What's The Matter With Mimic Tear? The Controversial Tool For 'Elden Ring' Players Explained

For as long as there's been Dark Souls, there have been two camps of players: those who want to utilize every tool the game gives players to succeed in order to make it through the game (see: summoning help from a player online), and those who insist the "real" way to play is to tackle every boss by yourself, running into them over until their attacks can be perfectly blocked or avoided.

2022's Elden Ring introduced a new mechanic to the FromSoftware formula: Spirit Ashes. These are summonable characters who can aid players in boss fights or crowded areas by fighting alongside players with their specific sets of skills. Of these, no Spirit Ash is stronger than the Mimic Tear.

What Is The Mimic Tear?

The Mimic Tear is a Spirit Ash summon that is a carbon copy of the player. It has the exact same armor, items and weapons as the player, and when fully upgraded, it's a powerhouse, as it means players are almost literally fighting bosses 2-on-1. It can singlehandedly make some seemingly impossible boss fights doable and frankly trivialize the less difficult ones.

Thus, the Mimic Tear has been treated with some scorn among FromSoft purists, as some view it as an "easy mode" for Elden Ring, taking the challenge and ultimate feeling of reward out of overcoming the game's biggest obstacles.

This was the general state of Mimic Tear discourse for two years after the release of Elden Ring. Then the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC came out.

Is 'Mimic Tear' Necessary For Shadow of the Erdtree?

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is hard, almost absurdly so for a player base that has spent the past two years learning how to cruise through the game with their eyes closed. The first proper boss players will likely encounter has an attack that can kill players of any level in one shot.

This is due to the Scadutree leveling system in the game, which means the way to get stronger is not to simply farm "souls," as has been typical of FromSoft games past, but to spend specific items found in the overworld to increase the player's power level.

Still, even at higher power levels, the encounters in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC are no joke, which has made even some of the most devoted Souls vets wonder if it's time to whip out the Mimic Tear.

To be clear, the Mimic Tear isn't necessary to defeat any boss in Shadow of the Erdtree — but it will almost certainly help alleviate some headaches, particularly in the early portions of the DLC.

Is It Okay To Use Mimic Tear To Beat Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree?

The great debate surrounding Mimic Tear concerns the question of whether or not it makes the game too easy. The intense crowd, usually strawmanned as looking down on players who utilize game-provided advantages to overcome challenges, would argue that yes, Mimic Tear does make the game too easy. Others would argue that Mimic Tear is no different than the frankly ludicrous amount of items and tools the game provides to help players overcome challenges.

How one decides to experience Elden Ring is entirely up to them, but there's no shame in popping that Mimic Tear — and our commendations to anyone who beat Malenia without it.

For the full history of Mimic Tear, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.