The REAL reason Radahn Stopped the Stars - Elden Ring Lore Theory & Speculation

In an interview with Famitsu, Dark Souls and Elden Ring Director Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed that Radahn must be defeated in order to access the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
It seems safe to speculate that this must be because of Radahn's conquery of the stars that left fate itself held in stasis.
However, did you ever stop to think about why Radahn did this? Did he really just want to stop Ranni for some reason?...And what exactly does it mean to conquer the stars anyway?
In this video, we explore a new theory that seeks to explain Radahn's true motivation for fighting the stars. Spoiler alert: it's pretty badass.
I'm still riding on the wave of the hype of the story trailer so I tried to channel it into something cinematic for you guys: hope you enjoy! :]
Thank you to BlaiddFailcam for letting me reference his excellent post on Reddit:
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[@ZayftheScholar]

I spent some time manually adding subtitles as a temporary 'fix' for the loud music! Thank you for the likes and subs guys! No pressure but if you want to go above and beyond and support my small channel: www.patreon.com/zayfthescholar www.ko-fi.com/zayfthescholar

[@Femroe]

Minor constructive criticism.. work on audio mixing a bit more. When talking about the Alabaster Lord in the later half of the video, the music rivals your voice for attention and sometimes even usurps it, might also just be that the track is a little too gung ho / energetic for background music during calm conversation. Though that might just be me, so take it with a grain of salt. Other than that, nice video!

[@bode_sereia]

By the wayyy what's the song between 9:28 and 12:12? It was indeed a lil bit loud, but I loved it, it really helped your narration, which was very well written.

[@pya_for_short]

@@bode_sereia Yeah it's banging

[@pya_for_short]

@@bode_sereia Halls of Ancients - Ian Aisling

[@bode_sereia]

@@pya_for_short thank you kind sir!

[@quincykunz3481]

I love the idea that Radahn isn't halting an alien invasion, he's actively fishing for eldritch horrors.

[@kingcobra2858]

What a chad.

[@ReddAngry]

Radahn be like….. Imma punch a star in the face

[@samuraigorilla2311]

I like to think he was purposely doing both. What a badass

[@ZayftheScholar]

@kingcobra2858 Chadahn 😎

[@bossgoregaming5091]

I'm still confuse here.. then why is radahn stopped the stars if he actually wanted to just challenge some space monster? he might as well just pull in all those stars and invite those monsters to the land of between and beat the shit out of them or better yet since he can fly using his gravity magic he could just go and invade them himself.

[@KayKudos]

There wasn’t any sorcery afoot involving the halting of the stars - they were just scared of Radahn

[@giovaniconte1860]

It sounds like a joke but i wouldnt put it off that easly...we know the Fallen stars can teleport but all the ones we find are hidden beneath the earth. They could really be afraid of going out. Now that i'm thinking of that..we fight one Fallen star right before the end of Ranni's questline; could it it be that "Ranni's fate" was blocked by a Fallen Star that Radhan had felled and we had to clear ranni's way to kill her Fingers? i'm pretty sure thats more to it (been a while since i thought of Elden Ring lore) That doesnt explain why we had to kill him to "resume" her fate tho...Ranni or even her alter ego have shown to be quite prideful...is Radhan just a test of our loyalt? could it be that she was spiteful of him and wanned him dead? This game is amazing^^

[@STUDlOIC]

They were scared of Leonard

[@Machuell_DuLac]

@@STUDlOIC I'd be afraid of Leonard too. He's 90% corpse already, but still supports Radahn physically and emotionally. I wouldn't want to tussle with that.

[@A_Black_Sheep94]

Darn tootin'

[@A_Black_Sheep94]

​​@@giovaniconte1860Nah can't be. By the time you kill Astel Ranni has already reached the moonlight altar and slain the fingers. Radahn literally held the stars back with gravity magic, the passage of time and movement of the heavens dictates the fate of Ranni and probably the lands between as a whole. Radahn held those stars in place for millennia whilst being affilicted by Scarlett rott.

[@karljohan2300]

love how he sjust this insane beast of a man stopping the stars and just wrecking shit yet has such a love for his old tired horse and even love a little cat

[@dbfzato-1327]

A twisted love tbh, now his horse stuck to his zombie body! How much of Rodahn you think it's carrying? I think he can hover n fly n now his beloved horse is stuck watching him eat bodys.... he ate People b4 his horse... man is twisted

[@karljohan2300]

@@dbfzato-1327 well what do you expect taking th efull brunt of a taint flower and then aimlessly roaming the lower parts of his realm? hell he even eats a warrior and doesnt seem to be much sentient at all yet still hasnt killed his horse

[@Bladetrini10]

​@@dbfzato-1327 wasnt he infected with scarlet rot tho. Dont think originally that is what he wanted, its just a bad outcome. Which is kinda common in fromsoftware games in general 😂

[@UlfMTG]

what cat?

[@karljohan2300]

@@UlfMTG its cut content stuff or was it first patch removal about the long tailed cat relic you can find. havent played in forever and havent looked at the video of it in forever

[@wjr4700]

Have you considered the Finger Slayer Blade? It can kill the greater will and its vassals and cannot be wielded by those with out a fate. When Radahn halted the stars, he made the demi gods (who were fated to die until Marika removed the rune of death) essentially immortal. Perhaps after the death of Godwyn, out of fear, he halted the stars?

