Introduction to Elden Ring Endings
Welcome to the ultimate Elden Ring endings guide free resource. FromSoftware’s magnum opus is a game of staggering scale, depth, and choice. As you traverse the treacherous landscapes of the Lands Between, you are not just fighting for survival; you are shaping the very future of the world. One of the most compelling aspects of the game is its multiple endings, each offering a distinct vision for the realm after you defeat the final boss and claim the Elden Ring.
Achieving these different conclusions requires navigating intricate questlines involving various Demigods, NPCs, and secret factions. Because missable steps can lock you out of certain paths, having a reliable Elden Ring endings guide free of charge is essential for completionists and lore enthusiasts alike. Whether you want to plunge the world into eternal darkness, usher in an age of order, or simply mend the Elden Ring as it was, this comprehensive walkthrough covers everything you need to know.
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Understanding the Elden Ring Endings System
Before diving into the specific paths, it is important to understand how the endgame choice functions. Unlike traditional RPGs where you simply make a dialogue choice right before the credits roll, Elden Ring ties its conclusions to your inventory items and completed questlines. Throughout your journey, certain actions will reward you with specific Mending Runes or items.
Upon defeating the final boss of the game, you will interact with the shattered statue of Queen Marika. Depending on what items you hold in your inventory and which NPCs you have assisted, you will be presented with different interaction prompts. It is entirely possible to complete multiple questlines in a single playthrough, though you can only choose one ending per save file unless you use save-scumming techniques. Let us break down every single ending available in the game, starting with the standard path.
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The Standard Path: Age of Fracture
The Age of Fracture is considered the default or standard ending of the game. If you complete the main story objectives without committing to any specific side questlines or secret factions, this is the path you will naturally take.
To achieve this ending, you simply need to defeat the final boss, interact with Queen Marika, and choose the option to Mend the Elden Ring. In this conclusion, the status quo is largely maintained. You become the new Elden Lord, but the fundamental flaws and cycles of the world remain unbroken. While it lacks the dramatic world-state changes of the secret endings, it serves as a baseline for the lore of the Lands Between.
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The Golden Order Endings
Through the Golden Order questlines, particularly those involving Brother Corhyn and Goldmask, you can discover alternative ways to mend the Elden Ring. These paths fix the perceived corruption within the ruling theological system.
Age of Order
The Age of Order requires you to follow the complex and often obscure questline of Brother Corhyn and the eccentric scholar Goldmask. You will need to travel across the Altus Plateau and Leyndell, Royal Capital, solving a riddle using the Law of Regression incantation.
- Locate Goldmask and Corhyn in their various resting spots across the map.
- Solve the Radagon puzzle at the Erdtree Sanctuary.
- Obtain the Mending Rune of the Perfect Order upon the completion of their questline.
When you reach the end of the game, use this rune to mend the Elden Ring. This ending establishes a new era where the gods' fickle emotions are removed, and the Golden Order is perfected through absolute logic and mathematical precision, removing the flaws inherent in the divine.
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The Dark and Chaotic Paths
Not everyone wishes to preserve the Golden Order. Some players seek to uproot the current paradigm entirely, whether through cosmic horror or a complete reset of the world's governing forces.
Age of the Duskborn
The Age of the Duskborn is tied to the mysterious and unsettling questline of Fia, the Deathbed Companion. By assisting Fia and navigating the depths of Deeproot Depths, you confront the remnants of Godwyn the Golden.
- Give Fia the Dexterous Cursemark of Death.
- Defeat Lichdragon Fortissax.
- Obtain the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince.
Choosing this ending integrates the concept of Death into the Golden Order, allowing those who live in death to find their rightful place in the world. It fundamentally alters the natural order by removing the unnatural fear and banishment associated with undeath.
Blessing of Despair
Perhaps the most grim and disturbing conclusion is the Blessing of Despair, orchestrated by the infamous Dung Eater. This path plunges the entire world into a perpetual curse.
- Locate the Dung Eater in the Roundtable Hold and find his physical body in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds.
- Feed him Seedbed Blessing items to progress his madness.
- Obtain the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse.
