Rune of Death (2024)

The Rune of Death (死のルーン, Shi no Rūn), also known as Destined Death (運命の死, Unmei no Shi) is a rune of the Elden Ring. The Golden Order was created by confining the Rune of Death.^[1][2]

Overview[]

Prior to the creation of the Golden Order, the power of the Rune of Death was the source of the power of the god-slaying black flames,^[3] which were channeled by the Empyrean known as the Gloam-Eyed Queen from her Godslayer Greatsword.^[4] She led the Godskin Apostles, who served Destined Death, until her defeat by Maliketh, the Black Blade, the loyal shadow of Queen Marika the Eternal. Following this, the Rune of Death was sealed away and the true power of the black flame was lost.^[3][5] The sealing away of the Rune of Death was the beginning of the Golden Order,^[2] and its power was harbored within Maliketh's black greatsword.

The sealing of the Rune of Death involved removing the fated deaths of the demigods from the Elden Ring, granting them immortality.^[6] However, at a later point in history, during the Night of Black Knives, a fragment of the Rune of Death was stolen from Maliketh by Ranni the Witch, who used it to create the godslaying black knives through fearsome rite.^[7] On that night, the Black Knife Assassins used the black knives to murder Godwyn the Golden, the first death of a demigod in all history.^[8] However, due to Ranni the Witch carving the cursemark of Destined Death into her flesh at the same moment as Godwyn's death, he was unable to die a proper death and perished in soul alone, becoming the Prince of Death.^[9][10] Meanwhile, Ranni's flesh perished and her soul continued to live.^[10]

Godwyn was buried below the capital at the Erdtree's roots.^[11] The fragment of the Rune of Death spread through the great underground roots of the Erdtree, sprouting in the form of Deathroot,^[12] and leading to the birth of Those Who Live in Death.^[13]

After the Night of Black Knives, Maliketh bound his sword within his own flesh in order to ensure that none would ever steal Death again.^[14] In the guise of Gurranq, the Beast Clergyman, he would attempt to reassemble the Rune of Death by consuming Deathroot.^[15] To this end, he employed the likes of D, Hunter of the Dead, and later, the Tarnished to retrieve Deathroot for him from throughout the Lands Between.

The Rune of Death was later unbound by the Tarnished defeating Maliketh in Crumbling Farum Azula, in their attempt to burn the impenetrable thorns blocking the entrance to the Erdtree, in order to become Elden Lord.^[16]

See Also[]

• Maliketh, the Black Blade
• Golden Order
• Gloam-Eyed Queen

Trivia[]

• May have been inspired by the Death Rune from RuneQuest, which Miyazaki has cited as an inspiration for Elden Ring.^[17]
• A power similar to Destined Death appears to be wielded by the Black Blade Kindred, certain Vulgar Militia, and the Baleful Shadow. However, it only inflicts damage over time, and does not reduce maximum HP like the effect of Maliketh's Black Blade, the Black Blade incantation, or the Black Knife.

References[]