[@DreamskyDance]

yup.. its kinda funny btw because it sounds like some sort of "soft game mechanics exploit" people in Path of Exile make builds based on ( or in Magic the Gathering, same thing basically ). ( - you are a demigod, all stats increased, 5% chance for critical every second you deal your damage type, you always proc status effect based on your damage type / you proc status effect on yourself which lasts 1 sec every time you are out of fate, you are fated to die - Raddhan stops stars, all fates froze, while Raddhan lives no fates can occur )

[@christiansargent6053]

It is said that marika plucked the rune of death upon the orders creation, this doesn't make sense.

[@sharpfang]

​@@christiansargent6053 And how did her plucking the rune of death work out for Godwyn? Not very well, from what I heard...

[@sharpfang]

​@@DreamskyDance...and with the ring shattered, only these without fate can do anything about it. If GW wants to do literally anything to fix the ring, it has only one option, summon the Tarnished, who are the only ones capable of making a difference in the frozen-fate world. It's a gamble, Tarnished are unpredictable. And it backfired, with the Tarnished slaying the Elden Beast, severing GW from Lands Between, and fixing the ring in a way that defies Golden Order. Precisely as Marika intended...

[@bentowitsh]

​@@sharpfang Godwyn was killed, using a fragment of the rune of death. That's how he was killed even though the rune of death wasn't part of the order

[@antialeks5013]

I like to think the real reason is because Lennard was afraid of the stars

[@kingjohn8980]

It also makes sense as Radahn’s weapon do extra damage to gravity enemies like Astel and Fallinstar Beast

[@monroerobbins7551]

I think the one thing that makes Radahn my favorite demigod is that his interests are complex: he’s a scholar in gravity magic, he’s a warrior and a general, an animal lover, going by the care he had for his horse and his cat (I’m including the cut cat, I think it’s so insignificant to the main story that it wouldn’t matter if it were canon or not, but the fact that it existed shows how they thought of Radahn). He’s just such a complex character that I want to see him in his prime, before he goes mad from the rot, because out of all the demigods, besides Miquella, he seems to have phases in his life, and he even seems to have other interests besides his involvement in the story, like being an academic or an animal lover, like how Miquella was a machinist.

[@discipleofdagon8195]

Not to mention he wasn't above venerating strength no matter what. His idol wasn't his father but Godfrey, the first tarnished.

[@madalice5134]

It also says a lot about him that his men loved and respected him. Respect for his strength, skill, and intelligence as a general shows he's a great commander, but love and loyalty indicate he was a good man in the eyes of his soldiers. Aside from having the coolest boss fight in game, his complexities as a character make him a fascinating figure.

[@failurextreme7084]

I'd also like to mention that even with the rot, he is still not crushing Leonard, and he is still holding back the stars. He even in a state of madness follows through with his duty and with the love he has for his companion.

[@pompneigh4329]

@@failurextreme7084 Exactly. People tend to overlook this. Radahn wasn't entirely absent of mind since he still possessed enough will, despite the Scarlet Rot, to not crush Leonard and to still hold back legions of stars--some of which are likely even more "Astels" and "Fallen Starbeasts." And that's not even mentioning holding the very fate of countless individuals throughout the Lands Between in stasis.

[@monroerobbins7551]

@@pompneigh4329ezzactly! Like, it feels like the moment where his sanity is gone is when he eats his horse. That’s the moment he breaks, but he’s still got so much power. It feels less like an animal and more like a really really sickened man (not sick as in mentally, like “he’s such a sick puppy”, but as in physically ill), who’s desperately trying to stay on his mission, including holding back the stars. I genuinely think that Radahn and Malenia could’ve been interesting people to see interact. Despite their final conflict, they do have a certain amount in common: wisdom about fate, faith to certain people or houses (for Radahn it’s Godfrey, and for Malenia it’s Miquella), gaining knowledge outside the norms for good personal reasons (like Malenia learning the water sword thing to manage her rot and hold back the god of rot, and Radahn learning gravity magic to hold back the stars and protect Leonard), having an army of soldiers that both loved and respected them, and in the end rejecting their families for their personal causes, for what they believe in, not because a god told them to (like Malenia ignoring the Golden Order and instead allying herself with Miquella). I think that’s so rad, and I think they could’ve even had some form of respect for one another, cause in the end, it feels like they both had good reasons for what they were doing, not necessarily out of selfishness, which is definitely the opposite of their mother/father, IMO.

[@falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962]

In vers 1.00 Radahn is called the God of War, which makes me think he was literally warring against an invasion of stars (Astels and Fallingstar Beasts) or using them as weapons/guard dogs. There are Fallingstar Beasts near Leyndell and near Volcano Manor, the latter blocking a ladder route to the Manor (with Leyndell forces in disarray below, unable to proceed to the manor). Radahn probably called the Fallingstar Beasts down to protect Volcano Manor and to attack Leyndell in the original story. That might also be why there is an Onyx Lord in the Sealed Tunnel near Leyndell, protecting the path to Rykard's rune. There are other Malformed Stars, Alabaster/Onyx Lords and Astel along the path we must take to reach Manus Celes, almost like they were placed there to guard the secret Dark Moon, which can only be seen from Manus Celes. Ranni does not fear Astel, but the assassin sent by the Two Fingers. After we defeat the latter, Ranni continues up to Manus Celes, not fearing Astel or the like. She even has her dragon at the cathedral. Thus, I think that Radahn summoned the Astels as weapons in Vers 1.00, as well as to challenge them in combat.

