SUMMARY

A new weapon in Elden Ring lacks shadow, emphasizing theme of solitude and light.
Small details in Elden Ring ‘s design play big role in storytelling. Bug in sword detail adds depth to lore.
The unintentional bug in Greatsword of Solitude showcases tragic history of Knights, enhancing game’s narrative.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree includes so many items that noticing if one has a bug causing unintentional effects can take time or continue to go unnoticed entirely. The design of Elden Ring and other FromSoftware games makes it so that small details are important but are also often easy to miss. However, in this case, the detail being discussed isn’t intentional, but it’s so fitting that it should be made canon.

As part of the new area in Shadow of the Erdtree, the Tarnished come across plenty of new items, including new weapons, to help them face the variety of bosses lurking in the Land of Shadow. Of course, not every weapon will end up being found or used in a single playthrough, especially when going into the Land of Shadow during a blind run. However, there’s one specific greatsword with an unusual bug, and that bug would be the perfect touch for a canon detail.

The Greatsword Of Solitude Has No Shadow

A Solo Sword

Found by u/RLToughGuy on Reddit, the Greatsword of Solitude , an item added in Shadow of the Erdtree, doesn’t cast a shadow. Considering there’s nothing in its description about this detail, and the fact that other greatswords cast shadows properly, it seems like this is nothing more than an unintentional bug. But since the themes of the Greatsword of Solitude focus on light and solitude in equal measures, making its weapon skill summon light, not giving it a shadow emphasizes the weapon’s solitary nature.

​​​​​

Elden Ring Places Importance On Little Details

So Fitting, It Seems Intentional

The reason that piecing together the history and lore of Elden Ring — and subsequently, Shadow of the Erdtree — is so difficult is because a lot of information is tucked into little details. That’s why this bug with the Greatsword of Solitude not having a shadow is so fitting. It was used by Knights of the Solitary Gaol, who sacrificed their hearts for power and remembered this solitude with one of two crests placed on their blades. Occasionally, a shadow is considered a silent companion, since it’s always present. However, the Greatsword of Solitude currently has such a solitary nature, that not even a shadow is there to accompany it.

In the world of Elden Ring, happy endings are a rarity. Instead, most characters experience tragedy in their lives, and the Knights of the Solitary Gaol who wielded these Greatswords of Solitude were no exception. They gave up their hearts for power, marking their blades with a crest for light and a crest for solitude, thereby confining themselves to a life of loneliness, as represented by the shadowless Greatsword of Solitude in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.