ELDEN RING VIDEO NARRATION

Much of Elden Ring's story is up to the player's interpretation; however, by analyzing Elden Ring through a mythological lens, you can begin to see the entirety of the Lands Between as an allusion to the story of Hercules. There are 15 bosses in Elden Ring that will give you a remembrance upon defeating them. If you were to align these 15 remembrance bearers in just the right way, you would get a clear depiction of the story of Hercules and his 12 labors.

Before talking about the 15 remembrances and how they link to the 12 labors, it is important to examine exactly why Hercules was forced to do the twelve labors. Hercules is commonly known as the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Hera, Zeus' jealous wife, tries to get back at her cheating husband through her stepson, Hercules. Eventually, Hera inflicts Hercules with a madness that makes him kill his wife and children. While a situation like this never occurs in Elden Ring, there is a similar plot point.

Locked deep below the city of Leyndell lies the Three Fingers. When approached the Three Fingers inflict the player with the Flame of Frenzy, a type of madness akin to the one Hera gives Hercules. On the other hand, if you decide not to visit the Three Fingers, you will be forced to sacrifice your companion Melina, similar to how Hercules was forced to kill his family. While only one of these actions can be done in any given playthrough of Elden Ring, if you overlap the two plot points, it resembles the story of Hercules. 

After murdering his wife and children, Hercules goes to Apollo in search of punishment and forgiveness. Apollo famously instructs Hercules to perform twelve labors for Mycenaen king Eurystheus so that he can be forgiven and even obtain immortality.

The first labor that Hercules is instructed to do is to slay the Nemean Lion. The lion had golden fur that could not be pierced by arrows or swords, so Hercules was forced to corner the lion in its cave and strangle it with his bare hands. 

Hercules' fight with the Nemean Lion has a lot in common with the character: Godfrey, First Elden Lord, also known as Hoarah Loux, Warrior. Hoarah Loux represents both sides of the fight, embodying both Hercules and the Nemean Lion. 

Hoarah Loux first begins the fight with the player going by Godfrey. During the first half of the fight, Godfrey attacks the player with a large axe, just as Hercules utilizes weapons when he first fights with the Nemean Lion. As the fight progresses, Godfrey eventually reveals himself as Hoarah Loux and attacks the player with his bare fists, similar to Hercules resorting to just his fists to kill the Nemean Lion. 

However, their similarities go beyond their fighting style. After Hercules killed the Nemean Lion, he removed its impenetrable pelt and wore it upon his back. This can be seen during the first part of the fight when Godfrey has the spirit of a great white lion attached to his back. When Godfrey embraces savagery and becomes Hoarah Loux he kills the lion on his back with his bare hands, just as Hercules had done to the Nemean Lion.

After completing his first task, Hercules is instructed by Eurystheus to kill the Lernaean Hydra. The Lernaean Hydra was a water-dwelling serpent creature with multiple heads. The hydra is rumored to have regenerative abilities that allow it to regrow its heads. Some sources even say that when one head was cut off, two more grew in its place. At first, Hercules was unable to overcome the regeneration of the hydra, but then his nephew Iolaus figured out he could burn the hydra's wounds. As Hercules cut off the hydra's heads, Iolaus would cauterize the wounds, preventing the hydra from regenerating. The Lernaean Hydra has many similarities with Elden Ring's Dragonlord Placidusax. Furthermore, the similarities go beyond just the multi-headed nature of the creatures. If you look closely at Placidusax's design, you can see that, besides its many heads, it has headless necks protruding from its torso. These necks look as if they had been cauterized, just like the Lernaean Hydra's necks had been. In addition, the Lernaean Hydra lives underwater, just as Placidusax lives beneath a sea of storm clouds.

After killing the Lernaean Hydra, Hercules was instructed to hunt the Ceryneian Hind, also known as the Golden Hind. The Ceryneian Hind was a large red deer with golden antlers and bronze hooves; it is said to have been able to snort fire. The Ceryneian Hind shares many traits with Elden Ring's Regal Ancestor Spirit. These creatures both take on the appearance of a deer, and the Regal Ancestor Spirit spews a blue substance from its head, just like how the Ceryneian Hind is rumored to snort fire. Hercules was unable to harm the Ceryneian Hind because it was a sacred pet of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. After stalking the beast for a year, Hercules decides to attack it near a river. Hercules succeeds in capturing the Ceryneian Hind but is only allowed to bring it to Eurystheus after he explains the necessity of his situation to Artemis. Similar to how the Ceryneian Hind was captured near a river, the Regal Ancestor Spirit is fought atop marshy wetlands. Be sure to remember that the Regal Ancestor Spirit was fought on swampy terrain; it becomes important later.

