Highlights
- Elden Ring's upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion has sparked speculation among fans about its potential narrative and characters like Queen Marika.
- Queen Marika, responsible for The Shattering and the Elden Ring's fragmentation, could play a significant role in Shadow of the Erdtree due to her power and possible connection to the expansion's teaser image.
- The presence of a dark tree and a young figure in the teaser image suggests that either Miquella or a young Marika could be involved, but the sunless sky hints at Miquella's goal of ending the infested Erdtree and rectifying Marika's past mistakes.
Elden Ring has cemented itself as one of the biggest RPGs of the past few years, and the rich lore of The Lands Between has played a crucial role in maintaining fan interest. Across the various regions of the game, players have discovered countless clues as to the true story behind the events seen within the game. Elden Ring's upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion may not have a release date yet, but that hasn't stopped many fans from speculating as to how it will eventually advance the narrative.
There are various routes the story of the DLC could take, but Queen Marika is likely to have ties to all of them. Several of Elden Ring's characters could be key to Shadow of the Erdtree, with Miquella and Godwyn being the most popular estimations due to their potential links to the expansion's single teaser image. When considering the uncovered context of the base game and its loose ends, however, a focus on Marika could be just as plausible.
Queen Marika the Eternal's True Significance
Marika is responsible for the event known as The Shattering that leads directly into the story of the Tarnished, having broken the Elden Ring apart and likely becoming subsequently crucified by the Greater Will's Elden Beast manifestation. Endings involving mending the Elden Ring and therefore Marika's own broken body see players becoming Elden Lord, seemingly as her consort. As the queen of the fallen Erdtree empire, she held the power of the Elden Ring following the defeat of the previous age's Gloam-Eyed Queen who preceded her, and the power of this fallen queen has the potential to be key to Shadow of the Erdtree.
Marika removed the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring and created a time of immortality known as the "Age of Plenty", an action that would have disastrous consequences when this power of death was used against her. Ranni and the Black Knife Assassins, who were loyalists of a time before even the Great Tree, would conspire to slay prince Godwyn with the Rune of Death, threatening the Golden Order lineage and forcing Marika to shatter the Elden Ring in paranoia. Her lineage fought over power after this, but she actually seemed to support the succession plan of Miquella.
How Marika Could Factor Into Shadow of the Erdtree
Shadow of the Erdtree’s teaser image depicts a figure riding towards a dark tree, and Marika has ties to this situation in all cases. If it is Miquella seeking to finally succeed in ending the Erdtree, giving Godwyn a true death, and ushering in the age of the Haligtree, this is likely all a part of a plan that Marika approved of. She instructed Melina to burn down the Erdtree, a sign that she was ready to let the world transition. Alternatively, this could be a young Marika herself approaching the Great Tree that has only been mentioned. As depicted in a statue at the Chapel of Anticipation, she was once a libation priestess of the death-honoring era that preceded that of the Erdtree before she ushered in a new age.
While the presence of a dark tree and a young blonde figure presents a level of ambiguity around whether it could be Miquella or Marika, the sunless sky above paints a more definitive picture. The age when Marika rose to power is never said to have had a dark sky, but the eclipse of Miquella’s goal is clearly heard of in Castle Sol. He seeks to fashion a needle of gold from the sun itself, causing an eclipse as he uses the implement to purge and finally end the infested Erdtree and give Godwyn a true death. Considering how much Godwyn’s slaying broke Marika, this could honor her while finally correcting her biggest mistake, the removal of death from The Lands Between.
Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
