I am 5'7, which means I spend a frankly unreasonable amount of my life assuming that every videogame protagonist could use my head as an armrest. Master Chief? Obviously taller. Kratos? Taller and angrier. Geralt? Taller and more waterproof. So imagine my delight when I learned that most FromSoftware protagonists are roughly 1.7 metres—about 5 foot 7 inches—tall. In 2026, after years of Elden Ring discourse, Nightreign experiments, and Tarnished Edition chatter, this remains the most personally validating piece of lore I have ever received. I can finally look these people in the eye without requesting a neck brace.

The revelation comes from Zullie the Witch's excellent video on character height in FromSoftware games. According to her, every FromSoft protagonist up until Elden Ring Nightreign is roughly 1.7 metres tall. I had always assumed they were strapping six-footers, mostly because it makes the bosses look even more absurdly huge. Turns out the real trick is not that the player is tall. It is that the bosses are architectural disasters with health bars.

I also once heard that Garrett from Thief was a six-footer, only to discover that he might be shorter than me. At this point, I am starting to suspect that videogame heroes are not towering demigods but ordinary people who simply stand near very large doors. It is a humbling thought. It is also a great excuse for why I keep walking into walls in games.

Nightreign complicates the picture in the best way. Its playable characters are noticeably different heights even though they are based on the same player model. Revenant is a petite 4'9, which sounds like the perfect size for hiding inside a boss's armour and filing a complaint from the inside. Guardian is 6'6, which sounds like the perfect size for developing a lifelong feud with doorframes. The rest of the roster sits somewhere in between, presumably arguing about whether the ceiling is a suggestion.

Character	Height	My immediate thought
Revenant	4'9	Pocket-sized menace. Can probably dodge arrows by accident.
Standard FromSoft protagonist	~5'7	Finally, someone who understands my struggle.
Guardian	6'6	Please duck. Please. The door has done nothing to you.

Mechanically, Zullie's findings are the classic FromSoftware answer: not much, but a bit. Height does not affect running or jumping, so you cannot create a tiny parkour gremlin who clears castle walls in one bound. It does, however, nudge combat in small ways. Smaller characters have a slightly higher chance to avoid certain attacks, such as arrows, because apparently the universe respects a low profile. Taller characters get marginally longer reach, meaning their swings connect from a little farther away. It is not a game-breaking difference, but it is exactly the sort of detail that makes me stare at a character creation screen for 45 minutes while whispering, 'But what if my elbows matter?'

Zullie also notes that the size modifier can adjust the height of any character in Nightreign, and it could potentially appear in future FromSoft games, maybe even as a character creation variable. I want that future immediately. I want a FromSoft RPG where I can make a character so small that bosses mistake me for a persistent mosquito. I want to attack a giant knight from inside his own kneecap. I want the camera to panic. Honestly, some existing bosses already feel like they could support this mechanically. Give me the option, FromSoftware. I promise to use it irresponsibly.

There is also the cosplay angle. I am not a dedicated cosplayer, but it is nice to know that my options extend beyond 'comic-accurate Wolverine' and 'guy who owns a cape but no sewing machine.' If most FromSoft heroes are around my height, then I am not tragically short. I am lore-accurate. That is a much better label. I will be using it at every opportunity.

So here is my 2026 takeaway: do not underestimate the emotional power of canonical character height. I came for the Nightreign mechanics and stayed because I learned that I could theoretically stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the average Tarnished. I still cannot parry. I still cannot defeat a certain boss without complaining loudly. But at least I now know that when a FromSoftware protagonist stares down a monstrous god, they are doing it from roughly my eye level. That is terrifying. It is also, somehow, deeply comforting. 🗡️