Unlocking the endings in Elden Ring can be challenging, with some being more difficult to attain than others due to specific requirements. Here’s a comprehensive guide to obtaining all six endings in Elden Ring.
As seen in previous Souls titles, Elden Ring offers players multiple endings that spark ongoing debates among the player community. Mirroring the moral ambiguity of Dark Souls, players must navigate a series of big decisions towards the game’s climax, each carrying the risk of unforeseen consequences.
When they come face to face with the Elden Ring, the player needs to decide whether they want to repair it and try to continue the established order, or do they shatter it entirely and usher in a new age? The player can also ally with various other characters and choose an Elden Ring ending that suits that group, however, will they be condemning others in the same breath?
Heavy is the head that wears the Elden Crown, and no ending in the game, is truly ‘good’ or ‘bad’, it all depends on your point of view. However, a sequel or future DLC could prove this entirely wrong. Here’s how to unlock every ending in Elden Ring including the Elden Lord (all four variants), Ranni’s ending, and harnessing the power of the Chaos Flame.
How to unlock each ending in Elden Ring
You can unlock the game’s default ending by simply playing through the story and completing the game. Although, throughout your journey through The Lands Between you’ll meet a variety of NPCs who will try to guide you down a different path.
Luckily, the game’s opening cutscene introduces you to the NPCs you’ll need to look out for. The ones most relevant to this guide are Fia, Goldmask, and Dung Eater.
Along with Gideon Ofnir and Horah Loux, these are your fellow Tarnished Champions, and like you, all aim to become Elden Lord, or at least to influence whoever else does.
You can unlock their endings by following their questlines to the end. You may also begin to agree and sympathize with their cause while you do.
Each one of them has a good reason for their quest, and no matter how twisted their logic is and each of them can make the Lands Between a better place – even the mass-murdering Dung Eater.
Ranni’s quest also leads to another ending, as does following Hyetta’s quest which begins outside of Castle Morne.
Remember, it’s possible to complete Fia, Goldmask, Dung Eater, and Ranni’s quests in one playthrough, then pick who to side with at the end. Hyetta’s quest, however, will see you betray everyone – and watch while the world burns. Choosing this ending locks it in motion, however, it can be reversed – it takes more work.
How to get the default ‘Elden Lord’ ending
Also known as the ‘Age of Fracture ending’, this is the easiest one to unlock and simply requires you to follow the game’s story to the end. Essentially, do everything Melina and Gideon Ofnir tell you to do, even after both characters are no longer around to guide you.
To unlock this ending, do the following:
- Beat at least two Shard Holders. Godrick and Rennala will likely be the first two you come across, but you can also target Rykard, Radahn, Malenia, and Mohg. We like to beat them all, just in case.
- Make your way to the Capital City and beat Morgott, the Omen King at the Elden Throne.
- Speak to Melina and travel to the Forge of the Giants.
- Beat the Fire Giant boss and burn the Erdtree – you’ll no longer have access to Melina after this point.
- You’ll be transported to Crumbling Farum Azula.
- Defeat Malekith for the final missing piece of the Elden Ring.
- Travel back to the Throne Room to defeat Gideon Ofnir, then Horah Loux / Godfrey.
- Defeat Radagon and the Elden Beast.
- Claim the Elden Ring and your throne.
This is the first ending most players will see, and you’ll now officially be Elden Lord of The Lands Between. However, is there much point in ruling a dead and decaying world? Could there be a better path?
How to unlock Fia’s ending
Also known as the ‘Age of Duskborn ending,’ this one involves becoming Elden Lord but also making Fia’s vision a reality. Fia is the Deathbed Companion you meet at the Roundtable Hold. She’s the one who offers you hugs that decrease your health until you use the powerful items she’s given you.
Fia is also a Tarnished champion and will assist you in becoming Elden Lord if you help her in her quest to repair the world. This is one of the most long-winded routes to an ending, as you’ll also need to complete Ranni’s quest to unlock Fia’s.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Meet Fia at the Roundtable Hold and agree to let her hug you.
