Elden Ring - The Last of Them

The Cleanrot Knights are a surprisingly prominent design among Elden Ring's wide cast of enemies, owing to their association with Malenia earning them a place in trailers and other parts of the game's marketing. This association may not be entirely to their benefit though.
Song used: Inside the Deku Tree

[@ZullietheWitch]

Despite being somewhat difficult to notice, the wings of the Cleanrot Knights were apparently such an important feature that some earlier game text outright refers to them as "Wing Knights". I ended up seeing a lot of images and even video footage of both cordyceps and ophiocordyceps in doing research for this video, and I should hope you're all grateful that I decided not to show any of it to you.

[@mynameiswalterhartwellwhite420]

😱

[@Mutantvine]

Your sacrifice was not in vain

[@theoutergod8666]

As I have done my thesis on entomopathogenic fungi, I actually wanted to see the footage.

[@colorpg152]

what no i wanna see it

[@FireTalon24]

I've already seen it. It's pretty gruesome and it definitely earned the moniker.

[@thephoenix8892]

The way the cleanrot knight were portrayed in the way they walk to be extremely weak, using either their scythe or spear as a support, and still fighting as if they were in their prime was always really cool to me

[@jackmaster258]

It's like when you see an old barber with shaky hands, but as soon as he goes in for a cut.. smooth as silk 👌

[@nouhorni3229]

bug Yoda.

[@edenm.1114]

Now imagine them in their ACTUAL prime, without the rot. The Haligtree would be a lot more of a ballbuster than it already is.

[@brendenhorton4410]

Okay

[@jamesaditya5254]

@@edenm.1114 personally it's difficult to imagine them without the rot, being devoted to Malenia.

[@mr.toothy]

I love how one of the mightiest group of warriors in the game have an attack where they puke all over you. Classic Fromsoft

[@miloburns2353]

Who?

[@pushpitkumar99]

Cleanrots wielding halo scythes have the puke attack, including cleanrot Finlay.

[@miloburns2353]

@@pushpitkumar99 never seen it I guess

[@ABunchOTrees]

Hey, just like the dragons!

[@zed6740]

I've never actually seen that attack, is it rare?

[@onewaysaintlaika]

I'd actually like to point something out as a professional entomologist, so I hope Zullie sees this. Fromsoft is obviously a Japanese company, and what might be interesting as a theory is to take into consideration the place of Cordyceps (and not Ophiocordyceps) in Japanese folk medicine. There is a specific species of parasitic cordyceps which is harvested in the mountains of specific provinces, which is ground into a powder and sold as a panacea. It's an extreme luxury-priced medicine because of how difficult it is to gather the fungus. Due to its medicinal connotations in Japan, what if the Cleanrot Knights are actually encouraging a breed of fungus to grow inside of them that would actually filter and cure Malenia's Scarlet Rot? And most interestingly to me is the implication that as her most loyal and privileged knights, they might be somehow attempting to cure Malenia from within their own bodies, allowing their goddess to truly arise. After all--they're named the CLEANrot Knights. That distinction is important from just being fellow Kindred or Rot Worshipers. That said, there is a more disturbing other side of the coin--if the reference to Cordyceps in the mesh IS intended to refer to Ophiocordyceps, then their connection to Malenia--and indeed, all of the Rot in general--is made far more horrific. When The Last Of Us was first published, entologists and mycologists weren't entirely sure whether or not the 'zombie' ants were dead or not during their possession. It just hadn't been researched enough yet, and so we theorized it might be the case that the fungus hijacked the ganglia (ants' brain equivalent) and that killed it, at which point the fungus manipulated the nerve endings and neuroses to just pilot it to where it'd stick around until the fungus' fruiting body could spread further spores. We now know for a fact that the ant is alive the entirety of the time of its infection. Alive and AWARE, because the fungus does not infect the sensory organs or relevant neurological parts in the ant. The ant is consciously aware the whole time of its fate. The fungus just removes its ability to take any action against it. A human would be screaming inside their own brain as they had their whole body puppeted beyond their control. So then that begs the question: Are the Cleanrot Knights based off of the medicinal Cordyceps, granting worship to their goddess and attempting to resurrect her? Or does her Rot, when cultured within the body, grant Malenia a certain amount of control over their actions, allowing her to continue the war in Caelid even as she sits upon her throne and waits for our Tarnished to try and defeat her? I honestly don't know which is more frightening to consider: An entire nation's bodies puppeted and mindcontrolled by the Aeonian queen, or a Malenia once again at her full strength, and this time without Radahn--or worse, with him as a pawn under her command.

