To kill or not to kill, that is the question that so many players will ask when going through From Software's instant classic Elden Ring. While going through this tremendous adventure players will be put through the wringer. The game does not pull any punches so, the players need all the help they can get.

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NPCs are abundant in the Lands Between and the Tarnished will have to choose their friends wisely. Certain NPCs will try to help and benefit the Tarnished. Others, will try to hold the Tarnished back and are better off dead. How does the player decide which ones are safe to keep alive? There are the NPCsthe Tarnished might want to keep around for a while in Elden Ring.

7 Iron Fist Alexander

elden ring iron fist alexander partly buried feature

First up on the do not kill list is Alexander the Living Jar. When the Tarnished first stumbles upon Alexander north of Agheel Lake, he is in a dire situation. Alexander has gotten himself stuck in the mud and cannot break out. He calls upon the Tarnished to save him by tapping him on the behind to give him the extra gusto needed to break free.

For any morally upstanding citizen, the tapping ends there. Only a truly foul person would betray the trust that he placed on them and attack Alexander after unearthing him. Aside from the morality of killing Alexander, doing so will lock the player out of his Elden Ring quest line which grants the Shard of Alexander. Which is one of the best Talismans in the game.

6 Nepheli Loux

Nepheli_Loux_Elden_Ring

If the Tarnished goes down the stairs next to the Secluded Cell site of grace in Stormveil Castle they will come across a woman standing over a body in a room. Let the scars she carves remind you that she is Nepheli Loux, warrior and adoptive daughter of Gideon Ofnir. If the Tarnished ignores this warning and chooses to attack, the Tarnished can slay Nepheli Loux. Doing so will grant the Tarnished with a Stormhawk Axe. This weapon is peanuts compared to what the Tarnished will get if she is kept alive.

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First and foremost the warrior will aid the Tarnished in the fight against Godrick the Grafted. Also, later on in her quest line Nepheli will provide the Tarnished with a couple of different rewards depending on the path taken. One of the most notable is the Arsenal Charm which increases the player's equipment load. After all is set and done the Tarnished will receive two Stormhawk Axes when completing her quest line making killing her actually pointless.

5 Hyetta

Tarnished talking to Hyetta.

Next on the list is Lightseeker Hyetta who is a blind woman who the Tarnished will stumble across shortly after defeating Godrick the Grafted. She requests the Tarnished feed her Shabriri Grapes in order for her to witness a faint light she thinks is guiding her to her destiny. Aside from her being blind and placing full trust in the player, killing Hyetta will reward the player with Frenzyflame Stones which is a very easy resource to craft.

The Tarnished should spare this poor woman because her quest line can lead the player to an entirely different ending. Instead of slaying her, the Tarnished should provide her with the Shabriri Grapes and keep an “Eye” on her to make sure she doesn't get into trouble.

4 Gowry

gowry sitting inside his shack in elden ring

Gowry is an old wizard that is held up in a shack right outside Sellia, Town of Sorcery. He warns the Tarnished of a young woman who is dying of rot, tasking the Tarnished to go save her. Killing Gowry provides the Tarnished with his bell bearing and the Flock’s Canvas Talisman which increases the Faith attribute.

However, If the Tarnished helps Gowry and saves Millicent, the young woman there are much more rewards at the end of both of their quest lines. Gowry will open up a shop selling different sorceries to the Tarnished. Eventually, the Tarnished will be able to get the bell bearing and the Talisman anyway. The more pressing reason to keep Gowry alive is the young woman Millicent. Her quest line leads to much more rewards including Talismans and an alternate ending.

3 Gatekeeper Gostoc

elden ring gostoc

Gatekeeper Gostoc is a slimy peasant in Stormveil Castle that tries to betray and trick the Tarnished at every turn. He will steal from the Tarnished and trap the Tarnished in rooms with enemies to guarantee their demise. So, why shouldn’t the player do away with him? Well, Gatekeeper Gostoc, although very annoying, does have a quest line if kept alive. At the end of his quest line, the rewards far outweigh the annoyance of keeping him alive, kind of.

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After certain criteria are met throughout the game, Gostoc will open up a shop in Godrick’s Throne Room. He sells a bunch of different items, but the most notable is an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone. This can be very useful for the player if they need to get a weapon to the highest level.

2 Patches

Elden-Ring-Patches

An NPC from the NPC’s You Can Kill list is Patches. However, the legendary Patches is quite literally the definition of an NPC the player should not kill. An argument can be made that Patches should never be killed in any of his many iterations throughout From Software’s many games. In Elden Ring Patches can be found in Murkwater Cave is the boss fight of the dungeon. When the player gets him down to half health he will beg for forgiveness.

If the Tarnished decides to finish the job, Patches will drop a +7 Spear that can be pretty beneficial so early in the game. If the player holds off on killing Patches, he will open up a shop allowing the player to buy a plethora of different items. The items he offers can be extremely beneficial depending on the build the player is going for. He also can be spoken to at Volcano Manor advancing his quest line and leading the Tarnished on an assassination mission. After doing this Patches will eventually move back to Murkwater Cave where he will teach the Tarnished his infamous Patches Squat, a gesture that can be found in most souls games.

1 Miriel Pastor Of Vows

elden ring miriel pastor of vows.

Only someone foul, vile, and wretched would consider hurting this lovely creature. Miriel is an oversized “dog” that can be found at the Church of Vows. He is the most benevolent and kind NPC in Elden Ring. He helps the Tarnished by teaching them Incantations and Sorceries. This kind creature wants nothing more than to help, and he will do nothing more than beg if attacked.

Slaying such a docile creature is such a cruel act, and it boasts very meaningless treasures as well. If killed Miriel will drop his bell bearing and a measly 120 runes. The weight of the rewards is nothing to the weight of the guilt the Tarnished will have to face after killing such a majestic being.

Elden Ring is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

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