Trying to decide which Elden Ring ending you want for your Tarnished is a tricky affair, especially as all of the endings in the game require quite a lot of prep. There are three distinct conclusions to Elden Ring, but the default ending also has three further variations based on completing NPC questlines. You remember all those Tarnished mentioned in the intro? It's basically those folks.
Fia, Goldmask, and even the loathsome Dung Eater each have a special rune they can give to you which provides a slightly different version of the regular ending to the game. The funnest part is you can actually unlock every ending in a single playthrough, too, if you're ready to do a whole lot of questing.
With Shadows of the Erdtree close to release, there's a possibility that we may see a brand new ending to the game. Who knows? Maybe Miquella will also give us a rune that provides an entirely new outcome. I'll add the details to this guide if so. Otherwise, here's each Elden Ring ending, plus what you need to do to get them. If you hadn't clocked already, this guide will most assuredly contain spoilers.
Age of Fracture
Elden Ring Melina ending
This is the standard Elden Ring ending, the one that Melina has been leading you to throughout the game. Once you've defeated the Elden Beast, walk over and touch Fractured Marika, choosing the option to mend the ring. The Tarnished will become Elden Lord and sit upon the throne.
To get this ending, you have to defeat at least two of the demi-gods, Morgott, the Fire Giant, claim the giant's fire to burn the thorns blocking your path, defeat Malekith in Farum Azula, and then beat the final bosses in Leyndell, Ashen Capital.
Age of the Stars
Elden Ring Ranni ending
This is one of the two alternate endings, in which you help the witch Ranni replace Marika, with you as her eternal consort. The Age of the Stars begins, a thousand year voyage guided by the wisdom of the moon. You ascend with Ranni to godhood, and the moon replaces the Erdtree.
To activate this ending, you have to complete the Elden Ring Ranni quest and use her summon sign in the arena after you've beaten the final boss. It's probably the longest and most elaborate questline, so this ending takes some work to prep.
Age of Duskborn
Elden Ring Fia ending
This is Fia's ending and an alternate version of the Age of Fracture in which you remove the curse of immortality plaguing the Lands Between. To do this, you have to complete Fia's questline to gain the Mending Rune of the Death Prince, which you can use on Fractured Marika.
After Ranni, this is probably the second-longest ending, especially as it takes quite a bit of work to make your way to the Deeproot Depths, whether you're coming at it from the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, or the Siofra River Cistern.
Age of Order
Elden Ring Goldmask ending
Like Age of Duskborn, this is another variation on the default ending that requires you to use the Mending Rune of Perfect Order on Fractured Marika. You get this from the Goldmask and Brother Corhyn's quest. This restores the Erdtree to its former glory, and makes things appear much the same as they were before, save for the fickleness of the gods, since you killed them.
Besides the high intelligence and faith spell you have to cast, this quest is pretty easy, since Corhyn and Gold Mask basically follow the same track as you throughout the game.
Blessing of Despair
Elden Ring Dung Eater ending
This is Dung Eater's version of the default ending, in which you use the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse on Fractured Marika. To do this you have to follow the Dung Eater quest, but it's undoubtedly a bad ending, since you curse the world and all of its inhabitants. As if the folks of the Lands Between didn't already have it bad enough.
This ending is relatively simple to achieve, since all you need to do is give Dung Eater five Seedbeed Curse items to gain the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse. However, these can be quite difficult to find. To begin the quest, you'll find Dung Eater past the Twin Maiden Husks in the Roundtable Hold around the time you arrive in Altus.
If you show him a Seedbed Curse he'll give you a key to his cell in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds below Leyndell. An easy one to grab is in his position in the Leyndell version of the Roundtable Hold. From there, you have to fight him and then deliver four more Seedbed Curses.
Lord of the Frenzied Flame
Elden Ring Three Fingers ending
This is Elden Ring's 'bad' ending, even worse than the Blessing of Despair, since you basically burn the Erdtree and reality with it, unleashing the Frenzied Flame of the Three Fingers. If you got the Frenzied Flame from beneath the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds in Leyndell, all other endings are inaccessible until you get rid of it, though I explain how to do that in the final section of this guide.
If you want the excellent Frenzied Flame seal, you should complete Irina's quest then Hyetta's quest, but if not, you can just head to the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds below Leyndell. You'll need to do the first part of the Dung Eater quest to gain access, but once you're in you can head down to the Cathedral of the Forsaken to fight Mohg, open the secret door behind the altar, then keep going down until you reach the Frenzied Flame Proscription.
Take off your clothes and that scary-looking door will open for you, granting the Frenzied Flame and allowing you to do that ending once you defeat the final boss.
How to remove the Frenzied Flame
So, curiosity got the better of you and you couldn't resist that evil-looking door below Leyndell. Luckily, there's a way to get rid of the Frenzied Flame and unlock the other endings, but it requires a few things. First, you'll have to complete Milicent's questline that begins near Sellia in Caelid. It's a pretty long one, and takes you all the way to Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree.
Once you've finished it and got the Unalloyed Gold Needle back from Milicent, you'll have to defeat Malenia, Blade of Miquella. After the fight, a Scarlet Bloom will appear in the arena, letting you turn the Unalloyed Gold Needle into Miquella's Needle. Now, head to the Mountaintops of the Giants' kiln and activate the flame to head to Farum Azula.
You need to head to the arena of the secret optional boss, Dragonlord Placidusax. No need to fight it, just equip the needle once there, and use it to get rid of the Frenzied Flame. Alas, you'll still have the burn scars, though.
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