Summary
While it just released anArmored Coregame set on an alien planet, FromSoftware has been pondering alien life for much longer than that. Cosmic horror is present in many of its fantasy games, most recently inBloodborneandElden Ring. Although most ofElden Ring’s extraterrestrial elements are tied to the mysterious Outer Gods and moon-associated Glintstone, there are a number of beings roaming the land who actually are aliens. It’s glossed over in the story, butElden Ringblends plenty of high fantasy and science fantasy elements together.
The aliens in question make up several categories of minibosses and bosses found throughout the Lands Between. Onyx and Alabaster Lords areElden Ring’s most common extraterrestrials, resembling hybrids of elves and stereotypical gray aliens. These beings have adapted to living near or among humans, gaining their lordly titles from people revering their destructive magic powers. What they’ve done since settling in is vague, but it’s implied many became magical teachers and warriors. As a result of this,one ofElden Ring’s Demigodshas a much deeper relationship with them and their magic than any other: Radahn.
RELATED:Elden Ring: Radahn’s Relationship with His Horse is More Touching Than You Think
Radahn Has The Most Personal Ties To Elden Ring’s Aliens
Starscourge Radahn is a memorable figure inElden Ring, serving as the main boss of the equally unforgettable region Caelid. Radahn seared himself into many players' minds thanks tohow tough he was whenElden Ringlaunched, though that’s not the only reason. Radahn’s lore is quite impressive, with him standing out as one of the most beloved figures in the Lands Between. Much of what he did was for the benefit of others, even his loyal horse.
There’s an obvious mismatch between the frail-looking animal and its giant rider, but the beast’s burden is actually quite light.Radahn sought tutorship in Gravity Sorceriesfrom an Alabaster Lord both to decrease his weight and keep using his favored steed, and to better protect the Lands Between. Radahn proved so proficient with their unique school of magic that even in his current maddened state, he stands unrivaled as its most powerful sentient practitioner. It is, again, given little focus, but Radahn could have been a vital figure in the Lands Between’s human-alien relations.
Elden Ring Is Essentially Invaded By Aliens When Radahn Dies
As the player finds out after killing Radahn, that’s true in a literal sense. Despite working with an Alabaster Lord, Radahn gained his nickname “Starscourge” from his conflict with other extraterrestrial invaders.Elden Ring’s aliens take many forms, not because of what they are, but rather where they are. As opposed toElden Ring’s themed and intangible Outer Gods, physical aliens are highly adaptive, able to become civilized, animalistic, or downright eldritch depending on where they land and how long they live. With the average Fallingstar Beast instinctively using Gravity Sorceries better than most mages, there is a very good reason why Radahn needed to become the scourge ofElden Ring’s skies.
Radahn’s death will end his gravity well that kept the stars fixed in the sky, causing many to hitElden Ring’s world. Their only noticeable effect is a massive hole full of gravitational anomalies, but other stars presumably unleashed extraterrestrial lifeforms wherever they hit. It seems that not only was Radahn partnered withElden Ring’s terrestrial aliens, but may have been charged with preventing new ones from landing en masse, and keeping the oldest foreign entities likeAstel, Naturalborn of the Voidsealed deep underground. While it’s never stated how much Radahn knew about the sky, the underworld, or the aliens in between, he remains the strongest link to some ofElden Ring’s strangest beings.
Elden Ringis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
