In the lore of the Elden Ring, there are people called Empyreans who live in the Lands Between. These are rare people, and much about them is still unknown. Notable Empyreans include Malenia, Ranni, Marika, Michella, and the Dark-Eyed Queen. In terms of what it means to be an empyrean, these beings are known to have divine potential. They can work on behalf of an External God, as Marika does with a Higher Will.
Another well-known detail about them is that they receive shadows from the Great Will. These wolf-like shadows are incredibly loyal to their Empyreans, although these shadows can also fall into madness if their masters decide to go against the Golden Order. The only known shadows are Ranny and Marika, Blade and Maliket respectively. Since the Twilight Queen herself is unknown, it is logical that her shadow will also be unknown. However, what happened to the shadows of Malenia and Michella remains one of the game’s greatest mysteries. The fact that they have no shadows, and they are also connected by the fact that they are twins, is very interesting.
About Malenia and Michella
Malenia fought with her demigod brothers after Marika destroyed the Old Ring. She was born with the curse of Scarlet Rot. Her fighting skills were taught by a blind swordsman who sealed the External God of Rot. Malenia was very close to her twin brother and decided to become his blade. Michella was also born with a curse: he could not grow beyond childhood. While Malenia was working with his blade, he was looking for a way to remove both curses. Both managed to get the fragments of the Old Ring, and they continued to work together. Malenia won many battles after the Split, but eventually lost to Scarlet Rot to defeat Radan. This put her into a coma and she was taken to Haligtree to recover.
According to the description of the Winged Helmet of Malenia, she considered Michella the most formidable of the Empyreans. It was because he could force love from others. It is likely that Mikella would have replaced Marika if the Golden Order had had its way, but the Golden Order and Mikella did not see eye to eye. Michella didn’t like that the Golden Order didn’t have a cure for Malenia’s curse. He created Haligtree in the hope that it might be a new Erdtree. He fell into a deep sleep at the base of the tree, but was eventually abducted by the Mog in his cocoon.
No shadows are mentioned in any of the lore, despite the fact that lore dictates that all Empyreans are given shadows, like Blade and Maliket. Malenia can be fought and defeated, while Mikella remains in a cocoon even after killing the Mog. Although shadows are a big mystery that has no clear answer yet, there are several compelling theories that fans have shared.
Shadow theories
The most likely theory put forward by fans is that Mikella and Malenia had to kill their own shadows. That’s because Mikella challenged the Golden Order just like Ranny did in her quest line. Ranny’s shadow was Blade, who was incredibly loyal to her. However, if her quest is completed, Blade goes crazy and the Tarnished Ones must kill her. The shadows were ultimately created by the Great Will and will thus rise up if their masters work against it. Blade was proof that no matter how good-natured and loyal these shadows were, they would turn against their masters when their master betrayed the Higher Will.
This means that Michella could see how his shadow betrayed him when he decided to go against his Great Will and create a new Erdtry. The same can be said about Malenia, who worked together with her brother. It is also possible that the twins somehow caught their shadows somewhere in the Inter-Earths. Some fans hope that the DLC will be able to penetrate the missing shadows of Michella and Malenia. If the shadows were trapped somewhere, it could be exciting boss battles.
Another theory is related to the curses of Malenia and Michella. Their curses set them apart from other Empyreans. Perhaps because of their curses, the Great Will decided not to give the twins shadows. This may be especially true for Malenia, since her curse is also associated with another External God, whom the Great Will will see as an enemy. Perhaps because of their curses, the Great Will trusted Ranni more, despite the fact that there were three candidates to replace Marika.
Anyway, fans hope that Elden Ring will get a DLC related to Mikella, since his cocoon cannot be touched in the game yet, and Sir Gideon hinted that it should be taken care of. If Mikella’s DLC does come out, it’s also possible that fans will find out about the fate of Malenia and Mikella’s shadows.
Elden Ring is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
