Many outfits in the latest entry by FromSoftware are ones that were inspired by real-life armor of history. These are the Elden Ring armor and their real-life counterparts.
In order to prevent the article from being excessively long, I will only include a certain number of armors. Also, the article avoids spoilers.
Banished Knight’s Set was based on the Maximilian armor
I talked about the Banished Knights and their gear in my lore article about them. In that article, I showed that this armor set was based on the 16th-century German plate armor, Maximilian armor. Wikipedia and other sources say that the set got its name from Maximilian I, who was the Holy Roman emperor from 1508 until 1519.
However, many European plate armor of the time looked quite similar to this set. Because of its effective design, maybe many armies adapted it in their own ways.
Some players were off-put by the feet which looked very plain and without any designs whatsoever. At first glance, these “duck feet” seemed like a bad design by FromSoft, but it appears the case was not so. These boots were known as Sabatons and the game’s depiction is strikingly accurate to the real one.
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In my opinion, the Banished Knight’s set is one of the most accurate depictions of historical armor in the game. It’s amazing how the developers made the set aesthetically pleasing while keeping the historical accuracy intact. However, this is not the case for some other sets in this article.
Bloodhound Knight’s helmet was based on the Hounskull Visor
It’s apparent from the name that the Hounskull helmet was made to look like the face of a hound. The name translates to “hound’s hood”. The pointed part of the helm and its holes allowed for good ventilation and the ability for the soldiers to breathe comfortably. This was a helm that was widely used in Europe since the 14th century. Sources say that the design of the helmet made it slightly difficult to see, at times.
The Knight Armour sets
Every knight from each house of Elden Ring has armor sets that have the same basic appearance. Each house features different adornments, colors, and details in the set, but ultimately, it looks quite similar.
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First of all, let’s talk about the helm. This unusually designed helmet was apparently called a “frog-mouthed helmet” because of its appearance. It was a German-made helmet that was used widely in the 1400s and up until the 16th century.
The chest armor is also quite well-designed in the game. A small shield is located on the armor and in real life, it was useful to prevent lethal attacks to the heart of the wearer. It was also widely used in jousting.
You can obtain another different Knight’s Set from the Twin Maiden Husks in the Roundtable Hold, and the breastplate of that set looks as if it was inspired by the Italian Infantry armor. The intricate designs and engravings look quite similar in both the game and the real-life version.
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The Knight Helm and the Carian Knight Helm
Both of these helmets were based on the Armet which was used in France, Italy and Spain among other nations in the 1500s. The design of the Armet transformed with time, and the one we have in Elden Ring looks similar to a German or Italian-made one. The Knight helm which you can obtain from the Twin Maiden Husks looks quite plain yet it’s a realistic depiction of the Armet, while the Carian helm is more detailed and more fantasy-themed.
However, the Armet is not the only helm that the Knight Helm and the Carian Knight Helm might’ve been inspired by. The Close Helm, which evolved from the Sallet (which we will talk about later) also looks quite alike. It was used in Europe in the 1500s.
The Greathelm
While the Greathelm is not associated with a particular set of armor, it was historically a helm worn by Knights, and it goes perfectly with the knight armor sets of the game. I think this helm is possibly the most well-known and popular helm in history, as it’s depicted widely in games and films.
However, despite its popularity, it has been said that wearing this helmet for long periods of time was uncomfortable and the wearer would feel quite sweaty and hot inside. It was used in the Crusades in the 1200s and 1300s. According to Wikipedia, it eventually evolved into the Frog-mouthed helmet. That’s the one worn by Knights of every house in Elden Ring.
Drake Knight’s Helm was based on the Sallet
While the Drake Knight’s set looks very fantasy-inspired and unrealistic, the helm was quite possibly inspired by the Sallet, which was a widely used helm in Europe and Hungary in the 16th century. Particularly, it looks like a German Sallet. This helm replaced the Bascinet, according to Wikipedia.
