Elden Ring Lore: Marika & Radagon's Origins And Past Explained

[@eurogamer]

Watch the rest of my Elden Ring lore videos here! kzbin.info/aero/PLTZXfIDHhP2sjC0_vLane87dOyH8Ts2Y6

[@tiltedelf6105]

n ah soirry, if you do such big mistakes about Marika that ARE INGAME, I dont think your other lore videos are also correct

[@crows2808]

The question of how separate Marika and Radagon are from each other is something to think about. One of the first things that Enia says to you is that ALL the demigods are children of Marika. It doesn't stand out when you hear it so early in the game, but from a writing standpoint, it's a strange thing to say unless you understand it comes with a wink. This is the game telling you that Radahn, Rykard, and Ranni are also children of Marika. To me, that means that Marika and Radagon aren't split as completely as you seem to imply. Maybe it's like being conflicted. Choosing between Godfrey and Relanna. And after attempting and failing to reunite her conflicting selves, between shattering the Elden Ring and fixing it. Also, that's an incredibly clever thing they did in the intro, using stills to switch between the two of them. If you're not paying attention, you blink and you miss it. Anyway, that's what I figures.

[@NobodyInTheVoid]

It's quite sad how even Radagon, the Greater Will's most loyal, is reduced to nothing but a sword once he's been defeated. They were all but tools for the Erdtree even in death

[@eurogamer]

Yea :( it just proves how selfish the greater will is in my opinion. It just uses people. Zoe

[@marhawkman303]

@@eurogamer hmm... one thing that came to mind here... just how much did Radagon disagree with Marika?

[@friendlyneighborhoodalien2186]

I still don’t get what exactly is the erdtree or the great order. Is it same as the elden beast and ring or different

[@johnpett1955]

@@friendlyneighborhoodalien2186 based on my understanding the erd tree is where all the souls go to await reincarnation. That's why the rune of death was removed from the elden ring. It allows souls to be reborn after death through the erd tree.

[@Gnome-kc7pr]

Well for the GW and the erdtree is also a tool of the GW, its an illusory tree

[@OldTimeyDragon]

One thing I find interesting about Marika and Radagon's shared identity is how much Marika seems to have a lust for strength in those around her; it's clearly something she values above most everything, and we can see this in both her consorts. So it makes sense that she would make her second identity embody the very quality that she was so infatuated with; Radagon is a part of Marika living out her dreams of strength and power. Considering they're the same person, it makes sense that Marika would think that their union would be a perfect harmonious one, but she didn't take into account that Radagon's time as his own being, and his union with Ranala would completely change him as a person, eventually leading to their (literally) fractured relationship. She expected Radagon to always abide by her will, but he's now his own being with his own thoughts and purpose.

[@scarlettlav]

Oh I just realize that this is interesting take, is like if we go back to the origins of Adam and Eve, Eve was created out of Adam so it might the case for Marika, Radagon was born out of Marika’s strength

[@rhapsody5645]

I'm glad you made mention that other demigods were slain along with Godwyn on that night. One of the spirits you can talk to implies the walking mausaleums are carrying the soulless bodies of those demigods. And there are references to the mausaleum knights being tasked with guarding them from Destined Death. The DLC can't come soon enough...

[@amareshdatta]

Fantastic lore digging. Wish there were more hints about WHY and HOW Marika split herself into two to create Radagon. It is like split personalities each getting it's own shape. Marika was the self skeptical about the Golden Order and working subtly to undermine it by creating the semi-independent forces of the graceless and the part of her loyal to the Order was discarded to play the part of being the outer force's champion, distracting it while Marika was following through her machination. But why did she feel the need combined with her split half again later, was it out of yearning to to be full again, or to spread planful chaos. By the way, mating between 'femaleness' and 'maleness' of one original soul (split) is a rather unique concept ;-)

[@brayancontreras478]

I’m assuming it’s the same as how god is also Christ and the Holy Spirit it’s just god shit

[@mrnicksoapdish]

Vaati is usually the gold standard for me when it comes to FromSoftware lore content but Zoe is making a case for herself with these videos.

