We Were All WRONG About Miquella's Haligtree | Elden Ring LORE 

Waiting for the DLC, is like the Haligtree soldiers waiting for Miquella. We know it'll arrive, but we don't know when.

The other stalk of the Haligtree was burned. Malenia's boss room is at the bottom of the stalk and the edges of the room are covered in ash. The area above that, where you fight the pests, is also covered in this ash. You can tell it's ash, and not something like snow, because every step you take on it a little smoky puff billows up behind your feet.

Theory - After defeating the elden beast there is no more god to protect the tree maybe deathroot fuses with the erdtree giving opportunity for Miquella to grow a new balanced tree to complete his goals

The most painful wait for a dlc

The Oracle Envoys always fascinated me because since they don’t have a particular allegiance to any age or god, they seem to predict the future in knowing when a new age will flourish. I always thought they were albinaurics and that the Haligtree would be a sanctuary for them but they also seem to lack any blood, as when you kill one you pick up a strip of white flesh. Since Miquella was ripped from the Haligtree, they possibly sound their horns for Malenia’s ascension once we arrive, since we inevitably push her to the edge and she becomes the Goddess of Rot. This could tie back into the envoys predicting the future but I’m still not sure. I’m more convinced the envoys are for Miquella but it’s just speculation.

I been staring at that DAMN TREE FOR 9 MONTHS😭😭 I been tryna decode this dlc image for almost a year. I’m almost very hollow right now, but I have faith in Geoff Keighley🙏😂 Also great vid Zio

An interesting thought popped in my head while you were discussing spirals, the gods, the needle, and the Haligtree. What if the Haligtree was meant to be a world size version of his needle. Basically, what if Miquella was shooting for the Goldmask ending of cutting the gods, at least those deemed outer, completely out of the world along with their influence. I'm not committed to nor have evidence for it but it was something interesting that popped in my head that I hadn't seen anyone suggested yet.

This is briliant lore hunting. Never thought about the connection between water and spirits. Spirit Spring, Torrent, Mtn tops of the Giants. Crazy good connections!

To throw out some more ideas based on your video, what if the reason Miquella's double helix tree was unsuccessful is because one half needed to be more representative of death. Such as a deathroot infected tree much like we see in the image. Maybe Miquella would need to acquire a seed or sample to complete his tree. I know the images we have dont reflect a ying yang concept to the helix, but could it be that in the case of the Haligtree the images were based on his original concept of the tree before realizing his error. Also, I know that in the case of the other gods that it is also not a ying yang concept, but Miquella is trying to create something different/better. Miquella's tree would have to represent rebirth from death as well as death itself.... A second thought that is more out there, what if the tree in the image is the dead half of the tree that Miquella is seeing as sort of a dream. This dream is trying to make sense of what is going on in the lands between while he is in his current state. Just some thoughts. Thanks fof the great content!

Going with the double helix theme and the picture FromSoft released for the DLC and the wish of Mikela to restore Godwin’s soul, what if the goal was actually to corrupt the Golden Order Erdtree with Deathroot to envision this?

It’s the re-hollowing 😢

I think Miquella is very empathic and sympathetic to other beings BUT I can't stop thinking about if he just wants to accomplish his plans not because of others, but to satisfy his thirst for knowledge.

God every time I watch another video of yours it makes me want to start the journey all over again. Even though I’ve played it a dozen times I still can’t seem to get enough of it. I can’t wait till the DLC drops!!!

I really like your analysis of the direction the DLC may go. I keep going back to how it's possible the art for Shadow of the Erdtree could actually be Marika on Torrent, maybe seeing the arrival of the Golden Star which carried the Elden Beast/Ring.

The only spirits on the haligtree are the three crastilians called in by the spirit snake snails

I would love another world altering event similar to the erdtree burning, with an eclipse in the sky and a second branch of the haligtree that requires starting from it's base and working up to it's upper canopy to access a new level

Main thing I want from Shadow of the Erdtree is the ability to refight bosses.

It's stagnant water that is asssociated with death. Torrent's water reference is of lively water that is not stagnant.