[@ZullietheWitch]

The Japanese medicine angle is interesting, I hadn't seen much about that when I was reading about the Cordyceps/Ophiocordyceps stuff, probably mostly because I was focusing on the zombie ant concept.

[@nolnsphere7182]

Radahn's madness and degeneration into beast like behavior from his Rot infection *could* also be a result of the second scenario; he's lost his mind because he's fighting against Malenia's influence.

[@marrowstone3140]

I honestly think it's the "Zombie fungus route" because the game has a lot of references to puppets. Take all the forged lord attempts, dolls, people in power being forced to do a bigger fish's bidding. Hell, even the final boss seems to be just an emissary of some other "Greater Will". You even have cursed companions like Blaiid being controlled to stop Ranni, etc etc. I love these thoughts tho! Makes me want to re play and dive into the story a little more!

[@Xandros999]

The ants do seem to be resistant to the rot, at least in appearance. Maybe the ants' ability to coexist with the rot inspired Miquella to devise a panacea from their fungi.

[@stephenjohn2131]

I would have never looked at it this way if not for Zullie and you Waani. Also yes i also cannot decide which one is more frightening idea. Gives more depth to Radahn as he is driven mad by the rot. Thank you for the good read!

[@robertspeedwagon982]

"However, unfortunately for you, you are wingless" - Varré to a random kindred of rot he met on the road to Moghwyn's Palace

[@paulteuscher3614]

Based varre

[@davidhong1934]

Roastmaster Varre, Insilting everyone in a 10-meter radius since 2001

[@robertspeedwagon982]

@@davidhong1934 he's doing that to cope his lack of maidens and wings... Poor little guy

[@robertspeedwagon982]

@@Illumina1414 so unfortunate I forgot to ask

[@thejuiceking2219]

"However, unfortunately for you, you are eyeless" -Varre to Malenia as he was just passing through the Haligtree

[@ferret3639]

After seeing the wings, I feel like they're mutating into a humanoid version of the Aeonian Butterfly, which host the Rot directly from Melania. This would deepen their already tight devotion to Melania by literally entwining their being with hers via becoming Butterflies. But I do like the Cordyceps idea too

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

sadly radahn wrecked all those poor foul knights (after their babe lost her consious after blooming at radahn back which didn't kill him and he stayed consious even after the bloom exploded in his face lol)

[@nachalnik5738]

I am Melania, Handle of Maquelly

[@irionuchiha3823]

@@kaiserdetectivegolden2735 yes sirrr the walking mountain stood tall 🙏🏽🤝🏽

[@baisansebastian3358]

@@kaiserdetectivegolden2735 Almost like Radahn's rune saved his body from the Rot , yet he went KO anyways or something.

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

@@baisansebastian3358 no fool the redmanes uses fire to burn the rot that why the rune is burning itself to clean the rot in radahn malenia also is suffering from the buffed rot after her bloom (technically not her bloom it is the outer god bloom) while she was before also which prove that malenia goddess of rot isn't immnue to the rot (she isn't anyway) and which proves MORE that she made a suicide attack (out of depressing and failed sadly lol) he went mad after centuries not immediatly after the bloom because there's some items says that he actually fought the rot alongside with redmanes after the war with the rotten jerks and their red haired b/tch (while fighting a hundred of the strongest champions and holding back the stars and protecting leonard) unlike mama malenia who went unconsious after a bloom from outer god she wanted to happend and failed even to him and he just after that cracked her army lol just knew what are you writing before replying malonia virgin

[@aidenmclaughlin1076]

They have such an incredible design, so it makes sense why they were used in the marketing

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

yes but actually no they do in cinematic teaser trailer but in game their armor looking SUCKS

[@deedumeday518]

@@kaiserdetectivegolden2735 what? I think they have one of the most beautiful armor sets in the game

[@MinniMaster]

@@kaiserdetectivegolden2735 lmao imagine being wrong

[@JohanKylander]

@@kaiserdetectivegolden2735 Alter it.

[@azure4622]

I like the armor except the head, not because of the cape bit, i like that, it just seems like the helm is too small

[@Actiondanny]

The wings are an interesting connection to Malenia specifically, as wings are an important part of her imagery. She grows butterfly wings (not the kind you'd think) in her Goddess of Rot form, and you get the Rotten *Winged* Sword Talisman from Millicent's questline, which is closely tied to Malenia. Since you pointed out the connection to the Kindred, the difference could be highlighting that while the Kindred worship The Rot in all its forms, the Cleanrot Knights are dedicated to Malenia herself.

