Summary
Elden Ring Nightreignoffers a surprisingly fun and rewarding experience withsome of the most brutal boss encountersthat you’re able to run up against over and over again with your friends until you finally slay them, making it the best, official, FromSoftware co-op experience to date.
Despite this being Elden Ring but with co-op roguelite elements, some key differences will have any veteran of the series' ears perk up the moment they spot some of the coolest easter eggs and references, making them praise the nostalgia each time they load up for another run. While there aren’t too many, there’s enough that you will be more than satisfied if you played other FromSoft titles!
Fextralife Wiki
Being the first game to kick off FromSoftware’s iconic and genre-defining titles,Demon’s Soulswas undoubtedly going to get some love in Elden Ring Nightreign, but it’s not quite as much as you might assume. It was mostly played safe, likely due to it being a PlayStation exclusive, but you can trace everything back here to the roots of the series, and that’s pretty cool!
Black Leather - Duchess Skin
First up is the Black Leather skin for Duchess, as it resembles the armor worn by Patches in pretty much every game he’s in, aside from Armored Core: For Answer and Bloodborne. It also appears to be quite similar to the basic Black Leather set found in Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls 2, and Dark Souls 3. Showing up as the Thief Set in the first Dark Souls and the Leather Set in Elden Ring!
Heretic Sorcerer - Recluse Skin
Recluse’s Heretic Sorcerer skin is up next, bearing a striking resemblance toYuria from the PlayStation 3 version of Demon’s Souls.In turn, that also means it looks very similar to Karla’s outfit in Dark Souls 3. However, since Yuria was first, and it looks VERY close to hers, we’ll give this nod to her. Nonetheless, this is an excellent skin for Recluse!
Patches' Crouch - Gesture
Yes, we know this gesture is technically already in the base version of Elden Ring, but you first see his iconic squat in Demon’s Souls, so we’re going to give the tip of the cap where it is needed.Patches is a despicable, but beloved, character,and being able to purchase and perform Patches' Crouch in Nightreign is incredible to see, even if he’s nowhere to be seen in the game!
Dark Soulsmay not have been their first attempt at this genre, but it was definitely the game that put them on the map and the game that drastically altered the course of FromSoftware forever. As such, it has the most easter eggs and references in Elden Ring Nightreign, so strap in, it will be a bit of a long one!
Abysswalker - Wylder Skin
Kicking things off, we have Wylder’s Abysswalker skin, which, of course, is Artorias from the excellent Artorias of the Abyss expansion for Dark Souls. Artorias the Abysswalker is a fan favorite of the series and one of the best boss encounters of all time, so Wylder landing this gem of a skin makes us jealous he’s not our main. Regardless, this skin is perfect!
Catarina - Raider Skin
Who can’t remember the first time we met our trusty Onion Knight friend in Dark Souls? Siegmeyer of Catarina is one of the best characters in the series and a character you will encounter at various points throughout your journey, offering his jovial and charming dialogue in times of need.
While you will meet other Onion Knights of Catarina in the other Souls titles (Sieglinde and Siegward), your first is in Dark Souls, so the point for Raider’s Cararina skin goes to the first Dark Souls!
Dragon School - Revenant Skin
Dragon School, an available skin for Revenant, is up next and is a direct reference to the Sorcerer set from the original Dark Souls. It will show up later in Dark Souls 3 as the Old Sorcerer set, but this is where you will see it first in the series. Selecting Sorcerer as your starting class in the game will spawn you in with the Sorcerer set, making it very easy to obtain!
Rock-Like - Raider Skin
Raider has the best skins in this game, and it’s not even close. First, he gets the Catarina skin, and now he gets the Rock-Like skin? That’s not fair. Nonetheless, this is clearly Havel the Rock’s armor from the first Dark Souls, which would reappear in Dark Souls 2 as Ancient Soldier Varg’s set, and then once more in Dark Souls 3 as the Havel Knight. This armor set will always be fantastic to see!
Sunlight Knight - Guardian Skin
Guardian’s turn for a banger skin, having him rock Solaire of Astora’s Iron Set, allowing you to embody the Sunbro mentality and praise the sun. This skin is an instant homerun, and we cannot get enough of it. Solaire is an excellent character, and we love to see him in Nightreign, even if it’s only a skin. Now, go out and seek your very own sun! [T]/
Thorns - Executor Skin
Executor is up next, showcasing his excellent Thorns skin, throwing it back to Kirk, Knight of Thorns, an NPC who would invade you in the first Dark Souls multiple times throughout your journey. He also returns in Dark Souls 3 as Longfinger Kirk, where he attempts to invade you again, just being a real thorn in your side. Joking aside, his armor has always been sharp, and we love to see its return!
Wraith - Duchess Skin
Darkwraiths are some of the coolest enemies in the Souls titles, so Duchess' Wraith skin is easily one of the best in the game, allowing you to equip the Dark set you’re able to get from the Darkwraith Covenant in the first Dark Souls. Despite this set also being featured in Dark Souls 2 and 3, and perhaps resembling the one from DS3 the most, we must give credit to where it originated!
Centipede Demon - Day One Night Boss
Our first boss encounter is finally here, which is the Centipede Demon from the Demon Ruins in Dark Souls, a decent yet straightforward fight in both appearances, all things considered. Out of all the possible bosses to choose from in the first Dark Souls, we have no clue why they landed on this one, but we’ll take anything we can get at this point!
Gaping Dragon - Day One Night Boss
With a chance to appear at the end of the first day, we have our second boss encounter entry with the Gaping Dragon, who you would initially find in the Depths in the original Dark Souls. Unlike the Centipede Demon, this fight is pretty solid and is intense in both Dark Souls and Nightreign. We love this pick far more than the former, and we hope there’s more on the horizon!
