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Elden Ringhas its fair share of horror, as do all of the FromSoftware games. It’s just not the kind of horror you might be thinking of.
Sure, you’ve got dark and ambient environments and some grotesque enemies ready to jump at you from behind a bunch of boxes. But, a significant part of Miyazaki’s style of horror lies in the story-telling. And, boy, doesShadow of theErdtree have a horrifying story to tell you in the most subtle way ever. Blink, and you’ll miss it.
The Elden Ring DLC Might Make You a Marika-Sympathizer
Shadow of the Erdtree‘s release shines a new light on the enigmatic character of Marika. You might abhor her based on what the game has revealed so far, but this theory paints her as a figure deserving of much more sympathy.
X/Twitter user @_7albi suggests that Marika’s origins are marked by unimaginable horrors. Her backstory may be based on the gruesome practices of the Hornsent, who are believed to have terrible atrocities against her home village.
// SoTE spoilersI’m going to throw up … it sounds crazy but. I think I know what the Hornsent did to Marika’s home village now.Please, look closely at the jar innards in Belurat Gaol… they look like her … 😭😭 even the brand on their forehead looks like her current symbol.pic.twitter.com/n3184KERrN
This theory centers around the Jar Innards found in Belurat Gaol, which bears an unsettling resemblance to Marika.
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They even have a brand on their foreheads that looks like the symbol found on her and Radagon’s seal.
If Marika came from a village where ppl were thought to be inferior and should be stuffed into jar to be reborn, yet she went and became a God, while the Hornsent failed to reach divinity… yeah I can see why they said she betrayed them and that she’s a wanton strumpet 🙂
The Innard Meat you get from these creatures has a description that reads:
Scraps of flesh for filling great jars. Rancorous spirits cling to the pinkish-red, ******ing meat. This is what becomes of the condemned, who get sliced up and stuffed into jars to become saints instead.
![[REDACTED] Review (PS5) – Innovation Caught the Escape Pod Faster Than We Did](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/05095712/redacted-review-768x432.jpg)
The theory suggests that the Jar Innards were once people from Marika’s village, forcibly transformed into “saints” by being sliced up and stuffed into a jar and reborn.
Maybe Marika Does Deserve Rights
If this theory is true, then it puts Marika’s actions in a completely new light. If her family and village were forced through what is essentially a living hell, it’s clear why she would go to great lengths to achieve Godhood.
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She wanted to stick it to the Hornsent while ensuring her people weren’t forgotten but avenged. Whether what she did was justified or not, is up to the player.
The scene fromtheShadow of the Erdtreestory trailer, where Marika is seen pulling golden strings from a lump of flesh, could symbolize her attempt to salvage the remains of her people, integrating their suffering into her divine ascension.
She was salvaging the remains of her people and made them the symbol of her divine ascension. their death and suffering would never be forgotten, and the day will come when vengeance would be theirs.Thank you for coming to my tedtalk 👍pic.twitter.com/k1pvpfJ2rS
Another aspect of the theory involvesthe pivotal figure of the Two Fingers, who possibly seduced Marika with promises of power and vengeance. Remember this line from the story trailer:
….the beginning: the seduction, and the betrayal; an affair from which gold arose…
By becoming a vessel for the Elden Ring, Marika could gain the strength needed to avenge her people. Rather than a homicidal maniac, she comes off as a tragic figure caught between divine duty and personal vengeance.
What are your thoughts about this theory? Do you have any of your own surrounding Marika’s motivations? Let us know in the comments below!
Vibha Hegde
Critic/Gaming Writer
Articles Published :594
Vibha is an avid gamer that has been writing about video games for several years. When they’re not complaining about the lack of a Bloodborne sequel or brushing up on the Yokoverse lore, Vibha is busy watching 3-hour video essays on horror games they’re too scared to play themselves.
