Elden Ring and your Shadow of the Erd Tree The expansion includes a massive library of lore dedicated to Lords, Gods, Demigods, and a powerful set of entities known as Outer Gods, discussed or referenced throughout the game in item descriptions, environmental details, NPC dialogue, and more. Due to the enigmatic nature Elden RingAccording to lore, some Outer Gods are directly referred to as such, while others seem to fall into the same category or are treated by characters in the same way an Outer God would.
Overall, there are 12 different entities that can be considered Outer Gods, all of which serve a distinct purpose in constructing the broader story of the Middle Lands and the Shadowlands. This list will detail where each Outer God is mentioned and note the clues scattered throughout. Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erd Tree.
12
Twin Bird God
The God of the Birds of Death, or the God of Death
Little is known about this External God, not even his true name. The Twinbird (and by extension, Deathbirds and Gravebirds) was absorbed into Ghostflame by this entity. THE 
Twin kite shield
describes this as “the envoy of an outer god”, implying that he was sent as a messenger of Death. Various hints about an External God of Death, as in 
Ancient Death’s Grudge
imply a connection to Those Who Live in Death, skeletal creatures found near the Root of Death.
“After the night of the plot, Deathroot appeared in the Middle Lands, and Those Who Live in Death soon followed.” –
Ashes of the Skeletal Bandit
Despite the mysterious nature of the Twinbird God, the connections to Death and the Phantom Flame are clear, as can be seen through the Twinbird engravings found on the shields and armor of the Mausoleum Knights, as well as on the 
Blue-
Red Feather Ramal Swordtalismans, feathers on each side of the Twinbird’s two heads, used in “ancient death rituals.”
11
The formless mother
Mother of Truth, source of Mohg’s power
The Formless Mother is one of the predominant Outer Gods mentioned in Elden Ring, particularly in relation Mohg, Lord of Blood
and its history with occult blood rituals in the name of “mother of truth”, also known as the Formless Mother. The Formless Mother is mentioned in relation to Shadow of the Erd TreeBloodfiend tribes on items like the 
Bloodfiend’s Fork
. Mohg, and separately the Bloodfiend tribes, perform blood rituals in the name of the Formless Mother to enrich their “cursed blood” with fire.
Mohg intended to use this power to elevate Miquella to godhood and act as her consort, implying that the Formless Mother has the ability to elevate beings to Divinity. In the description for 
Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear
the Formless Mother is described as “an outer god who bestows power on cursed blood.”
10
The blood star
A God of Thorns and Aberrant Sorcery
This mystifying Outer God is described in the thorn-based Aberrant Sorceries, as 
Briars of Sin
Briars of Punishment. A sect of criminals “his eyes were plucked out by thorns”, and were exiled to “[live] in eternal darkness. There, they discovered the blood star.” In Shadow of the Erdtree, two new spells, 
Impenetrable Thorns
and 
Cloak of Thorns
detail the Blood Star “edict”, or decree, declaring, “Reject all that is. Beast all that is. For we have been abandoned.”
As with most Outer Gods, there is not much that can be known about the Blood Star of the few descriptions of the game. Although there appears to be overlap with blood elements between Mohg’s Bloodflame and The Formless Mother, being two distinct and separate categories of sorcery, it indicates a lack of connection with either.
9
The Sealed God of Scarlet Rot
A God who was rotting
The Sealed God of Scarlet Rot can be found as the antagonist in a tale depicted in 
Blue Dancer Amulet
describing a “ancient god… this was Rot himself” to be “sealed.” The Lake of Rot map describes “the divine essence of an outer god sealed in this earth”, while the 
Scorpio Sting
was “created from the relic of a sealed outer god.”
“The dancer in blue represents a fairy, who in legend granted a flowing sword to a blind swordsman. With the blade in hand, the swordsman sealed away an ancient god – a god who was Rot itself.” – Blue Dancer Amulet
Clearly, this Outer God is deeply associated with the Order of Rot described by Gowry, and perhaps even has to do with the spread of Rot throughout the Lands Between. It appears that Malenia was a follower of the Sealed God, which explains his control and use of Rot, and fits with the tendency of demigods to worship an Outer God to be elevated to divinity. Malenia apparently achieves this by awakening as the Goddess of Rot in the second phase of her boss fight.
