What Is the Story Driving ‘Shadow of the Erdtree’?

Elden Ring is rather famous for being obtuse with its story. You can beat the game and become the new Elden Lord without really understanding why you’re doing it and what really happened to lead your character up to this point. All you know is you like the lady with the cool hat.

Honestly, that’s most players’ experience, unless you’ve watched hours of lore videos on YouTube. Elden Ring‘s story is provided via item descriptions, environmental clues, and, yes, the occasional conversation with NPCs. It’s easy to miss, and even easier to not cohesively piece together. Hence the god-tier work of the YouTube lore videos.

So FromSoftware releasing a “story trailer” for Shadow of the Erdtree (which they did two years ago for Elden Ring, too) is almost funny. FromSoft has a way of getting you hyped as hell without you fully understanding why you’re hyped as hell. We’re told we’re following “kindly Miquella” and we all cheer “LET’S GO!”

But what is the story of Shadow of the Erdtree, actually?

Kindly Miquella, sweet Miquella, lovely Miquella

In Shadow of the Erdtree, you’re following Miquella into the Realm of Shadow. You’re ushered in and immediately greeted by Miquella’s followers, who all refer to him as “kindly Miquella.” They also tend to be next to lumps of Miquella’s flesh, which he’s left strewn around the realm.

I wrote a full biography of Miquella elsewhere, but here’s the Cliffnotes version: Miquella is the twin brother of Malenia, that super-hard boss from the base Elden Ring game. They’re both Empyreans, the children of Queen Marika and essentially the male version of herself, which means they have been cursed since their birth. Malenia was cursed with Scarlet Rot, and Miquella was cursed with eternal youth. Miquella created the Haligtree to try to curse them, but was stolen away by Mohg while in his Haligtree cocoon.

And so, while in Mohg’s custody, he ditched his very flesh to travel to the Realm of Shadow. The Realm of Shadow is essentially the Upside Down of Elden Ring‘s world. The Scadutree (essentially pronounced “Shadow Tree”) at its center is the inverse Erdtree. The Realm of Shadow is a land of death.

What’s Miquella up to, really?

Major spoilers ahead for Shadow of the Erdtree

Turns out, Miquella entered the Realm of Shadow in order to become a god—which, you know, is kind of par for the course for Elden Ring.

Miquella’s Empyrean lineage already meant he was a demigod, merely necessitating possession of the Elden Ring to become Elden Lord and seal the deal. But Miquella chose an alternative route—traveling to the Realm of Shadow to find the soul of the Promised Consort. Who turns out to be Radahn. You know, the big guy on the little horse!

To complete his god-making ritual, Miquella needs to collect Radahn’s soul in a vessel, which turns out to be Mohg’s body. Remember, right before you start the DLC, one of Mohg’s former knights informs you that his body was mysteriously taken away. And you need to beat both Radahn and Mohg to start the DLC in the first place. It’s all coming together!

Miquella’s ditching his flesh everywhere because he plans to be born anew. His ultimate aim seems noble enough, at least by Elden Ring standards. He wants to usher in an “Age of Compassion.” However, you find out later in the DLC that he was charming all of his followers. Some of whom, like that knight of Mohg’s, realized they actively fought Miquella at some point. Not cool, man.

Incidentally, the DLC also confirms a theory long held by Elden Ring lore enthusiasts: St. Trina and Miquella are one and the same. Like Marika and Radagon, Miquella and Malenia’s parents, it’s apparently possible for one soul to be two people in Elden Ring. And Miquella apparently didn’t learn from the mistakes of his parents. Who he does not like, for the record.

There’s several other pieces to Elden Ring‘s core lore that you can find within the DLC, like the backstory of how Messmer the Impaler got trapped in the Realm of Shadow. There’s even strong evidence, pieced together by players, that the Realm of Shadow holds the secret to Queen Marika’s origins.

But that’s all side stories to our main man: kindly, manipulative Miquella.