[@eurogamer]

Takk! Zoe

[@raymalik5171]

Not even Vaati is always correct

[@caesar485]

I love both, this feels more like a documentary while Vaati feels more like an audiobook. Both are awesome.

[@SwimmingBird19]

i wonder if marika wanted radagon to study carian sorcery, knowing she could call him to return at any time. she allowed him to become marika’s consort so that her erdtree-giant-clone-powerhouse could attain as much power as possible. If red represents what created the Erdtree then Marika may have used Giant dna (hair) as a catalyst to create the Erdtree as well as Radagon. Radagon was unconsciously repulsed by the giants because of Marika’s influence.

[@greenghostmusic3240]

holy crap it makes sense to think the royal families used to keep it in the family to hold the “divine bloodline” which would explain Marika splitting yin and yang style but also accidentally creating omens in the process of conceiving Godwyn

[@TheDandelionMind]

Thank you for this series, it's been really helpful. As someone that gets easily distracted and wanders off to random places, I found with the open world nature of this game I've been struggling to remember a lot of things around the story compared to the other soulsbourne games.

[@mariuszlubkowski4873]

Seems to me like Marika understood part of her personality restrict her will, and molded it into Radagon, who she used to bring Rennala down. Meanwhile, free of the restriction she forged the plan for Tarnished to free themselves from grace of the Greater Will and return to kill the Elden Beast. Radagon trying to repair the Elden Ring and blocking the path to hid god is Marika's restrictive part of personality trying to protect the order, while closing the tree entrance locks him in as well, leading to stagnation in the Lands Between and setting the stage for a Tarnished to return and destroy the old order. Marika's crucifix pose suggests that her ultimate goal is to sacrifice herself for what she perceives as a greater good, when the new Elden Lord chooses to destroy the Golden Order by selecting Blessing of Despair, Age of Stars of Blessing or Age of Duskborn to bring the natural death cycle in one way or another back to the Lands Between and removing control of the Greater Will.

[@tarikay93]

I think Radagon wasn't the split other half of Marika in the beginning. He was an actual, separate person. After becoming the husband of Marika, they merged together in time.

[@jademason6133]

It seems there's quite a few nods to Lord of the Rings in this game. I didn't pick up many whilst playing through but watching these videos highlighted it for me. The Numens had longer lives in Elden Ring and the Numenoreans had longer lives in LotR, you have to traverse the world to a volcano to destroy a powerful object, the night of the black knives scene with them on horses looks like the Ringwraiths and the obvious ring of the title. My Mimic Tear was also a lot like Samwise as she carried me through the game.

[@huseinbinabduljabbar]

If you examine elden ring intro when the elden ring is getting hit you can see that the first hit is done by marika and the second hit done by radagon (also marika) at the same place

[@davidgorman994]

Really like these "concise" info videos. I like Elden Rings lore and longer videos but sometimes you just want a shorter but still great and informative video.

[@eurogamer]

Thanks! I split them up into specific topics so people can pick what they're interested in hearing about rather than a huge lore dump. Zoe

[@Hugo_Tate]

@@eurogamer huge dumps are the best thooooi

[@huskytzu7709]

Probably the most comprehensive explanation of this bit of lore.

[@yadudeloco5990]

Maliketh wasn’t given to marika as a shadow, he was her half-brother and became her shadow out of loyalty. I think..😅

[@oktusprime3637]

Lost in translation. He's a shadowbound beast, not her half brother. Same for Blaidd and Ranni. The Japanese translation can be understood as meaning "half brother", "sworn brother", or even "brother-in-law". The reason being that Maliketh was so close and loyal to Marika that he was like a family member. Rennala has cut content where in her fight she summons Blaidd and says "Blaidd, come forth my child/son". Blaidd isn't her son either, he's Ranni's shadowbound beast but just like Maliketh to Marika, he's so close and loyal that he's considered part of the family.

[@Enigma1990ad]

My understanding was that Marika and Radagon were originally 2 separate beings that were destined to be together as consorts. However when the Greater Will recognized these 2 combined formed the perfect being it decided to merge them together as the ultimate guardian of the Elden Ring.