Thats a wonderful theory man, I can really see the research put into this one. So many theories and facts I was unaware of until this one. Vaati would be proud of this vid. Maybe get him to shout you out and make one of his custom story mini-movies on this theory? Best one I've heard so far

This DLC can't arrive soon enough

I appreciate these videos so much I appreciate the way that you present your information I appreciate that you are still digging into these questions because they are very important and difficult and I think that a lot of folks have kind of given up the fight or the the search before it even really began.

I can't wait. Connecting the dots, there's so much that could be involved: Miquella reviving Godwyn relates to death, but also Destined Death by giving true deaths. Destined Death is granted to Maliketh, but also Blaidd who are both shadows of Empyreans. "Shadow" of the Erdtree?? What if we end up fighting Miquella's, Malenia's, Godwyn's, Ranni's, and/or even Melina's shadows?! Destined Death also connects fo the Gloam Eyed Queen and her Godskin children. What if she's in the dlc and we have to fight her? How would Miquella react to learning of Ranni's plans, especially with Godwyn? Could Elden Stars get a much needed buff? Radagon most definitely dead (... right?), but we know Marika is alive. Will she be involved at all? How much of the main game can change from this? FromSoft isnt known to change much from the maingame with a dlc involved, but they have connected characters like Patches, Dusk, Gerhman, and Gael before. How much of the dlc can WE influence by bringing maingame items to it? Like Miquella's (or just the Unalloyed) Needle, or the Hallowbrand? Or Malenia's remembrance?? *COVENANTS??!!*

I thought Miquella's Haligtree being so far North was indicative of him needing to go beyond the Great Tree root system that spreads throughout the entirety of the Lands Between, upon which the Erdtree is grafted/intertwined, in order to keep it safe from infestation by Deathroot.

It's great to have some fascinating videos about these mysteries every once in a while. Helps to cure some curiosity about dlc

Imagine how shocked we will be if it is revealed that Miquella willingly went away with Mohg or it was him that called Mohg to take him away , all part of his plan .

YO your thumbnail of the twins and Godwin looks like the godskin swaddling cloth talisman

Dude, you just knocked it out of the park with this one.

Unrelated but your use of Metroid Prime 3’s bgm is a brilliant thing.

The two spiraling trees remind me of bonsai grafting, maybe in a sense of uniting life and death into one tree?

(THEORY) Miquella's version of the lands between was one that was actually good and genuine but STILL connected to a God unlike Ranni's plan which separated it all from the God's and their order. My theory why Miquella could have succeeded in the end though is that Miquella was attempting a Holy Trinity, therefore bringing balance to the order he would bring about. First as the sacred child, St. Trina as the womanly saint/Holy Spirit, and some other final form that is the finished God Miquella, perhaps in the form of an old man. Being that he was cocooning himself to finish growing and is shown much larger inside the cocoon, my thought is that he was getting nearer to that final third form which would have came with a newly completed Tree to bind all of it together. Great videos man, been a long time fan!

You’re the most loyal youtuber waiting for this. It must be so worth it

Congratulations on your channel Ziostorm, I think your theories make a lot of sense, and since Miquella is an important character on the DLC, is very likely that we will see something similar, one thing that I like on previous DLC's titles is how you can interact with the Dlc and the base game, bloodborne for example has special dialogs after defeating lady Maria, would be interesting to see if our action in the DlC will affect the game somehow

The music choices fit the supernatural theme perfectly

My guess is that Miquella and Malenia had a feedback loop that sustained the Haligtree. He bleed on the soil and Malenia decomposed his blood so the tree could use it as a compost.

Cant wait! ☺️

I don't know how to interpret it, but in the opening scenematic Miquella (held by Mohg) is clearly becoming much like the elden beast

keep up the awesome work

Dude that Game Show 2023 yesterday baited me good for a sec there xD I really thought they were gonna show some Shadow of the Erdtree content.....

I am curious how Melanias role will be played? Because the cut weapon (that may return) is both miqulla and melania and could possibly mean melania needs to be planted with miqulla to complete both halves of the trunks.

It sounds like Rodericka might be getting an ending to her questline

I've been reading the Edda and have noticed many parallels between Godwin and the Norse god Baldr. Both were the known as being loved by all in their respective pantheons. Both were known for their beauty and looking like the ideal god. Lastly, and most strikingly, they are both known for being betrayed by a fellow god, Loki in Baldr's case, and dying. They are also both known for the grand, yet failed, attempts to resurrect them after their deaths. It would be interesting if there are even more parallels.

the wait may be over soon.

