Messmer - Closer Look

[@callgonue3613]

my posture after playing dlc 30 hours straight

[@Nicvira]

real😂

[@TheChuffert]

Too real, bro 😂

[@abereu8405]

Real

[@GodFist215]

😂😂😂

[@mayomayo1853]

😂

[@deztacular]

Messmer's eye not being a snake eye but Marika's rune was a good bait and switch from the trailers

[@kayhaich]

Yeah, not dragon communion

[@oliverlarosa8046]

Yeah, it got me pretty good

[@yvngboygv]

Wait his eye a great rune ???

[@oliverlarosa8046]

@@yvngboygv It's not a great rune itself, but the pupil is shaped like Marika's great rune. It's an artificial eye she implanted in him personally, so it makes sense that it would reflect her power in its design

[@afrokid241]

@@yvngboygva soreseal

[@Audiodump]

One thing to note in his later forms: it looks like his body is absolutely infested with snakes. Even his exposed muscle is weird and snakelike. He's like a corpse being used as a puppet by snakes

[@ItsYaBoiV]

Which continues the puppet theme of Elden Ring. Everything is being puppeteered by outer forces/gods.

[@etinarcadiaego7424]

Spent too much time in the Forbidden Woods.

[@quint3ssent1a]

Weird to see how we first saw his mockery, a "rotten duelist" who has snakes inside him too, and after two long years we finally saw who this image was meant to mock.

[@ianwilliams2632]

​@@quint3ssent1a I thought nobody outside the Shadowlands knew he existed? It's a strange thing for all the crowds to mock someone they don't have any clue about. Maybe they understood it to be Rykard's serpent but the nobility/royalty knew otherwise. Pretty perverse.

[@charalamboscharalambous165]

@@ianwilliams2632 the colosseums where active during Godfrey's time but became inactive after he became Elden lord to Marika meaning the hatred for snakes came before even the birth of Ricard and Messmer it is even stated in a piece of lore that Messmer's soldiers had great respect for him until the point which he revealed his serpentine features

[@aiasfree]

I find it very funny how Messmer cracks open a Marika Rune and levels up right in front of us for phase 2.

[@matt6231]

best comment right here

[@EpicFroggz]

Underrated comment 😂

[@deanod9543]

I’m pretty sure that’s a Marika’s soreseal

[@Psychx_]

@@deanod9543 It was his own scarseal/soreseal. These talismans are literally just the eyes of those who posessed an obscene amount of grace.

[@EpicFroggz]

@@Psychx_ I think it’s not incorrect to call it Marika’s Soreseal-“this legendary talisman is an eye engraved with an Elden Rune, said to be the seal of Queen Marika”-and she was the one who sealed the base serpent so, that’s pretty much what it is ye

[@psf_dioufmaulana3040]

I found interesting that some of his men show genuine care for Messmer some even praying begging Marika to embrace her child and some even ask when will the war end.

[@VictorIV0310]

What’s also interesting is that despite his infamous reputation, Messmer inspires a surprising amount of loyalty from his troops, if certain item descriptions are to be believed. Commander Gaius is the leader of Messmer’s ground forces and even described to be his friend, possibly due to both being cursed in some way. They even served as older brother figures to Radahn since he and Gaius were friendly rivals in gravity sorcery. Rellana, a Carian princess and younger sister to Rennala, chose to forsake her royal status and sided with Messmer, perhaps out of pity for his curse, before becoming his loyal “Sword”. Many of his elite knights came from noble familes and joined his crusade, knowing that they’d be shunned at best and erased from history at worst. Even the lower grunt Lordsworn soldiers were described as penal troops pressed into his army for the crusade yet are shown to be difficult enemies with many tricks up their sleeve, implying a level of training and discipline higher than even some knights in the Lands Between. On top of all that, they have no real reason to stay in the Land of Shadow anymore. The Golden Order has collapsed, Queen Marika is imprisoned in the Erdtree and the Lands Between was ravaged in the Shattering, all before the Tarnished comes to kill any and all remaining demigods left. Messmer and his army could’ve deserted the Golden Order, splinter up and resort to banditry. Yet, even after all this time, Messmer’s army remained at their posts, unaware of the developments in the Lands Between, with no hint of any rebellion or mutiny aside from one black knight who abandoned Messmer after discovering his “serpentine nature” and was imprisoned for it.

[@lafayecci5619]

​@@VictorIV0310 Carian Ladies simp hard, it seems

[@genghiskhan6809]

@@lafayecci5619At least Ranni is lucky she fell for our tarnished. Have you seen how thirsty as a community we tend to be for her?

[@VictorIV0310]

@@lafayecci5619For redheads, in particular.

[@elbadaernu9902]

​@@VictorIV0310the carian siblings and their love for red head 😭

[@iqbaladi4481]

No wonder why marika shaken when godwyn died, well he is the most normal of her child

[@theobell2002]

You are assuming Godwyn was "normal" in life. I don't believe that since he was conceived during the Crucible. He is Marika's and Godfrey's child. Why would his twin brothers become omens yet Godwyn would not be affected? He wouldn't become an omen but the Crucible would still affect Godwyn in some way. I don't believe the fish tail we see on his corpse is part of some mutation or something. I believe he always had a fish tail. (Godwyn was a merman in life and nobody can tell me otherwise.)

[@iqbaladi4481]

@@theobell2002 nahh blud just laying there being merman, we never know what he looked like when he still breathe, what we learned from the trailer godwyn body seems "normal to the eye" to me compare to other marika's child, maybe just like messmer he had hideous merman body or scale but didn't affect his appearance much, sadly marika seems care to her only good looking child

[@alfalldoot6715]

​@@theobell2002We see Godwyn in the trailer and he looked completely normal

[@theobell2002]

​@@alfalldoot6715 In every screenshot we see Godwyn in, his legs are completely obscured. If you look at the art of him getting assassinated by the Black Knives, his legs look really deflated like there's a fish tail there instead of legs.

[@adamsirin7249]

I think Godwyn was a willing participant in becoming the Prince of Death. His personal guard are looking after his cadaver in the shadow realm

[@zandpatchwork1979]

It shocked me how they just gave this lanky snake infested man one of the most handsome faces I’ve seen a boss have in game.

[@yamicats]

OMG LITERALLY AND HIS VOICE MAKES ME FEEL FUNNY

[@jerrbear5958]

​@@yamicatsme too tarnished

[@gemmafire8628]

Taking “would you love me if I was a worm” to a new level

[@boxman7044]

“Would you love me if I was an abyssal serpent shorn of light?”

[@kyor1806]

@@boxman7044”No.”

