Shadow of the Erdtree Final Boss Had Something to Say to Us. Gamer Dug up Unused Dialogue Lines
What was it that the final boss of the Elden Ring DLC wanted to tell us?
WARNING: THE TEXT CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE GAME ELDEN RING: SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE
Today marks two weeks since the release of the first DLC for Elden Ring. Some players have successfully overcome the challenge and defeated all the new bosses, despite the difficulties posed by the expanded campaign of FromSoftware's latest creation. The final confrontation was met with slight disappointment due to the prevailing silence during the fight.
It's hard to say why the developers decided not to include a standard dialogue between the player and the boss - especially if the conversation was indeed planned.
Starscourge Radahn returns
The finale of Shadow of the Erdtree brings Radahn, the demigod who is the son of Queen Rennala and Radagon, back to the battlefield. Radahn is one of the optional bosses in the base game. However, defeating him is a requirement to unlock the Land of Shadows, the new area available in the DLC.
At the end of the expansion, it's revealed that Miquella had planned to initiate the Age of Compassion from the beginning, viewing the Tarnished (i.e. the player's character) as the final obstacle. To stop us, he summons Radahn from the past in peak condition, even stronger than in the previous encounter. At the same time, the Starscourge doesn't utter a single word during the confrontation - so we don't know what its exact motivations are.
"A Lion bred for battle"
While going through the Japanese dialogue files, one of the players discovered that initially Radahn had his own lines during the fight in the DLC. It's unclear at which exact stage they were meant to appear - whether during the following phase or right before the battle started.
I am Radahn. Born of red-maned Radagon, and Rennala of the Full Moon. A Lion bred for battle.
Players are offering various theories to explain why the developers decided to go with something else. Miquella considered Radahn to be a merciful god, distinguished by his goodness in the pantheon - "a Lion bred for battle" doesn't fit this vision, especially considering the Starscourge's love for battle.
Hence the theory that Miquella silenced Radahn in order to fit him into his own vision. At the same time, the beginning of the Age of Compassion would certainly require a bit of strength, especially from those who disagree with the antagonist's approach - Radahn could be his fist.
Ultimately, everything could have ended differently if Miquella had chosen his allies more wisely. After all, Tarnished would gladly restore peace in the Lands Between, wouldn't he?
