Elden Ring - Shadow of the Erdtree trailer analysis
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- Опубліковано 21 лют 2024
- For essentially an entire year, Shadow of the Erdtree has been nothing but a single image, but now we finally have a whole trailer to dissect and they packed quite a lot into only a couple minutes. Let's see what we can find if we start pulling at the threads.
Song used: Zora's Domain (Night) - Breath of the Wild OST - Ігри
Something that was sort of a big reveal, but probably should've felt obvious in retrospect was that not everything George R.R. Martin wrote was used for the main game. Messmer has apparently been secretly hidden in the backstory this entire time, and only now do we have any perspective to see where they hinted at him. This means, no matter how thoroughly we examine the game, we can never be certain we have the full story. It also raises the question of just how much else there is still waiting in the wings, and what more they might be able to do with it.
messmer was hinted (probably) by that ghost at the entrance of the *impaler* catacombs that say "oh marika, this is your unwanted child" or something like that
Ngl with many aspects like red color scheme, snakes, fire weapons and red hair I can't help but thinking Messmer could be relative to Rykard, but it was before seeing your analysis
A lot of Messmer’s red fire, coupled with the red liquid next to him when he first starts speaking, actually put me in the mind of the Formless Mother and the blood incantations
@@linhle8294 If Radagon is his father, then he would be Rykard's half-brother.
That souls in general a lot of the lore uses conjecture
Miyazaki outright called the weird lion boss a "dancing lion" implying that it's shape and design are based on the Chinese Lion or Dragon Parade Dancer costumes.
2 people standing in top of each other....can see in trailer the legs
That's the vibe I got from how it moved and the covering over its body.
Inspiration, sure, but it's gotta tie somewhere with the rest of the lore
@@samarkand1585it does, why wouldn't it? Miyazaki said that is a little look of the culture before the Eardtree (Farum azula, beast and the crucible). The fact that it isn't a new entity doesn't mean that isn't relevant to the world building. Actually, it is extremely interesting to know that they had this kind of culture in the era before the Eardtree.
You’ve fought the Grafted Scion,
Well get ready for Grafted Lion.
You must be this tall to be a boss
Lion Dancer: *Proceeds to stack people underneath like he's trying to sneak into the movies as an adult*
I'll be able to unironically say "my favorite boss in Elden Rin is a three midgets in a trenchcoat" to normies after the DLC drops and I _cannot wait._
That thing looks like it doesn't f*ck around too.
I’m hoping phase 2 of that boss has us kill one of the segments, and the one at the head cries out in pain as he decides “fk it” and uses lightning against us
It’s Vincent Bossman!
@@Arrakiz666 i hope u dont talk cringey like this irl
Miyazaki has done it again, adding both a Deathblight swamp AND a sleep swamp. Marika has truly forsaken us
Lord Miyazaki has deemed we must suffer unto eternity
And the sleep swamp is probly going to be the worst ever
ah shit. enough with the swamps.
@@herbertraffi naptime :)
Queen Marika has high hopes of us. That we continue to struggle, unto eternity
The Aeonian and Nascent butterflies map to Malenia and Miquella. The third type, the smouldering butterfly, was speculated to tie Melina in as a third sibling. But perhaps it actually was a reference to Messmer the entire time!
THANK YOU! Finally, someone who caught it as well.
Mimimi Melina is the third child, like bro shush it.
I always forget there are smoldering butterflies in this game. Wasn’t there also one in BotW?
yes lol@@jamin5422
I have a theory that Messmer allied himself with the devouring serpent (the same as Rykard) but did not allow himself to be devoured by it, and the fire spells he uses are very similar to the magma spells in Gelmir. I believe this because in the description of the smouldering butterfly it says about "the one who walked beside the flame" which implies that he was not consumed by it, but joined in, in addition to Rykard's phrase "The serpent never dies" implying that it would still be influencing the world in some way
Holy FUCK that's a good shout!
"Could just be a group of people in a costume"
Incredible optimism
If you pause it at the right time you can actually see a dude standing on the back of another dude.
There's 3 people standing on each other's shoulders. The guy on top working the lions mouth with his hands makes it obvious. It's based on a Chinese dragon and also Heracles.
@@A_Black_Sheep94 but ate they doing it of free will? Or being forced / glued together
@@skateafroboyI suspect a pinwheel situation
Maybe their grafted like Godrick.
The fact that the smoldering butterflies might've just been tied to Messmer the entire time blows my mind.
Messmer = Morpho Knight?
It feels so crazy how many hints were right in front of us from the start
3 siblings with R names, but only 2 with M.
3 butterflies
And of course the whole giant war with giants literally impaled on trees; perhaps that was the event Messmer decided what the Erdtree was doing was wrong and adopted the flame of the giants, combining it with the Bloodflame arts
@@atheontimesconflux1067
What about Mohg and Morgott? They're also missing a third from their Omen sibling trio. Maybe there will be 2 new children of Marika in this DLC, not counting Miquella.
@@are3287 well actually, they are meant to be just twins as their runes are interconnected to the point where they have the same set of 2 fingers.
THE FACT THAT THE THING THEY PUT IN THE GAME RELATES TO THIS OTHER THING THEY ALSO PUT IN THE GAME JUST BLOWS MY FRICKIN COQ AND BALLS CLEAN OFF!
