I think I’m realizing that I’m a jacket guy. I’ve always loved layers, and love when it gets cooler in NYC so I can unearth my outerwear, but the spate of cool video game jackets recently has solidified that I’m a slut for some good ol’ fashioned outerwear. I really want the Disco Elysium jacket, for example, and one of my favorite things in my closet is my Destiny 2 raid jacket. I would commit crimes for one of those $1700 Death Stranding 2 jackets that apparently sold out in minutes, and now there’s an Elden Ring jacket coming for me. No, not that one, but it’s still pretty rad.
Available exclusively on the Bandai Namco Store, this Elden Ring jacket is emblazoned with iconography of one of the game’s coolest boss fights against Maliketh, The Black Blade. The large, hound-like demon is one of the final fights that players need to complete in order to finish the game, and he’s appropriately tough. No surprises there, considering he’s supposed to be safekeeping the Rune of Death and has embedded it into his own skin by the time you find him, but this isn’t the time or place for a big-ass lore dump.
The black-and-gold sukajan jacket has a bunch of lovely touches that make it stand out. For example, both breasts panels feature an embroidered design of Maliketh’s head, showing the armor plating covering his face, his snarling expression and sharp teeth, as well as his long, ashen-white mane. His head is surrounded on all sides by illustrations of clouds that look similar to ones players might’ve spotted on Elden Ring’s in-game map. Additionally, specks of gold seem to be scattered in the air around him, much like an effect that can be observed the closer you get to the Erdtree, Elden Ring’s brilliant and gargantuan landmark that towers over the Lands Between.
On the jacket’s back side, there’s an impressive full body rendering of Maliketh in full armor, stanced up wielding his gnarly sword, with a menacing red aura emanating from both him and his weapon. The same clouds and gold surround him and a bit of flavor text above and below the design identify him, reading “Cower before Mallketh, Marika’s Black Blade.”
Unfortunately, this immensely cool statement piece is fairly limited. There’s only 500 of them, and as such, each one sold will come in a premium box with a numbered certificate inside. At $200, it isn’t the worst price you could pay for a luxury clothing piece, which means that it could go fairly quickly. And no, you cannot buy more than one at a time, so this is a one and done kind of deal. Get on it, and bear witness to Marika’s finest soldier.
