Elden Ring Nightreign Ending Explained: Co-op Spin-off Details

Don't be misled by Elden Ring Nightreign's label as a spin-off. It offers a wealth of intricate lore for devoted fans to dissect. Similar to the massive Erdtree, Nightreign is merely a single branch, an alternate timeline deeply rooted in the world of Elden Ring. It introduces its own fresh concepts and characters into the Elden Ring universe, even though its events aren't directly connected to the original game. You'll grasp our meaning as we explore Nightreign's conclusion below.

This article contains spoilers for the ending of Elden Ring Nightreign.

Is Nightreign Canon?

Nightreign twists the established history of The Lands Between, branching off from a crucial lore moment to explore a much darker "what if" scenario. It's more accurate to view Nightreign's events as an alternate timeline rather than a canonical part of the main story. While prior knowledge of Elden Ring isn't essential to enjoy it, fully understanding the narrative requires significant time spent on expeditions and battling Nightlords. Once you do, you'll begin to see how Nightreign both fits and diverges from the overarching story of the Lands Between.

Elden Ring Nightreign Ending Explained

The introductory cutscene establishes that Nightreign unfolds in a reality where the Tarnished never appear. The divine conflict known as The Shattering erupts after Queen Marika shatters the Elden Ring, plunging the Lands Between into chaos. Millennia pass with no one claiming the throne, which eventually draws a catastrophic entity known as the Nightlord to the land. This nameless being is essentially a walking natural disaster. Its presence brings the eternal Night, and an unending downpour that slowly dissolves the world into nothingness.

True to FromSoftware's style, this presents an even grimmer timeline than the original game. Here, the Elden Throne sits empty amidst the ruins of a world fading from existence. There is no kingdom left to rule or conquer. Yet, a unique group of individuals, chosen by an unknown patron, are tasked with defeating the Nightlord and ending the perpetual Night.

This is where our role begins. As Nightfarers, we band together to hunt lesser Nightlords, journeying toward the source of the catastrophe. This involves descending into the remnants of Limgrave and facing familiar monsters and bosses not just from Elden Ring, but also from the Dark Souls series. While the game doesn't explicitly explain this convergence of worlds, one compelling interpretation is that it results from reality fracturing as the universe collapses inwardly.

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After vanquishing enough Nightlords, the true mastermind is revealed to be the desiccated form of a man named Heolstor. Wielding a sword reminiscent of Dark Souls' Moonlight Greatsword in one of his three arms, he stands as one of FromSoftware's most spectacular boss creations. Defeating him rewards you with the Primordial Nightlord's Rune, which resembles the Great Runes from Elden Ring but is imbued with a dark, inky color.

Typically, you return to the Roundtable Hold to regroup with allies after defeating a Nightlord. However, slaying Heolstor leaves you standing before a long-abandoned Hold. A petrified corpse rests inside, and placing the rune before it causes your Nightfarer to dissolve into streaks of light that ascend into the sky.

A post-credits scene depicts the Lands Between as known from the original Elden Ring—complete with the Erdtree—as golden leaves drift through the air. One leaf lands on the branch of a massive, tree-like giant that bears a striking resemblance to Heolstor. This colossal figure rises from the sea, briefly turns to face the Erdtree, and then strides away.

The implication is powerful: by defeating Heolstor, we have retroactively prevented the Night from ever occurring. In essence, we have severed Nightreign's branch of the story permanently, allowing the events of the original Elden Ring to proceed unchanged.

Who is Heolstor and what happens in the alternate endings?

Little is known about Heolstor beyond the relic obtained from his defeat. It recounts the brief tale of a knight slain by a hero, who then mysteriously awoke to curse the world. This vague description allows for multiple interpretations, but the most plausible suggests he is intentionally a nobody—a cosmic inevitability as natural as the setting sun.

This theme aligns with the alternate ending available to the Wylder if you complete his remembrance quests. Instead of erasing the timeline, the Wylder assumes the mantle of Nightlord by using a Larval Tear, an Elden Ring item linked to rebirth. Earlier in his quest, you learn the Roundtable Hold's existence is tied to the Nightlord's, and his sister, the Duchess, is bound to the same fate. He sacrifices himself to the Night to ensure her survival.

In Ironeye's unique ending, he slits the throat of the petrified corpse in the empty Roundtable Hold, thereby prolonging the Night. His objective is to safeguard his clan of immortal warriors, known in Elden Ring as Those Who Live in Death. In the original timeline, these beings are persecuted by followers of the Erdtree. Ironeye's choice spares them this destiny but ultimately dooms the world.

The Recluse's ending is the second most hopeful outcome. Her remembrance reveals she once abandoned her child, which succumbed to an insatiable hunger and began devouring everything, including her own sister. After defeating Heolstor, the Recluse can find the Night-touched infant within the Roundtable Hold and embrace it. Her love soothes the child, apparently preventing a new Nightlord from emerging.

The remaining Nightfarers do not have dedicated ending sequences. Their stories conclude with the default ending, and they presumably vanish along with the erased timeline. However, Nightreign's tale isn't entirely over: FromSoftware plans to release new Nightfarers as DLC, which could offer further insight into this sorrowful world, potentially through their own unique conclusions.