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Much to everyone’s surprise, the story trailer forElden Ring‘s first and only planned DLC,Shadow of the Erdtree, released today out of nowhere. Naturally, FromSoftware fans have started eagerly dissecting every detail in every frame of the trailer.
While it offers a glimpse into the DLC’s story – centered around demigods Miquella and Messmer the Impaler – a new theory has emerged regarding the potential connection between the expansion and Godwyn the Golden, another demigod whose tragic end domino’d the base game’s events.
The Trailer Shows Miquella At The Beginning, Or Does It?
In typical FromSoftware fashion, thetrailerreveals more about the core conflict of the DLC, but in a highly confusing, extremely verbose fashion. It shows Miquella (perhaps not) sacrificing himself to confront a fiery threat embodied by Messmer the Impaler. It also shows an unseen war and the suffering of Leyndell, the royal city.
“The tyranny of Messmer’s flame”: Shadow of the Erdtree Trailer Reveals a War Deadlier Than The Shattering – Why Did Hidetaka Miyazaki Hide it From Us?
WhileShadow of the Erdtreeappears to be heavily focussed on Miquella and Messmer, another notion regarding the masked, slightly percutaneouscreature featured in recent promotional artfor the expansion has led to a flurry of speculation.
This masked Omen creature, possessing blonde hair and a feminine appearance, has led some fans to believe it could be Godwyn himself. Moreover, the blond, long-haired demigod at the very beginning of the trailer, while alluded to as Miquella, does bear a striking resemblance to Godwyn. The mention of “gold” could also be a hint to his full title: Godwyn the Golden.
Godwyn’s Believable Connection ToShadow of the Erdtree
Godwyn’s story inElden Ringis one of tragedy. He was murdered during the Night of the Black Knives, his death setting into motion the events leading to the shattering of the Elden Ring and triggering the demigod war.
However, Godwyn’s demise wasn’t a clean one. Due to a peculiarity involving the stolen Rune of Death, his body transformed into an immortal husk known as the Prince of Death, a monstrous entity influencing undeath in the Lands Between.
The theory regardingGodwyn’s connection toShadow of the Erdtreedraws on his past relationship with Omenkind. Unlike most demigods, Godwyn displayed compassion towards Omens, a marginalized group ostracized by society.
This facet of Godwyn’s character has led some to believe that his transformation into the Prince of Death, the embodiment of a reviled existence, could be a central theme explored inShadow of the Erdtree. Speculation also suggests Messmer might be attempting to revive Godwyn, fueled by knowledge of Ranni’s role in Godwyn’s demise and possibly Marika’s involvement.
Messmer’s goal might be to useOmen blood in Godwyn’s revival, a plot twist that could significantly alter the course of the expansion’s story. Lastly, the theory posits that Messmer’s imprisonment in the Land of Shadows could be a consequence of his actions in Leyndell. It’s a lot to take in, and the theories are coming hard and fast, but this one does stand out from the rest.
“I am so ready to go back…”: Elden Ring was Just the Appetizer as Shadow of the Erdtree Story Trailer Blows Everyone’s Minds
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreereleases 31 July 2025 across PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X/S, and PC.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Content Writer
Articles Published :247
A lifelong gamer, lover of cars, and Master’s student of Automotive Journalism, Viraaj Bhatnagar is a gaming writer at FandomWire who aims to be one of the greats. When he’s not hunched over on his laptop typing out copy, he can be found lapping circuits in Gran Turismo or slaying draugr in God of War.
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