- Meet D, Hunter of the Dead, and complete any minor tasks he asks of you such as meeting the Beast Clergyman.
- Continue talking to both D and Fia when you return to the Hold. Also, keep hugging Fia, and eventually, she’ll speak to you in private during one of your hugs.
- Fia will give you a Weathered Dagger once you’ve acquired two Elden Ring Shards and will ask you to return it to its owner.
- Give the dagger to D.
- When you return to the Hold, you’ll find Fia and D missing from their usual spots. Both can be found in the room beyond Hewg and Roderika. Fia will be stood over a murdered D and will use magic to escape.
Now go and complete Ranni’s quest to acquire the Cursemark of Death before continuing with Fia’s. To unlock Fia’s ending you’ll essentially have to side with her over Ranni. (See below)
- You’ll see more evidence of Fia’s handiwork in the Capital City when you find Lionel’s dead body next to Fia’s dress.
- Locate Fia in the Deeproot Depths after you’ve defeated Fia’s Champions in a boss battle. She’ll summon Rogier, Lionel, and 3 random NPCs in different stages.
- Talk to Fia after the fight and tell her you’re not here to kill her but to be held. She’ll then cease any hostility.
- Now exhaust her dialog until you’re able to give her the Cursemark of Death you got from completing Ranni’s quest.
- Leave the area and return to further the dialog, Fia will tell you she’s going to lie with Godwyn’s corpse.
- Leave and return to the area again to find Fia sleeping. Approach her to ‘Enter Godwyn’s dream’.
- Defeat the Dragon boss within the dream and talk to Fia again.
- Fia will have died (or will have been murdered by D’s twin if you gave him D’s armor during Ranni’s quest), but you can acquire her items and the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince.
- Now, after you defeat the final boss, choose the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince instead of simply mending the Elden Ring.
You may disagree with what Fia is trying to achieve, but returning death to The Lands Between not only fixes Marika’s mistakes, but it also frees the land from the curse of undeath. So, while Fia’s mission could be interpreted as dark, it could also be considered a good, if not bleak ending.
Remember, you’ll still need to complete all the steps from the default ending too when unlocking this one, at least until you approach the Elden Ring itself.
How to unlock Dung Eater’s ending
Dung Eater is one of the most detestable and violent characters you’ll meet on your Elden Ring journey. A savage serial killer who seeks to defile the entire world by corrupting the Erd Tree itself.
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However, is there more to him and his quest than meets the eye? Also, how did such a depraved monster become a Tarnished Champion with such lofty goals? Here’s how to unlock Dung Eater’s ending:
- Meet Rya in Lirunia and agree to retrieve her missing necklace from a thug.
- Travel to the Boilprawn Shack to meet Blackguard Big Boggart.
- Endure Boggart’s insults (don’t kill him) and buy back Rya’s pendant. You should also buy a prawn from Boggart to win his trust. He’ll soften towards you after this.
- Return the necklace to Rya.
- Beat the Magma Wyrm at the Ruin-Strewn Precipice and summon Boggart’s NPC for help taking down the boss. Other NPCs from other questlines can also fight alongside you both.
- Speak to Boggart again at the Altus Plateau, Outer Moat area.
- Buy some crab from him and he’ll tell you about his ordeal with Dung Eater.
- Return to the Roundtable Hold and speak to Roderika, she’ll warn you that something horrible has arrived “down the hall.”
- Meet Dung Eater’s red phantom at the Roundtable Hold. He’ll threaten you and tell you to go away.
- Retrieve the Seedbed Curse from the body at the bottom of the true version of Roundtable Hold in the Capital City. Then bring this back to Dung Eater at your version of the Hold.
- He’ll now talk to you and give you a key to his prison cell where his “corporeal flesh” is waiting.
- Go down a well in the Capital City to reach the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. Find Dung Eater’s cell and tell him it’s time to leave.
- This will allow Dung Eater’s spirit and body to reunite. Now go to where he was in the Hold to find a rather lovely message to meet him at the Outer Moat.
