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How Many Elden Lord Endings Are There in Elden Ring?

There are six distinct Elden Lord endings in Elden Ring. While all six result in the Tarnished becoming the Elden Lord, each ending depicts a different interpretation of the Elden Ring’s restoration and consequently, a different fate for the Lands Between. The variations stem from the Mending Runes acquired and used during the final moments of the game. These Runes influence how the Elden Ring is reforged and dictate the ruling philosophy of the new Elden Lord.

Understanding the Elden Ring Endings

Elden Ring offers a vast and complex world, and its endings are no exception. Achieving each ending requires specific questlines to be completed, often involving challenging bosses and intricate interactions with key non-player characters (NPCs). The ending you receive is determined by the Mending Rune you choose to use after defeating the final boss, the Elden Beast. If you don’t use a Mending Rune, the default ending is triggered.

The journey to each ending is a crucial part of the Elden Ring experience. They are not merely cosmetic variations, but significant narrative divergences reflecting the player’s choices throughout the game.

The Six Elden Lord Endings Explained

Here’s a breakdown of each ending and the requirements to achieve them:

Elden Lord (Age of Fracture): This is the default ending, achievable by simply defeating the Elden Beast without utilizing any Mending Runes. The Tarnished becomes the Elden Lord, but the future of the Lands Between remains uncertain. The Elden Ring is reforged, but its ultimate purpose and the state of the world are left ambiguous, perpetuating the existing fractured order. This is often considered the least impactful ending, a simple restoration without fundamental change.
Age of Order: To achieve this ending, you must complete Brother Corhyn and Goldmask’s questline. This intricate questline involves deciphering the nature of the Golden Order and understanding its flaws. Completing it rewards you with the Mending Rune of Perfect Order. Using this Rune leads to an ending where the Golden Order is restored to a more mathematically perfect and rigid state, eliminating inconsistencies and perceived heresies. This ending promotes absolute order and stability, potentially at the cost of individual freedom and expression.
Age of Duskborn: This ending is tied to Fia’s questline, the Deathbed Companion. By completing her quest, which involves locating the Cursemark of Death and defeating Fortissax, you acquire the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince. Using this Rune introduces the concept of destined death back into the Elden Ring’s cycle, allowing Those Who Live in Death to exist naturally and breaking the immortality that has plagued the Lands Between. It’s a more balanced, natural approach to life and death.
Blessing of Despair: The most grim and arguably “evil” ending, the Blessing of Despair requires completion of Dung Eater’s questline. This involves finding and feeding him Seedbed Curses. This results in acquiring the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse. Using this Rune curses the entire Lands Between, ensuring that everyone will be reborn as Omens. This results in perpetual suffering and depravity.
Age of Stars: This ending is arguably the most popular and complex, tied to Ranni the Witch’s questline. It is considered by many to be the “true” ending. This involves a sprawling journey across the Lands Between, culminating in Ranni becoming the new God and the Tarnished becoming her consort. It utilizes the Dark Moon Ring and results in the Elden Ring being replaced by the Great Rune of the Unborn. The age of the Erdtree is over and the Age of Stars begins. This ending ushers in an era of cold, cosmic, and calculated order, where the influence of the Greater Will is diminished, and the fate of the Lands Between is tied to the stars. This future is uncertain, but it represents a radical departure from the existing order.
Lord of Frenzied Flame: This ending is unique, as it doesn’t involve a Mending Rune. To achieve this ending, you must be branded by the Three Fingers by reaching the Flame of Frenzy Proscription beneath the Cathedral of the Forsaken in the Royal Capital. This involves stripping yourself of all armor and being embraced by the Frenzied Flame. Choosing this option permanently locks you into this ending, unless you undertake a specific task: completing Millicent’s questline and using Miquella’s Needle in Dragonlord Placidusax’s arena to quell the Frenzied Flame. The Lord of Frenzied Flame ending results in the complete destruction of the Erdtree and the burning of all that exists, ushering in an era of pure, chaotic destruction. It is a nihilistic ending, rejecting all forms of order and existence.

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