Elden Ring characters Malenia, Fia, and Dung Eater explained

Elden Ring characters are a mix of good and absolutely terrible intentions.

The intro for Elden Ring sets the tone for an incredible open-world adventure. Players immediately wonder who these characters are and what makes them so special. While it’s possible to encounter them in the open world, it’s also easy to miss out on exciting lore and secrets. Many of them are also tied to special alternate endings. Here’s every Elden RIng intro character explained and how to meet them in the Lands Between.

Who is Malenia in Elden Ring?

Malenia has quickly become one of the most iconic characters in Elden Ring. Her bait-and-switch marketing as a hero quickly turned into a shocking reveal as one of the biggest villains in the game.

In Elden Ring, Malenia and Miquella are the children of Queen Marika and King Radagon. As the Blade of Miquella, Malenia protects her brother from outside forces. To do so, she created the Scarlet Rot, a terrible disease that destroys the body and mind of the afflicted.

It’s possible to play through Elden Ring entirely without encountering Malenia. She only appears in the Consecrated Snowfield, a secret area on the northern edge of the map. Players must acquire two halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion and fight through the region to encounter her.

Much like the Nameless King in Dark Souls 3, Malenia is a character that is a significant part of the game’s lore and stands as a fully optional boss in an out-of-the-way location. Players passing through Caelid can get a glimpse of the level of destruction she is capable of.

Who is Hoarah Loux in Elden Ring?

Hoarah Loux is the first Elden Ring character to appear in the opening cinematic. Despite all the fanfare, he is almost completely absent from the game until the very end. He is described as a chieftain of the badlands, but it’s not clear exactly where or what the badlands are. Hoarah Loux owns a massive white tiger named Serosh, presumably his pet or mount.

In the final boss gauntlet, it is revealed that Hoarah Loux eventually became Godfrey, First Elden Lord. Lore suggests that Hoarah Loux was the first husband of Queen Marika before returning to his warrior roots. Halfway through the fight against Godfrey, he reveals himself as Hoarah Loux by removing his armor and weapons and becoming a grappler. 

Who is Fia, the Deathbed Companion in Elden Ring?

Fia is a very important lore character in Elden Ring. As a Deathbed Companion, Fia’s job is to provide comfort to people in the process of dying. While normally celebrated, Fia’s status as a Tarnished makes her an outcast among normal society. No one can truly die in the Lands Between, so Fia’s job doesn’t mean as much as it used to.

Fia is first encountered in Roundtable Hold. She hugs the player and gives them a special item used to increase poise.

After defeating two Shardbearers and giving Fia’s dagger to D, Fia will disappear from Roundtable Hold. This process kicks off a lengthy questline involving the nature of Those Who Live in Death. It eventually leads to a secret ending and a fair bit of tragedy for everyone involved.

Who is Goldmask in Elden Ring?

Goldmask is probably the most difficult character to explain in all of Elden Ring. The first character to even mention him is Brother Corhyn, the incantation teacher of Roundtable Hold.

Goldmask is considered to be the highest prophet of the Golden Order, a religious group founded around Queen Marika. The strange prophet says nothing to the player, but Corhyn can apparently understand Goldmask based on the movement of his fingers alone.

Players encounter Goldmask multiple times across the Lands Between. Their body is extremely emaciated, decorated only with his titular gold mask. He is first encountered on a bridge in the Altus Plateau. Telling Corhyn where he is starts the path to another alternate ending. After a series of puzzles and strange conversations, he will eventually grant the Mending Rune of Perfect Order.

Who is Dung Eater in Elden RIng?

Dung Eater is one of the strangest, yet most terrifying characters in all of Elden Ring.

He is arguably the most evil villain in the entire game thanks to his Seedbed Curse. The pox, as he calls it, prevents souls from returning to the Erdtree when they die. This leaves them in a constant state of limbo, unable to physically revive but mentally aware of their fate. Even the game describes the Seedbed Curse as “One of the most loathsome things found in the Lands Between.”

Dung Eater is first encountered at Roundtable Hold where he appears as an invader. He will taunt the player at first, but quickly change his tune once the player has found a Seedbed Curse. Dung Eater will request that the player visit his physical body under Leyndell. Doing so starts another elaborate quest that eventually turns into yet another alternate ending.