Elden Ring Players Are Just Realising Rennala Fight Is An Illusion

thegamer.com:

There are a lot of powerful demigods to fight in Elden Ring, but Rennala isn’t one of them. When you meet Rennala, she’s a shadow of her former glory. Clearly gripped by a deep depression, the first half of the fight is hardly against Rennala at all. She simply floats above the fray guarded in a magical shield while her bizarre Juvenile Scholars hurl objects and cause chandeliers to crash around the player.

Only after breaking her shield and removing her coveted Rune of Rebirth do we get to see the true Rennala. Or is it? Reddit user JimMishimer recently discovered that what you fight is actually not the true Rennala, but it is representative of what Rennala was like in her prime.

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"I just realized that Rennala’s second phase is a Ranni summon of her in her prime and not the real Rennala," they wrote. Indeed, this becomes clear as inky smoke bubbles up from the Rune of Rebirth during the brief cutscene between phases one and two, with Ranni the Witch saying you shall not disturb Rennala's "rich slumber."

Reddit user Sivick314 gives JimMishimer an excellent summary of what happens during the cutscene. "If you listen to what Ranni says in the transition it's obvious this is a magical trap for anyone who attacks her mother that she set up. Ranni must have realized that in her depression she was in no condition to defend herself. Despite her faults, Ranni loves her mother and wanted to make sure not only was an ass beating in store but that people would remember her at her full power."

The trap also transports you to an illusory plane to fight the Rennala summon, who in turn can summon a Bloodhound Knight, a troll, a pack of wolves,