[@sergiovergaramontemiranda2116]

​@@boxman7044 the twin moon knight: Baby say less ❤

[@timwinterhalter5233]

​@@sergiovergaramontemiranda2116 rellana and tanith be like

[@wadespencer3623]

Marika's answer is apparently no.

[@dinorex3464]

One of the most tragic characters FromSoftware has ever created. Messmer became a monster just so that the denizens of the Shadow Realm could focus their hatred on him instead of his mother while she was busy creating a new order, but once she made it there was no place for him anymore because of the figure he became, and so she casted him away and erased every record of his existence from history. And so he embraced this "demon" figure people made him, not because he liked it (it's heavily implied he absolutely loathes his powers, his curse and overall himself) but because it was literally all that he had left.

[@playboiy5678]

why did marika force messmer to go on a crusade to kill the impure in the shadow realm? why does messmer need to make the inhabitants hate him?

[@icetide9411]

​@@playboiy5678Pretty sure it's because the Golden Order naturally conflicts with the Shadow Realm's worship of being an omen. Omens can't be revived through the Erdtree, and since the Erdtree is kind of represented as being a parasite (it gets fed the bodies of the dead, then revives their souls so that they can be fed to it infinitely), omens are a natural issue for that. My guess is that because of that Marika needed the omens wiped out, but she didn't want the omens to blame her, she needed a scapegoat, which is Messmer. I'm pretty sure it's the quote on Messmer's helmet where he's literally saying how he had to make them focus all of their hatred towards him.

[@raezzlyr7137]

@@icetide9411Well, that and it’s heavily implied that the Hornsent Omens persecuted Marika’s people first, so it was also a genocide based on revenge as well.

[@sedarium5307]

​​most likely Messmer did the massive genocide of the Shadow realm bc he wanted to do it for the sake of his mother bc how much he loved her, but once that finished and Messmer had his infamous status, Marika was forced to banish him from the Lands between since Messmer presence would affect negatively the Golden order and the Greater will. Marika is not a "bad mother" (atleast with Messmer), since Messmer loved her for a reason, and the items description says that Marika was actively caring for Messmer and trying to find a cure, until she crafted the eye that Messmer uses that serves more like a prevention than a cure, Marika didn't banish him bc he had a serpent curse, since Marika acknowledges childs like Malenia and Miquella, it's most likely bc of Messmer's infamous reputation of being a genocidal maniac, and Marika at that point was totally influenced by the Greater will.

[@kairu_aname]

​@@icetide9411 Not sure what makes you think omens can't be revived. Morgot turns into a golden spirit when you return to face his dad. It's probably something else that's likely that omens are beings of the crucible's nature that they're shunned, and it seems more like a crusade of "join us or die" predilection, and anything that was worshipped was "removed"

[@Enbeehive]

One thing I love about the gods and demigods designs in this game is the just slightly too much proportions. The arms are a big too long for their rest of their body, they’re heads are too small, stuff like that. It really sells that fact that though they look vaguely human, they are anything but.

[@greasemonk4576]

They did the same thing with Nightjars in Sekiro and the Yharnam denizens.

[@raydhen8840]

Yeah I generally noticed that humanoid / "once-a-human" being Fromsoft character design in Souls series tends to looks a bit off, aside from just being bigger by default from players (partially for gameplay purpose), sometimes to sells the uncanny valley effect. Some like Yharnamites has in-lore explanation (transition to beasts), some just don't (Pthumerians)

[@tranquoccuong890-its-orge]

even the gorgeous Rennala gives off an uncanny body proportion too

[@alfonshedstrom9859]

They usually have so much clothes and armor that you dont really see their real proportions, and it's only when you unclothe them you realise how weird they look. Mohg looks so goofy without his robes

[@solarpanda3401]

Fromsoft has all their 'humans' designed in this stylised/inhuman way where the proportions are off in some way. Maybe back in the day they made limbs longer to avoid clipping and allow for more frames to be used in animations, but that's not needed now. It's definitely a distinct choice, since they can do so many other things perfectly, like weapons, animals and buildings. Maybe it's to show us that these 'humans' aren't quite human. Or maybe to fit in with the theme that human choices are kinda the reason for the bad things that happen in their stories (atleast Bloodborne and Sekiro follow that in some way, idk about elden ring)

[@IamBlackToast]

Worst case of tapeworm I have ever seen.

[@ELDniel-DW5pg]

abhorent beast, guardian ape and true monk have just as bad of a case

[@TravisSgyatt]

⁠@@ELDniel-DW5pg which game is the abhorrent beast from

[@jamesdgreyt1788]

​@@TravisSgyattHe's one of the bosses in Bloodborne's Chalice Dungeons

[@tracemacmillan9718]

Rykard is actually worse. His is so bad, the role between tapeworm and person is sort of reversed

[@joan803]

💀

[@corvo_und6]

My man Messmer did NOT deserved what Marika did to him. Bro looks so gentle 😭😭😭

[@deathangeleas2401]

well really what the base serpent did to him and marika. marika cared about him fr.

[@corvo_und6]

@@deathangeleas2401 why would him curse Marika in the end? Also, Messmer is nowhere to be found in the base game, it seems like Marika tried to hide Messmer or something like that. The eye was probably to Marika's own gain, maybe Messmer could ruin her plans or something like that

[@deathangeleas2401]

@@corvo_und6 He said that in lament apparently, according to lore people he was saying it in a way where he felt he was a curse upon her from the beginning and wished only to be her hero for the original sin which is also a big lore point. In regards to her hiding mesmer its actually not the case as apparently it was actually that she just couldn't return to the shadow realm. I guess because everything that happened after radagon appeared.

[@dadevi]

@@corvo_und6 It's a blasphemous serpent. Serpents always devour Gods, just like Rykard's ate him. Marika tried her best to contain Messmer with the false eye. But Mesmer was always going to turn on her.

[@quincykunz3481]

while he had a bad upbringing, he also committed war crimes on a massive, MASSIVE scale. They don't call him the Impaler for fun. Dude isn't a saint, he just so happened to be on the winning side of a war.

[@ileiad]

"The Impaler" Idk, man. He looks like he was the one impaled.

[@IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII217]

the serpent came and saw

[@dev4159]

That's pretty much the idea

[@whitecreator905]

Hurt ppl hurt ppl

[@redmijuara-un4ez]

Also the snake have wing for some reason as much as why is his left eye closed​@@IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII217

[@World_XXI]

The first thing he impaled, was himself.

