Don't let Elden Ring Nightreign's status as a spin-off deceive you. It offers a rich tapestry for lore enthusiasts to explore. Like the majestic Erdtree, Nightreign represents a single branch, an alternate timeline rooted in the Elden Ring universe. Nightreign introduces fresh concepts and new characters to the Elden Ring saga, even though its events diverge from the original narrative. The ending of Nightreign, detailed below, will clarify its unique place in the lore.
This article contains spoilers for the ending of Elden Ring Nightreign.
Is Nightreign Canon?
Nightreign reimagines the history of The Lands Between, diverging from a critical lore moment to explore a darker alternative path. Consider Nightreign’s events as an alternate timeline rather than a canonical continuation. While a deep knowledge of Elden Ring isn’t required to enjoy it, players must invest time in expeditions and battles against Nightlords to fully understand its place in the broader narrative. This reveals how Nightreign both aligns with and deviates from the story of The Lands Between.
Elden Ring Nightreign Ending Explained
The opening cutscene sets the stage: Nightreign unfolds in a world where the Tarnished never appear. The Shattering, a divine war sparked by Marika’s destruction of the Elden Ring, ravages The Lands Between. Millennia pass without a ruler, summoning an entity known as the Nightlord, a catastrophic force. Wherever the Nightlord treads, the Night follows, with relentless rain eroding the world into oblivion.
FromSoftware crafts an even grimmer timeline than the original game. Here, the Elden Throne is a desolate relic amid a crumbling world. Yet, a mysterious group, chosen by an unknown force, strives to defeat the Nightlord and end the Night.
Enter the Nightfarers, who band together to hunt lesser Nightlords en route to the source of the disaster. This journey involves descending into the remnants of Limgrave, facing familiar foes and bosses from both Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series. While the game doesn’t explain the convergence of these worlds, it may stem from reality’s fractures as the universe collapses.
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After defeating enough Nightlords, the true antagonist emerges: Heolstor, a three-armed figure wielding what resembles the Moonlight Greatsword from Dark Souls. This breathtaking boss battle is among FromSoftware’s finest. Victory yields the Primordial Nightlord’s Rune, akin to Elden Ring’s Great Runes but with a dark, inky tint.
Typically, players return to the Roundtable Hold to regroup with allies after defeating a Nightlord. However, defeating Heolstor leaves you before an abandoned Roundtable Hold, where a petrified corpse resides. Placing the rune before it causes your Nightfarer to dissolve into streaks of light, ascending skyward.
A post-credits scene depicts The Lands Between as seen in Elden Ring, with the Erdtree standing tall and golden leaves drifting. One leaf lands on a tree branch atop a giant resembling a wooden Heolstor. It rises from the sea, gazes at the Erdtree, then walks away.
The narrative suggests that defeating Heolstor prevents the Night from ever occurring, effectively erasing Nightreign’s timeline and allowing Elden Ring’s events to unfold as originally intended.
Who is Heolstor and What Happens in the Alternate Endings?
Little is known about Heolstor beyond the relic obtained from his defeat. It recounts a knight slain by a hero, only to awaken and curse the world. The vagueness allows multiple interpretations, but Heolstor likely represents an inevitable cosmic force, akin to the setting sun.
This aligns with the alternate ending tied to the Wylder’s remembrance quests. Instead of erasing the timeline, the Wylder uses a Larval Tear, an Elden Ring item linked to rebirth, to become the Nightlord. His quest reveals that the Roundtable Hold exists only because of the Nightlord, and his sister, the Duchess, is bound to the same fate. He sacrifices himself to the Night to save her.
In Ironeye’s unique ending, he slits the throat of the petrified corpse in the deserted Roundtable Hold, prolonging the Night. His aim is to protect his clan of undying warriors, known from Elden Ring as Those Who Live in Death, who are persecuted by Erdtree followers in the original timeline. His choice saves them but dooms the world.
The Recluse’s ending offers the second-most hopeful outcome. Her remembrance reveals she abandoned a child, which succumbed to endless hunger and devoured everything, including her sister. After defeating Heolstor, the Recluse finds the Night-touched infant in the Roundtable Hold and embraces it. Her love soothes the child, potentially preventing a new Nightlord’s rise.
Other Nightfarers lack unique endings, following the default conclusion where they likely vanish as the timeline is erased. However, Nightreign’s story continues, with FromSoftware planning DLC to introduce new Nightfarers, potentially offering further insight into this melancholic world through additional alternate endings.
