Malenia is arguably the most well-known encounter in all ofElden Ring. The daughter of Marika — after Marika split her body and had children with her other half, Radagon — is one of the most intriguing characters in the game. Her unpredictable moves, ridiculous damage, and massive health pool make for a boss battle that is difficult for even the most prepared players. While the character initially grabbed fans' attention in early images ofElden Ring, Malenia has further cemented herself as the most iconic character in the entire game. SinceElden Ring— and allSoulsgames — are characterized by their difficulty, the most difficult boss in each title tends to garner the most enduring legacy among fans.
Pippa Bennett-Warner, the voice actress behind Malenia, is also largely responsible for the character’s renowned status. Since each unsuccessful attempt to defeat Malenia is capped off by the same voice line, fans have probably heard Bennett-Warner deliver the line, “I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella,” more times than they’d care to admit. Her performance, however, goes far beyond that single iconic line; Bennet Warner’s delivery during the boss fight’s initial cutscene, the transitional cutscene between Malenia’s two phases, and the monologue following her defeat are all integral in bringingMalenia’s storyto life.
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Who is Pippa Bennett-Warner
Pippa Bennett-Warner is a British television and film actress hailing from Banbury, England. In light of the character’s unprecedented popularity and status as thegold standard ofElden Ringboss fights, Bennett-Warner’s best-known role to gamers is undoubtedly Malenia. However, Bennett-Warner has had an extensive career beyond her work inElden Ring. She began her television career with a brief appearance on a show calledHolby City, but has since managed to land parts in shows likeSouthcliffe,Doctor Who, andGangs of London. More recently, she starred in a six-part thriller calledChloe, available on Amazon Prime.
While she may be best known for her television and voice acting performances, Bennett-Warner has always stayed close to her theater roots ever since starring in a production ofThe Lion Kingat age 11. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, she took roles in the playsRuinedandCrocodile. In 2010, she received an Ian Charleson commendation for her performance inKing Lear, and followed it up with another acclaimed Shakespearean performance as Queen Isabel inRichard II, where her fellow cast members includedFantastic Beastsstar, Eddie Redmayne.
Pippa Bennett-Warner’s History in Gaming
To date, Pippa Bennett-Warner is only credited with appearances in two games:World of WarcraftandElden Ring. While it’s clear Bennett-Warner’s main focus is on television and film acting, the fact that her first voice-over appearance was in the originalWorld of Warcraftmeans that she has been lending her talents to the gaming industry since 2004.
It’s also a career that has been conspicuously well-chosen, asWorld of Warcraftis the best-selling MMORPG of all time, andElden RingisFromSoftware’s best-selling title. To put this into perspective, the two titles — since one credit is for the Battle of Azeroth expansion — that Bennett-Warner has done voiceover work for have grossed over 10 billion dollars in revenue collectively.
SinceWorld of Warcraftincluded such an extensive cast of voice actors, it’s difficult to ascertain exactly whichWorld of Warcraftvoice linesbelong to Bennett-Warner. However, given the overwhelmingly positive reception to her work as Malenia, gamers will undoubtedly be excited for more performances in the gaming industry from her. With her track record, though, fans should expect it to be a major title.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