[@addul1996]

Hey Zoe, consider doing a timeline video please :)

[@eurogamer]

I'll see what I can do! Zoe

[@mitchyslickbro]

Awesome lore video! Didn’t get stuck in the weeds and stuck to the topic at hand! Very appreciative for the vid

[@lambradi]

I have just thought that maybe Radagon was born when Marika cursed the Fire Giant. Since it is stressed that Radagon hated his red hair it might be that he was never a single person, but was born as a consequence of a curse that the Giants (through their god, I guess) casted on Marika. Since she was ashamed of this curse that made her more similar to giants (instead of her golden hair that represent the golden order). At this point Marika splitted to retain her dignity and symbolic status. I would mention though that the dialogue where Marika tells to Radagon that he still has to _become_ her is not too consistent with this interpretation. The thing is that I do not understand, otherwise, why Radagon became Marika in the first place. Certainly that could have proved useful when trying to become the only leading power of the golden order. But then why did Godfrey have to come back to claim his throne? At some point Marika must have decided that she wanted to clear the world from the influence of the Greater Will, but then Radagon seems a sort of error(?)

[@calumchamberlain2861]

Hi Zoe thank you for making this video on Markia and Randagon. I was waiting for this lore video to drop and enjoyed very much 😁. Hope you have had a lovely day and I look forward to seeing more Elden Ring lore content on the channel 😊.

[@alial-redhaal-jarah1871]

I don't know it just keeps getting weird. I mean i have a theory implying that Radagon was just a puppy for Marika but then, he truly became his own entity his own personality and completely changed , repented his own territorial aggresions and with that he cleansed himself with the celestial dew...after he married to Renalla, he encounters the true meaning of being a person, of joy and responsibility, of feeling love, so he developed love and beauty with his family and raised with them despite being the other half of Marika the whole time. Until one day, he was oredered to leave and return to become the new Elden Lord... here is my theory which i think it's that Radagon didn't gift Renalla the egg without a reason, there was a reason behind it and i think that he himself Radagon chose to betray the Greater Will in secret leading to that his daughter, Ranni, becomes the new god the eternal by connecting herself with the great rune of the unborn which most likely is an empyrean ... and therefore Ranni had to cast her rune aside so that she becomes free of control under the Greater Will unlike the ither demigods on the night of the Black Knives. Radagon was the one setting the whole thing up with Ranni and so, he knew that he had to remain loyal to the Golden Order "apparently" and the fact that he was trying to repair the elden ring is another doing..maybe it has to do with the tarnished( the main character ) and disguising himself to be loyal so that the world goes weaker, giving the tarnished a chance until he was exposed being a traitor and imprisoned with Marika in the Erdtree waiting for the tarnished to be able to bring him down and if he would make Ranni the eternal. Since he was the loyal portion of Marika , the half of her, the Greater Will's own made, sonner or later he were to become a complete vassal with no personality no feelings no mindset, only obeying and loyalty to the Golden Order.......and with some proving that is that every character in the game is framed through their vision to the coming age , and each one symbols through his own " flame of ambition " . Radagon fight has the same main theme but amplified which is kind of weird but i think since it's the "Final Battle" (one capable of defeating him) it is also about destiny, perseverance, ambition, rising from the bottom, and freedom. The whole theory implies that jyst like Marika betrayed her benefactor, Radagon also came against the Golden Order with them in delusion and for what? For the good of the world, for the chance he was given to experience it, for the love of his family , for his wife, Renalla, for his daughter, Ranni.

[@VERGILGASM]

One nice implication that they are one the same is their Soreseal talismas. They both give the same buff, meaning you get the implication very early on.

[@HexAddams]

you’re essentially playing the role of a Godslayer if you think about it

[@DreamsOfLegend]

I just had a thought as a reader of George RR Martin (read the entire (so far) Song Of Ice And Fire) my thought is this: It wouldn't surprise readers of GRR if when Marika went to "subdue" the Fire Giants she tried "honey" first... What if (since that's when the Radagon "split" happened) that Radagon is BASICALLY a result of Marika sleeping with the main Fire Giant? Since the Fire Giants are nearly gods that would kinda make sense (after all she gives birth to DEMI GODS just oofing "regular" men) This is only a theory but GRR loves putting very HUMAN behaviors and actions into his powerful characters 🤔

[@drexelspivey872]

I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand the Elden ring story, and I’m not convinced any content creator on KZbin gets it either

[@Cheezeblade]

Its strange, one the one hand, the greater will knew death was inevitable. But even after marika removed the rune that governed death from the elden ring, it still struggled against its own death. Like, cmon buddy you knew this was comin this is YOUR idea.