[@neru6686]

I love how much sense this makes

[@azanyahyisrael101]

Yeah, but you got to remember that radon was fundamentally for the golden order or at least it doesn't seem like he was directly opposed to it. So what would be his motivations to do all these things? Otherwise? I think we need a bit more context as to why certain of the demigods were fighting each other

[@falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962]

@@azanyahyisrael101 well, there is official artwork of Radahn and Morgott fighting (when Radahn was smaller and not purple), so maybe he was not as allied to the GO as some think.

[@leekyonion]

​@falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962 Morgott hated how the children of Marika and Radagon fought for the fractured parts of the Elden Ring instead of unifying together, that's why he was fighting Radahn. We know Radahn clearly takes and loves his father Radagon a lot and Radagon is at his core, the opposite of Marika - in love with the Golden Order, so much so he would stop the player's progression in an attempt to fix the Elden Ring himself rather than allow a new order to come through

[@falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962]

@@leekyonion Morgott coveted lordship and wished to rule. He suffers Stockholm Syndrome and wants badly to be like Godwyn and the others, resenting them for how they were born, and how he was himself born. I doubt he would have ever been happy, even if the shardbearers had been unified. Moreover, Marika does not want unification. She does not really love her children, hence her "make of yourselves what you will" speech. Mohg went in the other direction, which, in a way, is more respectable than Morgott. Morgott is the most pathetic of all the demigods. Marika banished him underground, shackling him, and then pitted her own children against one another for Darwinian conquest.

[@shurley96]

Interesting thing about the Alabaster and Onyx Lords being 'opposite polarity' to each other - consider the gravity Magic symbol - it looks basically the same as a diagram of the lines of a magnetic field. Cool video overall!

[@RealCutieMutie]

I wonder if this is the case, if Radahn overdid and attracted the attention of too many Astel like beings and had to stop the stars because it became a potential risk to Leyndell, since there is a Fallingstar Beast just outside one of the gates.

[@Arcessitor]

Mt. Gelmir is not "just outside" the Leyndell Gates. It's an entire country away.

[@enjoji]

@@Arcessitor There is one in Altus Plateau as well. South of the Perfumer’s Grotto and the road leading into the capital, there is a crater where one will spawn.

[@RealCutieMutie]

@@Arcessitor You know where you fight the Tree Sentinel Duo? Go to the right there and you'll find what I'm talking about :3

[@TheHarleyEvans]

Hot take - Radahn doesn't consume the corpses on the battlefield out of madness, the cleanrot knights potentially have some superficial scarlet rot resistance, perhaps in the form of unalloyed gold, in their armor? and that by consuming their corpses, radahn also ingests the gold, but we know that this only halts the rot and that it is still incredibly painful, combining this and his love to fight, the dude is probably having the time of his life fighting everyone who gets close.

[@hungryspleen5585]

Much more fitting to his personality than the defensive "turtle" strategy. I enjoy this, makes Radahn even more awesome.

[@ZayftheScholar]

I'm still riding the high of the story trailer and wanted to put out another video! A warning for my lore and sleep people: things get intense around the 12 min. mark ^^ Hope you guys enjoy! - Zayf

[@JoaoPedro-sb5sq]

I love you and everything about this video. You also now have me wondering more about the Carian siblings who all seemed to despise fate in their own ways. I still wonder how Rykard would even remotely align with the other siblings’ goals. The siblings’ tolerances for one another signify some deeper connection, but perhaps “defiance” is the extent of their respect.

[@bushalmighty8096]

I love that Radahn is a rot ridden mobile corpse like creature that shambles around feasting on the flesh of what used to be his friends and comrades like a rabbid dog

[@ATroubledMaker]

I'm a researcher and intel analyst whose life circumstances directed me towards this game and also allowed me to deeply focus on it. It sated a very strong curiosity I naturally have and utilised but for things that are typically very heavy. Elden Ring offered a reprieve from that but I have struggled to find someone to collaborate with as taking on the entire task, while possible, would be exhausting. I create cinematic footage and stills of the in-game and tinker with it from the potential and beauty present in it's environment. While still intending to upload snippets of some of what I put together just for reference the research and connections I've drawn haven't had a chance to be made available. I am drawn to psycho-historical implications, science, cross cultural mythos, and archetypal representation inspired by trying to explain the nature of existence. I will shoot an email. You're work is phenomenal and I would love to contribute.

[@imperialspacemarine1539]

this theory actually does make more sense. it explains how he fought the stars to a standstill and also why it halted rannis fate: just before you get to ranni you have to fight astel. astel smashed into the lands between after the defeat of radahn opening the path to nocron and the fingerslaying blade that ranni sought all the while also opening a path to the location where ranni needs to venture. astel opens a path not only for rannis fate but also for her lord consort without whom she cannot ascend to godhood. for all that to happen you have to slay radahn, a warrior that smashed astels left and right to prove his strength, planting fear into them and halting their assault onto the lands between. it makes sense now why all this is necessary.

[@TiberiusRex182]

What if theres a bigger plan at play here? If we can assume his magic power was based on his intelligence, what if Miquella had Malenia fight Radahn with EVERY intention of infecting him with scarlet rot in order to remove his intellect in a bid to move the stars again, hence why the Eclipse to revive Godwyn mever came, infecting him wasnt enough but they couldnt know that.

[@davidgraczyk775]

Do the stars affect the moon cycle? Although I did figure malanias conquest always seemed weird, like she never took land she just whooped a bunch of ass. I know there’s that one theory that maybe she kind of knew miquellas location as he is under Caelid actually but maybe thought radahn had him? But why wouldn’t he just say he didn’t steal miquella?? We’re they just after each others great runes?

