FromSoftware's Elden Ring has been a huge success in 2022 from critical and commercial perspectives, effectively elevating the Souls-like formula started in Demon's Souls. One piece of the game's winning formula is its deep lore and world-building. This is nothing new for FromSoftware fans, as these action RPGs all have subtle yet deep histories written into them.
Elden Ring's bosses are no exception to this, and given these games' brand of dark fantasy, many of these characters' backstories are steeped in tragedy. Malenia is undoubtedly among the first to come to mind, but even the more subdued bosses such as the Ancestor Spirits make for emotional encounters.
Malenia, Blade Of Miquella
Famously known as one of the most difficult bosses in the game, Malenia, Blade of Miquella also has one of the most tragic origin stories across Elden Ring's pantheon of demigod characters. Malenia and Miquella were born twins by their parents Queen Marika and the Elden Lord Radagon. But due to the dark revelation behind Marika and Radagon's union, the two were born cursed.
Miquella was cursed to be perpetually young and frail, while Malenia was afflicted with the infamous Scarlet Rot. Her brother spent his life researching for a cure to her Rot, resolving to turn away the Golden Order and start his own, more accepting tree of life when he discovered the former wouldn't help his sister. From then, Malenia dedicated her life to Miquella's cause with the Haligtree.
Dragonlord Placidusax
Similar to FromSoftware's Dark Souls trilogy, the Dragonlord Placidusax represents a somber piece of a bygone era of dragons. Before Godfrey became the "First" Elden Lord with Queen Marika as The Lands Between's god, Placidusax served as the Elden Lord of an age where dragons were sovereign.
Unfortunately, the age wouldn't last and Placidusax's god abandoned the land. Ever since then, the battle-scarred and weary Dragonlord has waited within what's essentially the eye of a storm located in the bowels of Farum Azula in a realm that's been separated from time.
Dragonkin Soldier/Dragonkin Soldier Of Nokstella
The tragedy surrounding the rise and fall of the dragons extends far beyond their rule and into The Lands Between's subterranean reaches. The Dragonkin Soldiers can be found in the Eternal City of Nokstella, and these draconic beings are what can be described as tortured abominations due to the experiments of the people of Nox.
These people were banished from the aboveground when they attempted to kill the Greater Will and the gods who served it, with the Dragonkin being their attempt at mimicking the power of the original dragons. No such success was replicated, as the Dragonkin Soldiers were victims of their creators since they didn't even have fully functioning limbs.
Rennala, Queen Of The Full Moon
Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, the Carian Royals, the Academy of Raya Lucaria, and the lands of Liurnia at large ultimately became undone by a seemingly insurmountable heartbreak. Queen Marika sent Radagon to war against Rennala and the Academy, only for Radagon to toss aside their territorial ambitions and marry the Lunar Queen.
However, Radagon ended up abandoning her to marry Marika, leaving Rennala crushed and a victim of an insurgency from her former supporters. She effectively lost a piece of her mind, as Rennala locked herself in her chambers to practice the dark art of reincarnation in the hope to resurrect her daughter Ranni.
Regal/Ancestor Spirit
Elden Ring will likely go down as one of the most superb modern fantasy RPGs partly thanks to its exceptional open-world game design. As if the overworld of The Lands Between isn't a vast sight to behold and explore, there's another massive world underground. And in the subterranean lands of the Siofra River region lies one of the most hauntingly beautiful and melancholy bosses by way of the Ancestor and Regal Ancestor Spirits.
There's not much that's been uncovered about these emaciated spectral creatures, but they and their followers suggest that they were nature-focused people driven from the aboveground and forced to reside below. These spirits give off an air of tired majesty, as they've been forced to defend their land with what little strength they had left. The Ancestor Spirits are certainly two of the bosses that paint the Tarnished protagonist in a cruel light.
Starscourge Radahn
Though he might not be quite as nail-biting of a fight as Malenia, the formidable Starscourge Radahn is undoubtedly among the toughest boss fights in Elden Ring. Both Malenia and Radahn fought in the wilds of Caelid over the dominion of the Great Runes, and their climactic battle ended in a stalemate. It's one that also makes sure to not pain Malenia in a wholly positive light either, as when she triggered the bloom of her Scarlet Rot, she not only scarred Radahn but also devastated the lands of Caelid.
The general went mad as a result and left death as his only peace, with his faithful soldiers turning his eventual defeat into a celebration that Radahn would've wanted. And, of course, there is the fact that he (in part) mastered cosmic magic so that he could still ride his faithful, comically normal-sized, and charmingly-named horse Leonard.
Morgott, The Omen King
He's (somewhat unsurprisingly) revealed to be the true identity of Margit, the Fell Omen back in Stormveil Castle, and for the imposing presence he casts; the strength he wields; and the sense of superiority he holds, Morgott, the Omen King has a crushing origin.
Omens are people cursed with certain physical deformities from birth through no fault of their own, but despite this, are either killed or shunned by the rest of society. That includes the scorn of the Erdtree itself toward Omens, yet, Morgott seemed to develop a sort of Stockholm Syndrome for the only family he's ever known and fiercely defended the Golden Order nonetheless.
Elder Dragon Greyoll
The ripple effects of Malenia's Scarlet Rot blooming don't just end with Radahn and the lands overall, as the Elder Dragon Greyoll is another victim and piece of collateral damage from the Empyrean's last-gasp attempt to defeat her brother. Greyoll is something of an overworld miniboss in one of the toughest areas of Elden Ring, but despite having a daunting amount of health, this dragon is quite physically weak.
As it turns out, the Elder Dragon Greyoll is the mother of all dragons, which were dominant throughout The Lands Between in the prehistory before the Golden Order. The poor dragon has been ravaged by Malenia's Scarlet Rot along with her smaller draconic children surrounding her, and she can't even afford to defend herself.
Godrick The Grafted
Though it's something of a technicality considering the characteristics of the character, Godrick the Grafted has a depressing backstory in a specific way. He's a tragic character in more of a pathetic sense, as Godrick is one of the most outwardly evil bosses in Elden Ring for how desperately he craves the power of the gods and rules Stormveil with an iron fist.
Godrick is a descendant of Marika and Godrick, but as a result of being so far along the family line, he's too weak to inherit most of the boons his relatives enjoy. He's since gone mad with what little power he has along with his delusions of grandeur. While Godrick is undoubtedly vile and deserves to be put down for his atrocities, a share of the blame ultimately comes down to a long line of power-hungry royals.
Mad Pumpkin Head
He's certainly one of the most obscure boss fights in Elden Ring when it comes to scope, but that's part of why the Mad Pumpkin Head is such a depressing character. There's more than one in the game, with one of them being in the Waypoint Ruins Cellar before reaching the sorceress Sellen.
These ogre-like humanoid creatures were once deployed by royals as soldiers for war, with the traumas that came with it had driven them mad. The pumpkin-like helmet is designed to keep them from being overstimulated since the slightest thing can send them into a frenzy.