Elden Ring: 15 Best Female Characters

The narrative of Elden Ring is deep and rich, from the expansive worldbuilding to the epic stakes of the Tarnished's quest. One of the places where this narrative shines through the most is in its characters. The Lands Between are populated with deep, fascinating figures, whose decisions and motivations will leave a profound impact on the Tarnished's journey to rebuild the Elden Ring.

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By  Rohan James Hill

From intimidating bosses to close allies, Elden Ring is home to some truly fascinating female characters. Some of these women come to life in intricate questlines, while others are major historical figures, whose legacy can only be learned through item descriptions and flavor text. Here are some of the most memorable female characters in Elden Ring.

Updated January 5, 2026, by Mark Sammut: While all the major Elden Ring female characters are already included, we have added a section for Nightreign's Nightfarers.

Special Mention: Nightreign's Nightfarers

• Only available in Elden Ring: Nightreign (Recluse is available right at the start of the base game, while Duchess and Revenant need to be unlocked by meeting certain conditions. Undertaker is DLC.)

OK, I'm not quite sure whether to even include Nightreign's female Nightfarers. On the one hand, we actually can play as these characters, and they all have fantastic designs and unique movesets; conversely, they are stand-ins for classes that do not showcase much personality, although you can learn their backstory through their remembrance quests. This spin-off might take elements from Elden Ring, but it largely does its own thing, and die-hard fans of the original game do not really need to play it. That said, Nightreign is now part of this universe, and it is a good attempt at crafting a multiplayer-driven FromSoftware game.

So, rather than ranking these characters individually, let's just spotlight them in this section. While I'm sure everyone has their favorites when it comes to design or backstory, the Nightfarers' value comes down to their gameplay and builds, which is very different from pretty much every other female Elden Ring character.

• Recluse – The only female Nightfarer available immediately, Recluse is the resident spell caster who relies on sorcerers and incantations to deal most of her damage. Mages tend to be fairly strong in most FromSoftware games, but they are an acquired taste that also requires quite a bit of practice. Even more so than the other characters, Recluse is very dependent on the luck of the draw, as she needs to find potent spells while exploring the world to contribute significantly. With low HP and underwhelming defense stats, Recluse is very much designed to fight from a distance, and players will need to grow familiar with her magic cocktail skill.
• Revenant – All Nightfarers are viable to an extent, but they are not born equal. Revenant is, for the most part, considered to be one of the weakest characters in Nightreign, if not just straight-up the worst. As a necromancer, her skills revolve around summons, as she can turn enemy ghosts into allies. Her Ultimate Art, Immortal March, can be a solid support skill in boss fights, although its usefulness does not last very long. Unfortunately, her Character Skill lets her down, as the summoned family members barely put up a fight against moderately strong enemies. Like Recluse, Revenant relies on RNG to find Seals that complement her.
• Duchess – From the base game Nightfarers, Duchess is by far the most popular female option, along with being one of the more beloved in general. Focusing on speed and dexterity, she rewards well-timed dodges and quick hits, with her weapon type of choice being daggers. Stat-wise, Duchess is not actually all that impressive, as she surprisingly only has "B" scaling with Dexterity; fortunately, she makes up for that with a really awesome and deadly moveset. Her Ultimate isn't that great, but she mostly shines in other areas.
• Undertaker – Added on December 4, 2025, as part of "The Forsaken Hollows" DLC, Undertaker is comfortably one of the strongest Nightfarers, with perhaps only Wylder eclipsing her. Despite having "A" Faith, Undertaker is primarily a melee character, opting to use hammers as her main weapon type. She is pretty straightforward, too, as you mainly just need to focus on getting hits in.

15 St. Trina

Peaceful, Beautiful Sleep

• Location: Garden of Deep Purple

One of the more mystifying figures in Elden Ring's lore, St. Trina can be found in "Shadow of the Erdtree," although she is mentioned in the base game as well. Tied directly to Miquella, St. Trina is spoken of as his other half, and she loves him without limitations. Miquella basically abandoned St. Trina, but she is still devoted to him and pleads for the Tarnished to kill him before he is imprisoned by godhood.