Great music choice again

"Approach on the time of the eventual release..." LOL

Interesting parallel between DNA 🧬 double helix and gods! Basically the “(golden) order” being the DNA of the world and its rules!

So In th DLC Teaser Art the Deathroot and Erdtree/GreatTree are wound in a double Helix? So the comming God will be either Godwyn or Miquella?

I just notice that the dlc image itself is all about duality and maybe even the spiral too. The field is full of life and color on the right side of the image but deep and foggy on the left side and the sky is bright and golden around the tree(s), this time in the left side, but dark and gloomy on the right side.

Where do you think we wil enter this dlc? I'm aiming towards his body in mohgs arena what do you think ?

wouldn’t it be wild if the DLC was just a longer version of Elden Ring’s version of the Painted World from DS1 and DS3

i hope this comes out soon so i can experience it before i leave for the air force..

Excellent theory crafting!

I'm tryna figure out the connection with helphen steeple sword the red grace I think it connected with consecrated snowfield as there is a red aura and spirits there. And I know helphen is where the dead go so hopefully helphen is in this dlc cause that could be cool also I wonder if miquella could have took part in the red aura in the snowfield while traveling to make his haligtree

I think it’s going to be in the north. As at the haliage tree you can see a land far off in the distance. Would definitely be in the shadow of the erdtree. But than again, is that still considered the lands between?

This is really close to the theory I've had for a while now, but I couldn't work out the mechanics of it. Basically, the double helix represents the cycle of death and rebirth. Thematically it's constantly shown that birth cannot happen without death (the corpses at the roots of the erdtree that stopped in the middle of being absorbed coincide with the decline of erdtree births, respec'ing seems to work by having your character die and their runes be reborn in a mimic tear assisted by the rune of the unborn, I could go on). The two halves of the rune of death that were used on Ranni and Godwyn come together to form the mending rune of death, which has a striking resemblance to the eclipse Miquella is trying to summon which is in effect one link in the chain of the double helix of death and rebirth. I think that more accurately, however, this is a rune of "dying" rather than "death," and that the rune Maliketh holds is the true rune of death, destined death, final and complete. It's still hard for me to reconcile perfectly, but there seems to be two running ideas of death, one which facilitates birth, and one which results in removal from the cycles of life. These aren't wholly separate ideas, I think. The sigil for black flame magic, as well as the godslayer incantation seal, look like an eclipse. The concept of godslaying implies finality in how it is referenced in the game, but the skin of gods is used to swaddle the children(?) of godslayers, which suggests that death is used to nurture life. And then you get into wild speculation mode wherein the black flame used to be purple, and destined death used to burn purple rather than red in older versions of the game, which implies a connection to gravity magic, which itself implies the transportation of things and to degree movement from one world to another, which then creates a connection with sleep which is color coded as light purple and can be conceptualized as diet death and transports you to a dreamworld, which may be synonymous with the world of the dead, which brings us back to Miquella who visited people in their dreams and is implied to be leading spirits of the dead in the DLC poster. All this to say, Miquella trying to create an erdtree that guides the dead and nourishes the living makes sense. He's trying to integrate complete death in a way that the current system did not account for, i.e., those that live in death. Accepting the dead in all their forms, unimpeded by doctrines, and completing the process for them however they failed to achieve a true death.

I just thought of something. Mister creepy's idea to turn Ranni into his slave. If we do that quest we get that concoction that used something miqualla as ingredient right? It does not work on Ranni and I kind of thought that was an rather abrupt ending to that questline. Maybe we can get that and use it in the DLC?

Has anyone analysed what the four archways in the DLC artwork might be?

Also look at the water as 3 states of matter or like coming into being and continuing alot of the elements in this game have 3 phase 🤔 shifts like fire lava ghost flame.

So I kept punting on finishing my first run of Elden Ring and I am convinced one of the original bosses will have a slightly different intro if you do something in the DLC (like Sif in Dark Souls). Reached the capital, but how far along should I go to get stronger without locking myself out?

Also The entire color scheme of the teaser art is Black and gold kind if like the death spells and the death rot effect

Man, I usually take your lore videos with a huge grain of salt. But this one was really well done. Your best yet. Awesome job.

