Who is Messmer the Impaler in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree?
FromSoftwareElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree recently received its first official trailer bringing some much-need reprieve to fans who had been waiting for ages. The trailer also provided a glimpse at a new character named Messmer the Impaler. So, here’s everything we know about Messmer in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree so far.
Elden Ring racked up a ton of critical acclaim after its release in 2022. The excellent souls-like from FromSoftware was an instant hit, and in 2023 the devs announced that an expansion for the game was in development. Titled Shadow of the Erdtree, the DLC will arrive on all platforms later this year, and fans could not be more excited.
The devs revealed more about the expansion through a gameplay trailer, which showed off new environments, enemies, weapons, and even a new character known as Messmer. The red-haired figure is even on the DLC’s cover art. So, here’s everything we know about Messmer in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree so far.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – Who is Messmer?
Going by Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s official trailer, Messmer the Impaler is the DLC’s main antagonist and the trailer also displays glimpses of the character’s boss fight. Messmer resides in the Land of Shadow, an area that is covered by the Erdtree and is bereft of its golden light.
FromSoftwareThere’s a strong possibility that Messmer is one of Queen Marika’s demi-god children. This is hinted at by a location from the base game called Impaler’s Catacombs.
A ghost near the dungeon’s entrance can be found saying, “O Marika, Queen Eternal. He is your unwanted child,” the dialogue could be a direct reference to Messmer. The character’s red hair also suggests he could’ve been born from Marika and Radagon’s union.
Looking at Messmer’s design, the red snake writhing around his body is perhaps the most striking element. His helm also features a snake, leading some players to draw parallels with the Duelist Helm from the base game. According to the helm’s description, “The snake is viewed as a traitor to the Erdtree.” He shares this appearance trait with Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy.
The trailer strongly hints at Messmer being connected to the demi-god Miquella in some way. But, it’s unlikely that the character is an alternate version of Miquella, as the demi-god stripped himself of his flesh to flee from Mohg’s capture. Instead, Messmer could be the result of Mohg’s twisted attempts at raising what he thought was Miquella to godhood.
Speaking to IGN about the character game director Hidetaka Miyazaki stated, “There was this piece of key art where it shows Mesmer sat in this throne-like chair, and people who’ve played the game may recognize this throne to be one of those from the boss room where you battle Morgott.”
“And this represents the thrones at the base of the Erdtree. And it’s supposed to symbolize that Mesmer stands on equal footing to these other demigods and children of Marika who sat around in these thrones and held the rooms of the Erdtree.”
Given his comments, it is safe to assume that Messmer could be interested in becoming Elden Lord himself, making the Tarnished an obstacle in his path. Elden Ring is packed with complex origins and backstories, and Messmer’s tale is likely to be just as elaborate.
That was everything we know about Messmer in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree so far. We’ll be sure to update this article once more information arrives.
Until then, check out our other Elden Ring guides:
Best Elden Ring PC settings | Best Elden Ring controller settings | Elden Ring server status | How to reach max level in Elden Ring | Is Elden Ring cross-platform?