Lore of Elden Ring: Who is Malenia? Weaknesses, Boss Battle, and Demigod

 Jul 23, 2024

Comprehending the legend of Elden Ring might prove to be very difficult. Even important characters are unaware of the full scope of their backstories, with most of the game's material being revealed only via item descriptions. This applies to a number of incidents and persons connected to Malenia, a covert boss who is supposedly the hardest of them all. She appears in the game's opening sequence, although it's unclear how she connects to the other characters and what drives her personally. It will take a profound understanding of Elden Ring and its mythology for fans to comprehend Malenia and the rot she carries.

Who is Malenia the Severed in Elden Ring Lore?

Malenia is the offspring of Radagon, the second Elden Lord, and Queen Marika. Because she and Miquella were born as twins, she developed a strong attachment to him that eclipsed that of the other demigods. Nevertheless, the twins were cursed from birth due to the relationship that already existed between Radagon and Marika. Malenia suffered from the fatal ailment known as Scarlet Rot, which would gradually destroy her body and remove her right arm and eyes. Due to the physical and psychological effects of scarlet rot, Malenia is probably aggressive when the player enters her arena.

Miquella made a needle before the Shattering to help ward off Malenia's rot. Given that Scarlet Rot comes from a deity of such kind, this needle protects against the effect of external gods. Similarly, Malenia would do all in her power to protect Miquella, remaining at his side in Haligtree until the Shattering war broke out. She would then engage in combat with Godrick the Grafted, ultimately humiliating him in battle, before facing Radahn in a last encounter. Malenia would not emerge victorious from this encounter, as her Scarlet Rot would blossom into a gigantic flower that would engulf all of Caelid, particularly Radahn, in its misery. She was only able to live because to the devotion of a Cleanrot Knight who brought her unconscious body back to the Haligtree, where she would hope in vain for Miquella to return.

It's interesting to note that the NPC Millicent is said to be related to Malenia by blood, but it's unclear how closely. Furthermore, it is said in the description of Malenia's Scarlet Aeonia spell that she will turn into a goddess after her third "bloom." She calls herself the "Goddess of Rot" and uses the spell several times throughout the battle, however the message that displays after she is vanquished reads just "Demigod Slain." Her two blossoms seem to have happened during her battles with the player and Radahn. Put another way, by the time players beat Malenia, she has never really reached her full potential.

Tips for Combating Malenia

Although players may easily cheese Malenia with frostbite and blood loss, being proficient in the most of her attacks will greatly simplify the battle. Malenia's long blade gives her a surprisingly impressive range. If the player chooses to dodge backwards, they will often be struck by many of her swipes, particularly when she does fast 4-swipe combos and jumping thrusts. To completely avoid being hit by her larger slashes, it is preferable to go onto her side and dodge diagonally towards her. This will free you from any concerns about fallout and allow you to do some serious damage with charged strikes and weapon abilities.

Malenia's Waterfowl Dance is her most lethal move, capable of swiftly taking down any opponent that is unprepared for it. You will die if you try to avoid it when you are too near to her. Rather, brace yourself for the moment when her vitality is around 75% and make every effort to avoid her. After that, roll to dodge her second and third salvo of slashes while escaping her initial one. As an alternative, you may use items like 100% physical blocking ability shields orequipment like Freezing Pots. The former will end the attack before she can ever use it, while the latter will save you from harm but at the expense of your stamina and the restoration of part of her health.

Malenia will use novel, perhaps unpredictable assaults in phase 2. She will attempt to smash into the player with her Scarlet Aeonia before a fatal blossom of rot opens. You'll want to get away as quickly as you can by avoiding her slam. Your health might be destroyed in a matter of seconds by even one petal! In certain of her combinations, she'll also add a leaping slam, unleashing an explosion of Scarlet Rot that leaves her shockingly vulnerable to counterattacks. She can also execute a thrust after a lengthy, leaping sweep. She sometimes combines this with flowery apparitions of herself to attack the opponent with a barrage of slicing. By rolling at the right times, you can mostly avoid this, although there are certain disadvantages to blocking the apparitions in order to prevent harm.

Malenia's assaults may be mostly avoided or even parried, but you shouldn't depend too heavily on your shield. Even if an assault only strikes a shield, it will still heal her. Given how simple it is to stagger her, you'll need to be every bit as aggressive as she is. Usually, as she jumps, she leaves herself vulnerable to a fast, light follow-up strike. Eventually, you'll be able to break her stance and deliver a critical strike, but she'll straighten up quite fast. Watch out for when she gets on her knees!

When fighting Malenia, fire and lighting work very well. Even after accounting for the water in her arena, they will remain the main sources of elemental damage. Take into consideration bringing items or spells that can eliminate Scarlet Rot if you're experiencing problems with her second phase. This will stop her from outliving you as long as you can keep doing damage and stay out of her way when she strikes. Malenia may be the most powerful boss in all of Elden Ring in terms of legend. However, you only need to have enough patience and ability in the game to defeat her!

You may play Elden Ring on a PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.