Me: "So there's another poison swamp?"
Lord Miyazaki: "There will always be another poison swamp."
"Keep asking and I'll triple the number of poisonous swamps in each game."
@@kylegonewild i wouldn't be surprised if he has a swimming pool that is a poison swamp
@@kylegonewild
Basically what happened with this DLC. Those journos shouldn'tve asked about them 2 years ago!
He can't help it. He sits down at his computer and blacks out only to come to again hours later and realise he's sent in the order for 5 more swamps to be programmed in. This is true and there is nothing we can do about it. He confirmed it in that one interview!
Poison swamp: Cool
Scarlet Rot swamp: Not cool, Miyazaki. Not cool. *melts*
Messmer being the character featured most prominently in the trailer as a "big bad" we'll have to fight is, unsurprisingly, dripping with evocative references. He's encoiled by a snake with two heads on each side of its tail, and when he stands menacingly to face the player, it's made clear that he's wielding a caduceus. The caduceus is commonly seen today as a symbol of medicine, but in alchemy, it is a symbol of authority of Hermes Trismagistos, the quasi-divine mythical figure, said to be the very originator of alchemy, and credited with the creation of the Emerald Tablet. Essentially the blueprint outlining what alchemy is and how it's performed. He also smugly mentions someone (likely the player character) being unworthy of lordship due to being "bereft of light". That too is an alchemical reference, specifically to the third stage of alchemical purification, "Citrinas". That stage, the penultimate stage, is considered to be akin to "being filled with solar light", and is referred to as an alchemist reaching enlightenment by being filled with sun's light. In physical practice, that stage involves light and heat.
And after that stage, comes Rubedo, the final stage in alchemical purification, which results in deep crimson, and the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. So it looks like Messmer might _be_ the Philosopher's Stone himself, reaching the state of "deep crimson" through the practice of alchemy. He's seen wielding red flame that is definitively distinct, it is kind of similar to bloodflame, the flame of the Blasphemous Blade, and even the red fire of the Rune of Death, but it seems to still be distinct. More refined, you could say.
Dude alchemy is def a big overlooked part of Elden ring, great analysis
@@willferrari4385 I happen to know a lot about it, which for the bigger chunk of my life was completely useless knowledge, so you cannot _imagine_ how good it is to have my time in the light now.
I wonder if Citrinas and Miquella's 'alter ego', St. Trina, are at all related
@@wholeloadofnothing8101 I thought about that? Something might be there, but it seems like a pretty obvious and, well, how do I put this... _wittiless_ pun. But then again Messmer was apparently already a part of the script worked on by Martin, so maybe that's his involvement. Doesn't fit for FromSoft, but it sure fits for Martin.
@@Arrakiz666 Theres also the fact that the "st.trinas lilly" and "miquella's lilly" in the game are white and yellow,but i dojnt remember which is which
One thing I want to say is that the way the omen-misbegotten-lion boss at 3:07 moves really evokes the traditional lion dance you might see in Chinese cities at the lunar new year, right down to its wide, puppet-like mouth with perfectly flat teeth. There's not a doubt in my mind that that was a point of inspiration for that boss's design and animation
Do you mean the Wushou Dance? Are all games referencing it right now?
@@marcinpilarski2412 theyre just called lion dances, wushou is a term invented by genshin impact
@@luettexiv oh, okay thanks!
Great analysis! But you missed two details:
Melina’s voice can be heard in trailer, so we may meet her again.
Mesmer - is Intentionally forgotten brother of Malenia and Mikella, but there is one sign of his presence early - thrones in cutscene before Morgot boss fight. There are three thrones left from Morgot: for Ranni, Radan and Rickard, distance between thrones is the same. But distance between thrones on Morgot’s right hand is different - Malenia’s and Mikella’s thrones stands close together while Godrik’s throne is so far that exactly one throne for missing brother can be placed right between. I’ve noticed it in my very first play and only now I saw the reason.
Honestly thought it was Ranni’s voice😅
The dlc is supposed to be accessed after beating Radahn and Mohg so we'll most likely see Melina
@@kimyun8797I still think ranni and melina are the same person
Messmer looks like he's wielding elements from all of the Erdtree's historical enemies into his design. Dragons, Snakes,fire giants, the exiled knights, etc... anyone who ever had beef with Marika. If Miquella was harboring anyone and everyone the Erdtree rejected, his shadow (Messmer) is probably doing something similar but much darker.
legit the only thing he's missing is Godskin stuff. Unless his weapon is imbued with part of the rune of death
@@broopont2239 he has gidskin bracelet
Misbegotten, Omens, Liurnians and thr Storm King are Missing. Albinaurics and Godskins might be included in His Design, though at least ambigously...
