Summary
For all the beauty of its vast and intricate open world,Elden Ringis an incredibly bleak game. The story takes place following the collapse of the Golden Order, in the aftermath of the death of civilization and thedegradation of the gods themselves. The protagonist’s desperate quest to repair the shattered Elden Ring is an apt metaphor for the devastated and broken state of the Lands Between.
In the midst of this desolation, the Tarnished will encounter several NPCs, each of whom are trying to survive and prosper in their own ways. Like the Tarnished’s own quest, these characters often mirror the broken world they inhabit, and to that end, very few of their personal storylines end happily. Here are some notableNPCs whose tales are liable to end in death, without the protagonist being present to see them go.
9Diallos
The Hope of Jarburg
Diallosis a complex character inElden Ring. Despite his position as a noble of the warlike House Hoslow, Diallos lacks the martial skill to keep up in the brutal world of the Lands Between. Rather than surrender to this unfortunate state of affairs, Diallos ceaselessly strives to prove himself. His journey brings him into the clutches of the sinister recusants of the Volcano Manor, but he eventually breaks with these eerie blasphemers.
Atthe end of his questline, Diallos finds himself at home in Jarburg, a hidden haven for the game’s Living Jars. He finds peace here as the jars' new defender, but this happiness is cut tragically short. While the Tarnished is off on their own adventures, a poacher attacks Jarburg, and Diallos is slain in a futile attempt to keep them safe. The sole surviving jar vows to become a warrior in order to uphold his complicated and tragic legacy.
8Corhyn
A Crisis Of Faith
Just about everyElden Ringplayer will meetBrother Corhyn. He’s present in Roundtable Hold at the beginning of the game, wherehe serves as a vendor for Incantations. This makes him invaluable for players with Faith builds.
Eventually, Corhyn will resolve to travel in search of the enigmatic Goldmask, a silent philosopher dedicated to the Golden Order. If the player follows these two religious figures on their pilgrimage, they will help Corhyn uncover shocking truths about Radagon and Marika, the central figures of the realm’s faith. This shocking revelation shakes Corhyn to his core, and while he will eventually perish from despair, his aid can help the player usher in a new age for the Lands Between.
7Thops
A Tragic Bluntstone
Sorcerer Thopsis an aspiring Glintstone Sorcerer whose considerable enthusiasm for his craft vastly outstrips his actual talent. This struggling scholar had the apparent misfortune of being away from the academy of Raya Lucaria when the school was barricaded and sealed off from the outside world.
In exchange for a small donation, Thops will help the Tarnished learn how to breach the barrier and enter Raya Lucaria for themselves using an Academy Glintstone Key. In exchange, fans can find a second key on the academy grounds and hand it over to Thops, allowing him to once more enter these hallowed halls of arcane knowledge. Unfortunately, Thops' desperation to prove himself is too great, and he can subsequently be found on the academy grounds, having seemingly worked himself to death.
6D
Hunter Of The Dead
D, Hunter of the Deadis a striking character, both for his passionate persecution of the undead and for his unusual armor set. D can first be encountered in the field, hot on the trail of a sinister Tibia Mariner. If the player takes out this skeletal fiend, D will introduce them to the Beast Clergyman, who will reward further victories against Those Who Live in Death.
Unfortunately for D, his are not the only plans afoot in the Roundtable Hold. If the player spends enough time with the enigmatic Fia, Deathbed Companion, she’ll eventually task them withpresenting D with a mysterious dagger. This knife proves to be a death sentence for the stalwart hunter, who is assassinated by Fia shortly thereafter.
5Boc
A Troubled Tailor
Boc is perhaps best known for the bizarre circumstances under which the Tarnished first encounters him; he an unidentified assailant has transmogrified him into a tree. Once the player dispels this illusion and helps Boc retrieve his sewing kit from the demi-human tribe that spurned him, the loyal creature is happy to serve as their tailor and adjust their garments.
Eventually, however, Boc will become overcome with distress at his homely appearance, and the player has a few options to help him with his self-image. The ideal option is to use a special Prattling Pate item to tell him he’s beautiful; the compliment helps him overcome his distress and continue to serve at the player’s side. Gamers can instead aid him in his goal to remake himself by offering a Larval Tear, the item used by Queen Rennala to rebirth her followers. This will doom the seamster; if the deranged queen attempts to remake him into a human form, the process will fail, and he will perish.
4Rogier
A Doomed Scholar
Sorcerer Rogieris a friendly and scholarly spellblade who players will first encounter in Stormveil Castle, where he is hiding from the intimidating knights who prowl the halls. Rogier is driven by a hunger for knowledge, which unfortunately leads him quite swiftly into disaster. After discovering a massive deathblight growth under Stormveil, Rogier is stricken with the insidious affliction, which robs him of the ability to walk.
Players can agree to aid his studies, venturing where Rogier no longer can. The spellblade’s studies illuminate some ofthe lore surrounding the spreading influence of undead creaturesin the Lands Between, as well as the events of the fateful night that saw Godwyn the Golden slain. Following Rogier’s advice will eventually bring players face to face with the enigmatic Ranni the Witch. However, Rogier is liable to succumb to the Deathblight’s influence long before he can see Ranni’s schemes come to fruition.
3Irina
An Innocent Girl
Irinais a blind woman, first encountered by the Tarnished shortly after their arrival in the Weeping Peninsula. This young maiden is the daughter of Edgar, castellan of Castle Morne, and was separated by her father by a bloody uprising that saw the beastly Misbegotten slay most of the castle’s inhabitants.
Irina begs for her father’s aid, but when the player finds him,he’s too determined to liberate Castle Morne from its hostile occupationto aid his daughter. By the time players have helped him slay the Leonine Misbegotten who’s claimed the castle’s iconic grafted blade for itself, it will be too late, and Irina will have been slain. This tragedy drives Edgar insane with grief and vengeful fury, and eventually, he too must be put down.
2Iji
A Noble Blacksmith
War Counselor Ijiis a troll blacksmith, whose massive stature belies his gentle and scholarly nature. He serves as advisor to Ranni the Witch, and fans who follow her questline will spend a fair amount of time with him. His scholarly expertise aids players multiple times throughout their journey, but he knows a lot more than he’s telling.
As Ranni comes closer and closer to her ultimate goal, Iji begins taking subtle moves to keep her safe, including locking away her faithful shadow Blaidd the half-wolf. If the player lets him out, they’ll discover why Iji took such drastic measures; Blaidd goes mad when Ranni defies the Golden Order, and the player is forced to bring him down. Shortly after hearing this news, Iji is slain as well. This happens whena squad of Black Knife Assassins come to take him out.
1Millicent
A Mysterious Crimson Maiden
Millicent’s questline is a long and involved one that will bring players face to face with one ofElden Ring’s most iconic bosses. This young, one-armed woman is stricken with the Crimson Rot, and players who find her can obtain a temporary cure by assisting the mysterious sage Gowry. Once she’s cured, Millicent sets off on a journey to discover her origins and confront the legendary Malenia, Blade of Miquella.
After bringing down the iconic demigod, players must make a choice concerning Millicent’s own fate as she takes on her sisters, fellow offspring of the goddess’s rot bloom. Gowry urges the Tarnished to betray Millicent and cultivate her own crimson bloom, but fans who reject his grim designs can instead aid her against her five sisters. After a long, brutal fight, Millicent rejects the false cure provided by the traitorous Gowry and chooses to perish quietly from the plague, rather than let it fester and blossom through her.