For his fourth labor, Hercules was instructed to bring Eurystheus the Erymanthian Boar. However, Hercules was instructed to bring the boar back alive. The Erymanthian Boar was an unruly beast that could not be tamed. It is said to be shaggy and wild, while also foaming at the mouth. The Erymanthian Boar is just like Elden Ring's Maliketh. Both are savage animals that relentlessly attack on all fours. Eventually, Hercules was able to bind the boar with chains and carry it all the way back to Eurystheus. Similar to the Erymanthian Boar not being killed by Hercules, Maliketh is never actually killed by the player. Instead, Maliketh goes back to disguising himself as the Beast Clergyman.

After capturing the Erymanthian Boar, Eurystheus tried to humiliate Hercules by forcing him to remove all the manure from the Augean Stables within just one day. King Augeas owned the most cattle in all of Greece, and every night his thousands of cows would be herded into the Augean Stables. Godrick the Grafted is considered weak inside the world of Elden Ring, he was considered feeble and unfit to rule. So, in search of power, Godrick removed the body parts of others and grafted them to his own flesh, therefore turning him into a gross amalgamation of body parts. Godrick is like the Augean Stables: both are disgusting and rotten just waiting to be cleansed.

For his sixth task, Hercules was ordered to defeat the Stymphalian Birds. The Stymphalian Birds were man-eating birds with beaks made of bronze and sharp feathers that could be launched like bullets. Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy bears a resemblance to these birds. His gluttony is similar to that of the Stymphalian Birds' cravings for human flesh. The Stymphalian Birds lived in a marsh that was unstable, and Hercules could not reliably step foot in it. Similarly, Rykard is surrounded by a pool of lava. So to overcome this obstacle, Hercules used a krotala, a noise-making device, given to him by Athena to scare the birds into the sky. Then, Hercules shot down each of the birds using his bow. When entering Rykard's arena the player is given a weapon designed for defeating Rykard, just like how Athena gave Hercules the krotala. In addition, Rykard is one of the only boss fights in Elden Ring where the player is actively encouraged to attack from a distance, just as Hercules was forced to shoot the Stymphalian Birds from a distance.

The Cretan Bull - Fire Giant

After defeating the Stymphalian Birds, Hercules was tasked with retrieving the Cretan Bull. The Cretan Bull was created by Poseidon and it was the father of the Minotaur. The Cretan Bull had gone rogue and was destroying farmland in Crete. The Fire Giant shares many similarities with the Cretan Bull. Both creatures are brutes that attack recklessly. Also, in the Fire Giant’s second phase, it transitions to all fours and fights relatively similar to how a bull probably would. Hercules had to strangle the bull until it fell unconscious in order to bring it back to Eurystheus.

For his eighth labor, Hercules was tasked with capturing the Horses of Diomedes. There were four Horses of Diomedes, each one was a large uncontrollable horse, calmed only by the taste of human flesh. Just like how Starscourge Radahn is plagued by madness and has resorted to eating his comrades’ corpses. Radahn also rides upon a steed similar in appearance to that of the Horses of Diomedes. Hercules was forced to feed the horses human flesh in order to calm them long enough to bind their mouths shut. Once bound, Hercules was able to easily bring them back to Eurystheus.

Hippolyte’s Belt - Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon

After capturing the Horses of Diomedes, Hercules was instructed to obtain Hippolyte’s belt. Hippolyte was the queen of the Amazons as well as the daughter of Ares, the god of war. Hippolyte wore a belt given to her by her father. Hippolyte was willing to give this belt to Hercules without fighting, just as Elden Ring’s Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon doesn’t actively fight with the player at first. Instead, Rennala barely acknowledges the player’s presence. However, Hera spreads a rumor among the Amazons that Hercules intended to kidnap their queen, Hippolyte. So, the Amazons attacked Hercules and he was forced to kill Hippolyte and take the belt off her body, just as Rennala eventually attacked the player atop a pool of water. The similarities don’t end there, both Hippolyte and Rennala are queens who have received gifts from the divine. Hippolyte was given a belt by Ares and Rennala was given her golden egg by Radagon.

After obtaining Hippolyte’s belt, Hercules was forced to obtain the Cattle of Geryon. The Cattle of Geryon was a herd of red cattle that belonged to the titan Geryon. Geryon was considered to be the most powerful mortal; he had three torsos, three heads, six arms, and two legs. Like Geryon, Lichdragon Fortissax has two arms and four wings, totaling the same amount of arms that Geryon has. Geryon had a two-headed dog as well as a man who served as his guards, similar to how Fortissax has Fia and her companions. Hercules was able to use his club to kill both the two-headed dog and the man; but, he was soon cornered by Geryon. Hercules shot a poisoned arrow at Geryon with so much force that it pierced through all three torsos. Unfortunately, Hercules' task wasn't over yet. On his way back to Eurystheus, a large portion of the cattle was stolen by Cacus, who had the cattle walk backward so their tracks would confuse Hercules. Cacus was a fire-breathing beast, just like Fortissax, that ate human flesh. Hercules was able to find and kill Cacus after he listened to the cries of the remaining cattle. Finally, Hercules was able to safely bring all of the cattle to Eurystheus. Fortissax famously wields two lightning spears, representing the two obstacles Hercules faces on his quest to obtain the Cattle of Geryon.

