Elden Ringhas over 400 different weapons for players to use, which range from basic daggers and swords to horrifying god killers. Among the selections this game offers are some weapons that may be familiar to fans of other franchises, both in visual design and referential names.These ten weapons act as both Easter eggs and references to material that inspired the game’s creators, in some cases coming from their previous work.
The incredibly popular FromSoftware game is known for its brutal combat, which means thatthe weapons you carry through the Lands Betweencan make the difference between life and death. However, for some Tarnished, there are weapons worth having in your arsenalsimply because you’re a fan of the sourcethat may - or did - inspire their design.
10The Sword of Night and Flame’s Name Is A Tribute To A Certain Fantasy Series
George R. R. Martin’s Most Famous Work Gets An Obvious Homage
Thesword of night and flameis a powerful weapon found in Caria manor, and has apparently belonged to the family for many years. It is a storied blade, its name a reference to the ties between Carian astrologers and the fire giants of the mountaintops, and it could also be seen asa reference to the wedding between Queen Rennala and Radagon.
What Elden Ring’s Story Could Borrow From Game of Thrones
FromSoftware’s new game, Elden Ring, can combine Game of Thrones' moral and political complexity with the combat and drama of the Souls games.
But of course, the name of the blade itself references another story,one penned by one ofElden Ring’s writers, George R. R. Martin. Martin’s most famous series,A Song of Ice and Fire,shares its naming convention with The Sword of Night and Flame, and the story happens to feature a conflict that feels somewhat similar to that between Rennala and Radagon. The Night King is one of the villains of theGame of Thronesseries, and fire is a prevailing theme across the books.
9Elonora’s Poleblade Comes Right Out Of Star Wars
An Iconic Sith Weapon Makes An Appearance
Eleonora’s polebladeis one of the most visually striking twinblades in the game, withbright red blades on either end that seem to glow from the effects of bloodflame. The blade’s own story is one rooted inElden Ring’s dense lore, belonging to a formerdrake knight-turned bloody finger. But visually, it’s perhaps hard to deny the weapon’s inspiration comes from a very popular sci-fi fantasy series that has influenced tons of other works of fiction over the past several decades.
Star Warshas a far reach, andiconic characters like Darth Maulare referenced all over the place in all sorts of franchises. While this poleblade doesn’t share much in common with Maul’s signature twin lightsaber other than its look, the dual red blades are synonymous with the character at this point.
8Ghiza’s Wheel Originated In Another FromSoftware Game
A Weapon Beloved By Bloodborne Fans
Players of a previous FromSoftware title,Bloodborne, likely experienced some déjà vu upon entering Volcano Manor. Inquisitor Ghiza, an NPC invader within the fortress of the recusants, wields this enormous weapon with a spinning blade at the end.Ghiza’s wheel, as it is called, isvery reminiscent of a trick weapon fromBloodbornecalled the “whirligig saw.”
Dubbed the pizza cutter by fans, this weapon worked much like Ghiza’s, with a spinning blade wheel that could be held out towards enemies to tear them to shreds. While theElden Ringvariant is a bit more detailed than its predecessor and specifies that it is a tool used for torture,it remains a visual and spiritual successor to the powerful weapon.
7The Godslayer’s Greatsword Builds Upon A Popular Dark Souls 3 Item
From The Painting Of Ariandel To The Swamps Of Caelid
Thegodslayer’s greatswordcan be found at the bottom of the divine tower in Caelid, and does much to live up to its fearsome name. The greatsword deals high damage,boasts an impressive blackflame buff, and features a strange helix design at its tip. Oddly, this weapon seems to be built off of a weapon fromDark Souls 3, specifically from the painted world of Ariandel.
Elden Ring’s Ulcerated Tree Spirit Actually An Unused Dark Souls 3 Boss
The Ulcerated Tree Spirit in Elden Ring shares the same file name as an unused Dark Souls 3 boss that has many similarities to the Pus of Man enemy.
Sir Vilhelm, a knight in service to the final boss of that DLC, wieldsa greatsword called the onyx blade. Much like the godslayer, it is also designed with a helix shape for its blade, and it has the ability to enshroud itself with black fire. Even the animation for activating this fire buff is similar to the godslayer’s greatsword. This weapon may be more than just inspired by the onyx blade; it seems like an updated version of the same weapon.
