Elden Ring Player Spots Neat Real-World Reference on a Shield

gamerant.com:

An Elden Ring player discovered that a symbol featured on one of the critically acclaimed RPG's shields possibly has a real-life counterpart. FromSoftware revealed in the past that while its latest work did not take inspiration from one game in particular, the studio was influenced by titles based on various mythologies.

Much like other Soulsborne games, 2022's Elden Ring offers a wide assortment of weapons and equipment that players can use as they journey through the vast, dangerous realm of The Lands Between. Among these is the Beast Crest Heater Shield, a Strength-scaling piece of gear that can be found in the game's starting region of Limgrave. One Elden Ring player has realized that the icon inscribed on the shield resembles the heraldry of one of their country's former kingdoms.

In a post on the Elden Ring subreddit, user RazielTheVampire claimed that the lion symbol on the Beast Crest Heater Shield looks similar to the heraldry of the Kingdom of Leon, a past state in the Iberian Peninsula that is now part of Spain. The sigil featured on the item, which is considered to be among the best shields in Elden Ring, depicts a lion standing upright on its hind legs while its forepaws are raised.

Community members pointed out that this symbol, known as a Lion Rampant, was a common heraldry that was associated with other old states, such as the Kingdom of Scotland. Aside from Europe, the icon can also be found in Africa and the Middle East, with the Lion Rampant still being featured on the coats of arms of countries like Spain and Tunisia. In FromSoftware's game, this symbol is used by the followers of Godrick the Grafted, a character often regarded as one of Elden Ring's easiest bosses.

Veteran Japanese game developer Hidetaka Miyazaki, Elden Ring's director, previously claimed that the popular RPG did not take inspiration from one game in particular. However, the FromSoftware president, who recently confirmed that the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will be Elden