Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: Who is Messmer the Impaler?

The Shadow of the Erdtree trailer introduced us to a new enemy in the Elden Ring DLC – but just who is Messmer the Impaler?

Messmer the Impaler made his presence felt in the first trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree. While many Elden Ring players were expecting Miquella to be the big bad of the DLC, it appears that this figure will be the main enemy, instead. Messmer’s appearance, name, striking similarity to the creature inside of the egg in Mohg’s lair, and comments from creator Hidetaka Miyazaki all clue us in on who Messmer is in the game.

However, we won’t know for certain until the expansion releases in June. Until then, let’s piece together everything we know about Messmer the Impaler, and why the new Elden Lord of the Lands Between is more than likely on a collision course with him. Of course, spoilers below for all things Elden Ring.

Something terrible is about to awaken.

Messmer the Impaler: Elden Ring DLC

By the looks of things, Messmer the Impaler is the new big bad and possibly final boss of the upcoming Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree. The character appears to be at odds with the Tarnished protagonist and has a connection to the new Land of Shadow region that players will get to explore.

The character is also connected to Miquella in some way, the demigod brother of Malenia who was captured by Mohg, forced to slumber in an egg, and fed blood for hundreds of years, morphing into a twisted mockery of his former self. There was some speculation that Miquella and Messmer are the same person, but this has been debunked.

However, what is apparent is the striking similarity Messmer has to the creature that was inside the egg in Mohg’s lair, the arm particularly being identical. Could it be that Messmer was trapped in the egg instead of Miquella? And that he is the twisted creature Mohg created instead? It’s certainly possible, especially if Miquella escaped Mohg’s clutches and traveled to the Lands of Shadow.

Messmer could have taken Miquella’s place voluntarily, or he could have been tricked into it by the demigod. Whatever the case may be, Messmer isn’t pleased, and likely seeks to become Elden Lord instead of you. It’s been as good as confirmed by Miyazaki that Messmer is a demigod just like Mohg, Miquella, Malenia, and the rest and is also likely a forgotten (or abandoned) child of Marika and Radagon. His bright red hair is also a clue that he’s one of their offspring.

The character’s name is also a reference to Vlad the Impaler, suggesting that Messmer might also be a bloodthirsty tyrant. He can be seen sitting on a throne similar to the Elden Throne in the trailer. Speaking about the character, in an interview with IGN, Miyayaki said:

“There was this piece of key art where it shows Mesmer sat in this throne-like chair, and people who’ve played the game may recognize this throne to be one of those from the boss room where you battle Morgott. And this represents the thrones at the base of the Erdtree. And it’s supposed to symbolize that Mesmer stands on equal footing to these other demigods and children of Marika who sat around in these thrones and held the rooms of the Erdtree.”

We look forward to learning more about Messmer the Impaler, when we do, we’ll be sure to update this guide about the character.

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