Deciphering the story trailer | Elden ring shadow of the Erdtree lore 

We were living in the 'post-eclipse' world this entire time, Griffith already became a god and ruled for an eternity in this version of berserk. Quite horrifying.

I watched a ton of lore channels tiptoe around what the golden strands Marika retrieves from the corpse of the previous god might be and YOU are the first to finally say it's the Elden Ring. I mean, what else would it be? The theme plays under it, the strands look the same, and it is literally removed from the belly/womb of the slain/betrayed predecessor. Fantastic work, as always.

Step aside Ziostorm and Ratatoskr, your analysis gave me goosebumps throughout the way

I think you are right on all of this, nobody else's analysis makes as much sense :)

Super cool theory! Here's a possible addition to it -- curious what you think of it. What is Miquella's motivation to go to the land of shadow now? Why didn't he go before? I think it might be because he just found out about his mother's betrayal, who had kept it hidden even from her children. How might he have discovered this? Because he was trapped by Mogh, in communion with the Formless Mother, who is also known as the 'Mother of Truth.' I don't think that name is a coincidence. Perhaps this Outer God revealed the truth of the Erdtree to Miquella, while still in the cocoon, which would give us a glimpse into Miquella's intentions. We hear that Miquella cares for the meek and downtrodden (similar to Jesus). If he suddenly discovered the truth that his mother and Messmer were slaughtering so many Crucible-beings to support her illusion, it might enrage him enough to take matters into his own hands and go put a stop to his older brother (Messmer) and mother. After all, "he wields love to shrive clean the hearts of men. There is nothing more terrifying," which could mean that his love for the outcasts may prompt him towards vengeance. Perhaps then, Miquella does need our help, after all. I'd love that storyline, personally. What do you think of that?

Definitely the clearest and, imo, most accurate comparison between Elden Ring and Berserker. By far the best Shadow of the Erd Tree theory/explanation. This guy knows his stuff.

The story trailer starts with "miquella said" (similar to item descriptions with "it is said"), so I definitely think it's a biased account

Great analysis! You actually catching the "Ave Marika" in that song is incredible, I havent seen anyone hearing this (me included)

All of this video especially the Golden Item section is brilliant. Of all analysis Ive seen, I think youve cracked the code for what is happening in that intro scene and with Miquella. EXCELLENT VIDEO.

Your theory seems to also get some meaning to what Miyazaki said to IGN: "First of all, the setting of Shadow of the Erdtree is a brand new land. It's a brand new map separate from the Lands Between. It is a land that is overshadowed by the particular Shadow of the Erdtree as opposed to the Erdtree in the Lands Between. And it takes place, again, on an entirely separate, physically separate map. So it will involve a warp of sorts to get there. In terms of setting and themes, it technically occupies the same space as the Lands Between, the same universe. But due to something story related that we won't reveal today, this has become physically disconnected, and you'll travel to the Shadow of the Erdtree land as a separate place."

I think that Miquella also seeks to follow in these same footsteps, all so that he'll finally have a solution to Malenia's Scarlet Rot. The Golden Order has no solution to the Scarlet Rot, Miquella discovered this when his Haligtree fell to the Scarlet Rot itself, despite receiving his blood. However, to separate himself from the control of the Greater Will, he had to divest himself of his Empyrean flesh much like Ranni. He did this by letting Mohg steal him away and kill him through his corruption. I don't think Miquella is an "evil" character, he simply has a goal to achieve and is willing to scheme and manipulate those that love him to achieve this goal. His Church of the Eclipse in Castle Sol is far too suspicious for me to think that Miquella is completely innocent.

You know, If Miquella followed in Marikas footsteps, that just means he will try to Replikate what she did.

back with another great vid,keep up the amazing work my dude

Was waiting for your video man 👍 don't stop

This was a really great analysis. Keep up the great work! I’ll be looking forward to your videos once the DLC comes out.