[@BojerNicole]

@@davidgraczyk775 1. Malenia definitely wasn't there to collect great runes; if so, then why didn't she take Godrick's great rune since she defeated him? 2. I don't think that Malenia was searching for her kidnapped brother because when we fight her, she speaks in this way, like she's waiting for him, like he's not kidnapped, so I assume she was never aware of the kidnappeing. Keeping in mind that Malenia is blind, she couldn't see her brothers missing Cocoon, and she's been asleep since her fight with Radhan. I believe Malenia was targeting Radhan all along, whether it was for the eclipse or not. Perhaps Radhan is simply a political threat to the unalloyed order that Miquella wishes to bring. Think about the battle of Aeonia is extremely significant because when it ended in a stalemate, the lands between kind of got stuck in time, and we as the tarnished are the ones who are moving things around.

[@Allday524]

@@BojerNicole Radahn at the end of the day was a golden order traditionalist, and would have certainly not approved of the Twins going against it. So yeah, he was a political opponent to Miquella and Malenia had to remove him from play.

[@Arcessitor]

@@BojerNicole I don't think it would be possible to not be aware of the kidnapping, given Miquella's body is clearly gone. More likely she is not worried because she knows going to the Shadowlands was Miquella's plan.

[@failegion7828]

Was wondering how the Tarnished escaped the Fate Sealing. Than I saw your theory. What if Miquella was really aiming to free the fate of the Tarnished instead by weakening Radahn's grasp on the stars? I mean considering how much of a powerhouse the Tarnished becomes it's unlikely that we wouldn't possess a fate as well.

[@maffa2849]

There is a piece of lore that I keep seeing unmentioned. Ranni's finale is THE SAME as what the Nox also desperately seeked. The Albinaurics are genetically created beings, the same as the silver tears, and they also have many references to "tears" (the shield etc). moreover, the symbol on the soldiers fighting for Messmer in the DLC trailer is the same as the one on the armor of the Albinaurics. So, this is what I believe. All the great people involved in Elden Ring's plot (except for Godrick maybe) are Numens. The Numens came from "the stars", and they revered an Outer God (at this point, maybe it wasnt "outer" when they were in their homeland) that since it's in the "great void above" they call Lord of Night (you cant see the stars during the day, can you). They win an invasion war against the indigenous population, creatures of the crucible, no idea if Placidusax and the dragons were still around. The nobles, or gods, of the Numens can be tall, even huge, the lords and ladies of their people can fit huge thrones in their cities, which at this point use the "throne" as their flag, and above all they are naturally immortal, or, said in another word, "eternal" . They spread around, and conquer the crucible cities, Uhl, Uld, etc, and found their own, Nokron, Nokstella, the Unnamed City, Sellia, Ordina, the Stargazer town, Zamor, and Leyndell. But Marika betrays the Lord of Night's cult, and becomes the Greater Will's avatar/spokewoman/goddess. A civil war ensues, the other Numens craft a weapon that can hurt the Greater Will's emissaries out of a god's body, but Marika and her Golden Order forces win and punish Nokron and Nokstella below ground, and the Unnamed city is specifically hit by a "malformed star" sent by Marika and becomes the place where the Erdtree sucks away life with its root (we know what kind of juice the Erdtree loves the most). Now, to the question: why did Radahn stop the stars? Two answers. The one I like less is he was trying to save Sellia from another malformed star. The one I prefer is that he was so enamored of Godrick that he was in fact loyal to Marika, and since Sellia was spared by the purge we might think they kept neutral in a way. So him stopping the stars means he shielded the Lands between from the influences of the Lord of the Night. Ranni is still devoted to the Lord of the Night and the Age of Stars, however, as her mother used to before Radagon fought her for hrt "heresy" and then wooed her (astrologers, night sky, etc). So she (together with Melina the GEQ, and Miquella, I think) had to steal the Rune of Death to kill her half brother Godwyn champion of the Golden Order first and her brother Radahn in order to let Fate come back to the Lands Between, shattering the shield of "eternal rebirth" Marika imposed and have a chance to bring the Lord of Night back to the Numens.

[@chungosbruhthe1st]

I always thought about how there isn’t any impact site or any reference of the unnamed city any where on the map, but it would make sense if the giant crater in the centre of the map IS the impact site of the Elden beast, taking a giant chunk of land with it. It also explains why the erdtree grows in an awkward angle out of the edge of a cliff, instead of on flat ground on the Altus Plateau.

[@ZayftheScholar]

Hi guys, I appreciate that some of you have nicely let me know that the music is a bit loud! I hear your feedback loud and clear (badum tiss) and will 100% mix it lower in the next video. Thank you for letting me know in a polite way!

[@Banuune]

Hey Zayf! I really liked your theory! I also like the way you edit your videos. Is there any way to get a hold of you? Can't find any contact information on your channel and I can't message you on twitter. Anyways: Keep it going friend! You're doing a good job!

[@malbhet]

I think Radahn halted the stars for one reason, he was fully aware of his destiny and did so knowing he would have to be the final test for the new elden lord. I think Radahn knew only the true elden lord had to kill him in order to progress further, he was also knowledgeable about the stars and how they steer destiny and he knew the future elden lord had to face him in battle, which fits his character perfectly if he knew he would be felled by the new elden lord.

[@mukkah]

It's only because I like your content that I shared my feedback. Want to help make it better with it ^_^ Great stuff, these vids. Jumping on to some different theories, always fresh =D

[@Banuune]

@@Silly_Illidan I call that "skill" :D

[@OleDirtyMacSanchez]

I think that's Radhn's actual reason. Everything else is just fell into place, or was hyped up and over Glorified for story telling purposes 2nd and 3rd hand by People recounting it throughout the ages.