For his eleventh task, Hercules was ordered to obtain three golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. The Hesperides were the nymph daughters of Atlas, the man tasked with holding up the Earth. Hercules did not know where to find the garden, so he turned to Atlas and offered to hold the Earth for a bit if he retrieved the apples from his daughters. Atlas agreed and went to retrieve the apples as Hercules carried Earth. However, Atlas decided he didn’t want to carry the Earth again so he offered to bring the apples to Eurystheus in Hercules’ place. Fortunately, Hercules was able to trick Atlas into carrying the Earth again after asking to fix his cloak and he was able to safely give the apples to Eurystheus himself. Hercules’ attempts to obtain the divine apples have a lot in common with Mohg, Lord of Blood’s efforts to take Miquella from Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Mohg kidnapped Miquella as he grew in a cocoon inside the Haligtree. Malenia was Miquella’s protector but she was recovering from her fight with Radahn and unable to stop Mohg. Miquella actually has a lot in common with the golden apples. Miquella is growing inside the Haligtree, a giant tree, just like the golden apple growing in the Garden of the Hesperides. Both Miquella and the golden apples are of divine origin. In addition, Miquella developed the religion of Unalloyed Gold, an offshoot of the Golden Order, which shares its color and purity with the golden apples.

For his final labor, Hercules was tasked with retrieving Cerberus from the underworld. Cerberus is the three-headed guard dog of Hades, lord of the underworld. Similarly, Morgot the Omen King serves as a kind of guard dog Radagon of the Golden Order, by trying to prevent the player from reaching him. Hercules is guided to the underworld by Hermes and Athena, which is similar to the Will of Grace guiding the player. In most retellings of the fable, Hercules is told by Hades that if he defeats Cerberus he can take him, but even after defeating Cerberus, Hercules is prohibited from taking him. This is just like how defeating Morgot gives the player access to the base of the Erdtree, where they could supposedly become Elden Lord, only to find out the entrance is blocked. Out of anger, Hercules shoots a stone arrow at Hades and takes Cerberus back to Eurystheus. Just as Hercules is forced to attack Hades, the player is forced to attack Radagon atop a pool of water. When Hercules presented Cerberus to Eurystheus, out of fear, the king ordered him to return the beast to the underworld. Now that all of his labors were completed, Hercules was officially freed from his servitude to Eurystheus and forgiven for murdering his family. Hercules also becomes a god after his death, just like how the player becomes Elden Lord.

For those that haven’t been counting, we’ve gone over all twelve labors but only fourteen of the fifteen remembrance bearers. The last remembrance bearer, Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, represents a much broader area of Hercules’ story. Astel represents divinity in Hercules’ story. It is mentioned during Ranni’s questline that fate is determined by the stars, and Astel is a creature with origin from the stars. But, the most certain evidence is from Astel’s arena. Astel is fought above water like a lot of other bosses, and it is my belief that this water represents divinity. The first remembrance bearer I mentioned that you fight above wetlands is the Regal Ancestor Spirit, representing the Ceryneian Hind. The Ceryneian Hind is the sacred pet of Artemis, and perhaps the hind’s closeness to divinity is shown in the Regal Ancestor Spirit’s partially wet arena. The second remembrance bearer I mentioned that you fight above water is Rennala, representing Hippolyte. However, Rennala is only fought above water after she decides to fight the player. Hera’s divine intervention in the Amazons' opinion of Hercules is represented in the water of Rennala’s arena. The last remembrance bearer that you fight above water that I mentioned is Radagon, representing Hades himself. The water in Radagon’s arena represents the divinity that comes from being a god. This brings us to Astel, who is also fought atop a very large pool of water. Astel represents all of the divine aspects of Hercules' story; Astel represents all of the times that Hera interfered as well as all of the times Hercules received help from the gods. Astel also represents Athena and her chariot carrying Hercules to Olympus to become a god.

And there you have it. We have covered all of the remembrance bearers and their relation to the story of Hercules. But the world of Elden Ring still has many more similarities to Hercules' story that I have yet to mention. One final point, originally Hercules was instructed to do only ten labors, but two didn't count because his nephew had helped him slay the Lernaean Hydra and he received payment after cleaning the Augean stables. The Elden Ring equivalent for these is that the player receives help when fighting Radahn and the player is able to exchange remembrances for runes. There is still so much more to say, but I just want to thank you for listening.