@@broopont2239 I think he's of the same race as the Godskinners. In particular, he is highly reminiscent of the Godskin Apostles, and the pillars in the Land of Shadow are very similar to the spiraling spears on the Godskin Peeler and Godskin Stitcher.
some people have also pointed out that there might be symbol of frenzied flame on his back
he's literally the embodiment of satan in elden ring universe
I think the “Lion dancer” or whatever the puppet is, is meant to be a mockery of the Golden Lineage. Its lion-esque head is reminiscent of Serosh, and the pale blonde hair is a hallmark of the Golden Lineage’s most reputable - Marika and Godwyn; yet the omen horns are reminiscent of the two disowned members of said lineage - Morgott and Mohg. The puppet also wields golden lightning which was said to be wielded by Godwyn (death lightning incantation). The greenish eyes also aren’t far off the colour of Roderika’s, whose eye colour is said by Hewg to mark her as being gifted in spirit tuning; I’ve seen it theorized that Marika was the spirit tuner that Hewg was indebted to (I find it unlikely, but not impossible).
The possible implication of the puppet is that Marika’s proud line of descent is defiled and that even its proud face is not so far removed from that corrupted truth. It could also just be a mishmash of Crucible-adjacent things, as lightning (wielded by ancient dragons), horns (omens) and beasts are all tied to the Crucible and instead be something celebratory.
Edit: Apparently there’s an interview where Miyazaki states that the lion dancer is a practice from a pre-Marika culture. Hadn’t read the article, but I guess that confirms its not a mockery. Within the context of the current Golden Order that shuns things such as omen, it might’ve been, which was my assumption, but if its a practice that predates it the only thing that might make it a “mockery” is its continued existence while the main culture of the Lands Between shuns such things.
The Golden barb impaling the old man and piercing/replacing his ribs, looks like the candlesticks held by the horned (omen?) figures the player attacks while showcasing the new dual swords and their AoW.
Quelaag also noted that the character shown in the Carian-esque room bears a resemblance to the figure in the Carian inverted statue (used to invert the Liurnia tower) as you pointed out. There’s a Carian statue in Raya Lucaria at the altar in the entrance hall that cannot currently be interacted with, so its possible that this character resides in some inverted form of Raya Lucaria.
Very good theory, but I want to point out that Misbegotten (that also have horns sometimes) were once seen as sacred things, back in the time of the Crucible. Something that resembles Serosh, uses lightning (also associated with dragons) and otherwise combines all the greatest aspects of various lineages, human, dragon and beast, may have once been a proud thing. The distinction between a mockery and an honor can be pretty thin.
@@BlueSmoke216 true. I guess I’m calling it a mockery in context to how Marika or Radagon might see it, as Marika hid her omen children from the world and was the leader of the civilization that “outgrew” the reverence of omen and misbegotten to see them instead as unsightly and unworthy. No doubt at one point such a creature/effigy/puppet would be seen as divine and celebratory.
How can the lion dancer be a mockery if they precede the Golden Lineage? In the interview it says that Marika went there and became a God and that there already was a culture there (those lion dancers being part of that culture).
@@spaceman4286 didn’t know the interview said that.
I'm thinking it's all celebratory. This is the land Marika first set foot in, and the Lion Dancer is part of that ancient culture. We also know this land has been cut off from the rest of the world for a very long time, which means that the original Crucible-centric culture was likely never destroyed by the Golden Order in the Lands of Shadows. Considering the time, it likely means the dancers are tied to the Crucible, Beast and Dragon cults of old (which are all kind of tied together in Elden Ring). I think it's meant as a genuine celebration of the power of the beasts and the miracle of the Crucible.
This is even more evident when you consider that we know the DLC has new Crucible incantations, and that bear dragon incantation looks quite "crucible" as well with all the horns growing on it.
Also, Morgott's and Mogh's existence are a secret, almost no one knows they are actually Marika's and Godfrey's children as they've been brought up in confinement. Thus a public spectacle using them as a way to disparage the Golden Lineage makes no sense.
Zullie idk if you noticed but that guy from the painting pulling the branch out of his head, if you look at the “branch” or whatever it is and look at it’s shape throughout his body, it actually resembles the completed Elden Ring rune, or at least a damaged version of it, with the curved spikes out the side.
Also really looking forward to all of your. upcoming regarding this DLC.
Also looks like he's using his spine to form a sword, like the Sacred Relic Sword or Sword of Milos
The thorn on the top, near the hands, reminds me of the black knife, plus that golden color.... maybe that guy is Godwyn?
@@Archipotrio maybe its a reality where godwyn was resurrected by Fia
Which is reminiscent of a malformed version of the runes inside what's left of Radagon
what if its a new character
The amount of intricate details and symbolism in Messmer's design is mind-blowing. Definitely adds a whole new layer to the lore of Elden Ring.
Quick, incomplete list of those things.
-Red Hair, exactly like Radagon and all relevant children. Same shade, general texture, everything.
- Snakes. Like a certain Praetor, who was also red-haired at first. That slit-pupiled eye might not be tied to *dragons*.
- Deep red fire in his magic. That could be the Giant's Flame, and probably is. But given the color and general symbolism it might have an association with the briars of sin.
Bonus: A tall person sitting in a chair with an implication they are deeply tied to events in the game, and we haven't understood it until now? Lady Maria would like to know your location.
also his snakes evoke that symbol thats always behind marika statues. that long flowing cloth you see behind her.@@Pyre
@@Pyre Here's an interesting question though. Is Messmer working with or against his brother Miquella? What does Messmer know of the the events that have transpired in The Land Inbetween?
