There are currently six endings to Elden Ring that players have discovered. Unfortunately, these conclusions leave us with more questions than answers despite the hard-won victory. We’ll take a look at the requirements to get each ending below and try to explain what happens in each of them and what the future of the Lands Between might hold.
All Elden Ring Endings
We’ll describe all six Elden Ring endings and how they’re unlocked below. Unfortunately, each of them is fairly vague, so we’ll be using context clues and lore to fill in some of the blanks.
Elden Ring Good Endings
Age of Fracture
Requirements: Choose “Mend the Elden Ring” after defeating the final boss.
The Age of Fracture ending is the one that Melina wanted throughout the game. She’s sacrificed herself as kindling to burn down the Erdtree, and fulfilled her goal of seating the protagonist on the Elden Throne. This is presumably a “good” ending, and a semblance of order should be restored to the Lands Between. However, the flaws of the original Elden Ring remain, and the Greater Will, an Outer God, will continue to meddle in the affairs of the Lands Between.
Age of Duskborn
Requirements: Complete Fia’s questline and choose “Use Mending Rune of the Death-Prince” after defeating the final boss.
In the Age of Duskborn ending, players embed the principle of the cycle of life and death into the Elden Ring. When the Elden Ring was originally forged, it confined Destined Death (the game’s name for mortality) and granted those touched by Grace immortality. However, the absence of life and death is part of what corrupted the demigods. With death restored, all beings in the Lands Between will have a natural lifecycle.
Age of Order
Requirements: Complete Goldmask’s questline and choose “Use Mending Rune of Perfect Order” after defeating the final boss.
Goldmask recognized that the Outer Gods are the biggest obstacle to restoring the Lands Between to order and prosperity. In the Age of Order Ending, the protagonist uses the Mending Rune of Perfect Order to reestablish the Golden Order in a perfect form and lockout the Outer Gods’ influence.
Age of Stars
Requirements: Complete Ranni’s questline and use Ranni’s summon sign after defeating the final boss.
In the Age of the Stars, Ranni becomes a God, and the protagonist becomes her Lord Consort. The Dark Moon replaces the Erdtree as the center of power in the Lands Between. It also becomes the vessel to guide the souls which once inhabited the Erdtree. Whether or not this is a good ending is up for debate. Ranni is undoubtedly under the influence of an Outer God, and we have no idea what its motivations or objectives are.
Elden Ring Bad Endings
Blessing of Despair
Requirements: Complete the Dung Eater’s questline and choose “Use Mending Rune of the Fell Curse” after defeating the final boss.
If the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse is used, players get the Blessing of Despair ending. Every living thing in the Lands Between is infected with the same curse that affected the Dung Eater. The twisted idea behind this course of action is that if everyone is defiled, then the curse becomes the norm. Everyone becomes equally miserable.
Lord of the Frenzied Flame
Requirements: Complete Hyetta’s questline by entering the depths of Leyndell and be touched by the Three Fingers, then choose “Become the Lord of Frenzied Flame” after defeating the final boss.
In the Lord of the Frenzied Flame ending, the protagonist allows themselves to be inhabited by the power of an Outer God. The Frenzied Flame completely destroys the Erdtree and the Greater Will and covers the Land Between in perpetual flames. This ending is the only one in which Melina survives. She appears at the end of it promising to kill the protagonist.
