Unearthing the story of Elden Ring, as well as the rich lore and foundations that went into the game's worldbuilding is more difficult than it may seem at first glance. In-game storytelling is limited to faint clues and ambiguous dialogue. Those who wish to truly understand the Lands Between and its inhabitants need to dive deeper by reading item descriptions and going out of their way to find new bits and pieces of information.
One of Elden Ring's most intriguing characters is Ranni the Witch. Not only does she play a pivotal part in the story of the Shattering and its aftermath in Elden Ring, but her role in the player's journey to becoming the Elden Lord goes much beyond being a mere side character and quest giver.
7 Ranni Is The Last Princess Of The Carian Family
The Carian Royal Family played a major part in the unraveling of Elden Ring's story. They were one of the most influential groups in the Lands Between, at least until Radagon turned his back on them and went on to marry Marika.
According to the War Counselor Iji, Ranni's trusted confidante, the Witch is the last princess of the Carian Family. Seeing as her corporeal form is ruined beyond all recognition (as players find out when ascending the Divine Tower of Liurnia) and considering the fate of her siblings, the proud Caria lineage is more than likely to end with her.
6 She Is An Empyrean Chosen By The Two Fingers
The real-world definition of "empyrean" according to Merriam-Webster is "the highest heaven or heavenly sphere in ancient and medieval cosmology, usually consisting of fire and light". In Elden Ring, empyreans were unique beings who served as vessels for the Outer Gods' power, worshipped by the inhabitants of the Lands Between.
How one becomes an empyrean remains a mystery. One way to do so is through being born from a single god like Malenia and Miquella were. Ranni claims to have been hand-picked by the Two Fingers for the role of succeeding Queen Marika. While her statements have not been confirmed by anyone else in the game, her actions (and one of the endings) seem to prove that this is, indeed, the case.
5 She Escaped Destiny By Stealing A Piece Of The Rune Of Death
Although being chosen to be an empyrean by the Two Fingers is considered by some in the Lands Between to be an honor of the highest order, Ranni never seemed to share this belief. She thought of the demarcation as a form of confinement and sought a way to free herself from the path the Two Fingers have set her on.
Killing the Two Fingers was out of the question, but there were other methods to free oneself from their influence. One way to do so was the power of the Rune of Death. Ranni stole a fragment of this rune from Maliketh to remove herself from her body, thus escaping the fate that the Two Fingers have imposed upon her.
4 Her Role In The Rennala Boss Fight
This is a very cool example of Elden Ring lore being directly incorporated into the gameplay. As most players have learned by now, the Rennala boss fight has two phases: one in the Raya Lucaria Academy's library, and the other one in an artificially created realm, where Ranni's mother is active in the fight, and infinitely more powerful than during phase one. As it turns out, there is actually a lore explanation for this second phase.
Observant players will recall that during the cutscene before the onset of phase two, one can actually hear Ranni saying: "Upon my name as Ranni the Witch, mother's rich slumber shall not be interrupted by thee". Many players have concluded that they were actually fighting Rennala's projection created by Ranni to protect her weakened mother, which makes perfect sense, seeing as players never actually kill Rennala and can interact with her after the boss fight (for respeccing purposes).
3 She Had A Secret Mentor
Ranni's affinity for cold-based spells and her appearance are not accidental. In the past, she had a mentor that she kept secret from her family, referred to only as the "Snow Witch". This witch taught Ranni everything she knew about cold and ice magic, as well as had a tremendous impact on her character, particularly evident in Ranni's longing for independence.
When Ranni's body was killed during the Night of the Black Knives, she became confined to the form of a tiny doll. Whenever she reveals to other characters, though, she takes on the appearance of the Snow Witch, as evidenced by the Snow Witch armor set item descriptions.
2 Ranni Orchestrated The Night Of The Black Knives
The Night of the Black Knives was a major event during the lead-up to the Shattering of the Elden Ring. Ranni orchestrated it to defy Marika and the Greater Will by using the Rune of Death to free herself from her body (bound to the Greater Will as an emperyan).
The witch hired Black Knife Assassins and imbued their weapons with the power of Rune of Death to kill Godwyn and the rest of Marika's kin. During the Night, the fallen Ranni and Godwyn get the Cursemark of Death imprinted upon them. It was partially out of despair and sadness caused by the death of her kin that Marika shattered the Elden Ring, making Ranni one of the main culprits behind the Shattering.
1 Her Order Is One Of Non-Interference
As opposed to many of the other characters that players meet throughout their adventure in the Lands Between, Ranni's motivations and aspirations are quite clear: she wants to usher in the Age of Stars in the world.
What does this Age entail? For starters, it would free humanity and all the other inhabitants of the Lands Between from the influence of the gods, end the cycle of reincarnation that the Tarnished are subjected to, as well as make the gods themselves susceptible to dying. In short, she wants to stop all divine interference in the lives of mortals.
Elden Ring is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.