From Software has a legacy of an obsessed and often ridiculous community for its games. To be fair, From Software has fostered this type of community through its cryptic storytelling, atypical multiplayer functionality, and dedication to a hardcore audience.Elden Ringis no different in this regard, though its popularity has brought in an incredible wave of new fans. It’s probably best then to reintroduce everyone to The Wall, a nearly decade-oldDark Soulsmemethat’s now been resurrected.
10 years ago a Venezualan YouTube content creator named OnlyAfro began making videos forDark Souls. These videos fit in well with a certain niche withinFrom Software’s fanbasethat loved edgy humor and PvP shenanigans. One of OnlyAfro’s most successful videos was named The Wall, which lives on as a virally popular meme build within the From Software community. The build is, at its heart, very simple. It duel-wields shields and is a pain to fight against.
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It was only a matter of time before anElden Ringplayer attempted to recreate the classic meme, which is exactly what YouTuber Grimmy has done. Grimmy has doubled up on the Fingerprint Stone Shield and is otherwise wearing a full set of Bull-Goat Armor,Elden Ring’s most impressive heavy armor. The video they created features a dual between The Wall and a Pumpkin Helmed opponent. The whole fight through, Grimmy slowly stalks their enemy. They block all offensive maneuvers, they never run, and they win.
Grimmy’s video is significantly different from the original The Wall from OnlyAfro, of course. OnlyAfro’s The Wall focused on invasions in the upper areas ofAnor Londowhere it was easy to push opponents off of ledges. It featured multiple fights, not all of them successful, with some goofy clips from other media intercut. Grimmy’s is just a single duel, though they did keep the music - pro wrestler Mark Henry’s theme, “The Wall.”
Ultimately, The Wall is just another way for the From Software community to celebrate itself.OnlyAfrodoesn’t really produce YouTube videos anymore, choosing to stream on Twitch instead. As such, they’re unlikely to recreate The Wall even though they have played quite a bit ofElden Ring. Grimmy’s video is a fitting tribute.
Grimmy’s video could bring back the memory of The Wall for manyElden Ringplayers, and soon there could be a wave of The Wall tributes. It’d be exciting to see just what a PvP player duel-wielding shields could manage to do as an invader. Duels might be a struggle with the currentElden Ringbleed meta, but two shields and the right spirit weapon art in an invasion could cause a lot of trouble.
Elden Ringis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
