Shardbearers (破片の君主, Hahen no Kunshu) are special Bosses that are key to the progression of Elden Ring. Defeating them will reward the player a Great Rune. In order to progress the story, one Great Rune is required to be granted an audience with the Two Fingers in the Roundtable Hold, and two are required to access to Leyndell, Royal Capital. At least three shardbearers must be defeated by the player in order to achieve an ending.
List of Shardbearers[]
| Shardbearer | Great Rune | Can Be Fought |
|---|---|---|
| Godrick the Grafted | Godrick's Great Rune | Yes |
| Malenia, Blade of Miquella | Malenia's Great Rune | Yes |
| Miquella of the Haligtree | Miquella's Great Rune | Yes |
| Mohg, Lord of Blood | Mohg's Great Rune | Yes |
| Morgott, the Omen King | Morgott's Great Rune | Yes |
| Ranni the Witch[1] | Ranni's Great Rune (mentioned only) (discarded) | No |
| Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon | Great Rune of The Unborn | Yes |
| Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy | Rykard's Great Rune | Yes |
| Starscourge Radahn | Radahn's Great Rune | Yes |
Overview[]
The Shardbearers were the inheritors of the Great Runes, the fragments of the Elden Ring, and were primarily among the demigod offspring of Queen Marika the Eternal. Uniquely among the Shardbearers, Ranni the Witch cast aside her Great Rune.[1] The mad taint of the power they acquired from their Great Runes precipitated the Shattering wherein most of them fought for control of the Lands Between.[2] However, none succeeded in becoming Elden Lord,[3] or the god of a new age.
The Tarnished, upon their return to the Lands Between, were tasked by the Two Fingers to defeat the Shardbearers in order to claim their Great Runes, and use them to repair the shattered Elden Ring.[4]
Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon is a unique case. Unlike the other Shardbearers she is not a demigod,[5] and the Great Rune in her possession is contained in the amber egg that was gifted to her by her former husband Radagon. Rennala also did not participate in the Shattering due to being locked inside Raya Lucaria Grand Library after the Academy's mages rebelled against the Carian Royals. Lastly, when the Tarnished confronts Rennala, their battle is interrupted by Ranni the Witch, who conjures a phantom of Rennala in her prime from the amber egg, which the Tarnished defeats instead.
See Also[]
Trivia[]
- Localisation Notes
- In Japanese, the shardbearers are rather called "Monarchs of Fragments" or "Sovereigns of Shards" (破片の君主, Hahen no Kunshu.)
- The Sword Monument that reads "The First Defense of Leyndell / A sovereign alliance rots from within / Traces yet remain of bloody conspiracy" also uses the same kanji 君主 (Kunshu) to refer to the "sovereign alliance." This may indicate an alliance between the shardbearers before the First Defense.
- In English, Enia calls the player a shardbearer after they acquire a Great Rune,[6] however, in Japanese she simply calls them "Master of the/a Great Rune" (大ルーンの主, Dai Rūn no Omo.)
- In English, Tanith refers to the shardbearers vying for power[7], however, in Japanese she uniquely calls them "Great Rune Monarchs" / "Sovereigns of (the) Great Rune(s)" / (大ルーンの君主, Dai Rūn no Kunshu.)
- In Japanese, the shardbearers are rather called "Monarchs of Fragments" or "Sovereigns of Shards" (破片の君主, Hahen no Kunshu.)
- There are several demigods who are not known to be shardbearers. Namely, Godwyn the Golden, Godefroy the Grafted, and the Soulless Demigods carried in the Wandering Mausoleums.
References[]
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