I’m approaching 60 hours with elden ring and honestly I still have no idea what’s going on in terms of the story. As before souls Games lore crafted by FromSoftware game of Thrones Author George RR Martin is a jumble of proper names and vague allusions. one i do However, you know that a boss named General Radhan is arguably the best character in the game. Maybe he’s even the greatest souls character of all time.
OK, calm down. I know that’s a big statement! But please don’t rush me all at once to like me for overwhelming fan favorites Dark Souls pseudo mascot Solaire by Astora or patches that Universe spanning idiot featured in several previous FromSoftware games. While she and many others souls Characters are great, General Radahn literally and figuratively stands head and shoulders above the others thanks to the way elden ring mixes goofy, touching, and awe-inspiring lore snippets from his past with a unique boss fight that drastically changes the game’s world.
Until you meet Radahn elden ring, he is a pale reflection of the brilliant, semi-divine general who once commanded the forces of war after the titular phenomenon had been crushed. Radahn was previously knocked out in battle by his half-sister Malenia the Severed and infected with the Scarlet Disease, turning its victims into mindless ghouls with only one overarching desire: to consume everything they see. As such, Radahn now wanders on the back of a battlefield strewn with corpses much too small horse (whose name appears to be Leonard), waiting for the day when someone strong enough can end their misery.
Radahn’s official title in elden ring is Starscourge, and with good reason. At some point in his past, a sorceress named Sellen tells you, the massive warrior “challenged the whirling constellations themselves.” It’s still unclear to me exactly how Radahn fought Stars, but his victory over these celestial bodies was complete enough to freeze them in the sky. “He’s the force that repels the stars,” adds Sellen. “If General Radahn died, the stars would start moving again.” Put simply, the guy is damn strong.
Aside from his gargantuan size, Radahn’s raw power also comes from his handling of gravity itself, a school of magic that the player with the right stats and knowledge can also wield on their own. These abilities not only make Radahn a fearsome warrior, but also allow him to ride his hide-and-bones mount without crushing the poor beast under his incredible weight. In fact, Leonard was the primary driver for Radahn developing his gravitational powers in the first place, as noted by this item description:
adorable.
Radahn is set up during the early hours of the morning elden ring quite a challenge. Many of the friendly faces you’ll meet in The Lands Between, including a wonderful “goblin can‘, known as Iron Fist Alexander, and my friend Blaidd the Half-Wolf are talking about going to Radahn’s former stronghold, Castle Redmane, to attend some kind of festival. Once you reach the castle itself, it becomes clear that the celebrations are just an excuse to put Radahn out of his misery, thrown by the loyal servants he left behind. Some of the world’s most skilled fighters have gathered to test their mettle against Radahn and, if all are lucky, finally give him the warrior death he deserves.
While Radahn can be defeated normally, I consider the encounter the latest in a long line of tricky FromSoftware boss fights that go much more smoothly when you use their unique mechanics, rather than facing the threat like any other fight. For example, think of back Dark Souls III‘s duel with Yhorm the giant. sure you can get away everything you want on his massive health bar with your measly weapons, but the developers wanted you to use a special sword found in the arena smack his menacing skull instead with wind magic. It makes an incredibly challenging fight a breeze and feels more thematically appropriate.
Radahn’s fight in elden ring It’s also about using the resources at your disposal. Remember how I said that several warriors were gathered at Redmane Castle for the feast? Well, that means you can’t summon one, not two, but six NPCs that will help you defeat Radahn. I wouldn’t say they make the fight as easy as ripping Yhorm apart with Storm Ruler, but it’s far better to focus Radahn’s massive attacks on someone else while strafing your own horse in the hit- Perform and run style than doing it on your ass all the time. And, even better, when your allies die – and believe me, they will die a lot of– You can simply resummon them repeatedly. it reigns.
Oh yes, you can also summon patches into Radahn combat, but Don’t expect him to stay.
In any case, the fireworks really happen when Radahn is defeated. As Sellen said, his death allows the stars to move again. They must be really itching to stretch their legs, however, as they begin to roam the skies en masse, filling the skies with brilliant light as they return to their regular cycles. Soon a comet will hurtle towards the ground and crash somewhere over the horizon, open a mighty abyss in Mistwood, an early game region. This remains a permanent geological feature for the remainder of your gameplay, and grants you entry into a new area called Nokron, the Eternal City. And while it’s true that defeat souls Bosses often change the world around you, I don’t recall anything of this magnitude happening in previous games.
elden ring‘s General Radahn is everything I’m looking for in one souls Boss. His backstory is equal parts weird and heartbreaking, the narrative obscures just enough of his past to make him a compelling mystery, and he offers a unique experience in a game full of moment-to-moment surprises whose challenge scales with size can be based on your own decisions. “Big guy in bigger armor who’s lost his mind” is a common expression souls Trope, sure, but I love the way the devs explained his gravity-based moveset through a touching connection to his horse. It’s unbelievable that 13 years later demons souls First released, FromSoftware can still create characters that make such a big impact.
I’m sure many of you out there disagree – this is the internet after all – so don’t hesitate to tell me who you think is the best elden ring character (or even your favorite souls character in general) below in the comments. If it’s Radahn, then we’re officially best friends.
