Elden Ring Lore - Maliketh: Shadow of Marika

Learn the history of Maliketh, the Shadow of Marika, and how his actions have affected the state of Death in the Lands Between.
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[@luxiam9148]

"O Death, become my blade once more" Got to be my favorite line of this game. And Maliketh's reveal really puts it out how majestic and fearsome he is.

[@punishedchad8733]

100% the most raw/hardest line in the whole game

[@Jasonmakesvideo]

makes me think of Lawrence busting out Moonlight greatsword in old hunters DLC

[@trevor7514]

For me my top 3 hardest boss encounters were Melania, elden beast/radagon, then like a tie between Mogh or Maliketh.

[@thedishwasher8556]

Miyazaki just loves making us get attached to all these doggos just to have us fight them

[@erayerdogan9449]

When Gurranq asked me "Why wouldst thou..? Why??" I felt really bad. As I didn't have a clear idea why exactly I was there and why I needed to kill him lol.

[@3XZDgg]

this is a problem with the quests of elden ring in general. more than half the time you can just inadvertently stumble into a boss battle and you have no idea what the backstory is 'cuz you didn't do the quest or quests in intended order lol.

[@alexbarn3841]

@@3XZDggnot a problem, it makes the worldbuilding effective. It feels like an actual world that’s been in stagnation for millennia, not just another fake open world linear game.

[@blankdark7784]

He left you as a friend on good terms but you find him not to help but to take away the only thing he has his duty in the end everyone he care about betrayed him through no fault of his own

[@KitsuneShapeShifter]

Punctuation is important.

[@krisjohnston5569]

@@KitsuneShapeShifter Shapeshifter is one word, not two.

[@KitsuneShapeShifter]

@@krisjohnston5569 I made this account like 2009-2011

[@ArnoldJudasRimmer..]

😂😂😂​@@krisjohnston5569

[@KitsuneShapeShifter]

@pulltheskydown How recent?

[@alpacaofthemountain8760]

Being a Shadow in Elden Ring seems like a shitty job when the being that you are totally loyal to seems to always betray you... great video!

[@jeambeam3173]

I mean it's not really there fault that there basically psychically obligated to obey the Erdtree and to kill there Empyrean if they stray from the Golden Order. So if anything it's more like the Shadow betraying then

[@eddieford9373]

"As we patiently wait for the DLC." Who is "patiently " waiting?

[@duskripper6650]

I feel terrible for the shadowbound beasts. They seem to have such sad fates

[@SlowSpeedChase13]

like loving pets with abusive owners

[@duskripper6650]

@@SlowSpeedChase13 yes! 🥲

[@edwarren7022]

Same, he was the only fight I felt bad for. I remember looking around in his temple and saw some statues of the shadows being chained 😢.

[@5TailFox]

I'm inclined to believe that Queen Marika knew of Ranni's plan, and may have even had a hand in it. Throughout the game, it becomes more and more apparent through stories from Melina that, like many other characters we come across in our journey, even Queen Marika's faith in the Golden Order was beginning to wane. She may have viewed Ranni's plan to free herself from the control of her own set of Two Fingers as just the thing she could use to free Herself from the Greater Will entirely. And was thus inclined to help Ranni see it through, while she worked her own plans on the side.

[@square-table-gaming]

I'd have to agree

[@N0lanN_]

I just don’t see it, the reason why she would allow that, and how it would help her free herself from the Golden Order while she could just break the Elden Ring by herself all along. Plus Godfrey and the Tarnished were already gone and could be used as a potential backup plan. (Unless it’s Radagon who called back the tarnished) While I agree that she is of a really deceitful nature, as the only one actually able to attempt to free herself, I don’t see how The Night of the Black knives would help her doing something she is already able to do. The only reasonable thing that could push her to do that are that either she was doomed or things weren’t going her way. What and when is that turning point is the real question.

[@drakmendoa]

I wouldn't say that Marikas faith in the Golden order waned. I would say she never believed in it to beginn with and further constructed it so it was destined to fail.

[@jogglenoggle9579]

People often make the argument that "Marika grieved Godwyns death and therefore couldnt have had a hand in it", but surely it would just make her grieve harder if she, for whatever reason, had to sacrifice Godwyn to collapse the order.

