Elden Ring Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Says He’s ‘Honestly Not Sure’ Where the Rumor About Him Having a Foot Fetish Came From
Dark Souls and Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki has publicly addressed long-standing internet rumors suggesting he has a foot fetish, expressing confusion about the origin of the speculation.
The rumor appears to stem from a recurring pattern in Miyazaki’s game designs: numerous female characters across his titles notably appear without shoes. The Maiden in Black from Demon’s Souls, Sister Friede and Gwyndolore from Dark Souls, Priscilla from Dark Souls, and Malenia from Elden Ring are all notable examples of barefoot female characters. In Malenia’s case, despite her legs being destroyed by Scarlet Rot in the game’s lore, her brother created detailed prosthetics for her that specifically included individual toes—a design choice that fans have attributed to the broader pattern.
Over the years, this common design element has evolved into an inside joke within the gaming community and across social media platforms. However, when confronted about the speculation, Miyazaki stated he was “honestly not sure” where the rumor originated, suggesting the pattern may be coincidental rather than intentional.
The exchange highlights how internet communities often create and perpetuate humorous theories about creators based on observable patterns in their work, even when those patterns may have no deliberate meaning behind them.