My 2026 Elden Ring Keepsake Confessions: From Rookie Blunders to the One True Savior

It’s 2026, and I still get a little shiver whenever I boot up Elden Ring and hear that character creation music. Four years after launch, I’ve got more runes than I know what to do with, but I remember my very first playthrough like it was yesterday. I stood there, paralyzed by the Keepsake screen, thinking “how on earth am I supposed to know which trinket won’t screw me over?” I picked something at random, and let’s just say… I regretted it deeply around hour three in Limgrave. Now, dozens of builds later, I’m here to talk you through every single option with the hard-won wisdom of someone who’s been turned into ash by all the wrong choices. I’ll rank them from absolute worst to the one that practically hums with power, all while sharing the little dramas these items caused in my own journey.

9. Shabriri’s Woe – The Troll’s Gift

Oh, you want more attention from enemies? Be my guest. Shabriri’s Woe is basically a sign on your back that says “please, every single Godrick soldier, come dance on my corpse.” I still recall my friend Dave—bless his patient heart—who took this on his first run because he thought it sounded “edgy.” By the time we co-oped past the Gatefront Ruins, he was practically screaming “Why is everything so angry at me?!” There are some sneaky workarounds, like equipping it, summoning a Mimic Tear, then unequipping it so enemies fixate on the clone. But honestly, if you’re clever enough to pull that off, you probably already know better than to pick this thing. It’s the gift that keeps on giving… pain.

8. Boiled Prawns – Five Pieces of Sadness

Let me paint you a picture: I’m facing Margit for the first time, feeling all confident because I had five Boiled Prawns in my pocket. “Physical damage resistance? I’m invincible!” I gobbled one, charged in, and was promptly doing my best pancake impersonation on the ground. Five prawns disappear faster than a Rainbow Stone on a cliff edge. And don’t get me started on how many other defensive goodies you find just lying around in Limgrave. The only thing these prawns ever boiled was my own blood pressure.

7. Bewitching Branch – Sticks of Mischievous Joy

Okay, I’ll admit, this one almost made me cackle like Patches. You stick a Bewitching Branch into an enemy, and suddenly that big hairy troll is your personal bodyguard. I still vividly remember using one on a Cleanrot Knight in Caelid, watching it turn and obliterate its buddies. But the magic wears thin fast. Five branches, and half the time you try it on something that just shrugs at you with a “nice try, mate.” It’s like bringing fireworks to a funeral—impressive for a moment, then deeply impractical. If it were a reusable tool, we’d be talking, but as a Keepsake, it’s just a temporary gig.

6. Cracked Pots – Early Game Jugglers

Look, I get it. Cracked Pots are the crafting world’s unsung heroes. I once turned all three of mine into Fire Pots and lobbed them at Margit’s smug face, cackling as his health bar took a noticeable dip. But the thing is, the Lands Between are lousy with these pots if you simply open your eyes. Three freebies are a nice little dopamine hit, but they don’t stick. I’d say they’re perfect if you’re doing a weird crafter-only run, but for a typical Tarnished, they’re a fleeting comfort.

5. Fanged Imp Ashes – The Lonely Little Diver

Once upon a time, in my first 20 hours, I found this little imp and just stared at it. You need the Spirit Calling Bell to use it, and if you don’t know how to get it early, this keepsake is just… a glass ornament. By the time I got the bell, I’d already found the Lone Wolf Ashes, the Jellyfish, and a whole menagerie of kinder spirits. The imp does its best, bless its little stone heart, but when it’s competing with wolves that stagger enemies and jellyfish that poison, it’s like bringing a fork to a sword fight. Not useless, but it’s the kind of friend you bench after one game.

4. Lands Between Rune – That Sweet, Sweet Pocket Cash

I’m just going to say it: 3000 runes when you’re Level 9 feels like a lottery win. I remember clutching this rune like a child with a shiny coin, immediately pumping two levels into Vigor. Sure, endgame players sneer at it, but in those first trembling hours, those levels can stop you from being one-shot by a noble with a torch. It doesn’t last, but neither does the game’s mercy.

3. Stonesword Keys – Two Golden Tickets

Nothing—and I mean nothing—stings quite like finding an imp statue and realizing your pockets are empty. I’ve walked past so many fog walls with a lump in my throat, whispering “I’ll come back for you.” Giving yourself two keys right out of the gate is like having a skeleton key to the first several secret areas. The Fringefolk Hero’s Grave, the poison basement in the Dragon-Burnt Ruins… all yours. These two keys are a classic case of “don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone,” and I always feel a pang of envy when I start a new file without them.

2. Crimson Amber Medallion – A Little Heart, a Lot of Courage

There’s a reason this medallion sits comfortably near the top: health is never not useful. Mounting this little red gem on my chest gave me 26 extra HP, and I’m telling you, that tiny sliver of red has saved my life more times than I can count. “One more hit and I’m dead,” says every Elden Ring player ever, and then the medallion whispers, “No, you’ve got this.” It’s like having a best friend who always spots you a few extra coins. Even in late game, I sometimes keep it on because old habits sleep soundly.

1. Golden Seed – The Forever Gift

Now we’re talking. The Golden Seed doesn’t just help you early; it holds your hand all the way to the Erdtree’s roots. I picked it on my third character and nearly wept with joy. An extra Sacred Flask use—right from the moment you awake in the Chapel of Anticipation. That’s one more heal, one more gulp of cerulean power, and one more reason to laugh at the Tree Sentinel. It’s a keepsake that says “I believe in you, Tarnished,” and it never stops being valuable, not even when you’re collecting seeds like acorns. If you’re new, trust me: Golden Seed. You’ll thank me when you’re staring down Radagon with a full bar of flasks and a smile on your face.

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So there you have it—my entirely biased, battle-scarred ranking. The truth is, in the end, every keepsake tells a little story about who you are as a player. But if you want my two cents, grab that Golden Seed and never look back. The Lands Between will still be brutal, but at least you’ll have a drink in hand.