[@salaciousvgames]

The Meteoric Ore Blade reads: Katana forged from meteoric ore to dispatch lifeforms born of falling stars. Deals magic damage. The blade is weighty, known to deliver slashes of such ferocity that the impact is said to resemble the crash of a falling meteor. This sword is found close to Sellia in the ruins. And Radahn covers his swords in meteoric rock during phase 1.2. So it's likely he learned this technique in order to efficiently "dispatch" lifeforms from falling stars. And when Radahn slams his swords down they cause a huge impact almost like a meteor crash. The Alabaster Lords probably taught him this is how to take care of the star monsters.

[@facundovera3227]

My headcanon is that Radahn's first sword was the Meteoric Ore Blade, considering it's the shortest of it's weapon class the same way as the Starscourge Greatsword, and Radahn wasn't always so big.

[@XianJaxxon]

Great observation about Onyx vs. Alabaster sorcery. You're the 1st person I've listened to/watched to make that observation, and so distinctively.

[@aarondearborn5103]

We seriously need more people that love the lore like this man!

[@ZayftheScholar]

appreciate the support!

[@Deadgye]

You're definitely on the right track. As soon as you mentioned his title in JP I paused with an epiphany to confirm that all of the ashes of war and sorceries associated with Radahn are attraction not repulsion, which coincides with his teacher being an alabaster lord as opposed to an onyx lord. There's nothing to indicate that Radahn mastered gravity magic as a whole, only evidence that he sought mastery of PULL gravity magic. And sure enough you go right into that immediately after. You can find Alabaster lords by the Limgrave Seaside Ruins beach, in the Lake of Rot, near the Raya Lucarian Academy lift, and in the Yelough Anix Tunnel. The Alabaster lord's sword is forged from a blue-white meteoric ore. You can Onyx lords in the Royal Grave evergaol behind Caria Manor and at the end of the Sealed Tunnel in Altus. The Onyx lord's greatsword is forged from golden-hued meteoric ore. Also, there's a possibility for an alternate translation related to the lords. The game refers to them as "a race of ancients with skin of stone", translated from 「古種族石の肌を持つ」. 種族 can mean race; tribe; ethnic group; species; genus; family. But it also has a usage in astronomy, meaning a stellar population (pop I, II, III). Stellar population is a means of classifying stars by composition, relating indirectly to age of the universe. Population III is a theoretical class of star, the oldest of the three, the all of which would by now be observed as remnants (WHITE dwarfs, neutron stars, BLACK holes). So the alternative translation would be that Alabaster/Onyx lords possess skin of ancient star stone.

[@avi_rivera]

Holy hell, seeing Radahn go up against several Astels is so cool! I like this theory, falls in line with his character 👏🏻

[@ZayftheScholar]

glad you enjoyed it @avi_rivera!

[@DavidStavis]

Thank you for creating the footage of Radahn fighting Astel! it really fleshes out this theory and makes it that much easier to believe. I'm on board!

[@EZ2BCHEEZY36]

He's back with more! Love the content, keep up the incredible work!

[@ZayftheScholar]

Appreciate you!

[@galaxsija4591]

Great video man, it's amazing to see literally every video be like an order of magnitude more impressive than the previous. I loved the visuals and music!

[@SaxSlaveGael]

Awesome video! That Radagn Fight cinematic was fantastic!

[@ZayftheScholar]

Appreciate you as always Sax! Thanks bro!

[@aLoneFox19]

I'm loving this video on Radahn! He's always been incredibly fascinating to me. Not only a great general but just a beast and champion in his own right! Great work on the video, it really illuminates a lot on various things with the Fates and everyone tethered to their fate via the stars

[@ZayftheScholar]

Thanks so much for all the support @aLoneFox19!

[@Fiveward]

It's been a while since I was fully convinced by a lore video. Thank you for resetting the counter.

[@ZayftheScholar]

Appreciate you @fiveward! and love the slippy avatar

[@lovesiriusblack]

I'm so happy your work has had a bigger reach with this video. There have always been a certain quality you've had on you videos and it definitely deserves a larger audience :)

[@lovesiriusblack]

*this and some of your other videos, didn't see how much views they had gathered since I always see them the first few days

[@ZayftheScholar]

thank you kindly @lovesiriusblack!

[@facundovera3227]

I think you're cooking with this theory. As for the mechanism of how the stars stopped, for me it'd be Radahn's fate, let me explain: the fate of the Carian Royals is written in the stars, and we know thanks to both Ranni and Miquella that the only way to get rid of ones own fate is the death of the body, from this we can infer that Radahn's destiny is to arrest the stars themselves until the time of his death. Furthermore, Radahn knows it, he likely swore an oath of honorable death with his guest commander, his men organize the festival of combat that celebrates his death, and lastly he's the only demigod who doesn't gain the title of Lord or God, he won't inherit anything.

[@funkyskibo]

Great job on the video and the presentation. The battle footage at the end is excellent. Keep up the great work. 👍🏻

[@DudeWerewolf]

Your voice, pacing, editing, and polish is fantastic. So glad I found your page. Can’t wait to see your channel grow and grow! 🙏

[@allthe1]

Your videos are becoming more and more epic. Incredible work!

[@joereed8872]

I vaguely remember that cut content of the radahn fight was and astel falling into his arena as the meteor instead of him

[@hhowdy]

Your videos are of such high quality, oh my gosh man. Good job

[@scott_chocolate]

Love it. A+ Damn dude. That cinematic you made at the end was sick AF.