@@blacksesamecandiesI’d assume with
One thing about messmer, is that the snake coiling around his weapon in the dlc image makes the shape of a great rune
There is some pretty notable symbolism to Messmer's snakes having dragon wings, especially within the context of him possibly being an empyrean. In several mythologies, including east Asian ones, snakes are lesser forms of dragons, and the transformation of the former to the latter is a popular concept symbolizing various forms of evolution, including a transition from mortal to divine. If we accept Messmer as being an empyrean, the dragon-winged snakes can be seen as representing a desire for him to become a full-fledged god like his mother. It could also, however, represent the denial of what Messmer saw as his rightful fate, probably by Marika herself if the "unsung battle" from the trailer's description is anything to go by.
One of my wilder theories is that Messmer might be Melina's alter ego, the same way Radagon is to Marika. I'm sure that the flames Messmer is using are imbued with Destined Death, due to the black highlights and wisps encasing them, which we see when Maliketh unleashes the rune himself. I'm still also convinced that Melina is/was the Gloam-Eyed Queen, as there are far too many hints pointing at it, and it is stated that she herself used Destined Death. They might've become separated when Messmer was banished, or maybe when Marika created Melina as a guide for the Tarnished. Messmer might even just be the godly, empyrean aspect of Melina separated from her being.
I thought that ranni was menalnia's alter ego
@@shadowderper8930 You mean Melina? No, she isn't. It initially seemed something like that, and there is a similar reason for why both are spirits with one eye closed, but no.
Am I the only one that thinks the wings as shown in 3:39 next to Messmer’s left shoulder looks strikingly similar to the wings you see on Magma Wyrms? Also the fact that Messmer’s eyes look like the eyes of someone who partakes in dragon communion enough to acquire them? I can’t wait!
And don't forget that both Messmer and Melina has one eye seemingly permanently closed, which also happens to be mirroring each other.
Not to mention the gods we've seen with alteregos in the game are always male/female. Radagon/Marika, Miquela/St Trina, and now Messmer/Melina. Messmer may be the impaler, but that doesn't mean they can't be the Gloam-Eyed Queen. In fact, the similarities to the destined death in their aura before it becomes the scarlet flames may just be pointing to that they do possess the destined death to a certain degree.
Messmer kind of seems to me like a drake knight of some type
Did I ask for your opinion, kid?
@@sparrow_solascringe
@@sparrow_solasgo to bed, schizo.
@@user-zp8kj2cl9gCare to explain?
@@BIGPILGRIM420Care to explain?
Crackpot theory - the coiled tree was from the age of the crucible and golden tree sprouted through it when Marika ascended. The shot of what is presumably Miquella shows what looks like a lot of pieces falling from the coiled tree.
I actually think its the opposite. The straight bleeding tree is the original "natural" crucible tree, and the curled one parisitizing it is Marika/The Greater Will's.
I believe that Messmer is the firstborn of Marika and Radagon but was hidden way or disowned. If you think about it we didn't know about Gwyn's firstborn until Dark Souls 3 who was the Nameless King. Miquella seeking out his long lost older brother is a motive.
Its possible that because Messmer partook in dragon communion as well as snake blasphemy led to him being hidden away like Morgott and Mohg and we see him sitting on an throne similar to the Elden Throne in Lyndell with Morgott.
The 2 Great Shadow Trees are significantly smaller than the Great Erdtree too but still bigger than the Haligtree.
I’m really interested by the dialogue lines we hear in the trailer.
Who is describing Miquella’s power at the beginning as something so terrifying?
“They were never saints… they just happened to be on the losing side of a war.” Who exactly is this referring to? Presumably the war refers to the Shattering, but could it be the war against the giants, given Messmer’s potential involvement in that?
“Mother, wouldst thou truly Lordship sanction, in one so bereft of light?” This is shown with Messmer’s appearance, so a lot of people assume it’s him talking about… someone… maybe the player. But I actually assumed it was someone else, maybe Miquella, talking about Messmer.
I think a lot of the dialogue also makes it unlikely Miquella is our guide. Someone refers to him as terrifying in a far-off manner, and later someone says they presume you are keen to know what Miquella is doing in the Land of Shadows.
Who is describing Miquella’s power at the beginning as something so terrifying?
-Sounded to me like the possessed Yura
Miquella's voice is most likely the last voice we hear, beckoning us to Mohg's palace. Melina can't be our guide assuming continuity with the base game, and we'd need one knowledgeable about Miquella and this Land of Shadow. The voice questioning Lordship is a little bit deeper. I do not think it is Messmer's. I think Messmer is referring to *himself* in the 3rd person when the lines about "the embrace of Messmer's flame" play as he's fighting the Tarnished. Not like prideful offspring of the gods and would-be gods is an uncommon trope in Miyazaki's catalog.
Miquella's curse was eternal youth, so him having a softer, more feminine voice fits. The fear the voice expresses about Miquella could just as easily be about how terrifying it is for him to be able to convince people to come help him do...whatever he's trying to do in the Land of Shadow (my wild theory is Godwyn is why he's there but that's unlikely). It also doesn't preclude him from still being a final or secret end boss. Maybe the reason he beckoned us here was to do what he could not with the Haligtree, shed his curse and rise as a truly mythical figure.
