Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earthtree’s Miquella, explained

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earth Tree will send players on a new journey this summer to the Land of Shadow, where they will learn more about one of the game’s most mysterious demigods, Miquella of the Haligtree.

Game master Says Hidetaka Miyazaki that players follow Miquella on her journey through the Land of Shadow, “following his path and following in his footsteps and trying to see what he will do there”, similar to how players followed the Light of Grace in the base game. Players will also learn what motivated Queen Marika, who shattered the Elden Ring in the game’s story, to visit the Land of Shadow.

Elden Ring Players who haven’t delved into the lore scattered throughout the game’s dialogue and item descriptions may not know much about Miquella and his role in the game’s story. We’re here to tell you what you need to know so you don’t have to watch an hour-long lore video that reveals everything.

Who is Miquella in Elden Ring?

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Miquella of the Haligtree is a demigod in the world of Elden Ring and a being known as the Empyrean. This means he is a candidate to succeed Queen Marika as the ship for the Elden Ring.

We don’t actually see Miquella in the game, but he is the older twin brother of Malenia, the fearsome, rot-infested boss who resides at the foot of the Haligtree. A descendant of the game’s penultimate boss, Radagon, and Marika (the, er, same person), Miquella appears in the main game’s story only in withered cocoon form. As indicated Shadow of the Earth TreeIn the reveal trailer, Miquella’s cocoon will be the gateway to the Land of Shadow when the DLC releases.

Malenia and Miquella were both born with terrible afflictions: Malenia with rot that would devour her limbs and eyesight, and Miquella with eternal childhood. Statues of the brother-sister duo are scattered throughout Haligtree, showing the adult Malenia hugging her twin, who is in the body of a baby boy. Other statues show the twins at a young age being embraced by their older sibling, Godwyn the Golden.

Malenia calls Miqeulla “the most fearsome Empyrean of all” with the wisdom and magnetism of a god. It is also said that Miquella is loved by many and can attract the affection of others.

What is Miquella’s relationship with Malenia? And Mohg?

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Malenia and Miquella were close. The former fought to protect her brother, earning her the name Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Miquella was similarly protective and worked unsuccessfully to develop a cure for Malenia’s rot. One of Miquella’s inventions was an unalloyed gold needle that players can use to reverse the Flame of Rage. (Miquella sought to “ward off the interference of external gods,” according to the description of Miquella’s needle; an external god also appears to be responsible for the spread of the rot.)

As part of his efforts to heal his sister and after leaving the faith known as the Golden Order, Miquella attempted to create a new Earth Tree by nourishing a sapling with his own blood. This venture would fail, giving rise to the Haligtree, which would become a refuge for the meek and afflicted. Miquella eventually embedded herself in the Haligtree to grow it and lived in the cocoon, but was kidnapped by Mohg, the Lord of Blood, who wanted to become Miquella’s husband.

That’s why Mohg has Miquella’s cocoon in his chambers. Mohg has essentially stolen Miquella from his Haligtree womb, in which the Empyrean now appears to have aged compared to his previous boyish form.

If Miquella is stuck in this cocoon, how is he doing in the Land of Shadow?

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Miquella is said to have “sold himself[ed] himself of his flesh, his strength and his lineage,” so Shadow of the Earth Tree‘s official description. Miquella may not be a purely physical being in the DLC, and the Land of Shadow may not be a purely physical space. FromSoftware has in its extensions for games like Dark souls And Bloodborne.

Additionally, there is solid speculation that Miquella is connected to a character named St. Trina, who is also not seen in Elden Ring. According to some descriptions of items in the game, Trina is said to be a mysterious figure of unclear gender who has a close connection to sleep and dreams. Followers of Saint Trina are said to search for her in her sleep, and we know that Miquella has been sleeping for some time.

Both Trina and Miquella are also linked to nearly identical items in the game – Trina’s Lily and Miquella’s Lilly – which may connect them in ways that are still unclear. However, in Content found to have been excised Elden Ringit is implied that Miquella and St. Trina are actually the same person. This connection could be explained or confirmed in Shadow of the Earth Treeif anything is ever “explained” in FromSoftware games.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earth Tree will be released on June 20th. Until then, there are plenty of deeper insights into the Miquella story from creators like VaatiVidya, SmoughtownAnd Grim painting if you want to be fully prepared Elden Ringis the DLC.