[@ZayftheScholar]

appreciate you @scott_chocolate!

[@CFGroove]

Fabulous video, really dug the fight scenes. Cheers.

[@shadquirk607]

Godamn I love seeing those sources pop up occasionally, awesome work man.

[@devinguy]

Fantastic editing and composition! I actually really like the theory that Radahn wanted to conquer the stars but like, not travel so far to kill them. Very relatable.

[@patecar20]

It's likely the reason he did it was just as you said, but the greater will might have approved of his goal and helped him in subtle ways.

[@HarmlessComment]

This is a great theory and I enjoyed the battle scene you put together at the end 👌

[@brodiebaxter99]

There's a piece of removed content that featured Astel crashing down from the sky instead of Radahn in the phase 2 transition. I think it reinforces the idea that Radahn is the one yanking these guys out of the sky as he pleases. Would've also been cool to see it used in the animation you did of their fight. Great video, btw. Loved the way you presented this theory. The animated battle was a nice touch that tied it all together

[@failurextreme7084]

I think in-between. He is most definitely playing defense by the time we come around, considering his brain is being eaten by sipholytic rot, yet the stars were still actively being held back, and he still wasn't crushing Leonard. I think with what little of himself remained, he was keeping the interstellar monsters away. However, in his glory days, he had to have earned his titles of both the star scourge and the strongest demigod from somewhere. While I don't think he actively pulled threats to the lands between, I think it's quite possible he pulled stars that were already falling to him, where he then smashed the falling stars and anything that may have come with them thus keeping the lands safe. Something of note that I feel isn't really taken into account in your video is Radahn wasn't just a mindless muscle head seeking glory. While he was certainly driven and motivated by the tales of the previous two elden lords, he was also fairly intelligent and kind. He learned one of the in universe hardest spell systems and mastered it at a young age, and his reason for learning it is as stated, so he wouldn't have to abandon his friend and companion Leonard. I'm pretty sure it is also written that he was a serious animal/nature lover, which generally shows a great deal of kindness.

[@spiritandsteel]

Holy crap the Radahn vs malformed stars fight clips are some insane production quality. Well done, mate.

[@davinshapka3211]

The combination of your voice, the music and the editing format makes me feel like im watching a documentary, absolutely amazing work on this video

[@ZayftheScholar]

wow that is high praise for sure @davinshapka3211, thanks!

[@PeTorto.]

I really want to mention that, Radahn looks so similar to King Gaiseric, from Berserk. Even the depictions in his armor, like tragoth in his gloves (tragoth is described in the bull goat talisman) look similar to king gaiseric. That's why i really wanna se him in the DLC.

[@MAASANIM]

Honestly loving your lore vidoes and find yours to be actually a lot more investigative than other channels. Any chance of making a video on the concept of death and rebirth and how it actually functions? Everyone just brushes it aside without a clear explanation

[@apollolinaire2607]

In very early drafts of the game, the second phase of Radahn's fight involved an Astel, descending in the meteor Radahn now uses to fall from the sky. That's why I think he's stopping the stars from moving, to prevent a legion of Astels to ravage the Lands Between. Elden Ring has a lot of extraterrestrial elements and concepts, and maybe Radahn was the only one concerned with a potentiel alien invasion. Maybe the guy was simply tinfoil hat-minded!

[@spazemunky]

This

[@eW91dHViZSBpcyBjZW5zb3JzaGlw]

this this! i think zullie the witch mentioned this???

[@zbowmanYT]

Having under 10k subs for how well thought out and interesting your content is is actually criminal. You will go far with this man thank you for the great videos!

[@flanberry]

Oops, I missed this video! I didnt hit the "All" bell notification - that has been rectified :) Thank you for another great video! You have a great speaking voice and interesting ideas!

[@richizzle39]

After watching this video I realized that Radahn is a badass and now I want to make a character dedicated to his set up.

[@bbailey7740]

Excellent editing and storytelling! You'll surely blow up!

[@levampblaze6312]

Great video. Especially the fight cinematic. I guess you took vaati's idea as your inspiration and make your own. Incredible 🙂

[@Pygmy_Warrior]

Nice theory, nice video and ending.

[@1SaltyPito]

Beautiful editing on that intro beat drop

[@peyiofea1937]

Ah, new head canon acquired.

[@LillySilver]

Loved this video well done!! Subscribed! Just one question: Music track listing?? There were some amazing pieces there, I'd love to listen to them fully and support the musicians!

[@memnocktdevil]

That music in the beginning. I’m at work I had to stand, put my hands on my hips and stare off in the distance enigmatically like I was being summoned 🤣

[@ironstark917]

Another absolute banger, Zayf. I also love the logic here. Radahn simply wanted to throw hands with the stars.

[@TheChoosenOneGaming0]

oh my god the cut gameplay of astel the star monster crashing down like a meteor which is exactly like radan’s boss battle could have been cut because it was too obvious that he challenged the stars. meaning that it must be a critical plot point that they wanted to obscure

[@JjayNC8L]

Remember that this mans will power was so strong, that his great rune burned in literal resistance to the scarlet rot, and even after his death it continues to burn with that same vigor. Chadahn

[@baldwach]

Thank you for this fresh theory and the wonderfully edited video! However, one point - a particularly important one - is missing here. We know from Sellen, among others, that: "The stars alter the fate of the Carian royal family. And the fate of your mistress, Ranni. But long ago, General Radahn challenged the swirling constellations, and in a crushing victory, arrested their cycles. Now, he is the force that repulses the stars. If General Radahn were to die, the stars would resume their movement." So if Radahn's motivation is to draw the stars to himself in order to challenge and triumph over them, why doesn't he just do it? After all, he is keeping them in stasis, as evidenced by the cutscene after his boss fight, after which the stars immediately resume their movement.