6The Stone-Sheathed Sword Is A More Traditional Reference
The Sword In The Stone Is Made Easier To Transport
Admittedly, this reference is unlike the others on this list, given that it is not necessarily from a franchise or another game. Instead, thestone-sheathed swordseems more likea new take on the tale of the “sword in the stone,“featuring King Arthur. This sword is a little easier to transport, thankfully, since its stone is the very sheath in which it is encased.
Much like in the Arthurian legend,this sword can eventually be pulled out to form a powerful bladeworthy of a monarch. In this case, the stone-sheathed sword turns into either thesword of night or sword of light, depending on players' choices. But amusingly, the weapon can still be used before it is freed from its stony prison, albeit with less impressive damage. Check it out in the video above from YouTuberArekkz Gaming.
5The Blasphemous Blade Owes Its Existence To A Game That Shares Its Name
A Non-FromSoft Game Gets A Shoutout
Theblasphemous bladeis a favorite amongElden Ringplayers for its high damage and healing factor. Many are willing to look past how gross it is for that reason. Butthe weapon’s name is actually a direct reference to another gamethat FromSoftware’s audience may or may not be familiar with.
This gameBlasphemous, was released by The Game Kitchen back in 2019, andElden Ring’s developers seem to have taken some inspiration for their own creative efforts.The game features a sword, Mea Kulpa, that is wrapped in thorns, and shares some visual similarities with Rykard’s corpse-slathered greatsword.
4The Icon Shield Returns Once Again To The Soulsborne World
A Fresh Coat Of Paint On A Familiar Design
Theicon shieldis hardly a weapon, but it still acts as a bit of a reference to previous FromSoftware titles. Specifically,this shield resembles the adjudicator’s shield fromDemon’s Souls, as well as the ancient dragon greatshield fromDark Souls 3.
Thebriar greatshieldalso bears some visual similarities, though it is partially covered up by sharp briars.
All three shields share a strange and memorable design, witha rectangular wooden plate indented vertically down the middle. While the designs on all three differ, they tend to stick to a similar color palette. Using these shields feels nostalgic in a way, like receiving a bit of protection from an old memory.
3The Greatsword Returns Again As A Berserk Reference
FromSoftware Continues To Be Obsessed With Guts
Thegreatswordmay sound basic, given its name, butthe weapon’s physical appearance has long served as a send-up of a certain sword from Berserk. Berserk has always beena source of inspirationfor FromSoft’s creative team, and this huge, seemingly-ineffective blade has featured in many of their games.
The greatsword is unwieldy, broad, thick, and dull, as its item description says.This matches up with a popular line from Berserk about the sword Guts wields, which is described as “a large hunk of iron.” It’s a rather straightforward reference, but one that fans love nonetheless.
2The Dark Moon Greatsword Is The Most Popular FromSoft Easter Egg
The Sword That Keeps Coming Back
Thedark moon greatswordmay get a new name inElden Ring, but the iconic Moonlight greatsword is not fooling anyone. This weapon has popped up in every Soulsborne game, save forSekiro,as a reference toKing’s Field, an older game that inspired the originalDemon’s Souls. In that game, the sword can be found in a pool of maggots, a hidden Easter egg for thorough players.
Why The Moonlight Greatsword Is In Every Dark Souls Game
The Moonlight Greatsword, a weapon seen across all the Dark Souls titles, holds a special significance in the history of the FromSoftware studio.
Since then, it has popped up all over the place: as the tail of Seath the Scaleless, the treasured weapon of the warrior Benhart (though his was a fake), and infamously, wielded by the beast Ludwig.InElden Ring, it comes as a reward for finishing one of the longer NPC quests in the game,and is just as strong as ever.
1The Grafted Blade Greatsword Is An Overt Reference To The Iron Throne
A Less Subtle George R. R. Martin Tribute
The Sword of Night and Flame is not Martin’s only reference to his famous fantasy series; thegrafted blade greatswordserves asa much more direct tie to his novels and the showGame of Thrones. Even those who have never read a page or seen an episode of the series will know about the Iron Throne, a large chair for the ruler of Westeros made up of the melted-down swords of defeated enemies. It’s the most famous visual of the franchise, and this greatsword looks exactly like it.
Even the lore of the grafted blade is somewhat referential, said to have been wielded by a champion so determined to fight that he combined the swords of the fallen into a huge blade. This seems similar toAegon the Conqueror’s desire to ruleall of Westeros and his uniting of the lords he defeated under Targaryen banners.Elden Ring’s story bears much in common with certain plot lines from ASoIaF,and this sword drives home their similarities.
