Despite being an optional endgame boss, Malenia the Blade of Miquella is the face of Elden Ring. The demigod warrior, instantly recognizable thanks to her winged helmet and prosthetic arm, was featured in the very first trailer for FromSoftware’s open-world soulslike. She doesn’t actually play a prominent role in the game, but various aspects of Malenia’s design and lore make her the perfect mascot for Elden Ring.
While the demigod boss is featured prominently in the game’s marketing, trying to find and beat Malenia in Elden Ring is deceptively difficult. The Blade of Miquella’s boss room is located at the very bottom of Miquella’s Haligtree, which itself is only accessed by reaching the far north of the Consecrated Snowfields region. This means that Malenia can only be fought towards the very end of the game, and the Goddess of Rot is balanced to dominate even veteran players. The boss is often considered the hardest in all of Elden Ring, given her blinding speed and health regeneration abilities, but other qualities make her an ideal mascot for the game.
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Malenia’s Design Makes Her An Elden Ring Icon
Despite being a boss that few players will ever find and even fewer will actually defeat, Malenia’s design makes her the ideal Elden Ring mascot. Malenia’s Valkyrie helmet in Elden Ring makes her incredibly memorable, as does her large prosthetic arm and flowing red hair. The boss’ design is simply iconic, and perfectly reflects the mythic Norse influences of the Lands Between. Malenia is also humanoid, which makes her a much better face for the game than more monstrous bosses like Margit or Radahn. These inhuman foes are better saved as shocking reveals, while Malenia’s design strikes a perfect balance between distinct and recognizably human.
Elden Ring Gives Malenia Sympathetic Lore
In addition to her design, the lore surrounding Malenia makes her a sympathetic boss and therefore a perfect mascot for Elden Ring. Malenia’s title, the Blade of Miquella, reflects how she fights to defend her twin brother Miquella who was born afflicted with eternal youth. Malenia herself was born cursed by the deadly Scarlet Rot, which led to the loss of her arm. While details suggest that Elden Ring’s Miquella is less saintly than fans think, Malenia’s determination to defend her brother despite her affliction is incredibly noble. This makes her perfectly suited to serve as Elden Ring’s mascot over more morally questionable figures like Radagon or Rykard.
Elden Ring has a colorful collection of memorable characters, ranging from the boisterous Godrick the Grafted to the mysterious Ranni the Witch, but Malenia is definitely the open-world soulsborne’s most iconic figure. Despite only appearing in an endgame area and posing a serious threat to even the toughest players, Malenia’s memorable design and fascinating lore help her stand out among the fantasy title’s other bosses. The demigod’s popularity has led to countless tributes, including beautiful Elden Ring Malenia cosplay and the helpful efforts of legendary player Let Me Solo Her, since her appearance in the very first Elden Ring trailer.
More: Elden Ring Theory: Why Malenia Becomes A God After You Kill Her