[@ItsYaBoiV]

Poor guy got that scoliosis real bad

[@Staycoldyoung]

Makes sense with all them snakes living inside his body poor dude

[@shermanwilliams9248]

Looks more like a case of Scaliosis to me

[@RedHotChiliPepper31]

@@shermanwilliams9248ba tum tshhhh

[@NuclearCactus1]

Makes sense with the massive red snake coming out of his spine

[@ant3910]

@@Staycoldyoungalthough in second dlc trailer his posture looks normal, probably after siege he just sits his ass on the throne for years😂

[@dumbanddarby]

"Direct thy maledictions, thine ire, and thy grief towards me alone."

[@IronForce-ff2qx]

So, this implies that the whole: “Serpent is a traitor to the Erdtree” thing is a lie and Marika forced Messmer into becoming a scapegoat for her crimes, then branded him a traitor to avoid the ire of her subjects caused by the Crusade.

[@Akrilloth]

@@IronForce-ff2qx To no-ones surprise, Marika is, and was, a complete morally bankrupt piece of shit. The Greater Will was kind of justified in nailing her to her own rune, lmao.

[@zaloon148]

​@@IronForce-ff2qxnah Bru the god devouring serpent still exists and we know he evil

[@IronForce-ff2qx]

@@zaloon148 I don’t think the Serpent deity was ever a part of the Golden Order for it to be referred as a “Traitor” and considering Rykard, this belief about serpents began while Godfrey was still Elden Lord.

[@michaeljohnston8891]

@@IronForce-ff2qxthere is the matter of Messmer fleeing from the Erdtree, however. And, much like his sister, he bore a vision of flame. I think he’s the most likely culprit for the First Burning of the Erdtree, and he may have been sent in this crusade as a kind of penance

[@khoailang9470]

4:33 Messmer doesn't inherit his parents' cake, probably that's why Marika abandoned him

[@Hain-Channel]

Con rắn hút hết chất dinh dưỡng r 🐧

[@thanhvu2377]

💀

[@lavishlyvice]

still would

[@logarius2178]

Not the BBL Mesmer….

[@Lardo137]

"18 inches of Messmer"

[@d_eexe]

no wonder hes hunched over... bro is in PAIN

[@sasaki999pro]

Max0r: _Arent we all?_

[@Domihockeyrocky]

😞

[@glorytoukraine5524]

@@sasaki999pro poor guy isn't even done with the base game yet, and now there's dlc to do as well

[@padrenuestre]

😞😞

[@TheRealVyke]

Miquella: Eternal Youth Malenia: Scarlet Rot Messmer: Serpentine Nature Melina: Kindling Maiden Four children, four curses

[@xcalibur1944]

And Melina is eternal burning.

[@TheRealVyke]

@@xcalibur1944 true, but I didn’t include her because I feel the other three are more solidly siblings. I personally believe she is the fourth child of Marika and Radagon but other people think she’s Miquella or Ranni.

[@l0y3lg45]

@@TheRealVyke mesmer is cursed, as are the children of Radgon and Marika. It is very likely that he is a pure brother of Malenia and Miquella. In addition, it has already been confirmed that his mother is Marika. Added to the red hair that only Radagon's children have, the probabilities increase even more.

[@TheRealVyke]

@@l0y3lg45 ok? My comment was referring to Melina

[@TheRealVyke]

@OfficialPokezaeyeah. But Miquella, Malenia, and Messmer aren’t cursed in the same way Morrgot and Mogh are. Morrgot and Mogh are cursed by the crucible with the omen blood. The trio are cursed cause of their parents confusing courting.

[@crazyakira1222]

My most unhinged WOULD and I'm not even ashamed, he's so fine😩

[@alastor9141]

You shouldn't be ashamed

[@redfrost5684]

as a straight guy i can't blame you

[@MatthewMiller-f9q]

I have to agree he's kinda hot...

[@irenel2234]

I was looking for this comment, glad I am not the only one 😂

[@kassjazzy]

I can fix him😭

[@xanaxor88]

Big reveal was that Mesmer is just the snakes in a trench coat enemy from bloodborne

[@fromrawn9303]

Found it kinda disappointing to be honest. He is just another snake asset reuse boss. Like Rykard, Bloodborne and Sekiro.

[@sebastianb.3978]

​@@fromrawn9303eexcept all of them have unique designs and movesets, so tf you yapping about? From used prominent serpent imagery since DS1

[@fromrawn9303]

@@sebastianb.3978 his Phase 2 movesets are pulled straight from Shadows of Yharnam phase 2? Which were also used partially by Rhykard, so what are you yapping about? Elden Ring your first game yappy hahaha

[@LatteSoul3603]

@@fromrawn9303 I played both, and can clearly say that aside from both using big snakes they are not the same. Different timings for dodges, different context, different patterns, hell even the sizes and textures are different. My best guess is you were too busy panic rolling in both fights to think or take a closer look at them dude…

[@fromrawn9303]

@@LatteSoul3603 the cope is unreal. Brilliant none points made except the textures. Reusing assets is fine, just disappointing for this boss.

[@annquach6613]

"I can fix him"

[@kokocarillo9931]

😏

[@Bipolaroid90]

I can make him worse

[@ladonmccabe]

Are you a chiropractor?

[@dzvw]

t. Rellana

[@yamnbam4346]

@@dzvwI find it kind of sweet tbh

[@SaturNo_O017]

It's interesting how the snake goes from a red-ish color to almost completely white. It reminds me of how Marika's hair becomes red when Radagon takes hold

[@EpicFroggz]

I think the white part is the snake shedding its skin because it grows in phase 2! which is fucked up cuz in doing that it’s tearing him apart 😭

[@blakewhite3131]

​@@EpicFroggz yeah, it's thicker than before and translucent, so shedding is immediately what that evoked for me too

[@gorb688]

@@EpicFroggz speaking of shedding snaked skin, outside the pot town in the main place of the DLC, near the o mother emote you can see shedded snake skin, but weirdly it doesn't fit the size and length of the base serpent, just wanted to point it out as I found it really strange and interesting

[@superspeedbagel9288]

@@gorb688i’m glad somebody saw that snake skin too! i’m still wondering what’s up with it. i don’t remember it having an item or anything

[@imannam]

reminds me of the alien leech guys that use finger sorcery near the hallowed ruins. they're also darkish and there's a different version that's shedding skin and looks white. maybe the nature of the base serpent is also alien to us. like the rot god

[@VictorIV0310]

I’ve been speculating that Messmer’s role in the Land of Shadow was an overseer installed by Marika to keep its denizens in check both as a form of exile for his blasphemy and a duty that she foisted on him until he will be allowed back into her arms. Turns out I was half right; While I don’t know his exact feelings on the matter when he waged war against the land, he was indeed tasked with lording over the land as a dreaded “devil” figure for its denizens to focus their hatred on. Messmer also hated his fire powers and had a serpent within him that he tried to get rid of but to no avail. Marika plucked out one of his eyes and placed a seal of grace to keep the snake within before having him kept away in the Land of Shadow, presumbably erasing him from history. He also sounds quite weary in his boss introduction where he seems reluctant to fight us but accepts it as his duty nonethless and second phase cutscene where he looks at the Marika statue before ripping his eye out. For him to curse Marika in his dying breath, he must’ve carried such lifelong resentment towards her. Poor guy. Also, if I’m not mistaken “Base” could mean an old, archaic term for vile, lowly, contemptuous or even bastard, hence the other term “baseborn” which could also refer to a bastard born out of wedlock?

