Introduction to Elden Ring Endings: Why You Need an Updated Guide
Welcome to the ultimate, up-to-date Elden Ring endings guide. FromSoftware's masterpiece is a massive, sprawling action RPG that offers players immense freedom, challenging combat, and a deeply cryptic narrative. One of the most compelling aspects of the game is that your journey across the Lands Between can culminate in several entirely different ways. Because FromSoftware games are known for their hidden questlines and obscure progression triggers, knowing how to use elden ring endings guide updated methods is essential for any Tarnished aiming for 100% completion or a specific narrative conclusion.
With the release of major expansions like Shadow of the Erdtree and subsequent patches that tweaked questline progression, many older online guides became outdated. Certain steps that previously locked you out of specific routes might have been altered, and new items have expanded your overall options. This comprehensive, modern guide will walk you through everything you need to know about navigating the various paths, unlocking achievements, and securing your preferred conclusion to the epic saga of the Elden Ring.
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Understanding the Elden Ring Ending System
Before diving into the specifics of each path, it is crucial to understand how the ending system actually functions in Elden Ring. Unlike traditional role-playing games where you simply pick a dialogue option during the final cinematic, Elden Ring determines your fate based on the Mending Motes, Curse items, or specific Key Items in your inventory when you interact with Marika's body after defeating the final boss.
Furthermore, Elden Ring features a save-scumming possibility for players who want to unlock every achievement in a single playthrough. However, doing so requires careful preparation. If you trigger certain points of no return—such as burning the Erdtree or defeating specific bosses prematurely—you can permanently lock yourself out of entire questlines. This is why utilizing an updated Elden Ring endings guide step-by-step is your best defense against accidental lockouts.
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The Standard Paths: Age of Fracture
Age of Fracture
The Age of Fracture is considered the default or standard ending of the game. If you complete the main campaign objectives without undertaking any specific secondary questlines that reward you with alternative Mending Runes, you will naturally default to this path.
To achieve the Age of Fracture:
- Defeat the final boss of the game.
- Interact with the glowing statue of Queen Marika.
- Choose the prompt to mend the Elden Ring without any special items in your possession.
This ending simply restores the status quo in the Lands Between, albeit with your character sitting upon the Elden Throne as the new Elden Lord. While it lacks the dramatic world-altering effects of other paths, it is a straightforward option for players who want a pure, unadulterated baseline experience before diving into New Game Plus.
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The Mending Rune Endings
Aside from the default path, there are three distinct variations that require you to acquire specific Mending Runes by completing elaborate, character-driven side quests throughout the open world.
Age of the Duskborn
If you want to envelop the Lands Between in a perpetual state of living death, you must follow the tragic and eerie questline of Fia, the Deathbed Companion. Fia can be found in the Roundtable Hold early in the game.
To use this updated guide for the Age of the Duskborn:
- Allow Fia to hold you regularly to progress her dialogue.
- Give her the Curse-Mark of Death, which is found at the top of the Divine Tower of Liurnia after turning Ranni's quest sideways.
- Defeat Lichdragon Fortissax in the Deeproot Depths.
- Fia will reward you with the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince.
- Upon beating the final boss, select the option to use this rune to trigger the Duskborn cinematic.
Age of Order
For players who believe the Golden Order simply needs better administration and fundamental correction, the Goldmask and Brother Corhyn questline provides the answer. This quest takes you across Altus Plateau and the Capital City of Leyndell.
Key steps for the Age of Order include:
- Finding Brother Corhyn at the Roundtable Hold and sending him out into the world.
- Locating Goldmask in Altus Plateau and utilizing the Law of Regression incantation at the giant statue puzzle in Leyndell.
- Finding them both near the bridge in the Ashen Capital.
- Acquiring the Mending Rune of Perfect Order from Goldmask's body after the capital turns to ash.
- Presenting this rune at the end of the game to usher in an era governed by absolute logical order.
Blessing of Despair
Often referred to as the "bad" or chaotic ending, this path revolves around the horrific character known as Dung Eater. If you want to curse every living soul and future generation in the Lands Between, you must seek him out in the sewers beneath Leyndell.
How to complete the Blessing of Despair:
- Find the Dung Eater's phantom in the Roundtable Hold and retrieve the Seedbed Curse from Leyndell.
- Release his physical body from his cell in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds.
- Feed him additional Seedbed Curses found throughout the game world (such as in Volcano Manor and Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree).
- Collect the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse from his defeated physical form.
- Use the rune upon game completion to curse the entire world.
