Gaming Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree Trailer Breakdown - Miquella's Story Gets Dark

From Software has finally revealed a substantial look at Elden Ring's upcoming DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, with a new trailer. There's a lot packed in here, and we've poured over every frame with our lore caps on to see what can be gleaned from it. Here's everything we pulled from the trailer and what we think it means. Special thanks to GameSpotter Dave Klein and former GameSpotter Mason Downey for their lore-spotting eyes and helpful engagement in rampant speculation.
We also have a ton of Elden Ring lore coverage and discussion. If you need a refresher, start with the Lore and History of the Lands Between.
Shadow of the Erdtree will cost $40 USD and ios set to launch on June 21 on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S

Back to Mohgwyn Palace

It's a Miquella DLC! As fans have suspected, we're following the path of Miquella through this DLC and attempting to learn his plans and motives, as director Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed in an interview with IGN. We'll be using Miquella's body to travel to a new place in Elden Ring, not unlike other Souls games sending players into new locations by venturing through paintings and the like. The trailer starts in the arena where you fight Mohg, with Miquella's body still cocooned nearby.

Miquella's Cocoon

This first line also sets the stage for the DLC with a description of Miquella: "Pure and radiant, he wields love to shrive clean the hearts of men. There is nothing more terrifying."
Lore and descriptions about Miquella describe him as being able to compel the love of other people, and that has always had a light implication of mind control. This first line underlines the idea that Miquella can control people: "shrive" refers to confessing sins, administering a sacrament, and freeing someone of their guilt. "There is nothing more terrifying" makes it sound like there's a sinister aspect to Miquella using that religious feeling to wipe away people's guilt.
Later in the trailer, a reference to the arm makes it sound like touching Miquella's body will be our means of accessing the DLC, which takes place on a new map that'll be as big or bigger than Limgrave, according to Miyazaki.

The Land Of Shadow

Next, we're in the DLC location with the spectral tombstones that From Software previously teased. The English description for the DLC refers to this as the Land of Shadow, and calls it "A place obscured by the Erdtree. Where the goddess Marika first set foot. A land purged in an unsung battle. Set ablaze by Messmer's flame. It was to this land that Miquella departed."

The Shadow Of The Erdtree

There's a real sense that this is a hidden place, similar to but different from the Lands Between, and I think we're supposed to take this shadow metaphor pretty literally--this is a shadow cast by that place full of things that are dark and twisted versions of elements we know, but which aren't the same. It's an alternate reality version of that place, complete with alternate reality versions of familiar things. As Elden Ring lore YouTuber Quelaag shared on Twitter, the skybox looks like the curtains hanging over Marika's marriage bed in Leyndell. Check out the gnarled and dark Erdtree (Miyazaki calls it the Shadow of the Erdtree), as well as the skyline beneath it. Now compare them to...

A Dark Reflection

...this promo image from Elden Ring. We can see a ton of similarities in the landscape, but none of them are exactly one-for-one. That's a theme that seems to recur throughout the trailer.

A New Order

Next is this interesting shot of a grace-like magic symbol. When you use blessings and other magic-type things in Elden Ring, you'll often see a sort of golden logo appear in the air for a second, usually invoking the Golden Order or similarly associated religious doctrines. This looks like those, but it's one we haven't seen before. This might be a reference to a new order, one Miquella is attempting to create. We know from lore in Elden Ring that he rejected the Golden Order because it couldn't save his sister, Malenia, from the rot that afflicted her, and that he appeared to be trying to create a successor order with the Haligtree. What's not clear here is what the symbol is representing. With the Golden Order's symbols, it's usually easy to spot elements like the Elden Ring and Erdtree, but this one's a lot simpler.

You're Not Alone

"In that forsaken place, blood must spill. The blood of your fellows. The Erdtree faithful."
These images seem to suggest other Tarnished hanging around in the Land of Shadow, and Miyazaki confirmed you're not the only person interested in following Miquella and finding out what he's up to. This first shot has a red sky that's extremely reminiscent of Caelid.

More Tarnished

Next, we see a character kneeling before a jar with a spiral column behind him--a very specific-looking piece of architecture that is likely significant in some way, or maybe recalling something like the Divine Towers of the Lands Between.

Blood Must Spill

Finally, there's a character lying in a purple field of flowers, a victim perhaps of all that bloodshed.

