Space Noodlin' It

https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUnkindledQueen

"She feels like Malenia."

First time I beat the game I assumed it was a classic George RR Martin style culling of our competition. We work with Ranni, Dungeater, or Fia, cause Ranni, Dungeater, or Fia work with us kinda deal. And the reason we fight all the other ones is cause they don't want us to sit on the throne instead of them. So we gotta deal with them.

Only to see the entire rest of the fandom did not have nearly the same interpretation of the Tarnished as I did.

In all fairness, people who invest time too deeply in fandom spaces can adapt to that mentality. I was also a part of that for a time and I think it can get very easy to get lost in such an echo chamber.

Thing of it is, I do believe people feel they need too much of a villain and hero character. But Soulsborne games don't have that excuse. Every character is a complicated mess in Elden Ring. Sometimes it takes many many gameplays to understand that when you don't think with the same fandom mentality as everyone else.

But sure, the naïve Demigod who thinks the world can be fixed with the power of what he deems as love is the real villain.