Summary

• Messmer is the son of Marika, yet he's left in the Land of Shadow when Marika leaves for the Lands Between.
• Marika may have feared that Messmer's Kindling could be used to destroy the Erdtree.
• Messmer's abandonment in the Shadow Realm could also stem from the Abyssal Serpent or his continued crusade against the Hornsent.

Queen Marika the Eternal and was initially in the Land of Shadow on her orders as he was assisting in her crusade against the Hornsent. The Hornsent were the region’s former rulers who had lorded over Marika before her ascension to godhood. Though this explains why Messmer came to the land, why he couldn’t leave isn’t as easily apparent.

Although Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t give an exact reason why Messmer was left behind in the Land of Shadow when Marika left for the Lands Between, some possible answers are hinted at in the game. Some possibilities seem to suggest that Marika may not have parted ways with Messmer on the best . Others suggest that Messmer stayed loyal to his mother even after she departed from the Land of Shadow.

Messmer May Have Been A Threat To The Erdtree

Messmer’s Kindling Has Been Shown To Burn Trees

One possibility for Messmer being left in the Land of Shadow is that Marika saw him as a threat to the Erdtree. There are a few reasons why this could be the case, but perhaps the most obvious comes in the form of the item Messmer’s Kindling. Players receive this item after defeating Messmer, and then they go on to use it to burn down the Sealing Tree, triggering Shadow of the Erdtree’s point of no return.

It’s very possible that Marika was concerned Messmer’s Kindling could also be used to burn down the Erdtree. It wouldn’t be the first time that Marika had taken extreme steps to eliminate a potential threat against her golden tree. In events that took place before Elden Ring, Marika killed the fell god worshipped by the Fire Giants, who was said to have the power to destroy the Erdtree. It’s possible Marika decided Messmer was a similar threat, but didn’t want to kill him outright since he was also her loyal son.

It isn’t just Messmer’s Kindling that may have made Marika think he was a threat to her and the Erdtree. Messmer is also the vessel for an entity that Marika may have been just as afraid of. This may mean that Messmer’s abandonment was a sacrifice Marika was willing to make to maintain her rule over the Lands Between.

The Serpent Inside Messmer Could Also Have Been A Threat To Marika

Marika Sealed The Abyssal Serpent Inside Messmer

The kindling players get from Messmer is just one of the dangerous things inside the demigod. Marika also used Messmer to seal away a powerful serpent, which can be seen looking out from behind Messmer’s eyes in the opening cutscene of his fight. Some Elden Ring players believe that this serpent - that the game says Marika sealed inside Messmer - is a manifestation of the fell god. If this is true, then it makes total sense why Marika wouldn’t want to allow it back into the Lands Between.

Messmer refers to this serpent as the "Abyssal Serpent," and it was kept in check by Marika removing one of Messmer's eyes and replacing it with a seal. Messmer breaks the seal to start his second phase as Base Serpent Messmer.

Having already killed the fell god once to protect the Erdtree, Marika would likely not be keen for it to return. Some have also posited that the serpent may be feeding on Messmer’s Kindling. If true, this would essentially allow Marika to keep two separate threats at bay with a single plan. Though it means abandoning her son in the Land of Shadow, it seems this is a sacrifice Marika is willing to make to protect the Erdtree.

Marika May Have Wanted Messmer To Continue His Crusade

Messmer Aided Marika In The Destruction Of The Hornsent

Although Messmer posing a threat to the Erdtree seems like a more compelling reason for Marika leaving him behind in the Land of Shadow, there may also be a simpler explanation. Messmer was originally helping Marika in her crusade to kill the Hornsent. As there are still some remnants of the Hornsent in the Land of Shadow, Messmer may have been left behind to ensure his mother’s mission was carried out in full. Marika sought to exterminate the Hornsent after they tortured Marika's people from the Shaman Village.

Like most elements of FromSoftware’s game lore, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree isn’t likely to give players one concrete answer to this question. It is up to players to examine the bits of lore they are given in the game’s cutscenes and item descriptions to try and work out for themselves what they believe happened. This sense of mystery makes Elden Ring characters like Messmer stick with players long after they’ve completed the game, as lingering questions about their history remain unsolved.