Just how loyal is the half-wolf servant of Ranni?
Though there are many dangerous foes to face in Elden Ring, there are also some valuable friends. Blaidd the Half-Wolf is one of these friends, offering his services to the player in a few notable battles. The story behind him isn’t nearly as convoluted as the quests involving demigods and other tarnished warriors, but there are still some notable secrets hidden beneath his friendly demeanor. Fans of Elden Ring and its lore will surely be interested in knowing the truths behind Blaidd and why his questline ends the way it does.
Elden Ring Lore: Who is the Half-Wolf Blaidd?
Constantly referred to as her loyal shadow, Blaidd was a gift to Ranni imparted by the Two Fingers. He befriended both her and Iji from childhood, swearing loyalty to her even when she abandoned her role as an Empyrean. This would, however, lead to deep conflict within Blaidd, as the Greater Will still held influence over his mind. Though he’s able to resist this inner turmoil up until the end of Ranni’s questline, this is the reason why his own questline ends with him attacking the player. It also hints at why the Baleful Shadow that attacks the player during Ranni’s questline looks like him, as it’s an instrument of the Two Fingers defending itself. The Baleful Shadow is likely not Blaidd, but it shows what Blaidd would become with enough time.
When Ranni decided to fight against the Two Fingers, Blaidd swore an oath to stay by her side, imbuing his sword with cold sorcery as proof of his loyalty. He was actually not too fond of the cold, wearing a cape to try and ward it off. Regardless, he would stay by Ranni’s side up until the events of Elden Ring, interacting with a few other characters such as the merchant Kalé and Bloodhound Knight Darriwil. Blaidd’s connection with Darriwil is unknown, but seeing as how he names the latter as a traitor, it can be assumed that Darriwil once served Ranni alongside Blaidd before betraying her in some manner. Blaidd is later imprisoned by Iji in the same Evergaol that Darriwil is trapped in, so the connection isn’t too unlikely.
Many of the encounters with Blaidd are optional. The first time the player can meet him is at the Mistwood Ruins, asking for help to find Darriwil’s Evergaol. He can be summoned to help during this fight, giving the player a taste of his unique moves. The next time he’s found is at Ranni’s Rise, where he states his intentions to visit Siofra River and find Nokron, the Eternal City. Following his lack of success in this mission, he ends up appearing at the Radahn Festival, where he can be summoned to fight the conqueror of the stars. He then states his intentions to visit Nokron, but Iji imprisons him before this can happen out of fear that Blaidd will turn on Ranni.
The next time Blaidd is seen is at the end of Ranni’s questline, having indeed gone mad from his inner turmoil. Notably, corpses of Black Knife Assassins can be found near him. Why they showed up in the first place is a mystery, as they have ties with Ranni thanks to the Night of Black Knives, but their exact allegiances by the time of Elden Ring’s main story are still a mystery. Regardless, following his victory over the assassins, Blaidd will uncontrollably fight the player, forcing them to kill him and ending his questline.
Blaidd is quite powerful, as one can see when he is summoned to fight Darriwil and Radahn. He’ll use many wide, sweeping slashes against the player, making him particularly dangerous to fight up close. Though he’s apparently not fond of cold, it’s a better idea to use Poison, Scarlet Rot, and Fire attacks against him. You can also take advantage of a crippling weakness Blaidd has to backstabs, and you can stagger him with enough strong hits, allowing you to deal a critical attack. Help Blaidd escape his inner turmoil by any means necessary, especially if you want to get your hands on some particularly stylish gear!
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
- This article was updated on January 27th, 2023
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