[@drakmendoa]

@@jogglenoggle9579Or the grieve was just show as so much of Marika was just show. Like when she told Godfrey and the Tarnished, that grace had abounded them and she could do nothing about it. Except she herself controlled the guidance of grace and she herself took it from Godfrey and the Tarnished. As we saw overself, Godwyn was perfectly placed so he could infect the entire rootsystem of the Erdtree and spread the curse of those who live in death and the death blight in the entire lands between. I don't think that was a coincidence.

[@HiddenWTFworldvids]

The timing.. I’m currently fighting this spicy pup

[@KSharp2]

Scary pupper

[@nicholeclapper2967]

I defeated him a week or two ago... Im on Godfrey now... I knew Maliketh was inevitable since i watched Jerma play Elden ring around a thousand times by now. But man... Learning his lore, and bits and peaces from the land between, i felt so bad for killing him. Since he only wanted to protect the only person he had. Personally, i did a polite bow after killing him.

[@kjoestar8923]

That theory at the end is 🤯. That just has to be true and would be so cool as the concept of beats in general is one of my favorite elden ring topics

[@craignaylor2648]

This legit almost puts me in tears every time he is my favorite character and I truly wish I could make him my shadow 😢

[@abeard1]

Elden Ring - story how one family ruined entire world for everyone

[@nightshadehelis9821]

Yesss THANK YOU. Maliketh is my absolute favorite! His story is so tragic and beautiful, and you can also hear the confusion and sadness in his voice when you approach him for the first time. I'm also genuinely curious how the Rune of death was stolen from him.

[@NickCombs]

3:30 this part ignores the possibility that GEQ ruled (possibly for a long time) before Maliketh defeated her. The apostles seem deeply embedded in various rites around the lands between.

[@QuandaleDingle-mm2rc]

My favorite character in the whole game

[@AegisKHAOS]

The best thumbnail pic yet. For reasons. Also, hard to believe you never talked about second or third best doggo, Maliketh. First will always be Sif.

[@HorridOnlineTroll]

you might be gay, that's a dude

[@HorridOnlineTroll]

You might be gay, that's a dude

[@draw2death421]

Are those reasons familiar to boggart?

[@AegisKHAOS]

@@draw2death421 Maybe? 😇

[@HorridOnlineTroll]

You might be gay, that's a dude

[@Marcus-gf5uq]

Damn she bad💯

[@WB3Champ4JD]

Its lonely at the top, but Marika went the extra mile to make sure everyone would leave her alone. God tier Tsundere.

[@DannyWhitaker-ip2vk]

@@WB3Champ4JD💀

[@MorningGloryDancer]

STG, is there anything in-game on the Tibia Mariner? They are, by far, my favorite enemy in the game. I love the name, the Greek aesthetic, the fact that they can fight over ghostly water… it’s such a unique concept! But I know nothing about them!

[@square-table-gaming]

I've been digging into them to see if there's any kind of lore related to their role for those who live in death, stay tuned!

[@MorningGloryDancer]

@@square-table-gaming Yayyyy!!! ^_^

[@supunwickramage1182]

Thanks so much for covering Malikeith!!! He is my favorite design of all bosses!!!

[@pedroatanasio-sr5sz]

The way Gurranq cant fatham how the Tarnished betrayed him melts my heart !

[@square-table-gaming]

We were boiz...

[@Mistercodmobilefan8378]

Its crazy that the beast clergyman is malekith and when u do his quest line and complete it and you go to the farum azula, he recognizes you and that but when not doing the quest line he says a different line, ik the fact that it is his duty to protect the destined death but then like how did the black knife assassins got patt of it to kill godwyn and that like were they silent to grab the destined death but yea like beast clergyman (malekith) is one of the coolest boss fights and one of the coolest armor looking designs in elden ring Edit: part

[@poetryofcinema6957]

I'm not sure how but Beast clergyman is still alive in Dragonbarrow even after I killed Maliketh

[@adamkorzon2972]

Wish we would be able to tell him we are here to put things back and have him as an ally.I would tell him we are going to mend the ring and end his sin and suffering along with the rest of the world.We all suffer for death being locked away,even the demigods suffer,and the shadow land suffer as well.

[@kemosabesensei4249]

This is the best Elden Ring lore channel out there. You guys have helped me understand so much about the Lands Between

[@square-table-gaming]

Thank you, that's why we do it!

[@All_Seeing_Knap]

Should definitely do a video on the giant skeleton in Ainsel river.