[@bbittercoffee]

I think the difference comes from Malenia accepting them as her followers, which grants them a form more similar to her own idea of "Goddess of Rot" (with the wings and all). Maybe there are subsections of "Rot", there's the fungi, the crawling insects and the flying insects???

[@shnorkeythefourth4572]

There’s also the fact that Gowry states many times that malenia seems to have abandoned them so the wings may be a distinction between the kindred accepted and the kindred abandoned

[@chillax319]

@@shnorkeythefourth4572 Perhaps if Kindred were accepted by Malenia they'd in turn started to turn more human-like.

[@shnorkeythefourth4572]

@@chillax319 dunno, lots of the demigods and their associations are very much not fleshed out

[@watchfulwanderer6443]

@@shnorkeythefourth4572 The Cleanrot Knights are humans, or at least former humans, not Kindred of Rot. The Cleanrot Knights follow Malenia, the Blade of Miquella, while the Kindred of Rot care about the Scarlet Rot, and only worship Malenia because she happens to be its current vessel. That's why Malenia hates the Kindred, they want her to become her own opposite.

[@Best_Zelda]

I always have a newfound interest in whatever Zullie discusses, really makes me love Elden Ring's world so much more than I already do.

[@wealthybone2990]

Honeslty I wouldn't even say only Elden Ring I enjoy when Zullie just discusses about the souls games in general but Eoden Ring dies have an interesting world. Also I agree that's the best Zelda

[@sorensouthard927]

I feel the bad for them, more so than any other enemy variant. They just come across as so extremely valiant, even accepting something so intrinsically destructive as the scarlet rot from their leader unto their own bodily destruction.

[@BasedWukong]

Hardcore simps basically

[@sagivalia5041]

@@BasedWukong I believe the cleanrot knights are all women, i think i read it somewhere in the game

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

@@sagivalia5041 no only the sythe ones are girls the spear ones are men

[@youtubewanderer3347]

@@sagivalia5041 the black knives are the ones that are all woman.

[@nootnootscoot7041]

@@sagivalia5041 they gay af then

[@Zoomy]

0:10 The phrase "accepted Malenia's rot" and shows them lined up kneeling in ceremony in front of her kinda implies that the Rot is something bestowed upon her knights. I don't think that was the case, the Knights merely accepted that hanging with Malenia will cause the Rot to manifest, Malenia was all about rejecting the Rot even as it grew within her (at least until she met Radahn in battle).

[@commaJim]

I love the design of these knights. They're so damn cool. Thanks for helping me see how they're even cooler than I thought

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

they are anything (in this case anything means ugly shitty ass armor) but cool

[@thanasesstratoures9201]

@@kaiserdetectivegolden2735 and whys that

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

@@thanasesstratoures9201 look just at them in the trailers and compare it to the game the game version is just full of shit

[@NDenizen]

Cleanrot Knights are meant to be called "Noble Rot Knights" but for some reason this wasn't translated as such. Noble Rot is typically used in winemaking, so in essence the Knights are meant to be a sort of "cultivated" rot that benefits Malenia and the Haligtree faction.

[@ZullietheWitch]

Their AI is actually labeled KnightofNoblerot, so that's interesting to get more context for.

[@BasedWukong]

Reminds me of of how Raya Lucaria was mistranslated feom Royal Caria

[@raehik]

@@BasedWukong This is false. Raya Lucaria is レアルカリア . レアル neither is nor sounds like "royal". Caria by itself is カーリア . It's shortsighted to call decisions such as these mistranslations. Frognation almost certainly made the conscious choice to translate as Cleanrot. It's wonderfully oxymoronic, and Noble Rot Knight introduces ambiguity (a noble Rot Knight, or a Noble Rot knight?). I personally prefer Cleanrot. Having said that, the German translation using Reinfäule instead of Edelfäule (the phenomenon in question) feels like a missed opportunity.

[@nightscout9979]

It might be how they fancied themselves at one point. The Scarlet Rot seems untamed in the end.

[@cozmic7978]

Rotted-aristocratic- Knight

[@SaaScofagus]

I heard somewhere that the cleanrot knights have some sort of a moth vibe, their capes being the wings. This sorta connects them to Miquella, who is enveloped in a cocoon, alike many more in Elphael.

[@SotiCoto]

A large Preserving Bolus, it looked like to me.

