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Many Elden Ring players find the Dung Eater NPC to be one of the most appalling characters in FromSoftware history and there is indeed a good reason for that.
Apart from his actual appearance, the Dung Eater is portrayed as an infamous serial killer who was known for defiling the corpses of his victims after death. His demeanor in the game is exceedingly unpleasant, and when players first encounter him in the Roundtable Hold, they never really become at ease with his presence.
Popular FromsSoftware dataminer and modder, who goes by the handle of Zullie the Witch, uploaded a video where they take a closer look at some of the Dung Eater’s background lore, and the theme that his character is designed around.
The dataminer likened the the NPC’s designs to that of the Headless in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and how both of these character designs might stem from the Japanese Shirikodama myth.
In Japanese lore, the Shirikodama is a ball found in the an*s that houses one’s soul, and in Sekiro, players can see how the Headless’ grab attack pulls this ball out of Wolf and inserts it in their own body through their an*s.
Elden Ring’s the Dung Eater is one of the most appalling characters in FromSoftware's history
Elden Ring’s the Roundtable Hold does have a wide assortment of characters and NPCs that help players through their own questlines, allowing them to get a firmer grasp of the narrative of the Lands Between.
While doing the Dung Eater’s questlienes, the Tarnished gets to witness just how appaling the character really is. Zullie the Witch goes explains in the video that the Dung Eater’s victims were found with a bloodstained cloth in the game sitting over their lap.
This is evidence of “consistent, forceful trauma,” evidence of the fact that perhaps the Dung Eater would physically tear the Shirikodama from each corpse and consume them like the Headless would in Sekiro.
This would justify his vulgar moniker, and how he, too, like his victims, is a cursed individual in Elden Ring.
Additionally, Zullie the Witch refers to the Seedbed Curse as well, and how each of the Dung Eater’s victims experience it after he “defies” their bodies. As written in the item description, the Seedbed Curse makes it so that one’s soul can’t return to the Erdtree after death. This is because the Dung Eater, according to the dataminer, must have eaten his victim’s Shirikodama, consuming their soul in the process.
The souls get trapped inside him, which is evidence from Roderika’s dialog when she describes hearing “A plethora of spirits in an unceasing cacophony.” Zullie the Witch further explained that when these souls are reborn, they will be cursed like the omen, as they will be severed from the Grace of the Erdtree.
The Dung Eater might at first seem like a silly name to provide an NPC with. However, the more players delve into his lore and background, the more they find him to be the most heinous and appalling character in the game.
