Embarking on a journey through the Lands Between is no small feat. FromSoftware's masterpiece demands skill, patience, and a deep understanding of its cryptic lore. As you carve your path through brutal bosses and sprawling legacy dungeons, you are constantly making choices that shape the fate of the world. This ultimate best Elden Ring endings guide will walk you through every possible conclusion to your epic saga, helping you decide which path aligns with your roleplaying vision.
With six distinct conclusions available in the base game—and even more potential pathways opened by the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion—navigating the sheer volume of quests can feel overwhelming. Whether you want to plunge the world into eternal darkness, restore the golden order, or usher in an entirely new age of the stars, understanding the requirements for each outcome is crucial. Let us dive deep into the requirements, nuances, and rewards of securing the best Elden Ring endings.
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Understanding Elden Ring's Ending System
Before committing to a specific questline, it helps to understand how choices work in FromSoftware games. Unlike traditional roleplaying games where you simply pick a dialogue option right before the credits roll, Elden Ring requires you to actively collect specific items or complete intricate side quests throughout your playthrough.
Your final choice is made at the very end of the game, right after defeating the final boss, by interacting with a specific object or summoning a specific character. However, locking yourself out of certain endings is very easy if you progress too far in the main story or accidentally kill key NPCs. Therefore, planning your route ahead of time is the hallmark of any comprehensive Elden Ring endings walkthrough.
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1. Age of Fracture: The Default Path
If you reach the end of the game without completing any major optional NPC questlines, you will trigger the default Age of Fracture ending. This is often considered the baseline conclusion.
How to Achieve the Age of Fracture
- Defeat the final boss of the game.
- Approach the shattered Marika inside the Erdtree.
- Interact with the prompt to Mend the Elden Ring.
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2. Age of the Duskborn: Embracing Death
Curated by the enigmatic Fia, the Deathbed Companion, the Age of the Duskborn ending introduces the concept of Living in Death into the established order. If you enjoy dark fantasy themes and want to integrate those who live in death back into the grace of the cycle, this is the path for you.
Key Steps for the Duskborn Ending
- Meet Fia at the Roundtable Hold and allow her to hold you, acquiring the Radiant Baldachin's Blessing.
- Progress through Ranni's questline to acquire the Cursemark of Death at the Divine Tower of Liurnia.
- Deliver the Cursemark to Fia in the Deeproot Depths after defeating the Fia's Champions boss fight.
- Reload the area, enter Fia's dream to defeat Lichdragon Fortissax, and obtain the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince.
- Upon defeating the final boss, use this specific rune to mend the Elden Ring.
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3. Blessing of Despair: The Dung Eater's Nightmare
For players seeking the darkest, most visceral conclusion, the Blessing of Despair—often referred to as the Dung Eater ending—is arguably the best Elden Ring ending for pure roleplaying villainy. This path curses every living being and all of their descendants in the Lands Between, trapping them in an eternity of suffering.
Steps to Unlock the Dung Eater Ending
- Discover the Dung Eater in the Roundtable Hold (appearing as a projection) and unlock the sewers beneath the Leyndell Royal Capital.
- Find his physical body in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds and free him using a Seedbed Curse.
- Give him multiple Seedbed Curses gathered throughout the world to acquire the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse.
- Mend the Elden Ring with this rune after the final battle.
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4. Age of Order: Restoring Gold Mask's Vision
If you feel the current Golden Order is simply flawed rather than completely broken, the Age of Order offers a path of intellectual enlightenment and correction. Guided by the steadfast Goldmask and the loyal scholar Corhyn, this ending removes the petty and fickle nature of the Outer Gods from the equation.
How to Secure the Age of Order
- Locate Corhyn and Goldmask in Altus Plateau and relay the secret of Radagon's true identity to them at the Erdtree Capital.
- Follow their movements to the Mountaintops of the Giants.
- Solve the riddle at the statue using the Law of Regression incantation.
- Find them one final time near Leyndell, Ashen Capital, to obtain the Mending Rune of Perfect Order.
