What is the Best Ending in Elden Ring: A Deep Dive into Ranni’s Age of Stars

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The “best” ending in Elden Ring is subjective and depends entirely on your interpretation of “best.” However, considering the narrative implications, the player’s agency, and the overall tone of the game, Ranni’s Age of Stars ending is widely considered the most optimistic and profound outcome for The Lands Between. It’s the ending that offers the most radical change, ushering in an era of cold, uncaring freedom guided by the distant stars, breaking the cycle of control exerted by the Greater Will and the Golden Order. The game itself subtly hints at this through dialogue and narrative cues, making it a compelling choice for many players.

Why Age of Stars Stands Out

The Age of Stars ending isn’t just a superficial “good” ending. It’s complex, nuanced, and challenges the very foundations of the world. Here’s a breakdown of why it resonates with so many players:

Severing Outer God Influence: The Golden Order, while seemingly benevolent, is ultimately a tool of the Greater Will, an Outer God imposing its will upon The Lands Between. The Age of Stars actively dismantles this influence, granting true autonomy to the inhabitants. This aligns with Ranni’s desire to escape the clutches of the Greater Will, as detailed in the lore.
A New Order, Guided by the Stars: Ranni plans to guide The Lands Between towards a new era ruled by the cosmos. While this “cold” and “distant” rule may seem bleak, it also suggests a hands-off approach, allowing beings to determine their own destinies without the heavy hand of divine intervention. This is in stark contrast to the oppressive regime of the Golden Order.
The Tarnished’s Role as Consort: The player, as the Tarnished, becomes Ranni’s consort, playing a crucial role in shaping this new age. This gives the player a significant amount of agency in determining the future, a feeling of power and influence lacking in some of the other endings. Ranni acknowledges the Tarnished as her “lord” and “dear consort,” solidifying their partnership.
Breaking the Cycle: The other endings, while some are “positive” in their own way, largely perpetuate the existing system or replace one tyrannical power with another. Age of Stars is the only ending that actively seeks to break the cycle of divine control and usher in a truly new paradigm.
Moral Ambiguity: Even with its hopeful aspects, Age of Stars isn’t devoid of moral ambiguity. Ranni is not a purely benevolent character; she’s willing to make difficult choices and sacrifices to achieve her goals. This complexity makes the ending more compelling and believable.

Comparing to Other Endings

To truly appreciate the Age of Stars ending, it’s essential to compare it to the other available outcomes:

Age of Fracture (Default Ending): Simply mending the Elden Ring and becoming Elden Lord without significant changes. This perpetuates the status quo and does little to address the underlying issues in The Lands Between.
Age of Order: Perfecting the Golden Order through the guidance of Goldmask. This is a positive ending in some ways, but still subjects the world to the rigid doctrines of the Golden Order, potentially stifling freedom and individuality.
Age of the Duskborn: Returning Destined Death to the Elden Ring with Fia, blurring the lines between life and death. This is a more neutral ending, but still introduces some uncertainty and potential instability.
Blessing of Despair: Spreading the Dung Eater’s curse across the land, corrupting the Erdtree and ushering in an age of despair. Universally considered the worst ending.
Lord of Frenzied Flame: Embracing the Frenzied Flame and becoming the Lord of Chaos, destroying all order and ushering in an era of madness. While offering a sense of catharsis, this ending effectively destroys the world.

Each ending represents a different philosophical perspective on the state of The Lands Between and the player’s role in shaping its future. Age of Stars, with its ambition and rejection of the status quo, stands out as the most transformative.

Achieving the Age of Stars Ending

To achieve the Age of Stars ending, players must complete Ranni’s questline, a complex and engaging series of tasks that takes them across The Lands Between. This questline involves:

Meeting Ranni in Ranni’s Rise in the Three Sisters area of Liurnia of the Lakes.
Agreeing to serve her and joining her cause.
Gathering the Fingerslayer Blade from Nokron, Eternal City.
Delivering the Fingerslayer Blade to Ranni.
Finding the Carian Inverted Statue in Liurnia and using it to access the Divine Tower of Caelid.
Defeating Astel, Naturalborn of the Void.
Obtaining the Dark Moon Ring from the Grand Library of Raya Lucaria.
Using the Dark Moon Ring in the Cathedral of Manus Celes to renounce the Greater Will’s control.
Summoning Ranni at the end of the game after defeating the final boss.

