Melina is one of the most important character in Elden Ring.

We cannot clear the game without Melina because she levels up players.

However, we can know little about her.

In this article, the author, native Japanese, explained the lore of Melina, taking the Japanese backgrounds into consideration.

目次 (Contents)

Notes about Melina
Who Is Melina’s Mother?
Melina’s Left Eye
Postscript

Notes about Melina

First, let’s see the notes about Melina.

At first, Melina appears in front of players as a ghost.

And, Melina offers a deal.

Melina
Have you heard of the finger maidens? They serve the Two Fingers, offering guidance, and aid, to the Tarnished. But you, I am afraid, are maidenless. I can play the role of maiden. Turning rune fragments into strength. To aid you in your search for the Elden Ring. You need only take me with you. To the foot of the Erdtree.

The summary of the deal is below.

Deal
・Melina gives players the power of Rune and guidance.
・Players take Melina to the foot of the Erdtree.

So, we can see Melina wanted to go to the Erdtree.

And the reason is to ascertain her purpose given by her mother.

Melina
The Erdtree…is close. Only a little further till the foot of the Erdtree, and the accord is fulfilled. It takes me back. I was born at the foot of the Erdtree. Where mother gave me my purpose. Though now, everything is lost to me. I…have to ascertain for myself. The reason for which I live, burned and bodiless.

The purpose she lost is to burn the thorns of Erdtree in order to guide a Tarnished to become an Elden Lord

Melina
Hello again, old friend. Allow me a moment to converse with you. You were unable to enter the Erdtree, no? Prevented by the mantle of barbs. The thorns are impenetrable. A husk of the Erdtree’s being; that spurns all that exists without. The only way to stand before the Elden Ring…and become the Elden Lord…is to pass the thorns. My purpose serves to aid in that very act. So I’d like you to undertake a new journey, with me. To the flame of ruin, far above the clouds, upon the snow mountaintops of the giants. The I can set the Erdtree aflame. And guide you. Down the path to becoming Elden Lord.

Finally, Melina would have died at the snow mountaintops of the giants, becoming the igniter of the flame that can burn the Erdtree .

Melina
O Erdtree, you shall burn.
Burn, for the sake of the new Lord.
Thank you. For guiding me here.
The one who walks alongside flame,
Shall one day meet the road of Destined Death.
Good-bye.

Enia says that a sacrifice is needed to reignite the flame that can burn the Erdtree.

Enia
You must find kindling. Only the smoldering flame in the Great Forge of the Giants,
on the highest peak in the Lands Between, can burn the Erdtree.
But special kindling is required to reignite the flame.
For the flame to burn the Erdtree, a sacrifice is needed. Of one who envisions the flame.
And can lead you to the Rune of Death.

In summary, Malina became the igniter of flame that can burn the Erdtree in order to make the player Elden Lord.

Those are the basic notes about Melina.

Who Is Melina’s Mother?

Next, let’s think about Melina’s mother.

To conclude, Melina’s mother would be Marika.

The reasons are below.

Reason1: Melina can read Marika’s own words.

First, Melina can read Marika’s own words.

Melina
Spoken echoes linger here. Words of Queen Marika, who vanished long ago. If you wish, I will share them with you.

This ability suggests the strong relationship between Melina and Marika.

Reason2: Melina and Marika have the same purpose.

The fact that Melina and Marika have the same purpose suggests that Melina’s mother is Marika.

The purpose of Marika is to end and replace the Golden Order, and she shattered the Elden Ring in order to achive this purpose,

This article is explaining the purpose of Marika and the reason why she shattered the Elden Ring.

And, Melina’s purpose is to make a new Elden Lord and end the Golden Order.

Melina
I have long observed the Lands Between.
This world is in dire need ofrepair…
and Death…indiscriminate…
Are you prepared…
To commit a cardinal sin?

The returning of the concept of Death into the Golden Order exactly means the end of the Golden Order.

Mending Rune of the Death-Prince
Formed of the two hallowbrand half-wheels combined, it will embed the principle of life within Death into Order.
The Golden Order was created by confining Destined Death. Thus, this new Order will be one of Death restored.

Here, you might wonder the thorns of Erdtree was created by Marika herself.

However, the patten of the thorns indicates Radagon have created it.

The symbolic pattern of Radagon is the mesh, and the thorns of Erdtree have a mesh-like patten.

As an aside, the symbolic patten of Marika is below.

These patterns of Marika and Radagon appear in various points such as Elden Ring.

Reason3: The first letter of the name is “M”.

The name Melina obeys the same naming rule as Miquella and Malenia.

Marika and Radagon’s children’s names start with the letter “M” such as Miquella and Malenia.

And the first letter of Melina is “M” too.

Conclusion

From these points, the mother of Melina can be Marika.

Precisely, the relationship between Melina and Marika would be the same as that between Millicent and Malenia.

This is because Melina and Millicent wear the same clothes, Traveler’s Clothes.

Traveler’s Clothes
Worn by young women who set off into the world to confront their fate.

Millicent says that she is of Malenia’s blood but does not know she could be sister, daughter, or an offshoot.

Millicent
Again we meet. I can only surmise our purposes are aligned. In which case, allow me to explain myself. I am of Malenia’s blood. But in what capacity I know not. I could be sister, daughter, or an offshoot… Whatever the case though, I am certain of a kinship between us.

In addition, Millecent inherits the fragment of Malenia’s will, while Melina inherits that of Marika.

Millicent
There is something I must return to Malenia. The will that was once her own. The dignity, the sense of self, that allowed her to resist the call of the scarlet rot. The pride she abandoned, to meet Radahn’s measure.

These points suggests the relationship between Melina and Marika would be the same as that between Millicent and Malenia.

Melina’s Left Eye

One of Melina’s distinguishing features is her left eye.

Melina has a mysterious mark over her left eye and always keeps it closed.

This mark would represent the seal of Destined Death inside the eye.

I will explain the reasons below.

Reason1: Ranni’s Right Eye.

Melina’s eyes are actually very similar to Ranni‘s.

The Melina on left was going to kill the lord of flame of frenzy by using the Rune of Death.

The Ranni stole the Rune of Death from Maliketh.

As you can see, they have blue eyes.

So, Melina would have the Rune of Death on her left eye just like Ranni.

Reason2: Maliketh Has the Same Mark

Melina has the mark on her left eye that looks like a beast’s claw.

And, Maliketh has the same mark on his left hand that sealing the Rune of Death.

So, the mark on Melina’s left eye would represent the seal of the Rune of Death

Reason3: Melina Mentioned the Destined Death.

Melina mentioned the Destined Death, when she opened her eyes.

Melina
Lord of Frenzied Flame… I will seek you, as far as you may travel… To deliver you what is yours. Destined Death.

This cutscene implies Melina released the Rune of Death to kill the Lord of Frenzied Flame.

From these points, Melina has the Rune of Death inside her left eye.

Why Does Melina Have the Rune of Death

By the way, why does she have the Rune of Death?

The answer is easy if her mother is Marika.

In other words, Marika had a Rune of Death because she was the one who plotted the Night of the Black Knives.

So, Malika would have given the Rune of Death to Melina.

But, why did she give the Rune of Death?

Rune of Death is the power that can break Order, the cycle of lives.

Marika was locked inside the Erdtee while Marika wanted to end the Golden Order.

So, Marika gave the Rune of Death to Melina in order to achieve her purpose insted of herself.

That would be the reason why Melina has the Rune of Death

Postscript

This is the article about “The Lore of Melina Explained by a Native Japanese”.