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5. Lord of Frenzied Flame: Chaos Takes the World
The Lord of Frenzied Flame is perhaps the most dramatic and visually striking conclusion in the game. Supported by Melina’s warning against it, this path rejects all existence, calling for total destruction and rebirth through the chaotic fires of the Three Fingers.
How to Trigger the Frenzied Flame Ending
- Locate the Three Fingers hidden deep beneath the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds in Leyndell.
- Strip off all your armor and interact with the door to receive the fiery embrace.
- Defeat the final boss and trigger the cutscene automatically (note: this locks you out of all other endings unless you use Miquella's Needle in Dragonlord Placidusax's arena to cleanse yourself).
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6. Age of the Stars: The Fan-Favorite Conclusion
Widely regarded by the community as the true best Elden Ring ending, the Age of the Stars is tied to the massive and deeply rewarding questline of Witch Ranni. This path ushers in an era of night, cold, and freedom, removing the direct influence of the Greater Will and the Golden Order entirely from the Lands Between.
Complete Walkthrough for Age of the Stars
- Meet Ranni at Ranni's Rise in Caria Manor and join her service.
- Retrieve the Fingerslayer Blade from Nokron, Eternal City, and give it to her.
- Use the Carian Inverted Statue at the Carian Study Hall to reach the Divine Tower of Liurnia and claim the Cursemark of Death.
- Travel through the Ainsel River Main, pick up the miniature Ranni doll, and talk to it at a site of grace.
- Defeat the Baleful Shadow in Lake of Rot, ride the coffin down to Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, and defeat him.
- Traverse the Moonlight Altar, enter the cathedral, drop down the hole, and place the Dark Moon Ring on Ranni's finger.
- Summon Ranni using the blue summoning sign on the ground immediately after defeating the final boss.
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Tips for Choosing the Best Elden Ring Ending for Your Playthrough
Deciding which path to take depends entirely on your personal goals and how you want your character's story to resolve. Here are a few final tips to keep in mind:
- Save Scumming: If you want to view multiple endings in a single playthrough without replaying the entire game from scratch, you can back up your save file right before interacting with Marika or the summoning sign after the final boss.
- Checklist Management: Keep a physical or digital checklist of NPC locations, especially for Goldmask, Fia, and Dung Eater, as progressing too far in the main story can prematurely end their questlines.
- Expansion Integration: While Shadow of the Erdtree adds incredible lore regarding Miquella and Marika, it does not introduce a brand-new base game ending cinematic, meaning your choice still relies on these core six paths.
By following this ultimate guide, you are fully equipped to navigate the complex political and mystical landscape of the Lands Between and claim the exact ending that suits your journey. May your blade stay sharp and your spirit remain unbroken, Tarnished.
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Q: Can you get multiple endings in a single Elden Ring playthrough?
A: Yes, you can technically view multiple endings by backing up your save file to cloud storage or a local drive right before making the final choice after defeating the final boss. However, each character can only lock in one ending per official playthrough without save manipulation.
Q: Which Elden Ring ending is considered the best?
A: The "Age of the Stars" ending, achieved through Ranni's questline, is widely considered by the community to be the best and most satisfying ending due to its extensive narrative depth, unique rewards, and liberation of the Lands Between.
Q: How do I undo the Frenzied Flame ending?
A: To remove the Frenzied Flame and regain access to other endings, you must complete millicent's questline, defeat Malenia to acquire Miquella's Needle, and use the needle in Dragonlord Placidusax's boss arena in Crumbling Farum Azula.
Q: Will the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC add a new ending?
A: No, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion expands upon the lore, weapons, and bosses of the game, but it does not alter the core base game endings or introduce a brand-new concluding cinematic to the main campaign.
Q: What happens if I don't do any side quests before beating the game?
A: If you complete no optional NPC questlines, you will automatically be funneled into the default "Age of Fracture" ending when you touch Marika at the end of the game.
Q: Can I lock myself out of Ranni's ending?
A: Yes. Attacking Ranni, progressing too far with Seluvis in a way that angers her, or failing to give her the Fingerslayer Blade before certain narrative milestones can occasionally interrupt her quest, though most steps can be recovered by seeking absolution at the Church of Vows.
