Elden Ring Best Ending: All Six Endings [Expert’s Take]

Elden Ring has six endings if we count the variations of the vanilla ending. There are three variants of the vanilla ending with slight changes made to them and their implications for the future of the Lands Between, and there are three other completely different endings, each with its own implicit and explicit implications for the Lands Between.

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1. Age Of Fracture

True Ending for Elden Ring

It’s well known to be the vanilla ending to the game. This sees you mend the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord of the Lands Between. Lore, however, this is the cookie-cutter Fromsoftware ending where nothing is truly resolved; the system that created Radagon is the same system we have claimed, thus solving nothing and perpetuating a broken cycle of stagnation.

Most NPCs in the game point you toward becoming the Elden Lord and saving everyone, but in the end, that all amounts to nothing, considering the knowledge we gain about Radagon and the Elden Beast.

The orange light blankets the area and the sun sets as your character takes their throne. Symbolizing the end of age despite our recent ascension to the lord. Overall, it is one of the most middle-of-the-road endings one could get in their playthrough.

2. Age Of Duskborn

Best Ending for Restoring the Balance of Life and Death.

This is another deviation from the vanilla ending. This is achieved by completing Fia’s questline and receiving the Mending Rune Of The Death-Prince, a rune gestated but not discovered by Fia.

1. After defeating Radagon and the Elden Beast, you mend the Elden Ring with the Mending Rune Of The Death-Prince.
2. As a result, a fog descends upon the Lands Between, and ash begins to rain down. You become the Elden Lord who has enabled death to return to this world.
3. This rune represents an order of “Death Restore” rather than the Golden Order, which had sealed away death upon the Elden Ring’s creation.
4. This ending deviates significantly from the others, as it restores an element of nature that the Golden Order had removed. It introduces the concept of a “Death Restore.”

Age Of Duskborn’s ending provides some more thematic resolution as now the curse of endless life can be broken with the possibility of death. 

3. Age Of Order

Best Ending for Momentary Stability.

Now is where I deviate slightly from the vanilla ending. I ended this by completing the NPC Questline for Goldmask and Brother Corhyn.

1. After defeating Radagon and the Elden Beast, you mend the Elden Ring with the Mending Rune Of Perfect Order.
2. As a result, when you sit on your throne, a golden light fills the sky, symbolizing a more stabilized order for the Lands Between.
3. When delving into the lore, it becomes clear that the rune is meant to fix the instability of ideology within the Golden Order due to the fickleness of the gods. Interestingly, this rune was discovered rather than created or gestated.
4. Despite the appearance of stability, the system remains fundamentally the same as before, merely reverting to a past variant with more stability. It implies that the cycle of instability and order will likely continue over time, perpetuating the cycle.
5. This ending is not considered one of the best, as it suggests returning to the same problems and instability that plagued the Lands Between.

But the reason I still prefer this is because it offers an interesting perspective on the consequences of attempting to restore order in a world plagued by chaos. Still, it may not provide a satisfying resolution.

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4. Blessing Of Despair

Best Ending Overall.

We can now move on to completely different endings; this is one of the three unique endings you can achieve.

1. After defeating Radagon and the Elden Beast, you mend the Elden Ring with the Mending Rune.
2. As a result, the world becomes decrepit, and the sky is consumed by rot. The once-golden Urd tree loses its luster and turns ghostly white. The throne is shrouded in damp fog, ushering in a new age blessed by despair.
3. This ending ties into the lore, suggesting that the defilement caused by the seabed curse may be beneficial as it allows a world to exist without the need for an Urd tree to shepherd souls.
4. It hints at the “True Death” concept and is sometimes called the “Age of Duskborn.”
5. Players consider This ending more nuanced and better-received, offering a thought-provoking conclusion to the game’s narrative.

Maybe this could be what the Age of Duskborn tried to bring about: True Death. Hence, the name refers to the Blessing of Despair.

5. Lord Of Frenzied Flame

Best Ending for Ending for Exploring "What-Ifs".

It is another one of the three unique endings, known superficially as the bad ending. This can be achieved not using any rune but rather by interacting with the Three Fingers at any point before the final boss.

1. After meeting the Three Fingers, you are marked with burns.
2. Upon defeating Radagon and the Elden Beast, you become the Lord of the Frenzied Flame.
3. A chaos flame orb replaces your head, and the Urd tree is burned to ashes.
4. The Lands Between is incinerated, and it seems as if the very fabric of reality is burning away, accompanied by distant screams and the crackling of fire.

However, I must look deeper; if we go and listen to the Three Fingers, we learn that the Greater Will made a mistake. This mistake can be rectified, but it requires everything born of that mistake to be returned from whence it came.

This return would make all into the One. which is not specified in the lore, but it appears to be a god from which all other gods were born.

While this ending is intriguing in its exploration of a “what-if” scenario, it may not satisfy players emotionally, leaving them with more questions than answers. This unique conclusion adds depth to the game’s lore and narrative.

6. Age Of Stars

Best Ending for True Freedom from Predestination.

After completing Witch Ranni’s quest line, we summon her to the stone platform where we defeated Radagon and the Elden Beast.

1. Ranni initiates an ominous and hopeful dialogue, suggesting the arrival of the age of the stars, signifying the overturning of the Golden Order and the Greater Will.
2. You take Ranni’s hand and become her eternal consort.
3. Ranni’s dialogue touches on themes like fear, doubt, and loneliness, which can also symbolize independence, contrasting with the ideals of the Greater Will.
4. After the transformation, Ranni and her order depart, leaving the Lands Between. This act signifies the removal of the crutch of fate, allowing people to forge their own path without predestination and granting true freedom to the Lands Between.
5. Unlike other endings, you are not left without a companion in this one, as you are with Ranni as her eternal consort.

This ending is highly regarded among players for its unique themes and the idea of granting true freedom to the people of the Lands Between.

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What Would I Recommend?

As an experienced Elden Ring player, I highly recommend the Age of Duskborn and Age of Stars endings. Age of Duskborn brings a fresh perspective by restoring life’s natural balance, offering thematic depth and a departure from the eternal life cycle.

Age of Stars is a standout choice, breaking free from predestination, granting true independence to the Lands Between, and providing a unique, liberating narrative experience. Both endings offer thought-provoking themes, diverging from conventional narratives and enriching the game’s lore if you seek a deeper exploration of Elden Ring’s philosophical aspects and narrative complexities.

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