So, What Does This Mean?

okay so not to be a huge nerd but ive been getting a lot of rbs on my siphonophore post talking about how it resembles the elden beast from elden ring - and it does!! but this is also where i reveal that im a huge nerd and have considered the design of the elden beast a lot in my runs platinuming the game and my recent attempts to 100% in seamless co-op with my girlfriend :3

so, while the elden beast being a siphonophore does make thematic and design sense (especially with the idea of the law of regression in mind- all things yearn to become one, as a siphonophore is many things that are also one!) but my main theory is that the elden beast is actually a nudibranch sea slug!!

so first im just going to show a couple of photos that i think show off the design aspects particularly well :3

this one, i feel, shows off the basic shape and how it translates into the elden beast veryyyy well. additionally, the gills are taking on a very tree-like shape- a design we see in the elden beast though this species lacks numerous ceras

here we see a nudibranch with a ton of cerata- the little tentacle things on this guys body :3 though the elden beast doesn't have this many, they seem to very much line up in appearance.

this one's a stretch- but it's appearance when it flies during the elden ring attack always reminded me of these guys 🥰

my last one to show off- the hooded nudibranch. the tree like texture in the ceras and the gold nerves running through lines up exactly with the elden beast :3

So, what does this mean?

i highly, highly doubt that the design being based off of a sea slug is just a, "that looks cool" thing. so how does this line up thematically?

firstly, i find it important to mention that nudibranches are pretty much parasitic. to eat something they latch onto it and begin eating, though keeping the stinging cells of it's prey to defend itself. to this extent, this lines up with the Golden Order's takeover of the lands between - the Erdtree parasitically latching onto the Greattree, taking those who once fought for it for their own. it's important to note here that the Crucible Knights served under Godfrey while he was Elden Lord- not before, and the misbegotten (specifically the leonine ones) seem to bear connection to Radagon, insofar as one bearing the Golden Order Greatsword and knowing incantations of the Golden Order. The Erdtree ate away at it's prey, while keeping it's stingers for itself.

Secondly, the reproduction aspect. Nudibranches are simultaneously male and female- an idea that is translated into the earthly form the elden ring was stored into, the dual beings Marika and Radagon.

Additionally, nudibranches are known very well for not possessing shells, though this isn't quite true for it's larval state- many nudibranches possess shells up until adulthood- perhaps emblematic of the beast shedding the form of Marika/Radagon to fight you.

Of course like always there's probably more to this idea that I'm not picking up on, and if anyone has any further theories I'd love to hear them :3 this is just my autism brain rambling after rotating it in my head all day.