[@SaaScofagus]

@@SotiCoto He turned himself into a bolus, funniest shit I've ever seen.

[@mobgabriel1767]

i saw someone theorizing that they are albinaurics after leaving the cocoons we see in the haligtree

[@adamkisiel799]

2:06 I love the helpful visualization of what an infected ant does after getting their brain replaced with shrooms. I really like the scenes set up with character models the video is about.

[@mimisezlol]

Fun(?)fact: the fungus doesn't replace their brains. They can also still access their senses. The fungus just keeps them from controlling their own bodies. Combine this with how ants can pass the mirror test, an (admittedly hotly debated) indicator of self awareness. Sleep tight.

[@WhatIsSanity]

@@mimisezlol I would theorise that ants pass the mirror test because they don't use sight to identify individuals or tell between friend and foe. Pheromones and touching antennae are the primary means of communication between ants, neither of which a mirror will produce. Also they literally don't have brains, but merely a series of nerve ganglia.

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

The elegant baroque design with the subtle and creeping corruption of the Cleanrot set makes it my favourite of this or any From game.

[@rafaelbordoni516]

I love how rot is also linked to elegance in this game. The wings, swordsmanship, knighthood, devotion... There might be a source of inspiration but it's all new to me.

[@JuanCruz-un9jy]

Gotta love the Deku Tree music being used for Elden Ring. Riding around on Torrent always reminds me of riding around on Epona in Ocarina of time.

[@theiberianbadger0123]

Also if anyone has noticed too, a fun fact is if the cleanrot knights attack you multiple times, they actually have the red body buffing aura appear. This shows they’ve adopted techniques from malenia with their damage increasing with consecutive attacks like from the rotten wing sword talisman

[@MaximillionPegasusJ.Crawford]

A bit late here, but all of them have the effect because in lore, all of them wear it. Kinda cool.

[@gabunne]

@@MaximillionPegasusJ.Crawford the attention to detail in this game is always utterly staggering

[@Docoloco123]

There's insectism to be found throughout Marika's numen bloodline, which makes the ant mothers that drop numen runes even more interesting.

[@eldenring_area]

One of the best content on youtube! 😃

[@durmgrid8037]

So now with the DLC we have people that were turned into human fly creatures with wings that look awfully similar to the wings on the Cleanrot Knights. Can we get a comparison in a future video?

[@carstan62]

Post Shadow of the Erdtree, this is strikingly similar to the Man-Flies. There's the infectious nature of the disease that caused the Man-Fly metamorphasis, the insect features, the humanoid faces, and even Fly Mold picked up from the Man-Flies is similar to fungus like that growing on the Cleanrot Knights.

[@aeroblade2521]

Oddly the deku tree music is perfect for this considering what happens in OOT to the Great Deku Tree

[@CleopatraKing]

Id personally like to point out the spear knights Grab attack. they impale you on a spear twist it and inflict rot on you. This attack is very similar to Malenia cinematic with raudahn. Stabbing him, and herself (which breaks and removes the needle) and plaguing him with rot as she blooms on top of him. Might be an reference to the famous attack that ultimately ended the battle of aoenia

[@Ravagerblade]

I'm wondering if that's why Malenia bloomed, the Needle was broken, and all that build-up that the needle was holden back is what triggered transforming Caleid and Malenia realizes that and tells Radahn she's sorry or something.

[@CleopatraKing]

@@Ravagerblade she broke the needle herself. i believe scarlet aoenia says that she forsook her pride or something and removed it, thus blooming. its kinda up in the air tho. some ppl, including me, think that the Rot was always tempting her and it took adv of her weakness and doubt in the fight with raudahn. thus she fell and let herself be consumed by the rot. i really like this interpretation bc it has some really sad double meanings, like giving up on life as a whole. stuff i relate to

[@Ravagerblade]

@@CleopatraKing I don't think so, Nothing within that Trailer shows that she broke it herself, rather Radahn might have.

[@CleopatraKing]

@@Ravagerblade she stabs herself with her own sword

[@Ravagerblade]

@@CleopatraKing I know that, But we still don't "know" the actual implications of that. Unless you think the Needle goes all the way through there and in which case how does it all leave her body if half of it is stuck in her... we don't see her dig it out.

[@jonlava173]

Thanks for another great episode focusing on my favorite knight faction of Elden Ring Zullie! When I first learned you could acquire their unique armor and weapons, I spent days fishing for them.