Known to be the series' black sheep, we haveDark Souls 2up next, which has the second most easter eggs and references in Elden Ring Nightreign, which we’re sure is going over well with the hardcore haters of this game. While it isn’t the best offering, it’s still excellent in terms of its art direction and aesthetic, which you will see for yourself below!
Emerald Fate - Recluse Skin
Emerald Fate kicks off this section of the list and is a skin for Recluse, transforming her into the Fire Keeper, Shanalotte, from Dark Souls 2. Even if you dislike this game,there’s no denying this character and Majula are spectacular,and the fact that Recluse slays this ‘fit from top to bottom is tremendous to see!
Lion Knight - Wylder Skin
Returning once more with another banger skin is Wylder with his Lion Knight skin, showcasing the Faraam set worn by the Bearer of the Curse on the cover art of the game and in most of its promotional material. Again, Dark Souls 2 has style, and this is still one of our favorite armor sets in the entire series, and Wylder crushes it!
Sellsword - Ironeye Skin
Ironeye makes his first appearance with the Sellsword skin, which is very clearly the Llewellyn set from Dark Souls 2 (aside from the helmet). This armor set belonged to Chancellor Wellager and is dropped by Stone Knights within the King’s Passage. Just a remarkable skin from top to bottom that fits Ironeye quite well!
Wayfarer - Guardian Skin
Continuing the trend of Dark Souls 2 having nothing but drip, we have the Guardian’s Wayfarer skin, which is a one-to-one of the Alva set. This set eventually becomes available to you in Dark Souls 2 after you spend a whopping 15,000 Souls at Maughlin the Armorer’s shop. We loved the design of this set back then, and we love it even more now!
The Duke’s Dear Freja - Day One Night Boss
Time for more bosses! This time, however, we have Dark Souls 2’s The Duke’s Dear Freja, a massive, two-headed spider boss, found deep within Brightstone Cove Tseldora. In Nightreign, Freja has the chance to appear at the end of the first day, and can be pretty challenging to deal with if you aren’t prepared. No matter how gross this boss is, we still love it!
Smelter Demon - Day One Night Boss
Smelter Demon is another boss you have the chance of encountering at the end of the first day in Elden Ring Nightreign, and is likely the most annoying of the bunch, as you must defeat it relatively swiftly or risk it getting supercharged, emitting a blue flame that rapidly drains your HP. So, if you’re looking to fight the Iron Keep’s Smelter Demon in the new age, now you can!
Bloodbornementioned? In 2025? Really? Perhaps. But, we’re also just really desperate for any sort of Bloodborne crumbs left by FromSoftware, so we could very well be making an enormous leap with this one. There is only one reference to Bloodborne in Nightreign, or so we think, but it’s likely just a funny gesture… Look, who knows?!
Grovel For Mercy - Gesture
Okay, so, hear us out, the Grovel For Mercy gesture you can obtain in Elden Ring Nightreign is VERY reminiscent of the Beg For Life gesture you can obtain from Patches the Spider in Bloodborne once you reach the Lecture Building on your way to the Nightmare Frontier. While Dark Souls 2 has a similar-ish one, the one in Nightreign is nearly identical and shares a similar name.
Would we have preferred a more concrete gesture, such as Make Contact or Shake Off Cape, to make it instead? Absolutely. But we’re begging for scraps here, and we will say this is a nod to Bloodborne to save our sanity!
Finally, we haveDark Souls 3, which has the third-most references in the game, placing it just behind Dark Souls 2. Still, this game rocks and also has that peak art direction you all know and love by FromSoftware, with some of the best boss encounters in the series. While not as iconic as Dark Souls 1, there are still outstanding skins here as well!
Ringfinger - Ironeye Skin
Leading the charge is the Ringfinger skin for Ironeye, allowing him to transform into Ringfinger Leonhard, a PvP-based NPC in Dark Souls 3. The Leonhard set is undeniably stylish and sick looking, making it worth cutting him down early enough to get his ‘fit, as well as the Lift Chamber Key. This skin also looks excellent on Ironeye, making it a must-have!
Sable Church - Executor Skin
Yuria of Londor is one of our favorite characters in Dark Souls 3,as her outfit looks phenomenal, and her lore, backstory, and questline are all excellent as well. She’s mysterious, grants you the Morion Blade, and is a member of the Darkwraiths, making it a perfect skin for the mysterious and brutal Executor in Nightreign!
The Sister In The Painting - Revenant
Sister Friede is arguably one of the best boss encounters in the Dark Souls series full stop, and is undoubtedly the best one in Dark Souls 3 at the very least, and seeing her make a return as the Sister in the Painting skin for Revenant is surreal. The battle between her in the Ashes of Ariandel expansion is one of epic proportions, and we’re thrilled to see a huge nod tossed her way with this skin!
Dancer Of The Boreal Valley - Day Two Night Boss
Speaking of iconic boss fights in Dark Souls 3, the Dancer of the Boreal Valley has the chance of appearing at the end of Day Two in Elden Ring Nightreign, and is just as massive, nimble, and devastating as ever. We still love this encounter to pieces and were blown away to see her appear. We just wish we could get her weapons!
The Nameless King - Day Two Night Boss
Lastly, another boss you have the chance of bumping into at the end of the second day is the Nameless King, who comes barreling in on his Stormdrake, just as he did in Archdragon Peak nearly a decade ago for the first time. While it seems he has lost a step, he still hurts quite a bit and remains electrifyingly cool. The Nameless King still delivers, and we love it!
