Unleashing the Mysterious Power: Demystifying Elden Ring's Concept of Inevitable Fate

Divine characters in Elden Ring derive their power from the Great Runes and pass on certain abilities to their offspring. However, individuals outside this lineage can also harness the power of the Elden Ring's Great Runes if they possess the Rune itself or gain access to its abilities by pledging loyalty to the current bearer of the Rune.

Elden Ring's Destined Death, a formidable power originating from a Great Rune, grants its wielder the ability to permanently vanquish Gods. With a rich history in Elden Ring, this particular Rune holds immense significance within the lore. It is widely believed that without the power of Destined Death, any gods slain would inevitably be resurrected by the Erdtree.

How Destined Death Fits into the Story of Elden Ring

Melina, the maiden of the Tarnished player character, is believed to be the first known Rune bearer of Destined Death. Despite her seemingly pure intentions, Melina's true nature emerges when she acquires Destined Death. Fans have theorized that Melina is actually the Gloam-Eyed Queen, a speculation that gains support from the Lord of the Frenzied Flame ending in Elden Ring. In this ending, Melina confronts players and ominously threatens to eliminate them and deliver Destined Death. Unfortunately, the game abruptly ends before any further action can take place. Whether or not Melina fulfills her promise may depend on which of Elden Ring's endings are considered canon, possibly in one of the expansions for the game.

The Rune of Destined Death was initially held by the Gloam-Eyed Queen, who was supported by the Godskin Apostles. These individuals earned their name due to their armor being crafted from the skin of deceased Gods, and they were recognized for their ability to vanquish Gods using the Greater Rune granted by the Gloam-Eyed Queen. Since both the Gloam-Eyed Queen and the Godskin Apostles appeared to have no allegiance to any master, the other Gods were wary of their immense power. It was inevitable that the Divine family of Elden Ring would take away the Rune of Destined Death from the Queen and make an effort to secure it.

After successfully defeating the Gloam-Eyed Queen, the Divine family obtained possession of the powerful Great Rune of Destined Death and entrusted it to Maliketh, the royal protector, for safekeeping. The Divine family had no intention of employing Destined Death, not even to eliminate the Gloam-Eyed Queen, so they decided to seal it away temporarily. As per popular theories, with her powers stripped away, the Gloam-Eyed Queen assumed the identity of Melina and embarked on a quest to regain her lost power by seeking out an emissary, who ultimately becomes the Maiden to the player character.

Maliketh guarded Destined Death, but one of the Divine family's children stole it. With the help of the Black Knife Assassins, Ranni the Witch used the stolen Great Rune to kill Godwyn the Golden and rebel against her destiny. Ranni is said to live on through puppets resembling her, although her true body is dead. This assassination, known as the Night of Black Knives, is believed to be the cause of Queen Marika's shattering of the Elden Ring and her subsequent imprisonment in the Erdtree. With the head of the Divine family imprisoned, the Lands Between descended into war over the remaining Great Runes.

After this war, the player character enters the story with the mission of reuniting the Great Runes. By defeating Maliketh, the player character becomes the new bearer of Destined Death. When the player character steals the Great Runes from the defeated Gods, it is believed that their powers are lost. Later, when the Tarnished player character burns the Erdtree, the Rune Bearers are denied proper resurrection.

Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.