Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: Who is Miquella?

Miquella is set to be an important part of Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, but just who is this elusive demigod, and where have they been? Spoilers lurk below.

Like most of the main bosses in Elden Ring, Miquella is a demigod child of the goddess Queen Marika and a shardholder of the Elden Ring.

We hear a lot about Miquella throughout the story of the game, but unlike his various siblings, never face him in battle. However, we do catch an ominous glimpse of what he may have become during our confrontation with his demigod Omen half-brother, Mohg, the Lord of Blood.

As with all characters in Souls games, Miquella’s story is a tragic one, especially considering that if most Elden Ring players have already become Elden Lord, then Miquella may enter a world where he’s one of the last surviving members of his family. That is because our chosen Tarnished has slain them all for their shards – and used these to take the throne. This also includes Miquella’s twin sister, Malenia – meaning we’re likely to be on a collision course with a very upset Miquella in the DLC.

Who is Miquella in Elden Ring?

Miquella and Malenia are the product of Queen Marika’s second marriage to Radagon, making the twins half-siblings with her children by Godfrey or Radagon’s with Rennala. Both were invited to sit alongside their brothers and sisters on Marika’s council. While Malenia dedicated herself to learning the ways of war, Miquella turned his attention to helping the less fortunate members of the Lands Between.

Both twins were plagued by afflictions though, likely due to the truth regarding Radagon’s real identity – but this is not confirmed. Malenia was afflicted with the Scarlet Rot, a degenerative illness that caused her to fester from the inside out. However, Miquella helped his sister keep the sickness at bay with a magic item called the Unalloyed Gold Needle. While Miquella himself was cursed to always remain a child, he became determined to one day find a way to cure both himself and Malenia.

Miquella was also close to his brother Godwyn the Golden, and was devastated when he was killed by the Black Knife Assassins, triggering the collapse of his family. What’s worse was that Godwyn’s soul was dead, but his body was stuck between life and death, unable to fully have either, which caused Miquella even more anguish. Soon, his parents would disappear within the Erdtree, and the war known as the Shattering would begin between his siblings.

Miquella’s family, including Malenia, would go to war over the shards of the Elden Ring. With Morgott taking the throne, Miquella would travel to the Forbidden Lands and try to create a new Erdtree known as the Haligtree. This was to be a place of sanctuary, where creatures and people who were outcasts in the Lands Between would be welcome. After her devastating battle with Radahn, Malenia also sought refuge at the Haligtree, waiting for her twin brother to find a cure for her Scarlet Rot.

Alas, this was not to be, as Mohg, Morgott’s twin brother who, like the new king, was also afflicted with the Omen curse, would kidnap Miquella and turn him into a grotesque mockery of what he used to be. Mohg would trap his child-like half-brother inside an egg while feeding him his blood. Mohg planned to let his other siblings destroy each other while Miquella transformed into a powerful deity. Then, Mohg planned on installing Miquella on the throne as Elden Lord and rule through him.

When the player, the chosen Tarnished, invades Mohg’s lair and kills the Lord of Blood, Miquella is still inside the egg – with his mutated arm hanging out. The Tarnished takes both Mohg and Miquella’s Elden Ring shards but leaves Miquella alone. Gideon Ofnir tells the player that Miquella is likely not a threat and that they should “leave him be” until he is.

Miquella in Shadow of the Erdtree

Lots of fans have speculated that Miquella will awaken in the Elden Ring DLC, corrupted by Mohg’s blood, and seek to punish his enemies – including the player for murdering his whole family. It’s then been speculated that Miquella will use the corrupted Haligtree to twist the Lands Between into his new vision, meaning he’ll need to be stopped by the Tarnished player.

However, the first trailer introduces us to Messmer the Impaler, who bears a striking resemblance to the creature inside the egg where Mohg trapped Miquella. The new lore also suggests that Miquella is “waiting for a promised lord” and seeks to guide them to the Land of Shadow. It also suggests that he’s managed to transcend his flesh and now exists in another form. This would explain why Mohg’s plan never came true, and would suggest that Miquella may turn out to be a friendly NPC, seeing the player as the true Elden Lord.

However, this could also be a long con on behalf of Miquella, who was said to possess the superpower of being able to compel others into doing his bidding. Miquella may simply need our help getting rid of Messmer to achieve his own goals. After all, with all his family gone, Messmer and the player are the only ones standing in his way to achieving godhood. While we don’t know yet if Miquella will be friend or foe in Shadow of the Erdtree, we do know he’ll play a pivotal role in the expansion.

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