Great work as always. 6:53 awesome connection here

I really enjoyed this video! I think my favorite theories that no one else had presented before (so kudos to you cuz now I love them lol! )is that seed Marika took from the corpses at the base of the Greattree that maybe Messmer was tending, is the Current Erdtree, and that the GreatTree is a Helix tree, like we see as the symbol for many things associated with Gods in this game. So if its the same seed from that tree that Marika has taken, (through seduction and Betrayal) then it stands to reason that the current Erdtree was ALSO supposed to be a Helix tree, associating it with the Crucible and Primordial, but! In order to prevent that, maybe, or for any reason unknown cuz this is a FromSoft Game lol, she split the Tree, showing only the Straightened half to signify the Golden order, and left the half of the Spiraling Erdtree in the Shadowlands, which is why it has her bedchamber cloth 'over it' if you will, like covering it. I wouldnt be surprised if it stands in the part of the map where the Golden Erdtree is in the water, since we've already seen before how old locations easily line up between the above and underground and missing pieces of the map. Thanks for the good food for thought! Great Video!

I know Miyazaki has always been a huge fan of Berserk but so many years after, gosh, we can still see so many traces and similarities of Berserk in his new project😂. This is true love.

this video gave me chills.. resonated with many of my assumptions too

Literally the most competent and comprehensive ER theorist on YT. Amazing video, please keep them coming!

very insightful! great video man

Your theories are great mind games and i think you are right with a lot of it.

Also subscribed, your other videos are well thought out as well, wowzers

Another excellent video, man! You are always incredibly thoughtful and you explain things very succinctly and clearly. Special thanks for explaining more of the Berserker connections and back story for those of us who are unfamiliar. TBH I would totally watch a video from you fully explaining Berserker just for fun

Just like Marika = Griffith comparison, I think Miquella real characterization is Miquella = Moonlight boy. From visual alone, we cam already see similarities of how both once cocooned inside an egg, both have split bodies, astral & material, both have moon symbolism. both depicted as a beautiful boy.

My take between the gameplay / story trailer about Messmer is this: he says "mother wouldst thou truly lordship sanction, in one so bereft of light?" pertaining to the player protagonist, but also establishing a connection between IMO marika, as mother. He also states, "those stripped of the grace of gold shall all meet death, in the embrace of messmer's flames" so clearly everyone in the shadowland has been 'stripped' of the grace of gold and he's alluding that everyone under the shadow realm found without grace will die, hence the gigantic pile of bodies forming the erdtree base, the unseen war, etc. and finally at the end he's impaled everyone, conquered them, and he's just chilling on his polearm starring up at the tree, and where the gold/sap whatever flows to a point, makes the exact same pose as Marika, alluding to him serving her. Also he sits on the throne chair so clearly he has a demi-god connection with Marika, and the seduction/betrayal I think has to do with her conceiving Messmer, then using her progeny to betray the shadow realm while also diving the realms and ascending to godhood.

I just wanted to say that your videos are some of the most interesting when it comes to deciphering Elden Rings lore.

Amazing research work, well done !

That was amazing, your take on this is very very possible.

Magnificent theory, really liked the video!

You have the best lore breakdowns in the community. KEEP GOING

Awesome video. Subbed and watching all your videos.

The best theory I’ve heard so far. Subbed!

Marika is reaching into a Swaddling cloth

The whole reference to seduction, betrayal, and “affair… gold arose” seems very much about Godfrey. I think this story trailer might be showing Marika pulling Godfrey’s great rune out of him. Godfrey is part of the “golden lineage”, so the idea that taking his rune somehow related to gold arising kinda makes sense. Per Melina, Marika sends Godfrey away to be killed (sacrificed and fed to Erdtree). Sacrificing Godfrey and all his army would be as f’d up as Griffith sacrificing the band of the hawk. Enough to finish the process of breaking barrier between living and astral worlds (like you said). Marika also said (per Melina) that she would give back what she once claimed. I think Marika gives Godfrey back his great rune some time during our main playthrough, which why we were able to fight him in the end and claim it for ourselves.

A truly top level elden ring lore video, well done!

I didnt start playing until january, but since then ive done a 200+ hour playthrough where i did 90% of the content. Everyone thi ks of miquella as this griffith-like character. It completely kept me from ever thinking of marika as that character. Awesome job, love the videos.

Outstanding analysis!! Like everyone else is saying. Out of all the analysis I've watched, yours is definitely making alot more sense of what's going on in this trailer!