[@maximdecimus2258]

The Base Serpent could also be a reference to Nidhogg, the serpent at the bottom of the world tree in Norse mythology

[@abydosianchulac2]

Yeah, base as lowly/vilesome was the meaning I saw first.

[@mrsgamer9218]

Good to know that i wasnt the only one that noticed how tired and lonely he sounded. I also think he had no desire to wage the war Marika put on him. Maybe, just maybe, he might've been one of the most chill guy out there (next to Radahn) but Marika made him into this 'bad guy' Gods, im starting to hate Marika more and more.

[@chillax319]

@@mrsgamer9218 When it comes to the "current ruling family of Lands Between" almost every atrocity and bad thing can be traced back to Marikas intrigues.

[@ashencometmom5291]

i'm really glad that my pre-release understanding of his trailer line was correct, in that he's not just dismissing your claim to lordship to be an asshole, but he's genuinely like "mother, the whole point of this crusade is to give you a world with nothing but grace, why am i still here if that's no longer the case"

[@miscielrossvillegas6307]

wow he has long EYELASHES . . Base Serpent Messmer is, possibly, my most disastrous WOULD

[@GabrielaRibas-x3h]

My reaction when reaching the second phase and seeing him without his helmet for the first time was actually being amazed by, even with all the shit going on, how beautiful his face was. Absolutely WOULD.

[@XcessiveNinja17]

the snakes mean he can work more spots at the same time

[@WadeAlma]

This comment section is down bad bro. I'm glad to see it.

[@icetide9411]

You're all insane. Insanely deserving of my respect.

[@mastersaskashi8654]

Rellana has competition.

[@TheUnseenKrab]

Rellana really said "damn that's hot." Didn't she?

[@calebjones4952]

Carians have a thing for redheads, evidently.

[@eldendynast]

Rellana has taste or she's moonscorched

[@mselaf6301]

Actually that's hot... Would and will

[@alguem5645]

Maybe liking redheads is a family thing.

[@kokocarillo9931]

I also think he’s hot. I get her. 😏

[@Athena908]

I love how the entire comments section is people going “Someone get this guy a chiropractor. Also, would.”

[@YouTubeBlowsDaily]

That's literally just you

[@lahila7383]

Alternate title: Messmer is undressed in phases with dramatic music

[@imsotired2001]

I snorted so loud when I read this 💀

[@mieyy-w6x]

and we love to see it

[@LabTech41]

Anyone else get a HEAVY Dark Souls vibe when Messmer gouged his own eye out, and then revealed the black and empty socket wreathed in flame, that looked rather intentionally like the Darksign that brands the undead?

[@PierreLucSex]

Thought about the ouroboros as well

[@aiellamori]

The entire dlc felt very dark souls coded. Base game elden ring is way more high fantasy, the dlc definitely brought back that dark fantasy vibe

[@thegenzmindset7127]

@@aiellamoriagreed

[@Domihockeyrocky]

@@aiellamoriAGREED! And that is why it should have been like the DLC all along. Messmer is a perfect character and boss, I also loved the dlc way more than the base game lol

[@GrifRespecter]

Damn I thought the snakes where wrap around him not coming out of him.

[@kakishisfriend1126]

Same! When the clothes came off, it was gruesome to see them coming from his chest and back 😢

[@ProCoRat]

Yeah bro is not having a great time

[@Domihockeyrocky]

@@ProCoRatdefinitely not😞Although isn’t he kind of…smiling? When we meet him? In the cutscene?

[@ProCoRat]

@@Domihockeyrocky You may be the first interesting thing he as encountered in hundreds of years. Dude is just waiting in the dark for his mother to welcome him back home.

[@Merlchar]

Completely stuck on this fight right now, but such an amazing character design. Superb voice acting too. Almost makes all the failed attempts on him less painful. 🤣

[@mrsgamer9218]

Second phase is wild...

[@Dev_Astral]

@@mrsgamer9218 yeah first phase is manageable for me now, except his freaking Yoda jump where his saltos all around and does a million stabs, goes too fast for me lol But the 2nd phase is madness. I have 9 scadutree levels and he absolutely shreds me in 2 hits lol

[@mrsgamer9218]

@@Dev_Astral be sure to pick up the ultimate fire protection nearby first. Helps a lot.

[@Quaranyr]

I feel really sorry for the guy

[@supersamui.4423]

Yea he really got the short end of the stick

[@Mycopoks]

​@@supersamui.4423but not the short dick😂

[@mieyy-w6x]

same

[@MMK86]

Messmer looks awesome and is the most interesting boss in the DLC, the design, cut scenes, the fight, dialog, 10/10

[@Blackblade-NeX]

he is easily one of my two favorite bosses of all time. His lore is also sad as fuck

[@cornpop838]

Dialog lmao? he has like two lines stop glazing so hard

[@Blackblade-NeX]

@@cornpop838 I think he meant his lines and the delivery of those sentences

[@JohanKylander]

May chaos take the world.

[@sniperfity2327]

GOOD GRIEF HE'S NAKED!

[@gio-iu7ir]

hell yea😁

[@L.K.48]

Explains the snake...

[@DanteVerde-pt9zc]

If I have a nickel every time a child of Marika and Radagon is naked I'll have two nickels, which is not a lot but still weird it happened twice

[@etinarcadiaego7424]

​@@DanteVerde-pt9zcwell, I mean their parents walk around (hang in Marika's case?) half naked so.

[@WadeAlma]

Show me the front The snake censor bar is hilarious.

[@borntopwnyou]

BASED Serpent Messmer

[@abereu8405]

He’s been training those lats fr🪽💪

[@Lueyin]

My man got a bigass snake on his body and still manages to attack as fast as a mosquito

[@Sans_the_skeleton_2]

Messmer is a smash ngl

[@THEW0LFB0Y]

"Those stripped of the grace of gold shall all meet death, in the embrance of Messmer's flame."