[@brentgarrison6245]

Two big questions I have about Marika. Why does she have a Destine dDeath spear through her chest when we find her within the Erdtree? Who put it there, and why? And, perhaps most importantly, when? Maliketh seems the likely suspect, as he wields Destined Death within the game, but to what end? for what purpose? The other is what exactly went down during the war with the Giants and their Fell Flame God. It sure looks like the Giants we find dead on the Mountaintop were killed with Death Blight, as the tree limb esque spear through their hearts is virtually identical to a player whose Death gauge fills. But who within the Golden Order wields Death Blight? Nobody we see. The little lizard dudes and the WormFaces are the only enemies I encountered in the world who used it. Is it a power of Destined Death? Or something else altogether? And then there is the fact that the First Church of Marika is on the Mountaintop. As though it's where she achieved Godhood. Why wouldn't the First Church be INSIDE Leyndell? The capital of her Empire? What made the defeat of the Fell Flame God so important that it was marked by the building of, literally, the First Church of Marika. Also fun to note, that via Melina's dialogues in Marika's own words, that moment at the First Church rallying Godfrey's forces to the final battle is literally the earliest moment we get of Marika in the game, chronologically. Where was she prior? WHAT was she prior? Could it be that she only became Marika upon the Mountaintop? And could it be that we've heard of her prior, but under a different name? So much to dig into with this character.

[@RhapsodyDusk]

The Elden Beast's grab animation puts your character on a crescent like the one Marika was hanging from and stabbed with a bunch of spears. So it was likely the Elden Beast.

[@Ben-rz9cf]

I'm curious if time travel plays any role in the Marika / Radagon dichotomy. Since the dragons they slew held dominion over time Radagon could have taken that power the same way tarnished take great runes from the fallen. Radagon as a champion helps establish the golden order, is gifted godhood in return, becomes marika only to become disillusioned. Breaks the elden ring only to find herself working against her past self still loyal to the golden order. And inspiring a lowly tarnished to seek the elden ring is the only way to break the time loop: the elden "ring" is a loop after all. Only by restoring it, she can end the cycle and replace it with something new.

[@themonolith253]

I just want to point out; its implied that Marika did not actually care for Godwyn and in fact may have even orchestrated his death with Ranni. As you have pointed out; the Black Knife assassins were Numen, like Marika. However they are also hinted to have close ties with her personally given their armour description. It is also stated that Marika betrayed Maliketh somehow. People have taken this to mean that she helped Ranni steal a fragment of the Rune of Death from Maliketh in some way. She also was never quoted as trying yo bring Godwyn back either. It was Miquella who tried to do that. Marika appeared to be at best, neutral to Godwyn’s passing. There is also a ghost that can be found near one of the wandering mausoleums, who calls the soulless demigod, something Godwyn became, “Marika’s unwanted child”. Also, we know that Godwyn’s death was not immediately followed by the Shattering as according to Sorcerer Rogier, it happened long before Marika decided to shatter the ring.

[@oktusprime3637]

The implication might not be that she didn't care, it's that she was so disillusioned with the Golden Order that she was willing to sacrifice her son to get rid of it.

[@joshuaquinton9631]

Great explanation 👍

[@Y4k407]

With out these vids I really wouldn’t know anything about the story

[@ericfrost7517]

I think Radagon is a fire giant that was for whatever reason was born and maybe cursed to be smaller than other giants and given the Loki treatment so he became a golden order follower and Marikas top champion. So they were separate beings and then after she kicked Godfrey out of the house she called the fanatical Radagon to be her mate and he left Rennala, who he actually loved and left her the great rune egg and his red wolf to guard her. Bc he was such a fanatic I think either Marika or the greater will then fused the two together and if the greater will did so it was also kinda like a extra measure to keep her in check. OR they were merged the whole time but how does he fight in wars and is a champion whilst marrying and fathering children while Marika is in the capital ruling if they share the same body? Idk man!