When applied to the Elden Ring, this rune curses every future generation in the Lands Between. It is a bleak, nihilistic vision that reflects the suffering and malice of the Dung Eater himself, making it a favorite for players roleplaying as villains.
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The Cosmic Endings
The remaining two major conclusions take you completely outside the standard divine hierarchy, offering radical transformations of the world.
Lord of Frenzied Flame
The Lord of Frenzied Flame is the only ending that completely locks you out of all other choices unless you take extreme counter-measures. This path involves descending deep beneath Leyndell to meet the Three Fingers.
- Locate the subterranean chamber beneath the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds.
- Strip off all your armor and open the sealed door to receive the embrace of the Frenzied Flame.
- Burn the Erdtree with your own body rather than sacrificing Melina.
This ending results in Melina abandoning you and vowing to hunt you down. Upon taking the throne, you become the Lord of Frenzied Flame, burning away the entire world in a chaotic blaze so that all life can melt back into the One Great. You can reverse this ending by completing the massive questline of Millicent and using Miquella's Needle in Dragonlord Placidusax's arena, but otherwise, this locks your save file into the flame's grasp.
Age of the Stars
The Age of the Stars is widely considered the "good" or secret true ending of Elden Ring. Tied to the fan-favorite witch Ranni, this path removes the Greater Will and the Golden Order from the Lands Between entirely, ushering in an age of the cold, dark cosmos.
- Meet Ranni at Ranni's Rise in Liurnia of the Lakes.
- Travel to the Nokron, Eternal City and Lake of Rot to find the Fingerslayer Blade and the Dark Moon Ring.
- Defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, and traverse the Moonlight Altar.
- Place the ring on Ranni's doll at the Cathedral of Manus Celes.
- Summon Ranni at the very end of the game by interacting with her blue summon sign on the floor after defeating the final boss.
Choosing this ending removes the gods' direct meddling in mortal affairs, allowing humanity to forge its own destiny under the guidance of the dark moon and Ranni as its queen. It offers a poignant, atmospheric conclusion that rewards exploration and deep lore engagement.
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Tips for Managing Multiple Endings
If you want to experience multiple endings without playing through the entire game three or four times, you can utilize cloud saves or local file backups. On PC, you can copy your save file from the AppData folder right before the final boss and reload it after viewing an ending. On consoles, you can upload your save to cloud storage, disable auto-upload, view an ending, and download the save back to your console.
However, playing through the game naturally and committing to a different faction in New Game Plus is the most rewarding way to experience the full scope of what Elden Ring has to offer. Whichever path you choose, consulting a thorough Elden Ring endings guide free of spoilers where it matters most will ensure you never miss a crucial NPC interaction.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can you get all Elden Ring endings in a single playthrough?
A:No, you cannot unlock every ending in a single playthrough naturally because each save file only allows you to choose one mending rune or summon sign at the very end. However, by backing up your save files before the final boss room, you can view multiple endings on a single character.
Q: How do I remove the Frenzied Flame lock-in?
A:To reverse the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending, you must complete Millicent's questline to obtain Miquella's Needle. Then, you must defeat the secret boss Dragonlord Placidusax in Crumbling Farum Azula and use the needle within his arena to subdue the flame.
Q: Which ending is considered the best or true ending?
A:Elden Ring does not have an official "canon" ending declared by FromSoftware. However, the Age of the Stars (Ranni's ending) is often considered by the community to be the best and most satisfying conclusion due to its depth, extensive questline, and thematic resolution.
Q: Does Melina leave permanently if I accept the Frenzied Flame?
A:Yes. If you inherit the Frenzied Flame before sacrificing Melina at the Forge of the Giants, she will abandon you, vow to hunt you down, and a brief cinematic will play showing her opening her eye with a look of severe betrayal.
Q: Are any of the ending achievements or trophies missable?
A:Yes. The Age of Fracture, Age of the Stars, and Lord of Frenzied Flame each have their own tied achievements. While you can back up saves to grab them all in one go, missing the prerequisites for Ranni's quest or accidentally locking yourself out can prevent you from getting certain trophies until New Game Plus.
