Is Ranni good or evil?
As an ardent Souls universe enthusiast and scholar of Elden Ring lore, one of the most frequent questions I‘m asked is: "So, is Ranni good or evil?" This powerful witch demigod remains hotly debated among the fanbase regarding her moral alignment. After analyzing extensive evidence from item descriptions, character dialogue, multiple endings and more, I believe the truth resists simplistic categorization. Ranni pursues controversial methods in service of an ideological goal – replacing the Greater Will to give inhabitants more free will. Whether the ends ultimately justify the means is where reasonable people can and do disagree.
Ranni‘s backstory provides clues to her motivation
As daughter to Radagon and Rennala, Ranni was born an Empyrean carrying the hopes of succeeding Queen Marika. However, at some point Ranni rejected this destiny imposed by the Greater Will, desiring instead to follow her own vision not bound to an outer god:
I declare mine intent, to search the depths of the Golden Order. Through understanding of the proper way, our faith, our grace, is increased. Those blissful early days of blind belief are long past. My comrades; why must ye falter?
Ranni describes the Order‘s faith as limiting and seeks to move beyond it. This motivation underpins herpivotal action to steal a fragment of Death and orchestrate the assassination of Godwyn the Golden. Killing Godwyn allowed her to shed her physical form while retaining spiritual independence. However, it also triggered the Shattering – plunging the realm into turmoil.
The Shattering‘s devastating impact
| Metric | Impact |
|---|---|
| Deaths | Estimated hundreds of thousands |
| Families displaced | Unknown but vast numbers |
| Economic damage | Collapse of trade, halting of major projects |
| Psychological harm | Widespread despair, sense of lost purpose |
As the table shows, while statistics are unavailable, the qualitative evidence suggests the Shattering caused extreme suffering to countless innocents. Entire dynasties built around the Golden Order fell within weeks. Much of this chaos results directly from Ranni‘s plot against Godwyn.
Perspectives on Ranni‘s morality
Given the magnitude of the consequences, is Ranni evil for engineering this disaster? Or does the promise of her ending justify it? There are good arguments from multiple perspectives.
Arguments for Ranni‘s benevolence
- Frees the Lands Between from the Greater Will‘s imposed Order
- Ending allows inhabitants to follow their own visions
- More autonomy and less oversight for average citizens
- Her mentor title of "Witch" may cause bias against magic
Arguments for Ranni‘s malevolence
- Shows little remorse for bloodshed caused by the Shattering
- Pursues her ideological goal ruthlessly without regard for means
- Directly and intentionally murdered her half-brother Godwyn
- Curses Radahn to rotting sickness to halt his conquest
As we weigh these competing takes, Ranni again defies clear-cut characterization. For devoted followers like Blaidd and Iji, her noble aims inspire allegiance. For those scarred by the wars, she remains a monster.
The Age of Stars: A positive vision or hollow utopia?
Ranni‘s quest concludes with her ending, the Age of Stars. As your consort, she claims the Elden Ring and removes the realm‘s central Erdtree away to another plane. This symbolizes freedom from the Greater Will‘s Order. In theory, inhabitants now "live their lives how they see fit" without gods pulling the strings.
But questions remain about this vision:
- Without Erdtree bounty, could famine and resource scarcity ensue?
- If Ranni disappears into the stars, who oversees justice and infrastructure?
- Does more autonomy actually improve average well-being?
The promise feels inspiring yet oddly hollow. Ranni admits we likely can never truly be free of outer god meddling regardless. So perhaps this "victory" over the Greater Will rings partially false, given the blood spilt for its achievement.
Conclusion: A chess master playing a long game
In my view, while Ranni‘s end goal appeals broadly, the extreme subterfuge and human impact she engineers en route remain highly morally questionable. Yet her ardent followers show she inspires hope in her vision too. In truth, neither "good" nor "evil" feel adequate to encapsulate Ranni‘s alignment.
Ranni is best summarized as a chess master playing a very long game, seeking checkmate against the Greater Will by any tactic required. Whether those terrible sacrifices can be justified by the real value of her supposed win is where reasonable people will continue to debate. Much like the bewitching witch herself, unraveling the mystery only begets more questions. But it makes for a fascinating journey all the same.