Great video. Thank You!

Bro, your content is amazing, I hope your channel explodes asap, take care

It wasn’t a Marika all along , Marika had regrets at the end of her life - while Miquella is bound to repeat her mistakes because he is mini her at this point in his life

What a good video! I subscribed

Just what I was thinking. It was crazy to model the Launiakea supercluster after the Elden Beast. Good video, noone noticed the Ave Marika. I think it's all solid, subbed.

Awesome theory, very efficient!

PERFECT VIDEO!!! THX BRO

the best trailer breakdown for this DLC

Dude, i love that connection you made with people loving and doubting miquella across both trailers, i made that same connection myself and was giddy about it too. i think it holds some hints about the dlc like you said. now onto the other stuff... with miyazaki's games there's always a great sin to create the shining city or order. marika was always my favorite character in the game just off of wanting to know her "why?" why is she the way she is. she is truly monstrous but maybe we'll understand her pathos in the dlc. i cant say he "played me" personally because i always had the vague idea that "this world is messed up" the details of it werent apparent but Marika always seemed like a conqueror, a sinful great god and the vast variations in her children might also explain a bit about who she was as well, completely unknowable to her children so they find their own way. her sins details just weren't clear yet but i had some idea that she wasnt some christ-like figure just from the world we enter. i'd be more surprised at finding out Miquella is actually a decent dude whos trying to help you and isnt some charismatic misguided figure who wants to save the world in some way we fiercely disagree with just like every other great god or figure in the fromsoftware catalog. i think the most sane great figure we ever meet in fromsoftware is Isshin Ashina. He's a conqueror but he did it for good reasons and he was never revealed to have been corrupted by some vainglorious thing. He legit wanted Ashina to stand on its own and be proud, and he seeme like a great man to know personally too. not just from afar. also one last thing, hoping you read this especially, i saw that the architecture at the opening of the erdtree in the basegame (godfrey arena) had this flower symbol that looks similar to the flower symbol shown in the arena that you fight that big lion mane enemy. we know they represent a culture that existed before the erdtree from miyazaki's interview. i just thought that might be a curious connection. might be nothing at all if im wrong, im playing the game to get a look at the boss arena of morgott/godfrey again. ill compare and see if they are truly similar or if im misremembering

wow-- im only 4 mins in and this is by far the clearest explanation of the trailer I've seen so far.

That looks like a rune arc maybe she needed a big one to power the great runes she collected from wars.

Banger vid 🤘

Actually insane theories I think you are right about majority of your prediction

It's natural to think there is a twist with Miq, we barely know anything about him. But I think it would be a bigger twist to find miq was a real good demigod

that could be a cocoon similar to Miquellas that Marika pulls the gold strands from and what Mohg is doing to Miquella is offering tarnished blood instead of whatever Marika offered the other cocoon

Amazing analysis. The observation about the strands and the Laniakea Supercluster is so good! Definitely a visual inspiration. Also I really need to finish reading Berserk

I saw a video on RU-vid where someone pointed out that person in the trailer holding the elden thing isnt Marika but actually Miquela. They zoomed in on the hair and theres a braid which is something Miquela usually sports.

IM SO GLAD YOU SAID IT WAS TELLING MY FREIND THIS LAST NIGHT

I don’t think a single other RU-vidr noticed the ave marika

Interesting and mind blowing theories 👏🏻

He tricked us by making us think that Miquella would have the cutest feet, but it was actually Marika all along

Wonderful analysis！i like it!

This channel is such a gem

amazing vid!

Love the fact one of my favorite anime has so many ties to Elden ring

Someone who finally says Miquella isn't Griffith. Pretty interesting takes and really informative too. Cheers! Looking forward to more of your videos.

Mind blowing video, and now I'm a believer. Berserk is a direct inspiration, and the faction is crazy

i think the stomach/corpse thingy is a face? you can see the corner of the mouth and corner of the eye, face upside down.. and shes retrieving grace strands* from her/his eyes... i remember someone discovering most models have a gold hue in their irises except those who were stripped of gold, or something like that

I find it very interesting that we still don't really know what Marika's or Miquella's full face look like. It's definitely very international imagery, but I wonder why. 🤔

I've always thought the PC was the antagonist. Mesmer is the hero, defending the Greater Will.

