Introduction to Elden Ring Endings
Navigating the vast and unforgiving world of FromSoftware's masterpiece can be an overwhelming experience. For players diving deep into the Lands Between, achieving a specific conclusion to their journey requires careful planning. This comprehensive Elden Ring endings guide is designed to help you understand, unlock, and experience every possible narrative conclusion this epic dark fantasy game has to offer. With six distinct pathways available to the player, understanding how to manipulate your save files, manage key NPCs, and fulfill complex questlines is paramount.
Elden Ring breaks away from traditional linear storytelling by offering multiple distinct outcomes upon defeating the final bosses. Whether you want to restore the Golden Order, plunge the world into eternal darkness, or introduce a radically new divine order, your choices throughout the sprawling open world matter deeply. In this guide, we will break down each ending, the requirements to unlock them, and strategies to see them all without necessarily replaying the entire game from scratch.
---
Understanding the Elden Ring Endings System
Before diving into the specific requirements for each achievement, it is essential to understand how the endgame trigger works. Regardless of which path you choose, the actual choice of ending occurs immediately after defeating the final boss of the game. Upon interaction with a specific object or NPC in the arena, the game rolls credits and registers your final choice.
However, locking yourself into a specific path happens long before this final moment. Many endings require you to finish intricate side quests, collect specific items known as Mending Runes, or receive a transformative status effect from hidden areas deep underground. If you are aiming to experience multiple outcomes on a single character, understanding the mechanics of cloud saves and backups is a crucial strategy for completionists.
---
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 finishing any major optional NPC questlines that grant alternative Mending Runes, this is the path you will automatically take.
To achieve the Age of Fracture, you simply need to defeat the final boss, interact with the shattered Marika, and choose to mend the Elden Ring. While it lacks the dramatic world-state changes of other paths, it represents the continuation of the current divine paradigm, albeit with your Tarnished sitting upon the Elden Throne as the new Elden Lord.
---
The Mending Rune Endings
There are three distinct endings that act as variations of the standard Elden Lord conclusion. Each of these requires you to acquire a unique Mending Rune by completing long, multi-stage questlines involving major non-player characters. When you reach the final chamber, you will be given the option to use your specific rune during the mending process.
Age of the Duskborn
This atmospheric and melancholic ending is tied to the deeply intertwined questlines of Fia, the Deathbed Companion, and Rogier. By following Fia's quest deep into the subterranean depths of the Deeproot Depths, you will face formidable foes and piece together the Cursemark of Death.
Upon presenting the Cursemark to Fia and defeating the Lichdragon Fortissax, you will receive the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince. Choosing this ending at the conclusion of the game introduces death back into the Golden Order, altering the fundamental laws of the Lands Between and creating a new age for those touched by death.
Age of Order
If you prefer a structured, scholarly approach to fixing the shattered world, the Age of Order is for you. This path is tied to Brother Corhyn and the enigmatic Goldmask. Their questline requires you to locate them at various points across the map, solve a cryptic riddle using the Law of Regression incantation at the Erdtree Capital, and locate Goldmask in the mountains.
Successfully completing this quest rewards you with the Mending Rune of Perfect Order. Using this item at the end of the game purges the fickle and cruel nature of the Greater Will's current gods, replacing it with a rigid, absolute order that eliminates the flaws of divinity.
Blessing of Despair
Often referred to as the "bad" or darkest ending, the Blessing of Despair is achieved by following the grotesque and disturbing questline of the Dung Eater. Found inside the Roundtable Hold as a phantom, you must eventually release his physical body in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds and feed him Seedbed Perils found throughout the later regions of the map.
Once his quest is complete, he grants you the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse. Applying this rune during the final interaction curses every single inhabitant of the Lands Between for generations to come, plunging the world into a nightmare of eternal suffering and defilement.
