Elden Ring Expert Explains: That’s why two of the most important characters are one and the same person

Gideon Ofnir is the lore expert in the game, Vaatividya the one in our world.

There is a complex story behind our journey through the intermediate country. Otherworldly gods, powerful runes and, above all, mysterious characters with strong beliefs and hidden motivations await us in the story of Elden Ring. Souls lore expert Vaatividya tells us what might be behind the strange connection between two of the most important – if not the two most important – characters.

Plot twist at the end of the game

It’s all about this: Queen Marika, appointed goddess and representative of the Elden Ring, is the central figure in the Between Lands. However, we learn at the very beginning that she has been untraceable for some time and only encounter her in the final boss fight of the game.

Confusing Cutscenes: In the cutscenes that follow, you’ll probably have realized that Marika and Radagon – the boss we’re fighting – aren’t quite an ordinary couple, as we’ve been told before. Eventually, we see Marika first, but then she transforms into Radagon to confront us. It may have confused you more than enlightened you.

A section of Vaatividya’s new video is called “Radagon is Marika” and presents theories as to how this can be:

link to YouTube content

Here’s what we know about Marika and Radagon: As mentioned, Marika was chosen to serve the Elden Ring – and thus an otherworldly higher god who influences the land between via the ring. Radagon is a war hero. He met Renalla, the leader of the magic academy, in battle, fell in love with her and took her as his wife. We can already hear about this in Liurnia when we talk to Miriel, the “Pope Turtle”.

Marika also had another partner at first. At a certain point in the story, however, both Marika and Radagon turned their backs on their lovers and instead turned to each other.

More on Elden Ring:

Radagon is Marika

Even before the last boss fight, there is a clear indication that Radagon and Marika are not just a couple, but one and the same person. Vaati reveals a secret that you can discover as part of an NPC quest. A statue of Radagon suddenly transforms into an effigy of Marika through a revealing spell. Miriel also points this out.

Entering the arena of the final boss fight, we see Marika for the first time.

Two theories: Vaati then presents two theories as to how this can be.

• Theory 1: At a certain point in the story, Radagon became a part of Marika and sort of merged into one person.
• Theory 2: Radagon has always been a part of Marika that split off at a certain point and became a physical person.

Some of Melina’s lines of dialogue, in which she quotes Marika, rather indicate that Marika and Radagon used to be two different individuals who have merged into one another:

Other story components, however, give reason to believe that Radagon is a part of Marika that eventually took physical form. We learn that all demigods are direct descendants of Marika. Therefore, Vaati sees the fact that Radagon’s first mate, Renalla, gave birth to a demigod as a possible indication that Radagon is part of Marika.

This is also indicated by another line from Miriel, in which he wonders why Radagon left Renalla and how a simple hero could become the husband of the goddess Marika.

room for interpretation

As is so often the case, FromSoftware does not give us the answer on a silver platter, but leaves room for our own interpretations. In the comments, fans discuss a wide variety of theories.

Among other things, it is suggested that Radagon was originally sent by the offworld gods and merged with Marika to better control them, or that Marika and Radagon are the manifestations of two different traits of the same person. Other fans think that Marika separated part of herself from Radagon in order to seduce Renalla and gain control of the academy.

Now you are asked: How did you interpret the thing with Radagon and Marika and what do you think of Vaati’s two theories?