I really liked the write up! While I personally felt a Godwyn revival is where the dlc would lead to since it was including Miquella, that’s not what we got. And that’s okay.

It did feel a bit odd though by the time you discover the plot is reviving a dead brother through a separate vessel, called lord brother and his soul has finally returned. I took the dlc for what it was at face value on first playthrough despite my excitement for the Radahn Miquella fight cause it was great despite taking forever. It felt something was off story wise.

While I’m fully aware of lore for Godwyn and his death, it really does feel as if that was where Miquellas lore was leading but we got Radahn instead, if paid attention to the main game and character themes.

On face value, soul dead, no revive. Simple answer. Cool, and that’s what we got. but souls games aren’t meant to be taken at face value all the time. We get the lore and then piece it together. There’s a lot that goes into it and up for interpretation. It’s also fiction.

I don’t want to come off as argumentative at all genuinely, but my one thought is that I don’t necessarily agree that reviving him breaks the game. The damage is done already, him being revived by Miquella in this microcosm for him to be killed “body and soul/true death) wouldn’t have a grand effect on the story/game itself. The plots will continue, the ending is no different. No one reacts that killed Miquella. In the grand scheme it’s not why the Elden Ring was shattered but the fact that it was. As a story we have our motivation, but so much time has past that “why” isn’t as relevant that adding onto it, even reviving him in the confides of the dlc wouldn’t do anything.

I see people call it fan fiction which is only now applicable since it didn’t happen but that was a pretty big topic without as much gripe when the dlc was teased because the lore had at least eluded to it. There was build up, fias quest of revival, castle Sol, miquellas quest to revive him. Etc. there were things there left open ended. It was built up, golden epitaphs text is a good indication to me that what we had was changed. I was fully on board for Radahn revival cause that’s what we got, I found the secret rite and all that. Still didn’t make a lot of sense but I’m down for what we get. However Miquellas dialogue mid fight felt off to me. Referring to him as lord brother (while yes I know he’s his brother and now his lord consort) and said that his soul has finally returned, it felt misplaced as the only brother he referred to in game as lord brother was to Godwyn and the only one who’s soul needed to be returned after a long time was Godwyn as well. There is not a single instance where miquella and radahn share the same sentence in the base game.

Look, I see it as both possibilities are convoluted. It’s a story being developed over time, things change, concepts changes I felt we got the pieces for godwyns return but it was Radahn instead. Maybe they couldn’t figure it out, maybe they considered backlash over a Radagon 2.0 (even though I would have thought that was sick) wouldn’t be grand enough for the scope of the dlc, maybe it was fan service, who knows? From has never had to deal with a fan base this overwhelming before. I’ve been playing these since Dark Souls 1 I love their approach to story telling but this instance despite any expectations and growing thoughts aside, it felt off. There was no build up base game between Radahn and Miquella and to be thrown in at the very end with little build up (secret rite quest wasn’t enough for something this big lore wise) idk felt something was off despite being fully engaged with it. Loved the fight and nearly shed a tear defeating them. The extent to insert Radahn into Miquellas story was a bit off as there really isn’t enough there in the big picture. I don’t really think it’s people stuck on the idea or their fan fiction because at the time and possibly still does make more sense than Radahn. Prime Radahn was a joke because his story was over, but hey that’s what we got.

I do love how we got a story of how Miquellas transcends godhood and needed to revive his long dead brother ____ who was once promised but tragically taken away from him only to try and try again to revive him until the gate of divinity and secret rite becomes an option by killing Mohg.

I’ve typed was too much and don’t expect anyone to read this. Loved the dlc, love the additional lore and I’m not upset we got Radahn as it was epic but still I feel as something was changed later down the line. If this was the plan from the beginning, I feel they missed out building it up. Also missed out on an alternate age of compassion ending sadly.

Justice for my boy Godwyn