Most Elden Ring characters are mysterious to an extent, but St. Trina is shrouded in more shadow than most, and her dialogue is sparse and can be difficult to trigger if somebody does not know her questline's steps. At times, she comes across as an idol rather than a living person, as she is worshiped by her followers. She is also the bringer of eternal sleep, something many people in this universe crave.

14 Rellana, Twin Moon Knight

An Enigmatic And Challenging Foe

• Location: Castle Ensis, Castle Lord's Chamber Site of Grace

While Shadow of the Erdtree takes players to a new realm with new lore and people, the major factions from the Lands Between still have an undeniable presence. This can especially be seen in Rellana, a Carian noblewoman who forsook her noble destiny to aid Messmer in his campaign of destruction against the Hornsent.

The complex history of this mysterious figure can be teased out through item descriptions, but first, players will have to fight her. Rellana is absolutely brutal in combat, wielding a fearsome dual-blade technique that calls back to legendary bosses from past FromSoftware games like Bloodborne's Lady Maria and Dark Souls 3's Pontiff Sulyvahn.

13 Metyr, Mother of Fingers

A Key Piece Of The Game's Lore Puzzle

• Location: Finger Ruins of Miyr, Cathedral of Manus Metyr Site of Grace

Much of Elden Ring's lore concerns the strange eldritch Outer Gods that meddle in the affairs of The Lands Between from beyond. These beings are often key to the most mysterious aspects of the game's lore, and they're very rarely encountered in person. Metyr, the Mother of Fingers, is a significant exception to this.

This sinister and grotesque DLC boss is one of the most significant figures in the game's history and cosmology, as she provides important context for the Two Fingers and their twisted role in Elden Ring's central religion. The sidequest required to reach her contains important and disturbing revelations about the game's entire cosmology.

12 Redmane Freyja

A Proud Knight With Important Secrets

• Location: Gravesite Plain, Three-Paths Cross Site Of Grace

The stalwart warrior Redmane Freyja is one of the first friendly NPCs most players will meet upon arrival in the Realm of Shadow. This proud knight fought alongside General Radahn, but was stricken with Scarlet Rot and left for dead. Miquella saved her and cured her affliction, giving her a second chance in life and causing her to swear her fealty to the enigmatic demigod.

Freyja can aid the Tarnished with a couple of the DLC's dangerous and deadly bosses. As her sidequest progresses, she and the Tarnished will both learn some key bits of ancient lore concerning the relationship between Miquella and Radahn. While her fellow followers of Miquella are doomed to a tragic end, her aid remains invaluable while she and the Tarnished remain on the same side.

11 Needle Knight Leda

A Zealous Follower Of Miquella The Kind

• Location: Mohgwyn Palace, Cocoon of the Empyrean Site of Grace

Needle Knight Leda is one of the most prominent NPCs in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. She leads Miquella's band of followers across the war-torn region, seeking to serve their lord in his ascent to godhood. While she starts as a friendly NPC and even aids the Tarnished against Rellana, the Twin Moon Knight, her zealotry and fanaticism never fade, and when Miquella's enchantment begins to fade from her allies, her true nature springs forth.

Leda's undying devotion to Miquella provides the Tarnished with a chilling look at the sort of world the demigod might create if he's allowed to ascend to godhood. The inevitable but tragic conclusion of her deadly crusade culminates in a bitter and brutal standoff that sees the bonds of loyalty and camaraderie pushed to the absolute limit.