New NPCs

This ruined church has an interesting character sitting at one end. This seems to be the person who thinks you'll need to kill other Tarnished and Erdtree faithful within the Land of Shadow, which seems to suggest they're a quest-giver.

A Carian Royal?

I've seen speculation that this could be a young Rennala, but I think this character is the one speaking the lines above. Their clothing is similar to Rennala's and definitely has something of a Carian or Raya Lucarian vibe. Quelaag notes this looks like the person depicted in the Carian Hourglass. Could this be Rennala's consort, whoever she was with before Radagon? Or maybe an ancestor?

Shadowy Sap

Not much to guess at with this swampy location, but it might be worth noting the orange veins running through the water. The shadowy Erdtree seems to be dripping an orange, fiery-looking sap, and this could be the same stuff. We know that, in the age of the Erdtree, blessed sap dripped from the tree and contained the power of life. If this tree is a dark shadow of that one, are we looking at a similarly dark version of that sap infecting the place?

How It Started

Seems a safe bet these are some important characters to the story, but it's a tough guess as to who they are, exactly. We know from the trailer description that Marika journeyed to the Land of Shadow for unknown reasons, but this isn't a very queenly or godly representation of her. There's also the lore and cut content that suggests Miquella has a female alter-ego: St. Trina, a character who is referenced a fair amount but never appears in the game. Cut content depictions of St. Trina have her eyes covered (and what we've seen of Miquella always obscures his face), and this is a pretty saintly-looking woman. As for the old man, it's tougher to speculate, but the sunken face, the heavy brown cloak, and the clasp that could be channeling omen horns--could it be a non-omen version of Morgott?
Then again, the woman has one hand over her midsection, which seems like it's referencing pregnancy, and there's a wedding vibe to the whole scene. So maybe we're looking at not St. Trina and Morgott, but Marika and Godfrey.

Jar Bairn, Where You At

The next few shots mostly look like just interesting locations. This one seems to be some kind of jar burial crypt. We know that jar burial is an old practice in Elden Ring, from before Erdtree burial became the main burial ritual of the faithful. Those living jars you've met? They're full of corpse parts. This looks like a whole bunch of those, which could give us more clues about the history of this world and its past cultures. Or it might just look spooky and metal.

Step 1: Lava. Step 2: ? Step 3: Profit.

This one definitely reminds of Mt. Gelmir and the way the Lava Manor is built upon and makes use of the volcano.

Deathroot Infestation

This is a strange location for sure, especially in the upper reaches, which seem to be breaking apart and floating into the sky, immediately recalling Farum Azula. Notable too, though, is the way the top of the city is blackened and covered in gnarled roots--which looks a whole lot like deathroot to us. Could this be a twisted reflection of Farum Azula, or another major citadel-like location, corrupted by deathroot?

A Fiery Weapon

We know there was some kind of war in the Land of Shadow, and the line that plays over this iron brazier-like enemy suggests something about who fought in it: "They were never saints--they just happened to be on the losing side of a war." Miyazaki confirmed this creature was a weapon from that war, and the kindling filling it is, in fact, bodies. It also has an extremely omen-like look. Like a lot of things in the trailer, it's recalling the lore of the omens and the Crucible--the primordial form of the Erdtree, where all life was jumbled together. That jumbling of life is rejected by the Golden Order, but it wasn't always, and it seems like Crucible life is more common in or a bigger part of the Land of Shadow.

I Got Worms

We got more worm guys and they seem horrible. That is all.

A Crucible Of Demigods

This boss guy is an interesting one. It looks like a combination of several characters we've seen before. The mechanical lion-like head, which seems to be moved by a pair of hands, is reminiscent of Serosh, Godfrey's spectral beast regent. It's also covered in omen horns and its intro includes a very poignant shot of its foot--which is something that recalls the intro of Morgott. It wields lightning and has a sense of artificiality, which feels a lot like Godrick the Grafted and his dragon arm. Going on with the alternate reality/twisted shadow theory, this seems like some combination of those characters, who all cared a whole lot about Godfrey's "Golden Lineage."

Meet Messmer

Finally, we get to the character who seems to be at the heart of Shadow of the Erdtree: Messmer. This is a big boss who's depicted in a lot of key ways throughout the trailer, and he's also the statue you can get with the DLC Collector's Edition.
The first shot of Messmer starts on his arm, emphasizing its length and lankiness, which feels pretty poignant given the only piece of Miquella we've ever seen in person is his arm, and it's how we access the DLC. Messmer's intro includes the voice line, "Mother, wouldst thou truly lordship sanction, in one so bereft of light?" Even the name "Messmer" sounds like Franz Mesmer, from whose name the word "mesmerizing" is derived, giving him a real mind-control vibe. Who does that sound like?
It, uh, really seems like Messmer is actually Miquella.