[@gunnym114]

I find the fact those parts are labelled Cordyceps interesting in light of the fact that Miquella, the one Malenia is most devoted to, is outright stated to have the power to compel affection and complete loyalty in people, to the point that Miquella's soldiers love him so much they kamikazee themselves for him, and the Bewitching Branch implies his powers are potent and purposefully employed on people who may otherwise be unwilling. If mind-controlled rot zombie is what they were going for, the use of Cordyceps is an interesting intersection between their two abilities/concepts.

[@TheOneArmedSurvivor]

I wore the Cleanrot Set all the way through my entire first play through, rarely ever changing it for another set. I fell in love the armor the moment I got my hands on it.

[@femmemachete]

Cleanrots have always been my favorite kind of knight ever since I saw them, their designs are amazing and so are their weapons. Halo scythe carried me through the game.

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

fun fact the ones who wield sytche are women while the ones with spear are men

[@bishop2286]

@@kaiserdetectivegolden2735 I don't think that's the case, those who wield the spears are grunts while those who wield the sycthes are officers

[@femmemachete]

@@kaiserdetectivegolden2735 I assumed the majority of them were female, but male Cleanrots still existed, just not as prominent.

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

@@bishop2286 it is written in the game the ones with sythe are women while the spear ones are men

[@bishop2286]

@@kaiserdetectivegolden2735 no where is that written, even the scythe description says that it's a weapon given to commanders

[@BeeTheTravler]

I just want to say I love seeing souls lore with Zelda music. It’s like merging what I used to like then with what I like now. Your videos are fantastic !!

[@RuYourBoat]

This is incredible! The Cleanrot Knights are one of my favorite NPCs to appear in Elden Ring, but I had no clue about this lore. Thank you as always for shedding light on things that are worth knowing but easy to overlook!

[@dynomight3855]

The feeling of heroic yet tragic service these knights willing put themselves through especially Finlay, honor to the end.

[@ItThatSleeps]

my favorite bit of detailing on the cleanrot knights is all the small bits of uncorroded steel where the plates overlap that give you a bit of an image of what they would have looked like before they took on the rot

[@TarnishedProductions]

This is why I love your videos Zullie. You aren't just talented at digging through game files and modding, you also teach me new things about the lore and even the real world. I didn't know that cordyceps weren't the fungus responsible for zombification. I don't think I would have ever known that otherwise. Thanks!

[@johncra8982]

"undefeated champions" "venerated heroes" "masterful combattants" >cut to me riding around aeonia on torrent holding down R2 to farm 3 of them at a time for all their drops

[@Antwonn2002]

The little details in this game that a casual player like me would never notice is so fascinating. You deserve more subscribers, I think my favorite is the dung eater video.

[@thomasboys7216]

Random thought. Maybe the knights are growing the fungus on themselves as a way to resist the damaging effects of the Scarlet while simultaneously allowing them to draw on it's strength. I base this on the idea that the Mushroom set gives high rot resistance and that the Cleanrot knights are willing fungus hosts. Thinking a little more.. "Clean" rot.....hmm....

[@maximuslondonkolb]

as soon as i heard that first note of Inside the Deku Tree i absolutely loved this video 😁

[@LordKelvinX2086]

This has been Biology 201 with Professor Zullie. Tomorrow, we'll begin with our lesson on the Sunlight Maggot's life cycle as it metamorphoses into a Carthus Sandworm.

[@TheHonoredMadman]

This was great video. Whenever I think of cordyceps I think of this nature documentary I watched about ants when I was in middle school

[@Anon13430]

It's interesting how, in the DLC, we fight man-flies who have wings in very similar places and appearances as the Cleanrot knights

[@johncra8982]

wish their armor looked as cool on me as it does on them

[@Headspr0uter]

yeah it looks so dumpy on the player model whereas the long neck and limbs of the cleanrots make it look so regal and elegant.

[@gabsgoo7716]

I wonder if it might be similar to the idea in Bloodborne, where those who resist the transformation end up being mindless beasts, while those that take it on willingly have a "gentler" transformation, and are able to hold onto their identity. It would make sense with how Radahn is basically a mindless beast, while the cleanrot knights seem mentally almost unaffected.

[@CertifiedElite420]

it makes sense, all the willful rot worshippers seem very in line with their faction, awhile radahn does not.

[@fromaggio7654]

The fungus is among us

[@corny3566]

It would have been so amazing to see the cleanrot knights have a second phase like the crucible knights where they just start to fly and really fuck you up

[@miomio6890]

Would be fun if the Cleanrot Knights were the believers from the Haligtree (misbegotten, Albanourics, etc) that we see hidden in pupae, who awakened after "rebirth"...only for their new bodies to have been infested with the Rot instead of being perfect.

