The demigods in Elden Ring play a central role in the story, not just through their actions but also through their complex family ties. However, understanding these relationships can be challenging, as the game deliberately withholds information, leaving players to piece things together on their own.
This includes the updated family tree of the demigods, incorporating new details introduced in the DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree.
Who are the Demigods?
The demigods are the offspring of Queen Marika, represented in the image with a red line. This includes her children with Godfrey, her children with Radagon, and Radagon’s children with Rennala (since Radagon and Marika are the same being, any child of Radagon is also a demigod).
Godrick is also classified as a demigod, despite not being directly related to Marika. This suggests that the bloodlines of demigods can produce additional demigods, though we lack sufficient examples from other characters to confirm if this is always true.
Other descendants shown in the image, such as Nepheli Loux and Millicent, are not considered demigods. Nepheli Loux is descended from Godfrey after he departed the Lands Between, so she has no connection to Marika. Meanwhile, Millicent and her sisters appear to originate from rot buds, linking them more closely to the Outer God of Rot than to Marika or the Golden Order.
Elden Ring Family Tree Explained
Each member of the family has their own place in the tree, though the details about some are limited. Let’s explore what is known about each character and the reasons for their inclusion.
Marika
Marika is the central figure driving the player’s journey in Elden Ring. Her story is complex and fragmented, yet her influence over the Lands Between is undeniable, with countless statues and churches dedicated to her across the realm. Many of the main bosses the player encounters are her children—demigods who each possess a shard of the shattered Elden Ring.
Marika’s true motivations remain enigmatic, but clues scattered throughout the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC reveal fragments of her story, encouraging players to piece together the narrative and form their own theories. While some aspects of her life are well-known, such as her marriages to Godfrey and Radagon and her role in founding the Golden Order, other details remain more obscure.
Maliketh
Maliketh is often included in Marika’s family tree because his armor refers to him as her “half-brother.” However, there is little evidence to suggest a true familial connection. Most descriptions and wolf-like figures associated with Maliketh point to him being Marika’s shadow—a loyal vassal assigned to her by the Two Fingers.
While Maliketh plays a significant role in the larger narrative, he is likely not blood-related to Marika. The term “half-brother” might be a mistranslation or a figurative reference to his long-standing role as her guardian.
Marika And Radagon
While it is known that Marika and Radagon are the same being, it remains unclear whether they were unified from birth or if Radagon was created later.
Initially, both Marika and Radagon were devoted to the Golden Order. During this time, the Two Fingers assigned Maliketh to Marika as her “shadow.” This title suggests that Maliketh, along with other similar wolf-like beings, was created by the Two Fingers to serve as both a protector and a watcher over Marika.
Radagon also had a wolf, which appears as a minor boss in Raya Lucaria. It’s unclear whether this wolf was simply a pet or something akin to Maliketh. If it was the latter, it would suggest that Radagon shared a similar role to Marika, or that the Two Fingers were aware they were one and the same and assigned a wolf to keep watch over Radagon as well.
Miquella
When Marika and Radagon reunited, they had twins, with the male being Miquella. As is known, children born from their union are cursed, and Miquella appears to be cursed with eternal youth—though that doesn’t stop him from plotting numerous schemes.
Interestingly, Miquella has another half, known as St. Trina, the patron of love and sleep. Miquella is the only one of Marika’s children to inherit her dual nature, yet St. Trina is not regarded as a demigod or even as one of Marika’s children in the game. This raises the question of whether St. Trina was always a part of Miquella or if this other half was acquired later in life.
Malenia
Malenia, the female twin, bears the heaviest curse of all: she was chosen as the avatar of the Outer God of Rot, doomed to be perpetually afflicted by rot, which caused her to lose an arm and a leg.
During her battle with Radahn after the Shattering, Malenia unleashed her Scarlet Aeonia in Caelid, spreading rot across the land. This rot gave birth to flowers, which in turn gave rise to several maidens who strongly resembled Malenia, with Millicent being the most prominent among them.