[@SENTINEL641]

I definitely heard this line a few times during the million fights 🤣

[@jamesnorman9160]

I appreciate that since flames/fire is generally linked to an Outer God or some other concept, that Messmer's Flame has it's own visual design: a dark orange, like a mix between light and dark. He sits somewhere in the middle, not leaning either which way.

[@sourxpill]

I love how tired and bored he sounds when he delivers the line. It's been in my head for days.

[@LaloBalteus]

​@@sourxpilljust like tired, depressed, reading all his item descriptions and how he was alone, with the snakes being his eternal Friends and him wanted to get rid of his own flame makes me fell sad for him

[@softsounds8453]

@@sourxpill With the way some of the invaders repeat it, I wouldn't be surprised if that's was his war cry during the war. Dude is so tired of this shit he threw a slogan at you instead of saying something meaningful 💀

[@JustMothman]

Dude, you were so quick with this. As an artist, I thank you. Now, I don't have to analyze his cutscenes to get the details right!

[@sneakyluckey]

He really looks like his sister Malenia

[@thegodofsoapkekcario1970]

He also looks very Slavic, Messmer Bosniak confirmed????

[@SpacePirateLord]

Sister, or other half? St. Trina being revealed as the other half of Miquella via the Alchemical Rebis process opened up a WHOLE nother can of worms in the lore. Any of the Empyreans can have other halves now, much like how Marika had Radagon.

[@uncleulysses2328]

@@SpacePirateLordthe fact not many people caught on to that in the first game was shocking. Mfs were always yelling what is marika and the divine rebis was all I could think of

[@polskillz]

His sister isn’t Malenia, it’s Melina

[@SpacePirateLord]

@uncleulysses2328 I figured this out in the base game as well, including all the weird fun bits like how the Tarnished's main purpose is to purify gold (removing the impurity of Radagon from Marika so a new golden age can begin, or Ranni's Silver Age) or that Gold Mask's ending is the one most beneficial to Marika. For some reason I didn't originally think the other Empyreans had undergone the process yet, but... I guess they had, as St. Trina is a figure famous enough to have had myths and legends. This can also explain Melina's origin, as there's not a single bit of lore about her.

[@mrsgamer9218]

I think he needs to eat some more. I dont mind cooking him a lovely mommy dinner.

[@anhvu8804]

The Serpent absored all his nutrition :(((

[@deathOfTheWinterMoon]

Poor dude 😭

[@brittle1]

Always crazy to me how fromsoft bosses all look like they're on the verge of death but are still crazy strong

[@pxxi]

i was not expecting messmer to have a belly button

[@mitsuri3096]

Yes very needed detail when fighting him

[@AnimeMangaKS]

@@mitsuri3096 Wdym you don't stare at the not visible belly button when you fight him? Isn't that why everyone's dying so much to him- myself included ofc... smh

[@narutouzumaki-dk2mv]

Kinky

[@pxxi]

@jessiesewell4076 that's why i was so surprised! looks like that's what they're implying.

[@gyozapunk]

That fact is actually very emotional to me, and humanizes Marika a lot. Could you imagine being a first time mother, likely giving birth alone in a shack in your village, and your baby is born inexplicably deformed by snakes?

[@Kaito57]

The only one of Marika kids who actually called her BS out loud... (unless I missed a line somewhere.)

[@glorytoukraine5524]

We were hoping Miquella had it figured out, and he just pulled a Marika on everyone else.

[@ichdu-fk6xc]

@@glorytoukraine5524Miquella at least called her bullshit out

[@glorytoukraine5524]

@@ichdu-fk6xc miquella is a hypocrite who tried to copy Marika

[@ichdu-fk6xc]

@@glorytoukraine5524 dunno who is his hate group. Like which people would become the new hornsent/omen/misbegotten

[@ichdu-fk6xc]

@@glorytoukraine5524 who is his hate group. Marika hates Omens/Misbegotten/Hornsent.

[@WaddleDee45]

Born with a body full of snek, mum takes your eye out and stuffs a seal in instead because you're full of snek, then she sends you off to the shadow realm. That's rough, buddy.

[@Jesicaah]

He's still cute

[@lgscteam]

Smash

[@Jesicaah]

@@lgscteam real

[@mariapaula2137]

the biggest hear me out in this dlc

[@Emanon616]

In other words, you would love him if he was a worm?

[@Jesicaah]

@@Emanon616 Hell yes

[@lydsarchives]

I need him carnally thank you for the peak drawing reference video

[@EpicFroggz]

Literally the exact reason I sought out this video, saaaame

[@Bipolaroid90]

Link to the drawing when you're done?? 👉👈 JUST for my own inspiration! Of course!

[@hazy_v0id]

same here lol this boy need some love

[@cassiopeiiaa]

realest take ever 🙏 i thought it was just me

[@Strawberry_Smoothiez]

So real love ur art style btw

[@Neptunequeen42]

God I want him so bad and I'm not afraid to say it

[@SaturNo_O017]

He really is his father's/mother's son. I mean, look at him, He looks f-uped

[@PotaroAK47]

ok. this raises more questions than answers.

[@nicolaslabra2225]

the whole DLC does

[@gorb688]

@@nicolaslabra2225 yeah they kinda messed up by making a DLC with so many loose ends, they gonna need two more elden ring DLC's plus a shadow of the erdtree DLC DLC to wrap up the story

[@PBart7]

They basically didnt address anything from the base game, which is honestly crazy to me. ​@gorb688

[@camdogg]

the leaving more questions than answers is their whole thing in their souls games, they can do more linear storytelling tho based on their other games so very interested on how a souls game with an upfront storytelling would go

[@PotaroAK47]

@@PBart7 they actually do. Keep searching you will find a lot from the base game.

[@jamesnorman9160]

The second we all saw this guy for the first time I just knew there was something off about him, and I don't mean just the fact he has snakes growing through his body. He just looks...off: like his arms and legs are way too long for the rest of his bodily proportions, and his torso is crooked too, because of the snakes threading through him. Also, does anyone else think the close up of the burning around his empty eye socket looks like the Darksign? A black void surrounded by fire? Possibly a reference there. And his base serpent form is suitable serpentine too: like Marika had good reason to have him sent away to the Land of Shadows because his appearence is outside of what the Golden Order would accept. Also, bless him to a certain extent: even ages later, he kept up his crusade in the Lands of Shadow because he never got the explicit order to stop, and he remained loyal to said mission...until he finally dies, and then he finally curses his mother.

