Malenia, Blade of Miquella

The undefeated warrior who blooms in death to save her brother.

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is a central figure in the 2022 video game Elden Ring. She appears as a tall, red-haired woman clad in golden valkyrie-like armor, with prosthetics replacing both legs and her right arm, which is attached to a katana-like blade. As a demigod princess and Empyrean, she was born alongside her twin brother Miquella but cursed with Scarlet Rot. Despite this devastating disease that putrefies her body, she mastered combat techniques from the Blind Swordsman, becoming one of the land's most potent warriors who has never been bested in battle. Though an optional boss, Malenia is a prominent mascot featured heavily in trailers and promotional media.

Quick Facts

Voice: Pippa Bennett-Warner
First: Elden Ring (2022)

Lore & Background

Malenia was born as an Empyrean child of Queen Marika and Radagon, cursed at birth with Scarlet Rot. To ward off the rot god's influence, Miquella utilized Unalloyed Gold, a material capable of breaking such divine corruption. During the civil war known as the Shattering, Malenia led her knights in an undefeated campaign across the land, including a victory against at least one fellow demigod relative. Her path eventually crossed with her half-brother Starscourge Radahn.

After heavy resistance from his army, the two met and dueled to a stalemate. At the battle's end, Malenia unleashed the Scarlet Rot and lost her Unalloyed Gold needle. Dragged unconscious by a remaining knight to the Haligtree—a holy tree created by Miquella—she slept while inadvertently causing the tree to rot from the inside. After Miquella was kidnapped, she awakened when the player encountered her at the base of the Haligtree's interior.

Reader's Guide

Malenia is widely considered the hardest boss in Elden Ring. Data from March 2023 showed she killed 10 players every second since launch and had been fought 329 million times. Her first phase was originally more aggressive, using Waterfowl Dance at any point before a patch required her to be below 80 percent health. A popular tactic, the Swarm of Flies incantation, was nerfed in a patch that erroneously made her heal "almost at will," later fixed. Players have employed extreme methods to defeat her: Twitch streamer MissMikkaa spent 15 hours and 53 attempts using a dance pad; Perri Karyal used an EEG machine trained on brain states; a player with a broken arm beat her at level one; and YouTuber PointCrow's goldfish, Tortellini, defeated her first phase via tank-position inputs. The community manager RS_Lionheart set the fastest speedrun record of 15 seconds as of April 2023.

Did You Know?

The player "Let Me Solo Her" has professed to killing Malenia between 6,000 and 7,000 times as of February 2024.
Malenia's boss fight received massive media attention for its difficulty, leading to unique challenges like fighting with a dance pad or voice chat as a controller.
In October 2023, S.H.Figuarts released a miniature figure of Malenia alongside other Elden Ring characters.
A life-size statue of Malenia was exhibited across Japan in February 2022 to commemorate the game's release.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Malenia, Blade of Miquella?

She is an Empyrean demigod and daughter of Radagon who serves as the devoted guardian to her twin brother, Miquella. Born with a physical curse, she transformed into one of the most legendary warriors in history through relentless training and combat mastery.

Why is Malenia considered an undefeated warrior?

Throughout her life, she never lost a single battle against any opponent, earning her the reputation as the Blade of Miquella. Her final stand ends only when she allows her rot to bloom fully upon defeat, sacrificing herself to protect her brother's legacy.

What players say: Player verdict on ELDEN RING — Rotten Tweets