Messmer
It is confirmed that Messmer is a son of Marika, though his father’s identity is not explicitly shown. However, his red hair suggests a connection to Radagon. The remembrance of Gaius hints that Messmer may have been an older brother figure to Radahn, implying he interacted with the other demigods before being sent to the Realm of Shadow.
Like all children of Marika and Radagon, Messmer bears a curse: a malevolent snake that induces visions of destructive fire. Although Marika initially suppressed this curse with a seal of Grace, she eventually sent him to the Realm of Shadow to eternally cleanse the Hornsent.
Melina
Very little is known about Melina, but the few clues available suggest she is another child of Marika and likely an Empyrean. Her frequent references to Marika and her birth at the foot of the Erdtree indicate that she is at least a demigod.
Melina mentions that her body was burned, leaving only her spirit behind. The DLC reveals that Messmer had a sister who also experienced visions of fire, leading to the assumption that Radagon is likely her father. If she was cursed with these fiery visions, she could also be the Gloam-Eyed Queen.
The Gloam-Eyed Queen is briefly mentioned in Elden Ring, and it’s known that she was an Empyrean. Maliketh was responsible for her death, and she was the original bearer of the Rune of Death. While her exact motives are unclear, it is certain that Maliketh took the rune from her.
Given that all Empyreans are Marika’s children, the connection between Melina and the Gloam-Eyed Queen seems evident. This theory is further supported by the “Gloam Eye” in the Flame of Frenzy ending, where Melina is left as the sole survivor after the fire purification.
Godfrey
Godfrey was Marika’s first Elden Lord, which meant that her previous union with Radagon was not considered official by the Two Fingers. After the war ended, Godfrey was exiled from the Lands Between, eventually arriving in the Badlands and taking on the identity of Hoarah Loux, the Tarnished warrior.
Hoarah Loux and his followers became the original Tarnished, and all subsequent Tarnished are their descendants. However, it appears that Hoarah Loux has only one direct descendant in the game, at least from the Tarnished lineage, and that is Nepheli Loux.
Godwyn
Godwyn, the golden child of Marika and Godfrey, was highly revered in his time and a formidable warrior, even capable of battling Ancient Dragons. However, his most significant impact came with his death, as he was the first demigod to fall.
In the timeline, he perished before the Shattering, but after the birth of the demigods, during the Night of the Black Knives. His soul was destroyed, but his body lingered, decaying and spreading undeath, causing the reanimation of corpses. Despite his death, Godwyn left behind numerous descendants, including Godrick the Grafted. Though Godrick is considered a demigod, his bloodline is heavily diluted, making him the weakest of the demigods.
Another of Godwyn’s descendants, Godefroy, can be found imprisoned in an Evergaol. However, since he shares the same model as Godrick, he feels more like a reused asset than a fully developed character in the lore.
Morgott And Mohg
The Omen Twins were born with the Omen affliction, marked by horns growing in unusual places, leading them to be ostracized in the society created by the Golden Order. This rejection likely stemmed from their resemblance to the Hornsent, Marika’s enemies from the Realm of Shadow, who viewed horns as a divine symbol.
The reason Marika gave birth to twins with horns remains unclear, but it suggests she may have some connection to the Hornsent bloodline herself. However, it’s unlikely that their affliction came from their father, Godfrey.
Each twin responded to their status as outcasts in different ways. Mohg sought refuge underground, aligning himself with the Outer God, the Formless Mother, while Morgott stayed loyal to the Golden Order. It’s likely that Morgott had a positive relationship with his father, as suggested by Godfrey’s reaction when he encountered Morgott’s body.
Rennala
Rennala is a Carian royal, whose house was at war with the Golden Order. To solve this matter peacefully, Radagon married Rennala, and three more children were born from their union, yet this wasn’t meant to last: eventually, Radagon broke it off with Rennala to become Marika’s Elden Lord.
This devastated Rennala, who loved Radagon deeply and never got over his departure. This infatuation with red-haired warriors seems to run in the family, since her sister Rellana ended up going through a similar story with Messmer, following him to the Realm of Shadow and loyally serving him.