- Return to Boggart to find him in a panic, sensing Dung Eater is nearby.
- Now save and exit the game and reload by Boggart.
- Boggart will now have been attacked, exhaust his dialog to trigger an invasion by Dung Eater.
- Defeat Dung Eater and claim another Seabed Curse from the now-deceased Boggart.
- Return to the Hold and speak to Dung Eater again, he’ll tell you more about his purpose and what to do next. He’ll then return to his cell in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, tied to a chair.
- You’ll now need to track down three more Seedbed Curses to give all five to Dung Eater.
- There is another near the East Capital Ramparts, one in the Volcano Manor’s Temple of Eiglay, and another 2 near the prayer room of Elpael, Brace of the Haligtree.
- Once you’ve given a total of 5 to Dung Eater, he’ll die leaving you his armor, and the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse.
- Use this on the Elden Ring once you’ve beaten the final boss to trigger the Blessing of Despair ending.
While Dung Eater’s goals and methods are objectively horrific, he is essentially creating a world free from the Gods and their control, forcing humanity to tackle despair head-on and grow from the experience. Could his curse really be a blessing?
You can also use the potion given to you by Seluvis to turn Dung Eater into a puppet instead of Nepheli Loux. This can be administered to Dung Eater while he’s tied to a chair and eventually turns him into a powerful Spirit Summon.
If you decide not to follow Dung Eater’s quest in a playthrough and have already unlocked his gear, you can kill his body when you open his cell. This will also ensure that Boggart survives the story.
How to unlock Goldmask’s ending
Also known as the ‘The Age of Order’ this is another variant of the Elden Lord ending. However, this one involves following Brother Corhyn and Goldmask’s questline to its bloody conclusion.
At one point during the quest, you’ll need to have 37 intelligence, so if that’s not your build, do a stat respec with Rennala when you need to. You can always just switch back to your original stats after this.
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Talk to Brother Corhyn when you arrive at the Roundtable Hold.
- Chat to Corhyn regularly and he’ll tell you he’s considering going to the Tarnished Champion Goldmask.
- Eventually, he will tell you his mind is made up and he’s leaving soon. When you return to the Hold, Corhyn will be gone.
- You’ll meet him again on the road north of the Altus Highway Junction Site of Grace. He’ll tell you he’s looking for Goldmask.
- Go north and use a spirit well to ascend the broken highway to find Goldmask standing on a section of it, pointing up at the sun. This is east of the creepy village with the dancing witches.
- Goldmask will ignore you, but you can return to Corhyn and tell him where Goldmask is.
- Rest at a Site of Grace and return to Goldmask to see that Corhyn has found him, then exhaust the dialog of both.
- Once you’ve defeated two Shard Holders, they’ll both move into the Capital City near the Colosseum.
- Meet them here and help them solve a riddle by using your 37 intelligence. You’ll also need to perform the incantation Law of Regression. You can get this by giving the Golden Order Principia to Turtle Pope.
- Perform the incantation again at the statue near the Eardtree Sanctuary Site of Grace that reads ‘Regression’. This will cause Goldmask and Corhyn to move to a bridge south of the Stargazers’ Ruins.
- Once you’ve beaten the boss Malekith and triggered the transformation of the Capital City, you’ll see that relations have broken down between Goldmask and Coryhn. Goldmask is now dead, and his student has gone quite mad.
- However, if you’d like to see Goldmask’s vision fulfilled, take the Mending Rune of Perfect Order off Goldmask’s body – and put Corhyn out of his misery.
- Now use this on the Elden Ring after the final boss.
Like Fia and Dung Eater’s quests, this is a variant of the Elden Lord ending, therefore all the steps from the first ending will still need to be followed.
Goldmask has also figured out a way to save the world from the control of the mad pantheon, but the question is, why did this horrify his biggest fan and put him on the path to murder and madness?
How to unlock Ranni’s ending
We covered Ranni’s ending in our full guide to her quest, but to unlock her ‘Age of Stars ending’ you’ll need to do the following:
- Meet ‘Renna’ at the start of the game to receive the spirit caller bell.