[@pushpitkumar99]

One of my favorite item descriptions from the game. Gurranq's Beast Claw ~ Long ago, Gurranq was a beast of such terrifying ferocity that his former name meant death of the demigods. And the second phase of the battle shows this.

[@tylermatthew378]

not only did maliketh defeat gloem eyed queen, but he single handedly destroyed her entire army. him in the prime of his strength was by far the most powerful character in this game ranni got the chunk of the rune from when Maliketh beat the queen. look at the blasphemes claw, its blood stained like it came from a body. ranni also used it to end her original body so her corpse can be turned into the finger slayer blade

[@marystone860]

This was a very enjoyable video! Maliketh's story told in this way, really makes one understand the tragedy of Maliketh's existance! I always had one question though, Bliadd, Ranni's Shadow, where was he during the Night of the Black Knives, when she slew her own Empyrean flesh and Godwyn's soul? Maybe when she cast it away, Blaidd gained more autonomy, and that's way he didn't stop her? I always wondered about that!

[@thatll-do7606]

When watching this, I noticed that the Rune of Death was stolen while Maliketh was sleeping. There's only one character associated with sleep, and it's never as just a passing coincidence or just as something people do. So this raises the question, was Miquella, as St Trina, lull Maliketh to sleep? Was he in cahoots with Ranni and possibly Marika? I've never heard anyone draw attention to the idea, so it might be worth speculation

[@square-table-gaming]

Given that Ranni knows torrent and his previous master was Miquella I think it's a distinct possibility

[@BlackHermit]

Hm, never thought of the Land of Shadows as a possible explanation for the origins of _this_ kind of Shadows...

[@Torquatoland]

i love this Channel, for the past months almost everynight ii fall asleep listening to elden ring lore

[@whiteincolour]

Perfect timing. I was wondering about his backstory.

[@themilkman2225]

Mommy Marika bouta make me act up 🥵

[@drakmendoa]

I think Marika betrayed Malekith from the very beginning. He always was just a pawn in her game and served at first to destroy the Gloam-Eyed Queen and later to have the rune of death always in a place were she had easy access to it. Which she later used for the night of the black blade, which I think she did not only allow to happen, but she was directly involved in it.

[@alexr1249]

Honestly Elden Ring has some of the best lore I’ve ever seen love the game it’s a masterpiece

[@titomarley079]

Square Table Gaming Elden Ring IM WATCHING 🔥🤷🏾

[@nemesisundead83]

When I see the beginning of the rune of death being released it looks exactly like the beginning of Messmers flame, umm the only difference is Messmers flame the middle turns yellowish, like the frenzied flame kinda yellowish, even has the golden sparks coming off of it as well, but the rune of death has more sparks and there flying off, while Messmers sparks kinda act normal I guess not flying everywhere but just like a normal fire with some sparks, I don't know I can't explain what exactly I'm talking about, do a side by side and look for yourself lol

[@nemesisundead83]

What I'm going with is, Messmers flame, I believe it could be a mixture of all the flames or what flames were available during that time, some probably changed over time like the frenzied flame it could have been something else back in the day and became the frenzied flame when Shabriri came across it who knows lol

[@Skellybr0]

Marika had it like that? Sheesh

[@queertitan]

12:10 did yall know if you wait until you have all the deathroot and then give them to Guraanq, you’ll get different dialogue. He never says anything about Marika gulling him

[@square-table-gaming]

Yeah basically breaks the script

[@DeferredCarrot]

Love your vids

[@Carrot-Man1876]

Do you like carrots?

[@DeferredCarrot]

​@@Carrot-Man1876 Hell yeah brother

[@AwwGeeZ1983]

Carrot convention up in here. We're bringing the carrot fandom together

[@brysoncarr1717]

I feel it’s often overlooked that the lore states that Maliketh is Marika’s half-brother. That would stand to reason that Maliketh was forced into the role of shadow once Marika assumed Lordship. Also if we’re following the theme of 3’s in the game: Marika Maliketh Messmer

[@venomouswyverns8819]

i love that theory at the end, cant wait to see if its true or not also i think the only reason people dont think theyre the same is because if you dont do the questline he's still there after killing maliketh, but thats just a game issue not a story one just like irina corpse still being on the groud after being possesed, i chalk it up to crunch time

[@square-table-gaming]

Yeah I think people forget that From tried really hard not to lock you out of most quests in Elden Ring the way that you get locked out of quests in souls games. I think it was an intentional choice on their end.

[@Cjp171]

Is there any story or theories on the shadow of the twin empyreans?

