Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree's Lion Enemies Are Huge

Game ZXC

Elden Ring

By Liam Ferguson

Published Feb 22, 2024

Highlights

Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC trailer reveals exciting new characters, enemies, and gear for fans to encounter once the expansion launches on June 21, 2024.
Speculation surrounds the identity of the trailer's lion boss, who may potentially be linked to first Elden Lord, Godfrey. The existence of lions in general is intriguing, as Godfrey's lion Serosh and the lore-lacking Lion Guardians are the only lion figures of note from the main game.
The possibility of more demigod children in the Land of Shadow and these mysterious lions hint at grander lore secrets awaiting discovery in Elden Ring's upcoming expansion.

A trailer for Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has finally dropped, and fans are already busy analyzing it. With the expansion launching on June 21, 2024, they will have plenty of time to do so, and the trailer is thankfully packed with details to uncover. Shadow of the Erdtree will add a sizable new region to Elden Ring’s open world, as well as plenty of new characters, enemies, gear, and more, all of which were shown off in the trailer. It's an exciting occasion, and Elden Ring’s massive player base can't wait to see more.

Much speculation is already occurring about the identity of Messmer the Impaler, a prominent new character featured in Shadow of the Erdtree's marketing. He appears to be the latest addition to Elden Ring’s demigod family tree, though fans aren't sure where to place him yet. Miquella also appeared in the trailer, apparently journeying to a location known as the Land of Shadow without his body. Light will be shed on these mysteries in time, but one other character may imply lore revelations for someone in need of them.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Forsaken Place

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC - Where is The Forsaken Place?

The recent Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree trailer finally reveals the long-awaited DLCs setting, referring to it as a "forsaken place."

Shadow of the Erdtree’s Lions Line Up With One Major Elden Ring Figure

Plenty of new elements were shown throughout Shadow of the Erdtree’s reveal trailer, but one was given a suspicious spotlight. A boss fight, preceded by a cutscene, is fought against a lion-headed being walking on multiple sets of human legs, with Omen horns and skin coloration on its human parts. It appears based on a Chinese lion dance costume where two people dress as the halves of a lion, complete with a large frontal mask. However, the lion imagery, parallel shots in their cutscenes, and several other aspects subtly suggest a connection to the first Elden Lord, Godfrey.

Godfrey’s Relationship With Elden Ring’s Lions Explained

Prominent Elden Ring artwork depicting Godfrey places equal focus on the lion-like Beast Regent Serosh. Little is known about Serosh himself, but his importance to Godfrey can be gleaned from the Beastclaw Greathammer's description:

The black nails protruding from golden fur are said to represent Serosh, Lord of Beasts, who went to become King Godfrey's Regent.

In-game, Godfrey only uses Serosh as a restraint before killing him to assume his old identity as Hoarah Loux, and only a couple other items mention the beast. Regardless, the only other prominent lions in Elden Ring are the lore-deprived Lion Guardians, so the lion boss in Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t have much else to pull on.

Who Or What Shadow of the Erdtree’s Lions Could Be

Going off of the theory that Shadow of the Erdree’s new boss is based on a lion dance costume, it may use the guise of a Lion Guardian to hide multiple Omens. Messmer's role in Elden Ring may be up in the air, but a powerful Omen duo reflects Godfrey's children, Morgott and Mohg, who were born as Omens and cast aside. These newcomers probably revere the Golden Order like Morgott, as they use a lightning spear Incantation and are hiding their cursed bodies while proudly displaying the symbol of their father and serving his former kingdom.

There Might Be A Lot More Demigod Children Hiding In Shadow of the Erdtree

Early marketing describes the Land of Shadow as the first step in Queen Marika’s ancient conquest. It's possible that the Land of Shadow was conquered and occupied by Marika's forces long before Elden Ring, so players may be looking at her demigod offspring that were left to guard it. Godfrey could have had more children with Marika, and, aside from Godwyn the Golden, the rest were also Omens that got shipped to the wartorn Land of Shadow and scrubbed from history. All of this is currently speculation, but Elden Ring should provide some answers once Shadow of the Erdtree is out.