Should You Burn The Sealing Tree In Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree? (2024)

One of the most important moments in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is the decision to burn or not to burn the Sealing Tree. Located at the heart of Belurat, Shadow of the Erdtree's first legacy dungeon, the Sealing Tree gives the DLC a fascinatingly cyclical structure. Once the player has completed what looks to be about half of Belurat and beaten Shadow of the Erdtree's Dancing Lion boss, the Sealing Tree blocks their way. They're forced to turn around, and search for a way past it.

[Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for Elden Ring's DLC (but remains spoiler-free for Shadow of the Erdtree's ending.]

Once the Tarnished has defeated Messmer the Impaler and claimed Messmer's Kindling , and found the root of the tree in Rauh, they'll be able to set it alight. However, the ramifications of this action aren't clearly explained until after the player has made their choice, and by then, it's too late to go back. So, before setting fire to the Sealing Tree, here's everything to know about what this decision actually affects in Shadow of the Erdtree.

What Happens When You Burn The Sealing Tree In Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree?

You Have To Burn The Sealing Tree To Continue

Ultimately, there's no way around burning the Sealing Tree - players have to do it to get on with Elden Ring's DLC. Functionally, burning the Sealing Tree opens the way to the final dungeon in Shadow of the Erdtree - the hidden Enir-Ilim. It's only there that players will learn the truth of Miquella's journey, see the endings of Shadow of the Erdtree's many NPC questlines, and truly complete the DLC. Enir-Ilim isn't the largest area in Elden Ring's DLC, but it is arguably the most important, as it's the site where its many plotlines converge and conclude. Although hesitation is completely understandable, it only delays the inevitable, and the player will eventually have to burn the Sealing Tree to continue.

That said, burning the Sealing Tree is effectively the final point of no return for most of Shadow of the Erdtree's side quests. As the player progresses through the quests given by Needle Knight Leda and her compatriots, some NPCs will become their friends, while others become their enemies. Shortly after entering Enir-Ilim, however, Leda will decide that their quests to find Miquella differ too greatly in nature, and that the Tarnished cannot be allowed to continue. This leads to an all-out boss fight against Leda and her allies, but just how many characters the Needle Knight will have on her side depends on the player's actions throughout the DLC.

It is possible to keep playing Shadow of the Erdtree after burning the Sealing Tree, and even after beating the DLC. However, once the tree has been burned, the player is limited to exploring the open world and completing optional dungeons; they'll no longer be able to progress any of the NPC questlines. And some of those questlines do have a direct impact on one of the early battles in Enir-Ilim, so it's important to complete as much as possible before burning the Sealing Tree.

Everything To Do Before Burning The Sealing Tree In Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree

All Questlines Affected By The DLC's Point Of No Return

While burning the Sealing Tree eventually is inevitable, there are a variety of quests the player should try and complete before they do so. First and foremost, there's Leda's quest, which is entwined with the Hornsent's and probably the most difficult to miss. At one point in Shadow of the Erdtree, players have the opportunity to suggest either Thiollier or the Hornsent to Leda as a potential traitor. She'll eventually go after the Hornsent, and players can decide to fight alongside either one of them. If they invade the Hornsent, then don't summon him against Messmer, he'll appear in the final fight.

Dryleaf Dane's questline is also relatively simple, consisting of only two steps the player must complete before burning the Sealing Tree. First, they must find the Monk's Missive and "May the Best Win" gesture next to the Highroad Cross Site of Grace. Heading east from there, they'll face Dane in a duel. Defeat him, and he'll come back as one of Leda's allies.

Moore's questline is also pretty easy to complete before the fight against Leda. Players simply have to be kind to the Forager Brood and collect as many of their cookbooks as possible, then return and speak to him after the Great Rune has been broken. They'll be able to choose Moore's future outlook between "put it behind you" and "remain sad forever," and then receive the final set of crafting recipes. If they select the former, Moore will be summoned as one of Leda's allies; if they select the former, he'll be found dead outside the Church of the Crusade.

Thiollier's questline is a little more complicated, requiring players to complete the Stone Coffin Fissure, find St. Trina, and report back to him. They'll then have to return to the cave where they found Trina, and imbibe her nectar repeatedly before checking in with Thiollier again. Thiollier will then invade them, and if he's defeated before the Sealing Tree burns, he'll join the Tarnished as an ally against Leda.

Finally, there's Redmayne Freyja and Ansbach , whose quests must be completed in a specific order to avoid locking anyone out of the final fight. First, the player will need to find both of them in the Specimen Storehouse after breaking the Great Rune. They'll then need to find the Secret Rite Scroll , but before giving it to Ansbach, talk to Freyja and get her to admit she needs Ansbach's help. Go back to Ansbach, give him the scroll, and tell him about Freyja's request. The two will exchange letters, and if all this is done before burning the Sealing Tree, both of them will appear as Leda's allies.

And with all that checked off, the player can head to Rauh and interact with the roots. While it's not necessarily required to complete all of these before burning the Sealing Tree, ensuring that they're completed properly can enrich the player's experience in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Players venture into the shadowed realm of the Land of Shadow to confront new biomes, dungeons, and formidable bosses. Guided by the enigmatic Miquella, they face the terrifying Messmer the Impaler and uncover the dark secrets shrouded beneath the Erdtree's influence, featuring new weapons, magic, and challenges​.