10 Queen Marika

The Enigmatic Goddess Within The Erdtree

• Location: The Erdtree

Queen Marika the Eternal is arguably the most important character in Elden Ring. This divine figure conquered the Lands Between in ages long past and imposed her religion, the Golden Order, on the entire land. Her machinations set most of the events of the game into motion. When the Tarnished returns to the Lands Between, it's in chaos because Queen Marika shattered the Elden Ring which imposed order on the realm. She subsequently vanished, disappearing deep within the Erdtree.

In addition to being one of the most influential characters in Elden Ring, Queen Marika is also one of the most inscrutable. Her largely unknown motivations for shattering the Elden Ring and banishing the Tarnished are a point of considerable discussion and speculation among fans and Elden Ring characters alike.

9 Millicent

A Diseased Warrior With Great Potential

• Location: Church of the Plague

Millicent's questline starts innocently enough. A sage asks the Tarnished for help procuring a gold needle that he believes will aid Millicent in her struggle with the Scarlet Rot, a deadly affliction which is present throughout the Lands Between. Once the needle is obtained and repaired, Millicent begins a journey across the Lands Between in order to confront her past.

As it turns out, this past is more sinister than it appears. Millicent is descended from Malenia herself, the source of the Scarlet Rot and the manifestation of its divinity. Gowry, the kindly sage who helped cure her in the first place, actually wishes to see the Scarlet Rot flourish in her and bloom, just as it has in Malenia. The Tarnished is faced with a choice to aid Millicent on her journey or betray her, furthering the goals of the cult of rot.

8 Hyetta

A Mysterious And Sinister Maiden

• Location: Liurnia of the Lakes, Lake-Facing Cliffs Site Of Grace

One of the most important aspects of Elden Ring is that the Greater Will, as represented by the Golden Order, is far from the only divine force meddling in the Lands Between. This is where Hyetta comes in. When the Tarnished first meets this kindly blind woman, she claims she is a humble Finger Maiden in search of a golden light. The fact that her journey requires a steady supply of Shabriri Grapes, which are diseased eyeballs, suggests that her quest isn't quite as innocent as the Tarnished, and maybe even Hyetta, may have been led to believe.

Hyetta's questline is one of the most sinister stories in the game, and a lot of it revolves around how strange she is as a character. Her uncanny resemblance to a different blind woman encountered earlier in the game leads some fans to speculate that Hyetta isn't a person at all and that the body is simply a puppet for the malign force of the Frenzied Flame. This mystery, and the horrifying implications it has for the Lands Between, make Hyetta a truly compelling character.

7 Sorceress Sellen

A Cunning Witch With A Checkered Past

• Location: Waypoint Ruins

Sellen can be encountered fairly early on in Elden Ring. Spellcasting Tarnished will make good use of her, as she sells a good variety of Glinstone Sorceries. Like many other spell merchants, her inventory can even be expanded if she's given more spellbooks found throughout the Tarnished's travels.

However, Sellen's story goes far beyond simply acting as a spell vendor. She's the center of a long and complex questline that will take the Tarnished all over the Lands Between. Pursuing this quest will teach the player about Sellen's past as a sinister figure known as the Graven Witch. It also exposes some of the darkest secrets of the academy of Raya Lucaria and the nature of Glintstone Sorcery itself.

6 Nepheli Loux

A Warrior Destined For Greatness

• Location: Stormveil Castle, Secluded Cell Site of Grace

While Elden Ring is a very open-ended game, most players will find themselves visiting Stormveil Castle as their first major dungeon. It is here one can meet Nepheli Loux, a powerful warrior who is here to dethrone Godrick the Grafted. Nepheli can be summoned to help take down the monstrous lord, and her assistance in combat is invaluable. Her proper questline only begins after Godrick falls.

As the Tarnished befriends and accompanies Nepheli they will see some of the darkest corners of the Lands Between. Nepheli's personal journey exposes her to corruption, manipulation, and atrocities. The player can either help her keep her resolve in the face of utter darkness or take advantage of her for personal gain. Aiding Nepheli helps her develop into a truly noble lord, who will rule over Limgrave with wisdom and justice.