The Elden Ring Twitter account has increased its pace of releasing new information as the anticipated title draws near. There’s barely any time left before Elden Ring releases to an excited public, and every image and word unveiled only inflates the hype. Elden Ring’s image as FromSoftware’s biggest and, potentially, best game yet has only been strengthened by the first glimpses of gameplay in its open world. With reviews and the release of the game mere days away, it’s very tempting to stick around for whatever curated glimpses of the final product official channels are willing to reveal.
Recently, those reveals have included some very pertinent information for even spoiler-sensitive players: Elden Ring’s starting classes. The game is set to have ten classes, or “Origins,” available upon character generation. This is a step-up from the closed network test’s five, and Elden Ring’s classes appear diverse even by Dark Souls standards. Two of the flashier classes in the network test, the Enchanted Knight and the Bloody Wolf, have been removed from the set, but the only other changes are the Champion becoming the Hero and each class’ stats being rebalanced. There’s a ton of variety here, but observant players may notice that one particular Origin is starting with some similar abilities to a closed network test-exclusive class.
The Prisoner is Elden Ring’s Replacement for the Enchanted Knight
Most of the starting garments for the Tarnished are quite flashy by Souls standards, but none attract the eye quite like the Prisoner’s tattered getup. While they look dirty and plain from the neck-down, their heads are encased in a distinctive iron mask that may be referencing Femto’s mask in Berserk. According to the Prisoner’s class description, they were once nobles convicted of a crime, although their time among the elite allowed them to study glintstone sorcery.
Even if it’s yet unclear how the Tarnished reached Elden Ring’s Lands Between, this makes for a very interesting backstory for an otherwise blank slate character. It also shines through in their gameplay; the Prisoner’s hard life has forced them to keep their sword skills sharp, and cling desperately to their sorcery knowledge and staff.
That calls to mind the elusive spellsword build that Dark Souls fans have been yearning for, and they already got a taste of it in the closed network test. The Enchanted Knight, which probably still has its corresponding armor set hidden in the final game, was a breath of fresh air for many. It could cast spells, fight with large weapons, and even wield the only 100% physical reduction shield in the network test.
While the glintstone sorceries available weren’t as diverse as the test’s miracles, they were still quite strong, and made the Enchanted Knight a great choice for inexperienced and veteran Souls players alike. The Confessor class is meant to fulfill that role at Elden Ring’s launch, but the Prisoner provides a reasonably strong sorcery-based alternative.
The Prisoner Starting Class Better Establishes Elden Ring’s Tone
The Prisoner specializes in Dexterity and Intelligence, while the Enchanted Knight prefers Strength and Intelligence. Both share a decent Mind stat for MP use, and the Knight also has a slightly above average Dexterity to equip different weapons. However, the contrast between Dexterity and Strength specialization is far from the only difference between these two.
For one, the Elden Ring network test’s lore for the Enchanted Knight includes mention of the Knight’s order seeking out nefarious mages. That’s a far cry from the convicted Prisoner, whatever the nature of their crime. Such a difference in backstory can make the player feel like an accomplished conqueror or a beaten-down underdog, which may have been the intent.
Souls games are all about prevailing against adversity in a fantastical world, and what better protagonist for such a tale than one using their magic to survive after escaping from prison. Elden Ring’s choice of providing the Prisoner over the Enchanted Knight lets players opt into that narrative while still using some of the same tools those in the network test enjoyed. Several of the other classes may offer more glamorous starting positions, but the Prisoner sets the stage for a strange and dark journey. If a Prisoner player is able to find the Enchanted Knight’s set in their journeys, then they can look back and appreciate how far they’ve come.
Elden Ring releases on February 25 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.