Gamers would have a hard time trying to find an Elden Ring player who isn't excited about the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expansion. Not only has From Software yet again delivered an incredible RPG that fans can sink hundreds of hours into easily, but the developers giving players an expansion of new content on top of that is almost mind-blowing. Hardly anything is known about the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC as of now, which means fans have been keeping themselves busy with plenty of speculation and theories.
When it comes to the concept art revealed with the Elden Ring DLC announcement, some players think that the girl on a horse off to the right is Queen Marika, the creator of the Golden Order. While there are many signs that point towards the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC dealing with Marika that can't be ignored, there's a rather empty piece to Elden Ring's story that has yet to be explored in detail. Compared to all the other gods and higher powers found in Elden Ring, the Greater Will has yet to play a proper role at large.
The Greater Will is the Root of Everything in Elden Ring
Long before the Erdtree towered over the Lands Between, the Greater Will was from where beings were birthed and given souls. However, while the Erdtree was seen as the beginning of all life by the time the story in Elden Ring began, the Greater Will had a reputation for bringing suffering upon those it created. Soon after that, the Greater Will once used a "golden star" to send down the Elden Beast. This beast would eventually reside in the Erdtree in Radagon of the Golden Order.
The Greater Will is the reason for everything in Elden Ring, both narratively and literally. Without its creations, and its history with the demigods, practically none of the Tarnished's adventures would have happened. Yet, fans go through the entire game without ever seeing it. There are some strong blanks in the story between the Greater Will and Marika that could be revealed in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.
Shadows of the Erdtree's Past
One interesting trend with From Software's DLC releases is that all of them have dealt with going back in time in some way. As much as Dark Souls fans playing Elden Ring might be tired of the time travel gimmick with these post-launch storylines, it's hard to have any complaints about ER falling back on it as it seems to have left the perfect point in time to explore wide open.
There's a very strong chance that players will be able to travel back in time in the Shadows of Erdtree DLC, and this may leave them in the time period just before the Golden Order came to be. This particular moment in Elden Ring's history is one with a strange lack of detail, considering just how much of the game hinges on Marika's past with both the tree and the unseen god that is the Greater Will. The concept artwork for the DLC even backs up this idea, as Elden Ring's Erdtree in the illustration seems to be leaking the "golden tears" that Marika used for her blessings.
Knowing this, it seems like the Shadows of Erdtree may be the best opportunity for players to come face-to-face with the Greater Will, be it as an NPC or even the final boss of Elden Ring's DLC. If this turns out to be the case, there's also a strong chance that fans may get to see the Shattering happen before their eyes. However, as nothing has been revealed about the expansion just yet, this only lives in the realm of speculation for now as fans are left waiting for further news from Bandai Namco later this year.
Elden Ring is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
