Many Elden Ring players have expressed their dislike that Astel’s design is repeated, but there may be a lore-related reason for the two versions. It is a possibility that the Astels were accidentally found or summoned to the Lands Between. This can explain why the Astels have a similar design and why one Astel is actually harder to fight than the other.

In Elden Ring, the Astel bosses are gorgeous and terrifying otherworldly creatures that have the power to destroy Eternal Cities. Both are optional encounters, but if players want to complete Ranni’s questline they must find and defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void in the Grand Cloister. The other Astel is located in the Yelough Anix Tunnel, an icy cave in the Consecrated Snowfields.

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It is implied in Elden Ring Astel has a relationship with Fallingstar Beasts, where Astel is an end-stage metamorphosis of Fallingstar Beasts. But for Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, and Astel, Stars of Darkness, that may not be the case. Based on the information in various sorceries and Remembrance of the Naturalborn, the Astels in Elden Ring may have been summoned to the Lands Between.

Where Elden Ring's Astels May Come From

The Remembrance of the Naturalborn says that Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, is a malformed star born in a void far away, which appears to mean that Astel was born somewhere else and arrived in the Lands Between like it is now. And at some point, after arriving at the Lands Between, it destroyed an Eternal City and took away their sky.

As terrifying as this is, there is a possibility that the Nox brought the Astel to the Lands Between. It is revealed in Elden Ring that the Nox were at odds with Elden Ring's Greater Will and doing experiments to aid in their fight; they created the mimic tears in hopes of making an Elden Lord. There is an Eternal City sorcery called Eternal Darkness that is described as the cause of the Eternal City’s “ruin;” the sorcery creates a space of darkness that pulls in sorceries and incantations. Based on the names of the Astels - Naturalborn of the Void and Stars of Darkness - both have a connection to darkness. So, perhaps, when the Nox were using the Eternal Darkness sorcery, they accidentally discovered both Astels and brought them out of the darkness of space. This can explain why both Astels are physically similar; they come from the same place.

Power Differences Between Elden Ring's Astels

The power differences between the Astels may have nothing to do with the Nox and may just depend on each Astel. Elden Ring’s Astel, Naturalborn of the Void can cast waves of darkness, while the other cannot. Both Astels can teleport, but only Stars of Darkness can create multiple illusions of itself. Of course, there is also a chance that FromSoftware simply reused Astel’s model and only changed the last part of the name. Several bosses, like the Erdtree Burial Watchdog, are reused in Elden Ring. The power differences may be a way to change up a repeating boss encounter - or maybe the Astels are part of a bigger mystery that will be revealed in a future DLC or update.