[@JohnWilliams-cr2sz]

Loving this videos so much! Even after finishing the game a few times there is still so much about the lore I didn't know or fully understand. Out of curiosity, any plans to do a video on the Night's Calvary? I am really curious about them but no idea how much lore about them is actually in the game.

[@cathalduffy3739]

im not too sure either, but I remember reading an item saying they used to be the knights of the fell omen

[@eurogamer]

There's not tons about them in the game, but I'll see what I can scrounge up. Zoe

[@JohnWilliams-cr2sz]

@@eurogamer You rock!

[@christianmorales1022]

Can someone explain the dialogue between Marika and Radagon that Melina gives us where Marika tells him he has yet to become a God, Yet to become her..?

[@adamkorzon2972]

Giants had red hair in the Bible and North American Indians described them.Called them children of the angels.Nephilim with those elongated heads in Peru had red hair as well.

[@scaleworksRC]

They take a lot of stuff from the Bible in this game and twist it around 😊

[@Puddin127]

This was actually a VERY good video….

[@derekw40]

Great video. Thank you.

[@LilithZaharias]

Loved the video! I came up with a really interesting theory a bit ago and I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are! WILD theory here that I've come up with listening to various dialogs and watching other lore videos and shit but let me know what you all think here because I think this theory is really cool! What if Marika was NEVER imprisoned in the Erdtree? What if that was Radagon all along? Hear me out. One of the dialogs we're told about by Melina tells us she told Radagon he is yet to become her. What if instead of them merging, that was actually a reference to him essentially impersonating her/becoming another version of her. There's so much evidence that Marika orchestrated the Night of Black Knives and KZbinr BanditGames suggests that Marika and the Numen are actually from the Eternal Cities, which we know were opposed to the Greater Will. So, there are so many signs that Marika was planning to betray the Greater Will from the very beginning, rather than it just being something she did out of grief over Godwyn. So, if she's playing the long game, and she knew that any action against the Greater Will would be met with overpowering retaliation as happened to the Eternal Cities, she would have to have made contingencies to protect herself. I think she split Radagon off from herself precisely so he could then become her in the future! So Radagon, pretending to be Marika, would suffer the consequences of Marika's actions, and Marika herself would be free, at large, and able to do... Whatever she wants, now. Remember in game we're told that Marika has disappeared as often as we're told that she was imprisoned. So, if there's two whole Marikas, the Marika Marika and the Radagon Marika, clearly only one of them is imprisoned. Where is the other Marika? Is she trying to influence things in some way? Which characters might she have been acting through throughout the game? Will we see more in the DLC? I really hope you all like my theory it just seemed really exciting to me when the idea popped into my head.

[@nowhere18]

Talk about the frenzied flame ending is very cool

[@eurogamer]

Yep it's on my list! Zoe

[@marhawkman303]

@@eurogamer ooh, maybe talk about the theory that the Frenzied Flame and Greater will are actually just the same being? One side is to control everything, the other is to BURN IT ALL! either way... control or destruction, it will rule everything.

[@nowhere18]

They is a theory is a radagon is a great rune when you look at radagon he has a cris cross pattern that is on the Elden ring

[@LloydsSky9]

Radagon is the Flame God melded to Marika, she never truly split in two. That's why he has red hair he is insecure about (as read in lore). She couldn't beat him, but she could meld with him. 1

[@TheMan21892]

8:35 whoa. I spent hours trying to kill Radagon but I never once saw his counter animation 😯 Edit: so all I got from this explanation is that we still don’t know wtf happened and why lol

[@schonmp]

I’m curious about the crystallians. Any chance of doing a lore video about them?

[@eurogamer]

I'll see how much I can find about them, they're pretty enigmatic from my notes so far. Zoe

[@schonmp]

@@eurogamer thanks!!

[@ammaralmihyawi3538]

I want to know more about the greater will, the Fingers and maliketh

[@angelacaballeroarroyo8952]

Great video

[@joshmartin8243]

I'd like a video about the Roundtable Hold and the other Tarnished. Specifically, where is the Roundtable Hold located?

