Welcome to the ultimate free elden ring endings guide updated for 2024 and beyond. FromSoftware’s masterpiece continues to captivate millions of players exploring the desolate, beautiful, and punishing landscape of the Lands Between. Whether you are a seasoned Tarnished aiming for the coveted Platinum trophy or a newcomer wondering how your choices shape the fate of this broken realm, understanding the various conclusions is crucial.
Navigating the complex questlines required to unlock every Elden Ring ending can feel like an insurmountable task without a roadmap. The game features six distinct conclusions, ranging from bleak alternate realities to sweeping systemic changes. Best of all, you do not need to pay for strategy guides or expensive DLC walkthroughs to see them all. This free elden ring endings guide updated covers everything you need to know, breaking down the requirements, key NPCs, and steps for every single path to Elden Lord and beyond.
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Understanding Elden Ring's Ending Mechanics
Before diving into the specific paths, it is important to understand how the game handles its conclusions. Unlike many traditional RPGs, Elden Ring does not force you into a single path the moment you start playing. In fact, you can complete almost all prerequisite quests in a single playthrough, manipulate your save files (often called save-scumming), and witness multiple conclusions without restarting the game from scratch.
To achieve any of the main narrative conclusions, you must progress through the main storyline until you defeat the final bosses in the Erdtree. Depending on which items are in your inventory when you interact with the fractured Marika, you will be given different prompts. This flexibility makes utilizing a comprehensive free elden ring endings guide updated essential for players looking to maximize their single playthrough efficiency.
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1. The Standard Path: Age of Fracture
The Age of Fracture is considered the default or standard conclusion of Elden Ring. If you simply follow the main path, defeat the mandatory bosses, and interact with Queen Marika without giving allegiance to any specific outer god or completing complex side quests, this is the path you will walk.
To secure the Age of Fracture, you simply need to defeat the final boss, use the Mending Rune of the Fracture (which is obtained automatically by progressing the story), and touch the broken statue. This ending maintains the status quo of the Golden Order, albeit with you sitting upon the Elden Throne as the new Elden Lord. While it lacks the dramatic world-altering effects of other paths, it is the baseline from which all other variations diverge.
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2. The Fia Path: Age of the Fissure (Death)
If you want to fundamentally alter the fundamental laws of the Lands Between to embrace death rather than fear it, you must follow the intricate questline of Fia, the Deathbed Companion. This path results in the Age of the Fissure, also known as the Age of the Duskborn.
To unlock this ending, you must let Fia hold you at the Roundtable Hold to receive the Baldachin's Blessing, progress through her dialogue, and eventually give her the Cursemark of Death (obtained at the top of the Divine Tower of Liurnia after advancing Ranni’s quest).
Here are the key steps to complete Fia's questline:
- Meet Fia at the Roundtable Hold and accept her embrace regularly.
- Speak to D, Hunter of the Dead, and give him the Dagger to pass on to Fia.
- Discover Fia over D's body in the secluded room past the blacksmith and acquire the D's Armor and Twinned Armor.
- Travel to the Deeproot Depths, defeat Fia's Champions, and give her the Cursemark of Death.
- Reload the area, interact with her to enter her dream, and defeat Lichdragon Fortissax.
- Claim the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince from her body.
Upon defeating the final boss, use this Mending Rune to trigger the Age of the Fissure, integrating death naturally into the fabric of the world.
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3. The Dung Eater Path: Blessing of Despair
Perhaps the most haunting and grotesque conclusion in the game is the Blessing of Despair, brought to you by the infamous Dung Eater. Choosing this path curses every single living soul in the Lands Between, dooming their descendants to a miserable existence of spiritual defilement.
While morally repulsive, experiencing this ending is required for completionists. To unlock it, you must track down Seedbed Barrows hidden throughout Leyndell, Royal Capital, and the Volcano Manor region.
Follow these steps for the Dung Eater's quest:
- Find the Dung Eater in the Roundtable Hold (appearing as a projection) and get the Sewer-Gaol Key.
- Locate his physical body in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds beneath Leyndell and release him.
- Give him a Seedbed-Barrow to prompt him to move.
- Ambush him in the Outer Moat near Leyndell (where Blackguard Big Boggart resides), defeat his phantom, and return to the Roundtable Hold.
- Bring him a total of five Seedbed Barrows to receive the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse.
Presenting this item to Marika results in the Blessing of Despair, turning the skies a sickly green and sealing the fate of the realm in eternal torment.
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4. The Goldmask Path: Age of Order
For those who wish to purify the Golden Order of its corrupt, petty, and fallible gods, the Age of Order is the most intellectually satisfying path. This conclusion is driven by the steadfast faith of Brother Corhyn and the enigmatic, silent genius of Goldmask.
To achieve the Age of Order, you must engage in a bit of mathematical detective work within the capital city.
The essential steps include:
- Find Brother Corhyn at the Roundtable Hold and send him out to find Goldmask.
- Locate them both near the Altus Plateau highway, and later at the Colosseum in Leyndell.
- Solve the riddle at the Erdtree Sanctuary: cast the incantation Law of Regression (requires 37 Intelligence) while standing in front of the statue of Radagon, revealing the secret that "Radagon is Marika."
