Melina is a very important character in the world of Elden Ring as she is your character’s companion throughout your journey in becoming the Elden Lord. She is also shown years before during the game’s trailers and sneak peeks, she is also the first person to interact with your character as you start out, and she will be you until the game’s finale.
However, despite the developers showing how important Melina is and being with you throughout your journey, there is still no definitive answer to the question: Who is Melina, really? We know she wants to go to the Erdtree, we know she gives you Torrent, we know that she teaches you how to turn runes to level-up – yes, we know that. But do we know who she really is?
This article narrows down the top theories spearheading on who Melina might really be that is found throughout the various ends of the internet, and at the end will be the author’s own theory.
In-game Facts about Melina Elden Ring
Before we go on theories, let’s first establish hard facts that the game itself presents to us – no interpretations. Here, we create the foundation on what we know for real about Melina and then build upon pieces of theories to get a bigger picture.
Since most of what we know of Melina is through her dialogue, I will present her important in-game dialogues to flesh out her role in this game.
Fact #1
“One of his kind is sure to seek the Elden Ring… Even if it does violate the Golden Order…”
You first meet Melina, while you are unconscious, at the beginning are in the Stranded Graveyard. Where she says something that fortune is on your side, and your kind will seek the Elden Ring even if it violates the Golden Order. The Golden Order is a philosophy or religion that is the most dominant in the Lands Between. This is created by Queen Marika the Eternal under the principle that Marika is the one true god and is under the guidance of the Two Fingers.
Fact #2
“It takes me back. I was born at the foot of the Erdtree. Where Mother gave me my purpose. Though now, everything is lost to me.”
“I’m searching. For my purpose, given to me by my mother inside the Erdtree, long ago.”
Two key takeaways from this line from her; one, she was born at the foot of the Erdtree. And two, her purpose was given by her mother inside the Erdtree. Without reading anything between the lines, it says that her Mother is inside the Erdtree where she was also born.
Fact #3
“I am searching… for the reason I yet live, burned and bodiless.”
Technically speaking, she is… dead? Or perhaps, just a spirit as she mentioned that she is bodiless. Same reason why she can vanish in and out during your talks with her.
Fact #4
“I can play the role of maiden. Turning rune fragments into strength. To aid you in your search for the Elden Ring. You need only take me with you. To the foot of the Erdtree… Everything is lost to me. I… have to ascertain for myself.”
From her previous lines, we learned that she forgot the purpose given by her mother, so she requests you to take her to the Erdtree where she can ascertain it for herself.
For in-game purposes, she teaches you how to level up your character, as well as giving you the item to summon the spectral steed Torrent, your mount. In the purpose of helping your journey in the Lands Between.
Fact #5
“The thorns are impenetrable. A husk of the Erdtree’s being; that spurns all that exists without. The only way to stand before the Elden Ring…and become the Elden Lord…is to pass the thorns. My purpose serves to aid in that very act. So I’d like you to undertake a new journey, with me. To the flame of ruin, far above the clouds, upon the snow mountaintops of the giants. There I can set the Erdtree aflame. And guide you. Down the path to becoming Elden Lord.”
A lot of information from her long speech here at the Foot of the Erdtree. So, after journeying through the Lands Between, you reach your destination, the Erdtree. Only to find the entrance inside blocked by impenetrable thorns with Radagon’s Great Rune symbol.
Here she says that she has found her purpose, she has finally remembered. That purpose is to burn the Erdtree, to burn the thorns blocking your path. She asks you again for one last journey towards the Mountaintop of Giants, where the flames to burn the Erdtree is located.
Fact #6
“However ruined this world has become, however mired in torment and despair, life endures. Births continue. There is beauty in that, is there not?”
“Should you rise as the Lord of Chaos, I will kill you, as sure as night follows day.”
She will hate you if you choose to become the Lord of Frenzied Flame. That’s the fact we want to establish here, she doesn’t want you to become the Lord of Frenzied Flame and burn everything. And that there is beauty in birth and not to deny the lives, or the circle of life.
