Ranni the Witch, also known as the Lunar Princess, is the most influential demigod in Elden Ring. As the primary architect of the Night of the Black Knives and the catalyst for the shattering of the Golden Order, her narrative arc offers the most complex and rewarding experience in the Lands Between. Unlike other demigods who seek to repair the Elden Ring to maintain the status quo, Ranni pursues a total departure from the influence of the Greater Will, leading players toward the Age of the Stars ending.

The Origins of the Lunar Princess and the Empyrean Fate

Ranni is the daughter of Queen Rennala of the Full Moon and Radagon of the Golden Order. This lineage initially marked her as a Carian Princess, but her destiny shifted when she was chosen by the Two Fingers as an Empyrean. In the lore of Elden Ring, an Empyrean is a candidate capable of succeeding Queen Marika and becoming the vessel for the Elden Ring, thereby establishing a new age under the direction of the Greater Will.

However, Ranni harbored a profound resentment toward this predestined path. To the Two Fingers, she was a puppet to be used to prolong the reign of the Outer Gods. To Ranni, the Golden Order was a cage. This rebellion led her to commit the ultimate transgression: the theft of a fragment of the Rune of Death.

The Night of the Black Knives and the Death of the Body

Long before the player arrives in the Lands Between, Ranni orchestrated the assassination of Godwyn the Golden. By imbuing the daggers of Black Knife Assassins with the Rune of Death, she ensured that Godwyn’s soul died while her own physical body perished. This ritual allowed her spirit to inhabit a four-armed, blue-skinned doll modeled after her mentor, the Secret Snow Witch. By discarding her Empyrean flesh, Ranni successfully severed her ties to the Greater Will, though she remained under the constant surveillance of her Shadow, Blaidd, and the Two Fingers.

How to Complete Ranni’s Questline in Elden Ring

Ranni's quest is the longest and most intricate side quest in the game. It spans multiple secret regions, requires the defeat of several major bosses, and is essential for unlocking the Dark Moon Greatsword.

Phase 1: The Initial Meetings and the Service of the Three Sisters

The first encounter with Ranni occurs very early at the Church of Elleh in Limgrave. She appears under the alias "Renna" and gifts the player the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes. While this meeting is optional, it establishes her interest in the Tarnished who possesses Torrent.

To truly begin her quest, players must navigate through Caria Manor in northern Liurnia and defeat Royal Knight Loretta. Beyond the manor lies the Three Sisters sub-region. In Ranni's Rise, the princess reveals her true identity and asks the player to enter her service.

Upon joining, players must speak with her three retainers:

  1. War Counselor Iji: A giant blacksmith who serves as her tactical advisor.
  2. Preceptor Seluvis: A haughty sorcerer with hidden agendas.
  3. Blaidd the Half-Wolf: Ranni's loyal shadow and elite warrior.

Phase 2: The Search for the Eternal City of Nokron

Ranni tasks the player with finding the "hidden treasure" of Nokron. However, the path to the Eternal City is physically barred by the stars themselves. To unlock the entrance, players must coordinate with Blaidd in Siofra River and eventually consult Sorceress Sellen via Seluvis’s introduction.

The revelation is clear: Starscourge Radahn, Ranni’s brother, has used his gravity magic to arrest the movement of the stars. As long as Radahn lives, the fate of the Carian royal family is frozen. This necessitates the Radahn Festival at Redmane Castle. Defeating Radahn triggers a cinematic where a falling star strikes Limgrave, opening a massive crater that serves as the entrance to Nokron.

Phase 3: The Fingerslayer Blade and the Carian Inverted Statue

Inside Nokron, players must navigate to the Night’s Sacred Ground. The treasure Ranni seeks is the Fingerslayer Blade, a weapon born of a corpse that is capable of harming the Two Fingers.

Returning this blade to Ranni earns the player the Carian Inverted Statue, which is used to access the Divine Tower of Liurnia. While the Divine Tower is technically optional for her main quest, it is where players find the Cursemark of Death on Ranni’s original charred body—a crucial item for Fia’s questline and deeper lore understanding.

Phase 4: Ainsel River and the Miniature Ranni Doll

After receiving the blade, Ranni departs on her "dark path," leaving Renna’s Rise open. At the top of this tower, a teleporter leads to the Ainsel River Main. Here, players find a "Miniature Ranni" doll.

Crucial Mechanic: After picking up the doll, players must sit at the nearby Site of Grace and select the option "Talk to Miniature Ranni." Initially, the doll remains silent. Players must select this option three times before the doll finally responds in an annoyed, haughty tone, revealing that Ranni is indeed inhabiting the doll. She tasks the player with hunting down the Baleful Shadow, an assassin sent by the Two Fingers to stop her.

Phase 5: The Lake of Rot and the Discarded Palace Key

The pursuit leads through the Lake of Rot, a vast subterranean cavern filled with Scarlet Rot. After defeating the Baleful Shadow near the elevator to the Grand Cloister, Ranni grants the player the Discarded Palace Key.

This key opens a locked chest in the Grand Library of Raya Lucaria, right next to Queen Rennala. Inside is the Dark Moon Ring, an engagement ring of sorts that signifies the player’s status as Ranni’s consort.

