Most Depressing Elden Ring NPC Storylines

Have you ever followed a questline in Elden Ring? Did you ever pay attention to all the details when the NPC spoke, or read the descriptions of the items they gave you?

It is easy to overlook the depressing nature of Elden Ring. When you don't fully pay attention to the NPCs, the game feels brighter. However, when you start looking into these NPC storylines, you realize just how depressing this world can be.

From a man who simply can't let go, to a sorcerer who dies while trying to create a spell of his own, The Lands Between have never been a more depressing place.

10 Thops

The Useless Sorcerer

Thops is a Glintstone sorcerer found in the Church of Irith in the southern part of Liurnia of the Lakes. He is a rather sad soul, and when speaking to him, you will first be prompted to donate Runes to him. After doing so, he will tell you about his wish to return to Raya Lucaria Academy to continue studying Glintstone sorceries.

It won't take long to discover that Thops isn't a very useful NPC. If you try to give him a scroll, he will tell you that he is a "bluntstone," and that he doesn't have a "pebble's worth of power." He will then apologize for being useless.

If you continue his storyline, he will make his way to Raya Lucaria Academy where he will immediately die after attempting to craft his own spell. You will, however, get the Thops' Barrier spell. It is also implied that Thops is actually rather smart, he just doesn't have any self-esteem.

9 Smithing Master Hewg

Forever Imprisoned

You first encounter Hewg after getting your invitation to Roundtable Hold, and he isn't a man of many words. This Misbegotten blacksmith is but a prisoner who is bound by chain to smith weapons for those in Roundtable Hold.

After meeting Roderika, Hewg takes a liking to her, teaching her how to Spirit Tune, further helping you on your journey. Roderika even becomes like a daughter to him. As your journey progresses, you learn that Hewg only wishes to craft a weapon for you that can slay a god, and that even him being free doesn't mean much.

He pours his heart and soul into his work, and even progresses to call you lord. Unfortunately, he forgets everything by the end of the game, questioning who you are, and wondering why Roderika weeps for him.

8 Sorceress Sellen

Your Teacher

Sellen is one of the earliest NPCs you may come across in Elden Ring, and she is the primary sorcery teacher in the game, giving you some great spells early on. It won't take long for you to learn that she was exiled from Raya Lucaria Academy, is being hunted as a witch by Jerren, and has been separated from her true body.

You can progress her quest by returning her to her true form. Afterward, she will guide you to finding the Lusat and Azur — famous teachers of Glintstone sorcery.

You then learn that Sellen was exiled from the academy for her studies into the primeval current and was accused of horrific atrocities against her fellow students under the name the Graven Witch. In the end, she meets the same fate as her fellow students when she is turned into a Graven Mass.

7 Nepheli Loux

Disowned

Nepheli is another NPC that you can meet rather early in the game, and she has one of the happier endings of all the Elden Ring NPCs. You might be wondering why she is on the list then.

Well, Nepheli tries to stop the massacre of the Albinauric people, angering her adoptive father Gideon Ofnir, who goes on to disown her. She then goes on a quest to prove herself, which can lead to her becoming the Lord of Limgrave.

Unfortunately, if you don't get this ending to her questline, she can receive the tragic fate of becoming one of Seluvis' puppets. A terrifying ending that is as depressing as any other storyline.

6 Patches

He Found a Home

Patches has been in lots of FromSoftware titles, making it easy to ignore his quest, as he typically just tries to get you killed. After meeting him as a fake boss in Elden Ring, he quickly becomes a merchant, and then moves to Volcano Manor.

Here, he seems to take a liking to Tanith — the leader of the manor. Patches even says that he has never seen a woman quite like her. When you finally defeat Rykard, Patches even seems sad that the manor is being disbanded.

You can find him later in the Shaded Castle. Here he will give you Dancer's Castanets to give to Tanith. Unfortunately, Tanith doesn't care about this momento, and instead is too focused on consuming her lord.

5 Hyetta

Frenzied Flame

Hyetta is on a quest to find a distant light that she believes will allow her to become a Finger Maiden. If you decide to help her on this quest, she will ask you to bring her Shabriri Grapes, not knowing they are eyeballs.

After a while, you can tell her the truth about the Shabriri Grapes, but she will stay true to her convictions, stomaching through the gross meal to find her light. In the end, she will lead you to the Frenzied Flame and the maddening Three-Fingers.

In the domain of the Three Fingers, Hyetta will offer to become your maiden, but when you touch her with the Frenzied Flame, she will instead catch on fire, leading to her death.

4 Latenna

Sole Survivor

Latenna is found at the very end of the Lakeside Crystal Cave in Liurnia. You discover her lying on the ground next to her dead wolf companion Lobo. She will not trust you, however, until you have been given half of the Haligtree Medallion.

After trusting you, Latenna will tell you about the "all-hearing brute," also known as Gideon Ofnir, who is responsible for the massacre of her people. Latenna will then ask that you take her to the Haligtree, a place where those who do not fit in belong.

Latenna sticks by your side throughout the game as a spirit summon, and in the end asks you to lay her to rest next to her dear companion Lobo. A solemn ending to a sad tale that began with a massacre.

3 Boc

Wanting to be Beautiful

Boc is a demi-human who can be found hiding in Limgrave early in the game. Shortly after, he will make alterations to armor for you, making him useful for those who want to change up their style slightly.

As you progress through his story, you will learn that he desperately hates who he is physically and wants to become human so that he may become beautiful. It is for this reason that he wants to meet Rennala, so that he may experience rebirth.

If he follows through with the rebirthing process, he will become human, be unable to speak, and then die shortly after. You can prevent this by getting the stone that says "You're beautiful," as this will make him finally realize he matters.

2 Rogier

Death Blight

Rogier is one of those NPCs who makes the world feel a little brighter. Think of him as running into Solaire in Dark Souls. He is a small positive in a dark world.

Rogier falls victim to one of the game's worst effects: Death Blight. As you might have guessed by the name, this effect ultimately leads to... death. In Rogier's case, it starts with him having his legs covered with a blanket, telling you he is unable to walk.

If you follow his questline, you will get used to seeing Rogier each time you make your way to Roundtable Hold. Unfortunately, the Death Blight inevitably takes him, and it is sad to see him go.

1 Blaidd

Betrayal

Blaidd is one of the most interesting characters in Elden Ring. Not only is his appearance vastly different than most of the NPCs, he is closely tied to Ranni's questline — one of the most popular quests in the game.

Blaidd considers himself Ranni's friend, but he was secretly made to be Ranni's downfall should she ever turn against the Two Fingers. When she ultimately abandons the Two Fingers, Blaidd is then forced to turn against Ranni.

Seeing himself as her friend, Blaidd tries desperately to go against purpose, but ultimately succumbs to it, being locked away for his actions. You are then tasked with putting an end to an NPC you grew close to throughout the length of your journey.