@@Xenatherion Good ear! Definitely sounds very similar, but the inflection does seem a little bit different. I could see that being his voice for sure, though.
@@kylegonewild Idk, I'm really not convinced Miquella is our guide. Could be, but some of the lines just don't line up in my mind, like the weird way they refer to ostensibly their own hand, or the line at the beginning that seems to speak of Miquella as a far-off figure, rather than someone traveling beside you. I could see it going that way but it's not my current theory.
I think "the war" implies not shattering, but Golden Order's conquest of lands between, eradication of previous cultures. "They" are all the losers of that war, the giants, the misbegotten and omens, and maybe some other cultures too. It's implied that Messmer somehow rallied those outcasts to threaten the Erdtree once again.
You, Vaati, Lobos, FightingCowboy and Smough are part of my nostalgia. The memory wouldnt be complete without your videos. I'm so glad to be a part of this community and make memories with you homies ⚔️
Definitely check out tarnished archaeologist if you haven’t!!
@@megaman640 hell yeah! Thanks for putting me on!
me too! i love this lore hunting so much
Oh yes, text analysis with relaxing zelda music, the finest form of art. Exacly what i needed.
I love the idea that the Smoldering Butterflies are related to Messmer, after we've assumed with near certainty that it was Melena from week 1 because nobody else *really* made sense.
Miyazaki said they aren't currently working on a second DLC, but this really is a game you could expand on forever. The vagueness gives so much room.
Even the most insignificant details seem to change the whole world in some way, while not breaking any other storylines at the same time.
Outdid yourself on this one Zullie
Im surprised they arent working on a second dlc since we still dont have every great rune. Rannis great rune is still stuck on the moon. The elden ring is not complete.
@@alexisleskinen9870 Some people think that Elden ring 2 might have to do with helping Ranni put the Elden ring away from the lands between so it can't be tampered with again. Either way, I can't wait to see Shadow of the Erdtree and where ever the game/franchise goes after.
@@DwivilHonestly? It wont go anywhere after this dlc. Miyazaki hates sequels and I suspect it will be on to the next project after the dlc cones out.
Granted, it's possible we may see Elden Ring 2 with a differemt director... which could be good, or less hood.
@@jessegauthier6985”hates sequels” dawg there is 3 dark souls games
i agree that the "parasite" tree seems to coil around the main one like a snake, and it may also be a reference to strangler vines that grow on and around trees and eventually kill and "replace" them
I just realized something, there are 6 veils that are places suspiciously in a hexagon like the 6 divine towers
It would explain why there was nothing in the middle of them in the base game if this is kind of a gate between these 2 lands
Also my wild theory is that Miquella, at the end of the trailer, points to the glowing top of the Dark Erdtree, I think he wants to grow the tree through that veil and back to the very Centerpoint of the Lands Between
idk but would be cool duality with golden Erdtree and this one joining together as one and truly joining all of the people of this world into a new era
omg
It'd be interesting if the Divine Towers form a sort of ceiling over the Land of Shadow while using the bay at the center of the Lands Between to further conceal the DLC area from everyone else.
@@nightscout9979 YES
Reject dragon communion, become Rune Bear
The lion head needing the hand to relocate its jaw makes me think is a grafted version of Serosh, relating him to the Hoarah loux/Godrick lineage (Godrick Rune)
The person in Raya Lucaria outfit echoes Renala (rune of the unborn)
Messmer seems to be a child of Rykard (Rykard's rune)
The droopy horse remind me of Leonard (Radahn's rune)
My guess is the bosses in the DLC will echo the great rune bosses; which leaves the twin omen Great Runes and Melania's rune unaccounted for in the trailer.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
that makes a lot of sense. if the "shadow world" is like a messed up dream version of the lands between made from miquella's dreams then that makes sense
a theory about Messmer is that he's a character like Satan. He is a child of Marika that no one knows about. he's in charge of the Land of Shadows that are a sort of "dark version" of the Lands Between, he use all the powers considered blasphemy by the Golden Order and his duty is to ablaze the lands and whoever is inside of them. He seems to be like the lord of hell or something like that
6:31 This reminded me of a Kelpie. It is a horse-like water spirit creature from Irish and Scottish folklore. Myths says that kelpie can turn into a human or horse, inviting travelers to join their company, touching Kelpie will make you stick to it, so it can drown with you. In trailer we can see that kelpie found its victim and conjoined with it.
Could also be a Nuckelavee which is similar to a Kelpie but is described as a human torso attached to a horse with long arms and no skin with a single giant eye. It's breath rots crops and makes animals sick.
@@jackohearts9108it looks to have an eye like sphere in the middle so you might have gotten it
Messmer could be the 'Shadow' of everything anti-Erdtree, focused mainly on the biggest shade points for Miquella, Mogh (Messmer's winged snakes representing a shadow of Moghs floating blood, slithering in the cocoon with Miquella's body) and Rykard (A known ((to Miquella)) opponent of the Golden Order). Everything in the Shadow Realm is likely to be a visage or shadow of something else in the Lands Between in this way.
