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Elden Ring Nightreigndoesn’t have full character creation, like Elden Ring itself or some of From Software’s other titles, instead allowing players to select from several different playable characters. These characters can, however, be customized to a limited extent by unlocking various skins. Each character has a default skin, a Dawn skin, a Darkness skin, a Remembrance skin, and two skins based on characters and armor sets from Dark Souls.
The Wylder is the first character you’ll play as inElden Ring Nightreign, serving as a jack of all trades character with a focus on greatswords. Fittingly, Wylder’s first Dark Souls skin is taken from a legendary knight who wielded a greatsword, while his second allows him to wear the iconic armor of the Lion Knights. To access all the Wylder’s Skins, you’ll need to complete the Night Aspect Expedition and complete the Wylder’s Remembrance Quest.
Wylder
As the default garb for the Wylder, you’ll be seeing a lot of this skin.Much of this skin’s design emphasizes a certain practicality, consisting mainly of cloth and leather, with metal used sparingly to provide extra protection to vital areas. The helm’s wings and the patterns on the tunic give the design a Norse feel. As with all of the Wylder’s skins, you can see the arm-mounted crossbow used in his Character skills on his left arm. Now that we’ve covered the Wylder’s usual design, it’s time to dive into his unlockable skins.
Darkness
The Darkness Skin, unlocked for purchase after completing two expeditions, is a darker take on the Wylder’s original design. This blackened design removes the helm wings entirely and adds a flowing black cloak with a purple trim. The rest of the outfit has been similarly darkened, with the metal parts colored a gunmetal grey and most of the cloth and leather turned black. On several sections of this skin, small patches of purple can be seen spattered on the cloth, perhaps a reference to how Night Corruption appears on those afflicted by it. Overall, a solid costume for players who enjoy the Dark Knight look, though the Abysswalker skin is also very tempting in that regard.
Abysswalker
Unlocked after completing the final expedition “Night Aspect”,this skin allows the Wylder to wear Artorias' armor set, first introduced in Dark Souls before reappearing in Dark Souls 3 as the “Wolf Knight” set. As the signature armor of the Abysswalker Artorias, Knight of Gwyn, it’s tremendously fitting for someone fighting against a Nightlord. Players familiar with Artorias' story will likely note it’s also darkly appropriate when considering the conclusion of the Wylder’s Storyline compared to Artorias' own.
For those curious about the parallels between the Wylder’s Storyline and Artorias' story, be aware that this note contains spoilers for the Wylder’s Remembrance Quest and ending, along with some spoilers regarding Artorias in Dark Souls, so proceed with caution.
The Wylder spends much of his storyline seeking the bearer of an earing that matches his own, who is eventually revealed to be his sister. It is eventually revealed that the sister the Wylder is seeking is The Priestess/The Duchess, and that she is bound to Roundtable Hold. This means that, if the Nightlord is defeated and the threat is ended, she will fade away alongside Roundtable Hold. To prevent this, the Wylder intends to Usurp the Nightlord, causing the Roundtable Hold to be reformed after the Nightlord’s defeat and potentially sparing his Sister from her fate.
Similarly, Artorias sets out to defeat the darkness beneath Oolacile, before sacrificing his shield and losing the use of an arm to protect his companion Sif. After ensuring Sif’s safety, he becomes consumed by the dark he sought to destroy and becomes one of the main bosses fought in Artorias of the Abyss, the Dark Souls DLC. Much like the Wylder, Artorias becomes consumed by the darkness while seeking to protect someone important to him.
Lion Knight
The Wylder can also wear the Lion Knight armor,which appeared in Dark Souls 2 as the Faraam Armorand is considered by many to be the signature armor set of that game, after completing Night Aspect and purchasing it. The distinctive helm of the Faraam Set is decorated with imagery of a Dragon Slayer facing off against a Dragon, a scene that, paired with several other pieces of information from across the series, led to the theory that the Nameless King/Gwyn’s Firstborn might also be Faraam, the God of War. The armor looks decidedly heavier than most of the Wylder’s other outfits, with the upper half constructed mainly of metal and then covered by a thick fur cloak, while the lower half is cloth and leather.
For those curious, the Faraam/Nameless King theory suggests the following: We know that Gwyn’s Firstborn Son was a God of War, that he wielded the Dragonslayer Swordspear, and that he allied himself with the Ancient Dragons at some point, resulting in his exile and the removal of his status as a God. We also know that the Nameless King is Gwyn’s Firstborn, owing to the Golden Crown item description and his use of the Dragonslayer Swordspear (among other evidence).
Gwyn’s Firstborn shared an emblem with the Warriors of Sunlight Covenant, an emblem that is also found throughout Archdragon Peak, where the Nameless King resides. We know that Faraam was a God of War who was the main deity of Forossa, which is where the Lion Knights are from, and that their armor is named after him. We also know that Gwyn’s Firstborn “had respect for arms alone,” according to the description of Great Lightning Spear in Dark Souls.
This, paired with the prominent Dragonslayer and Dragon on the Faraam Helmet, led many to suspect that Gwyn’s Firstborn was also known as Faraam, at least in Forossa.
Dawn
This Skin, unlocked for purchase after completing two expeditions, modifies the Wylder’s default Skinwith a golden flair reminiscent of Leyndell and its knights. Donning a longer and fancier cloak with a golden trim, while switching the metal portions of the original outfit for golden equivalents, this skin’s changes are subtle but effective. The Wylder also trades his usual helm for a slightly more intricate design, featuring taller and thinner wings. Strangely, it appears that the original tunic has been partially dyed gold in this design, but only in patches that more resemble stains than an intentional color change.
Remembrance
Unlocked after completing Wylder’s Remembrance Quest, this skin is almost disappointingly similar to his default skin. The only change when compared to his default skin is the addition of a broach to his cloak, which the journal entry unlocked alongside the skin reveals to be a gift from his sister. This skin is likely intended to represent his resolve to save her,as it is unlocked in the penultimate step of his Remembrance Quest after obtaining everything needed to execute his plan.
