A platforming Elden Ring player was abruptly thrust off their feet in a moment which would haunt anyone unlucky enough to have experienced the archers of Anor Londo. Since debuting in Dark Souls, the bow-wielding Silver Knights have garnered a degree of infamy that permeates the mind of Soulsborne veterans to this day, and is only matched by Elden Ring's Revenants.
Defeating the Draconic Tree Sentinel will, for most, unlock the entrance to Leyndell, Royal Capital. After crossing the bridge into the eastern rampart, Tarnished are treated to a regal vista so breathtaking that it rivals the introduction of Anor Londo, the city of everlasting twilight that is featured in both the first and third installments of the Dark Souls series. In many ways, Leyndell can be considered a spiritual successor to Anor Londo, best demonstrated by the knights scattered around each region. The Silver Knights of Anor Londo, however, garnered notoriety for one deceptively simple section of traversal, which still torments those who witnessed it over a decade later.
In a video uploaded to Reddit by u/flybasilisk, a player who has likely just defeated the golden shade of Godfrey is seen jumping over a parapet. Just like how the deceased dragon draped over the south-western side of Leyndell can be traversed, so can the gargantuan, golden spear imbedded into the earth nearby. A few moments later and the player is making their way up the mammoth weapon, intent on acquiring the legendary Bolt of Gransax that rests at the highest accessible point.
The movement to navigate the spear requires a fair degree of concentration due to the unorthodox weapon design, and the player wisely takes their time before making the final jump. However, the successful landing lasts only a fraction of a second before a lightning infused arrow barrels into player, causing them to be flung off the side and forced to try again. Some commenters claimed to have been caught in the exact same way, and others believed it to be an intentional decision by FromSoftware.
With the speed at which that arrow arrives, the theory holds weight, and FromSoftware is known for setting up elaborate traps and designing crippling enemy attacks. One such example are the Revenants from Elden Ring, which threaten to supersede the Silver Knights as the community's most despised foe. With mechanics built to punish positioning, and relentless combinations that demand perfection, Revenants are as terrifying to fight as they are to witness, but learning the timings necessary to defeat can be one of the most satisfying experiences in the game.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.