Why Is The Burger King Guy In Elden Ring?
Can't sleep, the Burger King guy will eat me. With FromSoftware's Elden Ring taking over the internet, the developer has done it again - penning another chapter in the gruelling Souls-like genre. More than usual, FromSoft has delivered a weird and wonderful roster of enemies, however, did anyone expect to see the Burger King guy in Elden Ring?
Since the release of Dark Souls in 2009, we've hacked and slashed our way from thousands of enemies. From the Engorged Hollows of Dark Souls to the Slime Scholars of Bloodborne, the Rifle-Wielding Monkeys of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and everything in between, we've also had the various forms of Patches. Elden Ring offers some of the most interesting we've ever seen - including this haunting fast food mascot.
Why Is The Burger King Mascot In Elden Ring?
Click to enlargeWhen it comes to Elden Ring, Hidetaka Miyazaki has delivered another brilliant Soulsborne game, but this time, it's one that feels oddly alive. There are more enemies than ever, with designs like the anal bead-inspired Abnormal Stone Clusters and Zelda-esque Spider Hands being particular standouts. Another fan-favourite is the Raya Lucaria Sorcerer, aka the Burger King.
Lurking around the Raya Lucaria Academy, these humanoid enemies try to stop trespassers as they hurl their magical pebbles at you. Sadly, they don't throw chicken nuggets - but we're sure there's a mod for that. Long before we actually knew what to call the Raya Lucaria Sorcerers, these walking BK mascots appeared in the first Elden Ring trailer and quickly picked up the nickname.
Ironically, this isn't the first time the Burger King has appeared in video games. Back in 2006, Burker King released Sneak King - which was a bit like Dead by Daylight but featured the smiling assassin. In fact, he had a whole franchise of games, with him turning tricks in Pocketbike Racer and racing around in Big Bumpin'. Much like Patches has appeared in multiple FromSoftware games, will the Burger King return to the Souls world?
Why Do Players Hate The Burger King?
There's a whole thread titled "Those Burger King mask magic casters are annoying", where angry gamers can vent their frustrations. In a Reddit post comparing the Raya Lucaria Sorcerer, gamers were warned they won't be able to unsee it. One joked, "The King is serving up smiles and a side of ass kicking," while another added: "Every time I see these b*stards I go 'oh f**k you Burger King.' I'm easily amused by myself."
Whether it's the blank and gawping face of the Raya Lucaria Sorcerers or a general hated for the Burger King, their arrival in Elden Ring has become a viral sensation. If you don't hate the Raya Lucaria Sorcerers, you could always pick up the Raya Lucaria Armour Set and go around the Lands Between looking like the Burger King and asking if you'd like fries with that. It's actually a pretty powerful set anyway!
To quote Omar Little from The Wire, "You come at the king, you best not miss," but unfortunately, there are no Ronald McDonald lookalikes to throw down against. As for the actual Burger King, it looks like he's found a new home after BK briefly dropped him. In 2011, Burger King CFO Josh Kobza famously axed the mascot and said, "We got rid of the creepy king character that tended to scare away women and children."
Although the fast food giant delivered its very you "You Died" screen, the Burger King rose from the grave like an Elden Ring creation. In 2015, the company paid $1 million to have the Burger King appear in a Floyd Mayweather fight, and since then, he's remained a staple of the deep-fried scene. As we don't know whether FromSoftware was inspired by the Burger King, that sounds like a question to put to Miyazaki.
We know George R.R. Martin had a part to play, but with the Game of Thrones author apparently only responsible for building the expansive backstory, we doubt he's responsible for the Raya Lucaria Sorcerer. Maybe Burger King itself sent a mole into the development office as a stroke of marketing genius? Either way, we're sold on this piece of fan fiction. They say that if you stand in a mirror in Elden Ring and say Burger King five times, he'll appear and serve you a Whopper.