Fact #7
“I have long observed the Lands Between. This world is in dire need of repair… and Death…indiscriminate… Are you prepared… To commit a cardinal sin?”
“The one who walks alongside flame, shall one day meet the road of Destined Death. Good-bye.”
“Lord of Frenzied Flame… I will seek you, as far as you may travel… To deliver you what is yours. Destined Death.”
She mentions Death and Destined Death on three occasions, which could mean that she is connected to it one way or another. She even threatened you with it which could also mean that she is able to harness its power.
That’s it!
That’s all we know for sure about Melina. For someone who is so important and is our companion throughout her journey, she remains to be the most mysterious character.
Top Theories
Here are the top theories trying to weave together other in-game facts and signs to come up with a flesher story of Melina.
Theory #1 – She is related to Queen Marika
Daughter of Marika
If you didn’t try to read or search too much on who Melina is, chances are, you already think that she is related to Queen Marika, more specifically, her mother is Marika. This is due to the most glaring fact, Melina said (see Fact #2 above) that her purpose was given to her by her Mother, her mother inside the Erdtree. If you reach the end of the game, you only see one person inside the Erdtree – Queen Marika.
Melina’s name follows the naming pattern
Yes, the names are confusing if you come across them the first time while playing, but this is vital for this theory. In the family tree of Marika, every name starts with R, M, or G, depending on who the parents are. Let’s list them out so you get the point.
As you can see, there is a pattern in names and Melina fits this pattern – it’s so close to Malenia even.
Melina can recite Marika’s words verbatim
During your talks with Melina in Site of Graces, mostly inside the Churches of Marika, she will ask you if you want to hear Queen Marika’s spoken echoes. If you said yes, she would recite it word for word. So, the fact that she can do this means there is undeniably a connection between her and Marika.
Theory #2 – Connection with Ranni the Witch
Visual similarities
The most noticeable similarity you can see is that both Melina and Ranni have one of their eyes closed, with a tattoo across it.
To add more to this, they are the only two characters that have one eye closed, meaning this is not a fashion trend in Lands Between. Thus, it begs the question, why only them?
But wait, there’s more! We see that Ranni has a spirit face in her in-game model and if we line up Melina’s head over the spirit face, the facial structure lines up perfectly! Coincidence? I don’t know but this seriously is trying to say something.
Talks about Torrent
Aside from Melina and Ranni, no one else talks or mentions anything about Torrent. They are the only two characters where Torrent is the subject of your conversation. It seems that Torrent is unknown to other people except for these two.
They also had a similar line for Torrent – they both thanked Torrent for aiding you in your journey.
“We’re almost there. The flame of ruin lies just ahead. I’m glad it was you I travelled with. I must tender my thanks to Torrent, too. Thank you, Torrent. Please continue to lend your aid. Till the end.” – Melina
“I am certain now, fate steered us to our reunion. I must thank Torrent too, for his part.” – Ranni
Remember, Melina gave you the item to summon Torrent. Then Ranni again mentions Torrent when she gave you the Spirit Calling Bell.
“I was entrusted this, for thee. By Torrent’s former master. ‘Tis a bell for calling forth spirits. Summon them with it, from ash unreturned to the Erdtree.” – Ranni
Both are burned and bodiless
We heard Melina say that she is burned and bodiless, see Fact #3. Then Ranni’s body is also burned when she separated herself from her corporeal being. You can find her burned body on top of the Divine Tower of Liurnia.
Here is Melina’s hands (burned), and Ranni’s body (very burned).
Aside from being burned, their bodiless self also vanishes in the same manner with even the same sounds effects!
Dabbed on Destined Death
Melina mentions Destined Death in some of her conversations with you, see Fact #7. If you follow the lore of the game, you will stumble that Destined Death is related to the Great Rune of Death. Queen Marika removed the “law of death” a.k.a. Destined Death in the Lands Between when she plucked away the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring. Then she sealed this Rune within Maliketh’s blade. Maliketh is Marika’s Shadowbound Beast.
