Spoilers AHEAD!
Before entering the Erdtree and claiming the title of Elden Lord, Elden Ring players come face to face with one of the most prestigious names in the game's lore: Godfrey/Hoarah Loux. Godfrey was the first Elden Lord, fathered the Golden Lineage, destroyed the fire giants, and was otherwise a battle-hardened legend. Facing Godfrey is the final test before the player finishes what Marika began: killing the Greater Will, in its Elden Beast form.
Thing is, the story of Elden Ring is ultimately one-sided. How it comes to an end and how the player decides the fate of The Lands Between is up to them, but every event, every demi-god, and every possible storyline in Elden Ring can be tracked back to Marika's plot for revenge against The Greater Will. Indeed, one could argue she is the ultimate antagonistic force in the game, not the Greater Will. She is the one who created the guidance of grace, after all, not The Greater Will.
Eagle-eyed fans have noticed how, as Tarnished, Godfrey's guidance of grace leads him to the player, not to the Elden Beast. Some posit this means that the Tarnished was meant to do all the dirty work for Godfrey, who Marika planned to have kill The Elden Beast. Another valid interpretation, however, is that Godfrey and the Tarnished were pitted against each other beyond their control, since Tarnished were never meant to be Elden Lord. It was a test, one without all the answers because so much about Godfrey is unknown.
Elden Ring: Godfrey's Praises Are Sung, But His Story is Largely Untold
His lore deep, his prowess great, Godfrey makes for a great penultimate boss fight. Yet, beyond his myths and legends, stories gathered from his adopted daughter Nepheli Loux, Godfrey's role in the Shattering is murky at best. Cut Elden Ring content about Godfrey, for example, suggests the player Tarnished was one of the first to join him in his exile, and it's implied that Godfrey knew of the coming Shattering despite his being in exile and it not happening yet. The night it happens, Godwyn the Golden (the son of Marika and Godfrey) dies, and while Marika's cruelty makes it seem like she could accept this, it's hard to imagine Godfrey being able to.
Not to mention, his dialogue implies that Godfrey returns to reclaim his title of Elden Lord, as the father of the Golden Lineage and as a servant of The Greater Will. This would imply, in his exile, he knew of Marika's plans and opposed them, but his combat with the Tarnished could also imply otherwise. It's pretty simple, if unanswered: the myth of Godfrey is known, the man not so much.
Elden Ring DLC Needs to Tell Godfrey's Side of the Story
Godfrey's exile was just one part of his story, but it also reflects his divorce from Marika. There are two sides to every story, especially when it comes to relationships, and Godfrey's side hasn't been told, not in full. Elden Ring DLC, whenever it releases, should correct this. Perhaps it could be a DLC set in the past where players are outside The Lands Between, joining Godfrey is his exile. Through this, fans could learn directly what exactly transpired.
The most likely approach, however, would be a DLC that takes players beyond The Lands Between, to the clans ruled by Godfrey, where those he influenced could give players answers to these questions. It could be similar to Bloodborne's Old Hunters DLC—just as it explored the relationship between Gehrman, the Doll, and Lady Maria (as the latter was trapped in the Hunter's Nightmare), another DLC could explore the relationship of Marika, Godfrey, and The Greater Will, establishing the connection between the three and showing the ultimate fate.
Indeed, it should be noted that, as part of the recent Bandai Namco ransomware attack, one leaker allegedly revealed that FromSoftware is working on an Elden Ring DLC called Barbarians of the Badlands. This sounds perfect to do just this. Now, many in the community agree it is fake and it could very well be, but that doesn't mean the idea it embodies isn't worth exploring.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.