Elden Ringand itsShadow of the Erdtreeexpansioninclude a massive library of lore dedicated to Lords, Gods, Demigods, and a powerful set of entities known as Outer Gods, discussed or referenced throughout the game in item descriptions, environmental details, NPC dialogues, and more. Because of the cryptic nature ofElden Ring’s lore, some Outer Gods are referred to as such directly, while others seem to fall into the same category or are treated by characters the same way an Outer God would.
Overall, there are 12 different entities that can be considered Outer Gods, all of whom serve a distinct purpose in building the larger history of the Lands Between and the Land of Shadow. This list will break down where each Outer God is mentioned and take note of clues scattered throughoutElden RingandShadow of the Erdtree.
12God Of The Twinbird
The Deathbirds' God, Or The God Of Death
Little is known of this Outer God, not even its true name. The Twinbird (and by extension, Deathbirds and Gravebirds) was imbibed with Ghostflame by this entity. TheTwinbird Kite Shielddescribes it as"the envoy of an outer god,“implying it was sent as a messenger of Death. Various hints about an Outer God of Death, such as inAncient Death Rancor, imply a connection to Those Who Live In Death, skeletal creatures found near Deathroot.
“After the night of the plot, Deathroot appeared in the Lands Between, and Those Who Live in Death soon followed.” —Skeletal Bandit Ashes
Despite the God of the Twinbird’s mysterious nature,the connections with Death and Ghostflame are clear,as seen through the Twinbird engravings found on the Mausoleum Knights' shields and armor, as well as theBlue-andRed-Feathered Branchswordtalismans, feathers from each side of the Twinbird’s two heads, used in"ancient death rituals.”
11The Formless Mother
Mother Of Truth, Mohg’s Source Of Power
The Formless Mother is one of the prevalent Outer Gods mentioned inElden Ring,particularly in relation toMohg, Lord of Bloodand his history with the occult blood rituals in the name of the"mother of truth,“aka the Formless Mother. The Formless Mother is mentioned in relation toShadow of the Erdtree’s Bloodfiend tribesin items such as theBloodfiend’s Fork. Mohg, and separately the Bloodfiend tribes, perform blood rituals in the name of the Formless Mother to enrich their"accursed blood"with fire.
Mohg intended to use this power to raise Miquella to Godhood and act as his consort, implying thatthe Formless Mother possesses the ability to raise beings to Godhood. In the description forMohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, the Formless Mother is described as"an outer god who bestows power upon accursed blood.”
10The Blood Star
A God Of Thorns & Aberrant Sorcery
This mystifying Outer God is described in the thorn-based Aberrant Sorceries, such asBriars of SinandBriars of Punishment. A sect of criminals had"their eyes gouged by thorns,“and were exiled to”[live] in eternal darkness. There, they discovered the blood star.“In Shadow of the Erdtree, two new spells,Impenetrable ThornsandMantle of Thorns, detail the Blood Star’s"edict,“or decree, stating,“Spurn all that exists. Wound all that exists. For we have been abandoned.”
Speculation exists connecting the Blood Star to the Formless Mother, as they both have a proclivity for blood, but without enough evidence in-game, the Blood Star is possibly a separate entity, an Outer God itself.
As with most Outer Gods,not much can be sussed about the Blood Starfrom the few in-game descriptions. While there seems to be an overlap with blood elements between Mohg’s Bloodflame and The Formless Mother, these being two distinct, separate sorcery categories indicates a lack of connection to either.
9The Sealed God of Scarlet Rot
A God That Was Rot Itself
The Sealed God of Scarlet Rot can be found as the antagonist in a tale depicted on theBlue Dancer Charm, describing an"ancient god … that was Rot itself"being"sealed away.“The Lake of Rot map describes"the divine essence of an outer god sealed away in this land,“while theScorpion’s Stingerwas “crafted from the relic of a sealed outer god.”
“The dancer in blue represents a fairy, who in legend bestowed a flowing sword upon a blind swordsman. Blade in hand, the swordsman sealed away an ancient god — a god that was Rot itself.” – Blue Dancer Charm
Clearly, this Outer God associates deeply with the Order of Rot described by Gowry, and perhaps may even have to do with the spread of Rot throughout the Lands Between.It seems that Malenia was a follower of the Sealed God,which explains her control and use of Rot, and fits with the trend of Demigods worshiping an Outer God to be elevated to Godhood themselves. Malenia apparently accomplishes this when awakening as the Goddess of Rot in the second phase ofher boss fight.
8The Frenzied Flame
May Chaos Take The World
Despite the Frenzied Flame not explictly being called an Outer God, intentions and desires are exhibited through the Three Fingers to Hyetta during the Frenzied Flame ending:
“All that there is came from the One Great. Then came fractures, and births, and souls. But the Greater Will made a mistake. Torment, despair, affliction … every sin, every curse. Every one, born of the mistake.
And so, what was borrowed must be returned. Melt it all away, with the yellow chaos flame. Until all is One again.”
While it’s unclear whether these are the words of the Frenzied Flame itself or some other entity speaking through the Three Fingers, it indicates that Chaos can be used to correct or erase mistakes made by Outer Gods.The Frenzied Flame may be an Outer God that simply cannot be contained or controlled, or that cannot contain or control itself, hence Shabriri’s declaration:“May Chaos take the world!”