Great video 😊

Great theory. It makes sense 🔥🔥

Might be a weird thought, but "Lord who makes the trees grow well" made me think of slash and burn farming.

Another interesting parallel is Messmer and Marika with Guts and Griffith. Guts helped Griffith fight his battles and ascend to godhood, only to be betrayed as soon as he achieved this. Messmer seems to have been imprisoned in the shadow realm, likely by Marika, betraying him after he fought her battles for her and helped her become a god. Messmer is depicted as this super evil guy but I think it’s misdirection, and he will actually be a sort of “tragic hero” character that a lot of From’s games have, like Artorias, Ludwig, and Gael.

This is fantastic analysis. I'm hoping we get covenants again so i hope you are right!

this is exactly what i was looking for after the story trailer dropped. I'm not 100% on board with everything in this theory just yet, but you bet i'm gonna keep it in mind with every revelation we get in the DLC

Fantastic analysis. I had a similar feeling that Messmer and Marika are on good terms and the real choice we have to make is in regards to Miquella/St. Trina. I’m hoping that your theory is true and the ending we get reflects which faction we choose to believe in the most.

Amazing theories. I’m all in

I LOVE THIS THEORY! BRO COOKED 🔥🔥🔥🔥

I’m so hype for this DLC to drop

liked, sub'd, that bezerk griffith body pile reference

Awesome Video

10:09 "They were never saints, they were just on the losing side of a war" Interesting quote, depending on who that was who said it

it feels like that figure is marika, post-infection by the elden beast (mid transformation into radagon), and she's triggering the transformation of the great tree into the erdtree

It makes sense that Messmer would be in charge of feeding the tree corpses because with the Rune of Death taken from the Lands Between nobody is dying and being given an Erdtree burial. Nice catch.

Holy shit.... your right dude. Your on to something

You are amazing my friend, awesome theory , well know Miyazakis world is inspired alot by berserk, so i think what you saying makes complete sense

Keeps me giggle everytime that people once again shocked that Miyazaki once again referenced Berserk

Small comment, the Laniakea Cluster doesnt "look" like that, those are visual representations of the flow of galaxies towards it over time

I just want to point out, it seems the shadow tree in the trailer has two spiraling trunks. If you zoom in on the base of the tree in the trailer there's a gap of light coming through it.

All I could think was Berserk when I saw the bodies piled too. I’ve thought about the whole world tree thing but could never quite connect it so clearly like you did on this video. And major props on connecting Falconia to Leyndell. Where the hell is Guts?!

the shot of marika holding the golden stands might be cut short and she is tearing them apart

great video

The being at the beginning of the trailer could be what goes on to become the Elden Beast. I think the weak spot on the belly of the Elden Beast is where the golden strands were removed from it at the start of the trailer.

In SPIRE... like. In SPIRIT... something that's inspired by another thing has an element of its SPIRIT in it

Wait, haven't people been connecting the two characters (Marika and Griffith) since the beginning of Elden Ring's launch? That withstanding, great video. Can't wait for this DLC!

For someone that sadly has not Seen or ready Berserk, where would i Start? Is there an Anime or something that i should start with? i am so fascinated by it. Even If i am a Bit sad that Myazaki isa Bit inspired toooo much and mit as creative as i thought 😅

Nice vid

You’re the first person I’ve seen to make the connection between Messmer the Impaler and Vlad the Impaler. I think they definitely were inspired when they created Messmer, that imagery with the impaled corpses is very similar to what is shown in history books about Vlad’s atrocities. Also Fromsoftware is known to have taken inspiration in the past from Dracula, which was itself inspired by Vlad the Impaler.

An amazing story with even more incredible inspirations. How will FromSoft ever be able to out do this game?

I believe Messmer is the son of the GEQueen bc the Statue behind him reminds me of the item description that the GEQ swaddles the newborn apostels

Is it just me, or does the "spiral spike" inside the shadow tree at 13:55 look a lot like the spiral spike the kneeling woman is holding during Messmer's siege?