Messmer pose in the figure is exactly like a cleanrot knight
The lion boss is a reference of the Chinese festival performance “舞獅（Wu Shi)”, aka “Dancing Lion” or “Lion Dance”. It’s perform by two people covering in a custom that takes image of a lion. The mask part is the main feature of the custom, which contains some moving parts capable of making expressions. The dancer can be very nimble and are often asked jump between tall bamboo poles. It’s a highlight of several eastern festivals and is even performed nowadays.
Sorry for the flawed English. I’ve tried my best 😂
finally we see miyazaki return to his roots as he gives us the long awaited poison swamp area
Something to note: that skeletal creature on horseback in the trailer seems to be inspired by the Nuckelavee. I’ve always wanted to see one of those in Elden Ring, it would be such a cool enemy to fight. They kidnap children and take them to the spirit world, but they also destroy villages and fields with their foul breath and their gaze
My running theory (for fun, not the most lore educated) is that Messmer is the other half of Malenia. Since Miquella has St Trina (and Marika has Radagon) it would then follow that Malenia has a male other half that has not yet been revealed. There's plenty of possible speculation as to how he has become who he is or why he is there, but I feel like there's several explanations that could have it add up. Like the other 'dual' characters Malenia and Messmer share a similar body type and even a somewhat similar posture. Malenia was the collector's edition statue and one of the main focuses in the lead up to ER's release and now Messmer is for SOTE. There's also obviously the very close constant connection of Malenia to Miquella so part of her existing within him to some degree makes a lot of sense, she may have even given her other half to him in some way. Maybe to protect him, or maybe even for Miquella to try and help her. I feel like there's a lot more speculation and connections that could be drawn, but I just don't remember enough to confidently make those connections.
one thing of note is the crucible, the hippo's spike attack has the same sound effect as the knights phase 2 , we also see the player getting some crucible wings in some form
To add to the observations; The figure seen overlooking Miquella's cocoon at the start of the trailer seems to be the same person later on in the helmet that looks similar to the Lucarian Knight helmet. The cape is the same.
The bizarre skeletal creature is very reminiscent of VaatiVidya's Elden Ring Boss Art Competition. It's called the Nuckelavee from Scottish Lore and is a horse like creature like a centaur with two heads. The Nuckelavee's breath was thought to wilt crops and sicken livestock, and the creature was held responsible for droughts and epidemics on land despite being predominantly a sea-dweller.
You were right about those damn Runbears all along. They are turning into dragons after all.
2:58 I personally think these are what wormfaces originally looked like or a variant thereof, as they have the same long body, succing attack and think arms.
They do miss legs but i am not sure what to make of it.
3:43 I think mesmer might have some connections with the formless mother of mogh, as he wields something akin to bloodflame, most common with mogh and the theme of impalement would be close to the thorns sorceries being about penance.
imo Messmer is most likely what Miquella has become after being exposed to the power of the Formless Mother within the Mohgwyn cocoon
There carvings of those things in faram azula ! They remind me of wormfaces too
@@crumpet575that’s miquellas cocoon that mohg stole, not mohgs.
The naming makes me wonder. Lands of Shadow. And the regular Elden Ring game takes place in The Lands Between. Which makes me wonder if there's another Land somewhere that's associated with Light or brightness in some way. Lands of Light, the Lands Between as the literal middle-ground, and the Lands of Shadow. That's just me musing though.
Land of Fire?
That’s me musing, trying to tie everything back to DS.
@@TackittThat could work too! There's lots of options I think.
@Tackitt imagine if the next dlc is announced and its just literally Anor Londo for no reason like they even phone it in with the dlc name
One intriguing aspect of Messmer's design is his power to summon spears from the ground. Something we only ever see Cleanrot Knights perform. Though judging the frozen corpses of giants on the mountaintops could imply that the lands between have seen similar powers in the past
Fuck the lore, it's BONE FIST TIME! GET IN THE BONE ZONE
One thing that deserves mention is what the Collector's edition states about Miquella: "Divesting himself of his flesh, his strength, his lineage. Of all things Golden. And now Miquella awaits the return of his promised Lord." To me, this really rhymes with Ranni's predicament and since they are now comparable, I think it's more than safe to assume that Miquella will have his own ending. Consequently, I doubt we will fight him.
"Promised Lord" might be Godwyn?
And if we're told that Miquella's body most likely gone and only his soul remains, maybe he plans to pass his own soul to Godwyns body, revive him and then grant him "true death". Since he failed eclipse ritual in castle Sol, this might be his next option.
The lion dancer could be a practitioner of the art of grafting, Miyazaki did say something about other cultures of the dlc.
your channel is the only one that i’ll watch through entirely despite having no audio besides music. love your work!!
I've been waiting for your videos about this DLC, the way you videos are prepared and orchestrated is amazing!
Anyone else getting the vibe that the body in the cocoon in Mohg's palace actually isn't Miquella, but instead was Messmer all along, and we all just assumed it was Miquella?
I mean, yeah, Mohg calls it Miquella, but maybe he's talking to Miquella in the shadow realm THROUGH Messmer's body as a conduit!
