In their meticulous analysis of the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC trailer, fans have discovered multiple references to the renowned manga Berserk. Whenever a new Soulsborne game is released, fans are always comparing it to characters from Berserk, and the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is no exception.
Elden Ring is filled with a plethora of Easter Eggs, ranging from the return of the popular trickster Patches to nods to Bloodborne and Game of Thrones. Though many of the homages are obvious, some references are so subtle that it takes players years to find them. In fact, quite recently FromSoftware revealed that Elden Ring has another secret that fans have yet to uncover. While the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC trailer was merely three minutes long, curious fans were quick to spot some interesting details within that as well. And unsurprisingly, FromSoftware's work is being linked to Berserk once again.
As spotted by Twitter user CloudyNot4Talk, there are four such references to Berserk hidden in the Elden Ring trailer. The first one is a female character spotted in the trailer, which is deemed to be inspired by Berserk's Queen of Midland. While this one seems like a stretch, and the popular fan theory that she is simply a younger version ofElden Ring's Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, seems more probable, the other connections are much more obvious.
For instance, the burning giant seen in the trailer has some striking similarities to the Wicker Man. Likewise, players have drawn parallels between Miquella's cocoon and Griffith, extrapolating that she could also end up being reborn from an egg and having an angelic appearance. Perhaps the most pivotal of them all is the inspiration for Messmer the Impaler himself.
According to fans, Messmer closely resembles Berserk's Grunbeld, not just in his appearance, but also in terms of his attire. The similarities between Messmer and Grunbled extend beyond their red hair, with the snake figurine on their helmets further
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