Sir Ansbach
Sir Ansbach is a former Pureblood Knight of Mohg whose Shadow of the Erdtree questline follows his investigation into Miquella and can make him an ally in the expansion’s decisive battles.
Key Takeaways
DLC NPC
Sir Ansbach is a supporting NPC introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree. His storyline unfolds across several locations in the Land of Shadow and connects his personal history to the followers gathered around Miquella.
Former Pureblood Knight
Ansbach was formerly a Pureblood Knight in the service of Mohg, Lord of Blood. His past gives him a direct connection to Mohg’s dynasty and helps explain his knowledge of the events surrounding Mohg and Miquella.
Questline with Missable Progression
His questline depends on discovering him at the correct locations and following related dialogue and item clues. Progress can be affected by major events in the Shadow Keep, so players should speak with him whenever his location changes.
Connection to Leda and Freyja
Ansbach’s storyline intersects with Needle Knight Leda and Redmane Freyja. Their conflicting perspectives create one of the DLC’s important NPC choices, with different decisions leading to different encounters and rewards.
Can Assist in a Major Encounter
If his questline is advanced appropriately, Ansbach can become available as a summon for a late-game battle. Completing his storyline also provides unique rewards tied to his identity and role in the DLC’s final conflicts.
Overview
Sir Ansbach is a former Pureblood Knight encountered in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Now an elderly scholar, he brings knowledge of Mohg’s faction and a cautious, reflective perspective to the conflicts surrounding Miquella.
Sir Ansbach is a supporting character in Shadow of the Erdtree and one of the Realm of Shadow’s more deliberate and distinctive NPCs. He is encountered as a composed older man whose past is tied to the Pureblood Knights and Mohg, Lord of Blood. Although that history connects him to one of the Lands Between’s most violent powers, Ansbach is presented less as a conventional aggressor than as a thoughtful figure assessing the meaning of the events around him.
Ansbach’s identity is defined by the contrast between his former martial allegiance and his current role as a scholar and observer. He speaks with the restraint of someone who has survived the collapse of a cause and is unwilling to accept appearances without examination. This makes him an important source of context for players trying to understand the relationship between Mohg’s legacy, Miquella’s following, and the competing convictions of the people drawn into the expansion’s central conflict.
Rather than functioning as a simple quest giver, Ansbach represents memory, doubt, and interpretation within the expansion’s cast. His conversations frame the surrounding events through questions of loyalty and religious devotion, while his responses to other characters show that he is capable of reconsidering his position when new evidence appears. His significance therefore comes not only from the information he provides, but also from the perspective he brings to factions and figures that are often described in more absolute terms.
Ansbach’s role expands as the player progresses through the Realm of Shadow, and his storyline can intersect with the plans and judgments of other followers of Miquella. Those encounters make him relevant to the expansion’s broader examination of allegiance and purpose, while his possible rewards and later appearances give his questline practical as well as narrative importance. For readers interested in Elden Ring’s lore, he is a useful point of connection between the aftermath of Mohg’s story and the unresolved questions surrounding Miquella’s campaign.
Role in the Story
SpoilersPersonality & Motivations
A Courteous but Wary Knight
Sir Ansbach presents himself with unusual restraint for a former Pureblood Knight. His speech is formal and measured, and he generally addresses the Tarnished with respect rather than issuing demands or treating them as a subordinate. That courtesy is not simple passivity: when the conversation turns to Mohg, Miquella, or the events surrounding them, Ansbach responds with careful observation and deliberate judgment. He prefers to examine what has happened before committing himself to an explanation.
This reserve gives Ansbach the manner of an experienced courtier or scholar rather than a boastful warrior. He does not try to glorify his past or conceal that his understanding has changed. Instead, he speaks as someone who has witnessed the limits of his former allegiance and now treats certainty with suspicion. His calm tone also contrasts with the violence of his history, making his character feel defined less by aggression than by discipline and self-control.
Loyalty Tested by Doubt
Ansbach's central conflict is the tension between loyalty and doubt. He once served Mohg and identifies himself with the Pureblood Knights, but his later dialogue makes clear that this allegiance is no longer unquestioning. His concern about Miquella's influence is grounded in direct experience: Ansbach recognizes that devotion can be imposed as well as freely chosen. His suspicion therefore comes not from a general dislike of Miquella, but from his awareness that a person's will and loyalties can be altered.
That history makes Ansbach unusually self-critical. He does not describe his former service as though it were entirely separate from his present concerns; his own past gives him reason to question what he believed and why he believed it. His investigation is consequently both practical and personal. He wants to understand what happened to Mohg and what Miquella intends, but he is also confronting the possibility that his former allegiance was compromised. His willingness to examine that possibility suggests intellectual honesty, even when the conclusion reflects poorly on him.
A Search for Truth Rather Than Revenge
Ansbach's actions are driven primarily by investigation. He seeks information about Mohg's fate and Miquella's plans, and he treats the connection between them as a problem that must be understood rather than as an excuse for indiscriminate vengeance. The distinction matters because Ansbach has every reason to respond emotionally: he served Mohg, and the remains of that lord are central to the mystery he is trying to unravel. Yet his approach remains analytical. He gathers evidence, compares what he knows with what he observes, and shares useful information when doing so may clarify the situation.
His motives are therefore compatible with loyalty, but they are not reducible to obedience. Ansbach does not simply continue Mohg's cause after Mohg's defeat. He instead follows the implications of what he has learned, even when that means questioning the power structure to which he once belonged. This makes him a transitional figure: he still carries the identity and discipline of a Pureblood Knight, but his decisions are increasingly guided by personal judgment.