[@davidhong1934]

That's what you get for not using Rennala's egg rune

[@JohnDoeWasntTaken]

Sorry to be that guy but the misbegotten in the Haligtree are not there to pray to it nor worship the rot. They are there to usurp the twin empyreans control of the Haligtree to take it for themselves. The reasons are buried deep in the lore but it boils down to them being the product of the previous great tree (the one that created the ancient dragons) and wanting to esentially turn the Haligtree into a 2.0 version of that tree. Since the Erdtree replaced the great tree that they technically come from that is what they see as their best course of action. Not really trying to correct you, though, I just see this misconception a LOT where people assume the misbegotten are at the Haligtree to take refuge or to worship it. You can see they slaughtered Haligtree knights upon their arrival because they are there to take over.

[@hhjk377]

Maybe it’s like in the middle of aesthetic only and complete zombie takeover. Maybe the fungus lets Malenia communicate with or influence her knights from afar to some degree. Not control but like direct. Like mushroom walkie-talkies.

[@PierceArner]

Interesting as that look is used for the plant design on all of the Erdtree Guardians statues and the other statues in Leyndell of humans holding flowers, as well as on the statues of the body of little Miquella. I wonder if that's a design implication that the parasitic infection is intertwined into the Erdtree itself, similar to how the Scarlet Aeonia in Caelid seems indistinguishable from the roots of the Erdtree all over The Lands Between.

[@miloburns2353]

Search "Elden Ring mushroom theory" and all will be revealed

[@Shroudnight]

God I could watch this guy go over every medium regarding every armor set from every game

[@LFYomisma]

After seeing this, I wonder if Finlay was being controlled by the rot when she carried Malenia to the Haligtree, or if it was something she alone decided. 🤔

[@user-uf7qf7mv6k]

Finlay's ashes description call Finlay's carrying of Malenia back to the Haligtree an "unimaginable act of heroism", which would be a strange thing to call that if it were something Finlay was compelled by the rot to do, rather than something she chose to do.

[@mcaelan2660]

As cool as the idea of Finlay's reanimated corpse being tugged around like a puppet is, I prefer to think that she was just that dedicated, I feel immense respect for the woman and I wouldn't want undermine her amazing feat

[@haydenandersen9937]

@@mcaelan2660 "Intense Respect" Oh God they were roommates

[@mcaelan2660]

@@haydenandersen9937 I think you may have misunderstood my comment pal hahaha

[@haydenandersen9937]

@@mcaelan2660 Yeah, the sentiment still stands tho, they were DEFINITELY roommates

[@josephkim007]

i love how you give all the possible interpretations and leave it open instead of saying this is how it is :) ty for all your Elden ring videos!!! i watched every single one of them!

[@k0ks3nw4i]

I always like how they are women but nothing about their armour/design shows that. Just badasses in steel.

[@ConmaNNamnoC]

Since Scarlet Rot eats away at your flesh, maybe the mushrooms that the worshipers cultivate on themselves (and subsequently the Cleanrot Knights' fungus) helps them maintain their bodies, like holding their parts together, so they can continue to fight and serve as they decay.

[@FallenP66]

There's actually an Easter egg in First Appearance of The Last of Us, If you go back to the bedroom and wait a couple of minutes; The TV will display an ant that got compromised by the same fungi from BBC Studios Documentary known as "Zombie Ant". That video is still on KZbin and inspired the idea of the Last of Us Fungi Zombies according to the developers. Maybe it was a coincidence that the Cleanrot Knights used the same concept??

[@thesilliestgoose5990]

Malenia and her Cleanrot Knights are the absolute coolest Army in all of Elden Ring, maybe even in all Soulsborne games.

[@CertifiedElite420]

Two words: black knight.

[@R__A]

Zullie I just wanna say I appreciate the music you add to your videos so so much, they always give me such nostalgia to the good ol zelda days on gamecube!!!

[@orlandogodoy3233]

I am always enthralled by the background music you have in your videos. Great work, as always.

[@Mistarpotato]

Nice to learn about one of my most hated enemies to fight in ER. Great content as always Mami Zullie

[@JJMomoida]

I really appreciate what you do with this channel. This game has so many little details that just add to its world-building and make you go "ooooohhhh" haha.

