One of the many fan theories floating around the Elden Ring community for a long time involves Malenia. She looks a bit like a Sekiro boss and moves a bit like a Sekiro boss, so there’s a chance she could sneak up on a Sekiro boss we’ve never seen before, right? Well, sadly, I’m going to throw some rain on your parade.
Given how much people have dug into ER, this particular rumor (which states that the Waterfowl Dancers resemble the twins of a character you’ve heard of but never met in Sekiro) is arguably surprising. People are surprised that it has been around for so long. Now, though, one of the game’s researchers has decided to take a look at it himself with some interesting animation comparisons between the two games.
“Almost every time I include Malenia in a video, I get asked a question about her, but I never really find a solid answer,” FromSoft YouTuber and community figure ZullieTheWitch tweeted. “I realized it might actually be possible to get more context, but the way to get it might be a little weird.”
As you can see in their latest video, this approach involves comparing the version of Malenia ported into Sekiro with Genichiro to see how similar their animations are. Why? Well, since Genichiro is supposed to share his style with Tomoe, many fans have long theorized that Malenia was based in some fashion.
Now, if you don’t remember getting destroyed by Tomoe in battle, that’s because you didn’t. She is only mentioned in the base version of the game – primarily as a master swordsman who taught Genichiro many techniques. Naturally, this led many players to believe that she would eventually become a DLC boss fight, but this idea never ultimately came to fruition. So when people encountered Malenia in Elden Ring – given her appearance, moves, and penchant for Sekiro -style swords – many thought she was likely a prototype for Tomoe, or At least utilizing something originally designed for Sekiro’s missing swordswoman.
Sadly, you can add animation to the list of pretty convincing evidence that part one may not be the case. “Upon closer review,” Zullie concluded after analyzing both Genichiro and Malenia’s attacks, “there does not appear to be any significant overlap, and in particular there is no significant overlap.” [Sekiro’s other] Master/student pairs. “
They added that Malenia not having a bow is likely another difference between her and Genichiro as described/implied, writing: “While Malenia may still be under Sekiro’s influence, it seems unlikely that she has one any substantial part of the assets of Pakistan”.
So, that’s it. With that in mind, plus the fact that nothing in Malegna’s gameplay data seems to indicate that the theory is accurate, and interviews with the developers of both games suggest that the timeline may not line up with it. , and it seems that Malegna is definitely not Bato’s direct twin.
Whether you’re a former Malenia-Tomoe fan or not, if you’re looking for some top Elden Ring tips to help you prepare for the arrival of Shadow of the Erdtree, be sure to check out our range of base games A guide to help you remember where to get things like the Rain of Stars and the Dragon Crown Great Shield Amulet.