---
The Radical Alternatives: Lord of Frenzied Flame
Stepping entirely outside the realm of the Elden Lord outcomes, the Lord of Frenzied Flame offers a completely unique cutscene and locks you out of all other options unless a specific, extremely difficult cleansing ritual is performed.
To unlock this path, you must venture deep beneath Leyndell, the Royal Capital, into the nightmarish Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. Navigating a notoriously difficult platforming puzzle leads you to the Three Fingers. Embracing the Three Fingers burns your character, bestowing the Frenzied Flame and turning your eyes glowing yellow.
If you have the Frenzied Flame active, you must use it to trigger this ending, destroying the Erdtree and burning the world to ash. The only way to reverse this lock-in is by acquiring Miquella's Needle through Millicent’s legendary questline and using it inside Dragonlord Placidusax's hidden arena in Farum Azula.
---
The Celestial Path: Age of the Stars
Widely considered by the community to be the "true" or most satisfying conclusion, the Age of the Stars ending is achieved by completing the massive and beloved questline of Witch Ranni. This intricate journey takes you from Limgrave all the way to a hidden lunar plateau via Nokron, the Eternal City, and the Lake of Rot.
By helping Ranni usurp the Two Fingers and slaying the Baleful Shadow, you eventually obtain the Dark Moon Ring. At the very end of the game, rather than interacting with Marika, you summon Ranni using a blue summon sign on the floor of the boss arena. This triggers a cinematic where you and Ranni depart together, ushering in an age of the cold, dark moon, freeing humanity from the direct control of the Outer Gods.
---
Tips for Managing Multiple Endings
Because seeing all endings typically requires multiple playthroughs, many players look for shortcuts. On PC and console, you can utilize cloud storage saves to back up your game file right before interacting with the final choice.
- Reach the final boss and defeat it, but do not interact with the broken statue or summon signs yet.
- Exit the game and upload your save data to the cloud or a USB drive.
- Reload the game, perform one ending, and earn the achievement.
- Download your backup save file back to your system, repeat the process for the next ending.
Keep in mind that this method will not work for the Frenzied Flame lock-in unless you have already cleared it with Miquella's Needle beforehand, as the mark of the Three Fingers alters your base save state significantly. Plan your playthroughs carefully, keep track of key items, and enjoy exploring every dark narrative corner of the Lands Between.
---
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many endings are there in Elden Ring?
A: There are six distinct endings in Elden Ring. These include three variations of the Mending Rune endings (Age of Fracture, Age of the Duskborn, Age of Order, and Blessing of Despair), along with two completely unique conclusions (Lord of Frenzied Flame and Age of the Stars).
Q: Can I get all achievements in one playthrough?
A: Yes, you can unlock all three achievement-tied endings (Age of Fracture, Age of the Stars, and Lord of Frenzied Flame) in a single playthrough by using save backups on your PC, PlayStation, or Xbox before making the final choice.
Q: How do I remove the Frenzied Flame?
A: To remove the Frenzied Flame and unlock the ability to choose other endings, you must complete Millicent’s questline, defeat Malenia to acquire Miquella's Needle, and use the needle inside the hidden boss arena of Dragonlord Placidusax in Crumbling Farum Azula.
Q: Which ending is considered the best?
A: While narrative preference is subjective, the Age of the Stars (Ranni's ending) is widely considered by the community to be the best and most fulfilling conclusion due to its expansive questline and hopeful thematic resolution.
Q: Do I need to start a New Game Plus to see alternate endings?
A: No, you do not technically need to start New Game Plus (NG+) to see alternate endings, provided you have completed the necessary side quests before defeating the final boss and haven't locked yourself into a specific path like the Frenzied Flame.
Q: What happens to the world after the credits roll?
A: After viewing an ending and watching the credits, the game will ask if you wish to begin your journey to the next playthrough immediately. If you choose 'No', you will remain in your current world in "Post-Game" mode, allowing you to finish exploring, defeat optional bosses, and prepare for New Game Plus.