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The Special Path: Age of the Stars
Age of the Stars
Widely considered the most popular and content-rich alternative ending in Elden Ring, the Age of the Stars path is tied to Witch Ranni's epic questline. This ending removes the Greater Will and the Erdtree's direct influence from the Lands Between entirely, ushering in a cold, dark, but free thousand-year voyage under the guidance of the lunar princess.
To use this updated guide effectively for Ranni's ending:
- Meet Ranni at Ranni's Rise in Caria Manor after dealing with Royal Knight Loretta.
- Travel down into the underground rivers of Siofra Well to speak with Blaidd and Seluvis.
- Defeat Starscourge Radahn to open the path to Nokron, Eternal City, and retrieve the Fingerslayer Blade.
- Give the blade to Ranni, allowing her to acquire the Carian Inverted Statue and access the Divine Tower of Liurnia.
- Navigate the Lake of Rot, defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, and traverse the Moonlight Altar plateau.
- Place the Dark Moon Ring onto Ranni's finger inside the cathedral.
- Summon Ranni by interacting with the blue summon sign on the ground after beating the final boss.
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The Frenzied Flame Path: Lord of Frenzied Flame
Lord of Frenzied Flame
If you are looking for a truly apocalyptic conclusion where you burn the entire world down to absolute nothingness, you must seek out the Three Fingers deep beneath the capital city.
Important warnings for the Lord of Frenzied Flame:
- Embracing the Frenzied Flame locks you into this specific ending and overrides all other choices, unless you undertake a notoriously difficult purification quest involving Millicent's questline and the Miquella's Needle item in Crumbling Farum Azula.
- To reach the Three Fingers, you must descend a notoriously punishing platforming puzzle in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds beneath Leyndell and strip naked before the door will open.
- Once branded by the Three Fingers, Melina will abandon you, adding dramatic dialogue changes to your final interactions.
- Upon defeating the final boss, you will trigger the dramatic cinematic of the world being completely consumed by chaotic fire.
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How to Use Save Backups for All Achievements
Many completionist players want to secure all achievements in a single playthrough without committing to multiple multi-hour runs. Using an updated save-scumming guide allows you to achieve this safely on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
To successfully backup your save file before the final boss:
- Progress all major side quests (Ranni, Goldmask, Fia, Dung Eater) right up to the point where you possess their respective runes or are ready to summon them.
- Defeat the final boss of the game, but do NOT immediately trigger the ending or leave the final area.
- Exit the game completely to the main menu.
- Locate your save file directory (on PC, typically under AppData/Roaming/EldenRing) or use your console's cloud save management system to copy your save file to a secure backup folder or USB drive.
- Launch the game, pick one ending, watch the credits, and collect the achievement.
- Close the game, overwrite your current save file with your backup file, and launch the game again to pick a different ending.
- Repeat this process until you have unlocked all applicable ending achievements.
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Conclusion
Navigating the complex narrative paths of Elden Ring can feel overwhelming, but with a reliable and updated guide at your disposal, you can effortlessly craft the exact gaming experience you desire. Whether you choose to usher in the Age of the Stars with Ranni, purify the order with Goldmask, or burn everything to ash in the name of the Frenzied Flame, your journey through the Lands Between is entirely yours to shape. Bookmark this guide, follow the prerequisites carefully, and become the true Elden Lord.
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FAQ
Q: Can I get multiple endings in a single Elden Ring playthrough?
A: Yes, you can unlock multiple ending achievements in a single playthrough by backing up your save file immediately before interacting with Marika's body or the final summon sign, allowing you to reload your save after each cinematic.
Q: How do I remove the Frenzied Flame branding if I accidentally inherited it?
A: To reverse the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending lock, you must complete Millicent's questline, defeat Malenia, acquire Miquella's Needle from Placidusax's arena in Crumbling Farum Azula, and use the needle while standing inside the boss arena of Dragonlord Placidusax.
Q: Does the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC add any brand-new endings to the base game?
A: No, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion adds massive new areas, bosses, and lore, but it does not change the core selection of final endings available at the conclusion of the base game's campaign.
Q: What happens if I miss a Seedbed Curse for the Dung Eater quest?
A: There are more Seedbed Curses available in the game world than the Dung Eater actually requires. If you miss one or two in early areas, you can still collect enough from later regions like Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, to complete his quest.
Q: Is Ranni's ending required for any specific achievement?
A: Yes, completing Ranni's questline and choosing the Age of the Stars grants a specific achievement/trophy on all gaming platforms, making it one of the most important optional paths in the entire game.
Q: Can I still get other endings after burning the Erdtree?
A: Burning the Erdtree is a mandatory part of the main story progression and does not lock you out of most endings. However, locking yourself into the Frenzied Flame by visiting the Three Fingers will override other standard and mending rune endings unless you purify yourself with Miquella's Needle.