[@darthvaderbutwayshittier7054]

He's not dead. A Serpent Never Dies. And his helmet talks about him in future tense.

[@AscendantStoic]

In case someone doesn't realize that yet, Messmer is completely blind, he uses the snakes to see around (as they are evidently part of his body now), the eye he crushes was a fake eye created by Marika to seal the abyssal serpent ... that's why in the cutscene he uses the snake to take a close look at your character (not necessarily for intimidation).

[@padrenuestre]

That's just a speculation that he is blind. The seal in his eye behave like a normal eye orb attached inside his eye socket. It moves, tracks motion, etc. And Messmer still blinks. If you have an eye prosthetic you do not blink properly anymore.

[@mizuzu21]

@@padrenuestre what if he was able to see out of his fake eye, but since its not actually an eye his vision is poor? so he uses the snakes to see like the comment before said? though as far as the cutscene goes I think he uses the snake to both see and for intimidation.

[@wadespencer3623]

Snakes usually have pretty poor eyesight and hunt by sound and smell (or heat sensing in the snakes that have that ability)

[@EpicFroggz]

@@padrenuestre He doesn’t really blink properly though xD His eyelid twitches rather than blinks fully. The seal is clearly not organic in nature, in that it shatters and the way it is shaped, a nerve can’t attach to that. It’s probably only bloody because Messmer jabbed his clawed fingers in his eye socket (ouch!). Idk if there’s evidence that it tracks your movement or not, but, it’s pretty hard to have vision after your mom pulls out your eye I think! I think him being blind adds to his character, the “eternity of suffering” it says he endured after his mother placed the seal… poor guy :(((

[@padrenuestre]

@@EpicFroggz It does behave like a normal eye and doesn't twitch during the cut scenes tho. Same with the story trailer. So idk why there is the twitch during the fight. Maybe the Tarnished annoys him that much he got an eye spasm. Or maybe he's a bit tipsy lol

[@viserproductions1]

I think it's really interesting how at first his eye looks like the yellow and slitted eye of a snake, but then for a moment before he picks it out it's revealed that it's marikas rune, it's a dead ringer for her scarseal/soreseal.

[@dethkruzer]

I'm surprised he's able to use his left arm at all, considering that his shoulder blade is likely in pieces.

[@Emanon616]

It's not an arm, it's a snake in an arm costume.

[@SavicksterTheTrixter]

OMG- the snakes weren’t wrapped around him- they actually are THROUGH him! What is Messmer’s story?

[@The_Warden]

I thought they were apart of him in game, getting a closer looks like this is sweet. :P

[@SavicksterTheTrixter]

@@The_Warden when the monster preview came out, Mesmer was clothed, so I couldn’t tell. The word is he connected with Rykard through the snakes. Where is the evidence in this?

[@heartstone44]

From what I gathered through item descriptions he's something of a similar case to Malenia. Only he wasn't born with a Scarlet Rot God inside him but a Serpent one, and the eye that he plucks out was placed there originally by Marika to suppress the influence of the snakes.

[@AnimeMangaKS]

THIS IS SPOILERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Remembrance of Messmer the Impaler, hewn into the Scadutree. The power of its namesake can be unlocked by the Finger Reader. Alternatively, it can be used to gain a great bounty of runes. A malevolent snake writhed within Messmer, and so his very mother plucked out his eye and put in its place a seal of grace. Yet, having done so, her fear compelled her to secret away her child within the realm of shadow. Hidden away-keeping company with the original sin, and a hatred that would not be confined." "Black armor of Messmer the Impaler. Draped with a red cloak bearing his crest embroidered. On his mother's wishes, Messmer made himself a symbol of fear, undertaking the cleansing crusade she desired. "Direct thy maledictions, thine ire, and thy grief towards me alone."" "The kindling that burned inside Messmer the Impaler. A dark thing, eaten away at by a wicked serpent. Burns the sealing tree said to be found at the old Rauh ruins. Messmer, much like his younger sister, bore a vision of fire." Melina "Black helm of Messmer the Impaler, crowned with two intertwined winged serpents. Slightly enhances incantations of Messmer's flame as well as Fire Knight skills. The winged snakes were Messmer's constant companions. They were there when the base serpent was sealed away behind his eye. They were there through his eternity of suffering. They will accompany him yet, in his hideous new form born when he destroyed the grace granted by his mother. They have accepted his fate as much as he."

[@samuel.jpg.1080p]

@@heartstone44 are Mesmer's serpents the same serpent god as Rykard's?

[@milokonna]

Is the snake connected inside? Like, is it a one snake with two heads on opposite ends? I love the level of detail that never could be seen by the player without using outside tools. They really didn't have to fully model him down to the buttcrack, but they did. Also, smash.

[@maximdecimus2258]

Looks like 1 snake body with 2 heads, like a double ouroboros

[@spacenaves]

​@@maximdecimus2258I dig the mental picture. Ouroboros, the snake that kisses its own mouth.

[@mrsgamer9218]

Definitly smash

[@EpicFroggz]

They're referred to as plural, two snakes, but I think they wouldn't be able to support their own weight if they weren't connected, so I think yea one snake with two heads (I need to dissect his anatomy darnit 😂)

[@kokocarillo9931]

Since day 1, I was like “I’ll smash that.” So this made me laugh XD

[@AnimeMangaKS]

[SPOILERS FOR MESSMER'S STORY BELOW] Not the shaking feet lmao People going to go crazy 😂 THIS IS SPOILERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Remembrance of Messmer the Impaler, hewn into the Scadutree. The power of its namesake can be unlocked by the Finger Reader. Alternatively, it can be used to gain a great bounty of runes. A malevolent snake writhed within Messmer, and so his very mother plucked out his eye and put in its place a seal of grace. Yet, having done so, her fear compelled her to secret away her child within the realm of shadow. Hidden away-keeping company with the original sin, and a hatred that would not be confined." "Black armor of Messmer the Impaler. Draped with a red cloak bearing his crest embroidered. On his mother's wishes, Messmer made himself a symbol of fear, undertaking the cleansing crusade she desired. "Direct thy maledictions, thine ire, and thy grief towards me alone."" "The kindling that burned inside Messmer the Impaler. A dark thing, eaten away at by a wicked serpent. Burns the sealing tree said to be found at the old Rauh ruins. Messmer, much like his younger sister, bore a vision of fire." Melina "Black helm of Messmer the Impaler, crowned with two intertwined winged serpents. Slightly enhances incantations of Messmer's flame as well as Fire Knight skills. The winged snakes were Messmer's constant companions. They were there when the base serpent was sealed away behind his eye. They were there through his eternity of suffering. They will accompany him yet, in his hideous new form born when he destroyed the grace granted by his mother. They have accepted his fate as much as he."