- Defeat Rennala at the Liurnia Academy and make your way north to Caria Manor.
- Defeat Royal Knight Loretta (first encounter) and travel to the Three Sisters region of Liurnia.
- Meet Ranni at Ranni’s Rise and enter her service. You can do this by helping Rogier or by killing Radahn and freeing the stars from his control.
- Find the entrance to the Eternal City of Nokron in Limgrave.
- While in Nokron defeat the Mimic Tear.
- Then find the Fingerslayer Blade in the Night’s Sacred Ground.
- Return this to Ranni in exchange for the Carian Inverted Statue.
- Use this on the altar at the Divine Tower of Liurnia. Defeat the wizard and retrieve the Cursemark of Death.
- Now use the portal at Renna’s Rise to enter Nokstrella
- Pick up the miniature Ranni doll and talk to it 3 times at the Site of Grace.
- Defeat the Baleful Shadow for Ranni.
- Talk to Ranni and she’ll give you the Discarded Palace Key. This opens the chest by Rennala in the Raya Lucaria Library. Open the chest to find the Dark Moon Ring.
- The ring will allow you to travel to the Ainsel River and from here, the Lake of Rot. Travel across this to the Grand Cloister and enter the coffin on the cliff.
- Defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void to travel to the Cathedral of Manus Celes (a name that will intrigue Dark Souls fans).
- Jump down the hole to find Ranni’s body and put the Dark Moon Ring on her finger.
Ranni will now be revived and will consider you her consort and champion. She’ll then encourage you to follow the path to becoming Elden Lord, so at this point, follow the steps in the guide for the default ending – or return to Fia and give the Cursemark of Death to her instead.
It’s worth noting that you can still finish Fia’s quest and still choose to side with Ranni at the end, so feel free to complete both quests. You can also complete Dung Eater and Goldmask’s quests without any problems either. When you get to the Elden Ring, select the ‘Age of Stars ending’ and enjoy the show!
On the surface, Ranni’s ending looks like a happy Hollywood wrap-up. You’re the new power couple in The Lands Between and the old Gods are gone. You’re Elden Lord, she’s your demi-God queen, and the people now have a level of autonomy they never had under Marika.
However, before you toast your victory, check on Ranni’s previous allies, Blaidd, Seluvis, and Iji. Each has either gone mad or died in mysterious circumstances. Also, why are there dead Black Knife Assassins nearby each fallen member of Ranni’s council? Didn’t they work for her?
How to unlock the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending
The Lord of Frenzied Flame is considered the bad ending of Elden Ring, as it sees you become a destructive dictator, consuming the world in the flame of chaos.
To unlock it, you’ll need to follow Hyetta’s quest all the way to the Three Fingers and become their champion. Once branded by the Three Fingers you’ll be locked into their ending (unless you go through the steps to undo it), so be sure this is the path you want to take.
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- After beating Godrick, meet Hyetta on the Lake-Facing Cliffs and give her some Shabriri Grapes. Do this again whenever you encounter her to learn more about the Three Fingers and her quest.
- Meet Shabriri near the Zamor Ruins Site of Grace and exhaust his dialog.
- Make it to the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds under the Capital City by jumping down the well.
- Fight your way to the Cathedral of the Forsaken and beat Morg, the Omen (Not to be confused with the Shard Holder of the same name.)
- Activate the pedestal to find a hidden path.
- Carefully work your way down to the bottom.
- Take off all your gear then approach the door. You need to be naked to do this, apart from your underwear.
- Allow the Three Fingers to brand you and become their champion.
- Defeat the final boss to become the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
Choosing this path will effectively betray every other faction in Elden Ring, but you can still complete their quests, you just can’t unlock their endings.
Becoming the Lord of Frenzied flame will see your character engulfed by the flame, becoming its living embodiment. You’ll then be able to burn the world to ashes and remake it in your image, but beware, Melina won’t take kindly to your betrayal.