Turtles are everywhere Eldon Ring. From the first time you encounter a player message telling you that there is a “dog ahead” only to spot a shelled creature wandering aimlessly, to the multitude of turtle-themed items you can find, it’s clear that the FromSoftware team has Someone has a soft spot for these sweet, docile reptiles.
Why shouldn’t they? There’s a reason turtles (and other adjacent creatures in the “testudine” family, all of which Elden Ring describes as turtles) are universally loved. In Elden Ring, the same admiration is evident in every aspect, big and small: the rich text of the game’s lore, the sheer prominence of creatures in the open world, and even the community’s reaction to them.
In a game like Elden Ring, by throwing the player into a vast, dark, fantasy universe, dealing with less rigid plot and more focus on world building, when there are already so many overwhelming elements It’s easy to overlook the most familiar details.Just like you wouldn’t ask first why there are knights or claymore swords in this world, giant cauldrons with arms and sentient fingers run rampant, ask Why a turtle? It feels like the problem is too small.
Turtles have long been used as symbols for storytelling. Turtles’ slow pace and bouncy nature can be used to draw attention to a variety of things – though, most commonly, you’ll see them used to signify stability, perseverance, and peace.
You’re probably familiar with Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise and the Hare, which positions the tortoise as a successful creature because of its resilience and humility (rather than the hare’s overconfident bombast). Elden Ring doesn’t convey a moral message exactly the same way, but The Lands Between’s turtles certainly point to some interesting thematic clues that the game itself seems to want you to recognize.
FromSoftware is apparently no stranger to combining visual symbolism with varying degrees of subtlety (recall all the cosmic horror in Bloodborne). In Elden Ring’s case, turtles are more than just a visual metaphor for their most benign traits. No, instead, they often represent a distant wisdom: a peace and tranquility now unavailable due to the circumstances of Elden Ring’s “broken” world.
The infamous “Turtle Pope” (again, he’s actually more of a turtle, but I don’t think we’re ready for a conversation) Miriel tells us a lot about the idea: it’s a huge, friendly Creatures, inhabitants of the Church of the Oath, and NPCs the internet wants to protect at all costs after players describe killing him just to see what happens.
We live in an indisputably cruel world where such things can happen, Miriel herself reminds us of this, pointing to the world as it was before it was broken, and diplomacy and peace are considered skills that are valued and respected.
Miriel’s “Church of Oaths” has a very clear and unique purpose: to serve as a monument to the previously united but now disparate factions of The Lands Between, and to restore faith in the idea that people can solve problems through communication.
“Hereism is not inherent in this world,” he said. “It’s just an invention—everything can come together.” It’s clearly a sentiment of goodwill, but also a dizzying optimism that’s hard to find anywhere else in Elden Ring. Between offering such wisdom, Miriel dozed off, their heads heavy. Clearly, Miriel has seen a lot, if not from the history lessons the NPCs are so happy to give you.
Of course, Miriel is one of the many Turtles you can totally miss (or opt out of, if that’s more your playstyle). In this land of blood and death, the seemingly important reasons for one intelligent creature seem irrelevant to everyone else.
Elsewhere in The Lands Between, the turtles themselves are neglected: hunted to the brink of extinction for the healing properties of their flesh. If you come across a turtle, you can do it all at once, leaving some white meat and turtle necks ready to convert into useful healing items. The pickled turtleneck item you can craft is one of the best restorative items in the game, and is described as “boiling out with almost endless power”.
The innate healing properties of turtles — and the way that makes them high-value targets for others seeking this magic — is a strong message from the developer, who underscores the futility of Miriel’s desire for peace in this world : Turtles can heal taint, but only if they are killed. Empty contradiction. These turtles are not just symbols of peace in the Elden Ring: they prove that peace is unique in the “broken” world of the Elden Ring.
Endless wars will destroy the hopes of Miriel’s union. The endless war will lead to the death of ordinary turtles. It’s unclear how Miriel is different from the normal turtles that roam Lake Limgrave, but it’s clear that, in context, all turtles represent the same struggle for peace.
The idea that the turtle is a symbol of “lost peace” is constantly reinforced by all things in the game that have the image of a “turtle”: the description of the turtle amulet, an item that helps restore stamina, tells us that turtles are “endless” power,” but also provided key details, “Those who think turtles are intelligent creatures think the practice of eating their meat is barbaric.”
Apparently, others think it’s odd to kill these amazing, powerful and sensible creatures for short-term gain. But given that we’ve never actually found out who wrote the item description in Elden Ring, it’s unclear who made these observations and judgments.
Judging by player comments and the community’s reaction to Miriel, there was at least some respect for the shining turtles in the Elden Ring player base. Even silly mislabeling has an undeniably soulful undertone.
But despite finding fans in our world, the tortoises who suffered in The Lands Between will live on—at least, likely, until you recover the great rune and become Lord of Elden.
So, if you needed another reason to complete Elden Ring, now you have one: do it for the turtles.
