Elden Ring is a mystery-driven game—each corner of The Lands Between has some hidden narrative, some forgotten ruin, or some off-beat creature with a backstory. But few in-game characters are as quietly heartbreaking as the jellyfish. Initially, these glowing, otherworldly floaters appear to be tranquil wildlife. But the more you learn about their lore, the more chilling their existence is. Here are five creepy facts about Elden Ring’s jellyfish that may cause you to think twice before hacking one down.
5. Those Eyes Are Watching You
You’ve likely passed by a dozen spirit jellyfish and not noticed a thing. But if you’ve ever encountered one that’s buffed with a golden rune, you might have gotten a chilling glimpse: two glowing, human-like eyes staring out from under its dome. Most of the time, you’ll never see those eyes, but the right conditions will expose them.
This creepy detail isn’t simply visual window dressing. Although actual moon jellyfish possess primitive light-sensitive organs, the game version sports only two rather human-looking peepers. It’s a small but potent hint that these beings could be more specter than monstrosity—possibly even human in origin.
4. The Sister Who Waits at Stargazers’ Ruins
In the icy Mountaintops of the Giants, players will spot a lone jellyfish hovering over Stargazers’ Ruins. She cries out in a piteous, ringing voice for her sister. It’s one of the more emotionally powerful puzzles in the game: you’ll need to call down your Spirit Jellyfish friend—Aurelia—beside her.
When the two jellyfish come together again, they exchange a fleeting, poignant moment before disappearing together, unlocking the door to what lies ahead. It’s a silent but powerful reminder that these are spirits with names, memories, and connections, suggesting the human souls they once were.
3. Not Just Fantasy—Based on Real Life
These jellyfish don’t get conjured out of thin air. They’re inspired by the actual moon jellyfish, or Aurelia. But FromSoftware does more than life. The conjured Spirit Jellyfish Ash is given the same name as Aurelia—a spirit said to be kindly, tear-prone, and homesick.
It’s this combination of realism and emotion that makes the jellyfish feel so unsettlingly present. They float around like sea creatures, but their sorrow clings in the air, making the player feel that they were never intended to be another monster.
2. A Theory Too Dark to Ignore
Exploring Elden Ring’s lore more deeply uncovers one of the game’s most tragic concepts: the jellyfish could be the souls of dead children. In the same area where the Stargazers stand, there are two graves with the names Aurelia and Aurielette. The epitaph is heartbreaking: “They never saw the stars.”
This brief statement has been the fuel behind the theory that the jellyfish are restless ghosts of children who died too early, forever wandering about The Lands Between in pursuit of light, family, or peace. The theory fits uncannily well with in-game terminology and emotional context surrounding the encounters.
1. The Guilt That Stays With You
But once you join the dots, something shifts. That old familiar Spirit Jellyfish you’ve been calling into combat? She’s not just a ghostly sidekick—she’s a bereaved spirit, an orphaned child. And all those radiant jellyfish you’ve killed for runes? They may have had names of their own, once. Elden Ring doesn’t say it directly.
But that’s what makes it hurt more. The jellyfish are among the game’s most understated tragedies—gentle reminders of cut-off lives and ghosts trapped in a shattered world.
Next time you float by one, perhaps leave it be. Give it a second. There’s more sorrow behind that gentle glow than you think.