The Elden Ring Nightreign trailer is understandable for the first few minutes, though unexpected. Even though Elden Ring has been modified and rebuilt, it is still distinctly a return to The Lands Between. And then—is that Dark Souls 3‘s The Nameless King?
After that, you go back and listen more intently. Yes, that is Dark Souls 3’s The Nameless King, and he is not the only boss from FromSoftware’s past making a reappearance. The environment of Elden Ring has also seen the arrival of friendly NPCs from Dark Souls, as revealed by another rewind and closer examination. Furthermore, this next cooperative roguelike incorporates gameplay mechanics from the developer’s whole body of work. Therefore, one question stands out above the others:
Is a FromSoftware universe being introduced via Elden Ring Nightreign?
One of Dark Souls 3’s most vicious foes is the Nameless King. He is a prominent character in the series’ history, having been introduced in the first Dark Souls and its follow-up before making his in-person debut as an optional boss in the trilogy’s last installment. He is well-known for his powerful dragon mount and lightning-channeling skills, which are demonstrated in the last minute of the Nightreign trailer. He is unmistakable: The Nameless King is an enemy in the next Elden Ring game and not a tribute, homage, or lookalike.
The official Dark Souls social media accounts have revealed that Nightreign will feature series aspects, albeit in a typically cryptic way, in case you were not convinced. The post on X that goes with a repost of the Nightreign video reads, “In the Night, ancestral opponents await – relics of a fire that once burnt brilliantly.”
Therefore, there is no doubt that the two series are connected. Other well-known species then start to make a lot of sense. Two additional Dark Souls adversaries are visible in Bandai Namco’s promotional materials. The trailer opens with a group of fighters engaged in combat with a hideous, multilimbed creature, its bare ribs blazing from a player’s explosive bolt. Despite a major visual makeover, seasoned players will recognize this adversary as the Centipede Demon from the first Dark Souls.
The image of a crawling spider that was shown a few seconds ago reminds me of the arachnid-infested regions in Dark Souls 2. However, a screenshot that was made public along with the trailer provides the best proof of Dark Souls 2’s involvement. It clearly shows that Nightreign will feature The Duke’s Dear Freja, a gigantic eight-legged horror.
So there is a boss from each of the Dark Souls games. However, additional evidence indicates that Elden Ring is not solely populated by adversaries of FromSoft’s flagship franchise. A woman wearing an elaborate metal face mask over her eyes and nose is first shown to us in the middle of the trailer. This is the distinctive outfit of Dark Souls 3’s Fire Keeper. The voice of this character does not sound exactly like the original, and I have to confess that. However, performers are not always available to repeat previous parts, thus it is reasonable to assume that our former Firelink Shrine companion plays a significant role in Nightreign’s plot given all the other evidence.
Mixup in mechanics
The obvious reason to be enthusiastic is the return of friends and enemies, but the trailer also suggests a sort of overlapping multiverse effect through smaller, possibly more significant gameplay features. Instead of letting you design your character, Nightreign encourages you to take on the role of a pre-made hero with a distinct set of abilities. Wylder and the Duchess are the most intriguing of those that have been made public thus far. The duchess’s beautifully designed attire instantly reminds me of Bloodborne. Her quickstep ability mimics the dodge feature of FromSoft’s well-known Lovecraftian nightmare, which excites me, even though fan theories do not persuade me that this is an alternate version of Lady Maria. In contrast, Wylder has access to a grappling hook that somewhat mimics the functionality of Sekiro’s prosthetic device.
Although it is difficult to argue that these aspects are as multiversal as the actual apparition of former bosses, it is nonetheless interesting to observe how they permeate the Elden Ring. After all, each FromSoft game’s distinct gameplay flavors are just as significant as its bosses. Other non-character-specific features include the ability to scale walls like Sekrio’s hero, being transported from one place to another by a ghostly bird in a style reminiscent of Dark Souls’ Giant Crow ride, and what appears to be a medieval fantasy version of Bloodborne’s Stake Driver strapped to Wylder’s arm during the fight against the Centipede Demon. It is difficult not to become thrilled about all of this as a devoted FromSoft fan.
The Lore Law
Naturally, there is a desire to understand how everything ties into the lore, much like with anything produced by FromSoftware. Although we do not yet know much, our chat with game director Junya Ishizaki at least provides us with a basis for speculation.
“First and foremost, we want fans to consider Nightreign to be an Elden Ring spin-off,” Ishizaki clarified. The narrative is entirely distinct and parallel to Elden Ring’s universe. We have the events of the shattering in the original game if you had to tie it up somehow. This is a whole different part of the Elden Ring tale after the shattering.
Nightreign is therefore a different timeframe. In this version of Elden Ring’s history, anything may have happened after the breaking. But the eventual result is the dominion of the Night Lord, the new game’s worst enemy, regardless of the type of story that is written in this world’s distorted history books.
You have probably seen VaatiVidya’s lore video about the Nox or read a lot of item descriptions in Elden Ring if you feel like you have heard that name before. Here are your CliffsNotes for the sake of time: According to in-game descriptions, the Nox are the inhabitants you meet in the subterranean endless Cities of Nokron and Nokstella. They “dwell under a false night sky, in endless expectation of their liege.” of the stars’ upcoming era. as well as their Lord of Night.
King of the Night. Lord, good night. Perhaps the chronology shown in Elden Ring Nightreign is one in which the Lord of Night has risen and the age of stars has arrived. If this is true, are the objects we perceive replicas of objects from other worlds, and if so, are the Nox the custodians of the mimic tear?
An alternative is suggested by a little more theorycraft. “Remnants of a fire that once burnt bright” were mentioned in that post on the Dark Souls X feed. That appears to be a reference to Dark Souls 3’s Finale, where The First Flame may be extinguished. Are the Duke’s Dear Freja, the Nameless King, and the Centipede Demon “remnants” of the First Flame?
While enjoying ourselves, we are aware that The First Flame’s extinguishment is only one of several possible outcomes for Dark Souls 3, each of which, in theory, would result in a different timeline. Is it possible that the Lord of Night’s parallel chronology for Elden Ring has combined with Dark Souls’ End of Fire timeline? Only time will tell whether this is the beginning of a FromSoft multiverse and whether the lore is indeed so intricately designed. or whether Nightreign is simply FromSoftware having some fun and letting go. The latter is what I am betting on.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of Elden Ring, expressed interest in creating a battle royale game back in 2019. Five years later, there is a multiplayer roguelike for Elden Ring that shows what looks to be a shrinking circle of doom. However, who could have predicted that the reappearance of a monstrous villain from Dark Souls 3 would be the main topic of discussion on the day FromSoft revealed a game with battle royale elements? There is no doubt about it: FromSoft will never cease to amaze us.