Something that always confused me was that the body in the cocoon is the size of the other demigods, but Miquella is supposed to have been stuck in the form of a child. So, unless it's a translation issue (youth just meaning he looks young but not small like a child) it shouldn't be Miquellas body in the cocoon
I'm 95% convinced that Miquella and Messmer are the same person
@@brjdrb well, Mohg used the cocoon to grow Miquela to godhood, that's why everyone assumed it was his arm
Except we know that Miquella's body is missing from the Halig Tree, we know that Miquella was in his cocoon inside the Halig Tree to go through his metamorphosis. It simply can't have been Messmer. The individual in the cocoon is clearly said to be Miquella in the item description. Why would Malenia be waiting for Miquella's return where the cocoon was taken if he wasn't inside that cocoon in the first place? She wouldn't. Finally, we have an official illustration shown in the opening story cinematic clearly showing Mohg HOLDING MIQUELLA (impossible to confuse him with Messmer due to the hair color).
@@LeoStep93Miquella cocooned himself in the Haligtree, Mohg just took him to Mohgwyn.
that Zoras Domain over the vid is NASTY WORK. good stuff.
I like your videos a lot! They are informative, short, dynamic and very calming!
I'm always glad to see your analysis and this trailer really has given you so much to work with. Thanks for picking up on some small details I missed. June can't come soon enough!
My pet theory is that Messmer is a dark/alternative version of Miquella. His gangly figure looks very similar to the dead body in Mogh's arena, and his name "Messmer" is reminiscent of "mesmerize" which ties in to Miquella's abilities to "compel affection."
That would make a *second* alter-ego for Miquella, though... He's already got St. Trina.
St. Trina is already a darker version of Miquella.
@@UltraStarWarsFanatic no reason he can't have 3 iterations - trinities are big in mythology!
I think it's Malenias alternative version, because Marika/Radagon, Miquella/St.Trina but Malenia has nothing
@@ichise9984that would be cool
The one thing I noticed when skimming through the trailer is about the Moon. The Moon only shows up in 2 scenes throughout the entire trailer, once when battling the Hippo like monster and the second time when the Leech thing is on screen.
When the Hippo monster is on screen it is likely day time, but still you cannot see the line in the moon signifying that Ranni's great rune is embedded within it, it is not even unclear or something due to it being daytime, the line is just not there.
When the Leech monster attacks the moon can be seen in really clear view, along with the diagonal line going through it showing the Great rune embedded within, while in the Hippo scene it is obvious that the moon is not supposed to be a focus of the scene, the Leech scene very clearly emphasizes the moon behind the battle happening on screen.
The most this could likely mean is that we will somehow be able to obtain Ranni's great rune, removing it from the moon.
The least this means is probably that the Leech monster is a night time boss and all of what I just analysed has no importance to the lore at all.
I think it'd be cool if we could learn a bit more about what Ranni's Great Rune was even supposed to be and how or why she claimed a Great Rune if Miquella possibly could not or did not. It's also curious how Ranni's Great Rune would be solely based on the vertical line and rune arcs of the Elden Ring.
Been waiting for this and holding off on other trailer breakdown videos and such to see yours first Zullie.
Thanks for the wonderful content and hard work.
The quills emerging from the hippo look like the small growing branches of the crucible to me. The gold color may even hint that it's using a crucible incantation and that we could learn it ourselves
honestly stumbled upon ur channel some time ago but ur channel really is a hidden gem on yt, ur vids are rlly detailed despite how short some of them may be , keep up the work 🎉
Thank you as always Zullie! You are so good at analyzing and theory crafting it’s crazy…
Bro this is the analysis I’ve been waiting for tysm🤩🤩
Two things i notice that might be interesting:
1: the thing that the rotten guy is trying to pull out of his heat has a similar shape to a rune.
2: a lot of the characters seem to wear white masks, which might tie them to mogh (unless the while mask was part of the original surgeon clothes idk).
Not sure what this stuff would mean but i thought it would be interesting
3:11 The enemy resembles that of a Chinese lion dancer. It is a way of traditional ceremony where two performers wear a lion costume and dance according to music to perform rituals that often involve purging evils and bringing wealth and prosperity. In different regions there are different kind of lions, and they carry different symbolism too. You can still see them perform around Lunar New Year these days.
Beautifully assembled content as always - very thoughtful and thorough!
1:39 in case nobody has made note of it, this can also be obtained normally in the DLC. all store fronts say:
"Bonus content will be available in-game when the expansion releases.
The player can *also unlock this later in the expansion* ."
Love your content Zulie! Hope you are feeling better!!
I’ve been waiting for either you or Vaati to give your impressions, cool.
Whatever you are using to soundtrack this is beautiful. Sucker for pretty piano tinkling.
Heard a lot about you through your peers reverentially bringing your ideas/opinions into their content, so new to your channel. Great work.
If I remember correctly, in a recent interview with Miyazaki, the player will be going through the steps of Miquella in the Land of Shadows. He also mentioned that the entrance to the DLC is through the throne of Mogh's Palace. I believe, we as the player, will be entering the Land of Shadows via Miquella's dream. Of course, we have to wait until the DLC arrive to see if this is going to be the case.
@ZullieTheWitch When I saw the new type of incantation as shown at 5:23 in the video… I was immediately reminded of the video you had made regarding the similarities and parallels between the RuneBears and the Dwagons in the Lands Between… how spot on you were with your keen observations way back when you first published that particular video about the RuneBears and Dwagons.
