Introduction to Elden Ring Endings on PC
Embarking on a journey through the Lands Between is no small feat. For PC gamers diving into FromSoftware’s magnum opus, mastering the mechanics, framerates, and controls is only half the battle. The ultimate reward for your perseverance is witnessing one of the game's multiple conclusions. If you are searching for the best Elden Ring endings guide for PC, you have come to the right place. This comprehensive walkthrough will help you navigate the complex web of quests, choices, and lore required to unlock the most satisfying conclusions available in the game.
PC players enjoy unique advantages when pursuing specific achievements, such as backing up save files to experience multiple outcomes in a single playthrough. However, the path to unlocking these endings requires strict adherence to intricate questlines involving demigods, witches, and ancient curses. Whether you are playing on a high-end rig with ray tracing enabled or on a Steam Deck on the go, the Lands Between remains unforgiving. Let us break down the absolute best endings, how to achieve them, and why they resonate so deeply with the community.
---
Understanding the Elden Ring Endings Landscape
Before diving into the specifics, it is important to understand how endings work in Elden Ring. Unlike previous titles from the developer, Elden Ring offers six distinct outcomes, ranging from the standard default path to secret cosmic conclusions and apocalyptic scenarios. Your choice at the very end of the game—interacting with a specific item or NPC after defeating the final boss—determines your fate.
For PC players, save scumming is a popular technique to see multiple endings without sinking another hundred hours into a brand-new playthrough. By navigating to your roaming AppData folder (`C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\EldenRing`), you can copy your save file before making the final choice. This clever trick allows you to unlock multiple achievements in a single run, making it a favorite strategy for completionists.
---
The Best Elden Ring Endings Ranked
While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the community generally agrees on which conclusions offer the most compelling narratives, the deepest lore, and the most satisfying visual payoffs. Here is a breakdown of the top conclusions you should aim for on your PC playthrough.
1. Age of the Stars (The Ranni Ending)
Widely regarded by the community as the best Elden Ring ending, the Age of the Stars questline is an absolute masterpiece of game design. Initiated by meeting Ranni the Witch at Church of Elleh and later at Ranni's Rise in Liurnia of the Lakes, this sprawling quest takes you across almost every region of the map, including the underground eternal cities of Nokron and Nokstella, and even the rotting depths of the Lake of Rot.
To achieve this ending, you must fully complete Ranni’s questline, defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, traverse the Moonlight Altar, and place the Dark Moon Ring on the finger of Ranni's doll. Upon defeating the final boss, you will see a blue summon sign on the ground instead of interacting with the fractured Marika. Summoning Ranni triggers a cinematic where the old order is cast away, and you embark with her into a thousand-year voyage of the night, fear, and icy cosmos, freeing humanity from the tyrannical grip of the Greater Will.
2. Age of Order (The Goldmask Ending)
If you prefer a lawful, structured approach to healing the fractured Lands Between, the Age of Order ending is a phenomenal choice. This conclusion is tied to the brilliant yet tragic scholar Corhyn and the enigmatic, silent Mask of Gold. It offers a nuanced look at the flaws of the Golden Order and attempts to correct them rather than destroy them.
To secure this ending, you must find Goldmask and Corhyn in various locations across Altus Plateau and Leyndell, Royal Capital. By utilizing the incantation Law of Regression (requiring high Intelligence) in front of a specific statue in Leyndell, you will discover the shocking truth about Marika and Radagon. Continue following their questline through the Mountaintops of the Giants and secure the Mending Rune of Perfect Order from Goldmask's body after burning the Erdtree. Using this rune at the end of the game ushers in an era free from the petty whims and madness of fickle gods.
3. Lord of Frenzied Flame (The Chaos Ending)
For players who prefer a darker, more apocalyptic narrative, the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending is an unforgettable cinematic experience. This path bypasses the standard Mending Runes entirely and aligns you with the Three Fingers, an ancient entity buried deep beneath the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds beneath Leyndell.
The journey to reach this ending requires navigating a notoriously punishing platforming puzzle and removing all your armor before the Three Fingers will brand your character. Doing so locks you into the Frenzied Flame path, altering Melina’s dialogue and setting you up to burn the world away so that all may meld once more. Be warned: choosing this path locks you out of all other endings unless you complete Millicent’s extraordinarily long questline, defeat Malenia, and use Miquella's Needle inside Placidusax’s arena in Crumbling Farum Azula to cure yourself.
---
Tips and Tricks for PC Players
Navigating these massive questlines can be overwhelming. Here are some essential tips tailored specifically for PC users to ensure your playthrough goes smoothly:
- Back Up Your Saves: As mentioned earlier, locate your save files in the AppData directory and back them up manually before the point of no return in Crumbling Farum Azula or Ashen Capital.
- Utilize Online Wikis and Trackers: Quests in Elden Ring are notoriously obscure. Keeping a tab open with a quest tracker can prevent you from accidentally locking yourself out of important NPC interactions.
- Check Performance Settings: PC performance can fluctuate heavily in areas like Leyndell, Ashen Capital, and when dealing with particle-heavy magic spells. Adjust your settings to maintain a stable 60 FPS for precise combat and platforming.
- Explore Thoroughly: Many of the best endings require deep exploration. Do not rush the main path; take time to clear optional dungeons and talk to NPCs multiple times until their dialogue repeats.
---
Conclusion
Choosing your path in FromSoftware's masterpiece is a monumental decision that shapes the fate of an entire world. Whether you choose to usher in the cold, starlit freedom of Ranni’s Age of the Stars, restore bureaucratic perfection with Goldmask, or burn the entire establishment down in a fit of frenzied madness, your journey through the Lands Between will leave a lasting impression. By following this ultimate best Elden Ring endings guide for PC, you are now fully equipped to make the choice that best suits your roleplaying desires. Prepare your blade, champion, and claim your throne.
---
FAQ
Q: Can I get multiple endings on a single PC playthrough?
A: Yes! PC players can easily achieve this by creating a manual backup of their save files located in the AppData Roaming folder just before making the final choice at the end of the game. After viewing one ending, you can restore your backup save to experience the others.
Q: Which Elden Ring ending is considered the best for lore?
A: Most of the community and lore enthusiasts consider the "Age of the Stars" (Ranni's ending) to be the most fleshed-out, satisfying, and narratively complete conclusion in the game, as it removes the meddling outer gods from the affairs of humanity entirely.
Q: How do I lock myself out of the Frenzied Flame ending?
A: If you accidentally inherit the Frenzied Flame from the Three Fingers, you can cure yourself by completing Millicent's questline, defeating Malenia, obtaining Miquella's Needle, and using it inside the boss arena of Dragonlord Placidusax in Crumbling Farum Azula.
Q: Do I need to beat Malenia to get the best endings?
A: No, optional superbosses like Malenia are not required for most endings. However, defeating her and completing associated questlines is necessary if you wish to reverse the Frenzied Flame ending or unlock specific achievements.
Q: Are there any PC-specific mods that change the endings?
A: Yes, the PC modding community has created numerous overhaul mods, such as "Convergence" or custom cosmetic and lore expansion mods, which add new pathways and alternative endings to the base game experience.
Q: What happens if I don't use any Mending Rune at the end?
A: If you do not possess any special Mending Runes and have not sided with Ranni or the Three Fingers, you will trigger the default "Age of Fracture" ending, repairing the Elden Ring in its current, deeply flawed state.