Radahn, Rykard, and Ranni
While Rykard, Radahn, and Ranni are all fascinating characters, their place in the family tree is not a mystery. They are the children of Radagon and Rennala, each inheriting Radagon’s striking red hair.
As for Ranni, her different hair color is due to her original body dying long ago. She was the mastermind behind the Night of the Black Knives, and although her assassins killed Godwyn’s soul, they also took Ranni’s life.
Ranni now inhabits a puppet body crafted in the image of her mentor, the Snow Witch. Though the Snow Witch never appears in the game, we know her appearance: a small humanoid with four arms and long black hair.
Rellana
Rellana was born a Carian princess but chose to abandon her royal heritage to join Messmer’s crusade in the Land of Shadow. Driven by unwavering devotion to Messmer and his ideals, Rellana renounced her family, including her sister Rennala, who later became the Carian Queen.
Forsaking her prestigious background, she traveled to the Land of Shadow, where she became Messmer’s Sword, guarding one of the paths to Scadu Altus and ultimately residing as the final boss of Castle Ensis. Her swordsmanship is exceptional, wielding twin blades infused with both Glintstone and Flame. This suggests that, despite her loyalty to Messmer, she still draws upon her family’s sorcery teachings.
During their childhood, Rellana and Rennala encountered the twin moons, a symbol of their deep bond. Rellana uses these moons in battle as a powerful attack on the Tarnished, a move that is notoriously difficult to dodge. However, defeating her rewards the player with a remembrance sorcery.
Nepheli Loux
Nepheli Loux is a character in Elden Ring who players first encounter at Stormveil Castle and later at the Roundtable Hold. As the adopted daughter of Gideon, she is a formidable warrior who assists the player in defeating several bosses, including Godrick, Godfrey, and the Omenkiller at the Village of the Albinaurics. In addition to her role in these battles, she is also involved in some of the game’s optional quests.
Godrick
Godrick is a descendant of the Golden Lineage, a bloodline that began with Queen Marika the Eternal and her first consort, Godfrey. However, as a distant relative of Marika’s line, his divine blood was heavily diluted, leading many to view him as the weakest of his kin.
After the Elden Ring was shattered, Godrick inherited the Great Rune from the center of the Elden Ring, known as the anchor ring. During The Shattering, he was driven out of Leyndell, the Royal Capital. He claimed many treasures, including the Mimic’s Veil, and sought refuge by hiding among the womenfolk to escape the city.
Godefroy
The Evergaols in Elden Ring often contain unique versions of enemies, imprisoned to be confronted by the Tarnished as they clear out some of the most notorious criminals in the Lands Between. One such challenging encounter is with Godefroy the Grafted, a powerful boss found in the Altus Plateau, who guards a rare and potent talisman. As the name suggests, Godefroy the Grafted is a variation of Godrick the Grafted, the first Shardbearer that most players will battle in Elden Ring.
St. Trina
St. Trina is a mysterious and elusive figure, said to appear in dreams. While often depicted as a young girl or boy, St. Trina is occasionally shown in an unsettling adult form.
Trina had gathered a group of priests, who were rumored to have used sleep-inducing arrows in their rituals. One man became so entranced by St. Trina that he supposedly searched for her in his sleep. His obsession led to the creation of various remedies designed to invoke dreams. Trina’s Lily is a symbol of devotion to the saint, used to numb the senses and calm agitation.
Millicent
Millicent is an NPC in Elden Ring, a young woman afflicted with an incurable case of Scarlet Rot. Gowry directs players to find her in hopes of curing her condition. Advancing through her questline allows players to unlock her as an NPC Summon Cooperator for specific boss fights.
Millicent can also appear as an NPC Invader. She invades the player in the Swamp of Aeonia at any time of day. Equipped with light armor, she wields a Shamshir and uses the Waterfowl Dance skill, just like Malenia.
The intricate family dynamics and layered lore of Elden Ring’s demigods add depth to the narrative, enriching the player’s experience.