[@eglewether5523]

Fear not the mushroom my friend, and let the feast begin

[@_Stalc_]

I had the weirdest feeling that those ants are not normal, there are ants that cultivate fungus as a source of food. I wonder if the cleanrot knights are actually being turned into ants instead of kindred when malenia had the god of rot sealed into her body. You can see signs of rot having an effect on their rapiers at the handle guard, and the antspur itself produces rot buildup like the scorpion stinger would. Several ants are seen eating human corpses in particular like the land octopus are known for but I think the astonishing connection is radahn is seen eating cleanrot knights himself after succumbing to madness, the road to inequity also has acts of cannibalism by leyndell knights before you fight the grafted scion heading to mt gelmir. So it's hard to say the act of eating bodies is either something from madness, rot or both, but the scorpion heatershield curiously enough has a three pronged face and is a stark yellow. I have a feeling the sphere of influence involving the god of rot and astel is that they're probably related to each other but not the same. You can find not only massive quantities of rot at the lake of rot but a mountainous stalactite of glintstone nearby as well, it's strange one such as gowry has not only sorcery from sellia under belt but rot incantation and the flocks canvas talisman. The invisbility magic to assassinate other sorcerers is something peculiarly beyond blackknives and the two fingers confessors or even bloodhounds, especially when sellians practiced night magic without glintstones (maybe that's why radahn protected it to perform spells without a staff while using gravity magic from onyx/alabaster lords). Claymen are also able to perform oracular bubbles without their own staff (no clue if it's due to their body becoming similar to glintstones, primeval current)

[@lordkameguru7851]

I son't watch your videos as often as I should; But every single one is an absolute banger. You're awesome Zullie. Much love!

[@pdragon619]

I think an important thing to note with any "well this thing is actually a misnomer of the actual science" discussion when it comes to looking at a story is that the devs aren't scientists. The layman's understanding is that cordyceps=zombie fungus (and even that much is a pretty obscure reference for most), and I doubt the designers would look that much deeper into it just for the sake of some obscure armor details. Obviously I could be wrong, but a lot of time with theories one of the biggest traps can be doing more research than the actual creator did on a given topic or detail.

[@jonathannjembe7788]

The amount of obscure details in this game is frightening

[@Zanator1]

Aside from the great lore your vids introduce me to a lot of really nice music! Thank you for your work!

[@boomervergil1328]

I love how so many enemies are like legendary warriors and shit and then you just beat them in like 30 seconds

[@MrLogicallyrandom]

With the ants being infected by cordyceps I finally get how the antspur rapier would have scarlet rot

[@The.Reilly]

And this is the reason these knights are my favourite FromSoft has ever made. They have such an ornate suit of armor with incredible weapons but grim undertones that show their dedication to their leader. I guess the Black Knights in DS1 kind of did the same thing but I appreciate the Cleanrot Knights more, maybe because I've just seen more of them and they're in the promotional material quite a lot.

[@stuartcarter4139]

You would think it connects to Malenia, but I’d point out that Miquella is also in a cocoon, so there is some parallel metamorphosis at play, Malenia’s descending and Miquella’s ascending. Cleanrot knights could be undergoing either or both.

[@SotiCoto]

The cocoon looks exactly like a huge Preserving Bolus to me.

[@Capn_Obed_Marsh]

I know the game was full of bugs but this is ridiculous.

[@VoiceActorYourNameHere]

The scariest part about the cordyceps is that it doesn't control the ant's brain, but instead its muscles and limbs. That means that the ant is still fully conscious while it's being puppeteered around by the fungus.

[@LindenHS-Hillcraft]

Well now we have seen something with similar wings with the DLC

[@k.katona9415]

The Cleanrot knights are my most favorite enemy, they captured the noble yet decaying feel excellently

[@Astfgl]

And we can all thank Planet Earth and David Attenborough for bringing the Cordyceps fungus to people's attention and making it part of pop culture.

[@aztecserpent5525]

They certainly move like the fungus is possessing them - loping around awkwardly on their staves

[@TheJerbol]

We can all thank that David Attenborough film about Cordyceps for all of this fungizombi fun

[@f.entanyl]

When we wear the cleanrot knight armor, the "wings" still stick out even tho its the tarnished that wears it so i think the wings are part of the armor on the cleanrot knight's body

[@tomisalonen8029]

It is kind of interesting that Elphael is full of cocoons that seems to have first generation albinaurics inside of them and then we have cleanrot knights with insect wings.

[@umomo1947]

Its amazing how many details there are to be missed when everything is literally trying to make your insides into outsides in this game.