[@chrisp3324]

He's mad now due to the scarlet rot. He is no longer the man he was.

[@eddyh5]

This theory is totally awesome and makes sense for who Radahn is. I want to see him crush stars.

[@YayoDeAbreu]

Great content, man! 10/10

[@LordFarKwadth]

I couldn’t hear much at the end because of the very loud music. Good video

[@windhelmguard5295]

i like the idea that it wasn't radahn who stopped the motion of the stars, but the stars themselves who stopped moving in response to radahns challenge. like maybe what radahn actually did was pull the stars towards him, and the stars, realizing there was no way to go but towards radahn, stopped their motion entirely. and with this state being achieved all fate now revolves around radahn, long as he lived, nobody else tied to the stars could see the end of theirs.

[@jessiesewell4076]

That's actually a good perspective! If we were to imagine the stars being more akin to spirits or astrals moving instead of fate it's really like he fished them to the shallow end.

[@alemaniacreyon]

The more lore and theories I hear about radahn the more I wish we fight him at full power in the DLC

[@IsaardP]

Awesome video!

[@kha1ed903]

Hey man thank you for the video, a little note for the future please make your voice higher and the BM lower a little because in this video the music in general is really loud. Keep the great work

[@TheUltimatePositionOfPower]

Wow, i didnt know Nexpo did Elden Ring lore

[@NefariousTV]

Lol what? 😂

[@NefariousTV]

I just screen shot this and text it to him haha

[@TheUltimatePositionOfPower]

Even had to go watch a Nexpo vid to compare it against. Eerily similar 😱

[@NefariousTV]

@@TheUltimatePositionOfPower he said he is gonna check it out haha

[@HopeiThis]

This is such an awesome video and these comments are great!! I love you guys and I love Elden Ring man 😭

[@sergiizdorovko4076]

wow, that radahn/astel fight... amazing

[@Dirtfarm23]

Thank you for including that in game recreation at the end. I pogged all over the place

[@blackeddeath]

Awesome vid. It's interesting that gravity magic spells and attacks do more damage to other gravity related enemies like Astel. He really was minmaxing for these bosses lol

[@31codyskater]

The thing it doesn’t explain though is why he was holding the stars back. He was holding them back until he died and thats why they fall when he dies.

[@ZarMationStudios18]

Did not know I needed a Radahn vs Astel fight scene in my life. But I do now.

[@TJVBernal]

man as you introduced radahn and the music gept going up I hope that's how he's introduced if ever there was a movie or series even if it was just told by someone by a campfire

[@Tatominator]

There is nothing to say that. Those two should be mutually exclusive in terms of protecting the town and call it in all the stars one on one

[@spiralistichope9216]

I wonder if Radahn conquered the Caelid wilds first, making a name for himself through normal territorial expansion before turning his eyes on the cosmos as you describe and pulling in the stars to challenge them. His army was stationed there, after all, and perhaps that is how he discovered Sellia and learned his gravity sorcery and the history of the Eternal Cities. Either way, this is a great theory that really fits his character wonderfully, I think it definitely makes a lot of sense and avoids the uncertainty that comes with having to assume he was siding with the Golden Order, against Ranni, or anything like that. Well done!

[@Franpowah]

Makes a lot of sense both for his battle thirst and also for stopping and smashing outside interlopers, to protect the Golder Order.

[@MrXDreamsOfficial]

I thought this video was really good... but when I saw the battle at the end, THAT is what made me subscribe. Well done reading the room, lol!

[@ZayftheScholar]

glad I could win you over 💪

[@bode_sereia]

Just stumbled into the channel and loved this video! You brought out great points which I have not seen discussed before. Additionally, I believe Malenia might have challenged Radahn since his stopping of the stars caused Miquella's fate to also be stopped, indirectly. One more thing: what is the name of the song used between 9:28 and 12:12 ? Absolutely loved it.

[@tegirvaru]

i want to know too, didnt see a list

[@qHugz]

idk if you’ll see this but i commented on one of your first couple videos about your voice, im glad you’ve finally found your style and comfortable

[@AnelZukic1992]

I think that the Carian siblings were very close to each other (and probably with Renalla as well) and all of them were included somehow in the Night of the black knives. Rykard is obviously involved as we can read from that item description gifted by Ranni to him if she fails but I also think Radhan was a part of it as well. I think that Radhan stopped the stars (however that had to be done, most probably an offensive act) on Rannis request as it was necessary for the night of the black knives to happen and for Ranni to change bodies, for her two fingers not being able to influence her as well as Blaid to stay on her side and help her even though she discarded her fate as Empyreans. Later, after Ranni recovered her powers (she was weak after changing bodies, that is why she didn't participated in the Shattering as well as didn't keep/guard the Black knife which she need to kill her Two Fingers) and maybe even memory (why doesn't she know that Radhan holds the stars? She never tells us), Radhan should have let the starts to move again and her fate to move forward but Malenia came to Radhan in order to let the stars to move again as it was necessary for the ritual at Castle Sol to be performed (they needed an eclipse which can't happen without stars moving) i.e. to try to revive Godwyn, a wish of Miquella (that is also why you have to defeat Radhan for the DLC). Radhan couldn't let the stars to move again yet as it still wasn't a ripe time for Ranni. As Radhan went mad after confrontation and the stalemate with Malenia, he never let the stars move again, halting Ranni's fate forever (or at least until we come and kill everything without questioning) although that was never the plan.

