Highlights

  • Elden Ring's upcoming DLC expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, has been highly speculated by fans, but there has been no official confirmation or details provided yet.
  • The expansion's teaser image has made many think the expansion is about Miquella, but it could involve a version of Queen Marika or some other character.
  • FromSoftware has a history of subverting expectations in its DLCs, so fans should not be surprised if the focus of Shadow of the Erdtree is different than anticipated.

Elevating the studio FromSoftware to new levels of success and contributing to its ability to develop this year’s Armored Core 6, Elden Ring can be seen as the culmination of the studio’s previous efforts that led up to it. It may delve into the open-world, but it still adheres to the formula of the Soulsborne games that came before it in many ways. The upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion's development time, however, has become the longest of any expansion in the studio’s history following its announcement nearly a year ago. Elden Ring's DLC could be going beyond its predecessors in scope and could continue to surprise fans in another major way.

As months have passed with no further look into what the expansion will contain, fans have been left to create theories based on the solely available announcement post. Several Elden Ring characters' ties to Shadow of the Erdtree’s teaser image have been at the heart of speculation from the start, but there hasn’t been an official confirmation regarding any details of the expansion yet. Datamines and alleged leaks make claims about a release date in early 2024, but it’s still unclear what the subject of the DLC will even be in specific.

Elden Ring Miquella and St. Trina
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Why Elden Ring's Miquella Could Be the Same Person as St. Trina

There is solid evidence to support the belief that Elden Ring's comatose demigod Miquella is the true identity of the mysterious St. Trina.

Miquella vs. Marika in Shadow of the Erdtree's Teaser Image

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Miquella as the Prime Candidate

Regardless of the lack of official confirmation regarding whom the figure in the expansion’s teaser image actually is, many fans have come to believe that it is most likely Miquella. The figure’s braids strongly resemble those that Miquella is shown to have in the game’s intro cinematic, and his associations with places like Castle Sol have fueled speculation around the withered tree in the teaser image that could indicate the importance of Godwyn's Deathroot in Shadow of the Erdtree. Rumors of cut content from the base game featuring Miquella have also driven the belief that he will be important to the DLC, as some fans have even considered that the content surrounding the demigod grew to become its own expansion. In classic FromSoft fashion, however, the teaser image could be intentionally misleading in a way that leans into these rumors.

"Miquella" Could Easily Be Marika

There may not be another known character who is shown to be a child with blonde hair, but the expansion doesn’t necessarily need to take place in the same time period as Elden Ring’s base game. Some fans have instead speculated that the teaser’s character could be Shadow of the Erdtree's young version of Queen Marika, in an era prior to the splendor of the Erdtree’s power. In this scenario, Marika could be riding towards the Crucible or Greattree being consumed by the Erdtree, possibly to be assisted by the player in a time travel plot reminiscent of several prior expansions.

Fans Likely Won't Expect What FromSoftware Has in Store For Shadow of the Erdtree

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Souslborne DLCs Have a History of Subverting Expectations

It could be seen as a major rug pull in terms of fan expectations if FromSoft ends up not featuring Miquella as the focus of Shadow of the Erdtree after all, but it wouldn’t be the first time the studio has gone against its players’ predictions. In the original Dark Souls' Artorias of the Abyss, for example, there was a similar aura of mystery surrounding a character that was practically only mentioned in the base game. Artorias was said to be a hero who sacrificed himself to save others from the Abyss, but traveling back in time reveals him to have fallen into madness and leaves the player to become the hero of his legend.

Bloodborne's The Old Hunters accomplished a similar unveiling of its world's unexpected history through its DLC areas. A statement from an interview with producer Yasuhiro Kitao from Game Watch, translated by PCGamesN even emphasized a specific comparison to the approaches of these past projects with the upcoming expansion:

"It's still a little ways off, but progress is going well. Like the 'DARK SOULS' series and 'Bloodborne', this game features new battles and new characters. Please look forward to new things."