[@ddangho914]

"Shall we prepare ships my lady?" "Nah, we're walking to Caelid."

[@Erynash]

I really like how they tend to lean on their weapons and hunch down a bit, as if the rot has taken a heavy toll on their strength. And yet they will fight you with everything they have left in them.

[@hiddenshadow2105]

My headcanon that Cleanrot knights use cordycep as a measure to re-enforce their failling neural system with the fungus growths so they can still function even if their human processing system fails.

[@icngames1032]

The Clearnrot knights are the greatest warriors of their era, but are not left barely standing husks. Even so, their prowess for battle still remains after all this time.

[@Pablo_SmoothCat]

Now that the DLC is out, does anyone else think they're turning into man flies?

[@khandimahn9687]

All these little, hidden details we just don't notice while playing the game...

[@TheSunnyOne]

Coming back to this while still in the DLC, and I'm left wondering if the knights have any relation to the fly-people in the DLC? Perhaps a similar infection, but maybe the fungus on the knight's bodies is helping them stay more human?

[@Cascadejackal]

I just noticed the proportions of the Cleanrot Knights for the first time. Specifically, the head/neck/torso. They seem the be the same type of human (or humanoid) as Gostoc and a number of others. I wonder how many other "Human" enemies are like that, and it's just hard to see because they're usually too busy trying to kill you. The Zamor Knights have the same proportions, too.

[@TheK4man]

new research into the cordyceps fungus suggests that it does even worse to the host than initially thought. it seems the ants brain isnt as affected as we thought, and that it may actually be aware of what is happening. it seems the cordyceps may be growing INTO the limbs of the and and more directly and forcefully steer the ant

[@Skibbutz]

I don't think the Cleanrot Knights are human, rather, They're Albunuriacs. All throughout the Haligtree, the player can see cacoons everywhere, and upon closer inspection of the less developed cacoons, you can identify them as Gen 1 Albunuriacs. The Cleanrot knights themselves are clearly ment to be some kind of insect adjacent being, so it makes sense that they're what's coming out of the cacoons. The albinuriacs ventured to the Haligtree to be baptized, cocooned, and reborn. When the emerged they pledged their undying loyalty to Miquella and Melania, to the point where they were willing to fight even when infected by the Rot.

[@CaptGuts1945]

Came here for the Elden Ring lore and got a bit of a biology lesson. Well done Zullie.

[@robjsmiles]

After Radahn, I had kinda thought these were his men who eventually gave into the rot after holding out against it for as long as they could

[@pockystyx4087]

considering how rank armor gets normally if not well kept; those cleanrot knights must be some of the most foul smelling things in armor in the lands between.

[@lsdxiii]

Given the act of consecration seems to have real effects on objects when performed. The wings could be signs that the Cleanrot Knights were “anointed” by the Goddess of Rot, and as such are reborn as insectile Cleanrot Valkyries. Perhaps they’re even becoming Aeonian Butterflies due to entering Malenia’s service.

[@jamessikes5369]

I appreciate the legend of zelda background music

[@chrispysaid]

And Zullie continues to be FromSoft character designer's favorite KZbinr for noticing all the little details they assumed no one else would

[@tarille1043]

I imagine that the concept isn't that they're being controlled by the fungus. Since they seem to be still loyal to Malenia. As well as still using notably Holy based attacks (Their spear skill and the Halo Scythe skill) in contrast to the Rot spells which are Poison, Rot or Physical (If we look at the Mushroom Sorcerer's poison ball, the Scarlet Aeonia and the Pest's Coomer Strings spells respectively)

[@pettizo21]

The wings might be a reference to malenia and the wings of her never defeted resolve, as the games says that after she defeted rot and became strong she developed "wings", a statement which was both metaphorical and literal.

[@alexwatt1410]

The Moment Zullie showed the giant ants at the top of the Haligtree made me think that perhaps they're in some sort of service to the further spread of Scarlet Rot. I'd heard of the brain eating fungus before and what it does to ants. Like Zullie said it forces them to climb to the top of trees and then the fungus bursts out and releases its spores. I thought nothing of it before, other than it's weird the ants that have always been underground are now at one of the highest points. There's got to be a connection here. In Zullie's previous video about the ant and the Nox riders, she implies the Nox use some kind of mind control to ride them. Perhaps we have found another way in which these ants are being controlled.

[@aleckrueger4670]

Literally every one of your videos is a banger

[@Emeowy]

God i love the cleanrot knights, my character is a previous cleanrot knight too, such amazing lore, design, devotion