- Tell Goldmask the truth, then find him one last time on a bridge south of the Crumbling Farum Azula approach.
- Obtain the Mending Rune of Perfect Order from his lifeless body after defeating Maliketh.
Using this rune triggers the Age of Order, cleansing the Golden Order of mortal flaws and establishing an era of absolute, unchanging truth.
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5. The Ranni Path: Age of the Stars
Widely considered the true "secret" or "good" ending of Elden Ring, the Age of the Stars replaces the Golden Order entirely with the reign of the Dark Moon, guided by Princess Ranni. This path features an extended, highly rewarding questline that takes you through multiple secret areas, including the Nokron, Eternal City, and the Moonlight Altar.
Here is a quick overview of how to achieve the Age of the Stars:
- Meet Ranni at Ranni's Rise in Caria Manor (Liurnia of the Lakes).
- Join her service and travel to Nokron, Eternal City, to retrieve the Fingerslayer Blade.
- Give the blade to Ranni to receive the Carian Inverted Statue, which allows you to access the Divine Tower of Liurnia.
- 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 the Lake of Rot to obtain the Discarded Palace Key.
- Open the chest in the Raya Lucaria Grand Library to get the Dark Moon Ring.
- Navigate the Lake of Rot, defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, and ascend to the Moonlight Altar.
- Place the ring on Ranni's finger inside the cathedral to receive the Dark Moon Greatsword.
At the very end of the game, instead of interacting with Marika's corpse, summon Ranni via the blue summon sign on the floor to trigger the breathtaking Age of the Stars cinematic.
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6. The Frenzied Flame Path: Lord of Frenzied Flame
If you believe that the entire world is beyond saving and that all life must be melted back into the primordial crucible of chaos, the Lord of Frenzied Flame is your destiny. Guarded by the Three Fingers deep beneath the capital, this path locks you out of all other endings unless you undertake a monumental cleansing quest using Miquella's Needle.
Follow these steps to embrace the flame:
- Navigate the harrowing parkour puzzle down into the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds beneath Leyndell, past the Mohg, the Omen boss arena.
- Strip off all your armor and weapons and open the heavy stone door, allowing the Three Fingers to embrace your character.
- Your body will become severely burned and scarred, changing your eye appearance (which you can alter at the mirror in Fia's room).
- Melina will abandon you, furious that you have chosen the path of chaos.
When you reach the final chamber, you will automatically trigger the Frenzied Flame ending, regardless of other Mending Runes in your inventory. To reverse this, you must complete millicent's questline, defeat Malenia, use the Unalloyed Gold Needle at Dragonlord Placidusax's arena in Crumbling Farum Azula, and rid yourself of the flame.
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Tips for Managing Multiple Endings in One Playthrough
Maximizing your time in the Lands Between requires careful planning. If you want to see multiple conclusions without playing the entire game four or five times, you can utilize cloud saves or local save backups right before defeating the final boss.
Here are some best practices for save manipulation:
- Complete all side quests for Ranni, Fia, Goldmask, and the Dung Eater before entering the final mandatory legacy dungeon (Crumbling Farum Azula).
- Defeat the final boss and activate a Site of Grace in the room, but do not interact with the fractured Marika yet.
- Exit the game and back up your save files to the cloud or a USB drive.
- Load the game, choose one ending, watch the credits, and reload your backup save to try another.
- Note that the Frenzied Flame ending has a permanent override unless cleansed, so save that for last or ensure you have Miquella's Needle ready.
By following this free elden ring endings guide updated, you will save countless hours of grinding and experience every facet of FromStation's brilliant storytelling.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I get all endings in a single playthrough of Elden Ring?
A: Yes, you can technically unlock almost all of them in one playthrough by backing up your save files right before interacting with the final decision point in the Erdtree. However, the Frenzied Flame path requires a special reversal item (Miquella's Needle) if you want to view other standard endings afterward.
Q: Which ending is considered the "canon" or best ending?
A: FromSoftware games rarely feature a strict "canon" ending. However, the Age of the Stars (Ranni's ending) is widely considered by the community to be the best and most fleshed-out conclusion due to its massive, highly rewarding questline and unique cinematic.
Q: What happens if I inherit the Frenzied Flame by accident?
A: If you accidentally open the door and receive the Frenzied Flame, you are locked out of all other endings unless you cure yourself. To cure it, you must complete Millicent's lengthy questline, defeat Malenia to get Miquella's Needle, and use it inside the secret arena of Dragonlord Placidusax in Crumbling Farum Azula.
Q: Do I need to purchase the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC to get all endings?
A: No, the base game contains all six original endings (Age of Fracture, Age of the Fissure, Blessing of Despair, Age of Order, Age of the Stars, and Lord of Frenzied Flame). The expansion adds incredible new lore and bosses, but it does not alter the core endings of the base game.
Q: How do I change my eye appearance back after getting the Frenzied Flame?
A: Once you are branded by the Three Fingers, your eyes will glow bright yellow with frenzied flame patterns. You can revert this by visiting the cosmetic mirror in the Roundtable Hold, going to "Cosmetics," and toggling "Eyes" to disable or enable eye alterations.
