The first time you walk into that darkened arena in the Shadow Keep, you think you know what’s coming. It’s Messmer. He’s the poster child of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. He’s got the spear, the red hair, and that overwhelming sense of "I am a demigod you really shouldn't have messed with." But then the cutscene hits. He rips out his own eye. Out comes this writhing, pitch-black nightmare.
That’s the abyssal serpent.
Honestly, it’s one of the most disturbing moments in the entire FromSoftware catalog. It isn’t just a "phase two" gimmick or a cool visual effect. It’s a lore bomb that recontextualizes everything we thought we knew about the Erdtree and the biology of the gods in The Lands Between. If you’ve spent any time digging into the item descriptions of the Messmer’s Soul or the Serpent Crest Shield, you realize this thing is a curse—an actual, living entity that Marika was so terrified of she basically erased her son from history.
Why the Abyssal Serpent is Different from Rykard
People constantly get this mixed up. You see a big snake in Elden Ring and you immediately think of Mt. Gelmir and the God-Devouring Serpent. It makes sense! But they aren't the same. Not even close. Rykard’s snake is an ancient gluttonous god that lives in a volcano and eats people to gain their power. It’s physical. It’s gross. It has hands.
The abyssal serpent is something more primal. It’s "abyssal" in the sense of the deep, dark void that exists outside the Golden Order. While Rykard chose his snake, Messmer was born with his. Or rather, he was born with it coiled around his soul.
Think of it like a parasite. A cosmic, world-ending tapeworm that feeds on the fire of a demigod. Marika didn't just tuck Messmer away in the Land of Shadow because he was a violent crusader. She hid him because he was a carrier for a force that stands in direct opposition to the light of the Erdtree. The gold of the order cannot coexist with the "abyssal" dark.
The Iris of Grace and the Seals of a Mother
Look closely at Messmer’s design before he transforms. He has a prosthetic eye—an Iris of Grace. Marika literally stuffed a seal into her son’s eye socket to keep the serpent at bay. You’ve probably found these items in the game, the Iris of Grace and the Iris of Occultation. They aren't just gameplay mechanics for getting Spirit Ashes or weapons. They are physical evidence of a mother trying to lobotomize the "darkness" out of her child.
When Messmer smashes that eye in his boss fight, he isn't just getting a power-up. He’s committing an act of total desperation and spite. He’s saying, "Fine, if you won't help me, I'll let the monster take over."
The Connection to the Formless Mother
There is a lot of debate among the lore hunters at Smoughtown and VaatiVidya about where this serpent actually comes from. Is it a separate Outer God? Is it linked to the Formless Mother that Mohg worships?
The evidence is kind of messy.
We know the abyssal serpent produces a specific kind of "winged" offspring. We see them in the statues around the Shadow Keep. But unlike the dragons or the birds of the Lands Between, these serpents represent a "loss of grace" that is total.
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Some players suggest that the serpent is a manifestation of the "Crucible"—the primordial state where all life was blended together. Back then, having horns, tails, or scales was a sign of divinity. Under the Erdtree, it’s a sign of being an Omen or a monster. Messmer is essentially a walking relic of the era Marika tried to kill. He’s a living reminder that the Golden Order is a thin veneer of gold over a chaotic, scaly reality.
Breaking Down the "Base Serpent" Mechanics
If you're struggling with the fight itself, you’ve noticed that the serpent attacks are wildly different from the spear pokes. The abyssal serpent moves with a janky, high-speed aggression that’s hard to track.
- It has massive range.
- The bites deal heavy physical and fire damage.
- It leaves puddles of "abyssal" energy that can catch you if you're panic-rolling.
The trick is usually staying closer than you feel comfortable. When he turns into the massive black snake, your instinct is to run away. Don't. You need to roll into the coils. It’s counterintuitive, but the hitboxes for the serpent's body are actually quite tight. If you stay at mid-range, you’re just bait.
Also, keep in mind that the serpent is weak to Dragon communion powers and frost. It’s a creature of "heat" and "abyss," so chilling it out actually works surprisingly well. Just don't expect a quick win.
The Tragic Reality of the Land of Shadow
Everything about the abyssal serpent points back to the theme of abandonment. Messmer is probably the most tragic figure in the DLC. He’s doing his mother’s dirty work, murdering the Hornsent, burning the world, all while carrying a monster inside him that his mother hated.
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He calls her "mother" with such a mix of reverence and bitterness.
When you finally kill him and the serpent dissipates, there’s no grand explosion of light. He just dies. The serpent dies with him. It’s a quiet, lonely end for a character that was essentially a scapegoat for the Golden Order’s sins.
How to Piece the Story Together Yourself
If you really want to understand the abyssal serpent, you have to go on a scavenger hunt. Elden Ring doesn't give you a cutscene explaining his biology. You have to work for it.
Check these items specifically:
- Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider: Wait, not that one. I mean the Remembrance of the Impaler. Read the flavor text. It explicitly mentions the "serpent that dwells within."
- Messmer’s Helm: This talks about his role as a "bezel" or a container.
- Serpent Crest Shield: This is key. It explains that the serpent is a secret that must never leave the Shadow Realm.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of "snake stuff" in this game. From the Man-Serpents of Volcano Manor to the snakes on the Gladiator armor sets. But the abyssal serpent is the "original sin" of the family tree. It represents the part of nature that Marika couldn't control, so she just buried it.
Practical Steps for Lore Hunters
If you're trying to 100% the lore of the abyssal serpent, go back to the Specimen Storehouse. Look at the jars. Look at the experiments. Messmer wasn't just a general; he was a jailer.
- Look for the statues of the "Winged Serpent" in the secret areas behind the Shadow Keep.
- Use the "O Mother" gesture in front of the statue near Gaius's arena to find the hidden path to the Shaman Village.
- Connect the dots between the snakes and the "depths" of the Scadutree.
The more you look, the more you realize that the serpent isn't an intruder. It was always there. Marika didn't create a perfect world; she just built a golden floor over a pit of snakes. And Messmer was the one left holding the lid down.
Next time you see a message on the ground that says "snake ahead," take a second to look at the architecture. The abyssal serpent isn't just a boss; it's the architectural foundation of the DLC's entire tragedy. You can’t understand the Shadow of the Erdtree without understanding why that snake had to be hidden away. It's the literal "shadow" in the title.
Next Steps for Players: Go find the Messmer’s Orb incantation. It’s the visual representation of his power combined with the serpent’s influence. Use it. See how the fire looks different—more violent, more erratic. Then, head to the Hinterlands and look at the minor Erdtree there. The contrast between that peaceful, golden spot and the nightmare of the abyssal serpent in the Keep tells you everything you need to know about the hypocrisy of the gods.
Explore the Abyssal Woods too. While the serpent isn't physically there, the "madness" and the "depths" of that forest share a thematic DNA with Messmer's curse. The game is trying to tell you that some things are too old and too dark for the Erdtree to ever touch.
Good luck, Tarnished. You're going to need it if you're planning on staring into the abyss for too long. It tends to bite back.