8
The frantic flame
May chaos take over the world
Although the Frenzied Flame is not explicitly called the Outer God, intentions and desires are displayed through the Three Fingers to Hyetta during the end of the Frenzied Flame:
“Everything that exists came from the Great One. Then came fractures, births and souls. But the Greater Will made a mistake. Torment, despair, affliction… every sin, every curse. Each, born of error.
And so, what was borrowed must be returned. Melt everything, with the yellow flame of chaos. Until all is One again.”
While it is unclear whether these are the words of the Frenzied Flame itself or some other entity speaking through the Three Fingers, it does indicate that Chaos can be used to correct or erase mistakes made by the Outer Gods. The Berserk Flame may be an Outer God that simply cannot be contained or controlled, or that cannot contain or control itselfhence Shabriri’s statement: “May chaos take over the world!”
However, the Frenzied Flame can be subdued by 
Miquela’s Needle
which “[wards] ward off the meddling of the Outer Gods.” For this reason, whether the Frenzied Flame should be considered a type of uncontrollable force versus some type of entity like an Outer God is up for debate. The Frenzied Flame also features prominently in the story of Midra in Shadow of the Erd Tree; Midra was unable to awaken as the Lord of Frenzied Flame, which players can successfully do by being embraced by the Three Fingers.
7
The full, dark and twin moons
A dark side of the moons
Again, although these entities are not called Outer Gods, they behave and act in a very similar way to the Outer Gods already mentioned. Furthermore, as Outer Gods, each moon is linked to a specific and significant NPC: 
Rennala Full Moon
Ranni’s Dark Moon
Rellana’s Twin Moons. The Full Moon of Rennala is described as “charming“and allows her”bewitch“sorcerers in Raya Lucaria, while Ranni should”fear“the Black Moon and Rellana Twin Moons are found”nestled… moon and fire always together.”
“Now comes the age of the stars. A journey of a thousand years under the wisdom of the Moon. Here begins the cold night that encompasses everything, reaching beyond.” – Ranni the Witch
Dark Moon’s role in the late Star Age further suggests his status as an Outer God, as Ranni describes a wise being who will dispel the influence of the Greater Will of the Lands Between. Upon ending the Golden Order, Ranni uses the Black Moon to establish a new order, disconnected from the Greater Will.
6
The Fallen God
A one-eyed fire god
Described in 
One-Eyed Shield
as “a malformed one-eyed god… once worshiped by giants, this evil deity is believed to have been killed by Queen Marika.“ THE 
Flame of the Fallen God
describe this “[lurking] within the Fire Giants,” while the Fire Monks worship the Flame, “deceived” by its power, as seen in 
Whirlwind, O Flame!
In the Shadow Realm, the 
Oven View
is described as “a stone mask surrounded by curled horns, representing the cruel fire god who haunts the horned sagas” showing a shared affinity with the Fell God between the Furnace Golems and the Fire Giants. Throughout the Middle Lands and the Shadow Realm, these creatures and their Outer God are considered evil incarnate. Godfrey, First Lord Elden
notably defeated the Giants in Marika’s name, and confined the Fallen God’s Flame of Ruin in her massive cauldron atop the Giants’ mountains.
5
Ancient Dragon God
The Dragonlord awaits the return of his Outer God
the legendary boss found in an obscure location in Crumbling Farum Azula, is said to have worshiped an Outer God during his time as an Elden Lord, long before Marika’s reign or current events in Elden Ring. According to the 
Souvenir of the Lord of Dragons
, “Once your god fled, the lord continued to await his return.” If players look closely at the 
Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone
description, they will see a clue about the power of the Dragonlord God:
A scale from the Ancient Dragonlord and a hidden treasure from Farum Azula. The seat of the Ancient Lord of Dragons is said to be beyond time. This stone slightly distorts time, allowing the creation of a weapon capable of killing a god.
