What Happens if You Kill Blaidd Straight Away in Elden Ring?
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In Elden Ring, Blaidd the Half-Wolf is a fan-favorite character, known for his striking appearance and fierce loyalty. Many players encounter him early on, often near the Mistwood Ruins. If you’re like many, the thought of testing your mettle against him might cross your mind. But what happens if you decide to kill Blaidd straight away, before progressing through Ranni’s questline? The immediate outcome is that you will not receive his unique armor set or his Royal Greatsword. These rewards are specifically tied to his final encounter later in the game. Furthermore, you will effectively sever the progression of his related questline, making parts of the game story unavailable to your character, and missing important lore and backstory.
Killing Blaidd prematurely means you bypass the events that lead to his eventual, albeit tragic, final fight. You would miss important conversations with Ranni, the exploration of Nokron, and other related questlines that directly tie into Blaidd’s character arc. Essentially, killing him early is a significant deviation from the intended storyline, impacting both narrative and item acquisition. While it’s true you can’t permanently ruin your playthrough, this particular action removes a good deal of content from a single playthrough.
The Importance of Blaidd’s Questline
Blaidd’s story is deeply intertwined with Ranni the Witch’s questline. He is bound to her, a bodyguard and a loyal companion by design. Throughout the game, his character develops alongside Ranni’s goals, which makes him an important component of the larger story.
By following Ranni’s quest, you’ll explore several key locations and engage with significant characters, ultimately unveiling a different ending to the game. This path offers unique challenges and rewards, including access to powerful items and new areas, that are inaccessible by killing Blaidd early.
The Trigger for the Final Blaidd Encounter
The crucial moment for obtaining Blaidd’s armor and greatsword is after completing the final steps of Ranni’s questline. Upon returning to Ranni’s Rise in the Three Sisters, you will find Blaidd waiting, now hostile. His hostility isn’t random; it’s a consequence of the curse placed on him by the Two Fingers, which caused him to turn against Ranni once she abandons her destiny, in the pursuit of a new one. This scripted encounter is the only time you can legitimately acquire his items.
If you instead kill him early in the game, this scene will not trigger later, and his armor set, Royal Greatsword, and related lore are inaccessible. You effectively cut short his story, and more importantly, a considerable amount of your own.
The Downsides of Early Blaidd Defeat
Besides losing out on valuable loot and narrative content, killing Blaidd early has other implications:
- Missing Character Development: Blaidd’s character arc is tragic and important. Killing him early robs you of understanding his motivations and loyalty.
- Skipping Story Moments: Ranni’s quest is substantial, and Blaidd is integral to many of its key moments. Bypassing this removes a good portion of the game’s story and lore.
- Missed Interactions: You won’t be able to speak to Iji about Blaidd if you didn’t reach the final encounter, thus missing more important lore.
- Reduced Playthrough Value: One of the most intriguing aspects of Elden Ring is its intricate interconnected questlines. Killing Blaidd before the end severely reduces the narrative quality of the game.
The Right Time to Fight Blaidd
In short, you should only fight Blaidd after completing Ranni’s questline, when you encounter him at Ranni’s Rise, in a hostile state. This will lead you to the only opportunity to acquire his complete armor set, the Blaidd Armor Set (which includes the armor, gauntlets, and greaves) and the Royal Greatsword. Killing him at any other time will only hinder your game progression.
Conclusion
While Elden Ring offers a vast world and a multitude of choices, some actions have more significant consequences than others. Killing Blaidd early is one such action, as it severely restricts access to his items, important story content, and related questlines. The most rewarding and enriching experience will come from allowing Blaidd’s questline to develop, engaging with the narrative, and then completing it when the game intends it to be concluded. By patiently waiting for the opportune moment, you’ll get the full experience of his tragic and meaningful storyline, and in turn a higher quality experience of Elden Ring.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I get Blaidd’s armor by killing him early?
No, you cannot obtain Blaidd’s armor set or Royal Greatsword by killing him early. These are only available from his hostile encounter at Ranni’s Rise after completing her questline.
2. What does Blaidd drop when killed at the end of the questline?
When killed at the end of his questline, Blaidd drops his full armor set (chest, gauntlets, and greaves) and the Royal Greatsword.
3. Is there any way to pacify Blaidd at Ranni’s Rise?
No, there is no way to pacify Blaidd during his final encounter at Ranni’s Rise. This fight is a scripted event that is intended to bring his storyline to its conclusion.
4. What triggers Blaidd becoming hostile at Ranni’s Rise?
Completing the final steps of Ranni’s questline triggers Blaidd to become hostile at Ranni’s Rise. This is due to the curse placed on him by the Two Fingers.
5. What happens if I miss the final Blaidd encounter?
If you miss the final Blaidd encounter by killing him early, you will not be able to obtain his armor or Royal Greatsword. His character arc also becomes truncated, and several plot points become difficult to experience.
6. Is Blaidd’s armor worth it?
Blaidd’s armor is a stylish set with moderate stats, making it a good choice if you like its looks, but there are armor sets with higher stats available elsewhere.
7. Why is Blaidd hostile at the end of the questline?
Blaidd becomes hostile due to the curse of the Two Fingers, which makes him turn on Ranni after she abandons her destiny.
8. How do I start Ranni’s questline?
You need to find Ranni in her tower, Ranni’s Rise, and agree to serve her. This unlocks the questline that intertwines with Blaidd’s storyline.
9. What if Ranni is not in her tower?
If Ranni is not in her tower, try resting at a Site of Grace to reset the area. If she’s still absent, ensure you have met all the initial quest requirements to trigger her appearance.
10. Can I get Blaidd’s armor if I play co-op?
Yes, the Blaidd armor is obtained on the world of the player progressing through their game. Coop guests can fight Blaidd, but will not receive the set. The final fight, and acquisition of loot, is tied to your individual progress in the game.
11. Is there any way to save Blaidd?
No, there is no way to save Blaidd. His final encounter is designed to conclude his character’s story tragically. You must defeat him to get his gear.
12. Is Blaidd the Baleful Shadow I fight in Ranni’s questline?
No, the Baleful Shadow is not actually Blaidd. It is an entity that takes his form, sent by the Two Fingers. Blaidd is never seen in this manner.
13. What should I do after killing Blaidd at Ranni’s Rise?
After killing Blaidd, you can speak to Iji by the Road to the Manor Site of Grace to get more information about Blaidd.
14. Does killing Blaidd early affect other quests?
Killing Blaidd early can disrupt parts of Ranni’s questline and potentially other related quests. Missing parts of his story will leave some quest options and dialogue unavailable.
15. Can I get Blaidd’s headpiece?
Blaidd’s headpiece is not found on his body, and is acquired from a corpse near Ranni’s Rise. This item is not directly dropped by defeating him.