[@jacobfranklin2060]

Really interesting thoughts, and I like the theory just not sure how it all plays into holding the stars back as well because that is what is directly interfering with Ranni's goals

[@sandcake]

Thanks for the awesome video! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Night of the Black Knives. Who was involved, what were their motives? Was Godwyn involved? Can't wait to hear your theories! Your sister in arms ⚔️

[@merleetomlin6218]

Also, consider Zullie's video theorizing that Radahn's boss fight used to have an Astel enter the battlefield after you kill Radahn. Arresting their cycles is more intimidation than anything. They fear coming down since he is so fierce and after he dies, they build up courage to come down again attacking you.

[@dksu]

The idea that Radahn stopped the stars in service of the Golden Order never made sense to me either. He admired Radagon sure, but he worshipped Godfrey, who was sent away by Marika. So far as I'm aware, he never served as a Golden Order enforcer or anything like that, and he was never presented as having beef with Ranni either.

[@ZayftheScholar]

Same! And nice Arizona avvy!

[@dksu]

@@ZayftheScholar haha thanks man! Great vids :)

[@dksu]

@@ZayftheScholar one more thing worth mentioning that should put the ‘Radahn did it to thwart Ranni’ theory to rest - Iji made the Redmane weapons for their battle against the Haligtree forces, and if you speak with Jerren after helping him slay Sellen he is clearly on good terms with Iji, remarking that he is happy that Ranni has found a champion (the player). There seems to a lot of good will between them. When Jerren engages Sellen in their fight, he does it in the name of Caria: “Sellen, Graven Witch, enemy of Caria. I vow this time to crush both your frame and your primal glintstone. I am Jerren, bringer of your death. Do not forget.” Rykard is clearly a bit more estranged lol

[@ZayftheScholar]

That is a great point that I hadn't considered. I wish I could somehow add it in to the video now!

[@penelopefigueroa4681]

He CONTROLLED her and every beings association to the feminine throught the stars. And that war brought him cosmic herpes as his service for being a good psychopathic dog. Man's violence against women will produce the carnal curse which he is now punished for. As above, so below, read them fucking stars. Also Mikaela is trans, another reason to kill the disease dog, salvation (unconditional love through existential synthesis)🤌🤙 Self love and acceptance for those who can't hear in the back.

[@whollenbeck8]

It's safe to say you nailed it here with the presentation quality and content. However, if the background music (works excellently by the way) were a smidge dropped down in volume you will have nailed this even further. Well, dropped down slightly during the voice-over sections at least.

[@ZayftheScholar]

Appreciate you taking the time to let me know @whollenbeck8! 100% will be working on my mixing even more next video.

[@davidortmann5408]

This is epically beautiful, and very well-summarized.

[@Radiotomb]

Nice theory. I like it!

[@johnnyt6456]

Man, I wish they made a Shattering Wars anime, prime Radahn would be the best char IMO (also make Kenpachi's voice actor play him daym)

[@richter6699]

Listen to the Starscourge Radahn theme and tell me that isn't some main character music

[@GriffinJenningsMusic]

I like the theory but the stars are literally frozen until we kill Radahn, wouldn’t he want them to move toward him if his goal was to challenge them?

[@pompneigh4329]

It might be possible that he was "filtering" out the stars, in a sense. Not all of those stars were "Astels" or "Fallen Starbeasts." And those that were, they were drawn in by Radahn and massacred. He was basically performing cosmic pest control.

[@rafsandomierz5313]

@@pompneigh4329 Stars courage pest control call now- [insert phone number here]

[@oresthopiak8609]

Cool theory! Maybe he pulled them first and stopped the stars, so they could not fly back?

[@Mustang46liters]

Elden ring was an amazing game. I hope we have anyone from Software game that has this same impact on gaming again

[@tegirvaru]

what is the song from 10:00 to 12:00? i dont see any listed music. its really good. sounds like 2 steps from hell style, or soundtrack.

[@MultiEpicX]

This adds a lot more context to Radahns title of Star Scourge. Maybe the fish were too big out there when he was challenging the stars and had to find a way to both defeat and halt the stars. Lands of Shadow DLC is sick but i wish they were doing more than one DLC. A cosmic adventure challenging the outer gods and angering something entirely new…or finding out Marika had been there already and theyre all her kids lol

[@Siisjoonperkele]

I clicked the video and holy hell i did not expect this level of production. Amazing. Also your theory fits really really well for me. Imo Radahn is depicted really clearly as a one who makes shit happen and not just a passive guy who just reacts to things happening around him. What if those stars held in place are not just lifeless objects but almost like cocoons for creatures like Astel and the Fallingstar Beasts. When they are held in place in space, they mature and grow or they hit the ground and manifest a form of whatever they connect with. Naturalborns look a bit like stars or planets/whatever thr cosmic fuck and the name suggests that this is the "correct" form/ the way the are supposed to be born as.

[@ZayftheScholar]

Appreciate the kind words man! I like the cocoons idea. cosmic horror is my jam

[@chaincat33]

I think it may be worth considering that both defending Sellia and shattering the stars as a show of force can both be true. He finds out that a meteor (or more likely an astel) is headed for Astellia. He says "bet", goes to the penninsula, uses his gravity magic to redirect it, and then literally cuts the damn thing in half. And from there he's holding the stars in place so he can continue to call more Astels to the Lands Between