FromSoftware’s Terrifying Snake & Serpent Motifs in Sekiro & Elden Ring

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Over the past 15 years, FromSoftware has consistently shown an endless pool of creativity in designing characters, enemies, and bosses for their games set in the realms of science fiction and fantasy. The original game Demon’s Souls laid the groundwork, while the upcoming title Elden Ring Nightrein promises more of the same – terrifying and captivating creatures that often take on the form of animals, reptiles, or insects.

In their action-RPG games, FromSoftware has often incorporated spiders as bosses (like the Armored Spider in Demon’s Souls, Quelaag in Dark Souls, and Freja in Dark Souls 2) and as common enemies. The spin-off of Elden Ring, Nightrein, hinted at more spider-related content. However, while Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree opted for terrifyingly original arachnids, both the main game and its DLC lean heavily on reptile and serpent imagery, similar to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Impressively, FromSoftware has pushed the boundaries with snakes as their most fearsome motif in this latest series.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Brought Beady-Eyed Snakes into FromSoftware’s Fantastical Picture

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” represents one of the less common releases from the creative minds at FromSoftware. Deviating from their traditional RPG genre elements, “Sekiro” offers an action-adventure experience with a predetermined protagonist, diverse skill development paths rather than customizable attributes, and a main sword that can be enhanced through various abilities and prosthetic tools.

In a similar vein, the game Sekiro is set during Japan’s fictional Sengoku era, offering distinct visuals and settings such as snowy landscapes and towering castles. Yet, Sekiro delves into imaginative and macabre enemy designs, with Long Arm Centipede Sen-Un, Headless, and the Demon of Hatred being prime examples. Interestingly, two similar adversaries who appear multiple times in the game but are not traditional bosses, are the Great Serpents in Sekiro.

Rather than acting as typical leaders, the Great Serpents present themselves as significant environmental hazards that Wolf stands little chance of defeating as easily as an average adversary.

Despite the numerous, winding, giant serpents being a common symbol in other games, the presence of these eggshell-white serpent deities specific to the world of Sekiro sets it apart distinctively. In essence, snake imagery and Sekiro have become inseparable, with each enhancing the other. This association could have been enough for Sekiro, but FromSoftware chose to further emphasize snakes in Elden Ring and its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree Have Allowed FromSoftware’s Haunting Snake Motif to Persist

Indeed, the most prominent snake symbolism in Elden Ring can be seen in Volcano Manor’s God-Devouring Serpent/Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy and Shadow Keep’s Messmer the Impaler/Base Serpent Messmer. This recurring theme might be easy to miss due to the extensive dark fantasy influences in Elden Ring, spanning across the Lands Between and the Land of Shadow. However, it’s intriguing to note that FromSoftware has followed a significant snake presence in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice with a similar one in Elden Ring.

Specifically, Messmer – a crucial character hidden in the game Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – was the high point of the game’s promotional efforts before release. This included a collectible statue that players could buy, so his symbolism of snakes has been prominently displayed throughout.

FromSoftware’s methods, though they sometimes follow a pattern, have never been completely repetitive or foreseeable. Consequently, it remains uncertain if the emerging snake theme will appear in Nightrein, let alone any new action-RPG IP it might create and expand its collection of games known as ‘Soulsborne’ titles.

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2025-01-23 01:13