Entrance to the DLC by Beast Clergy Man Gurrang or in DeepRoot Depths?

I doubt it has any literal connection, but a shrinking double helix with semicircle "wings" at each joinder IS the Caryll Rune for Corruption as well.

Great video! Some thoughts... We tend to say the Haligtree didn't finish growing into what it needed to be with the double helix shape but it already reached its full growth then broke, likely swallowed by the deep waters around the tree. (perhaps another loose connection between water and death there?) So to think of what could have been if Mohg didn't sever the root by taking Miquella away at that moment is very sad. He was so close! Also, the fact that the death root grew large enough to form a new helix with the Erdtree makes me even more confident that the Duskborn ending (my personal favourite) was the true ending. I prefer that for the story vs Ranni succeeding, because it's a direct consequence of her selfish actions using her brother that way. Either way I'm so excited for the DLC. Goldwyn and Miquella are the most interesting and tragic characters, and I can't wait to see more about either of them.

Great vid, remember have pity on those lost in death.

I like this theory. Could we see us going to the past and then see how miqilas version of the erdtree plays out or maybe we’ll see it going into the future. Sadly I don’t think we’ll know until mid or late next year

The erdtree represents life. After Godwyn's death, Miquella wanted to make a new tree that is both life and death thread together. Maybe? Idk I'm gonna laugh tho if the DLC has nothing to do with any of our guesses.

Not sure if there's any direct correlation, but since Miyazaki loves Berserk, there could be; in the Berserk manga, Griffith meets "god" (called the Idea of Evil) in a removed chapter, and the thing has a very long double helix tail. So with the double helix pattern in Elden Ring being related to god-things, perhaps there was inspiration from Berserk (again). Just an idea!

I love your theory, it had me completely hooked! Im so excited for the DLC and for Miquella, the most fearsome empyrian of all

If you need even more connections to water and death, the crabs are the only common wildlife I know that can inherit deathblight and sleep (sleep seems to be very related to death story wise. And I’ve said it before but I think there’s gonna be a lot more spirits than there were in the main game cause they’re the only enemies that can only have sleep applied to them, so we will probably get more sleep stuff especially with this relation to miquella and even a potential alliance. And the enemies who live in death will give a lot of reason to use scarlet rot and holy cause it’s the only status that works on them and holy is obviously just very effective on them too.

I NEED THE BACKGROUND SONG NAME PLEASSEE

there is a rumor that the dlc trailer will be in the game awards...

What if the DLC activation method when it comes out is doing Fia's questline, obtaining the Price of Death's Mending Rune, and using it on the egg in Mohg's arena, granting Miquella the power to grant proper death?

I was always to busy getting killed to notice any of this…

I am sooooooooooo ready for the dlc. At least a date of when it’s coming would be really nice. A sneak peak would be slick too. I hope they surprise us all and announce that it’s released at the game awards and to go play that moment. Try to cash in on some Christmas money. Not that they’ll need any help with sales. But that would be awesome

I just realized something when looking at The Shadow of the Erdtree image.... What if this is an endgame location ( as there were ones on such released images and stuff in past, we just didnt know it when looking at them the first time ). And my theory would be : Maybe this is the end of the world in the far future where Miquella finally awoke and grew to its full glory and you have to beat it to bring essence of life back ( to tie in with theory in the video ). Yes, kind of a parallel to Dark Souls 3 dlc ending... In any case, awesome video and one of the best lore theories i've heard so far.

I'd like to add why I think the Haligtree was being grown. I think the night of the black knives was meant to poison the Erdtree. Godwyn, the source of the deathroot, is located at the roots of the Erdtree. Ranni's way to weaken the Erdtree and order as a whole, poison and kill the Erdtree with death. Miquella pleads and prays his brother finds a true death, but the damage is done. To preserve the order in the lands between, he tries to make a new Erdtree. Or something along those lines.

guys from the EXTENSIVE research we have done on the SINGLE image announcing that dlc in is in the works, we now know exactly what the dlc is about and what out characters quest will be. Thats insane

2:04 That's were Miquela dropped his runes

could the Haligtree have been grafted onto the roots of the Helphen lampwood the way presumably the Erdtree was grafted onto the Greattree?