Phase 6: Astel and the Moonlight Altar

The quest culminates in the Grand Cloister. Players must enter a stone coffin to reach the boss arena of Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. This cosmic horror must be defeated to gain access to the elevator leading to the Moonlight Altar, a high plateau in Liurnia that is otherwise inaccessible.

In the Cathedral of Manus Celes, beneath the floor, players find Ranni’s doll form standing over the bloody remains of the Two Fingers she has finally slain. By placing the Dark Moon Ring on her finger, the player completes the pact. Ranni manifests in her full spectral form, acknowledges the player as her "Dear Consort," and leaves the Dark Moon Greatsword behind.

The Tragedy of Blaidd and Iji

A significant part of Ranni’s story involves the fate of her closest allies. Blaidd was a Shadow created by the Two Fingers to serve Ranni, but he was also programmed with a fail-safe: if Ranni ever turned against the Greater Will, Blaidd would lose his mind and be forced to kill her.

Despite his undying loyalty, the completion of Ranni's quest triggers this curse. When players return to Ranni’s Rise at the end of the quest, they find Blaidd surrounded by the corpses of Black Knife Assassins he killed to protect her, even as he descends into madness. The player is forced to kill him in a tragic duel. Similarly, War Counselor Iji meets his end shortly after, consumed by Black Flame after realizing Ranni has successfully embarked on her journey, finally free from the Fingers' reach.

What is the Age of the Stars Ending?

Choosing Ranni’s summon sign after defeating the Elden Beast triggers the "Age of the Stars." This ending is widely considered the "true" or best ending by the community because it breaks the cycle of the Golden Order.

Removing the Influence of the Greater Will

Ranni’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that the gods should not be physically present or visible to the inhabitants of the world. She intends to take the Elden Ring—the governing laws of reality—and carry it far away into the cold dark of the cosmos.

In her own words (based on the more accurate Japanese translation), she wants to establish an order where "the soul, and the stars, and the moon" are the primary focus, but where these forces cannot be felt, seen, or touched. This creates a world of free will, where people are no longer dictated by the "Grace" of the Erdtree or the whims of Outer Gods. It is a "cold, lonely path" for her and her consort, but a liberation for the Lands Between.

Combat Utility: The Dark Moon Greatsword and Frost Magic

Completing Ranni's quest isn't just a narrative achievement; it provides the player with some of the most powerful tools in Elden Ring.

The Dark Moon Greatsword

The reward for the quest, the Dark Moon Greatsword, is a legendary armament that scales primarily with Intelligence. Its unique skill, Moonlight Greatsword, coats the blade in frost and allows the player to fire heavy magic projectiles without consuming additional FP for the duration of the buff. This makes it one of the most efficient weapons for high-Intelligence builds, capable of staggering bosses while dealing massive Frostbite damage.

Ranni’s Dark Moon Sorcery

In addition to the sword, players can obtain "Ranni’s Dark Moon" sorcery from Chelona’s Rise on the Moonlight Altar. This spell launches a cold, dark moon that follows enemies, dispels hostile sorceries, and lowers the magic damage negation of the target. It is the ultimate opening spell for any magic-focused encounter.

Why Ranni Remains the Most Popular Character

Ranni’s popularity stems from her agency. While many characters in Elden Ring are reactive or bound by duty, Ranni is the one who took the first step to break the world to save it from a different kind of tyranny. Her design—the four-armed doll with the ghost of her former self visible—is iconic, and her voice acting by Aimee-Ffion Edwards provides a sense of regal authority mixed with hidden vulnerability.

Her questline represents the heart of Elden Ring’s exploration: it takes the player from the lowest depths of the earth to the highest plateaus, uncovering the darkest secrets of the demigods along the way.

Conclusion

Ranni the Witch is more than just an NPC; she is the protagonist of her own story, in which the player is a crucial accomplice. From the Night of the Black Knives to the ushering in of the Age of the Stars, her journey is one of rebellion, sacrifice, and ultimate liberation. For any Tarnished seeking to understand the deep lore of the Lands Between, completing her quest is not just recommended—it is essential to experiencing the full scope of Elden Ring’s narrative masterpiece.

FAQ

Can you fail Ranni's questline?

Most of Ranni's quest cannot be permanently failed. Even if players miss the early meeting at the Church of Elleh or kill Seluvis, they can usually continue by visiting her at the Three Sisters. However, attempting to give Ranni the "Amber Draught" from Seluvis will make her hostile, requiring a visit to the Church of Vows for absolution.

Why does Ranni have four arms?

Ranni's original body was human. Her current form is a doll she inhabited after her physical death. The doll was modeled after her secret mentor, the "Snow Witch," who was likely a powerful practitioner of ice sorcery from the mountaintops.

Does Ranni love the player?

In the context of the game's world, Ranni choosing the player as her "Eternal Consort" is the highest form of bond possible. Her dialogue becomes increasingly personal toward the end of the quest, especially if players talk to her miniature doll at multiple Sites of Grace.

What is the level requirement for Ranni's quest?

While there is no hard level requirement, players generally need to be level 60–80 to defeat Starscourge Radahn and handle the challenges of Nokron and the Lake of Rot. The final boss of the quest, Astel, is significantly more difficult and may require a higher level or optimized gear.