Elden Ringonce again employs the epic dark fantasy known from FromSoftware’s massive catalog. However, not ALL is lost yet. This makes the setting an oddity in the sea of FromSoftware’s other dark fantasy titles, most of which take place in worlds that have reached the point of no return. OneElden Ringplayer has come up with a wild theory that claims this game is a prequel to FromSoftware’s other titles.
Although theLovecraftian world ofBloodborneis the most obviously apocalyptic, the worlds ofDark SoulsandDemon’s Soulsare also on the brink of complete collapse. This ending comes in many forms and often includes a transformation into a state no human would recognize. If these games all chronicle alternate futures for The Lands Between, per this theory, it might be the darkest twist in FromSoftware history.
RELATED:Elden Ring Triples Dark Souls 3’s Peak Twitch Viewer Count
Fan Theory: Elden Ring is a Prequel to Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, and Bloodborne
Redditor theodis09 recently posted a theory of howElden Ringcould be a prequel toDark Souls,Demon’s Souls, andBloodborne. According to this theory, three ofElden Ring’s six endingslead straight to the hellish fantasy worlds featured in these games. A flowchart shows how each timeline plays out: after the events ofElden Ring, The Lands Between are subjected to three separate calamities. These are the Frenzied Flame, the Age of Stars, and Destined Death.
The Age of Stars and the Frenzied Flame paths both clearly take inspiration from the Age of the Stars and Lord of the Frenzied Flame endings. Meanwhile, the Destined Death appears to refer to the Age of the Duskborn ending. TheseElden Ringendingsall depict different futures for The Lands Between, and those futures do appear to have more than a little in common with the nightmarish worlds of previous FromSoftware games.
Demon’s Soulstakes placein a kingdom afflicted with colorless fog that isolated it from the world and unleashed a plague of demons, and the Age of the Duskborn ending features The Lands Between being engulfed in fog. TheDark Soulstrilogy famously takes place in a fantasy world where the First Flame is the only thing preserving the world humanity knows, and the Lord of the Frenzied Flame ending appears to show the birth of the Age of Fire. Finally,Bloodbornefeatures a world twisted by the presence of eldritch entities, including one that inhabits the moon. The Age of the Stars ending has Ranni ascending to the moon and leaving The Lands Between without a ruler or deity. While these connections could simply be nods to previous works, the theory may be worth considering.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
