Everything you missed in the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree trailer

Despite being a mere three minutes and seven seconds long, you'd be surprised at how much you can miss after watching the trailer for Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. It's a game that's born countless theories, and this new look at the first expansion has only added to the fold.

We've done the digging for you though and spotted eight things you might not have picked up on when watching the trailer, ranging from new fighting styles to larger lore implications.

Potential entry point

While it might seem obvious to some, the trailer almost confirms that the entry point for the DLC will likely be within Mohg's boss arena in Moghwyn Palace.

We see Miquella's hand draping from the giant cocoon at the start of the trailer, and there's a line near the end from who we can only presume to be Miquella himself that declares "Come, now. Tough the withered arm, and travel to the realm of shadow."

Could that be Melina?

Linked to the potential entry point at the start of the trailer, we also see a cloaked figure standing within Mohg's arena. This could very well be anyone - including the player character themself - but to me, this looks somewhat similar to Melina's attire.

There is still much undiscovered about our own finger maiden's past, so this could be a suggestion that we see more of her lore in the upcoming DLC.

Monk fighting style

While there were plenty of new weapons to uncover within the Shadow of the Erdtree, one in particular that caught my eye bears a striking resemblance to Sekiro's monk fighting style.

This would be the first time that hand-to-hand combat would be available within the Lands Between, and we can see a glimpse of numerous acrobatic kicks and punches.

Messmer's connections

One of the most prominently featured characters within the trailer was the red-caped character Messmer, and they appear to be integral to whatever's going on in the Land of Shadow.

While they look immediately distinct from anything we've seen in the game so far, I did notice a few similarities and intriguing quirks in Messmer's character design. The most obvious was the multiple snakes that emerge across their body, which I can only presume creates a link to Rykard.

Moreover, these snakes - and Messmer's helmet - have what appears to be dragon wings, which we know are vital to the ancient history of the Lands Between.

Additionally, their weapon looks very similar to the trident spear that Mogh wields, particularly within the hilt, and the blade itself almost has the same melted glow of Morgott's Cursed Sword. It wouldn't be surprising to see these links considering Miquella's connection to Mohg, but we will have to wait and see.

Return of the stars

The cosmos and stars played a big part in the background narrative of Elden Ring, linking to characters like Radahn and Ranni, and creatures like Astel. We can perhaps see a small glimpse further into this within the trailer, as a strange giant beast on top of a collapsed horse is eerily similar to those from the stars.

First and foremost, purple is very much a signifying colour for the stars in the game so there's definitely a link there, but the enemy's face almost looks like a black hole with two blinding white eyes, which reminds me of the creepy Cemetary Shade bosses.

Trina's Lily

There have been many connections made between St Trina and Miquella following the game's release, with an entire cut questline discovered by dataminers like Sekiro Dubi, so it is no surprise that Trina's Lily appears frequently throughout the trailer.

One particular moment where a masked character is lying within a field of flowers feels particularly pertinent though, as St Trina was keenly linked to sleep, and the mask wielder certainly looks to be in a deep slumber.

Church of the Cuckoo

One aspect that I only noticed after numerous watches was a room that looks almost identical to the Church of the Cuckoo in Raya Lucaria. This is likely your first step into the Academy in the base game, and is recognisable by its large structure at the back and numerous bird cages hanging from the ceiling.

These seem to reappear within the latest trailer, and sat on a throne in the centre of the room is a character with a white face similar to Rennala and an outfit that is similar to that of the Academy.

A seemingly new symbol

The final thing that I spotted that you might have missed was the appearance of a new rune-like symbol. Anyone who has played the base game is very aware of the Elden Ring's golden rune, but this offers a new design that we've not seen before.

Could this be a new version of the Elden Ring, or perhaps the Land of Shadow's very own divine treasure? We shall have to wait and see.

Make sure to find out everything we know so far about Shadow of the Erdtree on our dedicated hub, or head to our Elden Ring homepage for all of the best Astrologer and Samurai builds, alongside the best rune farm to level up your character in preparation for the new DLC.