Elden Ring is a surprisingly deep game filled with gods, demigods, and humans trying to survive in the Lands Between. Through the game, the Tarnished will come face to face with many of the demigods who have been fighting over the fractured Elden Ring. Empyreans are another type of important and powerful character who has a great influence on the future of the Lands Between.
With Elden Ring's lore already being difficult to understand, Empyreans can simply become another name players hear and ignore. As pieces of the main story fall into place, players will have more Empyreans introduced and their importance highlighted. These Empyreans are vital to the continuation of the world and have the power to change the world if they wished.
What Is An Empyrean
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Empyreans are powerful people who are selected by the Two Fingers to be vessels for outer Gods within the Lands Between. Empyreans are also born of a single God, giving them immense power and status among the people. It is still debated among the community if an Empyrean is born a vessel or selected after birth or a mix of both. Being born of a single God is incredibly rare, giving these people status just from the instance of their birth.
An Empyrean is the only being able to embody the Elden Ring, making the Empyreans the next in line to rule the Lands Between. Empyreans are guided by the Two Fingers, meaning they are also under the influence of the greater will and further solidify its control of the Lands Between. Empyreans are also given Shadows, being to stand by and watch over the Empyrean by the greater will.
Who Are the Empyreans
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In Elden Ring, we learn about only a few Empyreans who are relevant to the story. Marika, the most recent bearer of the Elden Ring, Miquella, who was stolen by Mohg to ascend to godhood; Malenia, also a demigod; and Ranni, whose side quest offers the most insight into the Empyreans, as she destroyed her body in order to reject being an Empyrean. This shows that being an Empyrean is not a choice and that those born on this path have a set destiny.
Ranni's storyline and the alternate ending to the game bring the idea of breaking destiny and free will to the story. Under the Age of The Stars, Ranni breaks the cycle of Empyreans becoming vessels to the Elden Ring. Judging by how Ranni explains her role as an Empyrean and that she had to die to escape it, emphasizes the role of destiny and the cycle of the world of Elden Ring.
While the birth of an Empyrean is unnatural and rare, they can be seen as the next in line to continue the cycle of the world. The birth of multiple Empyreans from different gods would also bring war again, as each god would fight for control of the Elden Ring after the shatter. Should another Empyrean become the vessel for the Elden Ring, the events of the game would only repeat one day for a different Empyrean. Empyreans can be used by different outer gods to gain influence over the Lands Between until the cycle is finally broken.