Based on Fact #7, we already know Melina has some kind of connection with Destined Death, then what about Ranni? In the game’s story, it was Ranni who stole a fragment of the Rune of Death from Maliketh. She used the fragment to imbue the powers of Destined Death into the blades of the Black Knife Assassins. The assassins then went and killed the spirit of her stepbrother, Godwyn the Golden. Some way or another, Ranni also came in contact with Destined Death.
Theory #3 – The Gloam-Eyed Queen
Gloam-colored Eyes
Somewhat related to Theory #2, the Gloam-Eyed Queen is said to be the god or embodiment of Destined Death by various item descriptions in-game, particularly those related to the Godskin items and Black Flame incantation.
And in the Frenzied Flame ending of the game, we see this creepy image of Melina – her hair is singed but the most glaring change are her eyes. Her once closed eye is now open with a bluish hue. Gloam is the darker part of twilight as seen in the image below of a sky during twilight.
This gloam color is very similar to the one eye of Melina.
The item description of Godskin Hood says that the Godskin Apostles are followers of Destined Death. Then the item description of Godslayer’s Greatsword says that this sword was used by the Gloam-Eyed Queen who controlled the Godskin Apostles. If we put the two descriptions together, we can say that Destined Death and the Gloam-Eyed Queen are one and the same. Thus, the theory that Melina is somewhat related to the Gloam-Eyed Queen – either by being the queen herself, or a reincarnation or vassal of the queen.
As per the Black Flame Ritual incantation, its description says that the Gloam-Eyed Queen is an Emyprean, just like Marika and Ranni. An Empyrean is a person who can ascend into godhood if they are selected by an outer god, like the Greater Will to Queen Marika.
Destined Death
After Melina learned of her purpose (see Fact #5), she starts to mention Death and Destined Death with your conversations with her. She starts to lean towards Destined Death as the method of repair needed by the Lands Between (see Fact #7).
For a more in-game related fact, the item description of Scouring Black Flame incantation says that this is used by Godskin Apostles and the black flame once can slay gods, until Maliketh sealed Destined Death, losing its god-slaying power. This established the connection of the black flame and Destined Death. But how is it connected to the Gloam-Eyed Queen again? In the item description of Godslayer’s Greatsword, it says that the black flames wielded by the apostles are channeled from this sword. And who is the wielder of this sword? The Gloam-Eyed Queen.
The Gloam-Eyed Queen disappeared and Destined Death was removed from the Lands Between when Maliketh killed the Queen and sealed the Rune of Death. Which tells us that the Gloam-Eyed Queen is either the Rune of Death herself or is the living embodiment of the Rune.
Author’s Final Thoughts – Who Really is Melina?
After going through the top theories connected to Melina, I tried to piece them together to come up on who Melina really is. The three theories above are backed up by undeniable connections and weren’t forced just for the sake of making a connection. They all totally make sense and have in-game facts to support those claims.
Using the three theories – Melina is all those three. Let me explain:
- Melina is Marika’s daughter. This is just too hard to deny based on our conversations with Melina, see Fact #2. Thinking that she can be a daughter of someone else inside the Erdtree is way off tangent and feels forced. So, I establish that Melina is Marika’s daughter, but not with Radagon.
- Melina is also Ranni… somewhat. The similarities are just too hard to ignore. Melina and Ranni are one, like how Marika and Radagon are one. But in the girls’ case, Melina was only “born” after Ranni stole a fragment of the Rune of Death from Maliketh.
- Related to number 2, Melina is a reincarnation of the Gloam-Eyed Queen. When Ranni stole the fragment and destroyed her corporeal body using it, her spirit became free. But this also made the Gloam-Eyed Queen become free and attached herself to Ranni, but now as Melina. The attachment could be a result of the ritual and is not by choice. Also, which is why after Melina learned her true purpose, she suddenly became inclined with Destined Death’s principle. And in the Frenzied Flame ending, she wasn’t happy with your decision, so she showed her true power to deliver what is yours… Destined Death.
Could this be Marika’s plan all along? Or maybe, Ranni is in connivance with the Gloam-Eyed Queen from the very start… to topple the Greater Will.