The Ancient Dragon God could exist in a timeless statesimilar to Placidusax, or may have some deeper connection to time and how it works in the larger universe of Elden Ring. While it is possible that this Outer God is actually the Greater Will, the lack of clarifying details leaves the existence and purpose of this entity a mystery.
4
The God-Devouring Serpent
Eiglay, the god-like outer serpent of the Volcano mansion
At the end of the Volcano Manor legacy dungeon, the Tarnished face Eiglay, the God Devouring Serpent
in the first phase of Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
The demigod boss fight. Arguably, because this serpent can devour a God, it can be considered a God in itselfand therefore an External God. Furthermore, Eiglay had many believers, enough so that the Temple of Eiglay was erected in his name.
An additional hint about the nature of the God-Devouring Serpent can be seen in the Shadow Realm in Bonny Village, where a large fallen snake skin can be seen in the wooded region nearby. The village contains large jars (filled with human remains), as does the Temple of Eiglay, although there are no explicit links between the two regions.
3
The Primordial Current
Stars of the Abyss
An esoteric and obscure force in Elden Ring is the Primeval Current, which appears as an underlying source of magic, particularly for the sorcery of glowing stones and star-related elements in the Middle Lands. Sorceress Sellen “was exiled from Raya Lucaria Academy… for trying to restore the primitive current of Glintstone sorcery.“ Primal sorcerer Azur “Glimpsed the primitive current [and] saw the darkness. He was bewitched and afraid of the abyss.”
Whether this force can be considered an Outer God is up for debate, but the Carian Royal Family detests primitive sorcery, implying that it has divine power to rival the Moons. Strength also manifested itself in physical form, as seen in the 
Rain of Stars Founder
witchcraft: “The glimpse of the primeval current that the astrologer saw became real, and the amber of the stars rained down upon this land.”
2
The Abyssal Serpent
A basic serpent within Messmer the Impaler
The newest demigod of SOTE, 
Messmer the Impaler
is tormented by an entity known as the Abyssal Serpent (or Base). Queen Marika’s punishment for Messmer, finally being sealed in the Land of Shadowsit was apparently a result of the power this Outer God granted him. While there are many similarities to Rykard’s God-Eating Serpent, the Abyssal Serpent can be considered an Outer God of its own, given the influence of Messmer’s flame.
“Most of the divine beasts were gored and hung from Messmer’s spears, then burned in his flames. Those who witnessed the feat likened it to a funeral pyre for the tower itself.” –
Divine Beast Tornado
The fact that an entire new category of enchantment has been dedicated to Messmer Fire indicates a divine fury held within Messmer the Impaler rivaled only by powerful figures like Marika. Their war against the Divine Beasts, in which they were “gored and hung on Messmer’s spears”, further exemplifies the terrifying power of Messmer’s flame and, by extension, the Abyssal Serpent. Messmer’s boss fight mirrors Malenia’s, with a powerful entity awakening in the second phase, though this does not necessarily indicate Outer God status in and of itself.
1
The Greater Will
Patron Deity of the Golden Order of Marika
As with most Outer Gods, the Greater Will is not referred to as such, but is undoubtedly the most prominent and influential force or entity in Elden Ring. The Tarnished learns from Hyetta that, similar to the Big Bang, the Great Will shattered the Great, creating “fractures, births and souls.“The One Great One can be thought of as everything that existed before time and life itself.
The Greater Will created all life that exists, including “torment, despair, affliction. Every sin, every curse.” Many areas and enemies, as well as the main plot of the game, are linked to the Greater Will because of this, such as Astel and the Eternal Cities, the Demigods involved in the great war called the Shattering, and even the climax of the story. 
Elden Stars
It is said that the Greater Will has “sent a golden star carrying beast to the Middle Lands, which would later become the Elden Ring.“The beast itself is considered the Elden Beast, which is guarded by Radagon/Marika, the ship of Elden Ringrunes of the same name.