Elden Ring is full of mysterious characters and beings whose goal is to guide the character through the story and interpret the lore surrounding the world and the Lands Between. The Two Fingers are first introduced to the player as a being who will guide them on their journey through Elden Ring.
On the surface, the Two Fingers seem to be a helpful source of information. However, upon diving deeper into the origin of the Two Fingers and their purpose, the player can discover that the order that the Two Fingers seek to maintain may not be beneficial to the Land Between.
The Origin of the Two Fingers
Like many other FromSoftware games, Elden Ring features a convoluted story that requires a lot of research and perception. The origin of the Two Fingers must be traced back to the beginning of the Elden Ring’s presence in the Lands Between which does not start in the world at all, but instead, in the cosmos.
Similar to Bloodborne, much of the lore in Elden Ring can be traced back to unseen, godly beings. One of Elden Ring’s omnipresent outer gods comes in the form of The Greater Will. The lore dictates that The Greater Will sent the Elden Beast to the Lands Between to act as the physical manifestation of order and to carry out the Greater Will’s demands, and thus the Elden Beast became the Elden Ring.
The Elden Beast is housed in the Erdtree, which stands in the center of the Lands Between and the player learns through the guidance of a Finger Maiden that their objective is to enter the Erdtree and repair the Elden Ring. However, the beast itself could not carry out every request of the Greater Will, and so the Two Fingers were used as means of communication between the Greater Will and the inhabitants of the Lands Between, with its non-verbal communication being interpreted by the Finger Readers.
Through communication with the Greater Will, the Two Fingers chose an Empyrean within the Lands Between to act as a god, rule over the land, and possess the Elden Ring. Queen Marika was chosen and created the age of Golden Order by removing the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring and giving it to her companion, Maliketh, thus creating a world in which death did not exist.
However, Marika eventually began to doubt the Golden Order and wanted to discover the true intentions of the Greater Will. This led Marika to banish the Tarnished and shatter the Elden Ring, the latter of which was an act of defiance against the Greater Will that led Marika to be imprisoned in the Erdtree.
As the Tarnished arrives in the Lands Between, the Two Fingers intend on guiding them to the Erdtree in order to repair the Elden Ring and restore the Golden Order, keeping the Greater Will in power. As the player progresses through the story of Elden Ring and discovers more about the lore of the land, it is up to them to decide what is best for the Lands Between, and though the Two Fingers represent order, that does not mean it is objectively the best option.
The Two Fingers and The Three Fingers
Near the end of their journey, the player can discover a force that acts as a direct opposition to the Two Fingers: the Three Fingers. The lore and NPC dialogue suggests that the Three Fingers harbor chaos, which is further implied by the Three Fingers possessing the Flame of Frenzy which can be imbued into the player and will unlock the Lord of the Frenzied Flame ending.
The Three Fingers are locked away deep below the Lands Between. Many characters, including the Finger Readers and Melina, demand the player does not commune with the Three Fingers, as its practices go against the Two Fingers. However, as the player learns more about Marika and her goal to break ties with the Greater Will and free the Lands Between from its grasp, it is up to the player’s own interpretation as to which side in this feud is good and which is evil.
Though the Three Fingers represents chaos and frenzy, it only does so because it is opposing the order established by the Greater Will. The Greater Will and its subordinates will do anything to preserve the Golden Order and continue ruling over the Lands Between. Siding with the Three Fingers does not necessarily imply a negative outcome for the Lands Between and its inhabitants; it would just mean the end of the Greater Will’s reign.
Why The Greater Will May Not Be a Force for Good
The deep lore of Elden Ring explains that the Lands Between existed before the Elden Beast and Erdtree. In fact, some lore suggests that the Erdtree is a sort of parasite that has overtaken an old, powerful tree that once stood where the Erdtree does now. This primordial tree is what gave life to the Lands Between and its significance is likely why the Greater Will chose to inhabit the Lands Between.
That being said, the Elden Beast, Two Fingers, and Greater Will are all said to represent order within the world, but only the order that allows for the Greater Will to remain in power, and when that power was threatened, the Greater Will did everything in its power to suppress the uprising and ensure that it was never seen in a negative light.
As the player discovers more about the different endings of Elden Ring and the significance of each choice, it becomes less clear what is right or wrong. The Greater Will has created much of the world that now inhabits the Lands Between, as well as the gods and demigods that rule over the land. However, this world is full of corruption and unbalanced power.
After learning about the Greater Will and its fight to maintain control over the Lands Between, the player can choose to continue its rule by mending the Elden Ring and taking Marika’s place as the Elden Lord. Alternatively, if the player sees through the Two Fingers’ false guidance and refuses to act as a puppet for the Greater Will, they can choose to side with the Three Fingers and break the Greater Will’s control over the Lands Between.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.