This lengthy and challenging questline is a testament to the commitment required to bring about the Age of Stars.

FAQs About Ranni’s Age of Stars Ending

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Ranni and her Age of Stars ending:

1. Is Marrying Ranni a good ending?

Yes, “marrying” Ranni, or rather becoming her consort and Elden Lord, in the Age of Stars ending is considered a good ending by many. It leads to a radical change in the world order, breaking the influence of the Greater Will.

2. Is Ranni evil or good?

Ranni is a morally gray character. She orchestrated the Night of Black Knives, which led to the shattering of the Elden Ring, but she did so to free herself and The Lands Between from the influence of the Outer Gods. Her motivations are complex, making her neither purely good nor purely evil.

3. Does Ranni sacrifice herself?

Not directly. Ranni killed her physical body during the Night of Black Knives to free herself from the Greater Will’s control. Her spirit lives on within a doll.

4. Does Ranni killed Godwyn?

Indirectly, yes. Ranni orchestrated the Night of Black Knives, where assassins wielding weapons imbued with Destined Death killed Godwyn’s soul while Ranni’s physical body perished simultaneously.

5. Is Ranni the Tarnished wife?

In the Age of Stars ending, Ranni refers to the Tarnished as her “lord” and “dear consort,” implying a close partnership and acknowledging them as her spouse.

6. Are Melania and Ranni connected?

While not directly related by blood, both Melania and Ranni are Empyreans, potential candidates to become vessels for a new god. Also, some theories suggest that Melina may be Marika’s daughter, making her Ranni’s sister.

7. What to do after Ranni sleeps?

After giving Ranni the Fingerslayer Blade, head to Renna’s Rise and use the teleporter to continue the questline in the Ainsel River.

8. Is Ranni the real villain?

That is a matter of opinion, but she is certainly not a simple hero. Ranni’s actions triggered the events that led to the Shattering, but she did so with the goal of liberating The Lands Between from the Outer Gods. Whether she is a villain depends on your perspective.

9. Who died with Ranni?

Godwyn the Golden died simultaneously with Ranni’s physical body during the Night of Black Knives. He died in soul, while Ranni died in body.

10. Should I side with Ranni?

From a narrative and gameplay perspective, siding with Ranni unlocks a significant questline and a unique ending. There are no negative consequences to serving her, and it allows you to explore a different perspective on the world.

11. What happens if you refuse Melina?

If you refuse Melina, you get locked out of progression. She is essential to reaching the Erdtree and progressing past Morgott.

12. What’s the deal with THE LOATHSOME DUNG EATER?

The Dung Eater is a serial killer who defiles corpses and spreads his curse across the land. His ending, the Blessing of Despair, is considered the worst in the game.

13. What endings do you need to 100% Elden Ring?

To unlock all achievements related to the endings, you need to see one Elden Lord ending, the Age of Stars ending, and the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending.

14. Why did Marika shatter the ring?

Marika shattered the Elden Ring in response to Godwyn’s death and to prevent the Outer Gods from controlling the world.

15. What is the easiest ending in Elden Ring?

The default Elden Ring ending, the Age of Fracture, is the easiest to achieve.

Conclusion

While subjective, the Age of Stars ending stands out as the most narratively compelling and philosophically profound conclusion to Elden Ring. It offers a new vision for The Lands Between, free from the oppressive influence of the Outer Gods. This ending, achieved through a challenging and rewarding questline, grants the player a significant role in shaping the future and offers a sense of hope amidst the bleakness of the game’s world. Understanding the lore and comparing it to other possible outcomes only reinforces its unique and influential position.

The deeper mechanics, narratives, and overall impact that gaming has, make for a vast area of study that educators and researchers are working on. If you want to learn more about these subjects, visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org to gain a deeper understanding of game-based learning.