75 days in Elden ring gameplay and I’m still watching lore

The only part I think this theory is missing is that I think Miquella could well be the DLC's main antagonist, rather than the saviour of the Lands Between. Don't forget (if you'll pardon the pun) that between Miquella and his alter-ego, Saint Trina, we get the origins of some of the most powerful mind control magic in the game. Bewitching branches show a taste of Miquella's ability to warp the minds of the weak and bend them to his will, and Trina's sleep is an exertion of complete power over another's will even as it appears to be gentle. That is Miquella to me in a nutshell. If this video is right about his plan, it's still ultimately just a continuation of the cycle but with a different but equally fickle god controlling the world with absolute authority, just as there was under Marika.

..and you need another “half” of the medallion to get to the Haligtree!

There is one God before the age of the Erdtree that was related to Death, Gloam eyed queen.

I don’t think we can guess what the dlc’s theme will be

The Double Helix! The Ethereal and Corporeal Planes! I suspect the DLC takes places in the Spirit Plane affecting the Lands Between in the Core Game. Thoughts?

I get the feeling we’re gonna get a Miquella/Godwyn boss fight akin to Father Ariandel and Sister Friede

Waiting for this DLC is like waiting for Tool to drop an album.

It’s been a long time. But hopefully we will have our answers on the 7th of this month. I’ve been looking forward to the DLC, but it’s taking to long. I’ve all but given up on ever seeing it..🤷🏻‍♂️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

IIRC, growing the Haligtree was supposed to also allow Miquella to mature his physical body as his rune kept him trapped as an infant.

🙏🏻 Water & Ships from the Map 🙏🏻 More specific, The Swirling Hole In The Ocean to the West of Alteus Plateau

No dlc trailer 😢

It would make sense with the Miquella/St Trina connection. Sleep is a sample of death for the living. Being a ghost is a taste of living for the dead. Maybe Miquella tried doing the Marika/Radagon route and became his own consort, or attempted to

I wonder if part of Miquella's plan was to overthrow the Golden Order. There is plenty to support he became disillusioned with the Order. And even if it wasn't his goal, I can't see how his rise wouldn't have lead to a war. He was already amassing a huge following, and it would have only grown even more. The Order would have seen him as a challenge to their power. Maybe with the DLC we'll get a hint of what Miquella's ultimate place was, and what might of happened if he wasn't abducted.

I'd interpret the Haligtree as an extension of Melania and Miquella's relationship and reflections of their attributes: life attempting to flourish and the rotting side that will never be completed as as result - a self contained cycle. The intention is there, but without Miquella to balance Melania's rot, the execution was ultimately doomed the moment he was removed. This is mirrored in what's left of Melania and the Haligtree: husks ever rotting, not dying, but new life sprouting from it outside the current order. Being that everyone has their effective realm of responsibility: Malenia is rot that begets life, not implicit rot to stagnation like deathroot, which is why Godwyn stands as anathema to the order of the world. Godwyn's death doesn't fulfill a cycle. Anyone or thing that dies via Deathroot is effectively removed from the cycle of the current Erd tree order and effectively just pulls resources from it, weakening it overall, like a chemical reaction that will eventually fade due to the catalysts running out. Melania and Miquella represent a self-contained equation of birth and decay, which would've offered a similar cycle to what Marika and Radagon's Erd Tree order offered until death was removed and re-integration, which clearly stopped working, stepped into a substitution role.

Just when I thought I couldn't love this game more lol

The twinned armor set abd sword are technically a spiral too. Look at the designs. The sword represents life and death and helps slay the undead. The twins eventually slay the witch at Godwin's corpse. It is a metaphor in a metaphor. Life destroys death. Death takes away life. Twinned forever in balance. Silver is death gold is life. Golden Order = Gold Death blight = silvery waters silver. ⚖

Does any1 know the name of the background song hes playing?

What was the reason that Malenia did not have access to the Needle? I can’t remember

When you defeat malenia look at the tree it’s like a body in the tree that’s part of it

IMO in Malenias room there’s the part of the tree that has Miquellas visage. At the bottom of that likeness is a spot that looks like it once housed something but that thing was taken out. Almost like a seed with the Miquella tree growing from it. This is not the best way to explain it but go look. It looks like the right size for Miquellas pod to fit and the thing above it looks like a person. I think Miquella was the Haligtree