Elden Ring Director Clarifies: No Foot Fetish, Just Exploring Human Nature

There’s a fascinating interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki, the mastermind behind Elden Ring and The Duskbloods, where he dives into the themes that permeate his games: ruin and rebirth, longing, hope, and despair.

Interestingly, he also touches on the subject of hands—and, quite unexpectedly, feet.

When asked about the recurring imagery of hands in The Duskbloods and Elden Ring, including the massive hand-shaped foes in the latter and the poignant moment of one hand reaching for another in the intro cinematic of the former, Miyazaki admits he doesn’t consciously think about this motif. However, he offers a thought-provoking perspective:

“Take a look online and there’s a rumor that I have a bit of a thing for feet, but I’m not honestly sure where this comes from. I feel like I’m trying to depict some side of human nature or the human existence that is difficult to describe.”

This caught me off guard! I hadn’t really considered it before, but it turns out my editor had explored this topic four years ago, and it’s been a running joke ever since. It’s true that many characters in Miyazaki’s games go barefoot, and we often see close-ups of those feet, beautifully rendered and artistically presented. Fans have speculated over the years that this might be a signature of Miyazaki’s style.

I find Miyazaki’s explanation mostly convincing, though it’s amusing how much he seems to care about online chatter. I appreciate the idea that the terrifying giant hands in Elden Ring represent his attempt to capture a complex aspect of human nature. If I ponder it for a moment, I can grasp what he’s getting at, but it’s tough to focus on the deeper meaning when one of those monstrous hands has just erupted from the ground and snatched me up.