[@eurogamer]

Yes, will keep this in mind :) Zoe

[@PeterDB90]

Where does this hi-res detailed footage come from (like at 0:20)? I didn't see it during the game, I looked up every cinematic/cutscene of the game and it's not there, so is this from a trailer? Fan made? Something else?

[@snowhawkthorne630]

Hey nearly a year later! It’s from the 2019 reveal trailer

[@reecejones2994]

So could radagon and markia be active the whole time or did they share the same body and just switch who is in control?

[@Shinooobi211]

I think that they where separate for most of the time, but after their Children were born, they merged

[@gerald8543]

Who were the other demigods killed by the black knife assassins, either during; the night of black knives or any other time?

[@eurogamer]

I'm trying to figure this out myself but their remains are in those walking Mausoleums. Zoe

[@jonathanbaker4361]

But.... HOW does one split one's self in two? And why does Radagon fight you at the end when you have come to mend the Elden Ring. You would think he wanted it repaired since he had tried to already.

[@aceclipse]

Im watching Bloodborne videos nowadays...will follow elden ring later...but I personally think Bloodborne has the strongest plot ever in history of Fromsoftware games...

[@RandomSelectGaming]

Since I first saw the trolls, I've been consumed by curiosity. I NEED to know what the deal is with the stone tablets in their chests.

[@eurogamer]

Let me see if I can find out... Zoe

[@RandomSelectGaming]

@@eurogamer I have a theory that they are tied to the statues in the "Ruined Labyrinth"/"Mausoleum Compound" area, but that's as far as it goes

[@Litmello]

Live action would go so far for this game. Could even compete wit GoT . The story itself is always better written than Martins’ Thrones lore. But the Starks are my favorites.

[@embodiedface]

How would eternal dispair and rebirth could be out of love, that egg is a burden and a curse

[@angelacaballeroarroyo8952]

Can you do a video lore about placiditus the lord drgon

[@angelacaballeroarroyo8952]

placiditux

[@eurogamer]

Yes :) Zoe

[@minecraftgravityguy]

What a great video, and I thought gaming journalism was dead, and here we are. Amazing lore video about Elden Ring proving there are still great journalists in this industry! Thank you for such a well made video!

[@apollodivine]

How many years go by during all of this? Could never tell if it’s millennia, centuries, or decades

[@eurogamer]

I'd say centuries, personally. Zoe

[@marhawkman303]

@@eurogamer hmmm yeah, one thing I saw someone point out is that vagaries in timings actually mean there's parts of the story where we're not sure of order of events. knowing dates would help a lot.

[@anthonyrandell9254]

I’m still confused lol 😅

[@zacharyleow3960]

Great video but has there been even a hint of radagon and marika being joined in the first place? Think that might be assuming too much and making it sound like fact

[@eurogamer]

Yes there is solid evidence. If you use the law of regression on a statue in leyndell a message is revealed that says 'Radagon is Marika'. Also explains why they share the same body in the final boss fight. Zoe

[@LloydsSky9]

Radagon is the Flame God melded to Marika, she never truly split in two. That's why he has red hair he is insecure about (as read in lore). She couldn't beat him, but she could meld with him.

[@Rook_Gamez]

It’s all up to interpretation but this channel think’s extremely highly of Marika when there’s plenty of aspects that point to Marika starting the shattering for selfish reasons and pettiness. I’m fairly certain the black dagger description mentions Marika having a part in killing her first son Godwyn along with Ranii, as for the why…? that’s also up to interpretation but that’s what from Software does best. Every major character is either a great hero or secretly the villain pulling the strings. On the negative side of Marika I sometimes think she did all this on purpose. Her age was coming to an end so she planned to murder her son who was the orders greatest hero that could fix everything and shattered the eldenring to try and create a never ending stalemate of war between her demigods that could take her place as god of the lands between. Kinda like Gwen in dark souls… just never wanted the fire to go out. Even at the cost of eternal suffering.

[@friendlyneighborhoodalien2186]

After this, I’m really glad that I didn’t chose her ending and became her elden lord. It’s just a continuation of the mad world she made

[@thothofthemorningrisesWthesun]

Just don’t know if I buy the whole she split herself in two thing , I think radagon was corrupted by power & sought to replace Marika as god eternal. He reminds me of a Sauron in the form of Annatar type of character.

