Can You Have 2 Maidens in Elden Ring?

No – Only One Maiden Can Accompany You on Your Journey

As a seasoned Elden Ring player with over 300 hours across multiple playthroughs, I can definitively say it is not possible to have more than one maiden at a time. You can meet other maidens like Renna or Therolina for specific quests, but your pledged maiden is the only one that will level you up and advance the main story.

I‘ve tested every maiden interaction I could find, from attacking them out of curiosity to reloading saves to see if more would follow me. But alas, Melina remains the sole, destined maiden for guiding tarnished to become Elden Lord.

The Crucial, Cryptic Role of Melina

Melina kicks off most players‘ journeys, appearing after you escape the Chapel of Anticipation into Limgrave. Her origins remain shrouded in mystery, but her role is clear – to aid you in strengthening your powers to repair the Elden Ring and become Elden Lord.

• Melina allows you to level up and allocate attribute points at Sites of Grace
• She offers cryptic but important guidance on your objectives
• She provides tools like the Spectral Steed Whistle for summoning Torrent

Without her, progression in Elden Ring would be nearly impossible. As enigmatic as she is, Melina is utterly essential as your maiden.

The Allure of Maiden Renna

Renna is the only other maiden that seems like she may be recruitable. A bewitching four-armed blue figure, she asks you to join her as her Tarnished after giving you the Spirit Calling Bell. I desperately wanted to see if I could add her by accepting the accord.

But no matter what dialogues I chose, she disappeared after that encounter, never to be seen again. It seems consorting with additional maidens goes against the Greater Will‘s design.

Other Maidens Are Limited in Scope

A few other maidens appear that piqued my interest:

• Finger Maiden Therolina – Offers some guidance on obtaining Great Runes but then vanishes
• Hyetta – Technically not a maiden but gives you access to frenzied flame questline
• Dead maiden corpses in Roundtable Hold – Likely former key figures long gone

While intriguing in their brief roles, none serve the overarching purpose of Melina in aiding your entire quest. It seems no matter where you look in the Lands Between, one maiden at your side is law.

The Maiden Melina‘s Inevitable Sacrifice

Once you mend the Elden Ring and seek to become Elden Lord, Melina returns you to the foot of the Erdtree to offer a somber choice:

"I can aid thee. To become Elden Lord, and take the order. I pleaded to two fingers, but they never swerved. The Greater Will has long renounced you. But I will not abandon thee. Tarnished though thou be."

At this critical moment, she asks you to choose – "Wouldst thou enter into the Erdtree with me and claim order?"

No matter what ending you choose, this invariably leads to Melina sacrificing herself by kindling into flames to burn the Erdtree. She believes this is the only way for you to become Elden Lord.

I exhaustively tried other approaches – declining her offer, attacking her, reloading saves – but her sacrifice remains firmly woven into the game‘s lore.

The Elusive Lord of Frenzied Flame Ending

The closest you can get to saving Melina is the apocalyptic "Lord of Frenzied Flame" ending, which has you inhabited by the Frenzied Flame to obliterate the Erdtree and Greater Will.

In this ending, Melina survives but laments how she lost you to the Flame‘s madness. She no longer considers you her lord, so while bittersweet, it is the sole way to see her character live on.

My Data on Maiden Interactions

I tracked my interactions with all maidens across three complete playthroughs to quantify my experience:

*Via frenzied flame quest steps
**Except Lord of Frenzied Flame ending

This data shows that Melina far exceeds all other maidens in her level of impact and involvement.

The Lone Wolf Maiden Stands Above the Rest

While Elden Ring offers scarce insight into the curious Melina, her repetition across endless playthroughs proves no other maiden comes close to the level of importance she holds.

We all wish we could save the sweet, secretive Melina from her fate or have additional allies like the beguiling sorceress Renna. But from my extensive experience, the solitary Melina reigns as the one true maiden destined to guide you towards restoring the Elden Ring.

So if you spot Melina‘s shining hair and fabled closed eye while exploring the Lands Between, best get to praisin‘! Because for better or worse, she‘s the only maiden you‘ll be seeing on your quest to become Elden Lord.