Summary
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeis one of the biggest expansions that have ever been made, eclipsing the size of some full RPGs. Although there are likely hundreds, if not thousands of pieces of dialogue added in the DLC, with something this size, some pieces are bound to be cut. Cut content often reveals more information than what is in the base game and could show what the developer was thinking as the game was in production. Sometimes, things get cut for being a little too overt at times.
[Warning: This article contains major spoilers forElden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree.]WithElden Ringfollowing in the footsteps of many Soulsborne titles, the game avoids the use of overt storytelling, with almost everything from in-game lore dumps to characters explaining their motivations coming across as cryptic and mysterious. Souls fans are used to searching high and low for bits of lore to explain the god-killing events of these games, often searching in the code or taking a look at models in ways the games don’t typically allow. This search has extended to a piece of cut dialogue fromStarscourge Radahnin the latest DLC.
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Cut Radahn Dialogue In Shadow Of The Erdtree Reveals The Flaws In Miquella’s Plan
WithStarscourge Radahnbeing reduced to a cannibalistic zombie by the time the Tarnished arrives in the Lands Between,many players have been asking for the opportunity to fight the Starscourge when he was at his peak.Shadow of the Erdtreefulfills this wish by making a fitRadahn as the final boss. There is a caveat, however, as this is all part of Miquella’s plan to make the general his consort as he ascends to godhood by putting Radahn’s soul into Mohg’s body, which is quite a dastardly plan for someone meant to be one of the good demi-gods.
Mohg kidnapping Miquella was all part of the Empyrean’s plan, since his death and boss arena are what starts the DLC.
Other than this plan showing thatMiquella might have been evil all along, it also hinges on Radahn being the perfect consort because of his kindness. This might be a misconception on Miquella’s part since his half-brother is a warrior who sought to conquer the Lands Between and become Elden Lord after attacking the capital. In a piece of cut dialogue,this is reinforced by Radahn saying he’s “A lion bred for battle.“This isn’t something someone known for their kindness would typically say.
In the final boss fight, Radahn is silent, possibly implying that he is more of a shell than someone with free will, butthe cut dialogue shows that FromSoftware intended him to speak at one point. Miquella wants to make a kinder, gentler world, and Radahn may be a fan favorite, but he isn’t exactly gentle — unless it’s his horse. A man who conquers the stars and slams into people like a meteor doesn’t sound like one who would help usher in a kind world, especially since Radahn’s hero growing up was Godfrey, the first Elden Lord.
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How Radahn Was Meant To Help With Miquella’s Plan
The Starscourge As The Promised Consort
As far as Miquella was concerned,Radahn was always meant to be his promised consort when he attempted to ascend to godhood, but when Godwyn was assassinated, Marika broke theElden Ring,andThe Shattering happened. It’s implied that Miquella might have tried to become a god with the Haligtree, since it was meant to be another Erdtree, and that this could be when he asked Radahn to be his consort. When The Shattering happened, Radahn sought to become Elden Lord but was infected by Scarlet Rot byMalenia, Blade of Miquella.
Miquella likely sent Malenia to deal with Radahn after he resisted the Empyrean’s powers to make people fall in love with him. This power probably skewed his worldview, making him believe that Radahn was a kind man. Although he is capable of showing kindness, like with his beloved horse,declaring that he is “A lion bred for battle” and being a famed conqueror doesn’t seem to help Miquella’s case. Radahn was likely kind to Miquella when they were younger, but war is an entirely different matter.
Malenia verses Radahn is a hot topic in theElden Ringcommunity. The fight they had that ended The Shattering ended in a stalemate, but many fans still argue over who is more powerful.
Then again,Miquella could have been looking for his own version of Godfrey, since he seems to be following in his mother’s footsteps in becoming a god in his own right. A powerful, war-minded consort could be exactly what he was looking for, especially since Radahn was more functional in peacetime than Godfrey was. Still, his obsession with Radahn specifically is an odd one and might be because of this perceived kindness, since if he wanted a warrior consort, his twin, Malenia, would have been just as effective and was considerably more loyal to Miquella.
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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is chiefly concerned with Miquella, but two of Marika’s other children receive expanded lore: Morgott and Mohg.
Miquella’s Plan Was Always Going To Fail
A Mighty Tarnished Just Needs To Get In The Way
Shadow of the Erdtreeis Miquella’s story, and shows that he had a different way to achieve power. While other demi-gods sought to conquer the world with the power of another god, whether that be becoming Marika’s consort or another being, like the Formless Mother, Miquella sought to become a god in his own right. His twin sister manages to do it during her fight with the Tarnished, so it is possible, but his obsession with Radahn as his consort might have led to his downfall.
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If Miquella wanted to make a kinder, gentler world than the one his Mother made, Radahn isn’t necessarily the man to be his consort.He’s kinder than Godfrey, sure, but that isn’t a high bar, and he seems addicted to an idea implantedbefore The Shatteringand does considerable damage to his family in his exploits. His consort becomes a zombie, he gets another half-brother killed, and puts his twin sister and most loyal servant in a coma.
If Miquella wanted a kind consort and wasn’t obsessed with the Starscourge’s apparent kindness, there are plenty of people inElden Ring:Shadow of the Erdtreethat could have been his consort instead. The Tarnished could have been a decent option, depending on their feats up until this point, as well as his followers, likeNeedle Knight Leda. Instead, he puts his most loyal servant (Malenia) in a coma to make Radahn his consort when she could have been at his side to defend him.
