Gideon betrays Elden Ring players to prevent the Tarnished from becoming Elden Lord. The game implies he finds out about Queen Marika’s secret plans to use the Tarnished to destroy the Greater Will. By betraying you, Gideon hopes to prevent the Tarnished from destroying the Greater Will.
Gideon’s betrayal takes players by surprise
Gideon is a Tarnished himself. He wants to become Elden Lord and tries to gather as much information about The Lands Between as he possibly can.
Gideon doesn’t set out to betray you. He genuinely wants to learn as much as possible about The Lands Between and uses all the sources of information that he can get into contact with.
Unfortunately, Gideon makes a shocking discovery that pushes him to oppose the Tarnished and betray Elden Ring players. He’s convinced that a Tarnished becoming Elden Lord is a recipe for disaster. However, he never tells you why he exactly he changed his mind and decided to betray you.
He only says:
I commend your spirit, but alas, none shall take the throne.
Queen Marika has high hopes for us.
That we continue to struggle. Unto eternity.
My fellow, you’ve fought well, until now.
A Tarnished cannot become a Lord, not even you.
A man cannot kill a god.
Gideon learns troublesome news about Queen Marika
Presumably, Gideon learns some troublesome news about Queen Marika and decides to stop the Tarnished from becoming Elden Lord. Apparently, she has a secret plan and is trying to manipulate everyone into helping her reach that goal.
Some players suggested that Gideons found out Queen Marika created the Tarnished to destroy the Greater Will. That could explain why he wants to prevent the Tarnished from becoming Elden Lord.
Gideon’s betrayal often comes as a shock for players. After successfully collaborating with him throughout the game, he suddenly opposes you towards the end of the game.
Unfortunately, you need to defeat Gideon to unlock the final boss fight. Killing an NPC you’ve become friends with is a hard task but you have to do it to advanced into the main story.
Gideon is not all-knowing, he’s just faking it
Gideon is not all-knowing. He does his best to learn as much as possible from everyone.
As you advance into the main story, Gideon also gains additional knowledge simply by talking to you. He also shares knowledge with you as a means to persuade you share knowledge back.
If you look closely at his helmet, you’ll notice it doesn’t have a beard on it. The helmet is actually covered in severed ears. This symbolizes his thirst for knowledge.
And now you know.