[@Eva-uw6uo]

This makes me think that Messmer's role in the god hierarchy is similar to Vlad the Impaler aka Dracula. IRL Vlad's father was part of the Order of the Dragon. Vlad would crusade on behalf of Pope Pius II and was known to be absurdly terrifying to the enemies of the church- to the point where if vampires were real they could definitely take some notes from him on the art of menace. Messmer also mirrors lots of fictional portrayals of Vlad, since he supposedly became a vampire after forsaking God as he was dying (the cause of death being up for some debate), and Messmer curses his mother's name as he dies. Given how much George R.R. Martin likes pulling from real world history in his writing, it wouldn't surprise me if these similarities were intentional. Plus, I mean, they do both have Impaler as their titles. edit: misspelled Pope Pius II's name

[@gwyndolinds-en8yt]

He makes me think of the evil king Dahhak from Iranian mythology. He had 2 hungry serpents growing from his shoulders. To keep them satiated so that they didn’t eat his head, he need to sacrifice 2 people constantly Probably it’s just a coincidence, but it’s a cool association nonetheless

[@spacenaves]

So the cute little winged serpents are there to ease his torment as opposed to making it worse. Good to know.

[@Eva-uw6uo]

@@gwyndolinds-en8yt Honestly there may be some truth to that too, if not on Martin's side then likely from From Software's side.

[@TheoJay615]

The Remembrance description has a lot of lore implications and I think it explains the story trailer more. In the trailer, we see Marika rip grace out of something before she attempts to ascend to godhood. I believe that she tore grace from a giant snake's eye and that this "Base Serpent" was considered divine (if not the the reigning god) in the age she was usurping. I believe that Messmer literally inherited the original sin that was committed by his mother. And now, he carries the base serpent she slayed within him. I also think it's clear that Marika loved her son at one point, but she ultimately chose to abandon him (the living embodiment of her sins) in the shadow realm along with all other inconvenient truths about her rise to power.

[@Pierrue]

Thanks for this up close view! It’s really helpful for fanart 😊

[@marimayes]

Messmer, wielder of the 18 feet impaler

[@YEY0806]

"You won't last 3 minutes in this boss fight"

[@somersaultinggiraffe1901]

18 inch? Bro that's 18 FEET

[@Hekk.]

@@somersaultinggiraffe1901 and also he is the one being impaled

[@Emanon616]

And also a spear

[@Gocha0203]

Man... he's so pretty!!!! 🙇‍♂️

[@TryinaD]

He really is snaddy… snake daddy. Sorry Rykard! Lol

[@The_Saatik]

Are u fr?

[@Gocha0203]

@@The_Saatik YES 🙇‍♂️

[@torshec8634]

That's some Elden Tape Worm you got there, Messmer.

[@TheGrillMaster1]

I could not describe in words how perfect this boss is but to put it simply, by the end of the fight my mind was numb, every expectation I had was *shattered* beautifully

[@SleepyMatt-zzz]

I like how the snakes on Messmer's base form are shedding. Cool detail.

[@elbadaernu9902]

this is so helpful for artists and those who likes him including me so thank you 😁🙌 he has an interesting and cool design, i thought i’d be disturbed but no i actually like it

[@dustrose8101]

HEAR ME OUT NOW-

[@cassiopeiiaa]

hearing you loud and clear 🙏

[@dude_who_likes_3d_modeling]

To late, you’ve already been heard out a long time ago

[@anatoliasmercenary.]

LOUD AND CLEAR ‼️‼️

[@simplynel5318]

His head to shoulders ratio is like those guys in korean webcomics

[@QuestionableObject]

Phase 2 mesmer feels like miyazaki wanting to get back at everyone for cheesing their way out of having to deal with the shadows of yarnam snake phase.

[@iamtheexaggerator2760]

Grant us eyes!

[@jeremytitus9519]

Cleanse our beastly idiocy

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

*Sneks

[@Eldenringismyfav87]

Er>> bb

[@aliissam4176]

Bb>er ​@@Eldenringismyfav87

[@Eldenringismyfav87]

@@aliissam4176 lil shadow of the erdtree is 95 while bb whole game is 92 lol

[@moppyhuh6827]

Fan artists everywhere thanking you kindly 🙏 ❤️

[@notasovietspytrustme4392]

A close up of all 18 inches of Messmer

[@nicholasleon7819]

calm down tarnished... just imagine him without his clothes on... OH NO HE'S HOT

[@ZephyrusAsmodeus]

Idk how I'm supposed to take him seriously when hes gotta cute little winged scale puppy over his shoulder

[@boxman7044]

Probably when it’s revealed it’s A PART OF HIS BODY

[@Inkspeckle]

interesting how blindness/obscured/closed eyes seem to be such a theme in some of Marika's children. I'm almost certain both Malenia and Messmer are completely blind when they're encountered by the Tarnished. Malenia's eyes seem gone by the rot, and her helmet obscures her eyes in a way that would blind her if she wasn't already. She was taught by a blind swordsman and is fought in an arena full of shallow water, which is why she can locate the tarnished. Messmer's left eye is closed permanently, and what looked like his right eye is actually Marika's seal. I think he sees through the eyes of his snakes. (And of course there are also Ranni and Melina, with one closed eye each. Fromsoft in general seems to like obscured eyes)

[@Revelation40000]

Melina's twin, everyone. Likely the oldest sibling too, if the fact his spears are found on the Mountaintop of the Giants.

[@goroakechi6126]

While he is likely the oldest, as Miquella and Malenia coming last would make the most sense, definitely not that far. Marika was married to Godfrey after or during the Mountaintops war.

[@datzfatz2368]

Malenia was married to Godfrey??

[@Psychx_]

@@datzfatz2368 Marika*

[@eldendynast]

@@datzfatz2368 Malenia was married to Godefroy

[@Goblinboyo162]

@@eldendynast …what? Where/when does the game say that?

[@edgarp7038]

Radagon’s gens

[@Milo_Estobar]

Fromsoft missed the chance to put the strongest snake between his leg

[@tampham2421]

They knew we'd be stripping them 🤣

[@sned_dunes]

Ayo

[@Tetsainya]

💀💀

[@dbean5174]

Huh 🤨 📸

[@albertstrauss8287]

Messmer the “Impaler”

[@harvesterofsubs5561]

You gotta feel bad for the guy. Born as cursed, tricked into massacring his own people by his mother and then abandoned by that same mother after doing her dirty-work…

[@kokocarillo9931]

Wait, the horned people are his people?