What's Messmer's Deal?

Messmer's look is extremely interesting, calling on a bunch of motifs from throughout Elden Ring. Coiled around him is a snake, and if you look closely at his eyes, he has the snake-like yellow eye of Lord Rykard. That snake has wings sticking out of it, giving it a real Crucible vibe. And Messmer seems to wield a blood magic blade similar to that of Mohg, and looks to be using Bloodflame magic. That magic also starts out black, pretty clearly--maybe a reference to Destined Death?
It all suggests that maybe Messmer has combined the abilities of several different major blasphemous characters from Elden Ring.
That idea that Miquella also fits with the DLC description, saying that Miquella went to the Land of Shadow, "Divesting himself of his flesh, his strength, his lineage. Of all things Golden."
Miyazaki said a later shot of Messmer on a throne is meant to symbolize the thrones at the base of the Erdtree in Leyndell, putting Messmer on the same demigod footing as the other bosses you fight in Elden Ring.

Snake-Eye

Speaking of Messmer's eye, though, co-worker and Elden Ring lore guy Dave suggested that Messmer's red hair and discussion of fire later in the trailer links him to the giants, who worshiped the primordial fire and had a god of their own that Marika defeated, the cycloptic Fell God. And here we see Messmer with just the one eye, as well. Add another possible anti-Golden Order faction to Messmer's list.

References To St. Trina?

Next, we see some fights with new enemies in different locations, which are tough to speculate about, but after that is a particularly interesting bit of magic. This spell calls on a bunch of purple butterflies, and purple is a color most associated with St. Trina. Butterflies come up in Elden Ring in different capacities, but one notable one is associated with the Goddess of Rot and Malenia. This could be more evidence for advancement of the St. Trina theories and her relationship with Miquella in the DLC.

New Foes

A couple of these later shots suggest we might be fighting new Knights Cavalry out in the wilds, who wield some new weapons, too. The voice line here reiterates that there are others searching for Miquella and trying to find out what he was doing in the Land of Shadow.

I Dunno What The Hell This Guy Is

No idea what's up with this guy who looks like he's wearing a huge living bear on his head. Lots of weird Crucible feels here, though, for sure.

A Dreamlike World

The red-clad swordfighter recalls the fabled Blue Dancer who appears in some lore. Also interesting is the landscape, which clearly looks a lot like the Lands Between but with a real ethereal quality.

Remember Tree Sentinels? Seems Worse

This knight riding a huge warthog seems like it might be the Land of Shadow equivalent of a Tree Sentinel.

Some Kind Of Monster Hippo

Again, no idea what this is, but it adds to the theme running throughout the DLC of a place with strange creatures and life that appears to have moved in a different direction from what we've seen in the Lands Between, again harkening back to the Crucible.

A Familiar Rider

Back to the idea of twisted shadow versions of things we've seen before, this guy's curved blades and struggling horse have major similarities to Radahn, while mixing in some elements of Those Who Live in Death. The imagery doesn't give us much to go on other than the obvious, but the ongoing sense of these echoes is very interesting.

How It's Going

Big yikes for this poor guy. We're definitely seeing the guy from the painting--the cloak clasp is the giveaway and a perfect match. He seems to be impaled with a piece of wood that doubles as his ribcage and overall is having a bad time. Wonder if this is Messmer's doing, seeing as he's referred to as "Messmer the Impaler" in the Collector's Edition.

You Wanted Those Crucible Knight Wings, Right?

The end of the trailer shows a big fight with Messmer and also depicts this extremely Crucible Knight incantation, suggesting you'll be finding Crucible magic in the Land of Shadow.

Miquella Mystery

The final shot of the trailer appears to depict a glowing Miquella (or maybe St. Trina), raising a hand to the Shadow of the Erdtree with gold emanating from it. Another, unfamiliar female-sounding voice is heard during just before this, suggesting you'll talk to someone who will start you off on this quest. Maybe St. Trina, now (or always having been) a separate person from Miquella, is the one guiding you here, although it's tough to say. But this last shot feels like a significant tease for Miquella's goals, in any event.
Leave us your own rampant Elden Ring lore speculation in the comments below!