GamesRPGElden Ring: NightreignYou weren’t seeing things, Elden Ring: Nightreign’s trailer saw the return of Dark Souls 3’s iconic hidden megaboss, and I have no idea what it meansWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesRPGElden Ring: NightreignYou weren’t seeing things, Elden Ring: Nightreign’s trailer saw the return of Dark Souls 3’s iconic hidden megaboss, and I have no idea what it meansWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

The Nameless King as he appears in Dark Souls 3

There was a metric ton going on in Elden Ring: Nightreign’sfirst trailer—and even more in PCG senior editor Wes Fenlon’smassive hands-on preview of the game. But among the familiar sights of the roguelike spinoff’s bizarro Limgrave, there was an even deeper bit of deja vu: The return of a previously one-of-a-kind boss from Dark Souls 3.

At the 2:09 mark of Nightreign’s debut trailer, who should swoop down butDark Souls 3’s Nameless King, and there’s no mistaking him for an enemy who’s just indulging in FromSoft’s long tradition of iterative design. It’s difficult to tell if his textures have been updated from the trailer, but he’s got the distinctive plume,Dragonslayer Swordspear, and a mount that’s very muchnotan Elden Ring dragon—it has the beak and scales of a Dark Souls dragon. The New Nameless King even shares his predecessor’s affinity for lightning spears.

Image1of6(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Image1of6(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)

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(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Zoomed in shot of dragon riding boss enemy from Elden Ring Nightreign’s debut trailer, showing similarities to Elden Ring’s Nameless King

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Zoomed in shot of dragon riding boss enemy from Elden Ring Nightreign’s debut trailer, showing similarities to Elden Ring’s Nameless King

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Zoomed in shot of dragon riding boss enemy from Elden Ring Nightreign’s debut trailer, showing similarities to Elden Ring’s Nameless King

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Zoomed in shot of dragon riding boss enemy from Elden Ring Nightreign’s debut trailer, showing similarities to Elden Ring’s Nameless King

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Zoomed in shot of dragon riding boss enemy from Elden Ring Nightreign’s debut trailer, showing similarities to Elden Ring’s Nameless King

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

The Nameless King as he appears in Dark Souls 3

This isn’t the cheeky evoking of a well-known standard enemy design from games past, like Elden Ring’s deathblight basilisks—it’s a very specific, memorable hidden boss with a crucial place in Dark Souls' overarching story. The Nameless King is probably the most difficult fight in base Dark Souls 3, a climactic duel with a forgotten god of war in an arena beyond time.

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