Image: Before the Graft: Tarnished vs. Godrick at Stormveil

Published: January 29, 2026 at 3:21:05 PM UTC
Last updated: January 29, 2026 at 3:22:12 PM UTC

An anime-style Elden Ring fan art scene in Stormveil Castle shows the Tarnished in Black Knife armor cautiously approaching Godrick the Grafted moments before combat, amid ruins and drifting ash.

Anime-style standoff in Stormveil Castle: a hooded Tarnished in dark armor faces Godrick the Grafted with his ornate battle-axe raised under a stormy sky.

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Image description

A wide, cinematic scene frames a tense pre-battle moment inside the broken courtyard of Stormveil Castle. The viewpoint sits low to the ground, slightly behind and to the left of the Tarnished, letting their dark silhouette dominate the foreground while still revealing the looming threat ahead. The Tarnished wears Black Knife–inspired armor with layered plates and a hooded cloak that spills backward in heavy folds. Subtle filigree and trim catch the dim light along the edges of the pauldrons, gauntlets, and belt, giving the otherwise black outfit a refined, assassin-like elegance. Their stance is cautious and grounded—knees bent, shoulders angled forward—suggesting a warrior poised to react rather than to strike. In their right hand, a curved blade is held low and forward, its bright edge reflecting the gray daylight; the weapon is clearly separate from the enemy’s armament, emphasizing the distance and the wary pause before the first clash.

Across the cracked stone paving, Godrick the Grafted occupies the midground and right side of the composition like a living monument of grotesque royalty. His body is a chaotic mass of mismatched limbs and armor, stitched together into a towering figure that looks both regal and monstrous. Multiple grafted arms jut outward at odd angles, some clawed and reaching as if testing the air, others curled in tense readiness. A mane of wild, pale hair flares around his head, framing a grim face that seems carved from exhaustion and cruelty. Bits of gold ornamentation and worn fabric drape over him—tattered, heavy cloth with frayed tassels and faded patterns—hinting at a fallen lord’s splendor. The intricate, ceremonial battle-axe is held in front of him, angled defensively, its gilded head and engraved surfaces catching more light than anything else in the scene.

The environment reinforces the uneasy calm. Stormveil’s stone towers rise in the background, softened by mist and distance, their battlements jagged where age and war have chewed away at the masonry. The sky is overcast and cold, a pale gray canopy that presses down on the ruined courtyard. Dust, ash, or light snow drifts through the air in small flecks, giving the image motion even though both combatants are still. Broken rubble and uneven slabs frame the edges of the foreground, suggesting a battlefield already scarred long before this confrontation.

Despite the looming violence implied by their weapons and postures, the image captures restraint: the Tarnished and Godrick are not yet in motion, studying one another across a few paces of shattered ground. The composition balances stealth and monstrosity—sleek, disciplined armor against an unruly, grafted titan—turning the pause before combat into the true focus of the illustration.