[@williamcote4208]

About the Tarnished whom we first saw in the land of shadows in the trailer… I think that was our tarnished since, as seen in previous trailers… the wolf armour, I think that’s its name, is THE armour representing the players like the Elite and Faraam set from DS1 and DS2 respectively

[@square-table-gaming]

Absolutely possible, especially since he's riding torrent, but other tarnished have been used in the trailers as well. We're only suggesting that the use of that armor set may have been intentional but really we can't know for sure.

[@cinammorollgaming]

hey not sure if you’ll read this but u should do a video on the similarities between ice and fire and shadow of the erdtree (there are a lot)

[@epiccthulu]

i really think Mesmer could be a son of the gloam eyes queen. The dialogue “They aren’t saints, just on the losing side of the war”

[@XeroFailGames]

Something else....how do we know Godwin didn't take part as a sacrifice on purpose?

[@square-table-gaming]

We don't know for sure, but it's fair to assume he didn't based on what we see in the intro/trailer as well as what he became. It's tough to believe the founder of the dragon cult, beloved by the masses, would choose to become a giant dead fish.

[@K1NG5LAYER651]

bro at 2:27 he is about to get fucked up

[@AndresD.deLeon]

Lore daddy really cooking lately

[@draw2death421]

Marikas ti-... i mean great video dude! Keep it up!

[@DaniGerman1499]

I would have left renalla for her too

[@spencerpollock5688]

I have a question what are the meaning's of the giant ghost skeletons they appear in very random places are they the spirits of the fire Giants or are they the servants of the Mariners continue your wonderful work 👍

[@Allen667sjja]

Why does that thumbnail makes it look like Maliketh just got done clapping Marikas cheeks, all that’s missing is the cigarette 😭

[@square-table-gaming]

We like to think of him more as the dog you can't help but let up on the bed

[@Allen667sjja]

@@square-table-gamingthem patron nsfw edits tho lol

[@AwwGeeZ1983]

Your headcanon is up to you, friend, but I will say this: If that was what I personally thought had just happened, I would have drawn the final result... redder, and sweatier! 🥵

[@AwwGeeZ1983]

@@Allen667sjja I'm really thrilled with how well this one is being received, so thank you!

[@adamkorzon2972]

That dude being impaled with a rune up his but in the painting holds the key,He is either being punished or he is keeping it inside to lock it away.Maybe he is the greater will and is the one responsible for everything.He had a worried look on his face and that woman was plotting something with that child she was going to have.Most are born of a tree but in the painting she is pregnant.Have a strong feeling the man was tricked into something.

[@nightshadehelis9821]

One thing I don't understand though, when you fought Radagon and the Elden Beast, did you only kill their body and not soul?

[@square-table-gaming]

Nah you put an end to them. You're within another realm so the rules are different

[@ironlung7146]

Why doesn’t anyone talk about the statues of marika by outer wall grace? She carries a spear which was probably use to kill the giants.

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

Raven, ALLMIND has a mission for you. You are to acquire the Queen from the thumbnail of this video. ALLMIND wishes to... test her... for the project, of course.

[@garbageprince]

Ive always thought that the gloam eyed queen predated marika's reign but i guess we cant be sure 🤷‍♂️

[@AkilBoatwright212]

I know a video has been done about The Bell Bearing Hunter but is there anyway a video could be made about House Marais and The Shaded Castle?

[@square-table-gaming]

There's not much to say outside of what is in the Bell Bearing hunter vid, but we could always get into it.

[@AkilBoatwright212]

@square-table-gaming I had a feeling lol I appreciate you guys so much!

[@derskydingus]

Spicy ahh thumbnail. 🥵 🌶️

[@chrystallia821]

Ong maliketh got me actin up too

[@obansari]

Bruh....go outside...and touch grass

[@agxryt]

​@@chrystallia821right?? Fuck slutty Marika, gimme spooky wolf man

[@Faresito09]

No wonder She gets elden lords running to her all the time

[@mrugod]

@@Faresito09and the two fingers 🥵

[@MercuryMoore777]

i feel like maybe maliketh killed Messmer and thats how he was sealed in the shadow world. Maybe thats how the demigods knew that the black blade could actually kill them?

