Taking the hardest boss fight alongside some of the most intriguing bits of lore in the game and hiding it away as side content that players might easily miss out on is a bold move that not many developers would decide to take. FromSoftware isn't an average studio, though, and Elden Ring is far from an average open-world game.
Miquella's Haligtree is one of the best legacy dungeons in the game, and Malenia's past is considered to be one of the most tragic character backstories out of all Soulsborne games. The vast majority of Elden Ring players hate her due to how painstakingly difficult it is to beat her in combat. However, she undeniably deserves a lot of sympathy for what she's been forced to endure throughout her life.
7 She Was Afflicted By Scarlet Rot From Birth
Malenia and Miquella are siblings born out of the twisted and complicated union between Marika and Radagon. Being a demigod certainly elevates one's status in the Lands Between, but in the case of Malenia and her brother, it also came with certain painful side effects.
Malenia had Scarlet Rot coursing through her veins from the very beginning of her life, which caused insurmountable amounts of pain and rotted her limbs away. Despite this affliction, though, she managed to become one of the greatest warriors in all of the Lands Between.
6 Malenia Cursed Radahn With Scarlet Rot
Following the Shattering, Malenia was one of the individuals vying to become the next Elden Lord. One of the toughest battles she's ever had to fight was against Starscourge Radahn, her half-brother, who at the time, was a formidable general, known for his military acumen and impeccable war record.
Malenia proudly claims she has never known defeat, but fighting Radahn in Calid was the closest she ever came to it. The battle ended up in a tie, with the Blade of Miquella cursing General Radahn with Scarlet Rot, causing him to go mad and turning him into the unpredictable monster players had to face during the Redmane Castle tournament.
5 She Has Three Prosthetics
Due to the overwhelming Scarlet Rot infection she had to endure from birth, Malenia's body became severely weakened and disfigured. As a seasoned warrior, she was also subject to severe battle injuries.
Elden Ring lore does not provide players with clear answers regarding Malenia's prosthetic limbs, but it is safe to assume that the fact that she is missing her right arm, left leg, and the right foot resulted from a combination of the Scarlet Rot eating away at her body and combat confrontations.
4 Cleanrot Knight Finlay Saved Malenia's Life
Cleanrot Knights were Malenia's devoted soldiers. The ultimate proof of their loyalty to the Goddess of Rot is the fact that they were willing to endure severe Scarlet Rot infections (as a result of being in close proximity to her at all times) just to be able to serve her. However, one of the knights went above and beyond for his leader.
In the aftermath of the battle against General Radahn, Malenia was severely weakened and at risk of dying from her battle injuries. According to his Spirit Ash item description, Cleanrot Knight Finlay carried Malenia on his back through every single region of the Lands Between, finally laying her down to recuperate at the Haligtree base. This saved her life, as she would otherwise succumb to her injuries or be killed by one of Radahn's knights.
3 Her Waterfowl Dance Move Is An AoE Attack
It is no secret that the Malenia boss fight is the most difficult encounter in Elden Ring. Players tried many different methods to cheese their way to victory, let a legendary cooperator duke it out with her one-on-one. Plenty of them also simply gave up on the idea of beating the Goddess of Rot. The infamous Waterfowl Dance is one of the most punishing attacks in Malenia's arsenal.
Those who hopelessly try to dodge away or interrupt the boss in order to avoid getting hit are going about it the wrong way. Although it may look like she's slashing away with her sword, the Waterfowl Dance is actually an AoE attack, as one Redditor managed to figure out via model viewing software. This means that the most effective way to avoid it is by sprinting away as far as possible as soon as she signals it and waiting it out.
2 She Protects Those Discriminated By The Golden Order
Although the beginning of Elden Ring makes it seem like the Golden Order and the Erdtree are the "good guys", as players progress through the game, it becomes pretty obvious that they are just another selfish, quite malicious faction in the game's world.
One of the Golden Order's sins is the alienation of the Albinaurics and Misbegottens. Inhabitants of the Eternal City created these races by way of experiment. As such, they were considered impure and unworthy of the Erdtree's grace. Both Albinaurics and Misbegottens look to the Haligtree for salvation and refuge from unfair prosecution. Thus, Malenia's cause became directly intertwined with the plight of these disenfranchised inhabitants of the Lands Between.
1 Malenia Took It Upon Herself To Be Miquella's Protector
As mentioned earlier, the birth of Malenia and Miquella was a result of an unholy union between Marika and Radagon, who were actually two parts of a single god. This had severe unintended consequences for both siblings. Malenia was afflicted with the Scarlet Rot. Miquella, on the other hand, became cursed with eternal childhood, forced to live out his life in a weak, tiny form.
Many Elden Ring fans argue that it is precisely because of her brother's condition that Malenia found the willpower to overcome the infection and become the most formidable warrior in the Lands Between. She took it upon herself to protect Miquella and his beloved Haligtree, as due to his fragile, child-like body, he would be unable to survive in that harsh, dangerous world.
Elden Ring is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.