[@eurogamer]

It's canon, not a theory; if you use the law of regression incantation on a statue in leyndell it reveals a message that says 'Radagon is Marika'. Zoe

[@thothofthemorningrisesWthesun]

@@eurogamer(to me) that can still be interpreted as quite vague though. Considering that’s the only lore that specifically states that & nothing else, there isn’t enough for me to buy that that’s how it has always been. I know that’s how it ended up, yet I still think Radagon was corrupted by the greater Will & sought to replace marika as god eternal. I’m not 100 percent about what I believe yet, but I’d like to see more evidence about Radagon’s origins not just a too literal that it makes it vague kind of a statement about them being the same person.

[@marhawkman303]

@@thothofthemorningrisesWthesun yeah, one thing someone pointed out about the "Radagon is Marika" line... is WHEN was that written? In-game you see it long after they were merged into one body. Was it written before or after that merging?

[@634Phoenyx]

@@eurogamer yes but there is a quote from Melina where she says Marika's line 'You have yet to become me' implying that before he became her consort, they were separate entities. Once she called him as king-consort, he may not have wanted to leave Renalla, but would do it if he thought it was what the Greater Will commanded. Though they were technically one entity after they joined, he still retained some autonomy as he clearly opposed the Shattering. A further point in favour of him being somewhat autonomous is that he sealed Marika in the Erdtree (it's his seal on the tree). Marika created Melina in order to find the Tarnished and guide them to the Erdtree, and then burn through the thorns. If Radagon and Marika really were one person, why wouldn't he/she be happy that the Tarnished finally arrived? Clearly, Radagon and the Elden Beast, both still on the side of the Greater Will, still opposed Marika and tried to prevent the Tarnished from restoring her.

[@envoyofrot7046]

Yeah I think she did not split herself in two but Radagon was born of a shard of the Elden Ring and since Marika is the Vessel of the Elden Ring they share a body

[@stephendonovan5056]

Marika ate my hamster

[@abydosianchulac2]

Have you found any hint as to what it is pierced through Marika's side when we find her in the Erdtree?

[@devinleff8035]

Seems like the power of Destined Death. My personal theory is that Maliketh delivered that blow to her when he was forced to turn against her (like Blaidd with Ranni).

[@eurogamer]

No but I am looking into it. I think it was something sent by the greater will as part of her punishment to incapacitate her. Zoe

[@brentgarrison6245]

Only one thing in the game world has those colors. Destined Death. Somehow Marika has a Destined Death powered spear through her chest. When it got there, and who put it there are questions I'm not sure we have good answers for. Maliketh seems the most likely candidate, as he's the being we actually see wield Destined Death in game. But why would he use it's power to try and kill Marika? Perhaps to bind her? To seal her within the Erdtree? Or perhaps it predates even the Shattering somehow.

[@devinleff8035]

@@brentgarrison6245 the reasoning behind him using it on her is as simple as he had to. Just like how Blaidd has to to turn on Ranni, it’s the duty of shadows to their empyrians

[@gonbochabkarko1731]

Jamie and Cercei Lannister

[@borg111]

Marika = evil ruler.

[@om3r732]

Wait so... marika split herself.. and created radagon.. who is a deaffrent personallity person but still somekind of her.. and then he called him back and they fell in love.. made children and then marge to be the same being once again??

[@sooshiant8432]

My english knowledge is not enough for this game😢😢😂😂

[@root0062]

The new update 1.06/1.07 has just broken the game on PS4 pro game doesn't even load anymore........ I get where in a new generation, but I still can't find a fkn PS5 or Xbox & now a game I've spent so many hours in I can't play.

[@SerClaad]

Lovely video as always Zoe! I really enjoy Marika and Radagon as characters, I am so excited to see the way Elden Ring plays with gender and its fluidity!

[@eurogamer]

Elden Ring has so many interesting things to say about gender, I might make a video on it! Zoe

[@BluePoo52]

This lore is so fucking confusing….. 😩

[@AverageAsianMe]

Einhorn is finkle

[@randyruger9063]

Zoe Light!

[@eurogamer]

Vom 🤢