FromSoftware’s Characters are Surprisingly Diverse

Everyone who knows me knows that I talk about my disappointment with FromSoftware’s stance on accessibility options often. In fact, I’ve even got an article planned once I get my new PC set up, that sets out to tackle whether Elden Ring is as accessible as people think, or if it has a long way to go for those of us with certain needs in the realm of accessibility. However, there is one element of FromSoftware’s games that has intrigued me for a while, the characters.

There were several enemies in Bloodborne who can be found in wheelchairs or just sitting in chairs, looking too frail to walk around. This in and of itself got my attention, because rarely do game developers even think to put disabled people in games as NPCs, much less enemies. Then of course there is Gehrman, the First Hunter, who is both your guide and potentially one of the bosses.

He is a little more tricky because he spends the entire game in a wheelchair, but the end of the game has him as a boss where he stands and moves. Granted, he’s an old guy so maybe he doesn’t have the stamina to walk around all the time, but it isn’t quite clear why he spends his time in that wheelchair. Regardless, I was intrigued by Gehrman when I watched a Let’s Play of Bloodborne, and it got me thinking.

After Elden Ring was released, however, I was shocked to see that one of the most difficult bosses in Elden Ring (from what I hear) is a woman with a prosthetic arm! Malenia, Blade of Miquella is an optional boss as far as I gather, but she is afflicted with something called the Scarlet Rot. As such, from what I understand, she is not only blind but also has prosthetic or potentially robotic arms, at least one from what I can tell. I’m not really sure how it works, but the fact that I have seen her wreck so many players is delightful.

Of course, the diversity of FromSoftware’s characters doesn’t end there. There are transgender characters from what I can tell, as well as a variety of characters of varying walks of life, including blind characters. It really surprises me how FromSoftware embraces these ideas and just kind of slips them in unnoticed by a lot of people. Personally, if I can manage to play Elden Ring well enough, I will gladly let Malenia kick my butt all the way from here to the moon.

I would make a statement like “robot women are the future” but that might give you the wrong idea. Basically, let me get my butt kicked by disabled characters more often! Heck, let me play as a disabled character with cannons on his wheelchair. Turn Elden Ring 2 into Mario Kart but with cannons! Okay, let’s not actually do that, I’m kidding. Still, the idea stands.

Representation matters in a lot of ways, and sometimes people being able to see themselves reflected in media really helps. On top of that, if you empower them through the lens of being different, it counteracts the voices of society saying that different or other is bad. So, for all the criticism I give FromSoftware, they deserve a bit of a pat on the back for that. If for no other reason than giving me the chance to go “Malenia is so awesome!” while watching my preferred streamer die to her attacks for the 10^th time.