnished his infamous Patches Squat, a gesture that can be found in most Souls games.

9 Miriel, Pastor Of Vows

Innocuous Tortoise With Sorceries And Incantations

• Located in Church of Vows

Only someone foul, vile, and wretched would consider hurting this lovely creature. Miriel is an oversized “dog” that can be found at the Church of Vows. He is the most benevolent and kind NPC in Elden Ring. He helps the Tarnished by teaching them Incantations and Sorceries. This kind creature wants nothing more than to help, and he will do nothing more than beg if attacked.

Slaying such a docile creature is such a cruel act, and it boasts very meaningless treasures as well. If killed, Miriel will drop his bell bearing and a measly 120 runes. The weight of the rewards is nothing to the weight of the guilt the Tarnished will have to face after killing such a majestic being.

Elden Ring

Platform(s)

PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

From Software

Genre(s)

RPG , Action