[@VictorIV0310]

Incorrect. The denizens of the Land of Shadow, mainly the Hornsent, are not related to him or Marika. However, certain item descriptions imply that Marika ordered Messmer to enact a brutal genocide on the Hornsent after they persecuted her and her people, if the Shaman Village in the Hinterlands is any indication. After the ethnic cleansing, Messmer was ordered to lord over the Land of Shadow, bearing the brunt of its people’s hate on him instead of Marika.

[@quangkhaipham]

Poor guy,he born blind and must seeing through the snake,he must stay in the dark (Like his room) and just go out when night (his dialog proved it)

[@abereu8405]

@@VictorIV0310are you guys making that assumption from the gold tree spell

[@AerixI]

@@VictorIV0310just curious what you mean by the shaman village, was in that area today and didn’t notice many story clues there

[@B4DDHero]

Damn, some of their best design work

[@AndreiAntel]

Think the base serpent had the gloam eyed queen as his consort - explains the snake features in the apostles - and Melina had the gloam eyed queen sealed in her eye just like Messmer had the base serpent sealed in his. Both are used as kindling so they're probably siblings.

[@nunaalsoknownasohare6388]

Spoiler for those curious; the snakes are a good thing and not a curse, they're there to help ease his suffering and seal away something called the "base serpent", one helmet, the winged serpent helmet, even refers to the snakes as "wise friends"

[@Crombells]

At the same time, that could just be Golden Order propaganda Like, Marika tried to seal the serpent stuff away as best she could, but when that red snake with wings still sprouted out of Messmer she just went "I know how this looks, but this snake is totally less evil than the regular ones"

[@redmijuara-un4ez]

Golden Order Propaganda? Sound like something i familiar that be Elden Ring Abridged​@@Crombells

[@icetide9411]

We need to host a "Children of Marika" support group. I'm sure Morgott and Messmer could really support each other since they both have curses that stop them from earning love, and the multitude of children that went and started cults or new religions could probably help them realize how much the Golden Order sucks

[@aznereth3767]

Ironically, Marika TRIED to reform the Golden Order after all dust settled. And failed Morgott toned down Omen persecution and stuff after took the throne, but he couldn't commit himself to burning the Erdtree to ascend to lordship. Imo, an Age of Order is pretty positive ending. And Messmer is pro-Order not because he is a fan of it. Rather - the alternative is plain worse. More so in his case - he'd been literally devoured from withing by abyssal serpent

[@trustmeits610pm2]

@@aznereth3767 Messmer sounds so tired. There is no hope for him in any outcome. No one has a place for him. His mother gave him a purpose. Something important to do with his life... and it's all he has, but he takes no pride or satisfaction from it.

[@wadespencer3623]

Gonna be real awkward getting Mohg and Miquella in the same room after the incident.

[@LunaLinkle]

I’ve been trying to draw him without a decent reference photo for days now, this is so helpful Thank you

[@phthalojohan]

Man thanks for the detailed look into his model, it’s a great reference

[@scarymonsterzz]

He has the prettiest cupid's bow.

[@SavicksterTheTrixter]

Messmer is NOT dead. Rykard points out you can never kill a serpent.

[@eW91dHViZSBpcyBjZW5zb3JzaGlw]

this! he shouldve came back as the secret final boss after radahn+miquella.

[@milokonna]

But would the serpent regrow Mesmer too? Or the snake itself would regenerate without the guy?

[@pibombbb1175]

Isn't the immortal serpent just the one serpent that ate Rykard? Pretty sure other snakes are normal

[@jporob]

@@eW91dHViZSBpcyBjZW5zb3JzaGlw bruh get over it.

[@Kropothead]

@@pibombbb1175Quote, “a serpent never dies.” He’s speaking generally, IMO.

[@jackbobb2711]

With that snatched waist i can see why rellana followed him 👁👁

[@Gajenzask]

Messmer is so handsome

[@Gohan-Bestia]

I feel down for the state he is in. But his face is beautiful.

[@vellarus6581]

Perhaps the red to white phase transition also reflects his blindness, as albinism is correlated to vision problems in many snakes. I always found it strange that the "Abyssal" Serpent phase had lighter snakes, so this helped reconcile the dissonance for me.

[@Manic_Entropy]

3:30 *Music intensifies* OH GOD FEET

[@mieyy-w6x]

He actually has a handsome face though

[@ozhartley6408]

He looks like a Yoshitaka Amano or Ayami Kojima character.

[@maximdecimus2258]

Amano drew some art of Elric of Melnibone who the Targaryens are based off.

[@YuuBlythe]

happy to see my body type represented, as a person with scoliosis

[@duskripper6650]

He's so beautiful 🥺

[@jane_the_demon9915]

from all the storied in shadow of the erdtree i feel the most sorry for him actually. Abandoned, left, betrayed, forced to be something he might not wanted to be, but unable to change it, pretty sure he is in pain seeing how the snakes go through his body. Its makes me sad to see him die by our hand, but seeing how his body must suffer under the unchaining of the serpent i feel like it actually could be a relieve at the very very end... its sad that there is no possible other fate. I would have lover to get interaction possibilitys with him.

[@orstedd7709]

I can't get it out of my head, but Messmer looks almost like Yoshitaka Amano had a hand in his designing. The way he looks and poses both in game and in the trailer gives off that style.

[@Slyy_Rye]

One cool detail about Messmer is that in the cutscene where he plucks out his eye, before the camera cuts to black you can see that his pupil isn't actually slitted like a snakes, but is actually shaped like the effigy of Marika/Radagon crucified on the Elden Ring.

[@s_mai8970]

Oh to be the snake that wraps around his left thigh..

[@quint3ssent1a]

Elden Ring reminds me a bit about Second Apocalypse (a book series by R. Scott Bakker) : there too "gods" are actually aliens, weird constructs exist to mimic humans (akin to mimic tears) and one important character is a dude who has seven snakes on his shoulders as a badge of office (he's a cult leader and every member of that cult wears a living snake around his neck as his proof of faith. The leader wears 7 of them.)

[@pumpy2728]

aliens=white poeple

[@coreydx8602]

Messmer:"You guys wanna pet my snake(s)?" 😀

[@RMeitzen]

Love how his right "eye" keeps twitching as it's not really an eye but a seal

[@padrenuestre]

It still moves and tracks motion tho, and Messmer still blinks and feels pain when he plucked it out. I guess it is some kind of magical eye he can see with.

[@operatorverona]

0:22 the golden cuff looks like a rolly at first glance lmaoo dripped out messmer