Elden Ring is stuffed with lore to be dissected, which range from character backgrounds like Radahn to largely non-human characters like Omens and Empyreans. The same can probably be said for the gods of Elden Ring, as as the Tarnished will indubitably interact with The higher Will, others may play smaller roles or simply be mentioned in item/character descriptions.
While players will face demi-gods, it seems Outer Gods don't have any physical form—save probably the Greater Will, that is explained later. They do seem to be conscience beings, picking and selecting their particular influences around the globe of Elden Ring, however their designations are erratic in lots of ways. SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ELDEN RING.
Elden Ring: The Greater Will
Obviously, the primary god-like being of Elden Ring is The Greater Will—it’s a lot like The Force in Star Wars in a way. It’s an electrical that’s always there which some can use or communicate with, but not everyone. The Greater Will dictates the era of the Land Between, and lots of seek to serve it. This could be communicated with the Two Fingers and, in ways, The Elden Lord, Marika, and also the Golden Order all serve The higher Will.
Now, not one other Outer God is rebelled against so much, or at least so clearly, as The Greater Will. Its Golden Order seems to be how life, death, physics, and every one of that operate, as well as in becoming Elden Lord, this can is largely maintained—if changed, as no Tarnished should become an Elden Lord per the Golden Order, it seems. Many believe The Elden Beast is an incarnation from the Greater Will, and it makes sense given exactly what unfolds within the story this Outer God takes an application. Others do not though.
If Outer Gods impose an order of some kind, it’s worth keeping in mind when discussing the other gods. The Greater Will’s Golden Order was the idea and also the purpose of the world, also it even controlled death or Destined Death for a time—which likely plays into this order somehow.
Elden Ring: The Frenzied Flame
In contrast to The Greater Will is The Frenzied Flame, which allies with and communicates with the Three Fingers. Between both of these gods, players meet a whole hand, and that likely means something. The Frenzied Flame appears to be the opposite of order, as its goal is to burn the whole world and life to ashes. In one Elden Ring ending, the player becomes Lord of the Frenzied Flame, and Melina sets out to ship to them Destined Death.
Elden Ring: The Formless Mother
Not expensive is known about this Outer God, apart from she's referred to as Mother of Truth. So, in her order of sorts, it appears to be something to do with truth vs. lies, purity vs. corruption. It appears she's sealed away under The Lands Between somewhere, as Lord of Blood Mohg once stood before her, and because of his intent and perhaps due to his Omen nature, his blood was burned.
Elden Ring’s Outer God of Scarlet Rot
Included in some order, it seems that there's some cycle of reincarnation at play. It’s thought that those cursed with Scarlet Rot are the ones who've been born too many times, based on tidbits of Lore in the game. So, Malenia’s rebirth of some sort is how she is cursed by this God, leading to Caelid becoming full of Rot. This cycle of reincarnation might be another form of order, given how death is key throughout these. But, still, the only other thing players know about this God is it is sealed beneath Lake Rot—because it describes the essence of the Outer God being sealed away somehow.
Elden Ring’s: Outer God of Death and the Death Birds
This Outer God seeks to restore True Death around the world included in its Order, perhaps connecting it somehow to the ideas of reincarnation or Destined Death in Elden Ring. It appears the dual Bird, mother of Deathbirds, may be the envoy to the Outer God—such as the Two Fingers and Three Fingers. It’s unclear with other gods, however it appears they all have some type of envoy.
Elden Ring’s Outer God of the Dark Moon
This God seems attached to the sorceries from the Academy, Rennala, and her daughter, Ranni. The Order of this god seems to be eternal darkness and/or treatments for the heavens. To what ends is unclear, even if players choose to do Ranni’s quest in Elden Ring and select her ending, but it’s about taking control back in the Greater Will—at least, it seems, from Ranni’s perspective.
In contrast, Castle Sol appears to suggest that there have been some worshippers of the sun within the Lands Between, but that's not made clear if it's an actual god or more of the cult-like situation.
Elden Ring’s God of Dragons
Lore for Dragonlord Placidusax reveals that it was essentially the Elden Lord in the age before the Erdtree, but the god is not named. What seems likely would be that the Erdtree is some symbol of The higher Will, and prior to it, there was a mature order, with its own champion like The Elden Lord, with its own envoy, that controlled The Lands Between. It appears that before The Greater Will’s dominance, there is something for Dragons instead, and Placidusax sits waiting for this Outer God’s return.
Elden Ring’s Outer Storm God
Now, the question of when Gods ruled over The Lands Between is interesting. It’s The Greater Will before the end of Elden Ring, and also at soe point, it had been the God of dragons. But Godfrey defeated someone known as the Storm Lord, which sounds nearly the same as an Elden Lord. Furthermore, there was a period of time in The Lands Between “when the True Storm raged” likely meaning this True Storm or Storm God operated like The Greater Will coupled with its very own worldly Lord. But many of it's left shattered and unclear, even more so than the God of Dragons.
Elden Ring’s Outer Fire God
There is also The Fire God, as worshipped by the Fire Giants of Elden Ring sooner or later. Perhaps this Fire God and also the Storm God competed for control, also it was Marika’s and also the Greater Will’s choices that led to both being cast out or seal away. To become fair, this Fire God and also the Frenzied Flame may be the same, however the colors will vary. Probably the Frenzied Flame is exactly what remains following the defeat of the Fire Giants, explaining the colour change.
Elden Ring’s Outer Blood God
There are a couple of references to a Blood God too, though even less is known about this. A lot of the language surrounding all of this does infer a few things about the Blood God and all sorts of Outer Gods in Elden Ring: they operate to keep, defend, or create some type of Order, every one has Envoys through which they speak to, and they all have a Lord that chooses their actions.
It’ll be some time prior to the whole story of Elden Ring is pieced together, but comprehending the Gods, and hopefully one day, Destined Death’s role in all of this might allow it to be clearer.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
