Malenia, Blade of Miquella

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, also called Malenia the Severed and the Goddess of Rot, is a major antagonist and optional boss in the 2022 dark fantasy action role-playing video game Elden Ring.

She was one of the demigod children of Marika and the second Elden Lord, Radagon. Malenia is the twin sister of Miquella and was one of the most powerful demigods, who's only known match was her half-brother Radahn.

Malenia was a tall, well-built yet fairly slender woman with free flowing long red hair that reached down her back. Her body was infected by the scarlet rot which caused cracks to appear on various parts of her body. The rot infested Malenia's eyes, leaving her permanently blind. She also had golden prosthetic limbs in place of her right arm, her left leg, and the bottom half of her right leg which were all missing. When harnessing the power of the rot, Malenia could produce a pair of large wings consisting of many butterflies hewn together by her own hair.

Malenia, unlike most of of her fellow demigods, is strangely very calm in tone and she never raised her voice, even when she is angry. As one of the most powerful warriors in the Lands Between, she is very focused and intelligent, being able to defeat anyone in battle, including Godrick the Grafted, whom she humbled. However, she, much like her father Radagon and the first Elden Lord Godfrey, Malenia is a barbaric and ambitious warlord who waged war for her goal of claiming the great runes of the other demigods.

Despite this, she has a strong relationship with her brother Miquella and the two were very close. Having a strong love for her brother, she would always protect him while he tried to look for a way to undo their curses. This even extended to the point where she apparently aided Miquella in his quest to become a god. Though she expressed confidence over being undefeated, however, upon suffering her first defeat at the hands of a Tarnished Champion, she was left stunned, and in a sense of honor, respectfully remarked of their strength as extraordinary and the mark of a true lord.

Malenia was one of the demigod children of Queen Marika the Eternal and her King Consort Radagon of the Golden Order. She and her twin brother Miquella were both selected as Empyreans, candidates to one day succeed their mother as ruler of the Lands Between. However, as they were born from a single god, the twins were cursed; Miquella suffered from eternal childhood and cannot grow to adulthood while Malenia was afflicted with Rot, a lethal blight that slowly degraded her body and infected anyone close to her. Because of the Rot, she ended up losing her right arm, her right knee, and her left leg. As a result, she is required prosthetic limbs.

Despite the affliction that wracked her body, Malenia, at some point, encountered a blind swordsman, who then became her mentor. Under his tutelage, Malenia was trained into becoming one of the most skillful and powerful warriors in the Lands Between, and thanks to her training, she never lost a battle, having gained wings of unparalleled strength. This earned her the loyalty and reverence of many, including her Cleanrot Knights, who vowed to fight for her, despite the risk of being inflicted with Rot. Some people also began to worship Malenia, as they see her as a goddess.Eventually, a massive war known as the Shattering erupted when the Elden Ring was shattered under mysterious circumstances. As numerous factions vied for power, Malenia (with her army of undefeated Cleanrot Knights) sought to use her martial might to reunify the Lands Between and put an end to the chaos. During that time, she won many victories until she came into conflict with General Radahn, her half-brother, whose own goal was incompatible with Malenia's. An epic battle commenced between the Blade of Miquella and the Red Lion general to see on who is superior.

Ultimately, the battle ended in a stalemate when Malenia unleashed the Scarlet Rot, but as the scarlet flower bloomed, she whispered into Radahn's ear that Miquella is awaiting him. However, the effects of the Scarlet Rot ended up destroying his mind, reverting to a feral state. As for Malenia, her unleashing the Scarlet Rot left her comatose and she was carried to Miquella's haligtree by one of her surviving Cleanrot Knights, Finlay. There, she awaits the return of her twin brother, who had encased himself in a cocoon in the tree in an attempt to reverse his curse.

However, while Malenia was absent or in a coma, Miquella, before he could even emerge from the haligtree was abducted by Mohg, Lord of Blood. Consequently, as a result of her twin brother's absence, Malenia, while in a deep slumber, accidentally infects the haligtree with Rot.Malenia, like most of the demigods, is an optional boss as the player is not required to defeat her in order to advance through the story. During her battle against the Tarnished, she would perform quick attacks with her katana while at the same time regaining the health she had lost, as each time she lands a hit on the player, she can regenerate her Health, making her one of the hardest bosses in the game. After all of her health is depleted, she would collapse to the ground, supposedly dead. However, she actually succumbed to the Scarlet Rot and was reborn as a goddess. In her second phase, Malenia now has Scarlet Rot-based attacks and most of her regular attacks can now inflict Scarlet Rot. Despite this, she is defeated once again, but she does not die. Upon her defeat, she will remark that the Tarnished's strength is extraordinary and the mark of a true lord.