Summary
- Elden Ring's popularity stems from its rich lore, vast open world, and extensive character creation options, allowing players to create avatars resembling various real-life figures and fictional characters.
- A Reddit user recently modeled their Tarnished avatar in the likeness of the late Michael Jackson.
- This isn't the first time Michael Jackson has been recreated in a game, and his presence in Elden Ring showcases the game's flexibility in allowing players to embody diverse characters and explore the world as they see fit.
The King of Pop is now the Elden Lord thanks to the work of one Elden Ring player who modeled their Tarnished after the late Michael Jackson. FromSoftware’s latest action RPG took the gaming world by storm when it launched last year, becoming one of the highest-selling games of 2022 and winning Game of Year at The Game Awards. Elden Ring’s lasting appeal can be chalked up to many different factors, such as its rich lore courtesy of the legendary George R. R. Martin, a vast open world that lets players explore at their own pace, and a surprisingly in-depth character creation suite.
Elden Ring is a dark game, but players have found humor in modeling their playable Tarnished avatars after various fictional characters and real-life figures - whether they fit into the game's gritty medieval fantasy world or not. From celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson and Snoop Dogg to legendary warriors like Kratos and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Lands Between are filled with hilarious tributes to people and franchises outside of Elden Ring, and now one of music’s most iconic performers is moonwalking his way to the throne of the Elden Lord.
Last week, a Reddit user by the handle of Jahmeed posted their impressive recreation of Michael Jackson in his later years to r/Eldenring. This Tarnished version of Michael Jackson is dressed in a regal suit of armor and furry cloak befitting his chart-topping reputation and is shown sitting on the majestic Elden Throne. Other Reddit users have since flooded the comment section of Jahmeed’s post with various jokes and puns centered around how the real King of Pop would act in the high-fantasy world of Elden Ring, mostly based on lyrics to his songs.
This isn’t the first time that an Elden Ring player has recreated Michael Jackson, and the real-life King of Pop has a surprisingly long and storied history with gaming. In addition to tie-in games like the cult classic Moonwalker and the 2010 dance title Michael Jackson: The Experience, the late music megastar is believed to have been involved with the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 soundtrack, though this remains unverified save for a brief comment from Sonic creator Yuji Naka after his supposed work was replaced in the Sonic Origins re-release.
Michael Jackson ruled the music industry during his heyday, and now Elden Ring players are unleashing his stylish dance moves on their enemies thanks to the game’s impressive character creation options. Jahmeed’s in-game rendition captures the late performer’s appearance during his later years and serves as a striking testament to how Elden Ring allows players to explore the Lands Between and ascend to the title of Elden Lord however - and as whoever - they see fit.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.