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Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree got a brand new trailer, which while answering a few things about Marika, Miquella, and Messmer's role in the upcoming expansion, raises a ton of questions. Although the trailer is just three minutes long, it still comes packed with a lot of information that fans of the base game as well as its lore will find incredibly intriguing.
Shadow of the Erdtree's previous trailer already gave fans a lot to dissect and speculate about. However, with the latest "story trailer," FromSoftware has once again stoked the flames of speculation and theory-crafting among the hardcore Elden Ring fan base.
As I made my way through Shadow of the Erdtree's new trailer, frame-by-frame, I made some intriguing observations, which shed light on not only Miquella's motives in the expansion but also how Messmer the Impaler comes into play as the main antagonist as well as what role Marika plays in the creation of the Shadow Realm.
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Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree's story trailer sheds light on Messmer, Miquella, and Marika's roles in the upcoming expansion
The new Elden Ring trailer starts with Queen Marika seemingly giving birth to someone or "something." The dialogue in the background states "the seduction and the betrayal," which might be figuratively referring to how the Golden Order and the Greater Will influenced Marika and her will, or it might be being said quite literally.
That would mean it hints at either Marika betraying one of her beloved, perhaps Messmer, who FromSoftware already confirmed is her child. Next, we see Marika walking through what looks like a stair made of flesh and blood and birthing something that resembles the Erdtree's roots.
The giant structure being the Erdtree roots is a very compelling argument, given we already know that it was birthed within the Realm of the Shadow, and it later grew into the Golden Tree towering over the Lands Between. The roots also seem to be comprised of rotting flesh, akin to how the roots are represented in Elden Ring's base game.
The scene then transitions to a warring landscape, where Messmer's forces are going toe-to-toe against another army, possibly the one serving the Golden Order, or maybe another invading Outer God. The trailer then gives another look at Messmer as well as the Lion-faced boss showcased in the previous trailer.
Much like how Elden Ring's story trailer showcased Malenia and Radahn going against one another, Shadow of the Erdtree's new trailer shows Messmer fighting the Lion-faced boss, which hints at the latter playing a major role in the story, perhaps as someone who might be the key to defeating Messmer.
The final sequence of the trailer shows a brief glimpse at Miquella and his Saint Trina persona, which was long speculated to be the same person. Then we see the followers of Miquella, tracing his footsteps, perhaps in the hopes of leaving the Realm of the Shadow for good, or maybe they have other motives.
It's also possible that the warriors at the end of the trailer are also Tarnished, perhaps those who just like the player character, came close to becoming the next Elden Lord, and as such, were chosen as Miquella's vassal. The latter's motivations are still unclear, but we can speculate it has something to do with Messmer.
Perhaps both Miquella and Messmer harbor the same wish — to leave the Ream of the Shadow, but for completely different reasons. The trailer also hints at Marika playing a pivotal role in the expansion, which is something that would very much help flesh out her side of the story, separate from the Golden Order, their dogma, and Radagon.
I do think Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree will be more like what The Ringed City was to Dark Souls 3, i.e., a separate story that loosely connects to the overarching lore of its universe, while also explaining bits and pieces of what was left unanswered in the base game.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is scheduled to be released on June 21, 2024, on PS5, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
