FromSoftware deviated from its usual formula and blessed players with an expansive and densely-packed open world to explore and immerse themselves in. There are legendary bosses, beautifully morbid locales, and vibrant personalities awaiting you in the Lands Between.
However, Elden Ring likes to trust the player and not disclose every ounce of information. Undoubtedly, this is a double-edged sword, but it makes every discovery feel like a well-deserved accomplishment.
One topic of interest among the Elden Ring players is Haligtree. Oh, what is Haligtree in Elden Ring, you ask? You have come to the right place. Let us take a look!
The Haligtree is like a second Erdtree, but for the outcasts deemed unfit by the Greater Will. Lore-wise, it was Miquella who started to grow the Haligtree in opposition to the Greater Will. He planted it in hopes of ending the curse of both him and his twin, Malenia. He wanted to rid Malenia of Scarlet Rot and wanted to age like a normal being himself. When the Greater Will did not aid in this, Miquella lost faith in the Greater Will and gave rise to the Haligtree, in hopes of alleviating the twins of their curses.
Piqued your interest, did we? Continue reading to find out all you could possibly want to know about Haligtree in Elden Ring. The lore is hidden behind layers of subtle dialogue cues and text but the effort is very much worth it. The location is quite exquisite when we visit it. We will be discussing it in detail below. Without further ado, let us answer the oft-asked question: What exactly is Haligtree?
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What is Haligtree?
What is Haligtree in Elden Ring? You may have heard of it as you progressed the game’s story, but never quite grasped what it was. You have come to the right place, fellow Tarnished. We did our homework so you did not have to! Here is all you need to know about Haligtree:
Haligtree
The Haligtree, when encountered by the player, has already decayed past the point of recognition in its once-boasted glory. The Haligtree conceals within its branches an untold tale of loss and misery.
In essence, it is a great tree very much like the luminous Erdtree, which derives power from the Elden Ring itself and is the symbol of the Golden Order that rules over the Lands Between. However, the Haligtree is for those unfortunate souls that were shunned by the Greater Will and deemed useless. More on this is discussed below.
How to Get There?
You can actually visit the Haligtree (or what remains of it) during your playthrough in Elden Ring. To do so, you will need to complete the rather demanding task of finding the two Haligtree Secret Medallion halves (Left and Right).
The Haligtree Secret Medallion (Left) can be found in Castle Sol. It is found on the roof of the tower in the northeast, accessible after defeating Commander Niall. To get your hands on the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Right), you will need to hit Albus, who is disguised as a pot past the Perfumer guarding the path up from the Village of the Albinaurics Site of Grace in the swamp caves west of Liurnia of the Lakes.
Once you have both of the Haligtree Secret Medallion halves, you will be able to operate the Grand Lift of Rold. The Grand Lift of Rold is found in the Forbidden Lands and guards the way to the Mountaintops of the Giants. It is only accessible by those who have gained entry into Leyndell, Royal Capital.
The official description of the Medallion halves reads:
Brandishing the medallion with both halves conjoined will activate the Grand Lift of Rold, granting access to a hidden path.
In other words, this secret medallion will guide the bearer to the land of Miquella’s Haligtree.
The secret path that unlocks upon operating the Grand Lift of Rold will take you to the Consecrated Snowfield, where you can take the path to the Haligtree. The description reads:
The route through this land, crossed east to west by a frozen river, leads to Miquella’s Haligtree. This is the path taken by those unchosen, though it is a trial all the same.
What makes the Haligtree so special? Let’s have a closer look.
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Lore
You might have noticed that the Haligtree is referred to as Miquella’s Haligtree everywhere. That is because Miquella was the one who gave the rise to the Haligtree.
Miquella’s Haligtree: A Hopeful Wish
Miquella’s Haligtree, as the name might suggest, holds a strong connection to the Demi-god twins, Miquella and Malenia. Miquella was the strongest of the Empyreans and the future was bright for him.
However, both of the twins were cursed. Malenia was afflicted with Scarlet Rot, and Miquella could not age past childhood. The twins sought help from the Greater Will to rid them of their curses, but the Greater Will itself failed to provide any sort of aid.
That was the monumental stage where Miquella lost faith and respect for the Golden Order and the rule of the Greater Will. As such, he decided to give birth to his own Erdtree, the Haligtree.
He wanted to rid himself and his sister of their curses by asking the Haligtree for help. He feed the tree his own Empyrean blood in hopes that it would help it grow. He also created unalloyed gold to ward off the Outer Gods and Scarlet Rot’s effects.
This fact is mentioned in the description of one of the fundamentalist incantations; Radagon’s Rings of Light. It states:
“One of the incantations of the Golden Order fundamentalists. A gift of gratitude to the young Miquella from his father, Radagon….. And yet the young Miquella abandoned fundamentalism, for it could do nothing to treat Malenia’s accursed rot. This was the beginning of the unalloyed gold.”
Home of the Forsaken
The Haligtree almost had a magnetic field surrounding it. Very much like the twins who had been shunned by the Greater Will (more on this later), the Albinaurics and the Misbegotten began to flock to the Haligtree, considering it a haven for those deemed unfit and unworthy of the Greater Will and its rule.
This has perhaps something to do with Miquella’s ability to earn the affection of others. It is mentioned in the item description of the Bewitching Branch, which says:
“The Empyrean Miquella is loved by many people. Indeed, he has learned very well how to compel such affection”
This charisma might be what earned Miquella and the Haligtree a loyal following that genuinely believed that the Haligtree was a Promised Land for them.
Tragedy
The Haligtree continued to grow from a mere sapling in the city of Elphael (where we fight Malenia in the game) but it could never reach its full potential, unfortunately. Miquella had planted himself at the base of the Haligtree in hopes of growing with it and not remaining a child for eternity. That would remove his birth defects alongside his sisters’.
His plans were disrupted when Mohg decided to kidnap him in his sleep. He did so in hopes that Miquella would become a full-fledged god from a demi-god with Mohg by his side as the consort. He trapped Miquella in a cocoon and stole his flesh.
Without Miquella as the lifeline of the Haligtree, it began to decay and rot and that is the state we find it in once we make our way to the Haligtree.
Malenia loses it after that because she and her twin were very close seemingly. His abrupt kidnapping ruined her and gave us one of the hardest boss fights in the entire game.
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Misfits of the Land
The Haligtree seems to attract the Misbegotten and the Albinaurics, who practically worship and seek solace in the Haligtree to protect them from the Golden Order and give them a good life. It is the Erdtree for those unfit for the Greater Will’s plan.
Apparently, the twins were deemed as misfits of the land as well. The rebellion is proof enough on its own, but the lack of Miquella and Malenia’s Shadows really seals the deal. It appears that since the demi-god twins lost the blessing of the Golden Order, their Shadows must have begun their descent into insanity which is the price for opposing the Golden Order (much like Blaidd).
That is all you need to know about the Haligtree in Elden Ring.
Conclusion
That concludes today’s guide on what the Haligtree is in Elden Ring. You are not doing yourself or the game any justice if you do not squeeze Elden Ring for every last drop of content that it has. Some of the best areas and bosses are waiting behind the optional tag. Have fun!
We sincerely hope that our guide helped you figure out whatever you needed to know about Haligtree in Elden Ring. If it did, be sure to leave a comment down below and let us know. Your feedback is much appreciated. Good luck, Tarnished!