[@DrDizzleFrizzle]

I've always seen it as Marika's betrayal of Maliketh was smashing the elden ring. Like Blaidd, he is simultaneously a gift and a curse. Marika's mosted trusted companion, yet also destined to turn against her should she turn against the golden order. It would e he that impaled her with destined death itself, helping to crucify her for her betrayal. We see him broken with grief and guilt; not only does he feel grief knowing that he had to do that and that it was her actions that left him no choice, but he blames himself for all of it, because had he protected the rune of death, Godwyn would not have died, driving Marika to do what she did. He blames himself and tries to atone by consuming deathroot in a fruitless attempt to recover all of the power of destined death in the world. By the end of his quest, he realizes there is no way to succeed and returns to farum azula, where once more, a trusted companion comes to betray him...

[@square-table-gaming]

I've seen this theory before. What makes you say that he struck Marika with destined death? When we find her she's pierced through with a spear and after being released Radagon rises up. If she was struck with destined death the Elden Ring would have no vessel.

[@DrDizzleFrizzle]

@@square-table-gaming I believe that she is still alive being that she's immortal, but the spear which is the color of destined death merely pierces her womb to subdue her godhood. She's still alive and hosting the Elden Ring, but that's all she does. The Greater Will mostly abandoned the lands between and that's why the world is stuck in a state of limbo. Keeping her alive not only keeps a host for the elden ring, but it also keeps Radagon alive to help prevent anyone from becoming lord.

[@leeaustin7224]

What if st. Trina put him to sleep?

[@MrDusauz7]

Real quick: what if it was Ranni and Miquella that plotted KOBK 🤔🤔

[@MrDusauz7]

*NOBK my bad was studying😂

[@TRACTOOOOOOOOOR]

Marika's ****!!

[@THE_Number_ONE_1_HATER]

The best dogoo

[@Dead_undead]

Pls do a theory about the trex dawgs

[@square-table-gaming]

check out our video, "What Lurks In Caelid"

[@ladyyin3293]

Maliketh is a such a good boy. I wish we had a chance to not kill him ((

[@JustAskYourQuestionAlready]

Does Maliketh know about Marikas current state

[@Nemo12417]

I wonder if Serosh was something akin to a shadow, even if not one himself.

[@Nemo12417]

As for where Shadows come from, hard to say. Just as Serosh definitely existed before he was bound to Godfrey (I keep invoking him in Shadow discussions because I feel like his current state is something the Two Fingers would do), Maliketh seems like he could be an enhanced beast man of Farum Azula. He certainly has the cultural ties. Blaidd is the odd one out, having no ties to Farum and not looking even remotely like those beasts. Perhaps a new type of Shadow for a new type of age?

[@Nathguy.]

Well to my knowledge, Godfrey isnt an Empyrean, Empyreans are the ones with shadows, Like ranni and marika and shadows are sent from the twofingers so that if the empyreans abandoned the greater will they get haunted by thier shadows and get slayed Explains why shadows wield destined death like the Blaidd Invader summon and when you kill it and marry ranni blaidd goes mad and you end up killing him while he says he cant betray ranni because the two fingers are ordering him to kill Ranni because she betrayed the Greater will. but we dont know who are the shadows of Miquella and Malenia.

[@Nemo12417]

@@Nathguy. I know he's not an Empyrean. That is why I speculate about Serosh being akin to a Shadow rather than outright being one.

[@Nathguy.]

​@@Nemo12417 i think he's more of a spirit than akin to shadows

[@Nemo12417]

@@Nathguy. we know he existed before he met Godfrey, and had ties to Farum Azula.

[@masonreith2382]

Wonce we wead? Cute man

[@frankiefromky]

[@Carrot-Man1876]

Greetings from the Carrot-Man 👋🥕

[@square-table-gaming]

My liege

[@thexdfacedgamer2306]

The only thing I remember about this guy... *Is the run back too him...*

[@Throne6810]

Half brother huh? So is he part merica and part wolfman😂

[@icelusthefish]

I think the shadow bound beasts coming from the land of shadow offers up an intriguing explanation for why miquella and malenia dont seem to have them. If they were born after the land of shadow was hidden away their fingers may have been unable to bring forth beasts to serve them

[@sunnyz2074]

I really don’t like Marika, I feel like she just keeps manipulating people around her 🙄

[@Prenz01]

Big dog

[@mrjostar1518]

Maleina is hot.

[@xFoREVerUnboundx]

Who?

[@mrjostar1518]

no way you chick on a elden ring lore video and see this comment and not know maleina is@@xFoREVerUnboundx