The sheer variety of monsters found in Elden Ring is truly staggering. Not only are there creatures of nearly every type, but they’re all woven seamlessly together with the game’s backstory. A brand new enemy has just been unveiled for the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC and it’s full of little features that hint at its place in the larger narrative.
In the Lands Between in Elden Ring one of the overwhelming achievements is the feeling you get that nothing is there by accident. The colossal soulslike game is populated by characters, creatures, and landmarks that all tell a larger story. Even something as small as a crab can have a link to crimes long ago, dead gods, and betrayals that still shake the world.
That attention to detail is arguably one of Elden Ring’s greatest strengths and why, outside of its tight combat and brilliant sense of place, it’s so enduringly popular. In the first piece of DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, it seems that this ability to weave together creatures and lore is still going strong, with the reveal of a brand new enemy.
Shown off on social media, this creature wields two giant circular chakrams, wears a golden mask riven by a large crack with white hair spilling out of one eye socket, and has an array of horns protruding from its head. The first clue to what this monster is comes from those horns. We’ve already seen in the official trailer that many enemies in this DLC will have links to the horned monsters known as Omens. This makes sense, as Omens arise when denied the grace of the Erdtree and this is the Shadow of the Erdtree, after all.
The other aspect rife for speculation is in part due to the creature’s pose. Fans have noticed a certain uterine aspect to how this enemy is displayed. Given some of the themes of Elden Ring, especially around bloodlines, motherhood, and birth, it wouldn’t be out of place for this creature to have some links to reproduction.
We’ll no doubt see more of this monster in the coming months with the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC launch date on Friday, June 21. You can head over to Steam to add it to your wishlists now.
If all this has you diving back into the Lands Between, our guide to the best Elden Ring classes and the best Elden Ring builds will have you ready to dive into the DLC in no time.
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