When games have a character creation tool, it's inevitable that players will try and push it to its limits to see what kinds of weird and wonderful faces they can create. Time and again in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Sims 4, and even previous FromSoftware titles, gamers will explore just how grotesque or harrowing they can make their protagonist. Elden Ring is no exception, with players of the 2022 hit fantasy RPG testing how far the character creator can go with some pretty interesting and strange results.
Players have also used the feature for more specific purposes, striving to emulate their favorite pop culture figures or video game characters within the Elden Ring world. The internet is full of such creations, with real-life people turned into Tarnished versions of themselves, or characters from other recognizable properties and franchises making their way into Elden Ring as well. Some players have even gone their own way and made original characters that have become pop culture figures in themselves.
When The Real World Meets Elden Ring
The Elden Ring community has really been enjoying the game's character creator ever since it released in February of this year. The intervening months have seen many inventive and slightly bizarre creations, from characters in films, TV, and games making an appearance. One of the more interesting trends is turning real-life figures into Elden Ring characters, which is not only a test of the players' creativity and eye for detail, but also a testament to the graphics and freedom of the game as well.
The beloved rapper Snoop Dogg is among the celebrities that have had the Tarnished treatment, along with character actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson, most famous for playing the chaotic and accident-prone Mr Bean. Actors seem to be a fertile source of inspiration for Elden Ring players, with other figures such as Sir Patrick Stewart and Willem Dafoe becoming products of the game's character creator. They may not seem like the most obvious choices for Tarnished warriors setting out on a quest to repair the Elden Ring, but they definitely show off player creativity.
Fictional Figures
In addition to real-world figures like Dafoe, Elden Ring players have turned to fiction to inspire their creations. The game's creator is impressively complex, with the option to use presets or tinker with the most minute details with Elden Ring's slider system. A lot of RPGs utilize a character creator mode to help players produce their own unique protagonist, and Elden Ring has really made the best use of its own and given gamers almost absolute freedom.
Recreating popular characters from other games and franchises has become a well-known activity in Elden Ring, with figures like Geralt being reproduced in-game. One player took this a step further, however, and not only created a Tarnished version of the Witcher, but also used Elden Ring's Ashes of War and other abilities and skills to emulate Geralt's fighting style. Many players have used the character creator to make their own versions of famous fictional faces, but not many actually try to reproduce the characters so faithfully as this Geralt depiction.
In a satisfying crossover between previous FromSoftware titles, one gamer recreated the tragic Father Gascoigne from Bloodborne in Elden Ring. The developer usually links its Soulsborne games in some way, be it with similar weaponry, symbolism, or story elements. It's great to see players also linking these games, bringing well-known figures from one title into another. There has been a slew of fictional figures that have found their way into Elden Ring, from Kratos of God of War fame to a nightmarish Sonic the Hedgehog, and it can make PvP encounters additionally amusing if players recognize a character from another game or property.
Pitting Characters Against Each Other
Sometimes creating real-world figures or fictional characters in games like Elden Ring can also be a fun way to see certain people battle it out within a non-licensed game. PvP is usually a popular feature in FromSoftware games, with titles having their own specific forms of etiquette and unspoken rules for player encounters. PvP also helps games have more longevity, even if it does usually take players a significant time to get through the main storyline. Recently, some players made use of this function while role-playing as some fairly interesting characters that wouldn't usually find themselves coming up against one another.
Redditor u/Dramatic_Ad_7938 created their own version of the beloved Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, and found themselves coming up against another player who had given Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme Stephen Strange the Tarnished treatment as well. The two gamers pitted their Obi-Wan and Dr Strange against each other in Elden Ring's PvP, and thanks to the game's creative use of armor, weaponry, and attachments it was easy to see the likeness of the two characters as they engaged in combat.
Let Me Solo Her
In the months since its release, Elden Ring players have been flooding forums and online communities with their amazing characters, from the snake-like Dark wizard Voldemort to Ross from Friends. While it's always great to see recognizable faces and incredibly unexpected characters turn up in Elden Ring's world, sometimes it's the original creations that have the most impact. Even with PvP elements and Reddit posts, it's not that likely that a player's Tarnished will be seen by many other gamers. That's one of the reasons why Let Me Solo Her's rise to fame and iconic look made such an impact on the Elden Ring community.
Let Me Solo Her gained a name for themselves among the Elden Ring playerbase a little while ago when their summon sign cropped up in front of the Malenia, Blade of Miquella boss fight. Malenia is generally considered to be one of the hardest bosses in the game, and for a title known for its challenging battles, that's quite a feat. Let Me Solo Her offered their services to players in need of a helping hand, and took on the flame-haired warrior on their own with nothing but a pair of katanas and a pot helmet. Their selfless act and iconic outfit took the Elden Ring community by storm, and inspired fan art, cosplays, and even a rap song.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.