However, the Frenzied Flame can be subdued byMiquella’s Needle, which”[wards] away the meddling of Outer Gods.“For this reason, whether the Frenzied Flame should be considered a type of uncontrollable force versus some kind of entity such as an Outer God is up for debate. The Frenzied Flame also features prominently in Midra’s story inShadow of the Erdtree; Midra failed to awaken as the Lord of Frenzied Flame, which players can successfully do by being embraced by the Three Fingers.
7The Full, Dark, & Twin Moons
A Dark Side Of The Moons
Again, despite these entities not being called Outer Gods, they behave and act in ways very similar to the Outer Gods mentioned already. Further, like Outer Gods,each moon is tied to a specific, significant NPC:Rennala’s Full Moon,Ranni’s Dark MoonandRellana’s Twin Moons. Rennala’s Full Moon is described as “enchanting” and allows her to “bewitch” sorcerers at Raya Lucaria, while Ranni should “fear” the Dark Moon, and the Twin Moons of Rellana are found “nestled … moon and fire ever together.”
“Now cometh the age of the stars. A thousand-year voyage under the wisdom of the Moon. Here beginneth the chill night that encompasses all, reaching the great beyond.” — Ranni the Witch
The Dark Moon’s role in theAge of Stars endingfurther suggests its status as an Outer God, asRanni describes a wise being that will dispel the Greater Will’s influence from the Lands Between. By ending the Golden Order, Ranni uses the Dark Moon to establish a new order, unbound from the Greater Will.
6The Fell God
A One-Eyed God Of Fire
Described on theOne-Eyed Shieldas"a malformed one-eyed god … once worshiped by the giants, this evil deity is believed to have been slain by Queen Marika.“TheFlame of the Fell Goddescribes it”[lurking] within the Fire Giants,“while the Fire Monks worship the Flame,“beguiled"by its power, as seen inWhirl, O Flame!
In the Realm of Shadow, theFurnace Visageis described as"a stone mask surrounded by curled horns, depicting the fell god of fire that haunts the sagas of the hornsent,“showinga shared affinity with the Fell God between the Furnace Golems and the Fire Giants. Throughout the Lands Between and the Shadow Realm, these creatures and their Outer God are considered evil incarnate.Godfrey, First Elden Lord, notably defeated the Giants on Marika’s behalf, and confined the Fell God’s Flame of Ruin to its massive cauldron on the Mountaintops of the Giants.
5Ancient Dragon God
The Dragonlord Awaits Its Outer God’s Return
Dragonlord Placidusax, the legendary boss found in an obscure location in Crumbling Farum Azula, is said to have worshiped an Outer God during his time as Elden Lord, long before Marika’s reign or the current events inElden Ring. According to theRemembrance of the Dragonlord,“once his god was fled, the lord continued to await its return.“If players look closely at theAncient Dragon Smithing Stonedescription, they’ll see a clue about the power of the Dragonlord’s God:
A scale of the Ancient Dragonlord, and hidden treasure of Farum Azula. The Ancient Dragonlord’s seat is said to lie beyond time. This stone lightly twists time, allowing the creation of a weapon capable of slaying a god.
The Ancient Dragon God could exist in a timeless state, similar to Placidusax, or may have some deeper connection to time and how it functions in the larger universe ofElden Ring. While it’s possible that this Outer God may actually be the Greater Will, the lack of clarifying details leaves the existence and purpose of this entity a mystery.
4The God-Devouring Serpent
Eiglay, The Outer God-Like Serpent Of Volcano Manor
At the end of the Volcano Manor legacy dungeon, the Tarnished faces down Eiglay, theGod-Devouring Serpentin the first phase ofRykard, Lord of Blasphemy’s Demigod boss fight. Arguably, becausethis serpent can devour a God, it may be considered a God itself, and therefore an Outer God. Additionally, Eiglay had many worshipers, enough that The Temple of Eiglay was erected in its name.
A further hint toward the God-Devouring Serpent’s nature can be seen in the Shadow Realm in Bonny Village, wherea large, shedded snakeskin can be seen in the wooded region nearby. The village contains copious great jars (stuffed with human remains), just as the Temple of Eiglay does, though there are no explicit connections made between the two regions.
3The Primeval Current
Stars From The Abyss
One esoteric and obscure force inElden Ringis the Primeval Current, which appears as an underlying source of magic, particularly for glintstone sorcery and star-related elements in the Lands Between. Sorceress Sellen"was exiled from the Academy of Raya Lucaria … forattempting to restore the primeval current of glintstone sorcery.“Primeval sorcerer Azur"glimpsed into the primeval current [and] saw darkness. He was left both bewitched and fearful of the abyss.”
The Lore Origins Of Elden Ring’s Sorceries
Though Elden Ring may take its sorceries for granted, they actually have intricate histories that explain how they came to be and why they work.
Whether this force can be considered an Outer God is up for debate, butthe Carian Royal Family detests primeval sorcery, implying it has godlike power to rival the Moons. The force has also manifested itself in a physical form, as seen in theFounding Rain of Starssorcery:“The glimpse of the primeval current that the astrologer saw became real, and the stars' amber rained down on this land.”
