Elden Ring offers several endings, each shaped by the player’s choices, alliances, and understanding of the Lands Between. From restoring order to plunging the world into chaos or cosmic rebirth, each resolution feels definitive in its own right. Yet, the question persists: is there a true or “canon” ending?
FromSoftware has never been direct about a single canonical route. However, lore analysis, developer statements, and thematic patterns provide clues that certain endings may carry more narrative weight or be considered foundational for future expansions or spiritual sequels.
Every Ending Briefly Explained
Age of Fracture
You mend the Elden Ring and become Elden Lord under the current order. This is the most neutral ending and appears to follow the status quo.
Age of Duskborn
You restore the Elden Ring but introduce the Rune of Death, allowing mortality to return. The Lands Between begins to decay, yet in a more natural, grounded cycle.
Blessing of Despair
The Dung Eater’s ending. You spread defilement across the world. A deliberately bleak path meant to show corruption at its peak.
Age of Order
You ally with Brother Corhyn and Goldmask to stabilise the Golden Order, refining it to a more coherent, logical state.
Lord of the Frenzied Flame
You embrace chaos by submitting to the Frenzied Flame. The world is reduced to ash, leaving no structure behind. Dramatic and destructive.
Age of the Stars
You side with Ranni the Witch, rejecting the Greater Will. She ushers in an age free from the influence of outer gods, where the world moves under her enigmatic guidance.
Is There a Canon Ending?
No single ending has been officially declared canon by FromSoftware. However, several arguments support the Age of the Stars as the most likely candidate:
- Narrative Closure: Ranni’s questline is the most expansive in the game. It involves major characters like Blaidd, Seluvis, Renna, and War Counselor Seluvis. Her arc feels narratively complete and directly challenges the authority of the Greater Will.
- Thematic Evolution: FromSoftware has often favoured endings that suggest liberation or transcendence, even at great cost. Ranni’s ending severs the world from the established divine order, similar in spirit to how the Dark Ending in Dark Souls represents a break from the Flame cycle.
- Fan Reception and Lore Prominence: The Age of the Stars has received the most attention in lore discussions and fan content. The care given to Ranni’s dialogue and her final speech implies importance. It also avoids the corruption or madness found in other outcomes.
- DLC Considerations: Shadow of the Erdtree introduces Miquella’s story, which may or may not follow from a specific ending. Yet, it does not contradict the Age of the Stars and appears to run parallel to the main endings. This keeps the timeline flexible while still allowing thematic continuity.
Why No Fixed Canon Might Be the Point
FromSoftware often resists the idea of a single true path. Player agency, interpretation, and ambiguity are central to their storytelling. Declaring one ending canon would undermine the rich role-playing framework that gives Elden Ring its depth.
In lore terms, each ending reflects a different philosophy about power, control, divinity, and decay. The game’s silence on canonicity is deliberate. It allows each player’s version of the Tarnished to become their own legend.
Seven Swords Takeaway
While Age of the Stars stands out as the most narratively complex and thematically resonant ending, Elden Ring leaves the door open. There may never be a canonical ending in the traditional sense. Instead, what matters is how your Tarnished chose to reshape the Lands Between.