Respectful, Yet Willing to Act
Although Ansbach is reflective, he is not portrayed as indecisive. Once he concludes that Miquella's influence represents a serious threat, he is prepared to oppose those acting in Miquella's interest. His support for the Tarnished in the later conflict demonstrates that his caution does not prevent commitment. He can wait for sufficient evidence, but he does not use uncertainty as a reason to avoid responsibility.
His relationship with Redmane Freyja further shows this balance between courtesy and resolve. Ansbach treats her concerns seriously and responds to her as an equal participant in the search for answers. Their exchange is not built on easy agreement: each character approaches the legacy of Mohg and the wider crisis from a different position. Ansbach's contribution is to provide context, perspective, and practical help without attempting to dominate the discussion. His conduct toward Freyja reinforces the impression of a man who values duty but understands that loyalty must be reasoned through rather than blindly performed.
In the end, Ansbach's motivations combine responsibility, skepticism, and a damaged but persistent sense of allegiance. He does not erase his past as a servant of Mohg, nor does he accept every consequence of that past without question. His defining choice is to investigate the truth even when it threatens the beliefs and identity he once relied on. That makes his quiet manner meaningful: Ansbach's restraint is the outward expression of a character who has learned that conviction without reflection can become another form of enchantment.
Relationships
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Mohg, Lord of Blood
Ansbach was a Pureblood Knight in Mohg’s service.
Redmane Freyja
Freyja’s concerns become part of Ansbach’s investigation.
Needle Knight Leda
The player chooses whether to help Ansbach against Leda.
Miquella
Miquella’s plans drive Ansbach’s investigation throughout the expansion.
Ah, well met. I am Ansbach. Formerly of the Pureblood Knights. I served Lord Mohg, as a Pureblood Knight. But now, I am nothing but a worn-out old man.Main Gate Cross, first conversation with Sir Ansbach in Shadow of the Erdtree. The line introduces his former allegiance and self-effacing view of his present condition
Mission Appearances
Sir Ansbach's main appearance in Shadow of the Erdtree begins at the Main Gate Cross Site of Grace. His questline centers on his investigation into the nature of Miquella's plans and the recovery of the Secret Rite Scroll at Shadow Keep. Later stages connect him to Needle Knight Leda and the final battles at Enir-Ilim.
Ansbach becomes involved in Leda's attempt to eliminate potential rivals to Miquella. Depending on the player's choices during the questline, the player can assist Ansbach or Leda in their confrontation. This encounter determines whether Ansbach remains available for his later summon appearances.
If his questline has been advanced successfully, Sir Ansbach can be summoned during the battle against Promised Consort Radahn in Enir-Ilim. His presence adds a lore-focused ally to the final encounter and reflects his opposition to Miquella's ambitions.
Gameplay
Player-Facing Role
Sir Ansbach is not a playable character and does not provide a player-controlled moveset, skill tree, equipment system, or conventional build options. His gameplay relevance in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree comes from his role as a conditional NPC summon during specific encounters. When his questline has progressed far enough, the player may be able to summon him through an available gold summon sign.
Summon Support
As a summoned ally, Ansbach fights alongside the player rather than changing the player’s controls or granting a permanent ability. His presence can add another combatant to an encounter and draw enemy attention, but summon availability depends on questline progression and the state of the relevant event. His summon signs are associated with late-game conflicts involving Needle Knight Leda and the final major boss encounter, Promised Consort Radahn. These appearances are encounter-specific and should not be treated as a general companion system.
Endings and Fate
SpoilersAppearance and Design
Sir Ansbach is presented as an elderly, composed warrior in dark, layered clothing rather than bright ceremonial armor. His long white hair and beard, lined face, and measured posture immediately distinguish him from the younger Tarnished and more flamboyant figures encountered in the Realm of Shadow. The design gives him the appearance of a seasoned retainer whose age reflects long experience without making him seem physically helpless.
His clothing combines the silhouette of a traveling scholar with elements associated with a former knight. The dark fabric, high collar, and restrained color palette make him visually subdued, while the fitted protective pieces and weaponry preserve his martial identity. His equipment is practical and personal rather than ornate, reinforcing the impression of someone defined by discipline and service instead of status display.
Ansbach's visual presentation also contrasts with the more overtly monstrous or extravagantly armored characters connected to the conflict around him. He remains recognizably human throughout his appearances, and his calm expression and controlled movements make him seem deliberate even when the surrounding events become violent. The game communicates his history primarily through this contrast: he looks like an experienced fighter who has stepped away from youthful aggression but has not abandoned his capability.
Notable Lines
Ah, well met. I am Ansbach. Formerly of the Pureblood Knights. I served Lord Mohg, as a Pureblood Knight. But now, I am nothing but a worn-out old man.
Related characters
Full directorycoreMohg, Lord of BloodAnsbach was a Pureblood Knight in Mohg’s service.
majorSir Gideon OfnirSir Gideon Ofnir is the leader of the Roundtable Hold and a knowledge-seeking Tarnished who becomes a mandatory boss before the final approach to the Elden Throne.
majorSorceress SellenSorceress Sellen is a Carian-aligned sorcery tutor whose quest leads through Primeval Sorcerers, Sellia and Raya Lucaria, ending in a choice between Sellen and Witch-Hunter Jerren.
minorSt. TrinaSt. Trina is an enigmatic deity associated with sleep who appears in Shadow of the Erdtree as part of Miquella's questline.