I just CANNOT wait for all of the new videos that you’ll be publishing revolving around the Shadow of the Erdtwee DLC and all of the ways that they tie back to the vanilla game. Keep up the impeccably stellar content you have become renowned for… just please be sure to give yourself time for some self-care and don’t burn yourself out. All the best to you and yours!,,!,
The quality of these videos are always unmatched!
Honestly you're the best in the game with this stuff, appreciate the work of finding solid connections to in game details as well as irl mythology without speculating too wildly out of turn.
mesmerize - To spellbind; enthrall. To hypnotize.
Could be it be that Mesmer is some 3rd face of Mikuela?
More like he's burning his enemies to crisp than bothers to charm them.
Your video is the only “trailer release” video I’ve been looking forward to
HECK YES! *This* is the trailer analysis I've been the most excited about.
I don’t know a thing about what you just said little kid. But you special. You reached out and touched a brothers heart.
This is the best trailer breakdown I've seen so far.
Another great and insightful video👏🏽💯
The horns on that bear look more like the horns on the Omensmirk mask or even the Omen themselves rather than something draconic. That's just my opinion, though.
my thought is that it's part of some festival/ritual meant to mock or honor omens in some way. Seeing all of the red lighting and horned/animal/crucible knight/etc imagery in the trailer makes me think the dlc will have some connection to the society that predated the golden order, where omen-style horns and things like that were considered good luck instead of demonic.
Now this is the analysis I was waiting for!
@ZullieTheWitch As shown in the video around 3:39 I noticed the wing that is visible just above Messmer’s left shoulder, you can see a wing that looks a hell of a lot like the damaged wings that the Magma Wyrms have as well… considering the fact that Magma Wyrms are found in and around Mt. Gelmir/Volcano Manor. Also, as you pointed out in your video, Messmer’s eyes are of the same type of eyes one acquires from repeated Dragon Communion rituals.
Happy that Zulie thought of Northern Limit stuff too, 'cause I was thinking of that in regards to the attire of the scholarly fellow. Love that detail about it matching hte hourglass, I never would've known!!
I was waiting for a video of this from you. Tbh, when I saw the trailer, the next thing I've thought was this channel.
Was looking forward to seeing this videos :D
You make fantastic work.
perfect music for this, great video, ty!
I've been waiting for this video for what feels like a lifetime
Can't wait for your videos once DLC drops- this'll be a treat
something i noticed, the fire of messmer starts off sending these black threads/wisps in every direction, they kind of remind me of what happens to godwyn in the cinematic trailer, where black threads are seen burrowing under his skin
The wicker man full of burning bodies isn't just part of celtic myth, it's actually a thing druids did. And by this I mean real, actual, pre-written history, druids. They would burn people alive in giant effigies as offerings or something. Usually criminals. But sometimes they didn't have those. This is all off the top of my head, but I think most of the stuff we have written down on druids is from Tacticus and his time in the British isles.
The guy drawing the sword from his own body, may partly be a reference or inspired by the Gáe Bulg.
I've seen a lot of people talking about Messmer being the one referenced in the description of smoldering butterflies rather than Melina but to me it signals a connection between the two. It's kind of obvious that Melina is a child of Marika as well as the ”kindling maiden” but what if Messmer is the male counterpart of Melina and they have a similar relationship to Radagon and Marika as well as Miquella and St. Trina? I think the evidence points in that direction
at 0:53 The tree and branches along with the drape like things makes it look like were looking from the inside of an Eye, with the trunk being the optic nerve
Messmer got his nickname "the impaler" because he impaled 200k Ottomans too.
The blue room reminds me of the entrance to the tower that leads to the Divine tower of Liurnia. Also the skeletal rider think resembles Humanity Sprites from DS1 (not to mention the setting resembling Midir's cave in DS3). Also I think it's noteworthy the resemblance between the hippo's quills and the things in the old man, though they also resemble amber veins. And the fact that he actually doesn't have much of a body to speak of.
No one else's theories have been as satisfying as yours so far. You understand the lore and games so much more deeply than most other content creators
Idk why but the scene in 6:34 is so interesting to me, like who exactly is this? Looks like the dude on the painting. Seems like hes going to be a boss because of the cutscene ...
At 4:55 we see the little, golden and burning tree-like object in the left hand of that creature.
The same object, just larger, is the poor old man trying to pull out of his body. (6:34)
Maybe a Miquella thing. As he compelled that man to worship him by making this tree thingy grow inside of him.
I’m psyched. Time to do another run in prep for the expansion.
The only thing that's truly confirmed so far is that the chosen undead goes to Burning Man
The face of the wicker man looks like the medallion that the Dung Eater wears. Considering the lighting lion boss has omen horns and the boss with the lampwood also was an omen, I suspect that the DLC will have a lot more info about omen in general.
The enemy with what we suspect are several bodies beneath a costume, could possibly be a Great Lion dance costume which are used in ceremonial dances for e.g. martial arts. The head looks similar to some design of those costumes i've seen.
The next biggest thing I looked forward to after the trailer was Zullie's take on it! Thank you!